Tamaqua Seniors

The Tamaqua Senior Citizens met Feb. 20 at the Tamaqua YMCA with 50 members in attendance. The vice president opened the meeting with the reading “I Said a Prayer for You Today.”

New member David Houser was given a warm welcome. Birthdays for October, November, December, January and February will be celebrated at the next meeting.

The group is open to anyone 55 or older, meeting at 1 p.m. every Thursday at the YMCA. The next meeting will be held on Feb. 27.

Calvary Lewistown

Pastor Ralph Saunders will officiate at the 10:25 a.m. worship service this Sunday in Calvary Evangelical Methodist Church in the Lewistown Valley. Sunday school classes are held at 9:15 a.m. Evening praise and Bible study will be at 6:30 p.m.

Calvary is participating in the Lenten services of the New Ringgold Ministerium each Wednesday through Eater. The March 4 service is at Frieden’s Lutheran Church, New Ringgold at 7:15 p.m.

Primitive Methodist

Pastor Rick Clemson will officiate at the 10:45 a.m. worship service this Sunday in American Primitive Methodist Church. Sunday school classes are held at 9:30 a.m. Sunday evening service will be at the Hometown Nursing Center at 6:30 p.m.

Every Thursday from 7 to 8:15 p.m. Hope In The Mountains Nar-Anon Family Group meets at 57 Hunter St. If you have questions or are interested in attending these meetings, contact Mark at 570-952-5098.

St. John Lutheran

The Rev. Phyllis Wolford will officiate at the 9:15 a.m. Sunday service in St. John’s Lutheran Church with Holy Communion. Sunday school/confirmation classes are held at 10:30 a.m.

Activities for the next week include: Monday, worship and music at 3:15 p.m.; Wednesday, midweek Lenten service at Zion at 7 p.m.; March 5, angel choir at 6 p.m., shepherd choir at 6:30 p.m. chancel choir at 7:30 p.m.; March 8 bell practice at 8 a.m.

Soup and fellowship

A free soup and fellowship time follows the 5:30 p.m. service at Zion Lutheran Church on Saturday. Zion’s Saturday service is a relaxed service featuring a mix of contemporary Christian music and traditional hymns. All are welcome to the service and fellowship time.

Zion Lutheran is located at the corner of Mauch Chunk and Greenwood streets in Tamaqua. For more details about Zion, visit its Facebook page or its website, www.ziontamaqua.com.

DAV representative

A Disabled American Veteran Department service officer will be available Wednesday at the Tamaqua Borough to meet with any disabled veterans from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m., no appointment necessary. Meetings are held the first Wednesday of every month.

Hometown Heroes

Following the popularity of the 2013 and 2017 banner programs, the Tamaqua Area Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce a new Hometown Heroes banner program for 2020. The new Hometown Heroes program is intended to honor any local hometown hero who has provided beneficial service to the Tamaqua area. These heroes may include first responders, organization volunteers, civic leaders, active military, veterans and may be living or deceased.

Banners will be displayed on available poles throughout downtown Tamaqua. Banners are constructed of heavy weight, outdoor vinyl with slits to minimize wind damage. We cannot guarantee a specific location for placement of any banner. The banners will be displayed for two years.

Cost per banner: $200 cash, check or credit accepted. Checks should be payable to: Tamaqua Area Chamber of Commerce.

Application/photo submission deadline is March 1 with a target date for banner installation of May 31.

Photo requirements: Digital image preferred as AI, EPS, PSD, PDF, WMF, DOC, PUB, TIF, BMP, JPG or GIF. Digital file should be less than 5 MB. Hard copy photos also accepted.

Completed and signed photo release form required with submission of photo.

Go to https://tamaqua.net for a 2020 banner application.

The banners will remain property of the Tamaqua Area Chamber of Commerce while displayed. The banner can be returned to the purchaser at the end of the program.

Additionally, the chamber will begin returning the 2017 banners to their rightful owners this week. Banners may be picked up at the chamber office located at 37 W. Broad St. in Tamaqua during our new regular business hours. We are now open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. You may also contact the Tamaqua Area Chamber of Commerce at 570-668-1880, or by email at chamber@tamaqua.net to arrange for pickup. Please contact the Tamaqua Area Chamber of Commerce office with any questions.

Trinity Church

Trinity United Church of Christ, 22 Lafayette St., will hold a fish bake every Friday in Lent beginning on Feb. 28. Takeouts are available by calling 570-668-4630. Offerings include baked haddock, deviled crabcakes, cod fish cake or baked chicken, stewed tomatoes, baked potato, coleslaw, macaroni and cheese, dessert and beverage. Dinners will run from 4 to 6:30 p.m.

A workshop for ordained and lay church leaders based on the book “Autopsy of a Deceased Church.” The workshop is sponsored by the Tamaqua Ministerial Association and the Tamaqua Area Faith Fellowship Network. The program begins at 10 a.m. and ends at 2 p.m. Lunch is provided. Seating is limited so please register as quickly as possible at gtay200@verizon.net or by calling 570-668-4451 and provide your name, organization, number attending and contact information. Registration closes March 11. A free will offering will be taken toward the lunch and honorarium for the speaker.

Meeting canceled

The March 2 meeting has been canceled. The next meeting will be April 6. Dinner will be at 6 p.m. on your own at Basile’s Italian Restaurant in Hometown. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. For more information, call 610-704-7288.

Zion Lewistown

Pastor Jim Williams will officiate at the 10:30 a.m. service this Sunday in Zion Church, Lewistown Valley. Sunday school classes will meet at 9:15 a.m.

The guild is scheduled to meet March 5 at 6:30 p.m. and there will be an open house for Zion Valley Christian Preschool on March 12 from 6 to 8 p.m.

Bethany EC

The Rev. Kevin Roberts will officiate at the 8, 9:30 and 11 a.m. worship services this Sunday in Bethany Evangelical Congregational Church. Sunday life groups are held at 9:30 a.m.

Activities for the next week include: Monday, Women’s step study, 5:30 p.m., Men’s step study, 5:45 p.m., Celebrate recovery, 6:30 p.m.; Wednesday, Junior membership, 6:30 p.m., TYM Remix, 6:30 p.m., worship practice 8 p.m.; March 5, Membership Matters life group at 6:30 p.m.

To submit information for this column, contact Susan Eckhart at 570-668-1250 or seckhart@tnonline.com. Contact the Times News at 800-443-0377 or tneditor@tnonline.com.