Addor

It's that time of the year again for all A.M.E. churches in the area. The 133rd session of the Central N.C. Conference began Tuesday and will continue through Sunday at St. Mark A.M.E. Zion Church in Durham. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Men's Day will be celebrated this Sunday at Poplar Springs Missionary Baptist Church. Lunch will be served after the morning worship. The afternoon service begins at 3:30, with a guest speaker from Lillington Star Free Will Baptist Church. Bobby Little is the chairman. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Great things continue to occur at the 21st Century after-school program at New Zion A.M.E. Zion Church. It has enrolled its 30th child. Madie Davis, from Spaulding Chapel A.M.E. Zion church Church and retired Moore County school counselor, has begun volunteering on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. She transports the children from school and home. She will soon begin counseling sessions.

Aleigha Lambert, a very talented Pinecrest High School senior, has volunteered to give the students music lessons. She is the oldest student in the program. Terrell Hart, a junior at Pinecrest, is also a student and mentor.

Ester McLean, from Elizabeth Chapel Free Will Baptist Church, bakes homemade cookies, which the students and teachers enjoyed. The teachers are Barbara McKnight and Alma Hudson.

The program operates Monday through Thursday from 3 to 6 p.m. Snacks are provided. Please contact the Rev. McKnight, the church pastor, at (910) 639-1893. They thank everyone for their support.

Everyone in the community is invited to attend New Zion A.M.E. Zion Church. Sunday School is at 10 a.m., and worship is at 11 a.m. every Sunday. The pastor is the Rev. Charles McKnight.

Addor Community Center board members need your support both in person and financially. The board is asking all of the churches in the community to assist by making a monthly allocation. Donations will help restore utilities to the building and begin using it to help revitalize the community.

Please make checks payable to the Addor Community Center and mail them to P.O. Box 775, Pinebluff, NC 28373. Anyone with questions or needing more information can call (910) 281-0384.

Birthday wishes go out to Leon Lyons and Sadie Clark (Nov. 9), Jesse Brown Jr. (Nov. 10), Pamela Cooper Cushionberry (Nov. 12), Sylvia Smith (Nov. 13) and Juanita McNeill (Nov. 15).

Sick and shut-ins: Marie Berry is in the hospital. Sarah F. McMillian and Betty J. Ellerbe are in rehab. Betty L. Moses, Louise Jones and Nora Smith are among the homebound. Stella Gillispie, Connie L. Covington, Diana Brown, Portia Smith 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

The St. Peters church family thanks all the churches that came out to help celebrate the 25th pastoral anniversary of Bishop C.L. Curry and first lady Gretchel Curry. It was a tremendous success.

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.

St. John will have its fall revival today (Wednesday) through Friday at 7:30 nightly. The preacher will be Anita Owens-Scott.

St. Ruth will hold revival services Nov. 16-18 at 7:30 p.m. There will be different speakers each night. Everyone is invite to attend.

Tiffany Wall was home from college this weekend to visit her family.

Penelope Alford celebrated her birthday Sunday with her friends and family

Birthday wishes go out this week to Timothy Grogan, Patrick McKinney, Martin Alford and Quevee Thompson (Nov.9), Jerry Marsh and Terrance Carroway (Nov. 10), Terri Roberts (Nov.11), Phillip Moultrie Jr., James Jones and Linda Little (Nov. 12), Margret Thompson (Nov. 13) and Wayne Thompson (Nov. 14).

Sick and shut-ins: Lewis McLaughlin, Paula Neal, 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 each Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Macedonia and at 7:30 p.m. at Fletcher's Chapel. Pleasant Hill holds Bible study at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

The Red Hat Club will meet at noon Saturday at the Beaver Dam Center.The resident asks all members to be present.

The next home union will be held at Pleasant Hill. A joint Bible study will be held Wednesday, Nov. 23, before the fifth Sunday.

Birthday wishes go out to all who are celebrating this week.

Sick and shut-ins: Flossie Hagins, Frank Smith, Lang Harrison, Albert Hailey, Lacy Jackson, James Anderson, Shadeed Hart, Jaqua Hart, Mattie White, Retha Sloan, Henretta Little, Bessie Little, Latoya Ratliff, Cathy Harrington, Lula Smith, Ernest Gilmore, Juanita Gilmore, Leana McRae, Arlene McRae, Thelma McKoy, Dan McKoy, Eugene Martin, Johnny King, Nancy Ellerbe, Lillie Ellerbe, Bunie Ellerbe, Jimmy Ellerbe, Letha Isaac and Mary Jamison are among the homebound.

