On Saturday, Dec. 13, at 6 p.m., Aberdeen Pentecostal Holiness Church will host a Christmas concert featuring Marc Ivey.

Ivey was born in Atlanta, Ga., where he attended church every time the doors were open. On New Year's Eve 1990, Marc had the opportunity to go to Bill Gaither's "Jubilate." He soon accepted the Lord and began his ministry in music.

Since that time, Ivey has had the opportunity to sing all over the United States, doing more than 2,000 concerts at places such as Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Va., the First Baptist Churches of Dallas, Texas, Snellville, Ga., and Springdale, Ark., as well as the Texas Church of God state camp meeting and the Virginia Southern Baptist Conservatives Convention in Roanoke, Va.

Ivey has shared the stage with some of gospel music's greats such as Bill Gaither, The Hoppers, The Greenes, Gold City Quartet, The McKameys, The Crabb Family, The Issacs, The Perrys, Legacy Five, Truth, Newsong, Natalie Grant, and Charles Billingsley.

Pastor Horace Warwick extends a warm welcome to fellow churches and to the community to attend this special presentation of Christmas music.

"In a time when Christmas has become commercialized and stressful, this is a great opportunity to set aside some time to remember the reason for the season," he says.

There is no charge for the concert; a love offering will be taken for Marc Ivey's ministry.

Aberdeen Pentecostal Holiness Church is located just off N.C. 5 on South Pinehurst Street. For additional information, contact the pastor at 281-0133.

Concert

There will be a gospel concert at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19, at Southern Pines Primary School Auditorium. The concert is free, but any donations will be given to the American Cancer Society for cancer research, education and program services.

This concert is the graduation project of Kenneth McMillan, a senior at Pinecrest High School. For more information, contact him at kennethbwade3@yahoo.com.

Holiday Events

First Missionary Baptist Church will host a Christmas program at 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14, at the church, located at 315 S. Gaines Street, Southern Pines.

A Community Watch Night service will be held at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 31, at Pinecrest High School auditorium.

For information on either of these events, call 692-2022.

Seminar

"DivorceCare: Surviving the Holidays" is a helpful, encouraging seminar for people facing the holidays after separation or divorce.

The seminar will be held Saturday, Dec. 13 from 9 to 11 a.m. at Grace Church, Southern Pines.

Call the church at 910-692-6711 to register.

Mercy's Well

Multi-talented vocal group Mercy's Well will be featured in concert at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 12, at Oakhurst Baptist Church, Asheboro.

Originally organized in 1998 as a duet, Mercy's Well, under the leadership of group founder, Brad Strider, soon made the natural transition to a trio. The group's first three single releases paved the way for their first Top 80 single in 2005. Throughout the past two years, the group, which is based in Greensboro, has continued to produce charting singles and has gained national attention from fans, music critics, pastors and promoters alike.

As the Christmas holiday season approaches, no doubt, this talented vocal group will share selections from their brand new Christmas recording, "December: Hymns Where The Story Began." The group's versatility makes them a favorite among young audiences and older music lovers alike.

To obtain additional information call (336) 314-6787 or visit www.mercyswell.com for complete details.

Christmas Musical

Cool Springs United Methodist Church choir will present the Christmas musical, "A Night to Remember," at 11 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 14, and at 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21.

Culdee Presbyterian

The children of Culdee Presbyterian Church will present their annual Christmas program Sunday, Dec. 14, at 6 p.m. The program is titled "Finding the Christmas Star." Following the program, a party will be held in the fellowship hall.

On Saturday, Dec. 20, at 3 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 21 at 7 p.m., the Culdee Chancel Choir under the direction of Gail Meeks, will present the cantata, "An Evening in December." Following the Sunday evening performance, refreshments will be served in the fellowship hall.

A Christmas Eve service will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 24. The Rev. Chris Bobo will deliver the meditation message. The congregation will participate in the singing of Christmas carols, the sacrament of Holy Communion, and the lighting of candles.

"We invite the community to attend these programs and activities," says a spokesman.

Drama

Harvest Church presents "The Messenger," a Christmas drama, at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, and 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 14.

The church is located at 7310 N.C. 22, across from Jerry's Quick Mart.

For information, call (910) 949-4640.

Jackson Springs

Jackson Springs Presbyterian Church will present the children's Christmas play, "Candy Cane Lane" at 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14, in the church sanctuary, with a fellowship time and special visitor afterward in the fellowship hall.

A Christmas cantata, "Journey of Promises," offered by the Jackson Springs Choir, will be held at 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21, in the sanctuary. All are invited to enjoy refreshments in the fellowship hall following the service.

Sunday School is held every Sunday at 10 a.m. and morning worship service is held at 11 a.m.

Jackson Springs Presbyterian Church is located at the crossroads of N.C. 73 and Hotel Street in Jackson Springs.

