Published 12:00 am Friday, February 22, 2013

First Presbyterian Church of Salisbury celebrates their annual Lewis Preaching Series this Sunday and Monday, Feb. 24 and 25.
The series was created in 2003 and invites well-known preachers to Salisbury, not only to preach, but to give church professionals an opportunity to hear and learn.
This year’s guest is the Rev. Dr. Theodore J. Wardlaw, president and professor of homiletics at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. He will be preaching during all three Sunday morning worship services.
He will also speak at 6:15 p.m. Sunday in Lewis Hall and his program title is “Three Things I Learned About Ministry and the Life of Faith From the Church, Not the Seminary.”
Wardlaw will lead a workshop for church professionals from 9 to 11 a.m. Monday. His address is titled “Geography, Memory, and Hope.”
The public is invited to the evening program at 6:15 p.m. in Lewis Hall and the Monday morning workshop church professionals at 9 a.m. in Lewis Hall.

Mount Zion United Church of Christ

CHINA GROVE — On this Second Sunday of Lent, the Mount Zion UCC Children’s Choir will sing, “Spirit Song” during the 11 a.m. service.
Mary Corriher, director, and Carole Brooke, pianist, lead the children’s choir.
Jonathan Martin will light the Lenten Candle of Praise.
During Lent, Mount Zion UCC is offering a special Bible study based on Adam Hamilton’s DVD “24 Hours That Changed the World,” on Sundays at 5 p.m. and Wednesdays at 7 p.m.
Mount Zion UCC is located at 1415 South Main St., 704-857-1169, mtzionchinagrove.com

Calvary Lutheran Church

Spencer — An Italian luncheon fundraiser held from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 24 will benefit a family in need.
Diners have a choice of pasta meals, side, dessert and drink.
Dine in or take out. Cost is $6 for adults, $3 for children ages 4 through 12, and children 3 years old or younger eat free.
Calvary Lutheran Church is located at 303 Fifth St., 704-636-2152.

Blessed Assurance

CONCORD — Blessed Assurance Church of Concord will host its Men in Black program at 3 p.m. Sunday, March 3.
The theme is “Men of Purpose.” Speakers will be Elder Johnnie Johnson and prophet Larry Maxwell. The pastor is Antwoine Jordan.

Cedar Grove AME Zion

The graduate/scholarship committee of Cedar Grove AME Zion Church will be sponsoring a Twelve Tribe Program at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 24, The Rev. Dr. Bertha Pittman is the pastor.

White Rock AME Zion

The White Rock AME Zion Christian education department’s Black History Month celebration culminates at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 24 with a program.
The Rev. Kinston Jones, pastor of Shiloh AME Zion Church of Statesville, will preach.
White Rock remembers Virginia Shuford and Homere Robertson will be honored.
Thomas Lee is pastor of White Rock and Mrs. Willie Boyd is Christian education director.

Love Christian Center

EAST SPENCER — The Pastor’s Aide Department of Love Christian Center presents “An Evening of Music” at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 24 .
The Messengers of Christ from Cleveland will be the featured performer with special guests The Williamson Family of Kannapolis.
Love Christian Center is located at 102 N. Long St. For more information call Patricia Howell at 980-234-5887.

Blessing of God

LEXINGTON — Pastor Dairl Scott, choir and congregation director of Union Chapel AME Zion Church of Linwood, will be lead the service at the Blessing of God Ministry at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 24. This program is sponsored by Chief-Apostle Vanessa Taplah.
Blessing of God Ministry is located at 412 WestSide Drive, Lexington. For more information contact Elaine Hardy at 336-852-8783.

Providence AME Zion

Providence AME Zion Church announces that Clara Holmes Tandy will preach her trial sermon at Providence at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 24.
Tandy is a member of Providence and has served in various offices there.
She is a graduate of Livingstone College and has worked primarily in the social services field for Cabarrus and Rowan Counties.
Tandy was also a social worker for 18 years in Jefferson County, Ky.
She is currently employed by Holmes Iron and Metal, Inc. and is a student at Hood Theological Seminary.
Providence AME Zion is located at 2415 Providence Church Road, Zacharias Allen Sr., pastor.

St. Luke’s Baptist

St. Luke’s Baptist Church will host their annual Black History program at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 24, featuring guest speaker Earl Leake.
Leake, originally from Mt. Gilead, currently lives in Charlotte and worships with his family at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church.
He retired in 2009 from Lance, Inc. as senior vice president of human resources and organizational development.
Throughout his career, Earl has been heavily involved in volunteer efforts.
Leake is a 1973 graduate of Methodist University of Fayetteville with a bachelor’s degree in business management.
St. Luke’s Baptist is located at 410 Hawkinstown Road, Arthur Heggins, pastor.
Word of Life Family Worship Center

The adults and youth of Word of Life Family Worship Center will celebrate Black History month during their annual Black History program at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 24 with special music and readings commemorating great African-American achievers.
Guest speaker will be Brian K. Freeland Sr. of Charlotte, an educational activist, master teacher and an administrator dedicated to the 21st Century sustainability of marginalized youth with special emphasis on the plight of black males.
He holds a post masters certificate in school administration from UNC-Charlotte, a master’s degree in education, a bachelor’s degree in social studies education from the University of Cortland, in Cortland, N.Y., and an associate degree in humanities from Onondaga Community College in Onondaga, N.Y.
He is currently on the administrative team as dean of Students at Piedmont Open IB Middle School in Charlotte.
Freeland was a teacher in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools, and served as an instructor at Shaw University and at Central Piedmont Community College.
Proceeds received during the service will be used toward the church scholarship program.
The church is located at 726 East Liberty St., Dr. Martha and Elder Clinton Starks, pastors, 704-633-2431.

