First Presbyterian
KANNAPOLIS ó This Sunday at First Presbyterian Church in Kannapolis, Dr. John L. Fain III will be the guest speaker. He will address a joint adult Sunday school class at 9:40 a.m. in the fellowship hall, and then will bring the sermon at the 10:55 a.m. worship service.
Fain is the Southeast Asia coordinator for the Pioneers mission organization. He is the son of the late John Fain Jr., pastor of First Presbyterian from 1949 to 1957. He holds degrees from Bryan Bible College, Columbia International University and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He also studied at Capernwray Bible School in England.
The public is welcome.
For information, call 704-938-4623 or visit www.FirstPresb.org.
Deacons Alliance
The Rowan and Davie County Deacons Alliance Inc. Will be observing their annual 12 Tribes Rally this Sunday at 4 p.m. at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church. Pastor Ricky Johnson is host pastor. For more information, call 704-633-3172.
Gospel Meeting
CLEVELAND óRock Hill Church of Christ, 4995 Needmore Road, Cleveland, will be having a Spring Gospel Meeting April 26-29.
The Sunday service will be at 11 a.m., followed by a lunch.
Monday through Wednesday services will begin at 7:30 p.m.
Brother Cloys Cecil will be the speaker. He has preached for more than 50 years, and is currently serving as minister for the Sanford Church of Christ in Sanford. He is minister emeritus of the Carver Road congregation in Winston-Salem.
For more information call 704-797-0592 or 704-278-0493.
Cowboy Church
St. Peter’s Lutheran Church of Salisbury will host their monthly ministry of Cowboy Church this Sunday at 3 p.m. Musical guests will include: The Kees, Pastor Dave Ridenhour and Darrell Connor. A special guest appearance will be given by “Peli The Pelican.”
You can don your western gear or just come as you are. St. Peter’s Church is located at 2570 St. Peter’s Church Road. For more information, call us 704-279-5054.
Blood drive
LANDIS ó First United Methodist Church, 209 E. Mill St., Landis, will be having a community blood drive on Sunday from noon to 2:30 p.m. The drive will take place in the fellowship hall.
For an appointment, sign up after services or contact Paul Reading at 704-784-2745.
Hash to speak
EAST SPENCER ó Dr. J. C. Hash will be keynote speaker at the North Western and South Eastern District of the Church of God Apostolic Inc. convention. The event will be held at Love Christian Center, 102 N. Long Street, East Spencer, beginning Wednesday, April 29, and continuing through Saturday, May 2. Services will begin at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and noon on Saturday.
There will be churches attending from Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
Following are the speakers each night:
– Wednesday: Bishop C. O. Reid, general overseer of the Church of God Apostolic Inc., Greensboro and North Wilkesboro;
– Thursday: Bishop Walter Anderson, pastor of St. Paul Outreach Center, Chatham, Va.;
– Friday: Bishop J. C. Hash, pastor of St. Peter’s World Outreach Center, Winston-Salem;
– Saturday: Youth Day at noon, Minister Justina Reid, Greensboro, in charge.
The District Overseer of the North Western and South Eastern District of the Church of God Apostolic Inc. is Bishop W. Ronald Hash.
The public is invited to attend this convention.
For additional information call 704-433-1474.
Youth rally
CHINA GROVE ó Rusty Ayers, evangelist and recording artist, will be ministering in a youth rally at South China Grove Church of God on Wednesday, April 29, at 7 p.m. Youth and adults of all ages will be blessed by his ministry.
Youth from this church and neighboring churches will be participating with drama and music. The public is invited. The church is located at 163 Third Ave. in China Grove.
For more information, contact the pastor, the Rev. Joyce Miles, at 704-467-4555.
Vertical Horizons
KANNAPOLIS ó Vertical Horizons Church is set to take another huge step toward becoming a “powerhouse” church for God. VHC has just signed a lease-to-own agreement for a church building in Kannapolis. The former Faith Evangelical Methodist Church facility is located at 1945 Old Earnhardt Road.
