ROANOKE TIMES

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, September 23, 1993                   TAG: 9309230380
SECTION: NEIGHBORS                    PAGE: E-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: BY FRANCES STEBBINS
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium


RELIGION BRIEFS

"ZEROES INTO HEROES," a childrens' musical about the Old Testament leader Gideon, will be performed Sunday at 5 p.m. at Belmont United Methodist Church, 806 Jamison Ave. S.E. It will be given by the youth choir of Bonsack United Methodist Church directed by Nancy Turner. The program is free and is part of the observance of Belmont's 102nd anniversary.

\ SUSAN LEWIS, a Roanoke County Christian singer who has performed on national television, will present a recital Sunday at 7 p.m. at Mineral Springs Baptist Church on Virginia 24 near Vinton. The music graduate of Old Dominion University has taught piano and voice for 11 years. She moved to the Roanoke area from Hopewell where she directed several major musicals at Woodlawn Baptist Church.

\ PARENTING: GROWING UP TOGETHER, a video series for the community, will continue through Oct. 13 on Wednesday nights at 7:30 at Mount Pleasant United Methodist Church, 3009 Mount Pleasant Blvd. S.E. The free programs include "Feelings," "Communicating" and "Exploring Problems." Discussion and refreshments will follow each film.

\ HIGH STREET BAPTIST CHURCH will be host to the Brotherhood/Youth Retreat and Women's Leadership Conference of the Virginia Baptist State Convention on Oct. 1 and 2. Most sessions will be at the church at 2302 Florida Ave. N.W. and others will be at Sheraton Hotel.

The Rev. Noel C. Taylor, pastor of High Street, will address the opening banquet at the hotel at 6 p.m. A prayer breakfast is scheduled at 6:30 a.m. the following day at the hotel with later sessions at the church starting at 9.

The conference also will include lunch in the Anchor of Hope dining room. Featured speakers for the Saturday morning and afternoon sessions will be the \ Rev. A. Lincoln James and the Rev. John H. Foster. Call 563-0123 for more information.

\ AN INTERFAITH CANDLELIGHT VIGIL will be held in Elmwood Park on Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m. In case of rain, the vigil will be held at St. John's Episcopal Church.

The vigil, sponsored by the Roanoke Valley unit of the Alliance for the Mentally Ill and supported by a number of Roanoke Valley congregations, marks the beginning of Mental Illness Awareness Week, which Congress instituted 10 years ago to promote and enhance public awareness of mental illness.

\ Nancy Canova, a representative of the Alliance, recently told the Roanoke Valley Ministers Conference that increasingly mental illness is found to be of physical origin and subject to medical treatment, and even methods used five years ago are seen as outdated because of the rapid pace of research.

The Alliance is a grassroots family self-help support and advocacy organization to improve the lives of people with severe biologically based brain diseases such as schizophrenia. Call 774-3791 for more information.

\ UNITY OF ROANOKE VALLEY, 3300 Green Ridge Road, will begin a study of spiritual principles known as The Quest on Sunday. Study groups will be held Sundays at 9 and 11 a.m. followed by weekly follow-up groups.

A Tuesday series also will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. An evening group will meet Wednesdays from 7 to 9.

An offering will be taken to defray costs. Call 562-2200 for more information.

\ ABOUT 150 PEOPLE from 17 different churches raised more than $5,000 earlier this month to advance the ministries of the City Rescue Mission in its 45th anniversary year in Roanoke. Volunteers were involved in a sleep-out for youth and all-night preparation for meals at the mission and fund-raising games.

\ CHRISTENE CHAMBLISS, president of Church Women United in Virginia, will address the Roanoke Valley CWU unit Friday at Bethany Christian Church (Disciples of Christ.) The meeting, which also will include a household shower for Bethany Hall halfway house, will begin at 10:30 a.m. The church is at 3115 Fleming Ave. N.W.

\ THE COTTAGE COMMUNITY CLUB OF ROANOKE has scheduled a memorial service Oct. 3 at 4 p.m. at Hill Street Baptist Church, 111 Madison Ave. N.W. Guest speaker will be Doris Mack, a member of Loudon Avenue Christian Church (Disciples of Christ.)

\ GLADE CREEK BAPTIST CHURCH, 331 Webster Road, Blue Ridge, will begin its homecoming and 164th anniversary celebration Friday. The Rev. Earl Denoff, a former pastor, will be guest speaker for all services. Revival services will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. Sunday's activities will start with worship at 10:30 a.m. and then a buffet luncheon. For more information, call 977-1686.



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