DURHAM -- The Durham Faith Community on HIV/AIDS will present the Durham Observance of the National Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS Sunday through March 13.
The schedule:
- 10:45 a.m. Sunday: Worship service, Mt. Level Missionary Baptist Church, 316 Hebron Road.
- 7 p.m. Monday: "Real Talk About AIDS," Ecclesia House of Prayer, 601 N. Alston Ave.
- 7 p.m. Tuesday: Service of challenge, First Calvary Baptist Church, 1311 Morehead Ave.
- 7 p.m. Wednesday: Services of prayer and study, Greater St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church, 1102 Juniper St.; North East Baptist Church, 3204 N.C. Highway 55; and Union Baptist Church, 904 N. Roxboro St.
- 7 p.m. March 11: Service of compassion and healing, Ebenezer Baptist Church, 2200 S. Alston Ave.
- 6:30 p.m. March 12: Youth Expressions Night, Durham County Health Department, 923 E. Trinity Ave. Co-sponsored by Divine Grace Fellowship, Outreach Ministries and Mt. Level Missionary Baptist.
Some events will provide confidential HIV/AIDS testing. All events are free and open to the public. For information, e-mail durhamfaithcommunity@yahoo.com or call 544-5110.
Noah's ark opera at University United
CHAPEL HILL -- The classic Old Testament story of Noah's ark will be presented as a mystery play opera in "Noye's Fludde" at 6 p.m. Sunday at University United Methodist Church, 150 East Franklin St.
Written by composer Benjamin Britten, it brings together youth, children, adults and professional and amateur musicians. The orchestra includes professional musicians and a children's string ensemble, amateur percussionists working next to professional percussionists, handbells and bugle players chiming from the balcony. The cast is both professional and amateur as well. "Noye's Fludde" requires singers, dancers, actors, musicians and volunteers. More than 100 people are involved in the production. The audience will also sing a few songs.
A reception in the fellowship hall will follow the performance. Tickets are $10 and available at the door. For information, call the church office at 929-7191.
Prayer discussion at First Presbyterian
DURHAM -- Martha Moore-Keish, a professor of Theology at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Ga., will speak Sunday at First Presbyterian Church, 305 E. Main St. She will preach at the 11 a.m. worship service. At 9:45 a.m., Moore-Keish will discuss her new book, "Christian Prayer for Today."
During the season of Lent, the congregation at First Presbyterian is exploring prayer with the theme "Lord, Teach Us to Pray."
Moore-Keish is a graduate of Harvard College, the Union Theological Seminary in Richmond and Emory University, where she earned her doctorate in theological studies. She is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church USA. She previously taught at Yale Divinity School and worked in the Office of Theology and Worship for the PC(USA). She is also the author of "Do This in Remembrance of Me: A Ritual Approach to Reformed Eucharistic Theology."
The public is invited. For information, call 682-5511.
Churches raise money for Haiti
DURHAM -- More than 140 Orthodox faithful from around the Triangle gathered at St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church on Feb. 21 to celebrate as one for Sunday of Orthodoxy.
Orthodox churches around the world affirm of the Orthodox faith with "This is the faith of the Fathers!" Father Theodore Roupas, associate priest at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Raleigh, offered the homily. St. Barbara hosted a Lenten dinner and raised $1,000 for the International Orthodox Christian Charities Haitian Relief Fund.
DV forum at Amity UMC
CHAPEL HILL -- Domestic violence survivor Kit Gruelle will lead a forum on domestic violence at 11:15 a.m. Sunday at Amity United Methodist Church, 825 N. Estes Drive.
A worship service begins at 10 a.m. Gruelle is an advocate, activist and educator who collaborates with law enforcement and other criminal justice professionals, health care providers, clergy, legislators, educators and other allies to prevent family and domestic violence. She is raising funds for a documentary, "Private Violence: The Movement Against Battering in America.
Amity is sponsoring a series of forums on social issues important to the Chapel Hill community during Lent, through March 28.
