8

Volume 15; Issue 6 Rev. Dr. Atu O. White, Pastor November 2013

12 MONTHS OF PRAYER

& FOCUS

We have prayed each month for one of twelve areas:

January: "Gratitude"

February: "Forgiveness"

March: "Clarity"

April: "Peace"

May: "Impact"

June: "Love"

July: "Resources"

August: "Health"

September: "Family"

October: "Community Outreach"

In the month of

November let us pray for

"Ministries" "Bless the Work of our Hands."

2 Corinthians 4:1-12

VISION DAY

THE HISTORY

In the early years of Mt. Zion, the Church held separate celebrations for "Men's Day" and "Women's Day". Somewhere in the mid 1990's, the Church consolidated several "special" days, and "Men's Day" and "Women's Day" became one--"Unity Day."

Starting this year, as we move forward in the vision to where God is calling us, "Unity Day" has been renamed. This year, it is called "Vi-sion Day."

THE CELEBRATION

On Sunday, November 17, 2013, Mt. Zion will celebrate "Vision Day" at both the 8:45 a.m. and the 10:45 a.m. services.

The preacher for both services will be Reverend Dr. Clifford A. Jones, Sr.

Senior Pastor of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church,

Charlotte, North Carolina.

Dr. Jones' is no stranger to Mt. Zion as he preached our spring revival in May, 2012. His

complete bio can be found inside this issue.

THE REQUEST

To help support the vision, Mt. Zionites are reminded that each of us is asked to make a sacrificial offering--over and beyond our

tithes.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Birthdays

Harvest Day

Summary

Veterans' Day

Info

Bio of Vision

Day Preacher: Dr. Clifford Jones, Sr.

Recipes for a

Complete

Thanksgiving

Meal

Time to

Purchase

Poinsettias

New Members

And Much, Much

More...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

November

Birthdays

Nov. 1----------------------------------Min. Dan Jones

Nov. 1------------------------------Sis. Virgen Mateo

Nov. 4----------------------------Sis. Bamma Garvin

Nov. 7------------------------------Sis. Drena Barnett

Nov. 7--------------------------Sis. Jonte Strickland

Nov. 8-------------------Sis. Janet Bass-Eddington

Nov. 8----------------------------Bro. Sammie Smith

Nov. 11------------------------------Bro. Josef Smith

Nov. 13------------------------------Sis. Regen Pugh

Nov. 14----------------------Sis. Tayshaana Brown

Nov. 14-----------------------------Bro. Jason Green

Nov. 16-------------------------Sis. Sinyhei Barnett

*Nov. 17-----------Rev. Dr. Atu O. White*

Nov. 20-----------------------------Sis. Mamie Kirby

Nov. 20.--------------------------------Sis. Luz White

Nov. 21-------------------------------Sis. Karen Ford

Nov. 21-------------------------Sis. Jessica Howard

Nov. 21--------------------------Sis. Sonya Johnson

Nov. 21------------------------Sis. Valencia McLean

Nov. 23-------------------Sis. Audrey Reed-Batiste

Nov. 23----------------------------Bro. Mark Bennett

Nov. 25-------------------Sis. Cerrisaina Volkinski

Nov. 27----------------------------Bro. George Blase

Nov. 29------------------------Sis. Yakira Dalmeida

November Anniversary Nov. 21--------------------------Sis. Sonya Johnson

& Bro. Curtis Johnson

Nov. 23------------------------Dea. Scott Jenkins &

Sis. Regina Tillery-Jenkins

Introduction During the month of November, when we

celebrate both Thanksgiving and Veteran's

Day, this poem is most appropriate.

A CONFEDERATE

SOLDIER'S PRAYER Author Unknown,

(Attributed to a battle weary C.S.A

soldier near the end of the war)

I asked God for strength

that I might achieve.

I was made weak

that I might learn humbly

to obey.

I asked for health

that I might do greater things.

I was given infirmity

that I might do better things.

I asked for riches

that I might be happy.

I was given poverty

that I might be wise.

I asked for power

that I might have the

praise of men.

I was given weakness

that I might feel the

need of God.

