Fletcher's Chapel United Methodist Church family, in conjunction with Roderick Brower, will be sponsoring a Harvest Time Gospel Music Workshop on Nov. 17-18.

"All surrounding churches and choirs are encouraged to participate in this occasion," says a spokesman.

The workshop will include seminars that are of interest to choir members and music ministries as a whole. "It is a very exciting time for us," says Brower. "We are praying that this will be a blessed experience for everyone involved. We would like to see a 100-voice workshop choir."

Guest clinician will be songwriter and recording artist, Rose Perry. Perry is formerly of Anchorage, Alaska. She presently serves with the music ministry of True Vine Ministries in Fayetteville under the music leadership of Music Pastor Rodney Raines. She is under the pastoral leadership of Bishop Ernest Jones and First Lady Cynthia Jones and is presently enrolled in the Family Bible College of Fayetteville. Perry has also studied music at Alaska Pacific University in Anchorage.

Prior to her move to North Carolina, Perry served as choral/music director of Greater Friendly Temple Church Of God In Christ in Anchorage, Alaska, for over 20 years. She has been instrumental in the music ministry of the Church Of God in Christ on the local, district, and state level.

The workshop will begin on Friday, Nov. 17 at 7:30 p.m. and will continue on Saturday, Nov. 18, at 10 a.m. The workshop will conclude on Saturday night at 7 p.m. with a concert that will feature the Harvest Time Workshop Choir, Solely For Christ, Winston-Salem, and Tremaine Graham and Exodus, Durham.

All services will take place at Fletcher's Chapel United Methodist Church, located on U.S. 1 in Hoffman. The cost for workshop attendees is $10. This will cover workshop materials and lunch on Saturday.

The concert is free and open to the public.

Foxfire Joint Service

Three congregations in the Foxfire area are joining together in a Thanksgiving worship service on Wednesday, Nov. 22, at 7 p.m. at Temple Beth Shalom at the corner of Hoffman and Jackson Springs roads in Foxfire.

Mindy Fineman of the Sandhills Jewish Congregation, Suzanne Simpson, pastor of the Jackson Springs Presbyterian Church, and Dudley Crawford, interim supply pastor of the McDonalds Chapel Presbyterian Church have served as the planning team for this first-time event designed to bring the whole community into a setting in which various traditions share their gratitude for the blessings of this nation and this world.

Using familiar hymns of the church and synagogue, sharing words from the Psalms and the prophets, praying in Hebrew and English, incorporating candles and listening to a choir's singing "America the Beautiful" will form the vital parts of this worship experience.

"Everyone is welcomed, and participants are asked to come early to enjoy getting to know your neighbors and linger after the service for refreshments," says a spokesman. "Worshippers are asked to bring canned goods as their Thanksgiving offering, which will be given to the Sandhills Coalition for Human Care."

Village Chapel

The Village Chapel will host a special service of Thanksgiving Wednesday, Nov. 22, at 4 p.m.

"Please bring a non-perishable food item to be placed at the altar at the close of the service," said a spokesman.

All donated food will be given to the Aberdeen Food Pantry.

"The community is invited to participate in this service of thanksgiving and sharing," said the spokesman.

Musical Program

"Birthday of a King," a special musical program to celebrate the beginning of the Advent season and the anticipated birth of Jesus Christ, on Sunday, Dec. 3, at 5:30 p.m. at Bascom Chapel United Methodist Church, on Bascom Chapel Road near Robbins.

All are welcome for this free musical program. Refreshments will be served after the program.

For information or directions, 336-873-7254 or 910-428-1008.

Service

Associate Minister Eric T. Thomas of New Direction Outreach Ministries of Vass and assistant manager of the gospel group Aris Smith & Made Men of Laurinburg, will be sponsoring a pre-anniversary service on Saturday, Dec. 18, at 6 p.m. at the Southern Pines Douglass Community Center on Pennsylvania Ave. Doors open at 5 p.m.

"All churches and communities are invited," says a spokesman.

Prayer Breakfast

Jesus Is Lord Deliverance Center will be having a prayer breakfast on Saturday, Nov. 18, at 9 a.m. The speaker will be Evangelist Carol Henry. The church is located on U.S. 15-501.

The host pastor is Overseer Clara Blue.

Pinebluff Service

Pinebluff will have a community Thanksgiving service at Ives Memorial Baptist Church, 365 E. Philadelphia Ave., on Wednesday, Nov. 22. at 7 p.m.

The service is sponsored jointly by Ives and Pinebluff United Methodist Church. An offering for the local food bank will be received.

A group of youth will go to Charlotte on Nov. 22 to help with the shoe box ministry of Samaritan's Purse.

Holiday Market

St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church will hold a "Merry Holiday Market" Saturday, Nov 18, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the church, located at 1145 Seven Lakes Dr., Seven Lakes.

Quartet Here

Harvest Church in Southern Pines will host the Lumber River Quartet from Lumberton Sunday, Nov. 19, at 10:30 a.m.

The church is located one mile past the Moore County Airport at 7310 N.C. 22, across from Jerry's Quickmart.

For information, call 949-3646.

Gospel Singing

There will be a special gospel singing concert at the Main Street Baptist Church Sunday, Nov. 19, at 7 p.m.

The featured singers will be the On Eagle's Wing's Quartet. There is no cost for this singing.

Main Street Baptist Church is located on N.C. 24/27 west of Biscoe.

