Church calendar

Church announcements are published each Friday in the Athens Banner-Herald as a free public service. Deadline for submissions is noon on the Tuesday prior to the Friday of publishing. Announcements may be sent via e-mail to news@onlineathens.com. No announcements will be accepted by telephone. Announcements must include contact name, phone number and the address of the church or sponsoring organization or event location.

UPCOMING EVENTS

New Year's Holy Ghost Party

A New Year's Eve celebration service will be held at 8 p.m. Dec. 31 at The Pope Center, 48 Lexington Road in Washington. The service will feature praise and worship, various gospel groups, special performances, free food, fellowship, fun, dancing, inspirational messages from Pastor A.J. Richardson and Pastor Janice Town and more. Free and open to the public. Transportation available. For transportation, call the van ministry in the Clarke/Oglethorpe area, (706) 990-9063 or in the Wilkes County area, (706) 990-9064. For more information, call (706) 990-9062 or (706) 274-3742.

New Bethlehem Baptist

CARLTON - New Bethlehem Baptist Church, 1108 Lexington-Carlton Road. Watch night service at 10 p.m. Dec. 31. Minister James Ricardo Smith will deliver the message. (706) 743-3824.

Hill Chapel Baptist

Hill Chapel Baptist Church, 1692 W. Hancock Ave. Watch night service at 10 p.m. Dec. 31. (706) 543-1377 or www.hillchapelathens.com.

Hillsboro Baptist

NORTH HIGH SHOALS - Hillsboro Baptist Church, Hillsboro Church Road. Watch night service at 10 p.m. Dec. 31. The Rev. D.T. Jackson will deliver the message followed by breakfast. (706) 769-8594.

White Plains Baptist

JEFFERSON - White Plains Baptist Church, 3650 Hwy. 124 West, will host the Bridgeman's and The Chestatee River Quartet for a New Year's Eve singing at 9 p.m. Dec. 31. Breakfast will be served after the singing. (706) 658-6545.

Whitehall Baptist

Whitehall Baptist Church, 392 East Whitehall Road, will have a watch night service at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 31 with singing from The Gipson Family. Other groups also will sing. Refreshments will be served halfway through the service and the service will end with prayer around the alter at midnight. (706) 543-0719.

St. John Fire Baptized Holiness Church

St. John Fire Baptized Holiness Church, 198 N. Rocksprings St. Watch night service at 10 p.m. Dec. 31. The Rev. Clifton Hall Sr. will deliver the message. (706) 543-2825 or (706) 353-0563.

Shiloh Baptist

Shiloh Baptist Church, 100 Beaver Dam Road. Watch night service at 10 p.m. Dec. 31. The Rev. Dwayne Crawford will be the guest speaker. Open to the public. (706) 549-9166.

Gordon's Chapel UMC

HULL - Gordon's Chapel UMC, 6655 Nowhere Road. Contemporary worship at 8:30 a.m. Sundays followed by a continental breakfast at 9:30 a.m. Sunday school at 10 a.m. followed by worship at 11 a.m. Chicken mull from 5-7 p.m. Jan. 8 at the Sanford Community Center. $7 to eat-in or for one quart to-go. Bake sale items also will be available for purchase. Proceeds will benefit the Gordon's Chapel United Methodist Youth Foundation. (706) 548-6616.

Forest Heights Baptist

Forest Heights Baptist Church, 1155 Oglethorpe Ave. Bible study at 9:45 a.m. Sundays followed by worship at 10:55 a.m. and 6 p.m. Prayer service at 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Dr. Grady McMurtry, of Creation Worldview Ministries, will lead a "Creation Conference" from Jan. 9-12 with a total of six presentations defending the biblical account of creation and challenging the theory of global warming. View the schedule for the conference on the website. (706) 543-2191 or www.forestheightsbaptist.org.

Grace Fellowship Church

BOGART - Grace Fellowship Church, 1120 Malcolm Bridge Road. A women's winter Bible study will begin Jan. 19. Studies offered include: Beth Moore's newly revised "David," the book "Radical" by David Platt and "Jonah" by Priscilla Shirer. Nursery provided upon reservation. (706) 769-4001 or e-mail mcahoon@graceathens.com.

CURRENT EVENTS

Ashford Memorial Methodist

WATKINSVILLE - Ashford Memorial Methodist Church, 1 S. Main St., will have a candlelight service at 5:30 tonight. www.ashfordmemorial.org or (706) 769-6928.

Bethlehem First UMC

BETHLEHEM - Bethlehem First UMC, 709 Christmas Ave., off Hwy. 11. Communion service at 8:30 a.m., contemporary celebration at 9:30 a.m. and traditional service at 11 a.m. Sunday. Sunday school at 9:30 a.m. and a Wednesday night meal and ministry at 5:45 p.m. A family Christmas Eve service will be held at 4:30 p.m. today. Candlelight Communion service at 7 tonight. (770) 867-3727 or www.bigwhitechurch.com.

Bread of Life Church

WINTERVILLE - Bread of Life Church, 302 Athens Road. Christmas Eve candlelight service from 6-7 tonight. Refreshments will follow. Open to the public. (706) 548-0640.

Caring for People Ministries

Caring for People Ministries now is accepting nonperishable food items and everyday living items for its 2011 community free day. Call to donate items. (706) 552-1470 or (706) 202-4805 or www.caringforpeopleministries.ning.com.

Ebenezer Baptist West

Ebenezer Baptist Church, West, 205 N. Chase St. Christmas Day service at 8 a.m. Saturday. Watch Night service at 10 p.m. Dec. 31. Open to the public. (706) 543-9644.

