Addor

New Zion A.M.E. Zion Church will hold a baptism service at 7:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 11, at Elizabeth Chapel Free Will Baptist Church. There are 17 candidates for baptism Breakfast will follow at 9 a.m. at New Zion.

The 21st Century after-school program at New Zion A.M.E. Zion Church will begin Monday, Sept. 12. It will operate Monday through Thursday from 3 to 6 p.m. Snacks will be provided. Applications are now available. Please contact the Rev. McKnight, the church pastor, at (910) 639-1893.

An appreciation service for the Rev. Jeff Person, will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday at Mount Zion A.M.E. Zion Church in Carthage. Dinner will be served after the service. Everyone is invited to attend.

Trinity A.M.E. Zion Church will hold a 100 Women in Red service at 4:30 p.m. Sunday. Everyone is invited to attend.

The 99th session of the District Conference will be held Sept. 10-11 at Mount Zion A.M.E. Zion Church in Carthage.

The community was saddened to learn of the death of Pearline Price, who worked as a nurse at McCain Hospital for many years. She was a member of Buffalo Missionary Baptist Church in Hoke County. The funeral was held Saturday. Please keep the family in your prayers.

In memoriam: Flora Matthews (Aug. 31) and Oreatha Mae Haith (Sept. 3).

Birthday wishes go out this week to Betty Lou Moses (Sept. 1), Nathaniel Taylor and Tracy Dixon (Sept. 2), Mammie R. Hammonds (Sept. 3) and Otis Cotton (Sept. 4).

Sick and shut-ins: Betty J. Ellerbe, Effie J. Smith, Betty L. Moses, Sarah and Philip McMillian, Nora Smith and Dr. Louise Jones are among the homebound. Stella Gillispie, Connie L. Covington, Diana Brown, Portia Smith, Marie Berry and Lewis Swan are in nursing homes or assisted living homes.

Please continue to pray for all the sick and shut-ins.

If anyone has church or other community news, please contact me at (910) 281-3385.

- Lorine McCants

Berkley

New Hope Christian Ministries, where the pastor is Elder Brenda Brown, holds services at 160 Ridgeline Road off N.C. 5, just behind the Habitat for Humanity store. Sunday School is at 10 a.m. every week, and regular worship services are held at 11 a.m. on the first through fourth Sundays.

Morning prayer is held at 8 a.m. every Saturday. Bible study is at 6:30 p.m. every Wednesday. Minister's study is held every second Tuesday at 6 p.m.

St. John Missionary Baptist Church, at 703 Harris St., where the pastor is the Rev. Jimmy Gilchrist, holds Sunday School at 10 a.m. and worship at 11 a.m. every Sunday. Prayer meeting and Bible study are held at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays.

St. Joseph A.M.E. Church, where the pastor is the Rev. Henry R. Davis, will be holding Sunday services at Aberdeen Elementary School. Bible study is held at 6 p.m. at the Aberdeen Community Center.

Shiloh A.M.E. Zion Church, at 206 Keyser St., where the pastor is the Rev. Fred Goins Jr., holds Sunday School every week at 10 a.m. and worship at 11 a.m. every first and third Sunday. Bible study is held at 7 p.m. every Wednesday.

Sandhill Christian Church, on Keyser Street, has a new pastor, Jamal Brown. The church holds Sunday School every Sunday at 10 a.m. and worship services at 11 a.m. on the second and fourth Sundays of the month.

The Word of Life Holy Church of God in Christ, at 107 Spring St., where the pastor is Overseer Nathaniel Malloy, holds Sunday School at 9:45 a.m. and worship services at 11 a.m. every Sunday. Bible study is held at 7 p.m. every Wednesday.

Happy birthday to all who are celebrating this week.

Continue to pray for everyone.

Please submit church, community and personal announcements (such as birthdays and anniversaries) by 7 p.m. Sunday by calling (910) 528-4782.

- Rachel Hill

Eastwood

Members of St. Peters United Church of God will travel to Bass Temple at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 16, for Elder Moore's first pastorial anniversary.

The missionaries of St. Peters will have a candlelight march at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23.

The United Church of God ushers workshop will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17, at St. James in Raeford.

St. Peters has Bible study on Tuesday after the first and third Sunday each month. Prayer meeting is held at 7:30 p.m. every Thursday.

Velisha and William Ross will celebrate their wedding anniversary Sept. 1. Daniel and Ebony Brown will celebrate their wedding anniversary this week.

Birthday wishes go out this week to Chiquitta Monroe. Apostle Andria Weeks and William Dixon (Aug. 31), Felton Gillispie and Juwan Wilson (Sept. 1), Margret Little and Taylor Wrencher (Sept. 2) and Mary Ray, Ebony Alston and Stephanie Alston (Sept. 3).