'Go Ye to Bethlehem'

This year Community Presbyterian Church will be transforming into a bustling Bethlehem as the census is being taken by order of Caesar Augustus in its "Go Ye to Bethlehem."

"Come join us Sunday, Dec. 3, at 10 a.m. in our fellowship hall," says a spokesman. "The program will provide fun, memorable Bible-learning activities for children, youth and adults of all ages. We will explore traditional Bible-times family life. Children might take part in Synagogue School, make snacks, and cook bread. Apprenticeships will be offered in the carpentry shop, and you can also make clay creations in the pottery shop, plus we will have a weaving shop."

There will also be a barnyard of animals.

The church is located at the corner of Kelly and Everette Roads, Pinehurst.

For information, call 295-6848.

Bake Sale

Middle Cross Baptist youth will hold their annual Thanksgiving bake sale Wednesday, Nov. 22, starting at 10 a.m. at First Bank in West End.

Ministry Started

A substance abuse recovery ministry has been started at Beaver Creek Baptist Church. It meets nightly at 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and Sunday nights at 6 p.m. for worship service.

"We offer support not only for the addict but also to the family of the addict," says a spokesman. "This is a Christ-centered environment where students can study, learn, fellowship and strive toward a life of sobriety. This ministry is open to all who need help.

The church is located at 2280 Nicholson Rd., Cameron.

Call Pastor Scott Yow at 919-499-9632 or 1-800-681-8602 for more information.

Tree Sale

The youth of Christ Fellowship Church will be selling Christmas trees Saturday, Nov. 25, from noon to 4 p.m. at the church in Southern Pines.

Trees, which will come in sizes from six to nine feet, will cost $60. Those who would like their trees delivered may pay an additional charge of $10.

Call Darrell Cox at 910-673-9751 or Frank Kundinger at 910-695-0556 for further details.

Moms in Touch

Do you believe in the power of prayer? Do you have an interest in getting together with other mothers and grandmothers to pray for your children and their school?

"If so, then we want to meet you," says a spokesman. "Please come for coffee Thursday, Nov. l6, from 10 to 11:15 a.m. to learn how you can make a real difference in the lives of your children and their school through a Moms In Touch prayer group."

Moms In Touch International (MITI) is a nondenominational Christian ministry that has branches praying for over 25,000 schools in the United States and over 1,400 groups internationally in 116 countries around the world. Their vision is to have every school in the world covered in prayer.

"Currently there is only one active MITI group in the Sandhills, and their prayer is that there will be more groups as a result of this meeting," says the spokesman.

The meeting will be brief and informative, featuring a short Moms In Touch video and information about how to get started. Moms In Touch is open to mothers, grandmothers, relatives, and friends who are willing to pray one hour a week for a specific child and the school that he or she attends.

Moms in Touch was founded in 1984 by Fern Nichols, a mother who was concerned about the peer pressure her two older children were facing in junior high school. Instead of worrying about it, she called another mom who shared a similar burden, and they decided to start praying instead of worrying. This ministry is supportive to schools by praying only. They do not meet at schools and do not act as a lobbying group. The only thing a MITI group does is pray.

For more information, contact the area MITI contact person, Penny Terry at 910-638-1679 or pterry1@nc.rr.com.

The meeting will be held at Sandhills Presbyterian Church, 650 Pee Dee Rd., Southern Pines.

"Regretfully, we cannot provide child care," says the spokesman.

Gratitude Tree

On the Saturday before Thanksgiving (Nov. 18) the "Gratitude Tree" will again be outside of the Christian Science Reading Room (next to the Sunrise Theater).

"You are invited to decorate the tree with your expressions of gratitude," says a spokesman.

Thanksgiving Eve

Cool Springs United Methodis Church in Glendon will hold a community Thanksgiving Eve Service on Wednesday, Nov. 22, at 7 p.m. A light meal will follow the service.

"The whole community is invited," says a spokesman.

Cool Springs is located at 2027 Cool Springs Road in Glendon.

For more information, call 910-464-5215 or 919-776-8996.

Thanksgiving Service

All are welcome at the Thanksgiving Day service at 10 a.m. at First Church of Christ, Scientist, 240 E. New Hampshire Avenue, Southern Pines. Hymn singing, the Thanksgiving Proclamation by the President of the United States, a solo, reading from the Scriptures and from "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," and extemporary expressions of gratitude and healing from the congregation comprise the service.

There is no collection, although everyone is welcome to bring food for the Coalition for Christmas.

Breakfast

The Unitarian Universalist Breakfast Group will meet each second and fourth Sundays, at 9 a.m., at the Days Inn Restaurant on U.S. 1, Southern Pines.

"Please join us for fellowship and discussion if you are interested in having a presence in Moore County," says a spokesman.

For more information send e-mail to lomdjm@earthlink.net or go to www.uua.org to learn more about this progressive religion.

Donations

A church ministry is looking for donations for homeschool material (pre-K, second grade, and fourth grade).

"We are also looking for volunteer home-school teachers that will also be screened," said a spokesman.

For more information, contact Tonya at 910-687-0257.

Clothing Offered

The TLC Mission offers inexpensive clothes for men, women, and children. Donations are accepted. The mission, located on N.C. 211 near the line between Moore and Hoke counties, is open Monday through Saturday, from noon to 5 p.m.

For information, call 944-6064.

Christian Singles

Christian Singles, for adult Christian singles from 40 years of age and up, meets each Monday, at 6:30 p.m., at various restaurants in the Southern Pines and Aberdeen area.

Call 692-8888 for information.