Food Distribution

"There's Hope for the Hungry" food ministry will distribute boxes of food to anyone in need from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday at Hull Baptist Church, off Hwy. 72 at 73 Charlie Bolton Road in Hull. (706) 548-1196.

Full Gospel Church of Comer

Full Gospel Church of Comer, 118 Vine St., will have a Christmas singing at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. (706) 783-5669.

Green Acres Baptist

Green Acres Baptist Church, 2085 Barnett Shoals Road. Christmas Eve service at 5 tonight. (706) 549-1925.

Life Church of Athens

Life Church of Athens will have a Christmas Eve service at 5 tonight at the Morton Theatre, 195 W. Washington St. www.lifechurchofathens.com or (706) 995-2227.

Mars Hill Baptist

WATKINSVILLE - Mars Hill Baptist Church, 2661 Mars Hill Road. Christmas Eve service at 6 tonight. A time of worship through the reading of the Christmas narrative, singing of music and carols, and a candlelight service around the Nativity scene. (706) 548-6962.

Neal's Grove Baptist

COMMERCE - Neal's Grove Baptist Church, 900 Sims Bridge Road. There will be a worship service at 9 a.m. Sunday. (706) 335-2106.

Oconee Heights Baptist

Oconee Heights Baptist Church, 4180 Jefferson Road. Christmas candlelight communion service at 5 tonight. No Sunday school this week. Worship service at 11 a.m. Sunday. All other church activities have been canceled for the week. (706) 548-4600.

Oconee Presbyterian

WATKINSVILLE - Oconee Presbyterian Church, 2601 Hog Mountain Road. Christmas Eve services will be held at 5 and 10 tonight. (706) 769-4514.

Princeton UMC

Princeton UMC, 2390 S. Lumpkin St. Sunday school at 10 a.m. and worship at 11 a.m. Sundays. Nursery provided. Wednesday Night Out will resume in January. Christmas Eve Holy Communion service at 12:30 p.m. today. Open to the public. (706) 353-1123.

St. James UMC

St. James UMC, 111 West Lake Drive. Christmas Eve services at 6 tonight with a family-friendly service in the church fellowship hall and a traditional service in the sanctuary. The two services will combine at the end for a candlelight singing of "Silent Night." www.sjumc.org or (706) 548-1680.

St. Joseph Catholic

St. Joseph Catholic Church, 134 Prince Ave. The Catholics Come Home program will continue through December and January. Catholics who have been away from the church are invited to come and be welcomed back. An eight session Catholics Come Home group will begin at 6 p.m. Jan. 10 at the church. (866) 496-6008 or (706) 548-6332.

St. Stephen's Anglican Catholic Church

St. Stephen's Anglican Catholic Church, 800 Timothy Road. Morning prayer at 8:30 a.m., quiet Holy Eucharist at 9 a.m. and Holy Eucharist with music at 11 a.m. Sundays. There is a service in Spanish at 2 p.m. Sundays. Christian education for all ages at 10 a.m. Sundays. Bible study at 6 p.m. Wednesdays. Christmas Eve service at 7:30 tonight with Christmas music at 8 p.m. and Sung Eucharist, sermon and Procession and Blessing of the Creche. Eucharist and sermon at 10 a.m. Saturday. St. Stephen's Day on Sunday with morning prayer at 8:30 a.m., Eucharist at 9 a.m. and a Sung Mass and sermon at 11 a.m. (706) 543-8657.

Trinity Lutheran Church

Trinity Lutheran Church, 2535 Jefferson Road. Sunday school at 9:45 a.m. Sunday. Worship services at 8:30 and 11 a.m. Sunday. Nursery provided. Christmas Eve candlelight service at 5 and 10 tonight. There will be a worship service at 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. There will be no Sunday school this week. (706) 5456-1280.

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Athens

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Athens, 780 Timothy Road. Edwin Dale will discuss "A Look Back, A Look Ahead" during the forum at 9:30 a.m. Sunday. Children's religious education classes and nursery during the 11 a.m. service. The 11 a.m. service will be led by Karen Solheim and is titled "Kwanzaa's Commonalities." A traditional carol singing, nativity readings and a candle lighting to usher in the magic of Christmas will be held at 6:30 tonight. (706) 546-7914 or www.uuathensga.org.

Unity Center for Spiritual Growth

Unity Center for Spiritual Growth, 1435 Oglethorpe Ave. The 9:30 a.m. adult study group is studying "Breathe softly, Dream large." Donation basis. Christmas Eve service at 7 tonight with a transdenominational service to include candle lighting, Christmas solos, carols and readings. The holiday message is titled "Allowing the Peace" with music by songwriter Mark Groves. "A Course in Miracles" at 2 p.m. Sunday. (706) 613-8050 or www.unityathens.com or (404) 899-8486.

Young Harris Memorial UMC

Young Harris Memorial UMC, 973 Prince Ave. Worship at 11 a.m. Sunday. Christmas Eve family service with Holy Communion and candlelight at 5:30 tonight. Peggy Bailey, harpist, will provide music at 5 p.m. (706) 543-2612.

ONGOING EVENTS

19th Annual Gift of Hope

The Ark United Ministry Outreach Center is asking the public to make donations to The Ark's "Gift of Hope," which will be used throughout the year to provide emergency assistance for rent, utilities, prescriptions and other basic life necessities to those in need in the community. Tax deductible donations can be mailed to: The Ark, 640A Barber St., Athens, GA 30601. (706) 548-8155.

A Place Called Love Family Church

A Place Called Love Family Church meets at 10:15 a.m. Sundays at Oconee Preschool Academy, 1890 Mars Hill Road, for adult Bible school and children's church. Worship at 11 a.m. Sundays. (706) 548-9777 or (70

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