“The VHC church family is thrilled to get the opportunity to move into a larger building, totaling 8,300 square feet, with incredible potential,” says Ron Magnuson, pastor.
The congregation has been meeting the last year at Cabarrus Baptist Association’s headquarters on Lee-Ann Drive in Concord.
VHC is associated with the Southern Baptist Convention and is pastored by Magnuson, WSOC-Channel 9’s former Salisbury bureau reporter.
“I’m excited to see God working in so many ways,” Magnuson said. “He has opened all the right doors and closed all the wrong ones. We’ve been searching for a place to meet the last year and a half and now have found a place we can call home.”
Magnuson started VHC a little more than one year ago and left Channel 9 in January after deciding to follow God’s call and go full-time into the ministry.
The first service at the new church is set for 10 a.m. Sunday, April 26.
For more about VHC, go to www.verticalhorizons church.com.
True Holiness Church
True Holiness Church of God will be observing its 10th anniversary, May 4-8 at 7 p.m. each night.
Guest speakers are:
– Monday: Pastor Grant Harrison of Soldiers Memorial AME Zion;
– Tuesday: Pastor Haven Anderson of Marvin AME Zion;
– Wednesday: Elder Calvin Miller, presiding elder of the Winston-Salem District;
– Thursday: Pastor Henry McNeil of First Baptist Church;
– Friday: Pastor Daryl White of Tabernacle Praise and Worship Center.
Pastor Renwick V.E. Fisher is host pastor.
For more information, call 704-938-3972.
Food and Faith St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 131 W. Council St,. will present a church visitation about food and faith at 7 p.m., April 29, in the parish hall.
A conversation will take place about relieving hunger, sustaining local farms and gaining fair treatment for farmers, and why people of faith are called to work for fairness for farmers and access to fresh, healthy food for everyone.
Participants will examine the problems of the current agricultural system, the injustices in contract farming, threats to family farms, and food insecurity in our communities, and how congregations can take practical action to support and honor family farmers and to get fresh, local food to those who need it most.
This visitation is open to the public and will be led by RAFI-USA (Rural Advancement Foundation International www.rafiusa.org) and Come to the Table (www.cometothetablenc.org) and The Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina. For more information, call the Rev. Whayne M. Houghland Jr. at 704-633-3221.
Beauty of Jesus rally
KANNAPOLIS ó First Baptist Church of Kannapolis invites the public to The Beauty of Jesus Rally, 6:30-9 p.m., April 30.
The speaker, Erin Campbell, is producer and talk show host of “Water through the Word,” on worldwide stations (www.waterthroughtheword.com).
Performing will be recording artist Kelly Willard (www.kellywillard.com).
Admission is free, plus there are door prizes.
There is no childcare, but all ages are welcome.
For more information, call 704-938-4697.
First Calvary choir
The Adult Choir of First Calvary Baptist Church will observe its anniversary with two events this weekend. A pre-anniversary program will be held at 6 p.m. today and the anniversary observance will be Sunday at 4 p.m.
Several musical groups are scheduled for the Saturday program, including The Mighty Pilgrimmaires, Messengers for Christ, Echoes for Christ, The Cuthbertson Family, Keith Holland and Friends and others.
Sunday’s service will feature combined choirs under the direction of Minister of Music Winnell Short. Soloists include Beatrice Brown, Earnestine Krider, Charles McGee, Annanora Short, Kathy Smyre, Betty Tomblin, Alvin Rivens and Lynn Rivens.
The public is invited to attend both programs which will be held in the church sanctuary, 400 S. Long Street. The Rev. Leamon E. Brown is pastor.
Ministers In Training
Minister’s In Training of the Blessing of God Ministry invite the area churches to their first prayer breakfast on Saturday, May 2, 2009 at 10 a.m. The speaker for the occasion is Pastor Timothy Bates, Calvin Presbyterian Church USA, Statesville.
Those attending are asked to contact the church with the number of youths who will be attending no later than April 25 in order for there to be enough food for guests. The prayer breakfast is free.
The church is located at 510 South Main St.
