Southern Pines First Baptist

Church will hold its annual youth auction and spaghetti dinner Saturday, May 17.

Spaghetti plates are $5 each. Dinner begins at 6 p.m. with the auction at 7 p.m.

The church is located at 200 E. New York Avenue, Southern Pines.

Health Fair

Fairview Baptist Church will hold a Community Health and Awareness Fair from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 17.

The FirstHealth van will be on hand, offering blood pressure checks, and tests for fasting glucose and cholesterol levels at a cost of $5.

Other participants will be the fire department, Ident-a-kid, and other health vendors.

There will be games and a raffle. Food will be available.

Memorial Day

Pineywood Baptist Church, in Cameron, will hold its Memorial Day services Sunday, May 18, at 11 a.m.

The guest speaker is the Rev. Russell Craddock of Robbins. Lunch will be held in the fellowship hall after the service.

For information, call (910) 245-7351.

Services

Dover Baptist Church will hold Memorial Day services during the 11 a.m. worship time Sunday, May 18. Sunday School begins at 10 a.m.

There will be a short service in the cemetery following morning worship and then dinner on the grounds.

The church is located in Seagrove.

Homecoming

Pleasant Hill Baptist Church will celebrate homecoming at the 11 a.m. service Sunday, May 18. Special guest speaker will be the Rev. Oscar Logwood, pastor of Deep Creek Baptist Church in Pinehurst.

The church is located at 2237 Camp Easter Road in Southern Pines.

For more information call 692-0992 or 695-1826.

Children's Event

New Covenant Fellowship will hold a special event for children ages 3 through fifth grade, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 17.

"Meet Lucy the Whale," says a spokesman. "Lunch is provided."

The church is located at 1305 Hulsey Road, Carthage.

Yard Sale

The WMU of West End First Baptist Church will have a yard sale and hot dog lunch from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 17. Proceeds will benefit mission programs.

The church is located on N.C. 211 in West End.

Eighth Anniversary

St. Paul Lutheran Church (M.S.) celebrates its eighth anniversary of worshipping together as a congregation, under the guidance of Pastor Rick Schliepsiek.

Members will gather at 6 p.m. Friday, May 23, at Table on the Green in Pinehurst for a dinner and social event.

Senior Adults

The Southern Pines United Methodist Church Senior Adult Fellowship group will meet at Table on the Green Tuesday, May 20, at 11:30 a.m.

Jim Dodson, editor of PineStraw and a columnist at The Pilot, will be the guest speaker.

Those wishing to attend should call the church office at 692-3518.

Beaver Creek

The Cancer Support Ministry of Beaver Creek Baptist Church will participate in the annual Relay for Life at the Lee Country Fair Ground beginning Friday, May 16 at 6 p.m. and continuing to noon the following day. There will be food and prizes to support the search for a cure for cancer.

Women's Day

Lakeview Chapel Freewill Baptist Church will celebrate its first Women's Day Sunday, May 18, at 4 p.m. The church is located in Lakeview. The speaker is Dr. Jones of Trinity A.M.E. Zion of Southern Pines.

Community Day

Roseland United Methodist Church will host its third annual Community Day from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 17.

There will be a moon walk and inflatable slide for the kids, free food, live music and door prizes.

"Please come enjoy the fun and get to know your neighbors," says a spokesman.

'WAR' Service

Kingdom Connection Church International is hosting a "WAR" service at 6 p.m. Saturday, May 24, with workshops first, followed by a worship service at 7:30 p.m.

The speaker will be Minister Tyquan Sparks of Marion, S.C.

For more information call (910) 391-1496 or (910) 410-8955 or visit www.kbcityofrefuge.org for directions.

Applications

Mission Agape is taking applications for free energy assistance. Those interested in applying to see if they are qualified should call Maria at 673-3333.

The mission is in need of donations, says a spokesman. "Call Maria if you have items to be picked up."

Women's Bible Study

Community Bible Study, an international study with classes held throughout the United States and more than 120 countries, is now taking enrollment for the 2008-09 season in the Sandhills for women, which will begin Sept. 9.

Nondenominational classes meet each Tuesday from 9:15 to 11:15 a.m. at Our Saviour Lutheran Church in Southern Pines.

