The pastor appreciation service for Pastor Lewis G. Walker will be held at 11 a.m. today with guest speaker Pastor E. J. Bruce of Hall’s Temple Church. Rose of Sharon

CHINA GROVE — Weekend revival at Southside Church of God, 163 3rd Ave., continues at 7 p.m. today with Youth Emphasis featuring a youth praise team from New Hope Presbyterian and a Deliverance Service at 6 p.m. Sunday.
Evangelist Kimberly Massey from Charlotte will speak each night. Local church musicians will be featured Sunday night.
CHINA GROVE — The annual Celebration Sunday at South China Grove United Methodist Church, 230 Rose Ave, is at 9:30 a.m. Sunday featuring Matthew Weaver, performing blue grass and Gospel songs.
Weaver will perform in place of a sermon during the regular worship service. Sunday School will be at 10:45 a.m. with a lunch at noon.
It’s Heritage Homecoming at Franklin Presbyterian Church, 208 Franklin Church Drive, at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. The service will include bagpipes and drummers. Dinner on the grounds will follow with hayrides and activities.
KANNAPOLIS — Homecoming at Calvary Baptist Church, 703 Buick Ave., will be observed at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. The Rev. Darrell Coble will speak.
CHINA GROVE — Lutheran Chapel Church will celebrate homecoming Sunday with the Rev. Constance Garrett as guest speaker.
Garrett served as Lutheran Chapel’s interim pastor from 2000 to 2002. She is presently at St. Stephen in Gold Hill.
The service begins at 10:30 a.m. with no early service. A picnic lunch will follow the service in the fellowship building.
CHINA GROVE — St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, 811 N. Enochville Ave., will celebrate its 127th anniversary with homecoming Sunday.
The Rev. Charles Terrell, former pastor, will be the guest speaker during the 10:30 a.m. worship service. Joey Dillard will direct the choir and a covered dish luncheon will follow in the fellowship hall.
CHINA GROVE — Homecoming activities will be held at Mt. Moriah Evangelical Lutheran Church, 750 Mt. Moriah Church Road, on Sunday in celebration of its 189th anniversary.
Worship begins at 10:30 a.m. with the Rev. Howard Baker, former pastor, giving the message. Baker served the congregation from 1983-1990.
A traditional picnic lunch will be held at Efird’s Shelter on the church grounds following the service.
SPENCER — Dr. Avis Williams, former Salisbury High School principal, will be the guest speaker at Dorsett Chapel United Church of Christ, 1280 Hollywood Drive, at 11 a.m. Sunday in recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
CLEVELAND — Antioch usher ministry will celebrate its annual usher anniversary during the 11 a.m. service Sunday with guestspeaker Minister Angela Neal, associate pastor of Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church of Kannapolis.
SPENCER — Jerusalem Baptist Church will observe Breast Cancer Awareness Month during the 11 a.m. service Sunday.
Associate minister Rev. John Bankhead will speak. A special song written in honor of the cancer survivors of Jerusalem will be performed. All cancer survivors will be recognized with a “Fight for the Cure” token.
Those in attendance are asked to wear pink. Other music will be performed by the combined choirs of Jerusalem Baptist Church under the direction of Keith Holland.

Love Christian Center celebrates Bishop W. Ronald & Mother Lotis Hash’s 21st pastoral anniversary at 4 p.m. Sunday with guest speaker Dr. Thomas Fowler of Smyrna Church of Christ.
SPENCER — First Baptist Church, 215 Fifth St., will celebrate homecoming Sunday with Rev. Wayne Oakes as the guest speaker during the 11 a.m. service. He served First Baptist from 1979 to 1989 before becoming senior consultant of church relations at Baptist St. Conversion, where he worked until his retirement.
CLEVELAND — Smith Chapel Apostolic Holiness Church, 1735 Mt. Tabor Church Road, will celebrate homecoming with 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. services Sunday.
Lunch will be served following the morning service.

