Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, February 17, 1994 TAG: 9402170317
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: S-7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BY FRANCES STEBBINS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
\ SOUTHERN BAPTISTS in the Roanoke Valley Association experienced a decrease in baptisms in 1993 as well as in Sunday school attendance, according to the association's annual report. Baptisms for 1993 totaled 544 compared to 644 the year before. The Sunday school attendance figures fell from 11,127 to 10,521.
Increases, however, were noted in other areas. Enrollment at mission Bible schools was up from 266 to 393 pupils. Overall giving also was up from $12.1 million to $12.4 million although less was designated for mission causes. The figures also reveal that the valley's Southern Baptist congregations have few ethnic minority members.
\ LUTHERAN COOPERATIVE MINISTRIES has elected the Rev. Kenneth Lane of Trinity Church as its president and Corinne Gott of Christ Church as vice president. Lynda McConnell was named secretary, and Dick Toggweiler was named treasurer. They are members of St. John Church.
\ WOMEN'S AGLOW day chapter will discuss "Marriage and Relationships" when it meets Wednesday. Call Vickie Reed at 344-3553 for the time and meeting place. The organization is for Christian women of charismatic preference. A nursery will be available.
\ CAVE SPRING BAPTIST CHURCH has chosen Thomas E. Nidiffer as its next minister of music. Nidiffer, 30, has come from a four-year stay at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Shepherdsville, Ky.
Nidiffer, a native of Florida and his wife, Mary Jo, have one son. Both Nidiffers are music graduates of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. He also is a graduate of Old Dominion University and worked on the staff of churches in Grafton, Hampton and Norfolk before going to Kentucky. He will begin his work at Cave Spring on March 2.
\ TWO NEW CLASSES FOR ADULTS will begin Sunday at Raleigh Court United Methodist Church, 1706 Grandin Road S.W. "Breaking the Code: Understanding the Book of Revelation" and "Near the Cross" will be in session from 9:40 to 10:40 a.m. Call 344-6011 for more information.
\ UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH OF ROANOKE, 2015 Grandin Road S.W., is continuing a series of videos to interpret the experience of being homosexual through March 27. Sunday's film is "Word Is Out: Stories of Some of Our Lives."
The films are shown at 12:30 p.m. and are documentary in style. They are part of a program the church has adopted to make itself open to adults of any sexual preference.
\ THE REV. EDWARD TAYLOR, a retired pastor, will continue to serve until June at South Roanoke United Methodist Church. A new pastor will be appointed then to succeed the Rev. James Hain who has been on leave for several months and has requested reappointment.
\ COLONIAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 3550 Poplar Drive S.W., will begin a Lenten study, `From Palm Sunday to Easter," on Tuesday. Led by the Rev. Michael Nevling, pastor, it will highlight people close to Christ in Holy Week.
\ FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH, (DISCIPLES OF CHRIST) 344 Church Ave. S.W., will begin a five-week Lenten study "The Power and Light Company: Experiencing Ephesians," on Sunday. It will be in session each Sunday night at 7. A $4.95 book will be used for the course. Call 342-5144 to register.
\ CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, 1101 Franklin Road S.W., is offering two Wednesday Lenten studies starting next week. "Seasons of Faith" will be in session from 10:30 a.m. to noon and is followed by bag lunch. The same course will be offered at 6:45 p.m. after supper at 6. In addition, the Rev. Leo Howard, director of the Roanoke Valley Pastoral Counseling Center, will teach a class "Facing the Joys and Frustrations of Parenthood" at 6:45 p.m. SIX RALEIGH COURT COMMUNITY CHURCHES will hold a Good Friday service on April 1 at noon at Westhampton Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Grandin and Carlton roads Southwest. The Rev. James Drinard Smith of St. Elizabeth's Episcopal Church will preach.
Other parishes participating are Christ Lutheran, Raleigh Court United Methodist, Raleigh Court Presbyterian and Virginia Heights Baptist.
An offering will be taken for the Institutional Chaplaincy program and Roanoke Area Ministries. An optional lunch will be held after the 40-minute service.
Deadline for religion briefs for Neighbors is Thursday. Material must be delivered to Neighbors Religion Briefs, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke 24010, by noon in order to run in the following Thursday edition.
by CNB