The Kitchen Committee of Whosoever Will Let Them Come Ministries (WWLTC) will have a fish fry today at AutoZone (corner of Long and Innes streets) at 10 a.m. For more details call 704-633-3876 (leave a message). WWLTC Ministries is located at 318 8th St., Spencer.
Moore’s Chapel AME Zion Church will be celebrating Family and Friends Day and Homecoming on Sunday. The pastor, Rev. Carolyn D. Bratton, will deliver the message at the 10 a.m. service. Dinner will be served afterward.
The afternoon guest minister is the Rev. Dr. Daran H. Mitchell, pastor of Trinity AME Zion Church, Greensboro.
Mitchell earned degrees from Bethune-Cookman College, Daytona Beach, Fla., Hood Seminary and the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology, Virginia Union University, Richmond, Va.
He is active in the West Central North Carolina Annual Conference and is president of the Greensboro Chapter of the Hood Alumni Association.
CONCORD — On Sunday at 11 a.m., Keenan Maxwell of New Beginning will be the special speaker at New Beginning Church of God, 5717 Alexander Road, where Bishop Gene Roseman is pastor. For more information, call 704 938-2088.
St. Luke Baptist Church on Hawkinstown Road is celebrating the 22nd pastoral anniversary of the Rev. Arthur Heggins and his wife, Vanessa Moser Heggins, on Sunday. The morning speaker will be the Rev. Joseph Robinson of New Creations Baptist Church in Statesville. The afternoon speaker will be the Rev. Leamon Brown of Salisbury’s First Calvary Baptist Church.
Robinson has more than 24 years as a minister. He started preaching in the AME Zion churches of Arlington Va., relocating to this area to attend Livingstone.
Brown hails from Anniston, Ala., and graduated from Livingstone College and Hood Theological Seminary and earned a master’s from UNC-G.
Heggins came to St. Luke from New Waves of Joy in Charlotte in 1992. Since his arrival he has implemented the noon day prayer service on Tuesdays, started the Praise Team for young people, and works with Meals on Wheels. He earned a BA degree from Shaw University.
Messiah Lutheran Church, 701 E. Lafayette St., will observe its 72nd anniversary on Sunday beginning with the 11 a.m. service. Sunday school will not be held.
Guest speaker will be the Rev. Terrell Long, who was formerly a pastor at Messiah. He served the church from 1989 until 1996. A fellowship dinner will be held after worship in the dining hall The Rev. Don Safrit is host pastor.
Ebenezer United Methodist Church, located at the corner of U.S. 801 and Sherrill’s Ford Road, will observe homecoming on Sunday at 11 a.m. The minister Floyd Wood will bring the message.
Ebenezer began in 1853. Two brothers, John and Osborn Foard, gave approximately 11 acres of land. The original church was erected by slave labor, including a balcony for the slaves to sit in during worship services.
The interior remained basically unchanged except for the addition of oil heaters and electric lights, until the present structure was built, at a cost of $14,815, in 1967.
On Sunday, Salem Lutheran Church will hold a blended contemporary/traditional service at 10:30 a.m. for the back to school blessing and prayers and the blessing of the book bags.
Bring your book bags or back packs to the service. All students plus school teachers and staff will receive blessings, prayers and a gift key chain for their book bag or keys. The key chain will remind them of God’s love, presence and guidance in the upcoming year.
VBS students will share a musical program during the service. Sunday school is at 9:30 a.m. and a light breakfast will be served at 10 a.m. for the VBS program singers.
CHINA GROVE — Chaplain Larry Bolick will be the guest preacher during worship time at Mount Zion United Church of Christ in the 10 a.m. service Sunday. Special music, “He Paid It All,” will be a duet by Carole Brooke on the piano and Shelly Hunter on the flute.
Mount Zion UCC is located at 1415 South Main St. For more information visit mtzionchinagrove.com or call 704-857-1169. The Rev. Mark L. Burns serves as pastor of Mount Zion UCC.
KANNAPOLIS — The 39th pastoral anniversary of the Rev. and Mrs. John E. Jones will be held at United Baptist Church, 3001 Clermont Ave. on Sunday at 3 p.m. The Rev. Thomas D. Lee of White Rock AME Zion Church in Granite Quarry will be the minister of the hour. The Rev. John E. Jones is host pastor.
MOCKSVILLE — Bethel United Methodist Church, 375 Bethel Church Road, will celebrate its 198th homecoming on Sunday. The worship service will begin at 10:30 a.m. with “Total Praise in Song,” and former pastor the Rev. Rex Gibbs, will be speaking at 11 a.m. A luncheon will follow.
CHINA GROVE — Southside Church of God, 163 Third Ave., will be hosting Southern gospel recording artists The Parables of Christ, in the 11 a.m. service on Sunday.
The Parables of Christ are a favorite at Southside. The service will be followed by a covered dish meal and a time of fellowship with the singers. For more information, contact Pastor Joyce Miles at 704-467-4555.
Miller’s Chapel AME Zion Church will observe homecoming Sunday at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. The 11 a.m. speaker is the pastor, Rev. Hezekiah Lawson, and the 3 p.m. speaker will be the Rev. Morgan Glenn, pastor of Sills Creek AME Zion Church. Lunch will be served at 1:30 p.m..
Revival services are Monday thru Wednesday at 7 p.m. nightly. Rev Zechariah Allen, pastor of Providence AME Zion Church, is the speaker.
St. Matthew Missionary Baptist Church will observe Family and Friends Day Sunday at 3 p.m. The Rev. Timothy Bridges, pastor of Shady Grove Baptist Church of Spencer, will be the speaker. The Rev. John Geter is host pastor.
