Saturday, October 25, 1997

Check those clocks or be early to church

By JAN WOODWARD

staff writer

Be sure to turn your clocks back an hour tonight before going to bed or you will find yourself arriving early to church.

This is the week that the Daylight Savings Time ends and Central Standard Time begins again. The change is effective at 2 a.m. Sunday.

GOSPEL MEETING

North Park Church of Christ, 2958 Grape, will host a gospel meeting Sunday through Wednesday with Stan Cox of Fort Worth as guest preacher.

Sunday activities include Bible classes at 9:30 a.m. and worship at 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. at the church. A potluck luncheon will be served st noon at the Rose Park Senior Citizens building.

Weekday services will be at 7:30 p.m. For more information, call the church at 677-6934.

Cox, a native of Odessa, has been minister at West Side Church of Christ in Fort Worth for eight years.

SHILOH 57TH ANNIVERSARY

Shiloh Baptist Church, 135 Shelton, will celebrate its 57th anniversary at 3 p.m. Sunday.

The celebration will begin at the 11 a.m. praise and worship service. The actual anniversary service will begin at 3 p.m. It will feature gospel music by several local choirs and preaching by the Rev. A.L. Penns, pastor of Valley View Baptist Church in Abilene.

Pastor Will Logan Jr. of Shiloh said this is the church's biggest annual celebration and it promises to be a tremendous time of true worship, praise nd thanksgiving.

A dinner will be served following the 3 p.m. service.

EPISCOPAL SERVICES

All services at both Episcopal churches Sunday will be Morning Prayer rather than the Holy Eucharist.

Clergy from both churches, Heavenly Rest at 602 Meander and St. Mark's at 3150 Vogel, will be at the annual convention of the Northwest Texas Diocese in Midland.

Services at Heavenly Rest will be at 8 and 10:30 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. Worship at St. Mark's is at 10:30 a.m.

Delegates from both churches and Episcopal churches in Coleman, Sweetwater, Big Spring and Colorado City will attend the convention. The Rt. Rev. Sam B. Hulsey, who has been bishop of the diocese, since 1980, will pass the bishop's crosier to Bishop Coadjutor Wallis Ohl, who will become diocesan bishop in January.

Also at the convention, Dr. Carole Worthing, executive director of the Texas Conference of Churches, will preach on "God Will Lighten Our Darkness."

CROSSTOWN RENEWAL SERVICES

Two Baptist churches will celebrate Crosstown Renewal services Sunday through Wednesday by having joint worship sessions each evening.

Sunday and Monday services will be at Immanuel Baptist Church, 1241 Cypress and on Tuesday and Wednesday, services will be at Elmwood Baptist, 2933 S. 7th.

Services begin at 6 p.m. Sunday and at 7 on the weeknights.

Evangelist Truman Turk, director of missions for the Abilene Baptist Association will speak and Fred McNab, minister of music at Pioneer Drive Baptist Church will bring special music.

EPWORTH FESTIVAL, REVIVAL

An October Fest will be held at Epworth United Methodist Church, 1102 N. Willis, from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. today, and a three-day revival will begin Sunday.

Crafts, food, and games will be featured at the festival. Baked goods will be for sale to take home. Also, lunch will be available with corn dogs, hot dogs, beans and cornbread.

Three members of Epworth who attended a Lay Witness Renewal at the church back in the '60s and felt a call to the ministry will be back to lead the revival. Services are at 6:30 p.m. Sunday through Tuesday.

Sunday's speaker will be the Rev. Bill Perkins, pastor of First UMC in Tye. On Monday, the Rev. Loren Gardner of Anson will speak. Tuesday's speaker will be the Rev. John Woody, pastor of a church in Houston.

On Monday at 8 p.m., everyone is invited to go to T. Cooper's Cafe and Coffee in River Oaks Village after the service. The restaurant will be open that evening to the Epworth group only.

PRESBYTERIAN FESTIVAL AND CLASSES

Sunday evening from 6-7:30 p.m. First Central Presbyterian Church, 400 Orange, will host a Fall Carnival for children ages three through fifth grade. Games, prizes, refreshments and fellowship will be featured in the Fellowship Hall.

The church will also offer adult classes from 6:30-7:30 on Wednesday nights through Nov. 19. Scott Simpson, associate pastor, will lead a class in the study of the Reformation. Each week a different Reformation figure will be featured through a 30-minute video, followed by discussion.

Dr. Clifford Stewart, senior pastor, will lead a discussion following a taped lecture by renowned middle eastern biblical scholar, Ken Bailey, entitled "A Clear View of Jesus' Birth."

Panic-free Parenting will be led by Director of Christian Education, Janice Six. The focus of this course will be on the importance of our faith in our role as parents.

Call 677-3501 for more information.

LUTHERAN OCTOBER FEST

An October Fest will be held from 7-10 tonight at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1202 S. Pioneer.

Admission is one canned good per person. Everyone is invited to come in costume and bring a snack.

The festival will feature music, dancing, games, face painting, prizes and surprises.

FRIENDSHIP DAY

Broadview Baptist Church members will extend the hand of friendship in a Sunday morning service at Abilene Civic Center.

Each member is asked to bring a friend who's not a member of the church to the 10:30 a.m. Friend Day service. Refreshments will be served from 9:30 to about 10:15.

The Rev. David Cason, pastor, will deliver the sermon, and Broadview music minister Jim Holcomb will lead the singing.