I asked for all things

that I might enjoy life.

I was given life

that I might enjoy all things.

I got nothing that I asked for,

but everything I hoped for.

Almost despite myself,

my unspoken prayers

were answered.

I am among all men

most richly blessed.

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~allawren/military/

confedprayer.htm

Day is an official United States holi-day created to honor all members of the armed forces. It is observed on November 11.

History: U.S. President Woodrow Wilson first proclaimed "Armistice Day" for November 11, 1919. He said it was to recognize "with solemn pride the heroism of those who died in the country's service and with gratitude for the victory..." in World War I. On May 13, 1938, a Congressional Act made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday:

In 1945, WWII veteran Raymond Weeks (Birmingham, Alabama) pro-posed that Armistice Day be ex-panded to celebrate all veterans, not just those who died in World War I. U.S. Representative Ed Rees (Empo-ria, Kansas) presented such a bill in Congress, and President Dwight Ei-senhower signed it into law on May 26, 1954. On June 1, 1954, Congress amended this law replacing "Armi-stice" with "Veterans," and it has been known as Veterans Day since.

http://www.ask.com/wiki/Veterans_Day

TO ALL MT. ZIONITES

who have served in some

branch of the military...

WE RECOGNIZE YOU!

WE SALUTE YOU!

and most of all,

WE THANK YOU

FOR YOUR SERVICE

AND SACRIFICE.

Harvest Day Summary

On Saturday, October 26, 2013, Mt. Zion held its 3rd Annual Harvest Day event. This was a day set aside

to share our bounty as a Church family with the community in which we worship. By all accounts, the

Day was once again a huge success!! Here's how the 2013 event compared to 2012:

Activity Person In Charge "Thank You"

2013 2012

Attendance: The number of people

who came through our gates. --- 389 250

Non-Perishable Food Items (boxed

and canned goods) collected and dis-

tributed

--- 1,230 1,015

Bags of Vegetables and Fruits given

away Sis. Johnsie Gibson 172

Breads and Pastries Sis. Nancy Kirkmeyer 1 large box

Refreshments Consumed

Hot Dogs --- 376 280

Bowls of Soup Sis. Adriean Gabriel 143 0

Bowls of Chili Bro. George Blaise 50 0

Bags of Popcorn The Culp Family 152 0

Bags of Cotton Candy The Culp Family 54 0

Bags and boxes of new or gently used

clothing for men, women and children Sis. Barbara St. Julien 156

Agencies on site to share information Sis. Earlean Caldwell 11 12

Other highlights included:

Two (2) seminars, "Your Kidneys and You" given by the National Kidney Foundation and "Teenage

Alcohol & Drug Abuse," taught by the Department of Health & Human Services. Forty-three people

attended these very informative sessions. (NEW ACTIVITY IN 2013)

Books for both children and adults donated by the Springfield Library.

A Fire Engine from the Springfield Fire Department that kids were able to climb aboard and learn

about fire safety.

Free haircuts for men and boys. A dozen people took advantage of this service provided free of

charge by Bro. Marcus Shelton. (NEW ACTIVITY IN 2013)

Chiropractic Spine screening provided by Dr. Bazi. (NEW ACTIVITY IN 2013)

A bouncy house that was a huge hit for the kids. (NEW ACTIVITY IN 2013)

Special thanks to: Calabrese Farms, Southwick, MA for the donation of fruits and vegetables.

Cecchi Farms, Feeding Hills, MA, for the donation of vegetables.

Panera Bread, Riverdale Shops, West Springfield, for the donation of breads and pastries.

And all the Agencies and Volunteers who helped make this day so successful!

REMEMBERING OUR

LOVED ONES AT

CHRISTMAS The Deacon & Dea-

coness Ministries

are once again

heading up the

drive to decorate the

sanctuary for Christmas.

Purchase a poinsettia plant in

memory or honor of your

loved ones. Plants are $10

each.

Names of those being hon-

ored, along with

your $10 donation,

can be given to any

Deacon or Dea-

coness. The

deadline to pur-

chase a plant is

Sunday, November 24, 2013.

