Cinema
* Unity of Chattanooga, 603 Black St., will show the film "A Course in Miracles" as part of its Spiritual Cinema series on Friday at 7 p.m. The film is a documentary that traces the evolution of a course of the same name featuring Marianne Willamson. The cost is $5. For information, call the church at 755-7990.
Enrichment
* Herb Reese of New Commandment Ministries of Colorado will lead a seminar for men of all denominations on Saturday, Jan. 23, from 8:30 to 11 a.m., at Woodland Park Baptist Church, 6735 Standifer Gap Road. The seminar will cover the biblical calling to men to care for widows, single mothers, fatherless children, immigrants or otherwise distressed people in the church. There is no charge to attend. To register or for information, call the church at 899-9186, ext. 102, e-mail men@woodlandpark.org or visit http://newcommandment.eventbrite.com.
Finances
* Mary Hunt, nationally known money expert and founder of Debt-Proof Living, will present a seminar at Abba's House, 5208 Hixson Pike, today from 9 a.m. to noon. The seminar is for married couples, singles and students who want to receive good money management skills. There is no charge to attend, and no registration is required. Doors will open at 8:30 a.m. For information, visit www.abbashouse.com or www.debtproofliving.com.
Lectures
* James VanderKam, the John A. O'Brien Professor of Hebrew Scriptures at the University of Notre Dame, will present two lectures on the Dead Sea Scrolls on Wednesday and Thursday at UTC. The Leroy A. Martin Distinguished Lecturer Series, presented in conjunction with the school's Department of Philosophy and Religion, will include "The Community in the Scrolls and Jesus's First Followers (Acts 2-4)" on Wednesday from 3 to 5 p.m. in the University Center Raccoon Mountain Room and "The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Bible" on Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Benwood Auditorium of the Engineering, Math and Computer Sciences building. For information, call the department at 425-4334.
Music
* Singer Jim Ricketts of Dayton, Tenn., will present concerts today at 4 p.m., at Jones Memorial Baptist Church, 415 W. Gordon Ave., in Rossville, Ga.; and on Sunday at 11 a.m. at Ekklesia Bible Tabernacle, 4832 Dayton Mountain Highway, in Dayton, Tenn. For information, call Mr. Ricketts at 775-2806.
* The Bucks Pocket Quartet will present a concert on Sunday at 6 p.m. at Cloverleaf Baptist Church, 2290 Waterlevel Highway, in Cleveland, Tenn. The 6-year-old quartet, which includes Ryan Ogle, Justin Humbard, Tyler Hall and Matthew Hawkins, was founded at Union Missionary Baptist Church. For information, call the church at 339-3617.
* Bill Mallonee of the Vigilantes of Love will be featured in a benefit concert for Hope for the Inner City and the John M. Perkins Foundation on Saturday, Jan. 23, at 6 p.m., at New City Fellowship Church, 2424 E. Third St. Tickets are $5 at the door. For information, e-mail Lance.patrick@att.net or visit www.hope4theinnercity.org, www.jmpf.org or www.billmallonee.net.
* The Dove Brothers will present a concert on Sunday, Jan. 24, at 6:30 p.m., at Bethlehem Baptist Church, 130 Bethlehem Church Road, in Madisonville, Tenn. For information, call 423-253-7900.
Parish nursing
* Registered nurses who want to provide a health ministry in their churches/faith communities may attend the Faith Community Nurse Preparation Class offered by Memorial Health Care System beginning Feb. 10. The course includes eight-hour day sessions on Feb. 10, Feb. 17 and March 3 and three-hour evening sessions on March 9, March 23 and April 6. All sessions -- a total of 33 hours -- must be completed for credit. Among the topics to be discussed are assessing the health needs of the congregation/faith community, health education and health counseling, community resources, and approaches to grief and bereavement. The deadline for applications is Jan. 30. For information or inclusion, call Connie Blake at 495-6163 or e-mail connie_blake@memorial.org.
