December 2024, Knoxville, TN…, On Sunday, October 20, 2024, the Knoxville District Lay Council celebrated Lay Sunday at First A.M.E. Zion Church located at 1900 McCalla Avenue in Knoxville TN, where Rev. Michael J. McNair is Pastor. Ms. Tanika Harper was the Lay Hour speaker.
Ms. Harper is a Knoxville native and proud alumna of Austin-East High School. It was there that her foundation was established. She continued her education at the University of Tennessee, earning a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. Ms. Harper also holds a Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice and a Master of Science in Ethics and Leadership.
Ms. Harper is an entrepreneur who has ownership in four small businesses, all of which help create opportunities for under-resourced neighborhoods. Her mission is to uplift and elevate youth and young adults who lack the tools and resources needed to excel. She uses her platform to train, facilitate, encourage, and motivate. She is the Founder and CEO of The Shora Foundation which means Safe Place in Nigeria and has been serving East Knoxville for more than 15 years. The Shora Foundation is a community asset, volunteer-driven, and provides a safe place for children.
The Knoxville District Lay Council service began with storytelling. Our focus was to have our members share their faith journey: the who, what, when, and how they were led to the Lord, noting that we all have a story to tell. Ms. Harper shared how all her successes in life can be attributed to her “Faith Journey.”
Ironically, our speaker’s message was right in line with our storytelling on the district level. She talked about how her choices and directions in life encountered roadblocks and pitfalls along the way, and how the redirects from the Lord guided her.
We were all enlightened and blessed to have her share the security, faithfulness, and joy of placing all our trust in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Pictured with the speaker are the local Lay President Rose B. Davis and other Lay Sunday participants.
L-R Candice Hampton, Sonja Armstrong, Monique Washington, Ms. Tanika Harper(speaker), Rose B. Davis, Angela McNair, Rev. Michael J. McNair Pastor
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