New Church Admin Assistant

As of October 12, 2013, we

have a new part-time Adminis-

trative Assistant--Sis. Yvonne

Mitchell. Sis. Mitchell's hours

are:

Mondays: 2 to 4 p.m.

Tuesdays: 2 to 4 p.m.

Wednesdays: 5 to 7 p.m.

Thursdays: 2 to 4 p.m.

Sis. Marcia Borders, the for-

mer Administrative Assistant,

has taken on the role of Media

Administrator. She is respon-

sible for our Visual Ministry,

website, and social media sites

(Facebook, Twitter, etc.).

Please join us in welcoming

Sis. Mitchell to Mt. Zion.

SOUP KITCHEN’S

THANKSGIVING MEAL

The Soup Kitchen will prepare its Annual Thanksgiving Meal on Wednesday, November 20, 2013. The Staff invites everyone to join us between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

and enjoy a delicious meal.

Also, the Soup Kitch-en Staff is soliciting

names of people who may enjoy a holiday

meal but are physically unable to come out to the Church. If you know such individuals, give their names, addresses, and telephone numbers to any member of the Soup Kitchen by Sunday, November 17.

CANCELLATIONS ON NOVEMBER 27, 2013

On Wednesday, November 27, there will be

NO Soup Kitchen NO 1:15 p.m. Bible Study NO 7:00 p.m. Bible Study

All three will resume on Wednesday, December 4.

It's Off to the Movies

The Get Connected Ministry is sponsor-ing a trip to the movies to see "Black Nativity" on Saturday, November 30, 2013, at the. Entertainment Cinemas in Springfield Plaza, off St. James Ave-nue. Tickets are $5 per person, and are available from Sis. Regen (Gigi) Pugh (413) 530-7689 or any member of Get Connected

"Black Nativity" is about a street-wise teen from Baltimore who has been raised by a single mother. He travels to New York City to spend the Christmas holiday with his estranged relatives, where he embarks on a surprising and inspirational journey. The show stars Forest Whitaker, Angela Bassett and Jennifer Hudson.

A Tradition Ends

The Annual Thanksgiving Day Ser-vice that we have held with Solid Rock Community Baptist Church over the years will NOT take place this year. There will be no service on Thanksgiving morning at Mt. Zion.

NEW MEMBERS

Joining Mt. Zion in October were:

SIS. BRANDI CRAWFORD Date Joined: October 27 2013

Method: Candidate for Baptism

BRO. ZYRUS D. JAYNES. Date Joined: October 20, 2013

Method: Candidate for Baptism

BRO. BRANDON M. LAGASSE Date Joined: October 20, 2013

Method: Candidate for Baptism

SIS. AWILDA OXIOS Date Joined: October 6, 2013

Method: Christian Experience

SIS. ILEANA OXIOS Date Joined: October 27, 2013

Method: Candidate for Baptism

BRO. JAMES WALDEN Date Joined: October 27, 2013

Method: Candidate for Baptism

Welcome To All!

Baptism Baptism Class for

Baptism Candidates A meeting of all candidates for

baptism will be held at the Church

on Wednesday, November 6,

2013, at 6:00 p.m. with Pastor

White. If you are a baptism can-

didate, please attend this meeting.

Baptism This Month Baptism Service will take place on

the second Sunday of this month,

Sunday, November 10, 2013, at

10:20 a.m. Please be present to

welcome our new converts.

Baptism Last Month Baptized on October 20, 2013

were Bro. Darrell Coppedge, Jr.,

Bro. Zyrus Jaynes, Bro. Brandon

Lagasse, and Sis. Desiree Sierra.

Congratulations to all four!!

Meet Our 2013 Vision Day Preacher

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Reverend Dr. Clifford A. Jones, Sr. was born in Philadelphia and reared in New Jersey. He

received his Bachelor of Science degree from Maryland State College; the Master of Divinity

and Master of Theology degrees from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake

Forest, North Carolina. He received the degree of Doctor of Ministry from Boston School of

Theology in Boston, MA and has studied at Regents Park College in Oxford, England and

Baptist Theological Seminary, in Ruschlikon, Switzerland. He has served as the Senior Min-

ister of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Charlotte since October, 1982.

