ROANOKE TIMES

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

DATE: THURSDAY, April 13, 1995                   TAG: 9504200035
SECTION: NEIGHBORS                    PAGE: E-20   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: FRANCES STEBBINS
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Long


RELIGION BRIEFS

THE REV. DAVID HENDERSON, pastor of Central Baptist Church of Starkey, has been elected president of the interfaith Roanoke Valley Ministers Conference. He will succeed the Rev. Nelson Harris in June and serve for a year.

Other new officers are: George Hill, Michael Nevling and Denise Huffman, vice presidents; Paul Matheny, Laney Mofield and Ed Woodard, secretaries; and Philip Motley, treasurer.

The new officers will be installed on May 1 at Second Presbyterian Church when the conference will celebrate its 70th anniversary, beginning at 11 a.m.

JUDY DIEHL has joined the staff of Roanoke Area Ministries as coordinator of volunteers, succeeding Susan Adams, who took another position several months ago.

Diehl said volunteers from churches and civic groups are needed to help prepare and serve the daily hot lunch at RAM House day shelter in Roanoke's West End. They also act as receptionists and help with property maintenance. For more information, call 345-9786 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

BUCHANAN-AREA SUNRISE SERVICE is scheduled Sunday at 7 in Fairview Cemetery. It will be followed by a pancake breakfast at Buchanan Baptist Church. The service is supported by several town congregations.

AT MELROSE AVENUE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, 1301 Melrose N.W., a cantata, "Praise to the Lamb," will be sung at 9:30 a.m. Sunday

GRACE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, 4404 Williamson Road N.W., will begin its Maundy Thursday service tonight at 7. On Good Friday, the church will be open for prayer at 6 p.m. with another service starting at 7.

Community Easter sunrise worship will begin at 7:30 at Huntington Court United Methodist with the Grace Church Easter liturgy starting at 10:30 a.m.

ON GOOD FRIDAY, at 7 p.m., the sacred cantata, "The Seven Last Words of Christ," will be sung by the Chancel Choir at Bonsack United Methodist Church, at 4493 Bonsack Road.

THE REV. THOMAS TRASK, general superintendent of Assemblies of God Churches, will preach April 25-27 at Glad Tidings Church, 7422 Deer Branch Road, Hollins. Services will begin nightly at 7.

Trask travels nationally in his role as administrative and spiritual head of the denomination.

On April 23, David Grant, director of missions for four Southeast Asia countries, will speak at 10:45 a.m. at Glad Tidings.

THE ANNUAL BANQUET of Botetourt Weekday Religious Education supporters will be held April 24 at 6:30 p.m. at Camp Bethel conference center. Reservations for the $8.15 meal are needed by Friday and may be made by calling 254-1433 or 992-2562.

AN EASTER SUNRISE SERVICE, sponsored by Churches of the Brethren in Botetourt County, will begin at 7 at Camp Bethel conference center. The Rev. Steven van Houten of the Cloverdale church will deliver the message.

NORTHSIDE CHRISTIAN CHURCH, 5110 Florist Road N.W., will be the site of a sunrise service Easter at 6:30 at which Terry Hodge of Vinton will preach. Music for the worship, sponsored by several Churches of Christ/Christian congregations, will be by the Penn Forest Christian Choir.

THE REV. JOHN HAMRIC, formerly associate pastor for youth and education at First Baptist Church in Staunton, has begun his work at Airlee Court Baptist Church. He is a graduate of Bluefield College and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and has been a professional social worker in Kentucky. His wife, Christy, is a student at Community Hospital College of Health Sciences.

The Rev. Olin Glidden, who has been on the church staff on two different occasions since 1981, has been honored on his retirement.

COLONIAL BAPTIST CHURCH, at Blue Ridge has scheduled a spiritual life crusade series Sunday through April 21. Guest preacher will be the Rev. Harold Vaughan, who will be at the 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Easter services. During the week, worship will start at 7:30 p.m. A nursery will be staffed and special music presented at each service.

ST. JOHN'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH, Elm and South Jefferson in downtown Roanoke, will have Maundy Thursday services today at noon and 7:30 p.m. with Good Friday liturgy at noon and 5:30 p.m. A children's service with Baptism will be held Saturday at 4 p.m. Easter morning worship will be at 7, 9 and 11:15.

WOMEN'S AGLOW, a charismatic Christian group, will hear Kathryn Gray, at its meeting Wednesday. The 11:15 a.m. meeting will be at the Garden Patch Restaurant. Reservations for the $6 luncheon may be made by calling 362-4849.

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH'S singles ministry will sponsor a game night April 21 starting at 6:30 at the Family Life Center on Third Street in downtown Roanoke. The program is free but those attending are asked to bring finger food or dessert. Call 224-3370 for more information.

MARY JO SHANNON, a member of Raleigh Court Presbyterian Church, will receive the Mary Baldwin College Service to Church Award on May 27. Shannon, an alumna, is retired from a teaching career and now edits the church newsletter and writes on a free-lance basis for several publications.

REACH FOR A STAR, a program to assist some children at Greenvale Nursery School, is in progress during Holy Week at Calvary Baptist Church of Roanoke. Participating members select a star, representing a needy preschooler, from a tree. Easter baskets with both Christian and secular tokens of the season are then delivered to the school for the children.

Send information to Frances Stebbins, Neighbors Religion, PO Box 2491, Roanoke, Va. 24010-2491 by noon Thursday. Please include a daytime phone number.

Want to know what's going on in the religion community? Get on the Internet and find this listing of Religion Briefs as well as other Neighbors columns in the News section of InfiNet. Call 800-849-7214 to subscribe.



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