Sunday at 6 p.m., the Rev. Bryan McFarland will present a concert in Lewis Hall at First Presbyterian Church. The program is titled “Singing for their Supper.”
The concert is open to all ages.
McFarland has served congregations in Kentucky and Indiana and campus ministries at Maryville College, the University of Louisville, and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
In 2003, Bryan started a ministry called sassafrasongs, providing retreats, workshops, concerts, songwriting and recording.
In July 2006, he began serving as Salem Presbytery’s Hunger Action Enabler.
In 2007, McFarland released his second studio CD called “All That Matters.” One of the songs on the project is “Enough for Everyone,” a fundraiser for the Presbyterian Hunger Program. McFarland lives in Greensboro with his wife and daughter.
Organ concert
St. John’s Lutheran Church will host the Second Annual Organ Concert featuring Michael Rowland Sunday at 3 p.m. in the sanctuary.
The program will include Handel’s Concerto in A Major for Strings and Organ (with a string ensemble) and the music of Bach, Schroeder, Michel, and Jongen.
Rowland has been Davidson College Presbyterian Church’s associate director of music since 2003. A graduate of Wake Forest University, Boston University and the Peabody Conservatory, he currently resides in Salisbury.
The concert is free and open to the public.
Southern City
EAST SPENCER ó The Missionary Society of Southern City Tabernacle AME Zion Church will have its annual Women’s Day during the morning worship service Sunday.
Mission Sunday will also be observed. This is a Connectional Day observed throughout the AME Zion churches. The theme is “Sharing Changes Lives ó Including Our Own.”
Helen Lee, first lady of the church, will bring the message for the program. She serves as the vice president of the Parent Body Department of the Missionary Society.
Elisa Jones serves as the president of the Parent Body Department and the missionary director. The Rev. Thomas D. Lee is the pastor.
The public is welcome to attend.
Calvary Lutheran
SPENCER ó Calvary Lutheran Church of Spencer will celebrate its 103rd homecoming Sunday. Dr. David Martin will be the guest speaker.
Sunday Fellowship will be at 9:30 a.m. Coffee, juice and cake will be provided. Sunday school begins at 9:45 a.m. with classes provided for all ages. A nursery is available.
Organ and bell prelude will begin at 10:45 a.m. followed by morning worship at 11 a.m.
Following the morning worship, the church will share a covered-dish lunch in the fellowship hall. All members, visitors, guests and the public are invited to attend all activities of worship and fellowship.
Calvary Lutheran Church is located at 303 5th St. in Spencer.
Call 704-636-2152 for more details.
Trinity Lutheran
LANDIS ó Trinity Lutheran Church, Landis, will celebrate homecoming Sunday.
The day will begin with Sunday school at 9:30 a.m. followed by the morning worship service at 10:30 a.m. Guest speaker, the Rev. Dr. C. P. Fisher Jr., will deliver the homecoming message.
Fisher, son of the late Dr. and Mrs. C. P. Fisher Sr., graduated from Landis High School in 1936 and Lenoir Rhyne in 1940. In 1943, he received his ministerial degree from the Lutheran Southern Seminary. With his father preaching for his ordination service, he was ordained at Trinity Church by the Lutheran Synod.
During his full-time ministry, he served as pastor of Cross of Christ, Concord, St. James, Rockwell and transferred to the South Carolina synod, serving Transfiguration Lutheran Church until his retirement in 1983.Since retirement, he has served as interim pastor for 13 Lutheran churches in the Rowan, Cabarrus and Stanly county area including Trinity, where his father served as pastor from 1930 until his death in October, 1945.
During his ministry, Fisher served on many committees in both the North and South Carolina synods. In 2001, he was awarded an honorary DD degree by Lenoir Rhyne College for his service to the Lutheran church.
A covered-dish meal will be held in Fisher Hall following the morning worship. Fisher Hall, part of the new Vertie Alexander Lipe Ministry Center, was named for and dedicated to Dr. Fisher. All former members and friends are invited to the homecoming service.
Calvary Baptist
In conjunction with the showing of the movie, “Fireproof,” Dr. Rick Cockerham, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, will begin a new message series titled, “Marriage 9-1-1óthe emergency call for marriage!”