Sick and shut-ins: Lewis McLaughlin, Paula Neal, Sam Kelly, Michael McLean, Charles Jackson, Joe Jackson, Hoover Brown, Cornelia Adkins, Evelyn Clegg, Minister Wrencher, Carolyn Swinnie, Mary Russell, Margret Thompson and Alma Jones.

- Wilma Monroe

Hoffman

Bible study is held at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Macedonia and at 7:30 p.m. at Fletcher's Chapel. Pleasant Hill holds Bible study at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

The Jefferson family will hold its reunion this weekend in Bethume, S.C.

Happy birthday to Ivory Little and Ruth Clark (Sept. 3), Kino Livingston and Thelma McKoy (Sept. 5) and all others who are celebrating this week.

Sick and shut-ins: Flossie Hagins, Lany Harrison, Cathy Harrington, Eugene Martin, Johnny King, Leann McRae, Arlene McRae, Thelma McKoy, Dan McKoy, Nancy Ellerbe, Lillie Ellerbe, Bunie Ellerbe, Jackie Stroman, Albert Hailey, Nancy Hayes, Lacy Jackson, Mattie White, Bernice Doddins, Rebecca Utley, Latoya Ratliff, Cynthia Royster, Lonnie Blyther, Shadeed Hart, Bessie Little, Heneretta Little, Frank Smith, Lula Smith, Henry Isaac Jr., Ernest Gilmore, Juanita Gilmore, Joe Jones, Iris Little and Cynthia Little.

Please continue to pray for the sick and shut-ins, church leaders, our children, government and one another.

- Bea Little

Little River

Cypress Presbyterian Church invites anyone who enjoys singing to attend choir rehearsal at 7 p.m. each Wednesday. The choir has begun rehearsing for the Christmas cantata and would love to have additional participants for this special presentation.

The Presbyterian Women's officers will be installed during the 11 a.m. worship service this Sunday. The Presbyterian Women's fall joint meeting (both circles) will be held at 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 12, in the fellowship hall.

Mark your calendar now for Cypress' annual harvest sale on Saturday, Oct 1. Watch for more details in the coming weeks.

Please check out Cypress' recently updated website at www.cypresspres.org to learn more about Cypress Church and the exciting programs and events being offered.

The day after Hurricane Irene struck, Mount Pleasant Church was filled with grateful members who knew that the storm could have been a lot worse.

This past Sunday, Denise Godfrey and her children shared how far the church has come in the field of technology and record keeping.

Dr. Poplin had all the old paper records that he could carry in his arms as the skit began. Brent Godfrey asked what he was doing with all those records, and Dr. Poplin replied that he was going to work on the church history. The children and Denise then shared with him how the new technology will allow the church to become more complete in it records.

She also shared about the old times, when the church used oil lamps and potbelly stoves and reminded us how far we have come. Those were from the days of her grandmother, Juanita.

The choir sang a wonderful anthem, and Dr. Poplin delivered an inspiring message on faith.

The church welcomed two new families - Art and Karen Hill, from Woodlake, and Gordon, Jessica and MaryJane McAlvey, from the Mount Pleasant community.

Plans are being finalized for the upcoming celebration of the 125th anniversary of the Mount Pleasant church on Sept. 25. Special services for the day are planned. The church invites everyone to make plans to attend this wonderful day of celebration.

The church will have a very special day of worship this Sunday, as missionaries Wayne and Natalie Marks will share about their last mission trip to Ukraine. Wayne and Natalie are the son and daughter-in-law of Harold and Josephine Marks, who are members of Mount Pleasant.

The offering collected during the recent Vacation Bible School has been sent to support the missions of these two fine Christian workers. Everyone is invited to share in this day as they share their testimony and pictures of their mission work.

On Sept. 9-10, the church will be taking photographs for the new pictorial directory.

This special directory will contain many pictures of the entire year celebration of the churches' 125th anniversary. All church families are encouraged to sign up and have their pictures made for this special historical book that will be made a part of the Mount Pleasant's permanent record.

On Sunday, Sept. 11, the church will have a special service of remembrance and recommitment to God and country to remember the victims of 9/11 on the 10th anniversary of terrorist attacks. The church invited everyone in the community to attend.

Please remember, with positive thoughts and prayers, all of our soldiers and their families, whether here in the States or abroad.

If you have any information you'd like to share with our community, please call me at (910) 245-4747.