He led a delegation to form a solid partnership with the Winterveldt School in Mabopane,

South Africa for Friendship to partner in the purchase and building of a fully equipped Christian educational center for

grades Kindergarten through High School. In addition to the school in Mabopane, under Dr. Jones’ leadership, a farm

was purchased and three greenhouses were built to grow vegetables for sale and a brick making machine for building

houses and business offices in an effort to create economic interdependence.

He has organized and led numerous medical and religious mission teams of preachers, doctors, nurses, technicians and

teachers to provide needed healthcare, medical supplies and educational training in Jamaica, Africa, and Guyana, South

America for children and families struggling in poverty.

God’s blessings have truly been manifested upon Pastor Jones’ gifts and talents and the Friendship family with the own-

ership of 108.5 acres on which our current church resides at 3400 Beatties Ford Road. This land is also being developed

to provide an Intergenerational Day Care, Commercial Block, Assisted-Living for Seniors, Alzheimer’s Center, Hospice,

Single Family Dwellings, Park Shelter, Amphitheater, Offices and more.

He has been a strong supporter of senior citizen programs and under his leadership, Friendship provided the first satellite

center for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Senior Centers, offering exercise and other classes for older citizens living in the

area. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Senior Centers recognized Pastor Jones in April of 2001 as a recipient of their Life-

time Achievement Award because of his contributions and leadership in making our community a better place to live,

work, worship and raise a family.

His published works can be found in the following books: From Proclamation To Practice: A Unique African American

Approach To Stewardship, Judson Press, Valley Forge, PA, 1997; How Can I Find God?, Triumph Books, Liguori, Mis-

souri, 1997; From One Brother to Another, Judson Press, Valley Forge, PA, 1997; Consuming Passion: Christianity and

the Consumer Culture, InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, 1998; Becoming and Practicing What It Means To

Be A Christian, AK Classics, Charlotte, NC, 2011 and The Star Book of Stewardship, Judson Press, Valley Forge PA,

2012.

He is married to the former Carolyn Brenda Reynolds. Dr. and Mrs. Jones are the proud parents of Mrs. E. Renee

Darity, Rev. Michelle A. Jones, Pastor C. Anthony Jones, Jr. and Alexa Mariah Fortune-Jones. Clifford Jones is a ‘man

called to preach the gospel.’ He has preached on five continents notably Robben Island in Cape Town, South Africa. In

his own words, “The joy of preaching about the Lord increases with each opportunity…a calmness moves in my life and

increases as I grow closer and have a deeper understanding of the Word of God and have experiences with Him.”

Creative Expressions

Creative Expressions is a column de-

signed to highlight original works of

literature and art by Mt. Zionites or

their family and friends. * * * * *

The original poem below--quite, appro-

priate for the season--was written by

10 year old member, Sis. Jadyn White.

Thanksgiving By Jadyn White

Food and Family

Friends and Laughs

Thanksgiving is a blast!

Spending time

With people you love,

Friendly as doves

From up above.

Thanksgiving,

Thanksgiving

It's a fun way of living.

Student Recognized

Sis. Shayla Dixon would like to announce the award her daughter recently received at the Mary Lynch Elementary school assembly. The award certificate read:

"Wall of Fame We would lilke to acknoweldge

Kamara Jackson for achieving the

Good Citizenship award for September 2013"

The family is very proud of Kamara.

REMINDERS TO ALL MINISTRY LEADERS

All Ministry leaders are reminded that the following items are due: November 10th: Proposed 2014 Ministry Budget Proposed dates for events, ac-

tivities, or training anticipated in 2014

December 1st: Active Membership Roster 2013 Highlights of events & ac-

tivities in which your ministry participated or organized.

Scope of your ministry's impact on the Church or Community in 2013.

Also... Leaders are reminded that they should be scheduling a monthly meeting with the Pastor. To do so, see Sis. Wanda Powell.

