The Gethsemane Missionary Baptist Church Gospel Choir will celebrate its 44th anniversary at 3 p.m. Sunday.
Choirs that will sing that afternoon include the Progressive Outreach Ministry Praise and Worship Ministry of Salisbury; Disciples of Joy, Salisbury; Adoration from Charlotte; The Anointed Voices of Kannapolis; The Heirs of Salvation, Salisbury; The Gethsemane Men’s Choir and others.
Gethsemane Missionary Baptist Church is located at 719 S. Caldwell St., Dr. C.L. Phelps, pastor; Thelma Banks, minister of music.

Liberty United Methodist Church’s hickory cooked pork and chicken barbecue fundraiser is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today.
Sandwiches, plates and more will be available to eat in or take out.
“Baskets for BBQ” will also be available to bid on to support the church’s building fund.
Liberty UMC is located at the intersection of Stokes and Liberty roads.

CHINA GROVE — Barbara Doby will give a brief history of First Baptist Church from 1888-1925 to kickoff the 125th anniversary celebration of the church during the 8:30 and 11 a.m. services Sunday.
First Baptist is located at 320 Patterson St., 704-857-5415, Steve Wilson, pastor.

CHINA GROVE — A worship service at 11 a.m. during this season of Eastertide will include minister of music Jason Harwood, singing “The Apple Tree,” accompanied by Martha Isley on the organ.
The Rev. Mark L. Burns will begin a sermon series on post-resurrection stories.
A meal of baked chicken, salad, potatoes, pecan pie and beverage will be served in the new building from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday. All donations will go towards the Mount Zion UCC New Construction Fund.
Mount Zion UCC is located at 1415 South Main St., 704-857-1169 , mtzionchinagrove.com

The dedication of the new sanctuary of Emmanuel Baptist Church starts at 11 a.m. Sunday. There will also be a baptismal service.
There will not be an evening service.
Emmanuel Baptist Church, 2300 Bringle Ferry Road, Gene Sides, pastor.

CHINA GROVE — Beit Shofarot Messianic Synagogue is holding a “March of Remembrance.” at 2 p.m. Sunday.
The March of Remembrance is a simple prayer walk taken annually since 2007 on or around Yom HaShoah (Day of Holocaust Remembrance) to “honor, educate, remember and engage.”
The day is chosen as a clear sign against anti-Semitism and because it is a powerful symbol of what happens when people remain silent about indifference and prejudice.
The March of Remembrance is a sister to the March of Life in Europe.
Each city involved in the walk chooses a path that is significant to that locality.
The event in China Grove, which is marching for its third year now, has chosen the path from historic Lutheran Chapel, 135 Eudy Road, to St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 326 N. Main St.
This 1.6 mile path, which parallels the railroad tracks, was chosen as a reminder of the rail cars that took millions to their death in Nazi Germany.
A public event will be held at the end of the prayer walk to honor the Jewish community’s loss of 6 million-plus in the holocaust by providing a platform for Holocaust-related speakers and messages to give testimony and to light special candles as the Kaddish (Mourner’s prayer) is sung.
Beit Shofarot Messianic Synagogue and Messianic Rabbi Yossi Wentz is the organizer for the local event along with Pastor Bill Connelly of Lutheran Chapel and Pastor Keith Copeland of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in China Grove. All who are part of the South Rowan Ministerial Association headed by Pastor Steve Wilson of China Grove First Baptist Church.
One of around 50 public prayer walks of humility in the USA, the March of Remembrance is an annual event originally begun by Pastor Jobst Bittner of TOS Ministries in Tubingen, Germany and has as the US’s national spokesperson Messianic singing artist Ted Pearce.
This is primarily a Christian prayer ministry networking many denominations together, however as a Messianic Synagogue, the people who comprise Beit Shofarot, some of whom have lost family to the holocaust of WWII, felt compelled to enter this walk as one of only a few Messianic Synagogues throughout the world.
The walk will also acknowledge the veterans of WWII who along with their families in the US and abroad served to end one of the worst tragedies of modern times.
The public is invited to join in the walk.

CONCORD ­— Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church will celebrate its 126th anniversary at 3 p.m. Sunday.
Guest pastor will be Harry Keith Gaston of the Rose Hill Missionary Baptist Church of Kannapolis.
The church is located at 6740 Macedonia Church Road, 704-786-7308, www.macedoniaofconcord.org, Rev. John Leazer, pastor.

