A hurricane is coming to the Raleigh area this weekend. A hurricane of good works. Edenton Street United Methodist Church, one of the pillars of downtown Raleigh, is launching its annual Great Day of Service once again.
"We have a range of events,” says the church’s Director of Missions Ministries, Renae Newmiller. “We’ll have about 26 different opportunities for people of all ages and abilities. While some people may go out and build a Habitat house, others may need to sit and sew diapers for an orphanage in Haiti. Maybe they’ll sit and help with Stop Hunger Now, or they may be able to make meals and bag lunches and go out and serve people in Moore Square. Most of (the opportunities) focus on local groups that are doing wonderful work to help people, but we also have some efforts that focus on global initiatives.”
Saturday will mark Edenton Street’s third Day of Service. Last year, some 600 volunteers took part, with many continuing their efforts for weeks and months afterwards. ESUMC is celebrating its 200th anniversary this year and is doing so by challenging its members to pledge 200,000 service hours in the community and globally.
"That is a challenge to our members just to be really mindful about the call of Christ to be of service to the world,” Newmiller told me. “It's kind of answering the (biblical) statement, ‘Here I am, Lord, send me.’ If we reach the goal, that would be great. But it's really not about us. It's about us getting out there and using our gifts in a way that's in service."
You might say service is in the church’s DNA. Back in 1831, one of Edenton Street’s earliest ministers, Melville B. Cox, left his appointment there to become the first Methodist missionary to Africa.
Newmiller says last year about eleven percent of the Great Day of Service volunteers weren’t even members of the church. They just wanted to take part. Newmiller told me they love seeing new faces.
"We would love to extend the invitation to anybody, because it's just a wonderful way. Our hope is that people who may be looking for a way to serve, that they don't just do it on one day. They really get passionate about it and do it on an ongoing basis. "
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Lots of excitement in the Triangle’s Filipino community for an event this Sunday. The Rt. Rev. Michael Burbidge, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Raleigh, will celebrate a Mass honoring the first Filipino saint and martyr, Lorenzo Ruiz. It’s scheduled for 1:00 at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Durham.
“It’ll be a very colorful event reflecting the traditions of our culture,” says Maria Romp, one of the organizers. “It will start at 1:00 with a procession outside, and a bi-lingual Mass in English and in our dialect.”
St. Lorenzo was martyred for his faith in September 1637 and was canonized in 1987. A crowd of 500 came out for the local Mass last year, and an even larger gathering is expected this time around.
And, oh yes, Romp says there will be a feast of Filipino delicacies afterwards -- with plenty for all. “We don’t take no for an answer,” she told me. “If you come, you have to eat!”
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Another local Bishop has a major event planned this week. Bishop Michael Curry of the Episcopal Diocese of NC will deliver the Fall Convocation address at Saint Augustine’ s College on Thursday.
It will take place at 10 a.m. on the campus quadrangle.
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Next Wednesday (September 28th), tens of thousands of students will gather at their school’s flagpole before classes start for the annual See You at the Pole event. The student-led prayer gathering reportedly began with a group of Texas high school students in 1990 and spread across the country. Clayton’s C3 Church will hold a SYATP student rally this Sunday evening at 5 to build excitement for the main event.
Good stuff as per usual, thanks. I do hope this kind of thing gets more exposure.
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