appreciation service

Gates of Heaven COGIC, 112 Beech St., is having an appreciation service for a member, Minister John T. Edwards, at 6 p.m. Saturday. Edwards has suffered a stroke.

Performers include The Singing Larks, Gates of Heaven Mass Choir and Lakeland High School Mass Choir, all of Suffolk; DawsonTown Community Choir of Chesapeake; and The Dynamic Tones of Portsmouth.

For more information call Arlethia Ward, 925-0095, or Steven Edwards, 539-0130.

Virginia-Carolina Temple

Virginia-Carolina Temple Family Worship Center, 5500 Carolina Road, will begin celebrating Men’s Week with an 8 p.m. service tonight featuring speaker Elder Charlie Wiggins.

Elder George A. Wiggins will speak at 8 p.m. Thursday and Elder Bernell Sherrod at 11:30 a.m. Sunday. Call 934-1103 for information.

St. Mary’s anniversary

St. Mary Church of God in Christ will celebrate its 51st anniversary in September. Guest speaker tonight is the Rev. Ronnie Boone, Missouri Baptist Church. Call 538-0155 for information.

Hurricane

relief program

The East Suffolk Complex, 134 S. Sixth Street, Suffolk, is hosting a Hurricane Katrina relief program Friday at 7 p.m.

The program will take donations for the American Red Cross, to then help survivors in Mississippi and New Orleans.

Entertainment includes choirs, praise dances and celebrating a good time in the Lord.

Gethsemane

Baptist play

The pastor’s aide of Gethsemane Baptist Church, 1656 Copeland Road, is presenting a play, &uot;Glory Train,&uot; at 4 p.m. Sunday. The play was written and directed by Mrs. Doria Mitchell.

Civil rights

leader to speak

The Rev. Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker, a former civil rights leader, will speak during the men’s day service at 11:30 a.m. Sunday at Corinth Chapel United Church of Christ. Walker, the former senior pastor and CEO of Canaan Baptist Church in Harlem, is an international human rights activist and author of 29 books.

Dr. Raymond Griffin, an associate dean at Virginia State University in Petersburg, will speak at the 3 p.m. service. Antioch United Church of Christ Male Chorus will deliver the music. Dinner will follow the service.

Wilroy Baptist concert

The gospel singing group, Chapter IV, is performing at Wilroy Baptist Church, 306 Williams Road, at 6 p.m. Sunday. A love offering will be taken and a nursery will be provided. Call 539-5658 for information.

Senior day at East End

East End Baptist Church, 423 E. Washington St., will celebrate Senior Adult Day at the 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. worship services on Sunday. Dr. Emmanuel L. McCall, vice president of the Baptist World Alliance, is guest pastor. Senior adults will lead the worship services and the Seniors in Praise Choir will provide music. Dr. mark A. Croston Dr. is pastor.

Hurricane relief concert

Live On Ministries is sponsoring a hurricane relief benefit concert and talent program at 5 p.m. Saturday at El Bethel Worship Center, 4324 Holland Road. The event is free and open to the public. Anyone interested in performing or volunteering should call 923-3511.

Tabernacle Baptist’s anniversary

Tabernacle Baptist Outreach Church, 3621 Nansemond Parkway, is celebrating its 95th anniversary and the 19th anniversary of its pastor, the Rev. Nathaniel Scates, in October. The church will be joined by the Rev. James Williams and Sixth Street Baptist Church at 1:30 p.m. Sunday; Elder Dwight Nixon and St. Mary’s COGIC, 2:30 p.m. Oct. 9; and the Rev. James &uot;Plum&uot; Williams Jr.

and Poplar Run Baptist Church, 2:30 p.m. Oct. 16. There will be an anniversary dinner at 6 p.m. Oct. 22, followed by a special service at 2:30 p.m. Oct. 23 by the Rev. Nathaniel Scates Jr. and Gethsemane Baptist Church.

The church is kicking off its anniversary with a gospel concert at 6 p.m. Sunday. Performers include TBOC Mass Choir of Suffolk, The Hurdle Brothers of Portsmouth and the Rev. Roger Green and Renewed of Elizabeth City, N.C.

Shiloh Baptist Church

Shiloh Baptist Church, 9000 Fire Tower Road, Windsor is having its annual Deaconess Ministry service at 7 p.m. Saturday. The topic is &uot;The Four Season’s Spoken Word.&uot; Call 357-9723 for information.

West End lecture series

The Rev. Skip Irby, pastor of West End Baptist Church, will continue his series, &uot;Essentials for the Christian Journey,&uot; at 7 p.m. Oct. 6.