SOUTHWEST PARK FESTIVAL

Fun, games, candy and lots of food will be served up at the annual Fall Festival at Southwest Park Baptist Church Family Center, 2901 S. 20th, Saturday, Nov. 1.

Hours will be 5-8 p.m. Entrance fee is one bag of candy per family. The festival will feature cake walks, bowling for candy, shoot the flame and other games designed for children in fifth grade and lower.

A costume contest will divide children into two divisions, pre-school and grade school

ONE MORE THAN EVER BEFORE

"One More Than Ever Before" will be the theme of high attendance day in Sunday School at Calvary Baptist Church on Sunday. A potluck dinner will follow the morning worship. New members who have joined since Jan. 1 will be special guests. The church is located at 1165 Minter Lane.

BRING A FRIEND

First Christian Church, 1420 N. 3rd, has set Sunday for "Bring a Friend Sunday." Members are encouraged to invite a friend or family member to attend worship services followed by a complimentary luncheon. Morning worship is at 10:45 a.m. Call 677-2186 for reservations.

The church has scheduled a Fall Festival beginning at 5 p.m. today. Costumes are encouraged. Games, a hayride and a covered dish dinner will be featured.

FALL FUN

Beltway Park Baptist Church, 4009 Beltway South, will have its annual Wild and Crazy Scavenger Hunt for first- through sixth-graders at 6 p.m. Sunday in the Fellowship Hall. Preschoolers will have a cake walk and games planned for them.

HIGH ATTENDANCE DAY

Crescent Heights Baptist Church will celebrate "Great Day in the Morning," high attendance day for Sunday School on Sunday. A free pancake breakfast will be served by the youth at 8:15 a.m. (donations will be accepted). Members are encouraged to invite their friends to Sunday School classes. The church is located at 1902 N. Mockingbird.

CHILDREN'S HALLOWEEN FELLOWSHIP

St. Paul United Methodist Church, N. 5th and Beech, will have a children's Halloween fellowship from 2-4 p.m. Sunday for first through fifth-graders. Included will be Halloween games, hikes, food and fellowship.

ALL CHURCH HAYRIDE

Belmont Baptist Church, 2117 Palm, will host an all-church hayride at 6 tonight, forming at the church. Guests are asked to bring a can of vegetables for the "Hobo Stew" and drinks for their family.

CAFE DE MUSICA II

Aldersgate United Methodist Church, 1741 Sayles, will present Cafe de Musica II at 6 p.m. Sunday at the church. This fund-raiser dinner will benefit the grand piano fund.

A gourmet meal of Mediterranean chicken pasta will be served and musical entertainment will be presented by choir members. Vocal Point, the McMurry University Show Choir, will perform following dinner. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children.

ALL FAMILY FESTIVAL

St. James United Methodist Church, 3100 Barrow, will sponsor a Fall Family Festival from 5-9 p.m. today in the Fellowship Hall. Included will be apple bobbing, a cake walk, bingo, candy apples and popcorn.

FORMER PRIEST DIES

The Rev. Herman Valladares, who pastored St. Vincent Pallotti Catholic Church from 1970-81, has died at age 72 in Leon, Spain, of an apparent heart attack.

He came to the Abilene parish after serving Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Snyder from 1965-70.

Born in Leon, where he returned upon retiring, Valladares was cited frequently in the Abilene Reporter-News for his views on Mexican-American issues. He was a former member of the Abilene Housing Authority.

He retired after the Abilene parish built a new church building.

Valladares had planned to come to the U.S. next summer to celebrate his 50th year in the priesthood.

MISSION CHURCH MOVING

bilene Mission Church will meet at Word of Emmanuel Church, 3001 N. 3rd, for the next two months, beginning Sunday.

Services will be at 6 p.m., said the Rev. Yancy Smith, pastor. The church has been meeting at the Civic Center.

Also the church's cell groups, made up of about 20 people each, will meet in homes during the week.

Smith said that at the end of a two-month period, the church "will emerge with a new name" and a meeting place will be announced. However, he said the church's main activity takes place in the cell groups that meet in homes.

"We think the corporate gathering of the church and the cell meetings of the church are two wings that allow the church to fly like it should," Smith said.

PROMISE KEEPERS

Abilene will have a number of representatives at the Promise Keepers rally in Texas Stadium today.

The event actually began Friday night and continues from 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m. today. The Dallas rally culminates the 23 conferences and rallies held around the nation this year.

A group of 29 men chartered a bus from Wylie Baptist Church and many others in town were expected to make the trip. More than 300 from the Big Country attended the "Stand in the Gap Rally" in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 4.

Today's rally will not be broadcast locally, a spokesman for KGNZ radio station said. However, anyone interested in checking on the rally can call (800) 888-7595 or check out the Promise Keepers website at www.promisekeepers.org.

RUSSIAN PRIEST AT ALDERSGATE

The Rev. Sergey Bezchansy, a priest in the Russian Orthodox Church for the past seven years, will be in Abilene today and Sunday to speak at the annual missions conference being hosted by Aldersgate United Methodist Church.

The celebration begins with a reception from 7-8:30 tonight at the church for Bezchansy and his family.

On Sunday Bezchansy will preach in the worship services and will meet with children during the Sunday School hour.

Bezchansy, 35, was born in the Ukraine. He and his wife have seven children, four of whom were adopted from an orphanage.

Bezchansy is a graduate of the Russian Orthodox Seminary. He is the founder and director of Dar-Gift, a nonprofit organization focused on the needs of children in Russian orphanages.