The Village Chapel will hold its first Dads and Daughters special event Saturday, Oct. 2, from 5 to 7 p.m.

“Dads, granddads and daughters of all ages are invited to attend,” says a spokesman.

The evening will begin with a musical presentation followed by a served dinner of salad, rolls, chicken tetrazzini and dessert.

Following dinner, Pastor Al Hill will present a special address titled, “God Is the Father of Us All.”

Appropriate music for dancing will be provided. The “girls” are asked to wear their party dresses as memorable photographs will be taken.

Reservations are required by Sept. 22 along with payment of $7 per family toward the cost of the dinner.

For information, call (910) 295-6003.

Concert

Smyrna United Methodist Church presents Jeff and Sheri Easter in concert Sunday, Sept. 12, at the Smyrna Family Life Center.

The concert will start with local group Hammer N Song at 4 p.m., with the Easters taking the stage at 5 p.m.

Admission is free, but a love offering will be taken. Food will be available for purchase.

The church is located at 203 Smyrna Church Road, Robbins.

For further information, call (910) 464-3407, (910) 464-2154 or (910) 464-1290.

Bible Drill

Bible Drill sign-up is throughout September.

“Children and youth learn 25 verses, 10 key passages, and have lots of fun,” says a spokesman.

Church, association and state level competitions are available, but competition is not required to join the groups.

Local churches offering classes are: Ashley Heights Baptist Church on Wednesdays at 7 p.m., and Aberdeen First Baptist Church on Sundays at 5:30 p.m.

A high school-level group is forming with meeting time and location to be announced.

For more information, call Jamey Cox at (910) 281-5671 or Linda Lospinuso at (910) 695-5655.

Partnership

The Presbytery of Coastal Carolina, which consists of 188 Presbyterian churches in southeastern North Carolina, has a partner relationship with the Gulf of Mexico Presbytery in Tabasco, Mexico, a state in southern Mexico that borders Guatemala.

This partnership has been the focus of the Mission and Outreach committee for more than 15 years.

The Gulf of Mexico Presbytery constructed a seminary near Villahermosa, the capital of Tobasco over the last decade. Although there are no female pastors in Presbyterian churches in Mexico, women are now allowed to study at the seminary. The local presbytery made several mission trips to participate in the construction and to help with the library. The presbytery is working in partnership with the Mexico Presbytery and is building a medical clinic in Comalcalco, Tabasco, which will provide medical services that are not currently available. The clinic’s services will focus on physical therapy, women’s health issues and mental health services.

In August, the Coastal Carolina Presbytery hosted a visiting group from the Gulf of Mexico Presbytery. The group included three pastors, one chaperone and seven youth and young adults. They visited southeastern North Carolina for a week, traveling from Faison to Wilmington and from Laurinburg to Aberdeen and Jackson Springs, with many stops in between.

Bethesda Presbyterian Church hosted the president and moderator of the Gulf of Mexico Presbytery, the Rev. Santos Bautista, and the entire group. Santos preached at Bethesda at the 11 a.m. worship service on Aug.15, which was followed by an afternoon of relaxation at the home of Bill and Laura Gingerich, in Whispering Pines. Bethesda’s youth group, some church officers and other members enjoyed food, fun and fellowship. Manolo de la Cruz Mendez gave an update on the progress of the medical clinic.

Santos was previously the pastor of Iglesia Emmanuel in Arroyo Hondo, in Tabasco, where 24 members of Bethesda visited in 2006 on its international youth mission trip, and four members of Bethesda’s congregation visited in 2007.

Pancake Breakfast

The Seven Lakes Chapel in the Pines is holding a fundraising pancake breakfast Saturday, Sept. 18, from 7 to 10 a.m. at Applebee’s on U.S. 1, in Aberdeen.

The breakfast is to raise funds for a future building project for the community.

Tickets are $7 each.

For information, call (910) 673-2118.

Homecoming

Deep Creek Baptist Church will hold homecoming services Sunday, Sept. 12, at 11 a.m., with Pastor Bryan Maness officiating.

A covered dish luncheon will follow in the fellowship hall.

Revival services will begin Monday, Sept. 13, and continue through Wednesday, Sept. 15, at 7 p.m. each evening. Dr. John Williamson, from Acorn Ridge Baptist Church, Robbins, will be the guest speaker. There will be special singing each evening.

The church is located at 1995 Linden Road, Pinehurst.

For information, call (910-948-3143.

Camp Meeting

Greater Harvest House of Prayer Ministries will host a camp meeting Wednesday, Sept. 8, through Friday, Sept. 10, at 7 p.m.

The speaker is Apostle Charles Gillespie, of Prayer, Praise and Deliverance Ministries, in Aberdeen.

