Religion briefs

Youth Day celebration set for Aug. 19
Holy Covenant United Holy Church, 237Snowfield Road SE in Leland (Snowfield Community), will observe its annual Youth Day celebration at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 19. The Rev. Rodnisha Gore of Fayetteville, formerly of Longwood, will be the guest speaker for this service.
For more information, call (910) 231-3170.
Raleigh Ringers to perform at Seaside UMC
The Raleigh Ringers, a world-renowned handbell choir, is scheduled to perform in concert at 7 p.m. Aug. 27 at Seaside UMC in Sunset Beach.
Under the direction of David Harris, the Raleigh Ringers have performed in 44 states, as well as France. They have recorded several CDs and a DVD.
The group of musicians began in 1990 with 15 people that perform on the largest collection of handbells and bell-like instruments in the world. Their bell and percussion pieces total 337, including a set of bells covering 27 octaves.
According to David Davidson, director of the Dallas Symphony Chorus, “The Raleigh Ringers combine a zeal for musical expression with sensitivity to not only the entertainment, but also to the edification of the audience.”
Admission to the concert is $15. Tickets may be purchased in advance from the Seaside UMC office by calling 579-5753 or online at www.seasideumc.org.
New Britton Baptist
to celebrate 200 years
New Britton Baptist Church, 5494 Kingtown Road NW in Ash, will celebrate its 200th anniversary, history and history of the founders of the church on Saturday, Aug. 25.
Anyone having family history of the church or old items is welcome to display these items on Aug. 25.
There will be a dedication service on Sunday, Aug. 26.
This is a two-day affair and everyone is invited to join in this celebration and dedication service.
Gospel sing is
Aug. 10 in Southport
Enjoy gospel singing at Southport Senior Center, 1513 N. Howe St. in Southport, from 6-8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 10. Come out and hear some good old fashioned Southern gospel music.
Ministry to address substance abuse
Building Hope Ministries will host a booth and provide information about substance abuse from 3-7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 25, at Breath of Life Ministries, 8148 Ocean Highway West in Sunset Beach.
Ministries will partner together to help get parents and kids ready for the new school year. Together, the ministries will also collect and distribute school supplies to area kids. There will be various praise and worship groups, free food, free clothing, games, free school supplies and lots of fun for the entire family.
This year, they are also gearing up for the annual “Soar back-to-school” event, with a twist.
“As the children go back to school to learn academics, we want them to go back with every opportunity to succeed. We want them to return to school inform, equipped, safe and encourage them to stay drug free,” said Donna Phelps of Building Hope Ministries.
In observance of Recovery Month, which takes place each September, Building Hope Ministries will distribute drug awareness information at the back-to-school event.
Each September, and throughout the year, Recovery Month encourages communities nationwide to spread the message that prevention works, treatment is effective and people can recover from mental and/or substance abuse disorders.
Building Hope Ministries felt the need to inform young people about the dangers of drugs, the consequences of using and to challenge youth to make wise choices concerning the drugs they come into contact with during the school year.
“Youth are starting to experiment with drugs at a younger and younger age. Our prison ministry and street-teams see firsthand the consequences of bad choices; therefore, we want to reach the youths before the drugs and violence do,” Phelps said. “My hope is that through sharing this information at the back-to-school event, that people will recognize that while the road to recovery may be difficult, the benefits of preventing and overcoming substance abuse are significant and valuable.
“As you know, substance abuse not only affects those who are suffering, but also their families, friends, youths, the schools and the larger community. I do believe many are struggling with these issues in their families and have no idea where to turn. This underscores how crucial it is to provide access to prevention, treatment, and recovery support services, especially to our youths.”
Building Hope Ministries and Breath of Life Ministries welcomes other agencies, churches and organizations to participate via of distributing needed items for the upcoming school year, donating and distributing school supplies, music, games or other entertainment for the day.
The ministries want this to be an evening of drawing the community together, for meeting some new friends, and help local families during these hard economical times.