Call (910) 673-7630 for further information.

Anniversary

Love Grove Gospel Ensemble will celebrate its anniversary at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14, at Love Grove Free Will Baptist Church, 293 Dawkins Street, Jackson Hamlet.

'Simply Christmas'

Sandhills Assembly of God presents "Simply Christmas" at 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14.

Admission is free.

Special Services

The West End United Methodist Church will hold two special services this Christmas season. On Sunday, Dec. 14, at the 11 a.m. service, the choir will perform the Christmas cantata, "An Evening in December."

The church will have a Christmas Eve Service of Lessons and Carols With Candle Lighting at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 24.

Musical Programs

West End Presbyterian Church's choir will offer its annual Christmas cantata during the 11 a.m. worship hour on Sunday, Dec. 14.

The cantata will offer a collection of Christmas carols and readings. Instrumentalists will accompany the choir as well.

West End Presbyterian's youth choir will offer its annual Christmas presentation at 5 p.m. Sunday evening, Dec. 21, in the Crawford Center on the WEPC campus.

The church's annual Christmas Eve service will be at 7 p.m., Wednesday night, Dec. 24.

West End Presbyterian, affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA), welcomes visitors and those seeking a church home. The church is located on Knox Lane, one block off N.C. 211, in West End.

Angel Food Ministries

Angel Food Ministries, an organization dedicated to providing affordable, high-quality food to those in need, has just expanded its meal offerings to include a specialty Christmas Box that includes everything needed for a traditional holiday celebration -- even the dressing.

The local host site is Mosaic Ministries in Aberdeen. Host sites are taking orders now throughout 37 states and the District of Columbia, and will be distributing the meals in time for the holidays.

Each Christmas Dinner Box contains enough food for six to seven people and costs only $35.

Angel Food provides individuals and families with fresh, brand-name food for a fraction of the retail price. By purchasing food in bulk, directly from some of the top suppliers in the country, food is discounted by up to 50 percent of retail.

A standard medium-size box of food may be purchased for $30, and contains top quality food staples from every food group, including chicken or beef, milk, eggs, vegetables and fruits. Each of the regular boxes of food feeds a family of four for about one week, or a single individual for almost a month.

The menu selections vary each month and consist of both fresh and frozen items, saving Americans money with no sacrifice of quality. There is even a box geared toward the nutritional needs of senior citizens.

Angel Food Ministries' services are for everyone, regardless of economic circumstances. There are no limits to the quantity of boxes per individual, nor are there any applications or qualifications for eligibility.

In response to current economic conditions, Angel Food has stepped up its efforts to meet the growing needs by adding new distribution centers and host sites as quickly and as efficiently as possible. The demand for Angel Food's services nationwide has increased substantially, with September and October shattering all previous months' orders.

Today, Angel Food Ministries serves hundreds of thousands of families across 37 states and the District of Columbia. Angel Food Ministries helps every local "host site" with direct financial donations in proportion to the number of units distributed from a site.

Since 1994, more than $14 million has been donated back to houses of worship, community centers and other "host sites" throughout the country.

At the core of Angel Food's mission is the promise of fresh food and quality nutrition.

Anyone who wishes to make use of Angel Food's services can call 1-888-819-3745 or visit www.angel foodministries.com to find the nearest host site.

Call (910) 690-5545 for information.

New Year's Breakfast

An outreach ministry of First Baptist Church in Carthage is having a free breakfast for the community to bring in the New Year, from 9 to 11 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 1, in the church fellowship hall.

The event includes entertainment. The church is located at 108 McNeill Street, Carthage.

Contact Glenda Layton at (910) 947-2031 for further information.

Christmas Cantata

The Sandhills Presbyterian Church in America choir will perform its fifth annual Christmas cantata at 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14.

"'Agnus Dei' brings the timelessness of the birth of our Savior to light through some of the best-loved songs of the season, complemented with narratives from the Word of God," says a spokesman.

The church is located at 650 Pee Dee Road, Southern Pines.

'Church Fight'

Jacagi Productions presents the Thomas J. Gibson play, "The Church Fight" at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20, in the Luse Fellowship Hall at St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church, 198 Gaines Road in the Jackson Hamlet Community.

Admission is only a $7 donation.

For more information, contact Thomas J. Gibson at (910) 295-6473.

Musical Celebration

Pinehurst United Methodist Church will present the 2008 Musical Christmas Celebration "Who Is It?" at 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, and at 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14.

Guest soloist for the two concerts is Mary Lea Williams of Winston-Salem. Williams is a graduate of the North Carolina School of the Arts, with a bachelor's degree in opera performance.

She is active in community theater in the Winston-Salem area, and is a soloist at First Presbyterian Church of Winston-Salem.

