Sacred Heart Catholic Church will celebrate the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the patron of the church, at all Masses, today, 5 and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at and 7:45, 9, 10:30 a.m., noon and 4 p.m.
The feast day occurs throughout the Roman Catholic Church yearly on the Friday following the second Sunday after Pentecost.
An ice cream social will follow the 4 p.m. Mass.
Concert in park
KANNAPOLIS ó First Baptist Church in Kannapolis continues its annual Concert in the Park series Sunday with the Piedmont Prime Time Community Band.
This free concert begins at 6 p.m. in Veterans Park, located beside the church at 101 N. Main St.
The band will play a variety of musical selections under the direction of Jon Hutchinson.
It is recommended that those attending bring a lawn chair or blanket for their comfort. If it rains, the concert will be held in the sanctuary of First Baptist.
For additional information, call the church, 704-938-4697.
First UCC
First United Church of Christ honored eight graduates from its congregation during the worship service on June 3.
Those graduating from high schools are Andrew Carpenter, Jared Cassels, Wesley Parrish, Amanda Causey and Dustin Jones.
Also honored were college graduates Erin Isenberg, UNC-Greensboro; Elizabeth Schiemann, Appalachian State; and Jared Gordon, Catawba College.
Each of the graduates was presented with a gift, and prayers and blessings were given by the Rev. Michael Childress, pastor, and Jamie Sokolowski, representing Circle #7.
Cornerstone Church
Cornerstone Church, 315 Webb Road, presents the third annual “Honor Our Heroes” celebration at 11 a.m. on Sunday, June 24.
This year’s theme is “God and Country.” The following local leaders will be honored for their service: Lorene Coates of the N.C. House of Representatives; William “Pete” Kennedy of the Salisbury City Council; Pastor Tom and Betty Whidden, founder of First Assembly in Concord; the Rev. Fleming Otey, chaplain of Hefner VA Medical Center.
Special musical guest will be recording artist Cortt Chavis. Everyone in attendance will receive an American flag.
For more information, call 704-855-1218 ext. 11.
Neel Road activities
Nikki Reed, summer youth and children’s minister at Neel Road Baptist Church, has planned special activities for children and youth through mid-August.
Fantastic Thursdays activities, for rising first- through sixth-graders, include visits to the N.C. Zoo, Kannapolis Water Park, Carowinds and an ice skating rink.
Neel Road youth will be participating in various service projects including road clean-up and mission work in addition to fun activities such as pool and lake parties and Carowinds.
Reed, the daughter of Lisa and Tom Byerly, is a 2007 Graduate of Gardner-Webb University with a bachelor of science degree in mathematics education. She has participated in various service projects with both Neel Road Baptist and Gardner-Webb, including FOCUS (Fellowship of Christians United in Service), Gulfport Mission Trips, Youth on Mission and Relay for Life. She will be teaching at Lake Norman High School in the fall of 2007.
More information is available by visiting www.neelroadbaptistchurch.com, calling 704-636-0790, or by e-mail at neelroadbaptist@bellsouth.net.
Gospel celebration
CLEVELAND ó There will be a Father’s Day Gospel Celebration at 3 p.m. Sunday at The Building on Baker Mill Road, Cleveland.
Featured will be The Cuthbertson Family of Cleveland; The New Voices of Faith from Mocksville; The Anointed Gospel Harmonizers of Monroe; gospel saxophonist Purrell Brown of Smith Chapel Church; Gethsemane Missionary Baptist Church Men’s Choir from Salisbury; Steve Wilson and the Love Center Choir of the Carolinas.
Roland Carter of Lexington will be emcee.
For more information, call Tommy Cuthbertson, 704-640-1287, Sandra Steele, 704-968-3039, or The Building, 704-278-9933.
Privette to speak
MOORESVILLE ó Coy C. Privette, interim associational missionary, Rowan Southern Baptist Association, will be the pulpit guest at the West Corinth Baptist Church, 120 Corinth Church Road in Mooresville at 11 a.m. Sunday.
Privette, a past president of the Baptist State Convention, is currently a member of the convention’s executive committee and its board of directors.
