Your source for news and information since August 1999

I'd like to welcome our newest members to the network, the Volunteer Center of the Lehigh Valley, Second Baptist Church of Bethlehem PA and the Tri-City African-American Chamber of Commerce.

We kick-off March 2005 at 8:00pm tonight with a Soulful bang when the legendary 'Average White Band' and 'Tower of Power' take the stage at the State Theater in Easton. Tickets are still available

On Friday and Saturday, the Second Baptist Church of Bethlehem will host their first Men's Conference entitled "Adam, where Art Thou?" Special guest pastor and former Lehigh Valley Native, Ray A. Barnard, of Impacting Your World Christian Center will provide the events worship service Friday at 7:00pm.

Also, does your organization need good volunteers? The Volunteer Center of the Lehigh Valley has just graduated the 'Project Blue Print Class of 2004' and is gearing up for the 2005 class. This is an excellent resource for organizations looking to secure and or cultivate their current volunteer base.

Our Community Web Links section has several new links related to business development, education and world News. Remember, tell a neighbor, tell a friend and be sure to let them know, you saw it in LV BNN!

Support the organizations and businesses that support LV BNN. Enjoy this Edition.

Kevin Easterling

Founder & Publisher Lehigh Valley Black News Network

Second Baptist Church, of Bethlehem PA, is honored to host their first Men's Conference on Friday, March 11 and Saturday, March 12. Our special guest preacher for Friday, March 11th will be Pastor Ray Barnard

The conference is two days. Friday is the worship service (free and open to public) with Pastor Ray and the Saturday session is three workshops starting at 9:00 am-1:00 pm. Workshop speakers are Pastor Dave Jones, Life Church, Allentown, PA; Pastor Jim Rivera, City Limits Church, Allentown, PA, and Conference Host, Pastor Edward A. Thompson, Second Baptist Church, Bethlehem, PA.

Join with your fellow man to explore who you are and who God calls you to be.

Exploring Who are you? Pastor Edward Thompson Conference Host, Second Baptist Church Bethlehem Exploring What are you? Pastor Jim Rivera, City Limits Church Allentown, PA Exploring Where are you? Pastor Dave Jones Life Church, Allentown, PA Saturday Workshop Registration: $15:00/man (includes lunch) Men under age 18 FREE Register & Info: Deacon Dwayne Jones: 484-347- 2486 or Church: 610-691-9783

Join the legendary soul band Tower of Power and world-renowned Average White Band at the State Theatre in Easton for a one-night show slated to take place on Wednesday, March 9 at 8:00 PM.

Average White Band, formed over 30 years ago, today remains one of the most sampled bands in history. Average White Band's recognized sound is based in the soulful sound of the 1960s, often found in cities such as Memphis, Detroit and Philadelphia. The band's breakout single, "Pick Up the Pieces" reached the top of the pop and R&B charts in 1975. Most recently, Average White Band has toured with Hall & Oates and Michael McDonald on the "Rock 'n Soul 2004 Revue." The band released its latest studio album, Living in Colour in the spring of 2003 and has been utilized by today's artists, including Janet Jackson, Bobby Brown, TLC and P. Diddy.

Tower of Power, a pre-eminent funk and soul band, is a prototype for today's retro-swing genre of music and the band has made a name for itself always giving a high-energy performance. The band is known for its upfront, center-stage brass ensemble and has been featured by such artists as Rod Stewart, Phish, Elton John and the Eurhythmics.

Tickets for Tower of Power and Average White Band are available for $42 and $36.50 and can be obtained by visiting the State Theatre Box Office at 453 Northampton Street in Easton; by calling 1-800-999- STATE (610-252-3132) or the 24-hour Credit Card Hotline (610) 991-STATE; or via the Internet at www.statetheatre.org.

Announcements: Sunday, March 20, 2005 Pastor's 31st Anniversary Celebration Honoring our Pastors, Pastors Fred and Juanita Davis 4:00 p.m. Guest Speaker - Pastor Frederick C. Johnson, Christ Baptist Church, Burlington, NJ For more information, please call 610.252.5640

Saturday, March 26-Wednesday, March 30 2005Greater Shiloh Church presents ETERNITY, March 26-30, 2005. Admission is FREE. The doors will open each night at 6:30 p.m. There is also a special Resurrection Sunday morning performance at the 10:00 a.m. service.

"ETERNITY" is an intense dramatic presentation of the Gospel that shows the reality of life after death. Heaven or Hell? This play was birthed out of City Bible Church in Portland, Oregon in 1995 and already more than two million people have seen this play. "ETERNITY" has traveled both nationally and internationally to Australia, South Africa, Mexico, and New Zealand just to name a few. "ETERNITY" comes alive with state of the art sound, staging, and lighting.

