Come Meet the Good Guys at the following upcoming events:

Thanksgiving Dinners

11/23/08

On Sunday, Nov. 23, the community is invited to Thanksgiving dinner at New Life Baptist Church. Bring a favorite holiday side dish or dessert and the church will provide the turkey. The holiday celebration begins at 6 p.m. and admission is free. New Life Baptist church is located at 725 Commerce Center Drive, Suites C, D and E in Sebastian. For additional information, please call Pastor Bill Brothers at (772) 473-3614.

11/27/08

First Church of God is planning to feed up to 500 people a Thanksgiving Day dinner consisting of turkey and all the trimmings. The dinner will be without charge on Thursday, Nov. 27, from noon to 2 p.m. The fellowship and planned entertainment are also free. Reservations are requested, but not required. Sponsorships, donations and volunteer opportunities are available. You do not need to be a member to attend. First Church of God is located at 1105 58th Ave. in Vero Beach. For additional information, call Jon McDivitt or Ted Schmidt at 772-562-2256.

Community Happenings

11/20/08

St Helen’s 44^th Annual Harvest Festival will be held at Dodgertown in Vero Beach and will once again offer free admission and free parking. Pre-sale ride tickets are 75 cents each if bought from a student prior to the festival, or $1 each once the festival begins. About 20 terrific rides will descend upon Dodgertown, providing great fun for everyone. This year's hours will be Thursday, November 20^th from 6-10:30 p.m., Friday, November 21^st from 6-11 p.m., Saturday, November 22^nd from noon to 11 p.m., and Sunday, November 23^rd from noon to 6 p.m. For more information about this year’s festival, please contact the St. Helen’s School Office at 772-567-5457.

11/22/08

Bring the family and enjoy Vero Christian Church's Connecting Christ with
Community's first annual classic and custom car show Saturday, Nov. 22nd, from
10 a.m. to 12 p.m.  Enjoy a free hot dog lunch. Music will be provided. The kids
can enjoy a moon walk. Give blood at the Bloodmobile and get a flu shot
from the VNA. To complete your visit, tour the church building and get a
free gift. Vero Christian Church is located at 3250 Oslo Road, just west of the Winn Dixie Plaza. For more information call 567-1368 or visit the church's web site at www.verochristian.com.

12/3/08

Real Life Church, a new ministry in Port St. Lucie, will begin intercessory prayer every Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. starting on Dec. 3. For more information, call (772) 337-2627.

Free food will be available to those in need at Resurrection Life Family Worship Center. The food pantry will be open at 10 a.m. Dec. 3 and Dec. 31 and food will be distributed while supplies last. Resurrection Life Family Worship Center is located at 405 Ixoria Ave. in Fort Pierce. For additional information, please call (772) 465-0036.

12/5/08

Central Assembly Of God Music Ministries and Pastor Buddy Tipton would like to invite you to a "Christmas Celebration.” This exciting show takes place Friday Dec. 5th, Saturday Dec. 6, and Sunday Dec. 7th, at 7 p.m. each night. Tickets are $3 per person and can be purchased at Central Assembly Of God, 6767 20th St., Vero Beach. For more information, please call (772) 562-4505.

12/06/08

The Ignite and Unite Conference will be held on Saturday, Dec. 6th, and will be conducted by Billy Burns, the Children’s Pastor at Trinity Church International in Lake Worth, Fla. The conference is designed to ignite your children’s ministry team to flow with the Holy Spirit and to unite them with a vision of raising up a Holy Spirit-filled generation of children. It is a three-hour conference, 9 a.m.-noon, and everyone involved with children’s ministry will want to attend. This event will be held at Riverside church, which is located at 11205 Roseland Road, Sebastian. Advance registration is requested and for more information, please call 772-589-7825.

Join members of St. Augustine of Canterbury’s Episcopal Church as they attend the 25th anniversary production of the First Baptist Church of Fort Lauderdale’s Christmas pageant on Saturday, Dec. 6. $35 covers admission and transportation. Advance registration is required. The bus will leave from the church at 10 a.m. for the 2 p.m. show. St. Augustine’s is located at 475 43rd Ave., in Vero Beach. For additional information, call (772) 770-3494.

