Northside calls Skidmore
* Ben Skidmore, a Colorado native, has been called as pastor of Northside Presbyterian Church, 923 Mississippi Ave.
He will preach his first sermon as pastor on Sunday.
Prior to coming to Northside, Mr. Skidmore had been associate pastor at Bayside Presbyterian Church in Virginia Beach, Va., since 2006. There, he was active in the Presbytery of Eastern Virginia, serving on the Nominations Committee and Priorities Task Force. He also has served in children’s ministry at La Canada Presbyterian Church in La Canada, Calif.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in Bible/pastoral ministry from Manhattan Christian College in Manhattan, Kan., in 2002, and a Master of Divinity degree at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif., in 2005.
Mr. Skidmore and his wife, Dr. Erica Skidmore, have one son, 4-month-old Jack Finney.
Huckabay supplying Grace
* The Rev. Dr. Hunter Huckabay will serve as supply rector at Grace Episcopal Church, 20 Belvoir Ave., through Feb. 7. He retired as rector at St. Paul’s Episcopal in 2006 after nearly 20 years in the position. Dr. Huckabay will lead both the 8:30 and 10:45 Holy Eucharist services. He will serve as the congregation as it begins to search for a replacement for the Rev. Gene Smitherman, who recently resigned.
Finances
* Cedar Hill Baptist Church, 60 Dyer Bridge Road, will host “God’s Financial Fitness Plan,” today from 9 a.m. to noon. There is no charge to attend. For information, call 706-858-0976 or e-mail theplaceofgrace@comcast.net.
* Bethlehem Center, 200 W. 38th St., will host a five-week course beginning Tuesday at 7 p.m. that will provide training in how to own your own business. Two-hour classes will be offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays, concluding on Feb. 25. The cost is $25. For information, call Bill Holland at 266-1384, ext. 32.
* St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 305 W. Seventh St., will host a live Webcast of Trinity Institute’s 40th annual National Theological Conference Wednesday through Friday. The conference, “Building an Ethical Economy: Theology and the Marketplace,” will offer insights by theologians and economists about the relationship between economics and Christian belief and action. The cost, including two lunches, is $25. The deadline for registration and payment is Sunday. To register or for information, call Amy Sandy at 266-8195 or e-mail sandy@stpaulschatt.org.
Groundbreaking
* Church of the First Born, 3418 St. Elmo Ave., broke ground on Tuesday for a 4,000-square-foot addition that includes a 400-seat sanctuary. The new space also will include several classrooms and restrooms. The architect for the work is Marvin Johnston of M. Johnston Architecture Inc., and the contractor is LEDCO, Inc. Construction is expected to be completed in May. The 32-year-old church has approximately 140 members.
Music
* The Chamber Orchestra of Tennessee will perform a memorial concert celebrating the life of its former music director, Richard Cormier, on Sunday at 4 p.m. at Church of the Good Shepherd-Episcopal, 211 Franklin Road, in Lookout Mountain, Tenn. The concert includes Saint-Saens’ “Prelude from Le Deluge,” Massenet’s “The Last Dream of the Virgin” and the premier of Chris Tew’s composition, “Light and Shadow: Scenes for Organ and Strings.” A reception will follow. There is no charge to attend. For information, call John Wigal at 821-1583 or e-mail JohnW@goodshepherdlookout.com.
* The Senior Choir of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 305 W. Seventh St., will present a choral evensong celebrating the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle on Sunday at 4 p.m. The music will include evening canticles by Charles Villiers Stanford and responses by John Sanders, and the local premiere of a new anthem commissioned in honor of St. Paul’s director of music Dr. Keith Reas by his former parish in Washington, D.C. An offering will benefit local relief ministries responding to the earthquake in Haiti. A reception will follow. For information, call the church at 266-8195.
* Heirborn Quartet of Rockmart, Ga., will present a Southern gospel concert on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. at Pine Hill Baptist Church, 12626 Highway, in Tunnel Hill, Ga. For information, call 706-965-3107 or 423-580-5544, or visit www.phbconline.org.
* A New Song, a touring young adult music group from Chile, will present an evening of music and missions on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Brainerd United Methodist Church, 4315 Brainerd Road. The group will offer both ethnic and English music in a variety of styles in a multimedia presentation. There is no charge to attend, but a freewill offering will be collected. For information, call 698-6951.
* A concert featuring the Jeff Hullender Family, Ken Hicks of US-101 and the Testimony Quartet Band will be held on Saturday, Jan. 30, at 7 p.m., at the Walker County Civic Center, 10052 Highway 27 North, in Rock Spring, Ga. Tickets are $10 and are available at the door; proceeds will benefit the Walker County Civic Center. For information, call 706-375-7705.
Retreat
* The Benedictine Sisters Retreat Center and Contemplative Outreach, Birmingham, will host a introduction to centering prayer retreat at the retreat center, 916 Convent Road N.E., in Cullman, Ala., from Friday at 6 p.m. CST through the noon meal on Sunday, Jan. 31. The cost, including lodging and meals, is $195 per person. For information, call 256-734-8302 or e-mail retreats@shmon.org.
Sexuality
* Hearts Set Free will offer an eight-week session for people dealing with issues related to unwanted same-sex attraction beginning Tuesday at 7 p.m. at North Cleveland Church of God, 335 11th St. N.E., in Cleveland, Tenn. The curriculum will be taken from Desert Stream Ministries. For information, call 457-1634 or e-mail heartsetfree@ltdkate.com.
Tutoring
* The Hamilton County Baptist Association, 512 N. Market St., will host a workshop for help in teaching English as a second language to people from other countries on Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. and Saturday, Jan. 30, and Saturday, Feb. 6, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. All three sessions are required for certification. There is no charge to attend. For information, call Becky Witt at 267-3794 or e-mail her at hcba@baptistassociation.com.
* The Hamilton County Baptist Association, 512 N. Market St., will host a workshop for help in tutoring children and youth on Saturday, Jan. 30, and Saturday, Feb. 6, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Jan. 30 session, from 9 a.m. to noon, will offer help with reading comprehension and determining the student’s reading level, and, noon to 3 p.m., offer assistance with math. The sessions on Feb. 6 will continue the instruction and offer information on how to help those who use other languages. There is no cost to attend. For information, call Becky Witt at 267-3794 or e-mail her at hcba@baptistassociation.com.