This year, women representing 17 local churches attended, attesting to the unity of the Christian message.

Next fall members will be studying Amos and Isaiah.

Women meet together for a short program with singing and special music or testimony. They then proceed into small groups where answers to printed lessons that had been distributed the week before are shared.

"Love, caring and prayer are emphasized, and lasting friendships are often forged through participation," says a spokesman.

There are classes for preschool children with crafts and Bible stories, and a nursery for babies, and young mothers are welcomed.

There is a small charge to cover materials, with scholarships for those who cannot afford the fee.

Anyone interested in registration or more information about Community Bible Study should call Noel Roberts at 235-5271 or Betty Rossi at 295-0489.

Jewish Congregation

The Sandhills Jewish Congregation announces its May schedule:

A Shabbat potluck dinner will be held at 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 16. A Shabbat service, led by Rabbi Floyd Herman, will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, May 30, and a Torah study, also led by Herman, will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 31.

Havdallah and adult discussion will take place at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 31, with the location to be announced.

All programs (with the exception of Havdallah and adult discussion) will be held at Temple Beth Shalom, located near the corner of Jackson Springs and Hoffman roads.

For details visit www.sandhillsjewish.org or call (910) 673-5224.

Adult Academy

The Adult Academy of Religious Studies and the Seven Lakes Forum are joining together to present a series everyone should attend. The name of the series is "Let's Talk about Death and Dying."

"This is a topic no one wants to think about, but everyone will have to face more than once, whether you are dealing with your own death, the death of a loved one, or the death of a casual acquaintance," says a spokesman.

The Adult Academy is a combined effort of West End Presbyterian Church and the Seven Lakes Chapel.

The Seven Lakes Forum meets once a month at the Seven Lakes West Community Center to discuss important issues facing our society.

The sessions will be held on Wednesday afternoons, May 14, 21, and 28 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the Seven Lakes West Community Center.

On Wednesday, May 14, the Rev. Pam Hudson, former chaplain of FirstHealth Hospice and now a member of the staff of FirstHealth Foundation, will lead a discussion on "Learning How to Talk to One Another about Death and Dying." Hudson has extensive experience in palliative care.

"Legal and Financial Aspects of Death and Dying" will be discussed Wednesday, May 21, by attorney Jennifer Garner, a frequent speaker on end-of-life issues.

On May 28 the series will end with the final subject in the series: "Spiritual and Ethical Concerns Surrounding Death and Dying," presented by Dr. Allen Verhey, professor of Christian Ethics, Duke University Divinity School and author, editor or co-editor of 12 books including his latest, "Reading the Bible in the Strange World of Medicine."

Area residents of all ages and faith traditions are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to enter into conversations about these important issues.

Reservations are not required and there is no charge for this series.

For information, contact Don Welch at 673-6701.

New Ministry

Rivers of Life Ministries of the Sandhills, a nondenominational church, will hold services at 10:30 a.m. Sundays and 7 p.m. Thursdays.

The church is located at 204 E. Barrett Street.

For information, call Pastor Willie Self at 783-5590.

Conference

A conference for clergy and laity on hearing accessibility will be held Saturday, May 31, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Garner UMC in Garner.

Registration is required by May 23. Lunch is included in the registration fee.

Call John Crowe at (919) 759-2146 or e-mail him at drcrowe@ nccumc.org.

This conference is being sponsored by the Committee on Disability Concerns of the N.C. Conference of the United Methodist Church.

The registration fee is $20.

To learn more about this event, visit www.nccmen talhealth.org/ hearing.htm for information.

Health Ministry

A Sandhills Health Ministry has been started.

Meetings are held at 8:30 a.m. on the third Monday of the month, at the FirstHealth Community Health Building conference room on Page Drive, in 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 9 a.m., at the Days Inn on U.S. 1, Southern Pines.

Breakfast is at 9 a.m. A discussion group will be held at 10 a.m., and there is now a children's group for ages 5-12.

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

Reading Room

At its location at 173A NE Broad St., the Christian Science Reading Room offers, among its Bible resources, Spanish translations of the Bible.

Also available are translations into Spanish of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, as well as other Spanish language items.

The Reading Room is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday.

Support Group

Middle Cross Baptist Church has started a cancer support group that 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.