20th Annual Breast Cancer

Awareness Walk Written by Sis. Phyllis Thraster

The 20th Annual Rays of Hope Walk & Run

for the Cure of Breast Cancer took place on

Sunday, October 20, 2013, The 2-mile or 5-

mile Walk in Springfield began at Temple

Beth El on Dickinson Street There were

over 24,000 walkers and runners, raising

over $900,000.

Over the years, Mt. Zion has supported this

wonderful cause, and continues to do so,

with prayers and financial donations. We

thank you. Dr. Gloria Williams and Sis.

Phyllis Thraster are survivors. They

walked for themselves and for those who

are survivors, for anyone who has been touched by caner, and for those who are currently battling breast cancer. Other Mt.

Zionites who participated in the Walk were:

Bro. Bud Williams, Sis. Keisa Williams,

Bro. Rayshad Bradley, and Sis. Brianna

Woodard.

Because of events like this, there is hope for cure someday for this disease that has

afflicted so many women and men.

Church Business Meeting This Month

There will be a Church Busi-ness Meeting on Wednesday, November 13, 2013 at 6:00 p.m.

All Mt. Zion members should plan to attend.

Young Scholars

Program

Just a reminder...

Next month--December 2013--is the next

opportunity for students to earn money

through the Young Scholars Program.

Students in grades 1 through 12 may be

eligible to receive $5 for each grade 'A'

or 'A' equivalent grade received in the 1st

marking period.

To be eligible, the Youth MUST meet ALL

of the following criteria:

Qualifications & Rules:

Must be a member of Mt. Zion Baptist

Church/and or a regular Mt. Zion at-

tendee.

Must be an ACTIVE participant in at

least one (1) Church Ministry.

Must be in Grades 1 through 12.

Must provide a copy of an official

report card for the 1st marking

period.

Note: Awards are limited to $25 per stu-

dent per term--for the 1st and 4th mark-

ing periods. Fifty dollars ($50) per school

year is the maximum.

IMPORTANT: Forms to apply for the 1st

Quarter Young Scholars Program will

be available after

December 1.

FORMER MEMBER IS

ON THE MOVE

Former Mt. Zion member, Ericc Powell,

son of Dea. Steve Powell & Deaconess

Wanda Powell, is once again on the

move--this time taking two (2) interna-

tional service trips: Here is his letter:

Dear Mt. Zion Family,

I had such an amazing time in

Morazan, El Salvador in July that I

am returning there December 7-15,

2013, again with a Habitat for Hu-

manity Global Village group. We

are continuing the work of building

45 new houses and remodeling 45

houses in a community called El

Barrial

I will also be embarking on a service

trip to Bigu, Nepal from February

22-March 9, 2014. As part of a

fundraiser for the American Foun-

dation for Children with Aids

(AFCA), I will be joining others on a

two week trip to Nepal (borders In-

dia). The trip includes four days of a

round trip hike up to our service des-

tination (Bigu) at about 8,800 feet

above sea level. Our service projects

include anything from teaching nuns

how to cook (we are staying at a

nunnery), teaching them English,

working on a gardening project, or

anything in between.

For the El Salvador trip, I need to raise

about $1,270 and for Nepal, $1600.

Donations made to either trip are tax-

deductible and go to help with work on

the projects.

If you would like to make a donation

on my behalf, have any questions or

need to contact me, see my parents.

I am looking forward to both trips

and am grateful for any support you

are able to give me. Thank you, and

please keep me in your prayers.

Love,

Ericc

The Mt. Zion Youth Dance Ministry

is growing in numbers, in Spirit and

in technical skills.

Since the formation of the Youth

Dance Ministry for the 36th Church

Anniversary in May, we have grown

to 15 youth members and 4 adult

teachers and co-leaders! We now

have 3 age groups of dancers: Tots

(ages 3-5), Tweens (6-11) and

Teens (12-18). Last month we wel-

comed our first male members into

the ministry, Bro. Kwame Wilson

and Bro. Marcus Holmes. We also

welcomed a new co-instructor, Sis.

Adriean Gabriel, who will choreo-

graph the November dance.

