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Blood drive is today
Zion Lutheran Church, 500 Allegheny St., Hollidaysburg, is hosting a Red Cross Blood Drive from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. today, Friday, July 24. Call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter: HBCOMM to schedule an appointment.
Walk-ins are welcome.
Festival, turkey dinner
The church festival and turkey dinner postponed from last week due to the weather and a power outage, will be held Sunday, July 26, at St. Joan of Arc Church, 692 Glendale Valley Blvd., Fallentimber (Route 53, Frugality, nearly Prince Gallitzin State Park).
The meal will be served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Cost is $15 and dinners include turkey, stuffing ball, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, coleslaw, roll and cookies.
The basket auction will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with winners notified by phone on the day of the auction. Baskets will be available for pick up between 1 and 5 p.m. Monday, July 27, at the parish hall.
Other activities Sunday include a bake sale, lottery tickets, rip off tickets, live music and food and beverages from the kitchen.
Prayer services planned
Need to take a breath in the midst of a busy week? Enjoy a short, contemplative prayer service that incorporates prayer beads, chimes and breathing exercises. Bring your own Wreath of Christ beads or borrow a set of ours for use during the service. Join us at 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Aug. 12 and Aug. 26, in the basement theater of Zion Lutheran Church, 500 Allegheny St., Hollidaysburg.
Free dinner, concert offered
Mountaindale Baptist Church, 687 Mountaindale Road, Fallentimber, will host a concert with Joyce Igo and Steven Nichols on Saturday, July 25. Dinner will begin at 6 p.m. with the concert to follow at 7 p.m. Both the meal and concert are free. Everyone is invited to attend.
BBQ pulled pork lunch set
St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 335 Locust St., downtown Johnstown, is taking orders for its barbecue pulled pork take-out picnic lunch. Lunches will be available from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 15. The cost is $12 and each meal includes barbecue pulled pork sandwich, macaroni & cheese, coleslaw and two cookies. A vegetarian option (veggie crumbles in BBQ sauce) is available but must be requested when placing the order.
To order, call 814-535-6797 or email stmarks@breezelinebiz.net. The deadline to order is 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 3. Proceeds benefit St. Mark's ministries.
Bible school planned
Riggles Gap Bible Church will host Bible school from 6 to 8:30 p.m. July 27-31. "Pioneers and Prairie Dogs" will have participants traveling to the old West with fun songs, silly skits, snacks, crafts, "Clem Coyote" the puppet, prizes and Bible stories. Bible school is free. The church is at 613 Lear Road, Altoona. For transportation, call the church at 814-946-3376.
Brethren Brass concert
The Brethren Brass will present an outdoor concert at 6 p.m. Sunday, July 26, at Juniata Church of the Brethren, 306 N. Ninth Ave., Altoona. The concert is free.
The group is made up of only brass instruments and members of the group come from different Brethren churches in the Middle Pennsylvania District.
Seating will be provided under the tent in the backyard of the church, but concertgoers are welcome to bring their own chairs and blankets for the grass area.
For more information, contact the church at 814-944-6725.
Gospel group featured
Mercy's Well will provide worship, gospel music and praise during the 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. worship services Aug. 9 at The Well Ministry Center, 605 Burns Ave., Altoona.
Bible conference set
The Central Pennsylvania Bible Conference will conduct its 106th year of ministry during the annual summer session Aug. 2-7 at Altoona Alliance Church, 3220 Pleasant Valley Blvd., Altoona.
This year's theme is "Equipping the Saints for the Work of the Ministry" from Ephesians 4:12.
Speakers will include Dav Kistler with Hope Ministries International, and Kevin Callahan, president of International Partnership Ministries.
The missionary speaker will be Dan Woodring, director of The Way of Truth Ministries International.
Special musicians will include Kelli Moore and Jason Dodson, The Hyssongs, Karen Knight, The Wylers and Stephen Coleman.
Services will be held at 6 p.m. Sunday and at 4 and 7 p.m. Monday through Friday with a meal at 5:30 p.m.
In addition to the adult services, there will be a Children's Conference held during each service led by Maggie Smith of The Way of Truth Ministries God's Truth for Children Ministries. A Youth Rally led by Pastor Tim Binkley of Faith Baptist Church in Salisbury, Maryland, will be held at 3 p.m. Monday, Aug. 3, and 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.
A ladies brunch will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 6, with Karen Knight of Heartsongs Ministries.
The men's breakfast will be held at 8 a.m. Friday, Aug. 7, with speaker Pastor Tim Binkley.
Cost is $7 per person. Reservations can be made for either of the events by calling 814-944-2894.
For further information, call 814-944-2894 or visit the CPBC website at TCPBC.org.
Food pantry available
The food pantry at Twenty-eighth Street Church of the Brethren, 28th Street and Union Avenue, is available for those in need. Distribution will be held from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Friday, July 24, by appointment only. Call Deb by Thursday at 814-207-8293.
Piano concert to be offered
Everett Church of the Brethren will host Nathaniel Maxwell in a piano concert at 2 p.m. Sunday, July 26. The church is at 119 E. Second St., Everett.
Maxwell is a faculty member at The New School of Music Study in Kingston, N.J. He began studying piano at age 6 and later studied with David Heid at Duke University and J. P. Murphy at the University of Oklahoma, where he earned a master's degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy. In 2023, he received the Louis Sudler Prize in the Arts at Duke University and was a prizewinner in the 2024 Donna Turner Smith Piano Competition at the University of Oklahoma. He continues to serve as administrative assistant for the World Youth Wind Project, held in Staufen, Germany, during the summer of 2026. This fall, he will begin doctoral piano studies at the Conservatory of the University of Missouri – Kansas City with Sean Chen while pursuing a secondary master's degree in composition.
His Everett concert will feature Brahms, Chaminade, Khachaturian and more.
DELC partners on karate lessons
Duncansville Evangelical Lutheran Church has partnered with Champion Martial Arts and Master Gates to offer affordable karate instruction to the local youth community.
The new program offers participants the opportunity to develop confidence, discipline, physical fitness and self-defense skills in a supportive and encouraging environment. Classes are held at DELC and are open to area youth interested in learning martial arts regardless of experience level.
Classes meet from 6 to 7 p.m. Mondays and from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Cost is $5 per session.
"This program aligns with our commitment to serving our neighbors and creating opportunities for our area youth to connect and thrive," said Derek Detrich of Duncansville Evangelical Lutheran Church.
Register online at mydelc.org/happenings. For additional information about karate classes or other community programs offered through DELC, visit the church website at mydelc.org or contact the church office at 814-695-0508.
Picnics in the park
The Well Ministry Center is sponsoring Picnics in the Park at Grove Memorial Park, 23rd Street and Sixth Ave., every Tuesday. A meal will be served at 5:15 p.m., followed by games, crafts and a short message of hope. All are welcome. Rain or shine. The Well is located at 605 Burns Ave., Altoona.
Grief support offered
The grief support group meets at 6 p.m. every other Thursday at The Well Ministry Center, 605 Burns Ave., Altoona. The next meeting is Thursday, June 25. This is a safe place to share, heal and find hope and comfort. For more information, call 814-201-2548.
Deadline
Religious organizations are invited to submit upcoming events, special speakers and other items to be published free of charge in Spiritual Notes. Items can be emailed to religion@altoonamirror.com or call Holly at 814-946-7451. Items may also be submitted online through the Mirror's virtual newsroom at vnr.altoonamirror.com. Deadline for submissions is 4 p.m. Mondays.