Dinner is at 6:15.

Community choir anniversary

The Saratoga Community Gospel Choir of Suffolk is celebrating its ninth anniversary at 6 p.m. Oct. 8 at Lakeview Missionary Baptist Church, 635 Brook Ave. The special guest will be the Zion Chapel Baptist Church No. 1 Musical Choir of Columbia, S.C.; Gregory Lawrence, Music Ministry Choir and Canaan Baptist Male Chorus; Brother Willie Barnes Jr., musician; Sister Alice Graves, president and evangelist; and Lenora Barnes, program committee.

Call 539-0749 for information.

For more information, call Martha Parker (923-4428), Vy Daugherty (539-5193), Edward T. Daniels (923-1744), or Sherry Rowe (925-0084).

Frequency 7:16

Frequency 7:16, a modern service, will be starting Sunday at Windsor Baptist Church, 4 Church Street, Windsor.

Worship will be led by recording artist, Beth Champion Mason.

Middle school, high school, college and career are invited for pizza at 6 p.m.

All ages are invited to worship at 7:16 p.m.

For more information, call the church at 242-6391.

Men’s Day Services

The men of New Calvary Baptist Church will celebrate their annual Men’s Day, at 11 a.m. Sunday. The speakers will be: Elder Wallace M. Johnson, pastor of Grace Apostolic Temple in Suffolk; Rev. Robert A. Wilkins, interim pastor; Deacon Leroy Andrews, program chairperson; Trustee Tracy Harvey, co-chairperson.

The public is invited.

For more information, call Andrews at 334-3031.

New Calvary Baptist

New Calvary Baptist Church, 220 N. Sixth St., will have a guest speaker, the Rev. Robert Hobbs of Metropolitan Baptist Church, at 11 a.m. Sunday for Men’s Day. Interim pastor is the Rev. Robert A. Wilkin.

Providence’s fall bazaar

Providence United Methodist Church, 3109 Providence road, is holding its fall bazaar from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 8. A lunch of homemade soup and ham biscuits will be available from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event will include holiday, bake and garden shops, crafts and a country store featuring cheese rounds and homemade sausage. Children’s activities will also be held. Call 539-6907 for information.

Women’s Day announcement

The women of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 142 Tynes Street, Suffolk, will be hosting Women’s Day on at 10:30 a.m. Oct. 9.

Speaker for the service will be Mrs. Ann Hill, a retired Suffolk educator.

The public is invited to join in this celebration.

Mrs. Deborah Austin is president of the Episcopal Church Women of St. Mark and Father Joseph Green is interim priest.

Lay Witness Today

Macedonia African Methodist Episcopal Church, 127 Pine Street, Suffolk, will observe its Lay Witness Sunday at 11 a.m. Oct. 10. worship service. Senator Yvonne Miller of Norfolk will be the guest speaker during the morning worship and Ms. Cynthia Green, a member of Oak Grove Baptist Church, will be the speaker at the afternoon service. Dinner will be served following the 11 a.m. service. The Rev. Charles L. Harvin Sr. is pastor.

For more information, call 539-9234.

Church visits jail

A group of men from United Full Gospel Revival Suffolk regularly visits male inmates at the Western Tidewater Regional Jail on Saturdays and Sundays. Anyone with an incarcerated friend or family member who may like a visit from these church volunteers can leave a message, including the man’s name, at 925-4805.

Pastor appreciation at New Mount Joy

The New Mount Joy Food for Living Ministry, 307 County St., is holding its 49th pastor appreciation services throughout the month. Various guest ministers and their local congregations will attend the church. For more information, check out the church’s Web site, www.nmjfflm.org or call the church’s administrative office at 539-2931.

Free food, clothing at Capernaum

Capernaum Seventh Day Adventist, 314 York St., as a Community Service Capernaum will prepare a free dinner every Wednesday night beginning from 4:30 to 6 p.m. On Fridays, there will be fresh fruit, vegetables and canned goods. Clothes are available on Sundays. Call 934-9814 for more information.

Oxford clothes closet available

As part of Oxford United Methodist’s church’s mission work in the city of Suffolk, the congregation is operating a clothes closet. Operation hours are from 9 a.m. to noon every Thursday. Hours will expand as the need grows and the closet becomes mores established. Oxford is partnering with other local churches to meet the growing need in Suffolk. Residents are asked to assist in the following areas: prayer, volunteering, and donations (pick-up is available). To assist, call 434-1405.