For our October field trip, we par-

ticipated in the “So You Think You Can Praise” Liturgical Dance Work-

shop at Glory to God Ministries in

Springfield on Friday, October 11

and Saturday, October. 12. Our

Tweens and Teens performed to

“This is the Day” on Friday night

and nine (9) youth attended work-

shops on Saturday morning on the

history of liturgical dance, banners

and flags in workshop, dance gar-

ments and mime ministry.

A few new things are coming down

the pike. After several adults ex-

pressed interest in liturgical

dance, we are now looking to form

the Mt. Zion Adult Dance Ministry.

We will host an interest meeting on

November 7 at 6:00 p.m. We are

looking for a few more young men

interested in learning more about

the art of Mime as we explore a

Mime Ministry!!!

Mt. Zion Youth Dance Ministry Written by Sis. Yolanda Lenzy-White

Mt. Zion Youth at Liturgical Dance Workshop

Our

youth

at

the"

So Y

ou T

hin

k Y

ou

Can P

rais

e"

Mim

e W

ork

shop

A MOTIVATIONAL

POEM MADE

FAMOUS BY

MOTHER

TERESA

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered:

Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;

Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and

some true enemies. Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;

Be honest and frank, anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight.

Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous of you.

Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow.

Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough.

Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God;

It was never between you and them, anyway.

Submitted by Sis. Phyllis Thraster

UBC Annual

Missions Day

The United Baptist Convention (UBC) of

MA, RI & NH will hold its Annual Rev. Dr.

Paul A. Fullilove Missions Day on Monday,

November 11, 2013. This year, it will be

held at Joy Missionary Baptist Church

in, Brockton, MA. Rev. Samuel Campbell,

1st Vice President of the UBC, is the

Pastor.

Rev. Arthur Hilson, Pastor of New Hope

Baptist Church, Portsmouth, NH is the

UBC President, and our Pastor, Rev. Dr.

Atu White, is the 2nd Vice President.

Daylight

Saving Time

Ends

Remember the adage:

Spring Forward; Fall Back.

Don't forget to set your clock

back one hour on

Sunday, November 3, 2013.

VOTE!

Election Day is

Tuesday,

November 5, 2013.

Exercise your civic

responsibility.

VOTE!!

Cost-Savings Tip from the Soup

Kitchen

Use a denture cleaning tablet

to remove the stains inside of

your coffee pot. It works!!.

If you have a "kitchen" tip that you'd like

to share, please see a member of the

Soup Kitchen Ministry.

Thanksgiving

For each new morning with its light,

For rest and shelter of the night,

For health and food,

For love and friends,

For everything Thy goodness sends.

--Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

LET’S GET COOKING THAT FESTIVE AND DELICIOUS

HOLIDAY DINNER

Below are various recipes used by Mt. Zionites in preparing delicious Thanksgiving dinners. Some are origi-

nal while others are borrowed. But all have become favorites. Read the introduction to each, to see why.

Thanksgiving Stuffing

"I started making my stuffing from scratch a few years ago. I was not sure how it was going to taste or if my family would even want to eat it because if something doesn't look or taste right, they will let you know. So I asked my cousin John how does he go about making his stuffing. He said it was very easy, but I was not so sure, but I tried it out. That Thanksgiving, it was a hit, and I have been making the stuffing every year since then."-- Wanda Hogan

INGREDIENTS: 1 cup of butter 1 chopped onion 1 pound of sausage hot or mild (Jimmy Dean) 1 tbsp of sage 3 cups of cornbread bread crumbs, if you don't want to make your own, try the Pepperidge Farms. 1 cup of celery Turkey giblets (optional) 2 cups of chicken or turkey broth Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS: Brown the sausage in a pan. When done, add the sausage along with the celery and onions in a bowl. Next add your breadcrumbs, giblets and your seasoning; then add your broth. Making sure the mixture is moist you may need to add more broth, depending on how moist you like your stuffing to be. Next, pour mixture into a 9x9 pan, oil the pan with butter, press down the mixture then pour the butter on top. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes or until brown. Serve along- side your turkey dinner, enjoy!