12/07/08

The community is invited to the musical production of "Oh, Jonah!" to be performed by the young folks of St. Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church. The musical will be held during the 10 a.m. service on Sunday, Dec. 7. For additional information, please call (772) 770-3494. St. Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church is located at 475 43rd Ave. in Vero Beach

Lakewood Park United Methodist Church, at 5405 Turnpike Feeder Road, Fort Pierce, is holding its annual Christmas open house and Jesus birthday party on Dec. 7 from 5 to 7 p.m. in its Family Life Center. Celebrate Jesus' birthday with music, performances, shopping and activities for the kids. There will be cookies and cocoa. The event is free.

12/12/08

Highpoint Community Church, at 2250 S.E. Walton Road, Port St. Lucie, will present "Imagine Christmas" Dec. 12-14. Performances will be at 7 p.m. each evening, and 3 p.m. on Dec. 13 and 14. Imagine Christmas tells the story of Christmas through dance, music, drama and creative arts. Although seats are free, you will need a ticket to get in. To reserve your tickets, call (772) 335-8874 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Leave your name, telephone number, the date and time of the show you want to see, and the number of tickets needed. Visit our website at www.highpoint.cc.

On-Going

New Hope Baptist Church welcomes families to their Wednesday night programs. Children, kindergarten-fifth grade, have fun learning about the Christian faith in the Knights of the Kingdom program. Youth in grades 6-12 are invited to participate in the Solid Rock Youth Group, a program filled with praise and worship, Bible teaching and lots of fun. Both youth groups start at 6:30 p.m. Adult Bible Study begins at 7 p.m. every Wednesday. New Hope Baptist Church is located at 5200 Oleander Ave. in Fort Pierce. For additional information, please call (772) 461-0400 or visit www.newhopestlucie.org.

Judy Sherako is raising money for the Mission's Fund at Riverside Church with face-painting. Judy is available to paint faces for children's parties, festivals, company picnics and other special events. All proceeds go to the Mission's Fund at Riverside Church, located at 11205 Roseland Road, Sebastian.  For details, call Judy Sherako at (772) 713-4077 or email her at pokej@aol.com.

Guardians for New Futures is seeking individuals, local employees, and organizations to help fulfill a child’s holiday “wish.” You can sponsor one or more of the children for the holiday season by simply providing a gift on their “wish list.” This is a wonderful opportunity to help neglected, abused and abandoned children during the upcoming holiday season. Call 772-785-5804 to request a “Guardian Angel” form and for more information. 

The toy collection for the Eleventh Gifford Youth Activity Center Christmas Exchange is now in progress. Each year, the Activity Center collects toys for children ages 6 to 18. For many GYAC children, this toy is the only Christmas gift they will receive. You can help by bringing new toys for your tax-deductible donation to the center before December 5^th. The center is located at 4875 43^rd Ave. in Vero Beach. Donations can be dropped off on weekdays between 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information please call Freddie Woolfork at 772-794-1005 ext. 34.

The Source is excited to announce the opening of its new store, Heaven Sent Thrift Shoppe. You will find a large selection of clothing, furniture, appliances, house wares, and children’s items. The shop is located at the corner of Old Dixie Highway and 12th Street in Vero Beach, and is open 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, as well as 4-9 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Funds earned will be used to provide needed programs and services for Vero’s homeless and near-homeless. For more information please call 978-0601.

The Crossings Community Church is kicking off its new Christian Rock'n Roll Coffee House that takes place on the second Friday night of every month from 7 to 10:30 p.m. Coffee and snacks will be available on a donation basis. All of the fun takes place at the Crossings new property at 8103 Indrio Road.

Care Net now has its first Martin County location, Care Net of Salerno, and is located at 5569 S.E. Federal Highway, Stuart. Its pregnancy crisis helpline, 772-283-2991, is available nearly 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Salerno office is currently open on Mondays from 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Tuesdays from 7-9 p.m., and Thursdays from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.. Community support, volunteers and funding is needed to expand these hours. For more information please call 772-283-2911.