Celebration of Black History through music

GRANITE QUARRY — A.T.C. (At The Cross) Ministries, Inc. sponsors a celebration featuring choirs, singing groups, praise dancers and spoken word artists from around the area.
Refreshments will be served.

The celebration will be held at 5 p.m. on Sunday Feb. 24, at the Granite Quarry American Legion Hall, 300 Legion St.
Pastor of A.T.C. is Dee Ellison.
For more information, call 704-433-6662 or 704-640-7992

St. Matthew’s Lutheran

A Lenten service along with a soup and sandwich supper will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the family life center Sunday.
A liturgy theme of “Communion Brings us into the Presence of Christ” and celebration of Communion will be led by pastor Gary Coble.
St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church is located at 9275 Bringle Ferry Road, 704-633-3770.

United Baptist revival

KANNAPOLIS — Revival at United Baptist Church will be held at 7 p.m. Feb. 25, 26 and 27.
Elder Antonio Johnson, pastor of Bethel Baptist of Kannapolis, is the guest speaker.
United Baptist is located at 3001 Clermont Ave., John E. Jones, pastor.

East Rowan Honors Chorus at First Baptist

First Baptist Church of Salisbury hosts the ERHS Honors Chorus as they perform in concert at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 24.
The East Rowan Honors Chorus, an auditioned group of about 50 students, performs in Rowan, Cabarrus and Iredell counties, and throughout other states in the Southeast.
They are under the direction of Dean Orbison, and have amassed numerous awards through the country under his leadership.
They have performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City; Lakeland Performing Arts Center, Lakeland, Florida; and the Greater Virginia Performing Arts Center at Virginia Beach, Virginia.
The chorus consistently receives superior ratings at state festivals in the highest level of music competition, and was named Grand Champion Choir in national festivals in Florida, Virginia, South Carolina, and North Carolina.

Gethsemane’s Sunday cafe

Gethsemane Missionary Baptist Church sponsors the Sunday Cafe every second and fourth Sunday (Feb. 24).
Adults eat for $7 and kids eat for $3.
Gethsemane Missionary Baptist Church is located at 719 South Caldwell St., 704-633-5057, gethsemane@charlotte.twcbc.com

Calvary Lutheran

SPENCER — Calvary Lutheran Church continues Lenten services on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. Dinner is at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 27.
Calvary Lutheran Church is located at 303 5th St., 704-636-2152.

‘Losing to Live’ in Faith

FAITH — Faith Lutheran Church is offering a Christian take on weight loss called Losing to Live on Thursday, Feb. 28.
It is a competition to find who the biggest losers may be in eastern Rowan County.
By using the inspiration of pastor Steve Reynolds, author of the book, “Bod 4 God: The Four Keys to Weight Loss,” participants use Christian principals to achieve weight loss goals.
Reynolds has lost more than 100 pounds and still maintains his weight loss using the principles he described in his book.
Reynolds, of Capital Baptist Church, Annandale, Va., has been featured on talk shows, radio and television, and in the print media,.
He will be speaking at Faith Lutheran as a kick-off for the Losing to Live program of weight loss.
For more information, call 704-279-2500 or visit www.faithlutheranfaithnc.org
Faith Lutheran Church is located at 205 S. Main St., Randy Conley, pastor.

Trinity United Methodist

KANNAPOLIS — Trinity UMC’s 58th annual bar-b-que event will be held from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, March 2.
Carry out or dine in is $9 per plate or three sandwiches. Homemade desserts will be available for sale.
Uniformed fire fighters, law enforcement, EMS and military personnel price is $8 for dine in, plus they get a free dessert.
The church is located at 416 East First St., across from A.L. Brown high school.
For details email wbuchananjr@yahoo.com or call 704-933-1127.
The Church of the Word of God

ANDREW, SC — Pastor Willie James Heilig was ordained a minister on Aug. 25, 1996 and started The Church of the Word of God ministry in Aug. of 1997.
Services were held at 1440 North Long St. until 2006, when 1380 Hollywood Drive was purchased and paid in full six months ahead of schedule.
Their second location is in Greensboro and is led by Pastor Alvin Kight. The first Bible study in a home in Andrew, SC was held Oct. 11, 2012.
Dedications services for the third location of The Church of the Word of God will be held at 11 North Morgan Ave. in Andrew at 1:30 p.m. March 3.
The dedication will began with a walk, “Walking like Christ.”

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