Women’s Day will be celebrated at Soldier’s Memorial AME Zion Church during the 11 a.m. service Sunday.
The Rev. Ruth Davis, first female appointed as presiding elder of the Concord District West Central Conference of the AME Zion Church, will be the guest speaker.
During the service, the women will honor a “Woman of the Year” for her exemplary stewardship and outstanding work in the church and community.
This year’s event is part of a yearlong celebration of the church’s 150th anniversary. It comes on the heels of Gospel Fest, held at 3 p.m. today, and precedes the church’s fall revival, which will be held the following week.
KANNAPOLIS — Enochville Church of God, 199 N. Enochville Ave., will celebrate homecoming on Sunday, Oct. 13 at the 11 a.m. service with special guest speaker Christopher Fosdick, son of the church. A covered dish luncheon will follow the service.
Third Creek AME Zion Church will celebrate homecoming Sunday with special music by the children and youth choir and a fellowship meal afterward at 1:30 p.m.
The Rev. Dr. George C. Banks, pastor of Goler Memorial AME Zion Church of Winston-Salem, will speak during the 3 p.m. service.
Revival services at Third Creek will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday with speakers as follows:
Tuesday — The Rev. Bobbie Samuels of S. Iredell AME Zion, Troutman;
Wednesday — The Rev. Morgan Glenn of Sills Creek AME Zion, Mooresville;
Thursday — The Rev. Tracey Caldwell of New Piney Grove Baptist, Kannapolis.
GRANITE QUARRY — Men’s Day will be observed at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, 602 S. Salisbury Ave., at 11 a.m. Sunday with guest speaker Minister Andrew Davis, associate pastor of Fairview Heights Baptist Church.
Providence AME Zion Church, 2415 Providence Church Road, will hold its annual Women’s Day Celebration on Sunday.
The 11 a.m. speaker is Providence’s own Sister Clara Holmes Tandy, a local preacher. The Rev. Bernetta Wright, pastor of Marable Memorial AME Zion, will speak at 3:30 p.m. There will be a meal following the afternoon service.
First United Church of Christ, 207 West Horah St., will be collecting paper products and non-perishable food in a little red wagon, to be donated to the Rowan Helping Ministries food pantry.
A special “Blessing of the Walkers” will be offered to consecrate the efforts of First UCC youth and adult CROP walkers. Walkers are to meet at City Park by 2:45 p.m. Following the worship service is ‘Cookies and Conversation’ in the fellowship hall.
CONCORD/KANNAPOLIS — The Windsong Recorder Consort will present a free concert at 3 p.m. Sunday at McGill Baptist Church, 5300 Poplar Tent Road, Concord.
The program, “Music Through the Years,” will include music from the Renaissance, folk songs, music from the Civil War and patriotic tunes. Recorders are flute instruments made in various sizes. Marable Memorial
KANNAPOLIS — Marable Memorial AME Zion Church will celebrate its 105th Church anniversary with the theme, “Chosen to be Disciples, Equipped to Save the Lost” at 3 p.m. Sunday. The Rev. Alexander Porter and the Bethpage United Presbyterian Church of Concord will be the special guests.
Revival services will be held at 7 p.m. Monday through Wednesday. Nightly speakers are as follows:
Monday — The Rev. Antonio Johnson Sr., pastor of Bethel Baptist Church, Kannapolis;
Tuesday — The Rev. Dr. Herb Rhedrick, pastor of First Missionary Baptist Church, Concord;
Wednesday — The Rev. Timothy Freeman, pastor of Bethel AME Zion Church, Kannapolis.
Henderson Grove Missionary Baptist Church will celebrate Women’s Day at 3 p.m. Sunday. Elonda Brown, associate minister of Sills Creek AME Zion Church in Mooresville, will be the guest speaker.
Progressive Outreach Ministry, 600 N. Long St., will have a fellowship service at 4 p.m. Sunday with Bishop Kenneth Yelverton as the guest speaker. He is from Temple of Refuge in Charlotte.