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

- Bea Little

Little River

This past Sunday was a wonderful day at Mount Pleasant Christian Church. The church was filled with almost 150 people. Several new families were visiting.

There were 23 children in the pulpit area for Pastor Greg's children's sermon, which encouraged the children to make sure that their spiritual diets included healthy things from God and not just the candy and sweets of the world.

Practice for this year's children's Christmas program began this past Sunday, and all children are invited to come share in this time of music, fellowship and fun. This year's program will be the "Twelve Days of Christmas."

The children will sing the traditional song and then learn and share the Biblical meanings behind the 12 gifts given and how Christians developed this song to share their faith in societies that did not approve of the Christian faith.

On Tuesday, about 20 senior citizens traveled to Charlotte to view the plane that was involved in the crash on the Hudson River in New York. This group was treated to a personal tour and enjoyed the 45-minute movie of the events surrounding this fateful day.

This group meets on the second Tuesday of the month. Next month,they are planning a trip to the Temple Theater in Sanford to see the Christmas show. Everyone is invited to join them.

Mount Pleasant will host the community Thanksgiving service at 6 p.m. Nov. 20. This will be a joint service with Mount Pleasant, Hillman Grove, Good Shepherd, Solid Rock, Countryside Community and Johnsonville A.M.E. Zion churches.

Everyone in the community is invited to join them for this night of thanksgiving and fellowship. Goodies and finger foods will be served in the fellowship hall after worship.

Next Sunday, Mount Pleasant will honor veterans and remember all those who serve to keep this country safe and free. Everyone is invited to attend worship each Sunday at Mount Pleasant.

The choir continues to practice for its Christmas musical, which will be presented Dec. 18 during the morning worship service. Singers and those who love to make a joyful noise are invited to attend.

The older youth from Cypress Presbyterian Church will have a hot dog sale outside the Piggly-Wiggly in Vass from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. this Friday. The proceeds will be used to help pay shipping costs for the Samaritan's Purse shoe boxes project. Please stop by for a hot dog and help support the youth Friday.

A congregation meeting will be held this Sunday after the 11 a.m. worship service to elect elders. All members are encouraged to attend this important meeting.

Cypress is again sponsoring an Angel Tree for children at Cypress House Headstart. The tree will be available in the vestibule Sunday, Nov. 20.

Please call the Cypress Church office at (910) 245-4731 for more information on these events or visit its website at www.cypresspres.org.

The choir continues to work on its Christmas cantata. Anyone who would like to join them for this special ministry is welcome to come at 6:30 on Wednesday evening to practice.

Bible study in the book of Isaiah continues on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

Mount Pleasant Church will again be one of the collection places for Bikes for Wright. It's not too early to start turning in those bikes so "Santa" can get started on those repairs.

If you need someone to come and pick up a bike, please call Sunny at (910) 245-4747 to arrange for pickup.

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

Remember to say thank you to a veteran this Friday, which is Veterans Day - the one day set aside to remember the sacrifices they have made by serving.

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

- "Sunny" Sidley

Shawtown

Red Hill Church led the worship service at 3 p.m. Sunday at Body of Christ Ministry.

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.

If anyone has an announcement for the Shawtown news, please submit it a week before publication.

My new email address is adamsminnie29@yahoo.com, or call me at (910) 783-7822.

- Irene Ray

Taylortown

Hats off to Travis Scales, Nick Lacy and Reco Cain for a great season with the Pinecrest varsity football team. All Pinecrest football players are winners in our book!

The Veterans Job Fair is today (Wednesday) at the National Guard Armory in Southern Pines. Nonveterans are also welcome. About 24 employers will be in attendance. Mark Adkins is the veteran representative at the Employment Security Commission office in Aberdeen.

A listening party and praise event for Thomas Gibson will be held from 5 until 8 p.m. this Saturday at St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church in Jackson Hamlet. Everyone is invited to join Thomas as he debuts his CD, "My Journey." Also, spoken word artist Kim Street will be featured.

The event is free and is an Eirrac Semaj production. The pastor at St. Paul is the Rev. Elgett Floyd.

Men's Day will be held at 11 a.m. Sunday at Galilee Missionary Baptist Church. The male chorus will provide the music. Dinner will be served by the ladies of the church. All are invited to attend. The pastor is the Rev. Charles Nabors.

The Nursing Assistant 1 program is being offered through the Continuing Education Department at Sandhills Community College's Hoke Center in Raeford beginning in January. You must register before Dec. 6 and have assessments and the enrollment process completed. For more information, contact Dottie Bement, the coordinator, at (910) 692-6185.

