Special empowerment sessions are being held at Outreach East (Leadership Training and Worship Center), 2218 Statesville Blvd., today.
For those who are single the session will begin at 5 p.m.
The married couple’s session will begin at 7 p.m.
All sessions are free and open to the public.
Pastors Glenn and Ruta Usry will conduct each session. Light refreshments will be served.
For more information, call 704-881-0425.
LANDIS — Ken Turner and Valor Three will be in concert during the 10:30 a.m. worship service at Landis First Assembly, 302 E. Corriher St., on Sunday.
Turner is a well-known gospel singer who is probably best remembered for having sung bass with the Blackwood Brothers Quartet.
Valor Three, previous to being joined by Turner, was already a successful gospel men’s trio from the Statesville area.
The combined ministry of this group features humor, gospel singing and preaching of God’s word. A love offering for the group will be received.
Special guests Rob and Leanne Stevenson will speak at 10:30 a.m. Sunday at St. Luke’s Reformed, 1775 St. Luke’s Church Road.
They will share what God is doing through Leanne’s book, “Tiny Hands That Hold My Heart,” an resource for those who believe in the sanctity of life.
RICHFIELD — Mt. Zion Lutheran Church, 111 E. Church St., will hold a Friendship Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Sunday.
Lunch will follow. Past and present members, friends of the congregation and members of the community are invited to attend.
Call the church at 704-463-7280 or visit mtzionrichfield.org for more information.
CHINA GROVE — The Mount Zion United Church of Christ family will celebrate the Rite of Confirmation during the 11 a.m. service Sunday.
The 2013-2014 confirmation class includes Bailey Corriher, Brooke Corriher, Riley Corriher, Alexandria Cress, Tayler Harwood and Alina Schroyer.
Mount Zion UCC is located at 1415 South Main St.
Call 704-857-1169 or visit mtzionchinagrove.com for more information.
The youth of Second Presbyterian Church, 732 Lincolnton Road, will host The Souper Bowl of Caring on during the 11 a.m. worship service Sunday.
Attendees area invited to wear their favorite team colors.
Come enjoy homemade soup and desserts.
A love offering will be collected for the food pantry at the women’s shelter supported by the Family Crisis Council of Rowan County.
Moore’s Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church, 500 Partee St., will host a Neighborhood Empowerment Prayer Vigil from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Monday.
The event is in response to recent criminal activities.
All concert residents are invited to attend.
For more information, call the Rev. Carolyn Bratton at 828-429-0094 or the Rev. Grant Harrison Jr. at 704-467-2064.
St. John’s Lutheran Church, 200 W. Innes St., will host a Community Service of Unity at 7 p.m. Sunday in the sanctuary.
The Rev. Dr. Sam Moore, district superintendent of the United Methodist Church, will be the guest preacher.
The service will feature a mass choir made up of members from downtown churches.
First Presbyterian Church of Salisbury will observe the Children’s Sabbath during the 11 a.m. service Sunday.
Kids will join in song and help to lead in worship.
Following this service is a congregational lunch presented by Teens With A Mission.
Lunch will be fried chicken, mac and cheese and veggies.
There is no charge, but a free will offering will be collected. The funds collected will go to the cost of building a home for a family in need on the 2014 TWAM Costa Rica Mission Trip.
The day includes 8:30 a.m. worship in the sanctuary, 8:50 a.m. worship in Lewis Hall, Sunday school at 10 and at 10:40 a.m. a special meeting of the congregation and the corporation, the purpose of which is to receive the 2014 budget.
The Ordination Service to Apostleship for Dr. Patricia Trueblood, pastor of Grace Deliverance Tabernacle, 1237 Old West Innes St., will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday.
Apostle Rubie James from Oregon will be officiating the ceremony.
The Usher Board of Erwin Temple Church will host its annual program at 3 p.m. Sunday.
