CLEVELAND — Tonight at 7 p.m., Unity Presbyterian Church presents the Red Bank Baptist Orchestra Pops concert. The orchestra has traveled from Chattanooga, Tenn., for tonight’s concert as well as the worship service on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Unity is located at 885 Woodleaf Barber Road.
The Women’s Ministry of Henderson Grove Missionary Baptist Church will sponsor a program entitled “Making of the Spiritual Cake” today at 5 p.m. The event will feature various speakers and spiritual topics. The Rev. Perry Dye is the host pastor.
Dr. Jim Duncan will be the guest speaker at John Calvin Presbyterian’s Men of the Church meeting Sunday at 8:30 a.m. in the fellowship hall. He will speak on human trafficking in Rowan County.
The buffet breakfast, prepared by the men, is for all members and guests, male and female. The church is located at 1620 Brenner Ave.
First Presbyterian Church of Salisbury welcomes Dr. Bob Lewis back to the pulpit to preach at all three worship services on Sunday: in the sanctuary at 8:30 and 11 a.m. and 8:50 a.m. in Lewis Hall (named in his honor).
Lewis served as senior pastor at First Presbyterian for 24 years before retiring. He then served as the doctor of ministry program director for Hood Theological Seminary. In the years since his retirement, he was named pastor emeritus. His wife is Jan Lewis.
Concord — Cross of Christ Lutheran Church, 4500 Rimer Road, will be having its annual homecoming on Sunday with guest Dr. Charles Rhodes speaking at 9:45 a.m. and Bishop John Bradosky leading the worship service at 11 a.m. A covered-dish lunch will follow the service.
Spencer — Dorsett Chapel United Church of Christ, 1280 Hollywood Drive, hosts its 10th pastoral celebration, “A Decade of Service Continues,” for the Rev. R. Thomas Wyatt Jr.
A special Sunday morning worship service will take place at 10 a.m.
Rowan Christian Assembly, 923 Salisbury GQ Ave., will host Randall Rogers, North Carolina Assembly of God district secretary-treasurer, on Sunday for an installation ceremony for its new pastor, James Dodd.
The service begins at 10:30 a.m., followed by a reception at the church. Phone 704-279-6676 with questions.
SPENCER — Calvary Lutheran Church will celebrate homecoming and its 109th anniversary at the 10:30 a.m. service on Sunday. The Rev. Carrie Bishop, who served at Calvary from 2007 to 2012, will be the guest pastor.
A covered-dish luncheon will follow. The Rev. Wayne S. Cobb is host pastor.
On Sunday Calvary Baptist Church, 2255 East Ridge Road, will dedicate its new building as part of the morning services. This building will replace the sanctuary, built between 1921 and 1929. The new building is multi-functional, with spaces for a new sanctuary, choir room, baptistery and kitchen.
Activities begin at 10:30 a.m., when church members will gather in the old sanctuary for a short procession to the new building, led by Dr. Rick Cockerham. There will be a ribbon cutting, music by One Focus and a homecoming meal in the new building.
One of the participants in the ribbon cutting will be Ethel Jacobs, who has attended the church since 1927.
Calvary Baptist began in 1871 at Ellis Crossroads but did not have a building until 1895. The first building acted as a church and school for the community. The current sanctuary was begun in 1921, with the church men constructing bricks to build the basement. Services began in 1924 and the final interior work was completed by 1929. From there, Sunday school rooms were added, and a new parsonage was built in 1949.
A fellowship hall was constructed in 1965. Before that, most homecoming meals were served on the lawn. The last additions to the current building were completed five years ago, adding more classrooms and an enlarged nursery.
Providence United Methodist Church, 6450 Bringle Ferry Road, will have its homecoming celebration Sunday at the 10:30 a.m. service. First Light and Traditional services will be combined. A covered-dish luncheon follows.
Providence’s newly appointed pastor, Aldana Allen, will deliver the message. Allen earned a bachelor’s degree in political science with a business minor from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. He was awarded a master of divinity degree from the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta in 1998. He has been the pastor at Trinity UMC, and Lonsdale UMC.
Providence United Methodist Church and Providence AME Zion are hosting a Stop Hunger Now event Saturday, Sept. 20, at Providence UMC, 6450 Bringle Ferry Road.
They will be packaging 10,000 meals to be shipped around the world to school feeding programs and crisis relief. Volunteers are welcome to join in, beginning at 2 p.m.