The concert features the 45-voice Christmas Celebration Choir and Celebration Instruments, under the direction of the church's music director, Roger Wayne Hicks.

Both concerts are free and open to the public.

"The Moore County community is invited to join in the celebration," says a spokesman.

Pinehurst United Methodist Church is located on Airport Road, near Sandhills Community College.

Christmas Programs

"Scrooge in Bethlehem" will be presented by the children of Our Saviour Lutheran Church at 5 p.m. Sunday Dec. 14. Dinner and a dessert auction will be hosted by Senior Youth, who will be attending the ELCA Youth Gathering in New Orleans. Donations will help defray the cost of the trip.

On Christmas Eve , Dec. 24 at Our Saviour Lutheran Church there will be a 4 p.m. child-friendly worship service, with Holy Communion. The service will be held out in the courtyard, weather permitting.

At 6 and 10 p.m. traditional candlelight worship services with Holy Communion will be held.

Our Saviour is located on Luther Way in Southern Pines near the Barn Restaurant.

Chanukah Party

Temple Beth Shalom will be having its annual Chanukah party and potluck dinner at 4 p.m. Dec. 13, at the Temple.

Chanukah or "festival of lights" is the Jewish eight-day celebration commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the second century BCE.

Participants attending the dinner are asked to donate a new children's book that will be collected and donated to the Moore County Literacy Council, which the Temple has supported for the last eight years.

Temple Beth Shalom is located at the corner of Jackson Springs Road and Hoffman Road in Foxfire village or contact the Sandhills Jewish Congregation at (910) 673-5224.

Reading Room

"Members of the community are invited to explore the use of Bible stories and biblical truths in addressing the challenges facing our world today," says a spokesman for the Christian Science Reading Room.

"All who have ideas to share on healing our world may bring them to the Christian Science Reading Room, (open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily ) located at 173 A NE Broad St., Southern Pines, or can e-mail them to csreadingroom.reading room.@yahoo.com."

Healing Services

Our Saviour Lutheran Church will hold a healing service at 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20.

Our Saviour Lutheran is located on Luther Way just past the Barn Restaurant, Southern Pines.

Fletcher's Chapel

Fletcher's Chapel Church will observe Women's Day at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14. The guest minister will be the Rev. Maxine Isaac, of Macedonia Baptist Church. Ladies are asked to wear red.

The church is located on U.S. 1, Hoffman.

Cantata

Pinebluff United Methodist Church will present its annual Christmas cantata, "Welcome to Our World," at 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14. immediately following the children's program, "Jesus: The Light of the World."

Refreshments will follow.

Call 281-3854 for information.

Sandhills Circuit

The Sandhills Circuit United Methodist Churches will have special events throughout December.

Marcus United Methodist Church Choir will present the Christmas cantata titled, "The Love of God at Christmas" Sunday, Dec. 14, at the 11:15 a.m. service.

Linda Thompson is the director/accompanist for the choir. Fruit bags will be given out following the service.

The Sandhills Circuit Youth will present a drama of the story of Christmas beginning at 11:15 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 21, at Marcus United Methodist Church. Melissa Sherman and Deanna Bynum are youth coordinators.

Beginning at 5:30 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 21, the Sandhills Circuit of the United Methodist Churches will have their Christmas dinner in fellowship hall at Marcus UMC.

Tom Page and Mary Lou Troutman, founders of the music group, Dust and Ashes, will lead the Christmas Candlelight Holy Communion Service in the sanctuary of Marcus beginning at 7 p.m.

The Revs. Myron and Barbara Dice are co-pastors of the Sandhills Circuit and encourage everyone in the community to come and worship at one of the three churches during the Advent season.

Love Feast

In the Moravian Church, there is a celebration called The Moravian Candlelight Love Feast that celebrates the birth of Christ. Early Christians met and broke bread together to signify their union.

It is also a symbol of the meals Jesus shared with the disciples during his ministry.

In the 1700s the Moravian church revived this practice with the simple meal known as "The Love Feast" or Agape Meal. Its intention is to strengthen the spirit of unity and goodwill among all people.

Bethesda Presbyterian Church, on U.S. 1 in Aberdeen, will be sponsoring its first "Love Feast" in the sanctuary at 7 p.m. Dec. 14.

"Everyone is invited to come experience this beautiful service filled with the rich spirit of others from the past," says a spokesman.

"Come, bring a friend, with the expectation of worship through Scripture, music, prayer and the sharing of a meal of Moravian buns with a warm beverage."

Service Times

Kingdom-Minded Ministries International will now begin morning worship services at 10 a.m. each Sunday at the Southern Pines Primary School Auditorium at 1250 W. New York Ave.

Youth church is available for children ages 5-14 each third and fourth Sunday beginning at 10 a.m. in the school gymnasium.

The pastors of Kingdom-Minded Ministries International are Charles and Deborah Bloom.