Other upcoming speakers include Christine Jernigan, discussing mental health issues as they relate to the faith community; retired United Methodist Bishop Kenneth Carder; and Ivan Parra and Stephanie Perry with Justice United.
For information, visit amityumc.org or call 967-7546.
Learning to help the homeless
DURHAM -- The Durham Interfaith Hospitality Network will hold a "Helping Durham's Homeless" workshop from 6 to 8:30 p.m. March 16.
The training workshop is for anyone who is interested in learning more about working with the homeless in Durham. Dinner and child care will be provided for those participating in up to three 30-minute sessions of: "Introduction to Durham Interfaith Hospitality Network," "Diversity and cultural sensitivity," "Circles of Support," and "Support for the Homeless in Durham -- the Continuum of Care."
For information, contact Kathy Heller at 414-8407 or kbh@rti.org.
Kay Warren talk to benefit ZOE
DURHAM -- ZOE Ministry will host a fundraising event with Kay Warren, wife of Saddleback Church pastor Rick Warren, on at 7:30 p.m. March 19 at Duke Chapel. All are invited.
All proceeds will benefit ZOE's HIV/AIDS orphan empowerment work in Africa.
Warren will speak about her ministry on behalf of people suffering because of HIV/AIDS and the experiences that led her to write her latest book, "Dangerous Surrender."
For information and tickets, visit www.zoeministry.org.
Bilingual World Day of Prayer
CHAPEL HILL -- Women across the globe will unite for a World Day of Prayer on Friday.
Adhering to the order of worship written by the Cameroon World Day of Prayer Committee and endorsed by the International WDP Committee, Chapel Hill-Carrboro's multicultural, bilingual service will be held at 7 p.m. Friday at Amity United Methodist Church, 825 N. Estes Drive.
The bulletin will be printed in English and Spanish. Some readings and song verses will be offered in additional languages, including French, one of the official languages of Cameroon.
Attendees are encouraged to wear native clothing of their homeland or a country to which they feel a kinship. Children are invited.
To learn more or offer your foreign language, musical, or other skill to planning and organizing the celebration, contact Cathy Markatos at 642-2139 or markatos@mindspring.com, or Kim Batson at 265-9820 or kmccbat@aol.com.
Duke Divinity school seeks art
DURHAM -- Students, faculty, staff, alumni and their immediate families are invited to submit visual art for the 2nd Annual Duke Divinity School Juried Arts Exhibit, which will be on display March 22 through May 2.
The 2010 exhibit's theme is "The End of Words," based on the book, "The End of Words: The Language of Reconciliation in a Culture of Violence," by Richard Lischer, the James T. and Alice Mead Cleland Professor of Preaching at Duke Divinity School.
The theme may be interpreted broadly in a variety of media to engage issues including Christian unity, social justice, creation care, gender, race and inter-religious dialogue.
New work is encouraged, but previous work also may be submitted. First, second, and third place entries will be awarded $200, $100, and $50, respectively, in gift cards to the arts retailer/supplier of their choice.
The deadline for submitting entries is March 16-18. Selected artwork will be on display in the Divinity School. The New Creation Arts Group, a student group of the Divinity Student Council, is sponsoring the exhibit.
For information, e-mail laura.levens@duke.edu or newcreationartexhibits@duke.edu.
Duke student co-founds site
DURHAM -- Duke Divinity School student Tyler Mahoney is a co-founder of the recently launched Web site churchrater.com.
The website, which includes visitor and member ratings and discussions of churches, is the idea of Mahoney, Jim Henderson and Matt Casper, who are co-authors of "Jim & Casper Go to Church;" and San Francisco attorney Julian Zegelman.
The site also serves as social networking for churches and is designed to be a polite place for discussing churches. It grew out of "Jim & Casper Go to Church," which details church visits and the friendship between former pastor and church planter Henderson and atheist Casper.
Send items for local Belief Briefs to Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan at dvaughan@heraldsun.com. The deadline is Monday for Thursday's Faith section.