CLEVELAND — Homecoming services will be held at Christ Episcopal Church on Sunday at 10:30 a.m.
The Rev. Sarah Blaies, priest-in-charge, will serve as preacher and celebrant of the Holy Eucharist, Rite II. Patsy Feimster will serve as lay minister and Glenda Baker as lector.
The choir, under the direction of John Bullock, will provide special music, along with trumpeter Luke Boudreault of Hickory.
A covered-dish meal will follow in the White family shelter.
Christ Church is the oldest Episcopal Church in Rowan County. The church, its parish house and cemetery were entered into the National Register of Historic Places on Dec. 5, 2011. The church is located on Old US Hwy. 70.
Gay’s Chapel United Methodist Church on Woodleaf Road will celebrate its 175th homecoming Sunday with a special service and a covered-dish lunch in the outdoor shelter immediately following the service.
Gay’s Chapel will observe its third and final event of this historic anniversary at homecoming. The Rev. Don Newman of Charlotte, former pastor, will be guest minister. Pastors Frank and Mary Gordon are the co-pastors.
Mount Ulla — Back Creek Presbyterian Church PCA celebrates its 209th homecoming on Sunday. The Rev. Dave Aucremann, who served as student youth director in 1996, will be the guest preacher.
Aucremann currently serves as an associate pastor at Good News Church (PCA) in St. Augustine, Fla.
Dinner on the grounds will follow the 11 a.m. service.
On Sunday Second Presbyterian Church will kick off a year of fun and formative Christian education.
The sister and brother duo, Grace and Gabe Bemus, will bring special music to celebrate the day. The twosome won first place in Salisbury’s recent Buskers Bash. The kick-off service is at 11 a.m. Sunday morning at 732 Lincolnton Road.
SPENCER — New Hope AME Zion Church, 1470 N. Long St., will observe its annual homecoming Sunday during the 11 a.m. service. The Rev. Patrick Tate, pastor of Southern City Tabernacle AME Zion Church, will be guest speaker. Lunch will be served after the service.
Revival services will be held Monday through Wednesday. The Rev. William H. Puryear, the revivalist for Monday and Tuesday, currently serves as the pastor of Torrence Grove AME Zion Church, Charlotte. He received his formal education through the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School System, Forsyth Technical Community College and Winston-Salem Bible College.
The Wednesday evening revivalist will be the Rev. Dr. G. Ray Coleman. He is a graduate of Livingstone College, B.A. degree; Hood Theological Seminary, master’s of divinity; and Howard University, D.D. degree. He is the pastor of St. Mark AME Zion Church, Durham.
CHINA GROVE — Southside Church of God welcomes Handprints to lead worship on Sunday in the 11 a.m. service. Handprints, under the leadership of Cindy Cozad, is a group of worshipers who minister in sign language and drama to both the hearing and the deaf.
The church is located at 163 3rd Ave. For more information, call 704-467-4555. Joyce Miles is host pastor.
GOLD HILL — On Sunday, Liberty United Methodist Church will celebrate homecoming with special music provided by Kevin Carter and Full Assurance. Carter recently won the Flattop Picker Award. Included in the group are his wife, Cindy, and daughter, Sarah. Tommy Privette, Kara Kiker and Kyle Kiker provide instrumental and voice backup to provide outstanding gospel bluegrass music.
The service will begin at 11 a.m. with a time of praise and worship. The message will be delivered by the Rev. Gary Coble from St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church.
After the service, there will be a dinner at the Liberty Ballfield (fellowship hall in event of rain) The Rev. Charlie Curtis is host pastor.
Sister Donna Cuthbertson will be the guest preacher at Soldiers Memorial AME Zion Church this Sunday at the 11 a.m. service as the church celebrates Women’s Day 2014. The committee, chaired by Miriam T. Rush, chose the theme, “Christian Women with Vision and Courage — Shaping a Better Future.”
The program will also feature the Women’s Day Choir and the Youth Liturgical Dancers.
Cuthbertson is preacher at Sills Creek AME Zion Church, where she is the director of Christian education, Sunday school teacher, evangelism committee member and reporter for the Southeastern Region of Christian Education.
Soldiers Memorial is continuing to celebrate its Sesquicentennial anniversary under the leadership of the Rev. Dr. Grant Harrison Jr.
