Meetings

The annual Associational Fall WMU Leadership Conference will be held Saturday, Sept. 6, at Calvary Baptist Church, 292 Cherokee Ave. The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. with a short business session. Conferences for each age level will begin at 9:30 and conclude at 11:30. Lunch will be served at 11:30.

Holiday closings

The Cherokee County Public Library in Gaffney and the Blacksburg branch will be closed on Monday, Sept. 1. Regular hours will resume Tuesday, Sept. 2.

The City of Gaffney Sanitation Department will observe Monday, Sept. 1, as a holiday. Monday's route will be picked up on Wednesday, Sept. 3. Carts should be out on the curbside by 7 a.m. that day.

Church news

Park Hills Baptist Church youths will have a car wash on Saturday, Aug. 30, at O'Reilly Auto Parts, 630 W. Floyd Baker Blvd., from 9 a.m. until noon. All donations will be accepted and all money raised will help pay for a youth trip to Gatlinburg, Tenn., to attend a Hearts of Fire conference.

The Voice of Triumph Worship Center, 179 Corry Road, Blacksburg, will have a gospel singing Aug. 31 at 10:30 a.m. featuring "Journey of Faith" of Landrum. Dinner will follow in the dining room. There is no charge but a free will offering will be taken.

There will be a fifth Sunday night singing at Goucher Baptist Church on Aug. 31 at 6:30 p.m. A mini-concert will also be presented by Linda Moore (organist) and Sandra Price (pianist). The two have been the church's musicians for over 20 years and are extremely gifted and talented.

New Pleasant Baptist Church, 242 New Pleasant Road, will have a Labor Day celebration for all ages Aug. 31 beginning at 5 p.m. There will be a slide, bounce house, obstacle course, free food and games. Gospel music will be provided by The Hardin Family.

Pacolet Road Baptist Church will have Youth Day on Aug. 31. The youths will be teaching Sunday School, directoring and singing in the choir, preaching and all of the morning service activities. Sunday School begins at 10 a.m., followed by morning worship at 11. Evening services begin at 6 p.m. Ray Mullinax is the youth minister.

Bethany Baptist Church will hold its fifth Sunday singing Aug. 31 during the 11 a.m. worship hour. The children's choir as well as individuals and ensembles will bring special music. There will also be congregational singing for everyone to enjoy. A community wide fellowship will be held that evening at 6. Finger foods and desserts will be served. Everyone is invited to come help say goodbye to the church's pianist, Susan Harris. She will be leaving to support her husband in his ministry as a part-time music minister in Spartanburg. Bethany is located at 215 Wilkinsville Hwy For more information, contact the Rev. Roger W. Ham, pastor, at 488-5553.

Annual Woman's Day services will be held Sunday, Aug. 31, during the 10:30 a.m. worship services at Bethel Baptist Church. Women will be in charge of the pulpit services and music will be provided by the women's choir. Guest speaker will be Betty Dawkins Pyles, daughter of Deacon and Mrs. Conell Dawkins. The service will end with the crowning of Ms. Bethel 2008. Vying for the title are Italia Rankin and Malisha Smith.

The Women's Ministry of Bethel Baptist Church will have its 11th annual women's breakfast conference Saturday, Aug. 30, in the church dining hall. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. The conference is for women ages 13 and up. The theme will be "A Woman After God's Own Heart." Speakers will be Minister Dedra Jefferies of Indian Hill Baptist Church; Minister Wyonia McKissick of Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, Spartanburg; Minister Shirley Bonner of New Emmanuel Hope Baptist Church, Jonesville; Minister Juanita Dewberry of Bethel Baptist Church; and Tonya Smith, wife of the Rev. Darrell Smith of Mt. Tabor Baptist Church. Cost of the conference is $10 for women and $5 for youths 17 and under.

Blacksburg area churches will once again sponsor their annual Back To School Prayer and Praise Rally. First Baptist Church of Blacksburg will host the event Sunday, Aug. 31, at 6 p.m. All parents, students, administrators and guests are invited to come and lift area schools up in prayer. A love offering will be collected for Iron City Ministries during the service.

Fund raiser

A baby contest dinner, sponsored by Jaylah Blocker, daughter of John Blocker III and Regina Littlejohn, and Gowdyesville Baptist Church, will be held Sunday, Aug. 31, from 12-4 p.m. at the VFW (old hut) on South Granard Street from noon until 4 p.m.

Red Cross classes

The Cherokee County American Red Cross will have a baby-sitter certification course on Saturday, Sept. 13, from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. and Monday, Oct. 13, from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Participants can choose which date they wish to attend. The sixhour certification class includes hands-on activities, decision-making skills, first aid and basic care skills. The cost is $35 and includes a babysitter's handbooks. All classes will be at the ARC Service Center, 405 N. Logan St. Pre-registration and pre-payment is required. To register, call 864-489-6066 or visit the ARC office during regular hours, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m.

The Cherokee County American Red Cross Service Center will conduct adult CPR and standard first aid classes on Monday, Sept. 8, from 6-10 p.m. and infant and child CPR classes on Tuesday, Sept. 9, from 6-10 p.m. One hundred percent of the course fees go to support disaster services in Cherokee County. Pre-registration and pre-payment is required. To register, call 864-489-6066 or visit the ARC office.