North Bedford will have Homecoming on September 11, celebrating the church's 125th anniversary. Members of the church will present a pageant portraying the organizational meeting at Ivy Chapel Union Church in November 1880. The cast (and others who desire to) will be dressed in period clothing. Rev. Charles L. Stinson, who is completing his 35th year with the church, will be speaking. (Rev Stinson will retire as pastor of the church on December 31, 2005.) Everyone is invited to bring a covered dish and share with us in this special event.

On Saturday, November 5, 7 p.m., Norwood will host a Bluegrass Gospel event with New Vision, featuring Mark Templeton.

Quaker will have revival services October 2-5. Rev. Don Matthews, Church Enrichment Missionary with the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia, will be the evangelist.

Following are excerpts from a letter the association office received along with a check from River Rock:

Enclosed you will find our six-month tithe check for $2,202 as our investment in missions. As you all have blessed us as a church plant, it is our desire to return a portion of what God has blessed us so richly with to our church sponsor….

We are blessed each week in the ministry of the Word through Pastor Marc Jantomaso and our music director Mary Beth Pemberton…. We have a picnic each month…. Last month the fathers built bird houses with their children; it was a festive time despite the rain. Each month the men gather for dinner and specific teaching from the Word on being fathers and husbands in the community of faith. We had an outreach this spring during Wyndfest, a community event of the Wyndhurst Community. We've celebrated two different baptisms, a couple of weddings, and grown both in the Lord and in number.

Suck Spring will have homecoming, celebrating their 200th anniversary, on October 16. Pastor Jerry Parr will preach the morning message. Music will be provided by the Praise Team, the Choir, and other members and former members. Unique history events and photo presentations will be featured. A covered dish lunch will be enjoyed following the 11 a.m. service.

Don Shire, internationally known trumpeter and recording artist, will be in concert at Suck Spring on Thursday, September 15, at 7 p.m. He appears on Christian television and radio and is regarded by many as one of the finest Christian trumpet players in the U.S. We invite you to share in these two events.

Thaxton will host "A Lasting Promise" marriage workshop on Friday, September 9, 2005, 6:30-9:00 p.m., and Saturday, September 10, 2005, 8:30 a.m., to 4:30 p.m. (lunch included). For more information, see the flyer that was included in each church's September newsletter packet.

On August 7, 2005, Ferrell Higginbotham was ordained a deacon at Walnut Grove. Emmett Lawrence presented him a certificate of ordination and also spoke of the work Ferrell does for the church. He has been teacher of the men's Sunday School class for some years. Those taking part in the service were the pastor, Rev. Harold Lewis; deacons, Jimmy Harris, Emmett Lawrence, and Jeffrey Goad; trustees of the Methodist Church; Rev. Calvin Shepherd; and members of both the Baptist and Methodist congregations.