The community extends condolences to the family of the late Rev. John Ray Sharpe, of Greensboro. He was a former pastor at Galilee Missionary Baptist Church. A memorial service may be planned later in Greensboro. Please continue to pray for the family.

The annual harvest bazaar will be held Saturday, Nov. 19, at Greater Works Church of Deliverance at 5061 N.C. 211 in West End. It begins with a yard sale at 7 a.m., and the bazaar is at noon. There will be a raffle (gas card and 42-inch plasma television), cake walk, food, games, and prizes. Everyone is invited. The pastor is Apostle Andrea U. Weekes. For more information, call (910) 673-1447.

Thank you to the ladies who continue to help with MANNA! at 11 a.m. on Tuesdays at Spaulding Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church. Some of the helpers include Melba Bostic, Esther McNeill, Hulene Morrison and Kathy Murphy. Pastor John Roberts is the day-to-day operations manager for MANNA!. The pastor at Spaulding Chapel is the Rev. Charles Allen.

Musicians are still needed 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). Also, contact Rev. Rose Highland-Sharpe regarding other pianist-organist opportunities at rosesharpe37@gmail.com.

Thank you to those who continue to pray for and support Tim and Nicole Mason and also Edward and Sharonda Wilson. Both families continue to need your help due to on-going health concerns.

Spruill Temple Church of God in Christ has a prayer service every Monday and Wednesday from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Call in your prayer request at (910) 295-0071. The pastor, Elder Jerry Chesney, welcomes everyone to drop in at any time during this informal prayer time and "to come as you are."

Join St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church, 198 Gaines St. in Jackson Hamlet, for weekly services. Sunday School is held at 10 a.m. Worship begins at 11 a.m. Prayer meeting and Bible study are held at 7 p.m. each Wednesday. The pastor is the Rev. Elgett Floyd.

Thanks for listening to "Good News Inspiration" on WEEB-990 AM from 6 to 11 a.m. on Sundays. 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 rose-sharpe37@gmail.com. Other WEEB gospel family members include veteran announcer Felton J. Capel, substitute announcer Niniji Lloyd, and new trainees Pastor Ren Lee and Ken Capel.

There's still time to enroll in Pathways to C.N.A. at Sandhills Community College. This is a transition program to the certified nursing assistant course. The classes include GED, basic skills, and occupational courses. Those who earn their GED are eligible for a scholarship for the C.N.A. program. Call Twana McKnight at S.C.C. at (910) 695-3782.

Job opportunities are available at Smithfield's meat packing plant in Tar Heel, N.C. As part of the application process, register for pre-employment skills classes in the human resources development program at Sandhills Community College. The classes are free to those who qualify. Call Jenny Troyer at (910) 695-3926.

Career development, basic skills and GED classes are available at the Westmoore Center in Robbins and at the Day Reporting Center in Carthage. Other basic skills and GED classes are offered at Aberdeen Elementary School and in Van Dusen Hall at Sandhills Community College. Call the recruiter for basic skills education at SCC, Rose Highland-Sharpe, at (910) 695-3783.

The "Hill Top Shops" thank everyone for their 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, with Pastor Cora Murphy, is also on "the Hill" There is an outreach ministry with household goods and clothing for those in need on "the Hill." It serves many throughout the county and is owned and managed by Minister Gerald and Tia Brown.

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.

Michael Robinson thanks all the musicians for coming to the Taylor House on Saturdays for the "jam sessions." The 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 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.

November's prayer list includes Alice Thompson, Rosa Mills, Deacon Leroy Alford Sr., Jaion Barrett, Carol Blackmon, Mr. and Mrs. George Brown, Evelyn Clegg, Christine Ellerbe, Sandy George Gaines, Geneva Goins, Phyllis Goins, Cathy Harrington, Alice Jackson, Pauline Levine, Tim Mason, Willa B. Monroe, Catherine Morrison, Dorothy R. Morrison, Vera Moses, 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

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. Pastor Mary Kelly is the church pastor.

Minister Freddie Kelly Sr. will be the guest speaker at 4 p.m. Saturday at Fellowship House of God's in Carthage.

Pastor Mary Kelly will be the guest speaker at Holiness Church of Promise in Addor at 3:30 p.m. this Sunday.

Apostle McNeil, of Tabernacle of Praise Ministry, will be the guest speaker at a Joy Night program at 7 p.m. Nov. 19 at God's House of Prayer Ministry.

A Deacons' Day program will be held at 11 a.m. Nov. 27 at the church. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Birthday wishes go out to Kereem Terry (Nov. 11) and Jonathan Toomer (Nov. 12).

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.

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