This message is one of a six message series that begins Sunday. The first message is titled “Before You Divorce …” Other messages included in the series are: “When Conflicts Come into the Marriage,” “Before the Music Fades,” “Six Secrets of a Satisfying Marriage,” “Fireproofing Your Marriage” and “Getting into God’s Forever Family.”
Additionally, “Fireproof Your Marriage” home study groups are beginning throughout the community and will be held in the homes of many of Calvary’s membership.
The movie, “Fireproof,” has opened this weekend in more than 800 movie theaters across the United States and is being seen by many in the Salisbury and Spencer areas. The film is creating an interest in many to deal more extensively with marriage and marriage problems.
Sunday, Bible study begins at 9:45 a.m. and the morning worship begins at 11 a.m. A nursery is provided for all the services, and the public is invited to attend.
Calvary Baptist is located on East Ridge Road just past Ellis crossroads.
Genesis Baptist
CHINA GROVE ó Genesis Baptist Church will celebrate its fifth annual homecoming Sunday. The Rev. Gene Edwards, pastor of Genesis, will bring the message.
Edwards has been in the ministry for 30 years. He and wife, Linda, reside in Kannapolis. They have four daughters, 11 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
Homecoming festivities will begin with Sunday school at 10 a.m. followed by worship at 11. The Genesis choir, under the direction of Vickie Poteat, and special singers will provide music.
A covered-dish meal will be served following the worship service. A nursery will be provided.
There will be no evening service.
Genesis is located at 9710 Old Concord-Salisbury Road, China Grove.
For directions or more information, call 704-490-6873.
Preaching mission
LEXINGTON ó First United Methodist Church of Lexington will celebrate its 27th annual Mayme Weaver Preaching Mission beginning Sunday and continuing Monday.
The church is located at 310 S. Main St., Lexington.
Dr. James C. Howell will be the guest minister. Howell is the senior pastor of Myers Park United Methodist Church in Charlotte.
Worship services will be held at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Sunday. A reception will be held after the evening service in the fellowship hall. The Monday service will be at 7 p.m.
The public is invited. A nursery will be provided at the church during all worship services for children ages birth through 4 years old.
Faith Lutheran
FAITH ó Faith Lutheran Church will celebrate 109 years of service to God with homecoming this Sunday.
The church was chartered Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church on May 26, 1899, with 14 charter members. Sixteen ordained pastors have come out of Faith Lutheran since its beginning. One of those pastors, a son of the congregation, will come home to serve as the guest preacher for this homecoming worship service as the congregation welcomes back the Rev. Lindy Sifford.
Sifford is the son of Jack and Virginia (Bill) Sifford of Faith, current members of the church. He is a graduate of East Rowan High School and Southeastern Theological Baptist Seminary.
Sifford was ordained on May 7, 2006. He is currently the minister of education at Kure Beach Baptist Church. He and his wife, Gail, are residents of Wilmington. They have one daughter, Angie, who lives in Salisbury.
Homecoming will begin at 9 a.m. with FaithWorks, the church’s contemporary service. Tonya German will be the worship leader and will bring the message for the day, continuing a series of sermons on children’s Bible stories. FaithWorks will include Holy Communion.
Following the early service, fellowship refreshments will be provided in the Family Life Center prior to Sunday school for all ages at 10 a.m.
The traditional service will begin at 11 a.m. The church handbell choir will begin the service under the direction of Daisy Bost. The children’s sermon will be delivered by Mickey Ousley.
Sharon Deming will be the cantor for the day and the Chancel Choir will sing, directed by Don Deming and accompanied by organist Daisy Bost.
Following the morning opportunities for worship and study, a covered-dish luncheon will be served in the Family Life Center. The Rev. Loyd Ginn is pastor of Faith Lutheran Church.
The church is located at 205 S. Main Street in Faith.
Maranatha Church
Maranatha Bible Church of Salisbury will celebrate its 35th homecoming this Sunday at the 10 a.m. service followed by a carry-in dinner in the pavilion at 11:45.
The Rev. David LeGrand will preach and special music will be performed by the Maranatha choir, Praise Team and soloist, Karen Freitas.
LeGrand served 37 years as professor of practical theology at Piedmont Baptist College and preached 51 years. He continues to do interim pastor work and train Christian chalk artists at his studio in Winston-Salem. His Web site, chalkmart.com, offers free downloads of his college class notes.