All through the year, Care Net Pregnancy Center helps men and women faced with unplanned pregnancies by providing pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, STD testing, fetal development information, and abortion methods with an explanation of the risks. These services are all available free of charge. Care Net has trained peer counselors and a 24-hour helpline. You can assist this organization by donating baby furniture, diapers, formula, maternity clothes, or by making a tax deductible donation. For more info please call 772-871-2211, or stop by the office located at 8432 S. Federal Highway in Port St Lucie.
 

If you are a mom with a child from ages 0-5 years old, Mothers of Preschoolers invites you to come and join them for their bi-monthly meetings. They meet the first and third Thursday of every month at Westside Baptist Church. Come enjoy crafts, fellowship, guest speakers and God’s word. For more information, please call 772-461-3027. West Side Baptist Church is located at 3361 S. Jenkins Road in Fort Pierce.

Habitat for Humanity of Vero Beach is in need of “Food Angels” on every Saturday beginning  through the end of April. The volunteer construction workers need snacks (small sandwiches, chips, cookies, fruit) for their mid-morning break. If you’re interested in helping provide goodies for about 25 people, please call the Habitat office and ask for JoAnna Moyes at 562-9860 ext. 230. This would be a commitment for only one Saturday a month. The food is to be delivered to our lots off of Oslo Road or Grace Meadoes in Fellsmere by 9:45 a.m. on Saturdays.

Every Thursday from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., the Food Pantry is open at Grace Emmanuel Church, located at 1470 Huffman Road in Port St Lucie. It is free for those in need, but please bring a picture ID and proof of income.  For more information, please call the church office at 337-2644.

The Vineyard is now an authorized Angel Food distribution site for Port St Luce. It’s $30 for the base package of food, and $16-20 for monthly specials. Orders are accepted at the church at 12:45 p.m. the first two Sundays every month. The Vineyard church is located at 1550 S.W. Heatherwood and California Boulevards in St Lucie West. For more information please call 772-801-8502, or go to www.vccpsl.com.

Christian karate classes are available starting at age 6 at Victory Word Church. Classes are instructed by Jim Zermeno, who has 40 years experience in the martial arts. The class meets every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 6:30-8 p.m. Uniforms are just $15 and instruction is $25 per month, with family discounts available. Victory Word Church is located at 4000 S. U.S. 1 in Fort Pierce. For more information please call 595-0334.

The First Presbyterian Church of Port St Lucie continues to collect old cell phones and empty ink cartridges. They can be dropped off at the church any week day between 9:30 a.m. and noon. Funds raised from this collection will go to the building fund. First Presbyterian Church of Port St Lucie is located at 2240 S.E. Walton Road in Port St Lucie. For information please call 772-335-8900.

Celebrate Recovery is a night of celebration and starts with a bar-b-q at 6 pm, every Saturday,  at Sunrise Tabernacle Church in Fort Pierce. The program is based on eight principles from the beatitudes of the Word of God and is open to everyone. Child care is also provided. For more information please contact Angie at 772-940-5612.

Surfside Community Church is collecting new and slightly used blankets to give to the homeless living on the streets of  Fort Pierce and Port St. Lucie. Blankets may be brought to the church in Fort Pierce.    Call Pastor Mark Young at 772- 468-9488 for more information.

For information about opportunities by the United States Marine Corps, including scholarships for college, job training and travel, contact your local Marine Corps Representative, Sergeant Manning at 772-461-3565.

Free parenting classes are available for moms, dads and parents-to-be every Tuesday evening from 7-8:30 p.m.

Grace Emmanuel Church of God's food pantry is open every Thursday from 10 to 11 a.m. It is free, with proof of income, for those in need. For additional information, call the church office at 772-334-2644. Grace Emmanuel Church is located in Port St. Lucie.

At Care Net Pregnancy Services, you can earn "Baby Bucks" that can be redeemed for baby clothes and furnishings by  attending. Class information varies weekly. For this week's class topic or information about classes or baby bucks, please call  772-871-2211.