MOCKSVILLE ­— Boxwood Missionary Baptist Church will hold homecoming and revival starting Sunday. The Rev. Richard Johnson of Hall’s Chapel Primitive Baptist Church of Salisbury will bring the 3 p.m. message. Dinner will be served at 1:30 p.m.
Revival services are Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 7 p.m. Speakers are:
Monday, the Rev. James Clement of Fairfield Missionary Baptist Church of Mocksville;
Tuesday, the Rev. Arthur Heggins of St. Luke’s Baptist Church of Salisbury;
Wednesday, the Rev. Clarence Marlin of Salisbury’s Fairview Heights Baptist Church.
United Christian Fellowship Church International- will celebrate its 17th church anniversary 3-6 p.m. Sunday. The church is at 118 Miller Chapel Road.
Pastor Sonya T. Ellerbe and congregation will be celebrating 17 years of service. Guest pastor will be the Rev. George Cook Jr., pastor of Greater Mt. Sinai Baptist Church in Charlotte.
The Rev. John Kahl will be the guest preacher at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church Sunday through Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. for the annual Preaching Mission. His sermon topic will be the life, times and ministry of Jonah.
Kahl graduated from Lenoir Rhyne University and served in the U.S. Navy until 1988. After graduating from Southern Seminary in Columbia, S.C., he became an Evangelical Lutheran Church of America pastor at Mt. Zion Lutheran Church in Richfield.
He is currently pastor of New Life Lutheran Church and principal of Christ the King Christian Academy in New London.
St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church is located at 9275 Bringle Ferry Road.
The U.M.A. will host its joint fellowship service at 7 p.m., Sunday at Solid Rock Church of God, 1004 Locke St., where the Rev. Samuel A. Washington is the host pastor.
Elder Agnes Partee-Brown of Love Christian Center, East Spencer, will bring the message.
KANNAPOLIS — Eastwood Baptist Church, 320 Cook St., will hold revival services Sunday through Wednesday with the Rev. Scott Beasley. Sunday’s service is at 6 p.m.; Monday night features BBQ at 6 p.m. and the revival service at 7 p.m. On Tuesday and Wednesday, services are at 7 p.m.
Ardis Chapel AME Zion Church, 1940 Old Mocksville Road, will host a free clothing give-away on Tuesday from 6 until 8 p.m. There will be clothes for children and adults.
On Thursday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Vine Event Planning, Freedom Roots and Center for Faith and the Arts will present “The Line,” a documentary about poverty in America from Emmy-award-winning writer and producer Linda Midgett, followed by a discussion of poverty in Rowan County.
National Christian non-profit Sojourners has produced this 45-minute film uncovering the emerging and entrenched faces of poverty in our country — such as the suburban former banker who now relies on a food pantry; an aging career fisherman whose shrimping business has been devastated by the after-effects of Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil spill.
Admission is free; light refreshments will be served.
The event will be at Center for Faith & the Arts, 207 W. Harrison St. For more information on The Line, visit TheLineMovie.com
KANNAPOLIS — Revival services at Prince of Peace Free Will Baptist Church will be held Wednesday at 7 p.m. with the Rev. Cecil Tucker.
Prince of Peace is located ar 4225 Vincent St. Contact preacher Chuck Overcash 704-938-8433
Rowan Christian Church
Where: 2155 Bringle Ferry Road.
When: Tonight and Sunday from 6 until 8 p.m.
Theme: Weird Animals, Where Jesus’ Love is one-of-a-kind
Other: Ages 2-13 years. Light meal served nightly at 6 p.m. Praise music, Bible stories told through drama, crafts. K-9 search and rescue dog will be visiting Saturday evening, plus ice cream social. Parents invited Sunday evening 6-8 p.m. for hotdog supper. Pre-registration requested but not required for children. Call 1-336-479-2273 or email rowanchristianchurch@yahoo.com

RICHFIELD — Mt. Zion Lutheran Church, 111 E. Church St., will hold a give- and-take event next Saturday, Aug. 23, beginning at 7 a.m. Much like a yard sale, but with no money involved, there will be a wide variety of clothing, toys and household items available for free to anyone who can use them. Everyone is welcome.
Call Pastor Ruth Ann Sipe at the church at 704-463-7280 or visit www.mtzionrichfield.org for more information.
PIC
LEXINGTON — First Reformed United Church of Christ, 104 E. Center St., will celebrate the love of pets beginning at 10 a.m. next Saturday, Aug. 23, with a pet blessing ceremony and animal adoption fair.
The ceremony will take place in the educational building on E. Center Street. The public is invited to get their pets blessed by the Rev. Robin Keating and to visit the animal adoption fair from 10 a.m. to noon.
New this year is an outdoor drive-through pet blessing by the Rev. Keating for those who prefer not to attend the inside activities. The drive-through will take place from 10:15 to 11 a.m. All pets that are blessed will receive a signed blessing certificate.
Attendees will receive pet give-aways and have a chance to win a pet goody basket valued at more than $200.
Guests at the service will include Stephen Tinsley of the High Point Veterinarian Hospital, representing the Triad Bloodhounds search and rescue dog training group; the Rev. Wayne Linville, a service dog trainer; Rebecca Everhart of the Davidson County Humane Society; Kimberly Jewell of Project Racing Home, a greyhound adoption organization; and Lieutenant Scott Manney, a K-9 officer of the Lexington Police Department. Also present will be Myra Thompson, a pet portrait artist, and guitarist/singer Ken Davis, who will provide entertainment.
For more information, call First Reformed United Church of Christ at 336-248-2617 or visit www.frucc.org