The Rev. S. Allison Baker will be guest preacher at Greater First Baptist Church at 11 a.m. Oct. 9. He will be accompanied by his choir from Zion Chapel Baptist Church No. 1, Columbia, S.C. Henry Baker, senior pastor, would like to meet with the men of the church after benediction.

New Grace’s anniversary

Elder Joseph Johnson of Gethsemane United Pentecostal Church of Chesapeake will be guest speaker at New Grace Community Church, 1753 Bridge Road, at 3 p.m. Oct. 9. Call 934-1618 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. tonight.

Dinner is at 6:15.

Faith of Deliverance

Faith of Deliverance Church Soul Saving Ministries, 239 Holladay St., is hosting its women’s conference at 7:30 p.m. nightly through Oct. 8. Speakers include Sister Tammy Woodfrey, of Oak Grove Baptist Church, on Thursday; Minister Dorothy Armstrong, New Paul’s Temple Holiness Church, Friday; and Evangelist Watina Goodman, Faith of Deliverance, on Saturday. The church’s regular weekly services include Sunday school at 10 a.m., Sunday evening service at 6 p.m.; and Wednesday prayer and Bible class at 7:30 p.m. For information, call 539-9355.

Bethlehem Christian homecoming

Bethlehem Christian Church, 312 Bute St., is holding a revival services at 7 p.m. nightly through Oct. 7. Guest preachers include Pastor Lemuel Greene, New First Baptist Church, tonight; Pastor Shelton Smith, Mount Moriah UCC, Waverly, Wednesday; Pastor Ronnie Boone, Missouri Baptist Church, Thursday;

and Pastor Thomas Harden Jr., St Timothy Baptist Church, Friday. Host pastor is the Rev. Emanuel E. Myrick Jr.

Prayer Mission’s revival

Prayer Mission Baptist Church, 20505 Lankford Lane, Smithfield is having a revival through Oct. 7, with services beginning at 7:30 p.m. nightly. Call 357-5734 for information.

King’s Grove service

King’s Grove Pentecostal Holiness Church, 6300 Old Myrtle Road, will hold its Women’s Day service at 11:30 a.m. Oct. 9. The Rev. Dr. Rose M. Cooper, associate pastor of Tabernacle Christian Church, will speak. Bishop John H. Kindred is pastor. Call 538-1168 for information.

Mt. Olive appreciation

Mt. Olive Holiness Church, 427 Webb St., will have an appreciation service for its pastor, Bishop Willie Giles Jr., at 4:30 p.m. Oct. 23. Elder Fletcher Reid of Upper Room Holiness Church will speak.

First Baptist revival

First Baptist Church, 112 Mahan St., will hold its annual fall revival Oct. 10-12. Prayer and praise services begin nightly at 7 p.m., with revival

services beginning at 7:30 p.m. The guest revivalist will be the Rev. Dr. Wesley K. McLaughlin, pastor of Mount Olivet Baptist Church, Petersburg.

Virginia-Carolina Temple

Virginia-Carolina Temple Family Worship Center will celebrate Women’s Day at 11:30 a.m. Oct. 9 with Evangelist Annie Wiggins, New Mt. Joy Food for Living Ministry, and at 3:30 p.m. with Missionary Valencia Austin, Greater New Hope, as speakers.

The theme is &uot;Women of Excellence with a Mind to Work.&uot; Church missionaries will compete in a &uot;Women of Excellence&uot; pageant.

St. Mary’s fall festival

St. Mary’s Church of God in Christ, 3637 Nansemond Parkway, is having its community fall festival from 1 to 5 p.m. Oct. 29. The event will feature hayrides, pony rides, clowns and other activities.

Also, Michael Gray, Apex Financial Group, is conducting a financial seminar at 9 a.m. Oct. 8. The community is invited. Call 538-0155 for information.

New Mt. Zion events

New Mt. Zion Holiness Church, 2113 Georgia Ave., will host its 13th annual pastor anniversary banquet for Bishop Everlena Riddick at 6 p.m. Saturday. The event will be held at the East Suffolk Community Center, 134 S. Sixth St.

Sunday school will be held at 10 a.m., followed by worship at 11:30 a.m. Sunday. Elder Leroy Malette will be the guest speaker. Prayer service and Bible study is being held at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 12.

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 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.

Saint Mary’s service

Saint Mary Church of God in Christ, 3627 Nansemond Parkway, is having a Pack a Pew service at 11 a.m. Oct. 9. Call 538-0155 for information. Pastor is Dwight A. Nixon.

Metropolitan Baptist’s session

The Mission Emphasis Session 2005 is being held at Metropolitan Baptist Church, 125 County St., from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 8. Speaker is Sister Deborah Williams. A continental breakfast and lunch will be served. Call 539-2696 for information. Pastor is Dr. R.L. Hobbs.

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.

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 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 St., 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.

Word for Living anniversary

Word for Living will celebrate the 13th anniversary of its senior pastor, Bishop Fred Scott, through Oct. 9. Guests include Bishop W.P. Wiggins, Pastor Laquita Hunter, Elder Darryl Artis, Pastor Virginia Harris and Walnut Grove Baptist Church, Windsor. Community Night is Oct. 5.

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.

Higher Calling Ministries

Higher Calling Ministries, 1600 Kings Fork Road, is holding a benefit concert at 6 p.m. Oct. 22 for donations of money and non-perishable items/food for our first annual &uot;Day of Caring and Sharing Thanksgiving Dinner.&uot; The event will feature singing from local quartets, praise dancers and more. Call Sister Monica Whitney at 556-1497 for information.

Yard sale

God’s Anointed Touch Ministries is holding a yard sale to raise money for Hurricane Katrina victims at the Windsor School of Dance, 70 E. Windsor Blvd. at 8 a.m. Oct. 22. Call 242-4151 for information.

Great First Baptist shopping trip

The Youth Ministry of Greater First Baptist Church, 600 Factory St. is sponsoring a shopping trip to Rehoboth, Del., on Nov. 26. Cost is $40, with a non-refundable deposit of $20 due by Oct. 31. The bus will leave the church at 6 a.m. and Victory Crossing Shopping Center, Portsmouth at 6:30 a.m. Nov. 26. For information, call the church at 539-0032.