WHAT: Mayor’s New Year’s Community Prayer Service
WHEN: 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 11
WHERE: First United Methodist Church, 102 N. Second St., Temple
-
The party’s over, but the spirit of the New Year remains.
We’re still wishing each other a prosperous and healthy 2009.
Mayor of Temple Bill Jones III said he wants no less for the city he oversees. Alongside several others, he will express the sentiments at the annual New Year’s community prayer service. The hour-long service is set for 3 p.m. Sunday at First United Methodist Church in Temple.
Any offerings collected will benefit the New Generation Voices of Praise Community Choir, a non-denominational praise and worship youth group that organized in November 2008. Its 25 members range in age from 7 to 23.
“Proceeds will benefit a scholarship program for the youth,” said Arcynthia Louie, choir director and founder.
The New Generation choir will provide the special music at Sunday’s service alongside the Belton Madrigal and the choir from Eighth Street Baptist Church in Temple.
“We’re very excited to be participating in the program,” Ms. Louie said. “Everybody’s real excited, especially the youngsters. After singing for the veterans at Christmastime, they say they want to go perform all the time.”
Sunday’s service won’t just be about song, though. Scripture readings and prayers over different aspects of the community will compose the bulk of the program. The theme will be “The Power of Prayer.”
Prayer categories will include: Churches and missions, the government, business, military, media and school and youth. And scheduled speakers are Jones, Belton Mayor Jim Covington, State Rep. Ralph Sheffield, the Rev. Elwyn Johnson, Lay Minister Johnel Louie, the Rev. Roscoe Harrison, Pastor Pat Dietrich, Dr. Charles Maze, the Rev. Steve Cannon of J.A.I.L. Ministry, Dr. Jay Brown, Belton Mayor Pro Temp Marion Grayson, Jeannette Kelley, Minister Linell Davis, Craig Pearson, Col. Sean Ryan, Lee Peterson, John Alaniz, Ashley Goudeu of KCEN-TV, Carroll Wilson of the Temple Telegram and Father Tom Chamberlain.
Former mayors Keifer Marshall of Temple and Bill Holmes of Belton initiated the annual community prayer in 1999 with the development of C.A.R.E. Network of Bell County.
The mayors’ aim was to unite Temple and Belton and expand their pool of community resources, services and volunteers.
