Discernment
* The Benedictine Sisters of Sacred Heart Monastery in Cullman, Ala., will host a vocation discernment weekend for single, Catholic women ages 18-45 who are interested in learning about the Benedictine way of life on Jan. 15-17. The retreat, “Seeking God: The Benedictine Way of Living,” will be held at the Benedictine Sisters Retreat Center, 916 Convent Road, in Cullman. It will be directed by Sister Magdalena Craig, vocation director for the Sacred Heart Community, and other sisters. There is no charge to attend, but donations will be accepted. For information or registration, call (256) 734-2199 or e-mail vocations@shmon.org.
Finances
* A free Save the Dream Workshop is being offered by the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America on Saturday, Jan. 16, from 10 a.m. to noon at Phillips Temple Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, 1321 N. Moore Road. The workshop is geared toward people at risk of losing their home because of job loss, high mortgage interest rate or possible home foreclosure. For information or registration, call pastor Mario Murphy at 901-574-1020 or Barbara Staples at 423-875-3559 or e-mail her at atriskhomeowners@aol.com. For information about NACA, visit NACA.com.
Grief
* Dallas Bay Baptist Church, 8305 Daisy Dallas Road, will host GriefShare, a support group offering hope and healing from the pain of grief and loss, on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 8 p.m., beginning Jan. 19. For information, call the church at 842-9299, ext. 306, or visit www.dbbc.org/griefshare.
Groundbreaking
* Signal Mountain United Methodist Church, 3419 Taft Highway, will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for its new sanctuary and fellowship hall on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. Dr. Fred Dearing, superintendent for the denomination’s Chattanooga District, will speak at the church’s 11 a.m. service prior to the groundbreaking. The 4,000-square-foot, $875,000 facility also will include a nursery and three classrooms. The contractor for the work for the 120-member, 152-year-old congregation is The Strauss Co., and the architectural firm is J. Wayne Caughman Architect Inc. The work is expected to be completed by late summer.
Enrichment
* Unity of Chattanooga Church, 604 Black St., will offer a five-week series, “The Life of Prayer,” led by the Rev. Doug Werth, beginning Wednesday at 7 p.m. A soup and salad dinner will be offered at 6:15 p.m. for $5. For information, call the church at 755-7990.
King celebration
* Second Missionary Baptist Church, 2305 E. Third St., will host a service celebrating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Wednesday at 7 p.m. A fellowship meal at 6 p.m. will precede the service. For information, call the church at 624-9097.
Music
* Singer Jim Ricketts of Dayton, Tenn., will present concerts on Saturday at 3 p.m. at Morning Pointe of Chattanooga and at 6 p.m. at One Accord Community Church, 343 Sweetland Drive, in Red Bank; on Sunday at 11 a.m. at Eagle Furnace Baptist Church, 159 Eagle Point Drive, in Rockwood, Tenn.; on Saturday, Jan. 16, at 4 p.m., at Jones Memorial Baptist Church, 415 W. Gordon Ave., in Rossville, Ga.; and on Sunday, Jan. 17, at 11 a.m., at Ekklesia Bible Tabernacle, 4832 Dayton Mountain Highway, in Dayton, Tenn. For information, call Mr. Ricketts at 775-2806.
Retreat
* The Benedictine Sisters Retreat Center in Cullman, Ala., will offer a daylong retreat, “Slow Prayer in a Fast World,” on Saturday, Jan. 16, 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.
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.
— Compiled by staff writer Clint Cooper