The church is located at 760 Midway Road, Aberdeen.

Angelaires

On Sept. 18, at 7 p.m., the Angelaires, of Eagle Springs, and the Lee Thee Male Chorus will be in concert at Fletcher’s Chapel Church.

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

The pastor is the Rev. Charles A. Bethea.

Anniversary

Jesus World Outreach Center Inc. (JWOC) will hold its 13th church anniversary celebration Sunday, Sept. 5. The program will begin promptly at 6 p.m. Drs. Jake and Barbara Williams are the pastors.

“Living by Faith and Not by Sight” is this year’s theme.

The church is located at 2727 Murchison Road, Fayetteville.

For more information on this ministry, call (910) 823-4849 or visit the website at www.jwoc.org.

Pre-Anniversary Events

Sandy Grove Bible Church of God announces the following events.

There will be pre-anniversary services at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 3, featuring Pastor Margaret Allen, of Christ Disciple Church; Saturday, Sept. 4, Evangelist Sarah Elliott, of God’s House of Prayer; Thursday, Sept. 9, Bishop Ezekiel Young, of Coats; Friday, Sept. 10, Pastor Billy Billinger, of Raeford Temple of Christ; and Friday, Sept. 17, Pastor Clarence Taylor, of Carthage.

A banquet will be held at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 18, at the McDonald Building in Carthage.

Bible Study

The local Community Bible Study, a nondenominational Bible study group, will open its 18th year with a study of the prophetic books, Daniel, Thessalonians and Peter.

“This study of Old and New Testament scripture reveals God’s plan for his people,” says a spokesman.

Community Bible Study is an international organization with 30 years of experience in developing and leading Bible study groups. This program is open to all Christian singles and couples that are interested in an in-depth study of God’s word. Lesson material is provided with commentary and questions which require some written homework and study time. Classes will be formed for men, women and couples. The program includes opening fellowship, small group discussion and a short summation by the teaching director.

The first meeting is Sept. 7, and the study continues through April with breaks for the holidays. Sessions will be held every Tuesday evening from 7 to 9 p.m. All meetings are held at the Bethesda Presbyterian Church in Aberdeen. There is a charge for study materials, with scholarships available if needed. All workers and leaders are volunteers. To register, call or e-mail Walt Randolph at (910) 215-0850 or wrandolph@nc.rr.com; or Bill Bryant at (910) 692-8358 or bill@bryant.com.

After-School Program

An after-school program for kindergarten through eighth-graders will be offered at New Covenant Fellowship in Carthage (located on Union Church Road between New Century and Union Pines schools).

Contact Adam Love at (910) 947-1412 for more information.

Dance Conference

Living Stones Ministries, 5485 U.S. 1, Vass, is hosting a “Dancing for Him Worship Dance Conference” on Sept. 17-18 at the church.

“If you would love to learn many aspects and concepts of worship and expressive dance, if you would love to learn some fresh movement and choreography, if you would love to receive ministry through and be activated in prophetic dance, this is for you,” says a spokesman.

For information, call Pastor Jonathan Oxendine at (910) 315-4187 or Pastor April Oxendine at (910) 603-5690. Application forms are available at the website www.dancingforhim.com.

Annual Sale

The Northwood Temple Church MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) have opened volunteer and consignor registration for the “Twice Is Nice” Children’s Consignment Sale. The semiannual sale will open to the public Saturday, Sept. 4, at the Northwood Temple Family Life Center (4200 Ramsey St., Fayetteville). The sale will run from 7:30 a.m until 3 p.m., with a 50-percent-off clearance sale from noon-3 p.m. This sale is a convenient way for consignors to clean out closets and playrooms, while recovering some of the investment they’ve made into their children’s wardrobes, furniture and playthings.

“Twice Is Nice” has been a Fayetteville-area Labor Day tradition for the last 10 years (the sale has been running for 18 years). Northwood Temple MOPS share their “sale space” with the children of Northwood Temple Academy, so the best time to utilize the gymnasium space is over the long holiday weekend.

With the help of more than 100 volunteers, MOPS mothers transform the Family Life Center into a department store, carefully sorting and displaying more than 35,000 items received so shoppers can easily find what they need. Registered consignors and volunteers also earn the benefit of early shopping before the general public, on Friday, Sept. 3.

“Twice Is Nice” specializes in gently used toys, equipment, furniture, decor, educational supplies and children’s clothing, sized newborn to 16. Shoppers can also find maternity clothes and nursing accessories.