The public is invited to the service and dinner.
Maranatha Bible Church is located at 2320 Statesville Blvd. The Rev. Bob Freitas is pastor and Jeremy Varner is the youth pastor.
For more information, visit www.mbiblechurch.org.
Grace Lutheran
Grace Lutheran Church will be hosting High Point’s Presbyterian Home Band at 10 a.m. Sept. 30.
Called “the South’s most popular kitchen band,” the group plays prune juice bottles, copper pipes, an old keg, saw blades, vacuum cleaner hoses and more. All of these instruments were fashioned from odds and ends salvaged from flea markets or scrap piles.
Admission is free to the performance.
The group does “play for food,” so everyone is invited to come and bring a covered-dish for the group to share.
Shady Grove Baptist
EAST SPENCER ó Pastor Alonza A. Williams Sr. and the Shady Grove Baptist Church in East Spencer invite the public to attend their homecoming service at 3 p.m. Sunday.
Lunch will be served following the 11 a.m. service.
The 3 p.m. preacher will be Pastor John Leazor. He will be accompanied by his congregation from Macedonia Baptist Church in Concord.
The revival begins on Monday, Sept. 29 through Wednesday, Oct. 1 at 7 p.m. nightly. Pastor James L.E. Hunt of New Birth Worship Center in East Bend will be the nightly preacher. His congregation will also be in attendance.
Jerusalem Baptist
Jerusalem Baptist Church will sponsor their annual Scholarship Golf Tournament Saturday, Oct. 4, at McCanless Golf Course, 3515 Stokes Ferry Road.
Registration begins at 8 a.m. with the tee time beginning at 9 a.m.
An entry fee of $40 per person is required. Tournament highlights include four-person captain’s choice, stroke play, and first and second place trophies.
Prices include “closest to the pin” (holes number 3 and 10), longest drive on hole number 13, and drawings for door prizes.
Any player 70 years old or older will hit from white tees.
Snacks and cold beverages will be served throughout the day. Lunch will be served to all participants at the end of the tournament.
For more information, contact the chairperson, Edward Holmes, 704-637-8840.
The Rev. David Bracken is the pastor of Jerusalem Baptist.
Health fair
KANNAPOLIS ó The South Rowan and North Cabarrus Fellowship of Churches, comprised of seven congregations, are sponsoring a health fair, “Whole Health for your Whole Self” at the YMCA, 101 YMCA Drive in Kannapolis on Saturday, Oct. 4, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
The public is invited to come explore products and services to promote physical, emotional, mental, financial and spiritual well-being.
For information, call 704-791-6092.
Emmanuel Baptist
Emmanuel Baptist Church, 2300 Bringle Ferry Road, will celebrate its homecoming this Sunday.
The day begins with Sunday School at 9:45 a.m. with the morning worship service following at 11 a.m.
The pastor, Gene Sides, will deliver the homecoming message: “God Rushes to Meet the Repentant Sinner.”
There will be special music by the church choir under the direction of Tim Cornelison.
A covered dish supper will follow the worship service.
There will be no evening service.
Franklin Baptist
The Rev. Bill Parsons will be holding homecoming at Franklin Baptist Church Sunday at 11 a.m. He is the pastor of Gold Hill Baptist Church.
The Rev. Joe Thomas is Pastor at Franklin.
There will also be singing at 7 p.m. and Abundant Life group from Salisbury.
Franklin is located on 601 next to Rowan Memorial Park.
Health fair
GRANITE QUARRY ó A Health Fair will be held on Sept. 27 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, 602 S. Salisbury Ave., Granite Quarry.
Different health officials will be on hand to explain health problems, such as arthritis, hypertension, or dementia.
Nonperishable items will be collected for Aids Task Force victims.
For more information contact Lisa Kelly at 704-642-0922.
The Rev. Rickey Johnson is pastor.
Saint Mark’s Lutheran
CHINA GROVE ó St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 326 N. Main St., China Grove, will celebrate their homecoming Sunday.
Everyone is invited to attend the 10:30 a.m. service and the covered dish dinner following the service.
The special guest preacher will be the Rev. Milbert Kurtz who served as the interim pastor in 2004 and 2005.
The last parish he served before his retirement was St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Mt. Ulla.
For more information, call 704-857-2092.