For more information, call 704-636-8282.
Cedar Grove
CLEVELAND ó Cedar Grove AME Zion Church, Cleveland, will be celebrating their Family and Friends Day on Sunday at 3 p.m. The speaker will be the Rev. J.J. Rice who is serving as associate pastor at Refuge Community Church in Cooleemee. The pastor is the Rev. Rodney Barker.
Rice attended Cedar Grove as a young boy. His visit this Sunday will be accompanied by his choir and congregation.
Lunch will be served at 1:30 p.m.
Church Women UnitedGethsemane Missionary Baptist Church will host May Friendship Day on Friday, May 1, at noon. All congregations are cordially invited to this luncheon/program which will also honor outstanding young church women from the Salisbury-Rowan Church Women United member churches.
The 2009 national CWU movement MFD theme, “Building on Our Stories” was inspired by the scripture from Joshua 4:1-9. The Fellowship of the Least Coin will be observed as women bring their pennies they have set aside since last May, to be sent to join other least coins worldwide which support grants for the greatest needs submitted. A separate offering will be taken to support the local and CWU in NC unit.
Also as an action outreach, churches are asked to collect new pillows, shower shoes and twin sheet sets and bring to the May Friendship Day event to be shared with The Family Crisis Assistance Council.
All are welcome to attend this inspiring luncheon/program, but reservations are required.
Contact your local church representative or call 704-636-8499 by Monday, April 27.
Erwin Temple CME
COOLEEMEE ó The Pastor and members of Erwin Temple CME Church will observe the 83rd church anniversary on Sunday with special guests and service.
Devotions and praise worship will begin at 11 a.m. led by praise leaders. The pastor, the Rev. Ervin L. Hannah Jr., will deliver the morning message. Music will be rendered by the Erwin Temple Mass Choir and musician Travis Williams.
Lunch will be served at 2 p.m. after the arrival of the afternoon guest church.
Afternoon worship will begin at 3 p.m. with the Rev. William Cowan and the New Bethel Baptist Church of Mocksville Hwy. 601 South as special guests. The sermon will be given by the Rev. Cowan and music will be provided by their choir.
Thirty-two ministers have served Erwin Temple through the years. Hannah has served as pastor since July 2006.
Macedonia MissionaryMacedonia Missionary Baptist Church, 2865 Enon Church Road is holding a Bible study at 5 p.m. Sunday led by Dr. W. T. Jackson.
A fellowship evening service will follow at 6 p.m., led by the Rev. Thomas Austin, associate minister of Macedonia.
St. Luke’s Baptist
The usher board of St. Luke Baptist Church will celebrate Annual Day Sunday at 4 p.m. The Rev. T. Kendall, pastor of Artis Chapel AME Zion Church will be the guest speaker. His choir and congregation will accompany him.
The Rev. Arthur Heggins Pastor of St. Luke’s Baptist Church.
Bethel Methodist
Bethel Methodist Church will celebrate homecoming this Sunday.
Established in 1884, this is the church’s 125th anniversary.
The Rev. Julie O’Neal who was assigned to Bethel in June 2008 will be bringing the message.
Located at 2380 Long Ferry Road, Bethel invites all friends and former members to join in this celebration.
New Faith FGFC
LEXINGTON ó The 15th Pastoral Anniversary of Bishop and Lady Derek D. Kelly is being observed April 24-26 at New Faith FGFC, 402 Oak Ave., Lexington.
The Sunday morning guest speaker will be Presiding Elder Calvin Miller of Salisbury.
For more information, call 336-247-2072.
Healing service
A service of prayer and healing is set for 6 p.m. Sunday at Resurrection Life Church, 216 S. Main St. A message of hope will be share and time of prayer for the sick will be held.
The Rev. Jerry Snipes is pastor. For more information, call 704-638-0002.
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Sarah Hall compiles Faith Briefs and Church Notes, which are published each Saturday. The deadline is noon Thursday. Information may be e-mailed to Hall at shall@salisburypost.com. For more information, call Hall at 704-797-4271.