Church Briefs
'See You at the Pole' events Wednesday
Students at Vandalia Junior High School and Vandalia Community High School will be holding "See You at the Pole" prayer observances next Wednesday at 8 a.m.
At the junior high, the event will be held on the playground. At the high school, it will be on the front steps of the school building. The VCHS event is sponsored by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
The event is part of a nationwide movement of students, who gather at school flagpoles on the last Wednesday of September to pray for their school, their fellow students and their community.
Haley Chapel to honor the Rev. O'Dell
In recognition of the Rev. John O'Dell's 50 years in the ministry, Haley Chapel United Methodist Church will host a concert by the Shepherd's Men Quartet this Sunday at 1:15 p.m.
The church is located east of Bluff City on U.S. Route 40.
Life Chain Sunday observance is Oct. 2
The annual Life Chain Sunday observance in Vandalia will be held Sunday, Oct. 2, from 2-3:30 p.m. at the intersection of Kennedy Boulevard and Gallatin Street.
The event is a silent protest against abortion, and Pro-Life signs will be available at the intersection. During the event, participants are encouraged to pray about the abortion issue.
For more information, call Patricia Sprague, the Illinois Life Chain state director, at 283-1387, or email her at newfaith1981@gmail.com.
Jump For Joel Marathon is Saturday
The third annual Jump For Joel Marathon will be held this Saturday at 9 a.m. in St. Elmo.
The race, which allows participants to run, bike or walk (or a combination of the three) for 26.2 miles, is used to support the organization's effort to purchase food for more than 100 children at Gathiga Children's Hope Home in Gathiga, Kenya.
The event is organized by Lindsay Lash and Shana Stine. Registration fee is $26.20
"We've had a difficult time keeping up with the needs at GCHH recently," Lash said. "In particular, the food prices have skyrocketed with the shortage of corn in Kenya, and we're finding it increasingly difficult to feed the 106 children there."
For more information, call Lash at 292-0984. Stine can be reached at shana@jumpforjoel.org.
Chicken dinner, fall festival is Oct. 2
Mother of Dolors Catholic Church in Vandalia will host its annual chicken dinner and fall festival on Sunday, Oct. 2, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Parish Center. The Parish Center is located at 705 W. St. Clair St.
Included in the event are a country store and a raffle.
Adults (ages 12 and up) are $8, children (ages 5-11) are $4 and children ages 4 and under are free. The meal features homemade noodles. Carryouts are available. To order, call 283-0751.
One Voice Trio to perform at The Barn
The One Voice Trio from Marion will be performing at The Barn in rural Pana on Saturday, Oct. 1, at 7 p.m.
A hot potato bar meal will be offered before the program, beginning at 4:30 p.m.
For more information, call Joanne Clark at 217-562-3526.
Homecoming Gospel Choir concert set
Temple Baptist Church in Centralia will be hosting the Homecoming Gospel Choir in concert at 6 p.m. this Sunday.
The 80-member Southern gospel group offers an upbeat, fast-paced concert that features vocalists backed up by live and recorded accompanyment.
Temple Baptist is located at 340 Walnut Hill Road in Centralia. For more information, call 532-1249.
The Sneed Family to perform in Bethalto
The Sneed Family, a Southern gospel vocal group, will perform at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 1, at Bethalto Church of God.
The church is located at 800 E. Bethalto Drive in Bethalto.
For more information, call 259-0065.
Send news items for L-U's church page
Each week, on the church page, we present news about events in Fayette County churches.
If your church has news items or if you're planning an event, let us know and we'll share them with our readers.
Send your news to: The Leader-Union, P.O. Box 315, Vandalia, Ill. 62471, attention Dave Bell.
Church news also can be emailed to: dbell@leaderunion.com. For more information, call 283-3374, extension 227.
