ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, April 11, 1996 TAG: 9604110092
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: E-10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: FRANCES STEBBINS
Three Habitat houses soon will be under construction by members of Roanoke Valley churches. Several congregations that are part of Lutheran Cooperative Ministries are joining with Cave Spring United Methodist to build at 1818 Padbury Ave. S.E.
Colonial Avenue and Grandin Court Baptist Church members are sharing in building on a tract at 10th Street and Grayson Avenue Northwest. On the same tract, eight Williamson Road parishes - Huntington Court and Grace United Methodist, Williamson Road and Hollins Road Churches of the Brethren, Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox, St. James Episcopal, Trinity Lutheran and Airlee Court Baptist - will work together on another dwelling. Habitat houses are for the working poor who receive interest-free loans and contribute hours to the construction.
A Hollins community blood drive will be sponsored for the fourth year on April 29 from noon to 7:30 p.m. at St. Philip Lutheran Church, 8115 Williamson Road. More than a dozen congregations in North Roanoke and Roanoke County are supporting the project, along with Hollins No.5 Volunteer Fire and Rescue units. In last year's drive, 238 pints of blood were donated. Call 366-7046 for more information.
Second Presbyterian Church has become the sixth inner-city Roanoke congregation to join in sponsoring Summer Enrichment, an ecumenical camp held each year for the month of July for children of the West End community. The program is now in its 20th year, and volunteers are sought to give time as well as money. The facilities of West End United Methodist Church are used. Call 343-3659 to help.
Foster Parent Training will be offered Tuesday through May 7 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Melrose Baptist Church, 3520 Peters Creek Road N.W. It is sponsored by Virginia Baptist Children's Home and Family Services, based in Salem, which seeks Christian parents or individuals to care for children who are temporarily homeless. For more information, call 389-5468. The first meeting will be introductory.
An international ministry, which involves Christian education for Roanoke Valley residents who do not speak English, is being expanded by First Baptist Church in downtown Roanoke. Volunteers who speak Spanish or French are needed for the Sunday afternoon classes. Call Chuck Ward at 224-3375 for more information.
|PEOPLE| The Roanoke Valley Ministers Conference, an interfaith and ecumenical organization for religion professionals, has elected the Rev. Dr. Michael Nevling its president for 1996-97. He is minister of Colonial Presbyterian Church. Other leaders are: the Rev. Drs. Paul Matheny, Daniel Scott and Judith Mills Reimer, vice presidents;
Carol McFarland and the Rev. Donna Hopkins, secretaries, and the Rev. Dr. John Sylvester-Johnson, treasurer.
The Rev. Glenn A. McCrickard will become pastor of Cloverdale Church of the Brethren on Aug. 1. He and his wife, Nancy, and son, Matthew, are coming from the Ivy Farms Church of the Brethren in Newport News.
The Rev. Kevin Kinniston, now on the staff of Bridgeton Church of the Nazarene in New Jersey, will become minister of music and young adult families for First Church of the Nazarene. He will begin his work April 21. Both the new staff member and his wife, Melissa, are natives of Ohio and attended Mount Vernon Nazarene College. They have two young daughters.
Seven new Stephen ministers have completed training to work with members of Christ Lutheran Church. They are the Rev. Robin Henrickson, Clyde Grasty, Greg Hoge, Wanda Hoge, Kim Padgett, Susie Sipos and Emmy Spencer. Stephen ministers work through a national organization to offer a listening ministry to members of their church undergoing personal crises.
Verle E. Witmer, a former organist and choir director at South Roanoke United Methodist Church, has become interim minister of music and organist at Northminster Presbyterian Church. Witmer plays the harpsichord; his wife, Jane, is a flutist, and two of their adult children also play instruments.
Jeannie Claunch, choir director at Fincastle United Methodist Church, will retire from the staff in June. She has been with the parish for 11 years.
|MUSICAL EVENTS| Four church organists, Joseph Kennedy, Jim McConnell, Ronn Lowe and
Katherine Reier, will perform in a concert Sunday at 6 p.m. at South Roanoke United Methodist Church, 2330 S. Jefferson St. They will be among more than 500 organists who will play in all 50 states and in Scotland to celebrate the centennial of their professional organization, the American Guild of Organists. The concert is free.
The Chapel Choir, a mixed group from Hobe Sound Bible College in Florida, will present a program Friday night at 7 at the new Parkway House of Prayer, 2525 Feather Road in Vinton. Their sacred music is given in recognition of the dedication of the building on Sunday.
At Pilgrim Baptist Church, 1415 Eighth St. N.W., the church's gospel chorus will observe its 37th anniversary with a choral program that will include choirs from several Virginia communities. The event will be Sunday at 4 p.m.
The Bittersweet Gospel Band, directed by the Rev. Gilbert Romero, presents a praise and preaching program April 22 at 7 p.m. at Williamson Road Church of the Brethren, 3110 Pioneer Road N.W. The Hispanic traveling group comes from Bella Vista Church of the Brethren in the Los Angeles area.