St. Luke Baptist Church will celebrate its annual Men’s Day at 3 p.m. Sunday with guest speaker the Rev. Burrel Brooks, pastor of St. John Missionary Baptist Church, Statesville.
Brooks, a native of Ellenboro, holds an Associate Degree in applied science from Piedmont Community College, attended Friendship College in Rock Hill, S.C., and completed a two-year extension seminary course from Shaw University.
He hosted and produced a gospel program called “Opportunity Knocks” and a minority’s program called “Outreach” on television station WTVI-42 in Charlotte, a show which earned an award for best documentary.
Brooks has served as pastor of Christians for Change Baptist in Atlanta; New Providence Baptist in Mt. Holly and New Zion Baptist in Lancaster, S.C. He is currently the pastor of St. John in Statesville and has been there for 13 years.
St. Luke Baptist is located at 410 Hawkinstown Road, Salisbury, Rev. Arthur Heggins, pastor, 704-636-8947.
Local church fellowships will gather at Mt. Hope Church for an evening of gospel bluegrass music with the Edwards Family at 6 p.m. Sunday.
The family has appeared on the Bluegrass Road program, which is part of the Blue Highways TV network.
They have been playing and singing bluegrass gospel music at venues throughout North Carolina and surrounding states for the past ten years.
The family was the 2005 Junior Bluegrass Champions at Fiddler’s Grove Festival in Union Grove.
Their latest album is titled “The Road Less Traveled.”
Mt. Hope Church, Resurrection Life Church and Second Street Church of God are participating in the gospel singing. A love offering will be received.
For more information, contact pastor Jerry Snipes at 704-433-8776 or pastor Johnny Boggs at 8704-798-5700.
The concert is at Mt. Hope, located at 7008 Old Concord Road.

Providence AME Zion Church will hold their annual Deaconess Day Celebration at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 7, with guest speaker Carrie Warren. A repast will follow the afternoon service.
The church is located at 2415 Providence Church Road, Rev. Zacharias Allen Sr., host pastor.

A.T.C. (At The Cross) Ministries, Inc. will hold its first ordination services at 4 p.m. Sunday April 7 for associate ministers Bernard Cheeks, Paula Webb-Cheeks and deacon-elect Julian Alexander Simmon.
The ministry is located at 1915-1917 West Innes St. Ste. 103, behind Community Thrift. Debra Ellison, pastor and founder, 704-640-7992, http://atcministriesnc.org/Home_Page.html

CHINA GROVE — Revival at the China Grove Church of God begins with at 6 p.m. service Sunday.
It continues Monday through Wednesday evenings at 7 p.m.
The Rev. Johnathan Whichard will preach.
The church is located at 413 N. Franklin St.

KANNAPOLIS — The First Presbyterian Church of Kannapolis will host a special Service of Healing and Wholeness at 6:45 p.m. Wednesday in the sanctuary.
It will focus on prayer, intercession, waiting upon the Lord, silent prayer, singing and scripture.
There also will be an opportunity for participants to have private prayer and anointing of oil by the pastor or one of the elders.
There are many wounds in life: physical and emotional. Often, it is our relationships that need healing, whether relationships with friends, family, or with God.
This service will provide an opportunity for healing from these wounds, and to accept God’s gift of mercy as we move into the life of wholeness he intends for us.
First Presbyterian Church Kannapolis, 201 Vance St., 704-983-4623, www.FirstPresb.org

Lifeline Triumphant Pentecostal Church celebrates its 20th church anniversary Wednesday through Sunday, with “20 years of Divine Favor!”
Services on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are at 7:30 p.m.
Guest speakers are Thomas Clawson, Lilly’s Chapel Holiness Church of Salisbury; Parnell Kelly, Shiloh Baptist Church of Badin; R. McConneaughey, God’s Tabernacle for Believers of Rockwell.
Services will be at Geneva Ogelsby Community Center, 663 Dunn’s Mountain Road in Granite Quarry at 11 a.m. Sunday, April 14 with Evangelist Natricia Bailey of Lifeline T. P. Church.
Apostle Bradley Taylor of Outreach Christian Ministries will speak at 4 p.m. that day.
Lifeline Triumphant Pentecostal Church is located at 506 East Lafayette St., Annie L. Smith, pastor.

KANNAPOLIS — Eastwood Women of Worship will host a fundraiser from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 13, including hotdogs, sausage biscuits, chips, drinks and dessert.
Eastwood Baptist is located at 320 Cook St. Call 704 933-8326 for details.

FAITH — All proceeds from Dresses for Great Prices will go to a Rockwell family twice stricken with cancer.
The event, Saturday, April 13, features gently worn prom, formal, cocktail and everyday dresses plus accessories.
There will also be raffles and prizes. It is being held at Faith Lutheran Church, 205 S. Main St., from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Cash only.

John and Esther Fisher were honored at a covered dish luncheon on Sunday, March 17 at Maupin Avenue Presbyterian Church for their many years of faithful service and ministry.
Esther came to Maupin Avenue in 1937 with her father and mother, the Rev. and Mrs. J. N. Lesslie.
In 1939, the Rev. Lesslie would oversee the building of our church and would pastor at Maupin until 1949.
In Esther’s’ 76 years as a member of Maupin Avenue, she has served as Sunday school teacher, organist, choir director, and secretary in addition to performing various duties with women’s ministries.
John and Esther were married in April 1946 and soon after John became a member of Maupin.
John became active in the church and by July of 1954, he accepted the duties of the Clerk of Session.
He served in that capacity continuously until July of 2011 for 57 years. John was honored with an Elder Emeritus plaque and a Christian ring and Esther was presented a plaque for her years of service and loyalty.

WINSTON-SALEM — LJVM Coliseum in Winston Salem will play host to the Grammy Award-winner Bill Gaither at 7 p.m. Friday, April 26.
The evening of music, laughter and encouragement will feature the Gaither Vocal Band.
Tickets are available at www.gaither.com or 1-800-745-3000.