More details about consigning, volunteering and shopping can be found on the “Twice Is Nice” website, www.northwoodmops.com. Proceeds from the sale support the Northwood Temple MOPS and TeenMOPS, and unsold donated merchandise is distributed to local pregnancy crisis support agencies and other charities. MOPS is an international organization made up of local support groups for mothers with children ages birth to kindergarten. More information about MOPS can be found at www.mops.org.

Reading Room

Summer vacation days are slipping into fall back-to-school- schedules, and at the Christian Science Reading Room in Southern Pines, books, current world-focus publications and CDs are ready for students who want to learn about trusting God, as well as their school’s reading, writing and arithmetic.

Whether the student is 6 or 16, 7 or 70, there are items of interest available for purchase, to be examined at the store or borrowed from the lending library. For example, a Spanish language magazine includes articles about how young people have turned their attention to trusting in God for help in their studies, in relationship problems and in sports. Lively music CDs and cassettes are also available, as well as computer resources for researching the Bible.

Beginning Sept. 11, Reading Room hours will include Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and continuing weekdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at 173 NE Broad St., Southern Pines.

For further information, call (910) 692-7759.

Greater Glory

The WWTFC Women’s Organization is in preparation for its annual Anniversary Retreat, which will be held in Charleston, S.C., Sept. 15-18.

“An open invitation is extended to all women that would like go and enjoy fellowship,” says a spokesman.

For more information, contact Evangelist Vickie Kelly at (910) 218-0369.

Bible College

Solid Rock Pentecostal Church of Jesus Christ Inc. will be opening the doors of Solid Rock Bible College on Sept. 30.

Registration will be on Fridays beginning Aug. 6, and continuing through Sept. 10 at 5 to 6:30 p.m., at 220 Leak Road, Jackson Springs.

Tuition is affordable. Solid Rock College is accredited; one can earn an associate or bachelor’s degree.

For more information, call Pastor Judie Hackett at (910) 673-0604 or (910) 585-8458.

Beth Moore Event

First Baptist Church of Aberdeen will host a Beth Moore simulcast from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 18.

The cost is $20 per person, and lunch will be provided. Call Deborah Richardson at (910) 944-1421 to make a reservation.

Registration should be made by Wednesday, Sept. 1, with checks made payable to First Baptist Church.

Soup Kitchen

Page Memorial United Methodist Church, of Aberdeen, “The Church That Serves,” operates a soup kitchen every Monday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the church fellowship hall.

MANNA! also serves lunch there every Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

A contemporary worship service begins each Sunday at 8:30 a.m. in the fellowship hall. Breakfast is served at 8 a.m. The fellowship hall is located between U.S. 1 and Poplar Street.

The traditional worship service begins at 11 a.m. in the church sanctuary.

The Rev. Jane Leechford, pastor, leads both services.

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 2010-11 season in the Sandhills for women, which will begin Sept. 7.

Nondenominational classes meet each Tuesday from 9:30 to 11 a.m. at Our Saviour Lutheran Church in Southern Pines. Members will be studying the book of Genesis.

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.

There are classes for preschool children with crafts and Bible stories, classes for home-schooled children and a nursery for babies.

There is a small charge to cover materials, with scholarships for those who cannot afford the fee. For information about Community Bible Study call Noel Roberts at (910) 235-5271 or Betty Rossi at (910) 295-0489.

Caregivers

The Village Chapel Caregivers will not meet during the month of August. Meetings will resume the fourth Thursdays of each month, beginning Sept. 23.

The group is open to the public. For information, call June Vetter at (910) 295-8026.

Dial-A-Meditation

Need encouragement and inspiration for these troublesome times? Call Dial-A-Meditation at (910) 947-2002 to hear a message sponsored by Community Friends Church, in Carthage.

Lunch ’n Learn

The Village Chapel of Pinehurst hosts a Lunch ’n Learn program from noon to 1 p.m. on Fridays with Dr. Larry Ellis, senior pastor.

He will answer questions and provide insight into the scripture readings each week.

“You can send your questions to info@TheVillageChapel.net,” says a spokesman. “We will be meeting in Chapel Hall and don’t forget your lunch.”

For information, call (910) 295-6003.

For information, call Marian at (910) 673-3333.

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.

Health Ministry

Sandhills Health Ministry ­meetings are held at 9 a.m. on the third Monday of the month, at the Pinehurst United Methodist Church, Airport Road, Pinehurst.

Inquiries for wellness ­information and programs may be ­directed to (910) 295-1577.

Unitarian Gathering

The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Sandhills will meet on the second and fourth Sundays of the month, at 10 a.m., at the Pinehurst Executive Center, N.C. 5, Suite 7, Pinehurst. Refreshments will follow. For more information, e-mail uucsandhills@gmail. com or go to www.uua.org.