Hidden Treasures Stop by and experience Hidden Treasures! Enjoy guilt- free shopping, never-ending sales, and a variety of clothing, accessories, housewares, and much more. Someone will always serve you with a smile. Shop till' you drop at Hidden Treasure Thrift Store. Located at 416 Canal Street in Easton, PA. Open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:00am to 5:00pm. Donations welcome. For more information call 610.438.4115.

In 2005, the YWCA of Bethlehem will celebrate the 30th Anniversary of its annual Women and Teens of the Year Awards Dinner. Every March, to celebrate Women's History Month, the YWCA of Bethlehem honors local women and teens for their outstanding contributions to our community. The 2005 Women and Teens of the Year Awards Dinner is scheduled for March 30th at 6pm at the Holiday Inn East Gateway Conference Center on 512.

The YWCA of Bethlehem is holding its 30th Annual Great Decisions Foreign Affairs Lecture Series on March 2, March 9, March 16, March 23 and March 30 from 11:30am-1pm at Kirkland Village, Bethlehem.

Save the Date and Your Appetite too: April 30th YWCA National Day of Commitment to Eliminate Racism Forum from 11am-2pm at the YWCA of Bethlehem.

Intercultural Reading Circle: A book club that gives community members an opportunity to participate in intellectual dialogue, where people of all racial and ethnical backgrounds sit down together to discuss selected books on race-related topics. The reading circle also helps to create new friendships and offers an intimate way for individuals of diverse backgrounds to better understand each other. Possible Books Include: My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok, Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington,.The Tortilla Curtain by T.C. Boyle To learn more about these programs and events call the YWCA of Bethlehem at 610-867-4669 or email at flordelisa@ywcabethlehem.org.

We have gone from ashes to a firm foundation. We would love to share with you the awesome work that God has done. Please join us as we celebrate the restoration of the church and the awesome God we serve.

Rev. Leslie E. Wilson, Pastor and the members of St. James A.M.E. Zion Church cordially invite you to celebrate with us.

We are asking that you please r.s.v.p. so we can prepare enough food for you. Please contact Pam Riddick at depamel@ptd.net or Gayle Tanner at gayletanner00@aol.com

Saturday, April 9, 2005 Program & Open House begins at 3pm.

Project Blueprint is a minority volunteer development program coordinated by the Volunteer Center of the Lehigh Valley. It is designed to help nonprofit organizations in the Lehigh Valley become more inclusive, responsive and reflective of the culturally diverse communities that they serve. The goal of the Project Blueprint Program is to accelerate involvement of African American, Asian, Hispanic and Native American volunteers to become policy makers on agency boards and committees.

The upcoming training is scheduled for five Monday evenings starting April 4th from 6:30 - 8:30 PM at the American Red Cross Building. It covers topics which relate to board membership and leadership skills including: the roles and responsibilities of a board member, understanding nonprofit finances and legal issues, analyzing communication styles, and how to choose the right board. Representatives of Lehigh Valley nonprofit agencies will familiarize participants with what is going on in the nonprofit sector in the Valley today and will offer their insights into why they want diversity on their boards.

There is no fee for this program but registration is required. The deadline for registration is March 23, 2005.

Become a Project Blueprint volunteer! Join with others to share your experiences and concerns to make positive change in your community.

For more information or to register, contact the Volunteer Center of the Lehigh Valley at 610-807- 0336 or vc@volunteerlv.org

The Women of Excellence Ministry of Greater Shiloh Church presents a Mother's Day Tea "Exceptional Women of God" Focusing on Spiritual Wellness 12:00 noon at Greater Shiloh Church 220 Brother Thomas Bright Avenue Easton, PA 18042 Tickets are $20 per person

For more information, please call 610.252.5640

G.W.C.Y.L. is a Christian support group for recovering alcoholics and addicts. We share our experience, strength and hope with one another to help solve our common problem and to enhance our personal relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We use God's Word and the Twelve Steps of Recovery, believing that Scripture and the Twelve Steps are important healing tools. If we regularly apply these tools to our lives, we open ourselves to God's healing love and grace.

Monday Nights 7:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Greater Shiloh Church Shiloh Enrichment Center 548 Canal Street Easton, PA

Thursday Nights 7:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. St. Paul's Lutheran Church 8th & Walnut Streets Allentown, PA

For more information, call (610) 252-5640 or 610) 653-9494. Announcements:

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Lehigh Valley Black News Network www.lvbnn.com is an informative eNewsletter designed to inform you about events and information related to the connection and inclusion of Black / African American communities throughout the Lehigh Valley and the State of Pennsylvania.

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