Roasted Turkey "In 1980, after the death of my mother, the roasting of the family Thanksgiving turkey fell to me. With-out going into detail, let’s just say, that first year it was good that we also had a ham. But recognizing that I needed help, I immediately turned to an expert--Betty Crocker, and have been consulting her (cookbook) every Thanksgiving since. The recipe below is very basic and easy—even for me."-- Wanda Powell

DIRECTIONS: Wash turkey and pat dry. (Don’t forget to remove the gizzards, neck and heart that are packed in the cavity). Rub cavity lightly with salt. (Do not salt cavity if turkey is to be stuffed.) Fold wings across back with tips touching. Stuff turkey just before roasting—not ahead of time. Fill wishbone area with stuffing first. Fill body cavity light-ly. Do not pack as stuffing will expand while cooking.

Tuck drumsticks under band of skin at tail or tie together with heavy string, and then tie to tail. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Place turkey breast side up on rack in open shallow roasting pan. Brush with oil or butter. Insert meat thermometer so the tip is in the thickest part of the thigh muscle or thick-est part of breast meat and does not touch bone. Do not add water, do not cover. Follow time table for approximate total cooking time. Place a tent of aluminum foil loosely over turkey when it starts to turn golden. When 2/3 done, cut band of skin or sting holding legs.

Weight ............Cooking Time

6 to 8 lbs...........3 to 3 ½ hours

8 to 12 lbs......... 3 ½ to 4 ½ hrs

12 to 16 lbs........4 ½ to 5 ½ hrs

16 to 20 lbs........5 ½ to 6 ½ hrs

20 to 24 lb.......... 6 ½ to 7 hrs

[THANKSGIVING MEAL CONTINUED]

MACARONI AND CHEESE "Growing up in the home of parents that cooked their favorite southern dishes on holidays and special occasions, we always had dishes that reminded us of our family’s southern roots. Macaroni & Cheese is one of the best dishes to eat at Thanksgiving or on a cold winter's night. Enjoy!"--Charlette Scott

DIRECTIONS: In a medium size 2 quart baking dish, layer macaroni and a portion of each of the 3 cheeses; repeat layer of macaroni and cheeses, add beaten egg, stir in butter and cup of milk. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Cover with foil, bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees, stirring half way. For crispy dark brown cheese, loosen or remove foil and bake for last 15 minutes. Your macaroni and cheese is done when the milk, cheese and macaroni gel together.

CORNBREAD CASSAROLE "I make this recipe every holiday and my family loves it It's a great alternative to plain old cornbread!" -- Suzetta Crane

INGREDIENTS: 1 stick of butter

1 (8oz) container of sour cream

1 box of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix (use dry) 1 can of creamed corn 1 can of kernel (reg) corn (drain liquid)

DIRECTIONS: Lightly grease a 2 quart casserole dish. Melt butter. Mix all ingredients together and bake at 350 de-grees on center rack for 1 hour.

SEAFOOD POTATO SALAD

Last year, I was asked to make a potato salad for a going away party for a co-worker. I really didn't want to bring a plain potato salad and since I like seafood salad, I thought it would be interesting to combine the two. So, I added shrimp and crab meat to the potato salad and have been making my potato salad this way ever since."-- Patricia Grundy

INGREDIENTS: White potatoes 1bag of small sized cooked shrimps ½ bag of crab meat 5 boiled eggs Relish Mayonnaise; Mustard Green pepper; Celery Dash of salt, sugar, onion powder DIRECTIONS: In a bowl, dice boiled white potatoes; add shrimp, (shredded) crabmeat and 5 diced eggs. Mix mayon-naise, relish and mustard and stir. Grate green pepper and celery and mix; add seasoning according to taste.

INGREDIENTS 1 box of elbow macaroni * cook according to direction on the box (drain) 1 cup of shredded sharp yellow cheese 1 cup of shredded mild yellow cheese 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese ½ cup of Colby cheese (optional) 1 cup of whole milk 1 egg beaten, 1 tablespoon of butter or margarine, salt and pepper

[THANKSGIVING MEAL CONTINUED]

HEALTHY COLLARD GREENS "I like this recipe because it uses less salt and fat than most. Due to my mother having had high blood pressure, this i s how we always cooked our collard greens--healthy and delicious!"-- Alice Koonce.

