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Faith

Community Good Friday Service Returns at Banner Elk Presbyterian April 18

April 2, 2025 A Tenebrae Service of music will be held on Good Friday, April 18, 2025, at 6 PM at the historic Banner Elk Presbyterian Church. The community is invited to join a powerful service of readings and songs entitled “Witnesses” with reflections from people who had interactions with Jesus. Meditations and scripture will be paired with music by the adult choir, handbell choir, soloists and guest musicians. The music, led by Choral Director Nina Allbert and Organist/Pianist David Soyars, will include “Agnus Dei” from High Lonesome (Bluegrass) Mass and beautiful arrangements of “When Jesus Wept”, “More Love to Thee”, and many more. Dr. Janet Speer wrote the powerful readings.

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Boone Woman Plans Return Trip To Care for Abandoned Children in South Africa

January 8, 2025. For McKenna Gragg, nearly half a year in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2024 was not enough. After an “amazing opportunity” to volunteer in a children’s home, she is planning to return, this time for even longer. “I’m thrilled to share that I will be returning to South Africa in February,” Gragg shared. “I had such an incredible experience there last year, and now the Lord has put it on my heart to go back and serve again for a longer stay. A native and lifelong resident of Boone, Gragg shared that Door of Hope Children’s Mission is a Christian nonprofit organization that has been in operation for 25 years and has saved over 1900 infants from abandonment. The facility houses an average of 50 children at any given time, from newborns to preschool age. By Sherrie Norris `

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Amish Volunteers Come To Boone To Help With Post-Helene Recovery Project

December 23, 2024  The Amish have long been known and respected for their workmanship, and many of us have seen them in their element while visiting Ohio’s Holmes County and the Lancaster, Pennsylvania area. But, to see Amish on the streets of Boone raised more than a passing glance for passers-by in the Perkinsville community earlier this week. In a move coordinated by Andy Owens — who recently established a base camp for Helene recovery volunteers in the Meat Camp area of Watauga County — 62 members of the central Pennsylvania Amish community came to town to build 12 sheds which can be used as tiny homes. These structures will soon be delivered to local individuals and families who were displaced by the storm. By Sherrie Norris

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Crossnore Center for Trauma Resilient Communities and Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church Partner for New Initiative

December 6, 2024 Crossnore Communities for Children’s Center for Trauma Resilient Communities and the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church have partnered on a new initiative called “Building Healing-Centered Faith Communities.” The new initiative has a goal of creating safe church communities to offer a stable path for hope, healing, and mutual care in Western North Carolina. Created and developed by Crossnore using its renowned trauma-informed work in the service of children and families, the Center for Trauma Resilient Communities (CTRC) supports organizations using the science of trauma resilience to build healthy and healing environments for their staff, volunteers, and the children, families, and communities they serve.

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Festive Community Carol Sing Returns to Banner Elk Dec. 7 at the Banner Elk Presbyterian Church

November 18, 2024 On Saturday, December 7, 2024, at 3 PM, join a joyous sing-along of familiar Christmas carols in the sanctuary of the historic Banner Elk Presbyterian Church. The fourth annual Community Carol Sing is a 45-minute casual service that includes a dozen favorite songs, ranging from “White Christmas” to “Joy to the World”, for all ages to enjoy. To allow the audience to rest their voices occasionally, the Lees-McRae Highlanders, church choir and soloists will sing beloved classics including O Holy Night, Rocking Around the Christmas Tree and a jazzy Deck the Halls.

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Drop-Off Locations Open for Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child

November 18, 2024 It starts today! Multiple locations serving Boone​​​​ participants are opening to collect shoebox gifts—filled with fun toys, school supplies and personal care items—for Operation Christmas Child. Children in need are being blessed this Christmas season through the Samaritan’s Purse project, Operation Christmas Child. Individuals, families and groups have the opportunity to pack a shoebox gift filled with fun toys, school supplies, and personal care items and drop them off now during National Collection Week, Nov. 18 – 25. There are more than 4,700 drop-off locations open around the country.

