A fish fry and open microphone gospel sing will be held Friday evening, Sept. 3, at Lee Worship Center, located on Magnolia Drive in Lee. The monthly sings are known as the Grand Ole Gospel Opry.

Anyone who can sing or play an instrument or simply listen is invited to attend the sing, which will feature dynamic artists from the North Florida/South Georgia area.

During intermission, fish will be served. Anyone who can is asked to bring a covered dish with a vegetable or a dessert.

The music will begin at 7 p.m. Everyone is welcome.

The concert is free. A love offering will be accepted.

The Madison Church of God will be selling grilled chicken dinners on Friday, Sept. 3rd. This fundraiser will be helping the Women's Department at the church.

Dinners will sell for $7 a piece and will include light or dark meat grilled chicken, potato salad, a roll and green beans.

Anyone interested in purchasing a dinner and helping out the Madison Church of God can purchase a dinner. They will be selling them at the church also. It is not required to pre-order.

Madison Church of God is located at 771 NE Collin Kelly Hwy.

The Alzheimer's Project, Inc. is excited to announce the arrival of a new support group in Madison.

This support group will meet the first Wednesday of each month beginning Wednesday, September 1. at First United Methodist Church, 348 SW Rutledge St., Madison. They will meet from 11:30 to 1:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall.

The Alzheimer's Project, Inc., a non-profit organization based in Tallahassee, would like to extend a warm supportive welcome to all caregivers.

This support group empowers caregivers with knowledge and information through fellowship and sharing of life experiences with like-minded individuals who are caring for a loved one.

A light lunch will be provided during the meeting. After an initial assessment, respite care is available upon request for their loved ones. All of the services are free of charge. Please call 850-386-2778 to make your reservation for the first visit.

Any questions or comments, please contact Recie Culpepper or Geno Santopadre, The Alzheimer's Project, Inc. at (850) 386-2778 or visit our website at http://www.alzheimersproject.orgg.

A choir from the Lighthouse Children's Home will perform on Sunday evening, Aug. 29, at Mount Olive Baptist Church in Madison.

The girls' choir is well known in the area and performs at different churches, schools and civic events throughout the year.

Everyone is invited to attend the concert, which is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.

There is no charge for the concert. A love offering will be received to benefit the Lighthouse Children's Home in Tallahassee.

Mount Olive Baptist Church is located on Highway 53, south of Madison.

The 55 Plus Club, an outreach ministry of the United Methodist Cooperative Ministries, will start their eighth year of meetings on September 8, at 12 noon. This once a month luncheon meeting (with the exception of July and August) is free of any charges or fees and is open to any area resident 55 years and older. Seniors of all faiths are invited.

The purpose of the 55 Plus Club is to allow seniors to meet for Christian fellowship over lunch, with informative or entertaining programs that have particular interest to seniors.

The 55 Plus Club meets at the United Methodist Community Center which is located about 5 miles north of Madison on Highway 145, at the intersection of 145 and Dill Street.

The eight United Methodist Churches of Madison County, Pine Tree Quilters, and the United Methodist Cooperative Board, all take turns preparing the luncheons for the 10 meetings a year. The hosts generally serve salads, sandwiches, desserts, and a drink. In the winter months, soup and sandwiches have been served, as well as other cold weather food, such as barbecue sandwiches or chicken casserole.

Over the years, the 55 Plus Club has had many interesting programs, including Madison County's previous sheriff speaking about home safety, a fireman speaking about fire prevention, Jay Fraleigh, of Fraleigh Nursery, gave tips on spring gardening, Dan Fenneman, Madison County Extension Agent, gave plants for members gardens.

Teenie (Montene) Cave and Maria Greene spoke about the Treasures of Madison County, and one December there was a song festival led by Debbie Bass. What a fun time that was. Diann Douglas from the Madison County Extension Service had a program on "Grandma's Blue Pie Plate." The 55 Plus Club has had seven years full of a variety of programs.

The first meeting of the eighth year will be a program of exciting news from the Barksdale Foundation, presented by Mary Kay Blume.

The 55 Plus Club first met in September of 2003, when Willis Moore was Chairperson of the board of United Methodist Cooperative Ministries. Margaret Throgmorton was Vice-Chairperson at that time.

This year Ruth Herndon is Chairperson, and will have the pleasure of introducing the new Coordinator of the United Methodist Cooperative Ministries, Deborah Brown of Pinetta.

The program chair for 55 Plus Club is Betty Williams.

Lee United Methodist ladies, who are renowned for being great cooks, will serve the luncheon.

Remember, the date is Wednesday, September 8, at 12 noon, at the United Methodist Community Center on Highway 145.

For more information about 55 Plus Club, or any outreach ministry of the United Methodist Cooperative Ministries, call Deborah Brown at 929-4938.