First United Methodist Church, at the corner of Church and Fisher St., will host a Blessing of the Animals service at 4 p.m. Sunday.
Each pet will be individually blessed by one of the church’s pastors and the animals will be given a specially designed prayer tag to be worn on their collar. An animal specialist from the Salisbury Animal Hospital as well as representatives from the Humane Society and Faithful Friends will also be on hand Sunday. Pet treats will be in abundance.
The event will be in the church’s courtyard on Church Street.
South Rowan High School’s honors chorus, under the direction of Jan Lookabill Gore, will present a program of inspirational music at 7 p.m. Sunday at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church, 9275 Bringle Ferry Road.
The group has consistently received superior ratings at the State Choral Festival and has sung in the National Youth Choir in New York’s Carnegie Hall.
The concert is free, but a love offering will be taken to support the students’ trip to Carnegie Hall in March.
KANNAPOLIS — The First Presbyterian Church of Kannapolis will host a healing and wholeness prayer service at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, which will include prayer, intercession, singing, scripture and the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper.
There also will be an opportunity for those who wish a private prayer and anointing of oil by the pastor or one of the elders.
CONCORD — Revival at New Beginning Church of God, 5717 Alexander Road, will be at 7 p.m. Monday through Wednesday with guest speaker Apostle Gillespie of Tabernacle of Joy Ministries in Mooresville.
Hall’s Temple Church’s annual revival is at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Friday. The speaker for all three nights is Bishop Derek Kelly, pastor of New Faith Full Gospel Worship Center of Lexington.
KANNAPOLIS — Mt. Mitchell United Methodist Church, 6001 Old Salisbury Concord Road, will host its third Autumn Fest with craft vendors, arts, food, miss and hit engines, a fire house, games, a hay ride and much more from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19.
The Civil War reenactment will be held at 3 p.m. There are plans to have music groups to be a part of the day. The Civil War hospital will be on display.
EAST SPENCER — The John G. Gaston Scholarship Fund of Shady Grove Baptist Church will hold the October Fest Gala fundraiser at 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19 at the NorthSide Community Center, 729 N. Long St. The event will feature praise dancers, a fashion showcase, special music and speakers and dinner. Tickets are $20, at the door.
The John G. Gaston Memorial Service will be at 11 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 20 at the church with the Rev. Louis Turner speaking.
Dorsett Chapel United Church of Christ kicks off its 100th anniversary celebration Saturday, Oct. 19 with a 5K Walk/Run to Remember starting at the church at 8 a.m.
It continues at 5 p.m. with an anniversary celebration banquet at Salisbury Civic Center, 315 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. Tickets are $8 and can be purchased by calling 704-637-6759 or emailing dorsettchapel@yahoo.com.
The celebration weekend will wrap up at 11 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 20 with Dr. Janice Ellis Lewis, daughter of the late Rev. Dr. Larry Ellis, as guest speaker. There will be songs of praise from the Dorsett Chapel Reunion Choir.
A fundraising dinner to support the group Friends Against Bullying will be at 7 p.m. Thursday Oct. 24 at Cornerstone Church on Webb Road. There will be a spaghetti dinner plus a presentation about bullying. Tickets are $5 at rowanparentsagainstbullys@gmail.com
To prepare for the dinner, the group is accepting donations of spaghetti noodles, sauce, salad mix, dressing, bread, canned drinks and flatware. Email rowanparentsagainstbullys@gmail.com or drop items off at Price Pharmacy in Granite Quarry, Creative Cuts and Tans in Rockwell or Charleys in Faith by Oct. 21.
RICHFIELD — Midweek services at Mt. Zion Lutheran Church, 111 E. Church St., continue at 7 p.m. Tuesday. These services are a special opportunity for those who are working on Sundays or traveling on weekends.
STATESVILLE — The women of New Creation Baptist Church, 792 Glover St., will hold its annual Women’s Day Program at 11 a.m. Sunday.
The guest speaker will be Evangelist Monica Dalton from Purpose and Life Christian Center of Statesville.