Recently published
* "Small Things, Big Things: Inspiring Stories of Everyday Grace" by Dr. Michael A. Milton, former pastor of First Presbyterian Church, was recently published by P&R Publishing. The book is a collection of stories of common grace in the everyday lives of ordinary people. Dr. Milton is presently president and the James M. Baird Professor of Pastoral Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, N.C., interim president of Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Fla., and a chaplain in the U.S. Army. The book is available online for $12.99 at www.prpbooks.com.
Retreats
* The Benedictine Sisters Retreat Center, 916 Convent Road N.E. in Cullman, Ala., will offer a daylong retreat, "Slow Prayer in a Fast World," today from 9:30 a.m. CST to 4 p.m. The retreat, directed by Sister Eileen Gallagher, will provide an overview of three traditional forms of Christian prayer, the rosary, Lectio Divina, and centering prayer. The cost, including lunch, is $30. For information or to register, which is required, call the retreat center at 256-734-8302 or e-mail retreats@shmon.org.
* The Benedictine Sisters Retreat Center, 916 Convent Road N.E. in Cullman, Ala., will host a Liturgy of the Hours retreat from Friday at 6 p.m. through the noon meal on Sunday, Jan. 24. The retreat will be facilitated by the Benedictine sisters. The cost, including meals, is $175 per person for a shared room and $195 per person for a private room. For registration or information, call the retreat center at 256-734-8302 or e-mail retreats@shmon.org.
Scholarship
* The Chattanooga Christian Community Foundation will award its Dora Maclellan Brown Ministry Scholarships for the 34th year in 2010. The scholarships, which will be announced in April, are available to men and women from the Chattanooga area who are biblically conservative and are seeking a master's degree at a theological seminary or other graduate school approved by the foundation. The grants are based on merit and need for the duration of the degree program, usually two to four years. The application deadline is Feb. 15. The scholarships have assisted more than 400 students since 1976 in the name of the late Mrs. Brown, who was the daughter of the founder of Provident Life and Accident and Insurance Company and one who helped prepare students for ministry. For information or an application, call Henry Henegar at 266-5257 or download the guidelines and application at www.cccfdn.org.
Security
* Empowerment Church, located at 5600 Brainerd Road in the Eastgate Town Center, will host "Security & Emergency Planning for Christian Organizations" and "Safety for Christian Women ... in an UnChristian World" on Saturday, Jan. 23. The full-day seminar for Christian organizations, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., will cover topics on how to put a security plan in place for churches, schools, ministries and missionaries. The cost varies, depending on whether the organization is a member of the Christian Security Network. The seminar for Christian women ages 16-up, offered from 7 to 8:30 p.m., will cover security and safety insights for the home, work, travel, Internet, and young adult considerations. The cost for the seminar is $10. Both courses will be taught by Christian Security Network executive director Jeff Hawkins, who has experience as a law enforcement officer, crime prevention specialist, martial arts instructor and college professor in criminal justice. For information on either seminar, call 800-805-7126 or visit www.ChristianSecurityNetwork.org.
Singles
* The Positive Christian Singles of First-Centenary United Methodist Church and the Open Door Christian Singles of Christ United Methodist Church are co-sponsoring "Wholly Single," a one-day conference for singles, at the Oak Street Center of First-Centenary United Methodist Church, 433 Oak Street, on Saturday, Jan. 23, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Speakers include Chris Coppernoll, an author and founder of Soul2Soul, a widely syndicated radio program; Nell Mohney, author, motivational speaker and seminar leader; and Julie Baumgardner, executive director of First Things First. The cost is $25. To register, visit www.christplace.org or call 756-2021.
Women's event
* Chattanooga Aglow will host a gathering marking Sanctity of Life month on Saturday, Jan. 23, at 10 a.m., at the National Memorial for the Unborn, 6232 Vance Road. Two women who had abortions will share their stories. For information, e-mail Genendal Fratantuono at gfgffrat@bellsouth.net.
-- Compiled by Clint Cooper from news releases