First Baptist

First Baptist Church will host winter Life Development classes beginning Monday. The classes and support groups are open to the community.

LifeSupport groups are offered on Monday evenings and Tuesday mornings for those in times of transition and crisis. The Monday evening groups include DivorceCare, DivorceCare for Kids, and Hurts, Habits and Hang Ups: Celebrate Recovery, for individuals who have destructive life habits and their families. Classes begin Monday at 6:30 p.m.

GriefShare, a support group for individuals who are grieving the loss of a loved one, is scheduled for Tuesdays from 10-11:30 a.m., beginning this Tuesday.

LifeTrack classes for growth and enrichment will be offered on Wednesday, starting Jan. 10. Spiritual renewal classes include “Downpour: He Will Come to Us Like the Rain,” based on James McDonald’s book, “The Prayer of Jesus: Living the Lord’s Prayer,” and the “Focus on the Family” video series, “The Truth Project.” Evening Bible study classes include “Hebrews: Faith in All Circumstances,” “The Book of Revelation” and “Daniel.”

Programs offered for men are “Into the High Country: Bible Study for Sportsmen,” “The Three Chairs: Experiencing Spiritual Breakthroughs,” and “Raising a Modern Day Knight.” Women’s studies include “Victoriously Frazzled: The Frazzled Female’s Guide to Restoring Her Sanity,” “Mom to Mom: Heart Talk on What Really Matters” and “Bible Studies by Demand for Women,” featuring Beth Moore, Priscilla Sherer and Ann Graham Lotz.

Classes for couples, singles and parents are “Good Sense: Biblical Financial Principles,” “In Search of the Proverbs 31 (and Marriage)” and “The Five Love Languages of Children.”

Sessions are six to 12 weeks long and classes last from 60 to 90 minutes. Many of the classes are video-based and most include a small fee for books and materials.

Child care for LifeSupport groups on Monday evenings is available upon request. There is a complete nursery and children’s program on Wednesday nights.

For more information and registration, contact Rod Kerr at 704-633-0431.

Gospel program

WOODLEAF — The Mighty Pilgrimaires will present its 2007 gospel program beginning at 4 p.m. Sunday. The program will be hosted at Freedom United Church of God, 1555 Hart Road.

Special guests will include the Rev. Matthew Mickens and the New Highway Travelers of Columbia, S.C., and the Anointed Vessels.

Roland Carter of Lexington will be the master of ceremony.

Bishop Willie Joe Gray is the host pastor.

World of Faith

Patricia Watson will give a trial sermon at 5 p.m. Sunday at World of Faith Outreach Ministry.

A 2002 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Watson has a degree in elementary education. She serves on the pastoral aid board and secretary board.

Watson has been a member of World of Faith Ministry for eight years.

She has been married to Terry Watson for 10 years and is the mother of two.

The church is located at 529 W. Marsh St.

Faith Lutheran

In celebration of the Christmas season and the beginning of the Epiphany season, the 30-voice Chancel Choir of Faith Lutheran Church will present the Christmas portion of Handel’s “Messiah.” The choir will sing during the 11 a.m. Sunday worship.

Soloists for the presentation are Sharon Deming, soprano; Janet Haynes, alto; Tim Williams, tenor; and Tony Herrin, bass. The choir is directed by Don Deming and accompanied by Daisy Bost.

Faith Works, the 9 a.m. contemporary worship, will focus on “Light” during January.

Worship leader for Sunday is youth Julie Bruce. She will speak on “This Little Light of Mine.” During the month of February, worship leaders will lead the congregation through a series on “Prayer.” In March, leaders will choose their favorite worship and praise song and lead worshippers through a study of the words and their meaning and where they can be found in the Bible.

Faith Lutheran is on South Main Street. The Rev. Loyd Ginn is pastor.

John Calvin

John Calvin Presbyterian Church, 1620 Brenner Ave., is offering a four-week long Sunday school class, “Your Family and Money.”

The class will convene every Sunday in January at 10 a.m., in the hut, a small building on the church property next to the fellowship hall.

“Your Family and Money,” suggests ways that parents and other adults in the family can help children develop both good money values and money management skills at an early age through allowances, simple budgets, savings and learning to delay spending.

Teen topics include long-term savings, handling employment and preparing for handling checking, credit and savings accounts in adulthood.

John Calvin Presbyterian Church is at the corner of Brenner Avenue and Overman Avenue, across the street from Hefner VA Medical Center. Parking is in the rear, on Overman.

Stony Hill Methodist ALBEMARLE — Stony Hill Methodist Church is beginning a six-week study on Tuesday. The study, “Christianity and World Religions: Wrestling with Questions People Ask,” will be offered Tuesdays at 9 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.

The event will include worship, sermons and small-group studies that feature videos, Bible study and discussion. Published by Abingdon Press, the study was developed by the Rev. Adam Hamilton, pastor of the Church of the Resurrection, Leawood, Kan.

Stony Hill United Methodist Church is at 28996 Stony Hill Road, off Valley Drive. For more information, contact the Rev. Mary S. Lautensleger at 704-982-7211 or at pastormary@carolina.rr.com.