New pastor
On Sunday, Union Lutheran Church welcomes its new pastor, the Rev. Robert Howard.
Howard comes to Union from Hickory. He received his education from Roanoke College and Master of Divinity from Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in 1983. He has served parishes in Pennsylvania, Ebenezer Lutheran Church in China Grove and Sardis Lutheran Church in Hickory.
He is married to the former Robin Foster and they have two children, David and Hanna.
Union Lutheran is located at 4770 Bringle Ferry Road.
Mt. Zion homecoming
The congregation of Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church will celebrate its 140th annual homecoming weekend today and Sunday.
Activities begin today with a Community Appreciation Fellowship at 2 p.m. on the church campus. The event will include a cookout, games and T-shirt distribution.
Sunday’s activities begin with Sunday School at 9:45 a.m. and the morning worship at 10:55 a.m. Men and fathers will be recognized during the service. The music ministry, step teams and dance ministries of Mount Zion will lead expressive praise and worship.
The Rev. Dr. Nilous M. Avery II, pastor, will deliver the message. Associate ministers Dee Ellison, M. Chris Herring, Sarah Leach, MeLisa Millner, Patrick Millner and Donald Simpson will present messages.
The late Reverend Harry “Uncle Harry” Cowan, a former slave, founded Mount Zion in 1867. He is recognized as a founding father of African-American Baptists in Rowan County and throughout North Carolina. Mount Zion is the second oldest among African-American Baptist churches in Rowan County. A North Carolina highway historical marker commemorating the life and ministry of Cowan was recently dedicated and unveiled in the 400 block of North Main Street.
In November 2004, the congregation moved from its National Historic site on Church Street, which was built in 1907 after the first building was destroyed by fire. The present site, in phase one of a multi-phased plan for future growth and expansion, is located at 1920 Shirley Ave.
Dr. Nilous M. Avery II has been the church’s pastor since 1992.
For transportation to the service or for more information, call 704-637-0954.
Weekend celebration
The United House of Prayer for All People is having a Family and Friends Weekend Celebration this weekend with the theme “Building Families in Christ.”
Today’s festivities begin at 9 a.m. with a parade through the community, starting at the United House of Prayer on Old Concord Road. A picnc is at noon, with hot dogs, hamburgers and games.
There will be a prayer breakfast 10:30 a.m. Sunday. A continental breakfast will be served and the public is invited.
A “Special Fellowship” gospel service follows at 11 a.m. with guest speaker and Salisbury native Apostle W.E. Howell, pastor of the Motherhouse in Charlotte.
Mighty Miracle
A new church, Mighty Miracle Temple, is holding Sunday morning worship 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. and Thursday evening Bible study at 7:30 p.m.
Mighty Miracle Temple is located on Dunn’s Mountain Road, behind New Zion Baptist Church.
For information, contact Bishop Everette Hackett, 704-636-6407 or 704-276-2830.
Missionaries to speak
The New Testament Word of Faith Church will celebrate Father’s Day during their 11 a.m. worship service Sunday.
Special guests for this service will be missionaries Reginald and Gail Peters, who minister to the Fulani, people of West Africa. Reginald Peters will deliver the morning sermon and his wife will share information about missions.
The Peters have served in mission fields of Mexico, Tanzania and Kenya. They are originally from New Orleans, but their residence is now in Atlanta.
They spent 23 years in the U.S. Army. They have been married 32 years and have four children and four grandchildren.
On Sunday, the Children’s Ministry will make special presentations to the fathers, and the children’s choir will provide music.
The church is located at 726 E. Liberty St. Dr. Martha Starks is the host pastor.
For transportation or additional information, call the church office, 704-633-2431.
Gethsemane Baptist
Gethsemane Missionary Baptist Church will have a Father’s Day service at 10:45 a.m. Sunday.
The speaker will be Terry Hamilton, associate pastor and Sunday school superintendent of Stokesdale Church of God. He is a graduate of John Wesley Bible College in High Point. He is involved with ministry to the homeless, prisoners in state and county facilities, and at-risk youth.
Music for Sunday’s service will be provided by Gethsemane’s Men’s Choir.