Ash Wednesday services
* Brainerd United Methodist Church, 4315 Brainerd Road, 6 p.m.
* Christ United Methodist Church, 8645 East Brainerd Road, 7 a.m., noon and 6:30 p.m. (dinner at 6:15 p.m.).
* East Ridge United Methodist Church, 1601 Prater Road, 6:45 p.m.
* First-Centenary United Methodist Church, 419 McCallie Ave., 6:15 p.m. (dinner at 5:30 p.m.).
* Northside Presbyterian Church, 923 Mississippi Ave., 6:30 p.m. (dinner at 5:30 p.m.).
* Ooltewah United Methodist Church, 6131 Relocation Way, 6:30 p.m. (dinner at 5:30 p.m.).
* St. Thaddaeus’ Episcopal Church, 4300 Locksley Lane, noon and 6:30 p.m.
* St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church, 630 Mississippi Ave., Signal Mountain, noon and 7 p.m. (dinner at 5:45 p.m.).
* Silverdale Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 7407 Bonny Oaks Drive, 7 p.m.
* Simpson United Methodist Church, 601 McFarland Ave., Rossville, Ga., noon (light lunch follows).
Drama
* Church youth of Life’s Harbor Church, 5716 Ringgold Road (Suite 105), will present the drama “Celebration of the Heart,” celebrating the love Christ has for humankind, on Sunday at 11 a.m. For information, call 362-9129.
* “The Decision: What To Do About Jesus,” a biblical drama, will be presented on Sunday, Feb. 21, at 4 p.m., at St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church, 2514 Williams St. There is no charge to attend. For information, call the church at 267-6869.
Enrichment
* Harold Johnson, a 1982 Soddy-Daisy High School graduate and missionary in the Czech Republic for more than eight years, will talk about his experiences in the European country and answer questions with his family today from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Soddy-Daisy Community Center. There is no charge to attend.
* Doug Werth, minister of Unity of Chattanooga Church, 604 Black St., will offer a series of classes on journaling designed to help participants learn to hear and follow their inner guidance. The classes will be held Feb. 10 and four additional Wednesdays. There is no charge to attend, but a love offering will be accepted. For information, call the church at 755-7990.
* Orchard Knob Missionary Baptist Church, 1734 E. Third St., will host a men’s Bible conference from Thursday through Feb. 21 from 6 to 9 p.m. nightly. Classes will offer information on family worship, soul winning, the Gospels, and the books of Genesis and Daniel, and discussions will be led on financial management and men’s health. The conference also will include a banquet featuring the church’s male choruses and other male choruses from throughout the city. There is no charge to attend, but registration is required. The deadline for registration is Tuesday. For registration or information, call the church at 629-6115.
Finances
* Crown Financial Ministries will offer a “God Provides” film learning experience on Thursday from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Ridgedale Baptist Church, 1831 Hickory Valley Road. The family friendly free evening will include the presentation of two short films that tell the biblical stories of Abraham and Isaac and the widow and the oil, and live teaching by Crown chief executive officer Chuck Bentley. The registration deadline is Wednesday. To register, visit www.crown.org/register. For information, call Patti Harris at 266-5257, ext. 108, or visit www.Crown.org.
Music
* The two-time Grammy award-winning Soweto Gospel Choir will present a concert in Guerry Auditorium at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tenn., on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. CST. The choir performs a cappella numbers in several languages with band and percussion accompaniment, energetic dancing and vibrant costumes. Tickets for the performance, which is part of the 2009-10 Sewanee Performing Arts Series, are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors and $10 for students. For tickets, visit http://sewaneeonline.hosting-advantage.com/performingarts.html. For information, e-mail performingarts@sewanee.edu.
* “An Earthen Man,” a free concert for baritone voice and string quartet featuring poetry by Wendell Berry set to original music by Jonathan B. McNair, will be presented on Thursday at 7 p.m. at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 848 Ashland Terrace, as part of the Counterpoint concert series. The event also will include three new instrumental works by Dr. McNair and several arrangements of African-American spirituals and art-song for voice and string quartet. An informal wine and hors d’oeuvres reception will follow the concert. The same concert also will be presented on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Roland Hayes Concert Hall in the UTC Fine Arts Center at the corner of Palmetto and Vine streets. For information, call Dr. McNair at 425-4679.
* “Sing for Hope: A Musical Celebration,” a concert benefiting Metropolitan Ministries, will be Friday at 7 p.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 305 W. Seventh St. The concert of arias, songs, and duets by Beethoven, Mozart, Bernstein and others will feature pianist Michael Baitzer, who has served on the faculty of The Juilliard School, Aspen School of Music and the coaching staff of Washington National Opera, Central City Opera and Spoleto Festival USA; and Chattanooga natives and rising opera stars tenor Richard Cox (Metropolitan Opera, LA Opera, Teatro Municpal de Santiago, Oper Frankfurt, Glimmerglass Opera, Semper Oper) and soprano Holli Harrison (Metropolitan Opera, Fort Worth Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Pittsburgh Opera). Admission is $25. For information, call Rebecca Whelchel at 624-9654. For tickets, call Janice Howard at 838-2013.
* GospelFest 90, a benefit concert to mark the 90th anniversary of the Bethlehem Center, will be Friday at 7 p.m. at the Tivoli Theatre, 709 Broad St. The featured acts include the Voices of Lee, recent third-place winners in NBC’s “Sing Off” competition; Timiethia “Songbird” Delaney, the 2008-2009 Country Music Vocalist and Gospel Entertainer of the Year; Reality Check, a local holy hip-hop group; minister Eric Terry and Worship; St. Mark’s United Methodist Church choir; Christ United Methodist Church choir; Anointed Praise; Shaddai; nuwayoflivin’; and the a cappella inSpirit Men’s Chorus. Proceeds will support the center’s educational programs. For information, call 266-1384, ext. 26, or visit www.thebeth.org.
* Jim Ricketts will present a concert on Sunday, Feb. 21, at 10:30 a.m., at Midway Baptist Church, 1837 Midway Road, in Soddy-Daisy. For information, call Mr. Ricketts at 775-2806.