Jackie Watts has been leading the student ministry at Fellowship Baptist Church for 10 years. He and former pastor, Steve McHargue, worked very closely together during the past several years. However, Fellowship has been searching for months for someone to earn the title of pastor. After a long nine months Fellowship decided that Jackie should be called to be the new pastor.

Jackie and his wife, Tonya, have been married for 17 years. They have two sons Caleb, nine, and Joshua, five. Jackie will no longer be leading the youth group at Fellowship. However, in the past he has taken them on several mission trips and camps. He has made three trips to Haiti as well. The youth group is now being led by some very skilled and talented parents and helpers.

Jackie explains, "We love Fellowship. These people have served us and modeled what it means to follow Jesus. We are humbled and honored to continue serving alongside these precious people."

As for the future plans for Fellowship, "We want to build on what Fellowship has been about in the past. We realize that life is all about the relationships, loving God, and loving people.

We are excited about the future of Fellowship and the entire body of Christ in Madison, as together we share and show the news of Jesus to valuable people."

Midway Church of God will celebrate a Southern tradition on Saturday, August 7, that goes back almost 150 years. The custom has only been celebrated at the church for the past 26 years, as people enjoy soft drinks, sweet tea and boiled peanuts.

Peanuts are believed to have first been boiled by Confederate soldiers after Gen. William Sherman marched the Union army south and destroyed many crops, storehouses and homes. Needing something to survive on, they discovered the peanuts were for more than feeding hogs. They discovered ways to roast them and boil them. Then, someone discovered that you could add salt to the peanuts. Not only did that preserve the boiled peanuts for up to seven days, it made them even tastier. Confederate soldiers from Georgia became known as "goober grabbers." Goober grabbers live on today in the south, only they are no longer soldiers but those who love the protein-rich peanut.

Many believe that there is nothing tastier than boiled peanuts, unless it's free boiled peanuts, and free is what they will be at the peanut boil. Anyone can enjoy as many as they want to eat, along with sweet or unsweetened tea, soft drinks, water and delicious desserts specially prepared by the ladies of the church.

Elvoye Thomas coordinates the peanut boil each year. He and his crew will be cooking up the peanuts for all the "goober grabbers" in attendance.

Thomas has also invited the Singing Reflectsons, a crowd favorite, who have a distinctive Southern gospel sound.

The peanut boil will begin at 6 p.m.

Midway Church of God is located at 2485 SE Midway Church Drive in Lee, just off County Road 255, south of Interstate 10, Lee exit, or just off Highway 53, south of Interstate 10, Madison exit, down the road from Midway Baptist Church.

For more information, call (850) 971-0078.

Financial peace is something that many hope to attain, but it eludes them. According to financial wizard Dave Ramsey, peace can be attained. Applying Biblical principles, Ramsey teaches a course entitled Financial Peace University.

Financial Peace University will be taught at Midway Church of God, which will be held beginning Aug. 22. The cost of the course is $99.

Joanna Fortner Neely, who along with her mother, Betty Fortner, will facilitate the course, points out that the cost is minimal. She compares it to skipping eating out once a week.

Couples or families can also opt in at the $99 price.

The course is a 12-week course, which includes a bonus week, making it really a 13-week course.

The course includes free CDs, budget sheets, money envelopes and a plethora of other useful tools.

If anyone would like to register for the class, please call Pastor Retis Flowers at (850) 971-0078.

Among those delivering quilts to Madison Nursing Center were, left to right, Jeanette Mitchell, Mae Irby, Irene Rowell, Paul Rowell, Ila Willis, and Margaret Throgmorton.

The Quilt Project began as a mission effort to provide quilts and comforters to needy individuals in nursing home facilities in Madison County. The United Methodist Cooperative Ministries captured the vision and provided start up funding for the project. Local Methodist churches in Madison County have been contributing through donations and individual member contributions. The Pine Tree Quilters, along with other individuals, are busy making quilts for giving to the residents of the nursing homes. The Woman's Club of Madison and several community members have either given a quilt or donated funds to the cooperative to purchase quilts. To purchase or make a contribution for the quilting project or any outreach ministry of the United Methodist Cooperative please call Deborah Brown at (850) 929-4938. The Community Center for the United Methodist Cooperative is located on Highway 145 (Valdosta Highway) about five miles north of Madison, Florida. The Methodist Cooperative strives to serve senior citizens and those in need through their Thrift Shop, Brown Bag Food Ministry, Food Voucher Program, Benevolence Funds, Pine Tree Quilters, and other acts of ministry. The mission is to provide an evangelical witness to the community and to be obedient to the commandments of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in serving others.

The United Methodist Cooperative Ministry will move forward in August and September distributing quilts to the residents at Lake Park of Madison. Carson and Gladney Cherry, Jim Catron, Doris Hidy, and Frances Mercer will lead the distribution of quilts at Lake Park of Madison Nursing. If you are interested in volunteering to visit and help deliver quilts to residents of the nursing home, please call Deborah Brown at (850) 929-4938.