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2024 Blowing Rock Tour of Homes Grants over $90,000 to 32 Local Groups

September 26, 2024 Thirty-two local non-profit organizations serving the High Country will share the $90,250 net proceeds from this year’s 66 th annual Blowing Rock Tour of Homes. The St. Mary of the Hills Outreach Committee received over $182,000 in requests from programs serving those in need, demonstrating that the work of the many volunteers who pitched in to make this year’s Tour a resounding success is more urgent than ever. The programs feed the hungry, clothe the needy, provide shelter and sanctuary, offer educational and recovery services, and care for children. Fr. Andrew Hege announced the grants saying, “We are called by the Gospel to care for those who need us, and the Tour provides one way to answer that call.”

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Boone United Methodist Church Hosting Annual Bazaar Sept. 20-21

September 18, 2024 The annual Fall Bazaar at Boone United Methodist Church in Boone is just hours away and is an event you don’t want to miss. “Not just another rummage sale,” the bazaar draws thousands of folks from miles around each year and always has a long line waiting for the doors to open to the church’s family life center. This year, the fun begins on Friday, Sept, 20, (7:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.) and continues on Saturday, Sept. 21 (7:30 a.m. – 11 a.m.) After months of planning and preparation, the serious countdown began earlier this week with the church family moving items from storage, arranging, pricing and taking care of last-minute prep for another great fundraiser. By Sherrie Norris

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Wayne Benfield Memorial Benefit to be held Saturday, September 21 at Crossnore First Baptist Church Family Center in Avery County

September 17, 2024 The twelfth annual Wayne Benfield Memorial Benefit will be held Saturday, September 21 from 3:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. at the Crossnore First Baptist Church Family Center, located at 220 East Crossnore Drive (just a half mile off U.S. Highway 221) in the Crossnore Township of Avery County.  Everyone is welcome to attend.As in the previous Memorial Benefits, it will support an Avery County community member or members in need. There is no set cost to attend, but donations will be accepted at the door that covers music, food and drink, and fellowship with others, of which all are offered at the Memorial Benefit. Proceeds generated at this year’s Memorial Benefit will be given to cancer patient Haley Carroll, to pay toward her massive medical bills.  Carroll is battling triple-negative breast cancer, and with her diagnosis came extremely high bills due to her many medical appointments and related expenses. By Tim Gardner

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Award Winning Christian Worship Leader, Singer, Songwriter, Travis Cottrell, Coming Home for Benefit Concert on September 27

September 5, 2024 For three decades, Boone native Travis Cottrell has risen in the ranks in the world of contemporary Christian music, and is coming home again for a good cause. On Friday, September 27, Cottrell will appear in concert at Alliance Bible Fellowship in Boone as a fundraiser for The Hope Center of Boone. Excitement is building around Cottrell’s return to his hometown and those closest to the event realize what a unique opportunity it is to have him back on a local stage. In a recent interview with Cottrell, High Country Press was reminded that, regardless of the time and distance between Boone and his current residence in the Nashville area, that he will always have a special place in his heart for the High Country. By Sherrie Norris

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St. Mary of the Hills Brings Trio to Next Summer Concert on Sunday, August 11 at 3 pm

Join the Friends of Music at St. Mary of the Hills for a lovely afternoon tour of musical poetry this Sunday, August 11, at 3 pm. Alicia Chapman, oboe, Eric Koontz, viola, and pianist Mi-Jin Kim will present a program they’re calling Loeffler, Bax, Manet, a Spirit and the Moon, the next performance in the St. Mary’s Summer Concert Series. Music for this concert includes Deux Rhapsodies (1905) by Loeffler, Silvestrini’s Le Ballet Espagñol, Gluck’s Dance of the Blessed Spiritsfrom Orfeo ed Eurydice, and Claire de Luneby Debussy

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Volunteers With World Changers: They Came, They Conquered and Made an Indelible Mark Upon High Country 

July 26, 2024 A large group of youngsters and their leaders converged upon the High Country in mid-July with a mission in mind — and they departed a week later satisfied that they had made a difference. That’s the word from Boone’s own Daniel and Katie Machon who coordinated a volunteer community service project through the nonprofit organization known as World Changers. Having been part of World Changers since middle and high school themselves, the Machon couple had long hoped to host the organization in a town they called home. And they were finally able to do just that after living in Boone for the last several years. By Sherrie Norris

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St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church’s 66th Blowing Rock Tour of Homes Great Success

August 1, 2024 St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church announces a successful 66 th Annual Blowing Rock Tour of Homes, thanks to the countless hours of volunteers from around Watauga County and beyond who donated Timeless Treasures, baked fabulous cakes, cookies and pies, drove, guided, arranged flowers, served lunches, organized, sold, and cleaned, as well as the four families who so graciously opened their lovely homes for over a thousand visitors from across North Carolina and beyond.