- "Sunny" Sidley

Shawtown

Stony Hill Freewill Baptist Church in Carthage, where the pastor is Elder Al Wilson, will have a revival Wednesday through Friday, Sept. 7-9, at 7:30 p.m., with a different speaker each night. Everyone is invited.

St. Ruth United Church of God in Christ in West End, where the pastor is Eldress Lillian Kearns, will hold Family and Friends Day at 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 17, at the church. Everyone is invited.

St Mary Church on Old Glendon Road in Carthage, where the pastor is Eldress Betty J. Lee, will have its Fruits of the Spirit program at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 16. Everyone is invited.

Holy Temple in Carthage, where the pastor is Elder Allen Moore, is now holding worship services on the first, third and fifth Sundays of the month instead of every Sunday.

Please pray for those in rest homes and assisted living facilities, hospital patients, the homebound, caregivers, our president and our other leaders, our troops and each other.

- Irene Ray

Taylortown

This Labor Day weekend, everyone is invited to take part in Taylortown Day.

For those who already purchased tickets, the dinner, dance, and program (fashion show and talent showcase) will begin with a social hour from 5:30 until 6:45 p.m. Friday at the Little River Resort. The program begins at 7 p.m. and ends at 12:30 a.m.

An old-fashioned parade, games and picnic lunch will be held Saturday. The picnic will be held at the Johnny Boler Municipal Park. The parade begins at 11 a.m. The picnic begins at 12:30 p.m. and continues until 3:30 p.m.

For tee times at the Elks Country Club, golfers should call Sheldon Mooney at (910) 315-9784. For overnight accommodations, call Ring the Pines at (866) 994-7682. Come out and enjoy the festivities!

Revival services will end tonight (Wednesday) at Galilee Missionary Baptist Church. Services begin at 7 p.m. The guest speaker is the Rev. T. R. Murray. The pastor, the Rev. Charles Nabors, invites everyone to attend.

Word of Truth Ministries will have a birthday celebration program for Mother Helen Spencer at 3 p.m. this Sunday. There will be a special guest speaker. Congratulations to Mother Spencer!

The Moore County branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People will have its annual banquet at 4 p.m. Oct. 22 at Whispering Pines Country Club. Doors open at 3:30 p.m.

The speaker will be attorney Herman Thompson. The theme is "Forward Together, Not One Step Backward." The event will spotlight and honor the first African-Americans in Moore County.

Donations are $30 for adults and $15 for youths. For more information, call (910) 947-1422. O'Linda W. Gillis is the branch president.

Bobby Collins will be the featured guest on the "Town Talk" television show next week. He is a college basketball coach, educator, youth leader and community activist. He will be sharing information about his life's story, his basketball camps for children and a golf tournament fundraiser that will be held in Moore County.

The show airs on Time Warner Cable channel 3, WYBE TV, at 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. daily. Segment two of the 21st Century summer enrichment program is airing this week. The host is R. Highland-Sharpe.

Pathways to C.N.A. classes will begin Sept. 6. The regular schedule is Monday through Thursday from 5 until 9 p.m. This free program provides occupational and basic skills training. GED classes will be provided as well. Those completing this program will transition to the certified nursing assistant program. Call Twana McKnight at Sandhills Community College at (910) 695-3782.

Pre-employment skills training is provided by the human resources development program at Sandhills Community College. These classes are part of the application process for jobs at Smithfield's meat packing plant. Classes are free to those who qualify. Call Jenny Troyer at (910) 695-3926.

Free basic skills and GED classes are available at various locations in Moore County. Call Rose Highland-Sharpe, the recruiter for basic skills education at SCC, at (910) 695-3783.

There is a need for keyboard players at some local churches. Call Minister James McNeill at (910) 384-4369 (Word of Life Ministries) and Pastor Shirley Gillis at (910) 692-5185 (Outreach Ministries for Jesus).

A substitute radio announcer and musician are needed. For more information, email rosesharpe37@gmail.com. Send a message on Facebook to Rose Highland-Sharpe.

Please remember the victims of Hurricane Irene. Contact the local Red Cross for ways to help.

The 21st Century 2011-2012 after-school program is accepting applications for youths in kindergarten through 12th grade. Leave a message at (910) 295-5813. The program is held at Christ Way Deliverance Church in Eastwood and New Zion A.M.E. Zion Church in Addor. Pastor and Mrs. E. Nathaniel Jackson are the directors. Special thanks to Pastor Charles McKnight Sr. and his wife, Barbara, at New Zion in Addor.

Thank you from the "Hill Top Shops" for your support. They include Not "Jus" Any Bag, Bono Abstract Clothing, Sew What?, 360 Creations Beauty Salon and New 2 U Everyday Rummage. Fresh Discipleship Center (Pastor Cora Murphy) is "on the Hill." Minister Gerald and Tia Brown's outreach ministry, also "on the Hill" as well, continues to serve the community.