The Women’s Ministry of Solid Rock will celebrate Women’s Day on Sunday at 3 p.m. The guest preacher is the Rev. Evelyn Mattison-Litaker, associate minister and interim pastor of Macedonia Baptist Church.
Dinner will be served following the 11 a.m. worship service. Solid Rock is located at 1004 Locke St., where the Rev. Samuel A. Washington is pastor.
The Hallie Hawkins Missionary of St. Luke Baptist Church will be celebrating their annual day on Sunday at 3 p.m.. The speaker for the occasion is Elder Katie Crockett of Mt. Calvary Holy Church. She is a resident of Salisbury and received her ordination in 1991. Light refreshments will be served after the service. The Rev. Rice is pastor of Mt. Calvary and the Rev. Arthur Heggins is pastor of St. Luke.
MOUNT ULLA — Mt. Zion Baptist Church will hold its Men’s Day service on Sunday at 3 p.m., with Minister Andrew Davis of Shady Grove Baptist Church of East Spencer as the speaker.
Mt. Zion is located at 1765 White Road. For information, call 704-637-3712.
STATESVILLE — New Creation Baptist Church will celebrate homecoming on Sunday, at 3 p.m. Guest speaker is the Rev. James Miles, associate minister from God’s Tabernacle for Believers in Rockwell.
The event will be held at the Statesville Civic Center, 300 S. Center St. Dinner will be served at 2 p.m..
Revival services are Monday through Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the church, with speaker the Rev. Reginald McConneaughey Sr., pastor of God’s Tabernacle for Believers.
New Creation is located at 792 Glover St. Statesville. The Rev. Joseph Robinson is the host pastor.
The Inspirational Choir of Trinity Presbyterian Church USA, 300 S.. Caldwell St., will be celebrating its 17th choir anniversary on Sunday at 4 p.m. with praise and testimony in song. The theme for this anniversary is “With God … I Can.”
St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church will host Kevin Carter and the Full Assurance Band Sunday at 7 p.m.
The Carters, Kevin, Cindy and daughter Sarah, along with friends Tommy Privette and Kara Kiker, have dedicated their lives to the bluegrass gospel venue. They have covered more than 14 states singing in their unique style, which some folks call “pure mountain praise.”
First Calvary Baptist Church will hold a three-night revival Sept. 16-18 at 7 p.m. The Rev. Dr. James D. Ballard, evangelist and Baptist minister, will be the speaker. A native of High Point, Dr. Ballard was pastor at United Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem and also served as interim pastor at Baptist Grove Church in Raleigh.
Ballard is a published author and a member of the general boards of the General Baptist State Convention of NC, the Lott Carey Foreign Missions Convention and the National Baptist Convention USA Inc.
The Rev. Leamon E. Brown is pastor of First Calvary, located at 400 S. Long St. For more information, call 704-633-2818.
Maranatha Bible Church, 2320 Statesville Blvd., invites all kids ages 5-high school to come and be a part of the newly organized Kidz Club and youth group on Wednesdays from 6:30-7:45.
A light meal will be served. Ron Johnson has recently joined the church as youth director and is planning activities for junior and senior high school youth.
LEXINGTON — On Sunday at 7 p.m., the Faith and Arts Commission at Grace Episcopal Church will present LISTEN!, a spiritual exploration of stillness, nature and the act of listening in the world. Written by Bonnie Duckworth and Barbara Presnell, the performance includes original music and poetry, local singers, readers, dancers and a string and wind ensemble.
The performance will be in the sanctuary of Grace Episcopal Church, 419 S. Main St. and is free and open to the public. For information, call the church at 336-249-7211.
On Sunday, Sept. 7, at Moore’s Chapel AME Zion Church, the first place Grandparents of the Year award was given to Mr. and Mrs. Baxter Fleming. The runner up, not able to attend, was Jackie Rankin. Standing in her place was Kaye Boyd.
This special event was to honor grandparents and to show appreciation for the role grandparents have in children’s lives. Taliyah McCombs performed a tribute with a song for Grandparents Day.
The Women’s Home and Overseas Missionary Society, Parent Body department sponsored the observance. The Rev. Carolyn Bratton is pastor of Moore’s Chapel AME Zion .
Fairview Heights Missionary Baptist Church, 704 Old Concord Road, will host “A Community Awareness, Implementing Fellowship and Growth” event next Saturday, Sept. 20 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
There will be free activities, free food and games, face painting, a bounce house, a cake walk and more. The Rev. Clarence E. Marlin is host pastor.