Troup UMC Fall Fest Saturday
Event benefiting Troup Pantry, Nothing But Nets

Elliot Fikes and Soul Serenade will perform at Saturday's Fall Fest at the First United Methodist Church in Troup. Members of the band include Lori Gray on keyboards and vocals, Becky Goldsmith on percussion, trumpet, and vocals, Shane Gray on bass, lead, and vocals, Greg Pound on lead and rhythm, and Denny Hill on drums and percussion.

The hands of the First United Methodist Church of Troup are stretching far and wide to reach half-way around the world during this season of harvest. And it all starts with fun, food and fellowship right at home in Troup.

The First UMC of Troup is hosting a Fall Festival on Saturday, Nov. 10 beginning at 11 a.m. and filling the day with something for everyone.

Bringing a non-perishable food item will get you a turn at all the carnival games and bounce house. Visitors can see a real NASCAR, and enjoy chili, hot dogs and live music featuring Elliot Fikes and Soul Serenade.

An exciting gospel band with a gospel/ jazz sound all its own, Elliot Fikes and members of Soul Serenade performed earlier in Troup during the UMC's summer concert series. Bandleader Fikes has chosen to utilize his God-given musical talents to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.

He and Soul Serenade will perform several songs from their CD "There's a Train Coming." It includes heart-warming standards such as "Amazing Grace," "There Will Be Peace In The Valley For Me" and "People Get Ready" and some funky original offerings such as "Just Reach For Jesus," a jazz-infused fingersnapping song written by Soul Serenade member Becky Goldsmith, and "God's Son," a song written by Goldsmith and Sherry Fikes.

It doesn't matter what your religious or musical affiliation, because this group covers all the appropriate bases - gospel, jazz, funk, etc.

Also on the performance stage will be Saltband, Jennifer Austin, Joseph Ellenburg and Brad Irons.

Along with helping to stock the Troup Food Pantry with non-perishable food items, the church will be collecting for a unique cause.

Nothing But Nets is a grassroots campaign to save lives by preventing malaria, a leading killer of children in Africa. A simple article written by Rick Reilly in Spor ts Illustrated brought this cause to national attention and thousands of readers responded to his plea for at least a $10 donation from each reader to purchase an anti-malaria bed net.

Nothing But Nets raised over $1 million in only a few months with this exposure.

According to Nothing But Nets officials, studies show that use of insecticide-treated bed nets can reduce transmission as much as 90 percent in areas with high coverage rates.

The UN foundation has now partnered with groups as diverse as National Basketball Association's NBA Cares, The People of the United Methodist Church and Sports Illustrated to bring Nothing But Nets to the American public.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has signed to match every donation given.

"Our goal in our United Methodist Conference is to provide one million nets, a goal that the Gates Foundation will match, net for net," said Pastor Mike Cline.