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The Flood Brothers Musical Revue Coming to Banner Elk Presbyterian Church on August 25

August 1, 2024 Another “concert with a cause” is coming to Banner Elk Presbyterian Church on Sunday, August 25, at 3 p.m. The Flood Brothers, written and performed by local talents John Thomas Oaks and Rev. Dr. Tommy Oaks, is a humorous musical revue about the Biblical story of Noah. In the show, Noah’s sons Shem and Japheth sing about their dad’s mission from God—building the Ark. The audience will enjoy the journey with laughter, original blues music and new insights. Admission is free, and donations will be collected for student scholarships at a Guatemalan church aptly named for the Ark.

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ServeNC To Have Local Impact as Area Churches Join in On Statewide Project August 3 – 10

July 24, 2024 For a number of years, churches within the Three Forks Baptist Association have come together for designated days of community service. For 2024, what has been known as High Country Impact is joining with a statewide emphasis called ServeNC. And no one is more excited about the combined effort than Wesley Smith, Executive Director at TFBA. “We currently have 12 churches in our association that have signed up to join over 1,000 NC Baptist churches in serving our communities for this event,” he said. And it’s all happening locally August 3-10. As an example, Smith said, “Mount Vernon Baptist Church is doing several projects that week, one of which is serving the Bradford Park Community.” By Sherrie Norris

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“Best of Broadway” Concert Coming to Banner Elk Presbyterian Church Sunday, June 9

May 20, 2024 Broadway comes to life in Banner Elk with a fun afternoon of beloved songs from popular musicals. The “Best of Broadway” concert fundraiser on Sunday, June 9, at 3 PM will be performed inside the historic sanctuary of Banner Elk Presbyterian Church. Admission is free, and donations will be collected for their Preschool. Familiar faces from Lees-McRae Summer Theatre and the Banner Elk Presbyterian Choir sing songs from Oklahoma, Annie Get Your Gun, Mame, Shrek, The Secret Garden, Fiddler on the Roof, Hamilton, Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, Pippin, Little Shop of Horrors and others. The cast of extraordinary local talents include Nina Allbert, Jarrett Koski, Kristin Lutzeier, Rob Toler, Janet Speer, Laura Russell, Rob Dingman and Pat Anderson. Accompanist will be Dr. Michael Hannah.

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St. Mary of the Hills Announces Summer Concert Series; Kicks Off on May 26th

May 14, 2024 St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church is pleased to announce an exciting and diverse series of Sunday afternoon summer concerts featuring local and AppState musicians every month through October. Sponsored by the Friends of Music at St. Mary’s, the season kicks off on May 26th with the genre-bending group ‘High Country Improv Collective’ – an eclectic group of musicians promising a fun performance that has been described as “a crazy, beautiful, musical experience…an afternoon of spontaneous musical exploration.”  The group includes Karen Caldwell on vocals, Jim Banks – trumpet and flugelhorn, Rob Falvo – percussion, Jim Lodin – Piano, Harold McKinney – trombone, and Cindy Tate-Gibson – accordion. Prepare to be entertained and surprised!