INGREDIENTS: 2 tablespoons Olive Oil 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic 1/2 cup onions 1 tablespoon vinegar 1 cube chicken bouillon Pinch of sugar or honey 1 tablespoon Mrs. Dash Greens, such as mustards, collards, turnips, kale Freshly ground black pepper to taste or spinach, cleaned and stemmed Pinch hot sauce (if desired) 4 cups of water (to cover greens) Pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS: Wash greens in cold water. Roll and cut leaves into small pieces. Place washed greens into strainer to drain and set aside. In a large pot, add the olive oil, pour in the 4 cups of water, and add the onions. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes or until water comes to a boil.. Season the mixture with pepper, a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar or honey. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in vinegar, or hot sauce. Add greens to the pot one third at a time, pressing the greens down as they start to wilt. Cook covered for about 1 hour and 15 minutes on medium heat. You will know the greens are getting tender when they go from bright green to dark green in color. After about an hour remove the cover and cook until some of the water cooks out.

Taste the greens and if desired, add more seasoning to taste.

PUMPKIN BREAD "I love to make this recipe for the holidays. It's a quick, easy, and homemade."-- Sis. Regen (Gigi) Pugh

INGREDIENTS: 3 cups. granulated sugar 1 cup cooking oil 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 cup pumpkin 1 tsp. nutmeg 1 tsp. salt 4 eggs 2 tbsp. baking soda 2 cups sifted flour 2/3 cups water

DIRECTIONS: Combine all ingredients and mix well; pour into 2 well-greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour; test with toothpick. Cool and remove from pan. For muffins, use 3 1/3 cups sifted flour, add nuts or 1 cup nuts and 1 cup raisins. Cook 1 hour and 15 minutes; makes 24 large muffins.

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FRIENDSHIP COOKIES "My aunt, Sarah Lindsay of Bloomfield, CT shared this recipe with me. It was passed around at her church, Mt. Calvary in Hart-ford, CT. Everyone like them and passed the recipe on to their friends. Now I'm is passing it to my Church family. By the way, the cookies are great with a hot beverage--tea or coffee! Perhaps hot chocolate, too."-- Andrea Dixon

INGREDIENTS: 1 stick of butter, softened ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ cup sugar Powdered sugar 1 ½ cups of flour 1 pinch of love

DIRECTIONS: Cream butter and sugar together until smooth and fluffy. Add flour and salt, blending to make a smooth dough. Carefully fold in 1 pinch of love. Press dough into ungreased 8” pie pan. Bake 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees, or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cut into wedges while warm. Yields 8 large or 18 small wedges.

PECAN PIE

"This recipe was always a favorite of mine growing up. My mother and gram always made it for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. I smile every time I bake this pie because as the kitchen permeates the delicious smell, the memories of family, friends and years gone by come back to me. One memory that I have brings an out loud laugh; I think I was about five years old. My brother, my cousin and I hid under my grandmother’s bed and each ate the filling out of a pie. My brother had pumpkin, my cousin had apple and I greedily consumed the pecan pie. When my Irish gram found us, oh, did we get it! She punished us, forgave us and later we all sat at the holiday table, although our tummies really didn’t feel like eating much. I believe the des-sert was a lemon pie; it was the only one left. And as for my brother, cousin and me-- we didn't get any."--Nan Kirkmeyer

INGREDIENTS: 1 cup Karo light corn syrup 3 eggs 1 cup sugar 2 tablespoons melted butter ( I always add a little more) 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups pecans (you can never have too many pecans

DIRECTIONS: Mix the eggs, sugar, butter, corn syrup and vanilla. Stir in the pecans; pour

into pie crust (9 inch pie pan). Bake at 350 degrees for 60 to 70 minutes.

Have a wonderfully delicious

Thanksgiving!

Have A Safe and Blessed

Thanksgiving Day

Mt. Zion Baptist Church

368 Bay Street

Springfield, MA 01109