New Grace, a Southern gospel group, will perform Sunday at 11 a.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church, 305 Mountain Ave. S.W. On April 27 at 7 p.m., New Grace of Vinton will join Higher Call of Lexington and Smokey Wilson of Lynchburg for a concert at First Church of God on Hardy Road in Vinton. An offering will be taken.
|REVIVAL MEETINGS| The Rev. Dr. Rick Via, a former pastor of Rainbow Forest Baptist Church and now a full-time evangelist, will preach for revival services Sunday through Wednesday at Green Ridge Baptist Church, 5521 Green Ridge Road. Services with special music will be Sunday morning at 11 and nightly at 7.
The Rev. Raymond Powers, a Roanoke minister affiliated with the Wesleyan Church for 41 years, is leading evangelistic services at First Evangelical Methodist Church, 1920 Lucas St. in Salem. Worship through Saturday is at 7 p.m., with services on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Powers' wife, Doris, assists him in music leadership.
|SPIRITUAL EDUCATION| Christian Marriage Principles will be the theme of an eight-week class beginning Sunday at Airlee Court Baptist Church, 4827 Delray St. N.W. For couples with stable marriages, it will be led by John and Christy Hamric; he is pastor of the church. Call 562-5150 for more information.
Two contemporary books, "Toward Holy Ground" and "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus," will be the theme of midweek discussion groups at St. John's Episcopal Church in downtown Roanoke. The first, which covers spiritual directions for the second half of life, will be led by the Rev. Frank Allen on Tuesdays at noon and Thursdays at 7:30 a.m. The second, to be facilitated by the Rev. Thomas P. O'Dell, is scheduled at 7:15 p.m. on Wednesdays. Call 343-9341 for more information.
An Eckankar discussion with a theme of "Sleeping Dreams and Waking Dreams," is scheduled tonight at 7 at the Raleigh Court Library. Call 387-1758 for more information.
A New Testament Seminar, part of the national Walk Through the Bible program, is scheduled April 21 at West Salem Baptist Church, 500 Turner Road in Salem. It will begin at 2 p.m. and continue to 8 p.m. Open to the community with registration in advance, it will cost $8 and includes classes for adults and children. Call 389-7031 or 389-2129.
|OTHER EVENTS| West Salem Baptist Church, which had planned last year to relocate to the North Salem Red Lane area, has changed its plans and will build on additional property it has acquired on Turner Road. Judy Leonard, a staff member, said a financial drive is in progress and planning under way to build a new worship center near Interstate 81 just north of the present structure. A construction date has not been determined. Leonard said more than 800 are now attending the two Sunday morning services.
Healing and Wholeness of mind and spirit will be the theme of a seminar April 19 and 20 at Windsor Hills United Methodist Church, Windsor and Mudlick Roads Southwest. For clergy and laity, it will be in session Friday night from 6 to 9:30 and the following day from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The $30 cost includes Friday dinner. Child care is available. Call 774-4730 by Friday to register. Leadership will come from the Upper Room national office and the Roanoke District of the denomination.
Friends Catholic Community Church, which meets at 1201 Hardy Road in Vinton, will sponsor a praise and healing service tonight at 7. It will feature a gospel musical duo known as Liles & Taylor. Call 890-4710 for more information.
Woodlawn United Methodist Church, 2922 Corbieshaw Road S.W., has begun a Wednesday night informal service. Casual attire, praise singing and discussion mark the programs on the second and fourth Wednesdays in the chapel at 7:15. Programs are especially for those who are not in the habit of Sunday morning church attendance.
Christian Healing Today will be the theme of a lecture scheduled April 21 at 2 p.m. at First Church of Christ, Scientist. Guest speaker will be Nancy H. Shivers, a practitioner and teacher from Austin, Texas. Child care will be available at the church at 1155 Overland Road S.W. The program is free.
At Hollins College, a lecture, "God Does Not Exist: A New Proof from the Philosophy of Science" is scheduled today at 4:30 p.m. in the Moody Center. It will be given by Bradley Kelley, professor of philosophy. On Sunday night at 7:30, the guest preacher in DuPont Chapel will be Thomas Chu of New York. He is on the staff of the national Episcopal church for leadership in young-adult and higher-education ministries. Programs are open to the community.
The Rev. Ronald Brown, pastor of First Missionary Baptist Church of New River, will lead a Junior Usher Board anniversary program Sunday at 5 p.m. at Maple Street Baptist Church, 902 Fairfax Ave. N.W.
Jerusalem Baptist Church, 1014 Norfolk Ave. S.W., plans a deacon and deaconess anniversary service Sunday at 4 p.m. Worship will be led by the Rev. J.D. Holland and the choir of Lovely Valley Baptist Church in Rocky Mount.
The Rev. M. Anderson Sale, newly elected executive for Presbytery of the Peaks, will preach at the 11 a.m. service Sunday at Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, 301 Patton Ave. N.W. The former Virginian also will lead a gathering of the Black Caucus of the presbytery at 3 p.m.
Liz Dowdy, a staff member of Evangel Foursquare Church and its Channel 38 TV ministry, will address the Day Chapter of Women Aglow on Wednesday. The meeting will begin at 11 a.m. and is at the Airport Sheraton Inn. Call 362-4849 for reservations.
Send information to Frances Stebbins, Neighbors, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke 24010-2491 by noon Thursday. Please include a daytime telephone number.
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