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Largest in Its History: Crossnore Communities for Children Receives $5 Million Anonymous Pledge

May 10, 2024 Crossnore Communities for Children has received a $5 million anonymous pledge—the largest gift in the organization’s more than 110-year history. The gift will go toward Crossnore’s $41 million comprehensive campaign to expand and enhance where children served by the organization live, learn, and heal and will be specifically used for a trauma-informed charter school in Winston-Salem. The $5 million gift requires Crossnore to secure an additional $3 million in matching funds for its charter school. The matching gifts must be made with a minimum of $500,000 or more per individual commitment

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The Only Moravian Ministry of Northwestern North Carolina Now Owns its Building


April 1, 2024 The Moravian Church Southern Province (MCSP) is excited to share they have successfully acquired the deed to the home of Mountain Laurel Moravian Fellowship at 2055 Peak Creek Church Rd, Laurel Springs, NC. The MCSP would like to congratulate the Mountain Laurel Fellowship in this milestone! As the only Moravian congregational presence in the northwestern mountains of North Carolina (Alleghany, Ashe, Watauga, and Wilkes counties), they are an engaged, inclusive church community that thrives in His presence, in support of one another and in the communities they serve. The Mountain Laurel Moravian Fellowship began in the early 2000s as a gathering of just a few Moravian families who wanted to continue their worship traditions despite no longer living near a Moravian church.

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Community Good Friday Service Returns at Banner Elk Presbyterian Church on March 29

March 13, 2024 A Tenebrae Service will be held on Good Friday, March 29, 2024, at 6 PM at the historic Banner Elk Presbyterian Church. The community is invited to join a powerful service of readings and songs entitled “7 Last Words”. Christ’s final words will be represented through scripture, meditations and poetry paired with music by the adult choir, handbell choir, soloists, organist and cellist. “Many artists and theologians have addressed the last seven phrases Christ spoke from the cross,” says Dr. Janet Speer, writer for the service. “These words amaze us in their poignancy. Not only are they informative about the brutal crucifixion, but they expand into lessons to be applied to our lives.”

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App State Gospel Choir Uplifts Campus and Local Community Through Song

February 28, 2024 For nearly 50 years, members of the Gospel Choir at Appalachian State University have been uplifting the campus and local community through song in the Black religious tradition. According to hundreds of its alumni, the choir serves as more than just an elective course for students; it’s a vehicle for cultural expression and a welcoming family that provides a sense of home. Established in 1976 as part of App State’s Black Expo Week, the choir was formed by retired App State Chief Diversity Officer Dr. Willie Fleming ’80 ’84, who was a first-year student at the time, along with his friends and App State alumni Daisy Logan Hoyle ’77 and Daryll Howell ’78. They wanted to help inform the campus community about African American cultural traditions during a strained time in American history, Fleming said.

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Blowing Rock’s St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church Sponsors Concert in Honor of Black History Month on February 18th

February 6, 2024  The Friends of Music at St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church is sponsoring “Wake and Forget, Dream and Remember: A Concert in Honor of Black History Month” on Sunday, February 18 that 6 pm. The concert showcases a broad spectrum of music by black composers from the familiar spiritual Deep River to traditional settings of the Nunc dimmittis by Samuel Coleridge Taylor and Ave Mariaby Nathaniel Dett, as well as lesser-known music by Florence Price, Moses Hogan, and Harry Burleigh.

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“Christmas Comes to the Mountains:” Musical Celebration Offers Four Presentations at Two Locations in Boone Dec. 3

November 30, 2023 Mount Vernon Baptist Church of Boone loves to take its message outside the walls of brick and mortar — and it’s especially true during this Christmas season. Among the church’s numerous outreach programs this year is the upcoming premiere of “Christmas Comes to the Mountains,” a unique presentation celebrating the birth of Jesus.Following months of preparation and long hours of rehearsals by the church choir and orchestra, the celebration will be offered not only during three separate occasions at the church, but also during the Christmas on King Street event at the Appalachian Theatre.  By Sherrie Norris

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Joyous Community Carol Sing Returns to Banner Elk Presbyterian Church

November 14, 2023 On Saturday, December 2, 2023, at 3 PM, join a festive sing-along of familiar Christmas carols in the sanctuary of the historic Banner Elk Presbyterian Church. The third annual Community Carol Sing is a 45-minute casual service that includes a dozen favorite songs, ranging from White Christmas to Joy to the World, that all ages will enjoy. Last year, a capacity crowd joined in enthusiastic singing.To allow the audience to rest their voices occasionally, the Lees-McRae Highlanders, church choir and soloists will sing beloved classics including O Holy Night and Jingle Bell Rock. The singing is led by the church Choral Director Nina Allbert and Pianist/Organist David Soyars. 

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