"Taylortown Jams" are music sessions open to experienced musicians Saturdays from noon until 6 p.m. at the Taylor House on Main Street. If you have a passion for playing any musical instrument, please join this lively "jam session" every Saturday. There is no charge. Contact Michael Robinson at (910) 725-1582 for more information.

You are invited to participate in free music classes at the Taylor House on Main Street. The classes are open to all ages. For more information, contact Michael Robinson at (910) 725-1582.

Greater Glory Family Worship Ministries is offering Bible study classes for college students. Classes are held on Tuesdays at 6 p.m. Bring your own Bible. Singled Out Campus International Ministries is the sponsor.

Andrea Cattle is the founder and president of S.O.C.I.M. The pastor is Shepherdess Bessie Dixon. The overseer is Apostle Michael S. Dixon. Greater Glory is located at 156 Westgate Drive, Taylortown (off N.C. 211 near State Farm Insurance).

Tune in to "Good News Inspiration" on WEEB, 990-AM on Sundays, 6 until 11 a.m. Send your church and community announcements to the Sunday program director/announcer, Rose Highland-Sharpe, at P.O. Box 4653, Pinehurst, NC 28374 or email rosesharpe37@gmail. com. Other Gospel DJs include veteran announcer Felton J. Capel and new announcer Minister Jason Hackett.

The sick and shut-in list includes Deacon Leroy Alford Sr., Jaion Barrett, Joann Bennett, Carol Blackmon, Garry Brown, Mr. and Mrs. George Brown, Evelyn Clegg, Christine Ellerbe, Sandy George Gaines, Geneva Goins, Phyllis Goins, Cathy Harrington, Alice Jackson, Tamara Jackson, the Rev. Nathaniel McNeill, Pauline Levine, Tim Mason, Willa B. Monroe, Catherine Morrison, Dorothy R. Morrison, Vera Moses, Howard Ray, Lolita Robinson, Mr. Shamberger and Johnnie Stanford.

Please remember all the sick and shut-ins, the widowed, orphans, bereaved, incarcerated, homeless, youths and the United States military in your prayers and good deeds.

If you have any questions, comments and community news, please respond to R. Highland-Sharpe at P.O. Box 4653, Pinehurst, NC 28374, or at rosesharpe37@gmail. com. Send announcements at least two weeks in advance.

- Rose Highland-Sharpe

Vass

Minister Frederick Kelly will celebrate his anniversary Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 10-11. Pastor Tuck will be the guest speaker at 7 p.m. Sept. 10 at the Douglass Community Center in Southern Pines. Different ministers will be speaking at 11 a.m. Sept. 11 at God's House of Prayer Ministry.

God's House of Prayer Ministry will celebrate its church anniversary at 12:30 p.m. Sept. 18 at the Douglass Community Center in Southern Pines.

God's House of Prayer Ministry holds Sunday School at 10 a.m. every week. Worship services are held on the first and third Sundays of the month at 11 a.m. Bible study is held every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., and intercessory prayer is held every Saturday at 8 a.m.

The Divine Spurituals will be celebrating its sixth anniversary at West End Elementary.

Birthday wishes go out to Colon Lee Kelly and Tamika Peterson (Aug. 31) and Christopher Kelly (Sept. 1).

Word of Truth Christian Center of Vass, where the pastors are Micheal and Cheryl Blue and Overseer Helen Spencer, has Bible study at 6 p.m. every Wednesday. Sunday School is held every Sunday at 10 a.m., and the worship service starts at 11:15 p.m.

New Direction Outreach Ministries, where the pastor is Pastor Linnie M. Saunders, has worship services every Sunday at 11:30 a.m., except any fifth Sunday.

Bible study is held from 7 to 8 p.m. every Wednesday. It is led by Elder C. Taylor.

The church is at 3623 North U.S. 1 Business in Vass across from the Vass Ball Park. For more information, call (910) 638-8441.

Highland Baptist Church on U.S. 1 holds Sunday School at 10 a.m. and worship services at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. every Sunday. Services are also held at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

The church has a bus ministry for those who need a ride on Sunday mornings. Anyone who needs a ride can call (910) 695-0494.

Continue to pray for all the sick and shut-ins, including all in the hospital and in rest homes, each other and our U.S. troops in Iraq and worldwide.

To have your news included in the Vass section, send an email to anitafinch38@ yahoo.com or mail items at least one week in advance to P.O. Box 176, Vass, NC 28394.

-- Anita Finch