Ministers from area churches have been invited to speak on “The Four Gospels,” including Minister Thomas Dalton from Refuge Community Church of Cooleemee (Matthew); Minister Gloria Dalton from Refuge Community Church of Cooleemee (Mark); Minister Nelda Hart from Dorsett Chapel United Church of Christ of Spencer (Luke); Bishop Junior Gray from New Jerusalem Holiness Church of Woodleaf (John).
Guest choirs will sing during the program.
DAVIDSON — The Gethsemane Gospel Singers’ annual Gospel event will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday at Gethsemane Baptist Church, 565 Jetton Road.
Groups featured will be The Messengers for Christ of Cleveland; The Pilgrimaires of Salisbury; The Gethsemane Gospel Singers of Davidson; Bishop Fred Thomas & The Voices of Faith of Charlotte; and The Chosen Disciples of Asheboro.
The program is free. Roland Carter will be the emcee.
COOLEEMEE — Liberty AME Zion Church, 271 Gladstone Road, will celebrate its 138th anniversary at 3 p.m. Sunday.
The Rev. Patrick Tate, pastor of Southern City AME Zion Church, will be the guest speaker.
Hall’s Temple will host a memorial service to honor the life of Mother Margaret Turner at 3:30 p.m. Sunday.
The speaker for the occasion will Dr. John Krider, pastor of Ambassador Christian Church.
Other area churches are invited to pay tribute to the memory of the late Mother Turner.
SPENCER — The Faith Community Health Ministry of Spencer Presbyterian Church will offer lunch and a presentation on “Diseases of the Lungs” by Dr. David Smith at 12:15 p.m. Monday in the education building. The public is invited.
Contact Dot Landis at 704-636-9352 to make a reservation for lunch.
The church is located on 1st Street in Spencer, off Salisbury Avenue across from the entrance to the NC Transportation Museum.
KANNAPOLIS — The GriefShare group will meet from 6 to 8 p.m. Mondays Feb. 17 through May 19 at Central Baptist Church, 1810 Moose Road.
This program features nationally recognized experts on grief recovery topics such as The Journey of Grief, The Effects of Grief, Your Family and Grief, Why, and Stuck in Grief.
For more information, call Julia Pope at 704-467-2795.
GOLD HILL — Sacred Grove Retreat, 15720 Mattons Grove Church Road, has begun weekly Circle Gathering Spiritual Services.
The services, which are held from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sundays, include meditation, an inspiring talk, uplifting music and sharing in the circle.
Bring a potluck dish to share in a community feast after the services. All are welcome.
For more information, call 704-299-5124.
Local pastors and counselors are invited to attend a Prepare/Enrich Training and Certification event designed to equip participants to administer and interpret pre-marriage and post-marriage inventories.
Prepare/Enrich Inventories assess a couple’s relationship, lifting up their strengths and possible challenges. Attendees will be able to learn more about a couple from this inventory than they can learn in three or four regular sessions.
The inventories save time and cuts down on the number of sessions needed, as well as provides an easy way to address any sensitive issues as they surface from the inventory.
The inventories cover all the major areas in a marriage, such as communication, conflict prevention and resolution, money, sex and eight other key issues.
Prepare/Enrich was developed by Dr. David Olson, professor of family social sciences at the University of Minnesota. The inventories have been given to more than 3 million couples.
The training will be offered from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 25, at the NC Lutheran Synod Office, 1988 Lutheran Synod Drive in Salisbury.
The registration deadline is Feb. 15.
Dr. Bill Mitcham will be the instructor.
Contact him at bmitcham@bellsouth.net for a registration form or call/text at 803-210-9197.
The Salisbury Rowan Unit of Church Women United in NC will hold its annual assembly from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2 in the Fellowship Hall of Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church, 1570 N. Long St. Extension.
The guest speaker will be Phyllis Partee.
Brenda Wills, president of CWU in NC, will install new board members and new church representatives. A Valiant Woman Award will be presented. Light refreshments will be served.
This event is open to the public
Founded in 1941, Church Women United is a racially, culturally, theologically inclusive Christian women’s national movement, celebrating unity in diversity and working for a world of peace and justice.