For more information, call 725-0140.

Music Circle

McDonalds Chapel Presbyter-ian Church invites local musicians to participate in an Acoustic Music Circle on the third Sunday of each month.

Area musicians are invited to play in the round in the fellowship hall from 4 to 6 p.m.

Musicians leading the Circle will be: David McDonald, of the April Fools, on fiddle and guitar; Jill McCloy, hammered dulcimer; David McCloy, fiddle.

Music of various genres will be played, especially old-time and traditional music of Appalachian, Irish and Celtic influence.

The type of music played will vary depending on the interests and talents of the musicians who attend.

Listeners are welcome, and light refreshments will be served. There is no admission charge.

McDonalds Chapel is located at 1374 Foxfire Road, just two miles from Linden Road in Pinehurst and one mile from Foxfire Village.

Contact Amy McDonald at 295-6608 for more information.

Remembrance

Morgan Saunders, a 2007 graduate of Pinecrest High School, says that she would like to plan a memorial service for all of the young people in the area who have died.

"About a year ago I was thinking about all the young people in our town who have passed away," she says.

"I really felt the Lord placing it on my heart to have a huge memorial service for them.

Saunders, now a student at Liberty University, has not set a date for the service.

"I am just trying to get a general consensus of people who would be interested in being involved," she says.

"Once I get a list of people who want to remember their children, I plan on having a meeting to share ideas and visions that I have and that they may have for this service, and to work out all the details."

Those who had family members who passed away at a young age and are interested in honoring them at the service can contact Saunders by e-mail at msaunders@liberty.edu or by phone at (910) 783-9191.

Healing Service

A healing service will be held at 5 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month at The Village Chapel, Pinehurst.

The service includes the reading of God's Word, confession, prayer, the Sacrament of Holy Communion and the anointment with oil.

Caregivers' Support

"If you are a caregiver for your spouse, another family member or a friend, and would enjoy getting together with others who have similar circumstances, come to the Congregational Church of Pinehurst from 1 to 2:30 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each month to meet with a small group of fellow travelers," says a spokesman.

No registration is needed.

"Sometimes we talk about the problems that we face day-to-day; sometimes we watch a short film that brings us the big picture or helps us with new ways to manage our caretaking," says the spokesman.

"A subject that is important to each of us is how best to care for ourselves while caring for others. One thing that we all want is the accepting support of others and to find our spirits lifted through the companionship of other people who care."

Pastor Brent Bissette facilitates the Caregivers' Support Group. For further information, call 295-2243.

Dancing

First Missionary Baptist Church is currently hosting beginning movement/dance and ballroom dance classes for the Creative Learning Center of the Sandhills.

"All children are welcome to attend," says a spokesman.

Classes for children are from 5 to 6 p.m. Mondays, and teens and adults attend from 6 to 7 p.m. Mondays.

Call Judy at 692-2022.

Bible Study

Jesus Is King of Deliverance Ministries, located at 550 Ashemont Road, Aberdeen, is holding Bible study at 7 p.m. every other Wednesday night.

For more information, call one (910) 295-6744 or (910) 864-9923.

Bible Studies

Sandhills Alliance Church is holding two Bible studies.

One is Beth Moore's "Living Beyond Yourself: Exploring the Fruit of the Spirit."

The other is Kay Arthur's Precepts ministries study of Exodus.

Studies are from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Child care will be available.

For information, contact Dorice Birdwell or Pebbles Hess at (910) 295-4949.

Donations

Mission Agape is requesting donations.

Those who are interested in giving items to help support the mission should call Maria at 673-3333.

Health Ministry

Sandhills Health Ministry meetings are held at 9 a.m. on the third Monday of the month, at the Care Cottage, 55 Community Road, Pinehurst.

All Sandhills churches are invited to send representatives.

Inquiries for wellness information and programs from area congregations may be directed to The Village Chapel, at 295-6003.

Unitarian Gathering

The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Sandhills will meet each second and fourth Sunday, at 10 a.m., at the Pinehurst Executive Center, N.C. 5, Suite 7, Pinehurst.

Refreshments follow the service.

For more information, send an e-mail to uucsandhills@gmail. com or go to www.uua.org to learn more about this progressive religion.

Support Group

Middle Cross Baptist Church's cancer support group meets the second and fourth Tuesdays of every month at 7 p.m.

The church is located at 440 Lucas Road, West End.

For information, call Jessie Kellis at 673-2938 or Pastor David Reynolds at 947-2261.

Recovery Ministry

Beaver Creek Baptist Church continues its substance abuse recovery ministry Monday through Saturday evenings at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 6 p.m.

The church has recently opened its Rescue Mission House for recovering addicts and is in need of monetary donations as well as household items.

The church is located at 2280 Nicholson Road, Cameron.

Call (919) 499-9632 for information.