The Faith Connection

From Real to (movie) Reel in Raleigh

 

Can a movie turn a troubled neighborhood around?  Raleigh police officer Robert Wagner thinks it can – and he’s putting his heart, time, and talent into the project. 

“Basically, I want to call all the churches together and say, let’s stand up together and do this,” he told me, “and let’s show the power of God together.”

In my blog last week I told you about Bragg N East, the faith-based motion picture Wagner has in development, set in Raleigh’s South Park community.  Now, some more details about it.

The movie tells the story of Dae’Quan, a young boy growing up on the rough streets of the inner city.  His life is impacted by drugs, gangs, and violence – until he reaches a crisis point as a young man that compels him to turn his life around. 

Officer Wagner, who now serves on the Raleigh PD’s Community Policing Squad, believes Dae’Quan’s fictional story can be an inspiration for those whose similar stories are all too real. 

“If it’s a person that’s contemplating going that route in life, I hope it's motivation not to.  For a gang member or someone already in that lifestyle, just giving them hope and motivation to say there’s an opportunity for me to change and there’s a way out.”

Wagner emphasizes the movie is an independent production with no connection to the police department.  To that end, he hopes to raise $750,000 and use mainly volunteer labor, with plans to begin filming in August.    

“When we’re down there,” he says, “we’ll put up roadblocks and bring all the churches and community resources out there into the street.  Flood it full of positive pressure, pushing that negative pressure out, ministering to people.  And we won’t be there for one or two days.  It’ll take six to eight weeks of filming.  We’ll feed the homeless while we feed everyone else.”

And there’s more:  “Some of the people in the neighborhood who don’t have jobs will come and work on the movie set.  But in order to work on the movie set we’re going to make sure they go through the proper training so that when they’re done with this movie set they’ll have the opportunity to go out and get another job.”

Earlier this month, an informational meeting about Bragg N East was held at First Baptist Church of Garner and brought out nearly a hundred people eager to hear about the project and to volunteer.  Wagner hopes to get other churches and individuals involved – and to pour the movie’s proceeds right back into the neighborhood.

“We’ll have the potential to reinvest in that community 3 to $15 million dollars, which can go in there and buy some of these boarded-up crack homes and build new homes for people, possibly owner-finance for them.  We’ll be able to just change the face of that community.”

Wagner hopes to have Bragg N East ready for release by fall of next year.  Check back here for updates. 

A Policeman's Dream; a Neighborhood's Hope

 

Raleigh police officer Robert Wagner has high hopes for an area of town where hope can be in short supply.  Hope in the form of a movie.

“The community is excited about it," he told me.  "I don’t want to just film a movie, but I want to make it a ministry."

RPD Officer Robert Wagner

What Officer Wagner has in mind is making a movie in and about one of Raleigh's toughest neighborhoods.  He calls the film Bragg N East, named for the intersection of Bragg and S. East Street in South Raleigh, an area he knows well from his days "on the beat" there.

"I’ve seen a lot, I’ve experienced a lot," he says.  "A lot of hurt and pain.  I’ve taken all these stories and I thought someone needs to see these stories so they can motivate people to change, and want to change.  And motivate people who don’t know about these areas in their own city to go out and help.”

So, he wrote a faith-based movie about it, a fiction film inspired by real-life events.  (Here’s a promotional teaser for the film at this link)

But first, here’s a little about Wagner himself.  The 28-year-old grew up in New Bern and got caught up in the film and TV industry after high school.  He worked as an actor and crew member on a number of productions -- History Channel re-enactments, small-budget movies and the like – before coming to Raleigh and joining the police department in 2007.

“I’m a man of strong faith," he told me.  "I think God has a reason for everything.  I think for some reason God led me to join the police department.  I don’t really call them valleys in life, I call them training grounds.”

When he graduated from the police academy, Wagner asked to be assigned to a "challenging" part of town.  That turned out to be the South Park community, where the Bragg/East intersection is located.  And a challenge it was.  He says he found the residents to be deeply suspicious and openly hostile to him – until he changed his attitude towards them.

“And from that day on I would drive down Bragg Street -- a place that people would stick their middle fingers up at you and cuss at you and spit at your car -- I would just start driving through there, smiling, waving, and saying hello, how you doin,’ are you doing alright?  And I would do it every day.  It slowly broke down those walls of mistrust.  Gang members, drug dealers, prostitutes.  I’ve been able to create a connection with a lot of them to the point that, today, I have prostitutes flag me down and say, officer, thank you for your prayers.  At times I’ve even had gang members give me a hug. That’s a huge breakthrough.”

And he says those times he’s had to send folks to jail they often seemed more concerned about what he thinks of them than the charges they face.

So now, Officer Wagner is creating a movie on his own time and independent of the police department with the goal of bringing hope -- and funds -- to a neighborhood that could desperately use both.  And he’s gathering an army of church groups and volunteers to help with the project.  More about the movie, and the volunteers behind it, in my blog next week.

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Speaking of church volunteers, there will be thousands of them doing hundreds of good deeds on Saturday from Raleigh-based Hope Community Church.  Hope is having its church-wide Day of Service on May 19^th.  Its members will be doing everything from yard work to serving meals to sorting through donations for the poor.  The service opportunities will be spread throughout the Triangle.

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THOU SHALT NOT STEAL…another church’s members?  A new collaborative ministry outreach in the Queen city (Charlotte ONE) has the goal of attracting hard to reach 20 & 30-somethings across denominational lines without “sheep-stealing.”  Read about it here.

Walking (and building) by Faith

 

The congregation at St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church in Chapel Hill has big plans.   Make that BIG plans.

"We believe that this is St. Paul's season," says the Rev. Thomas O. Nixon, St. Paul's pastor.

Rev. Thomas O. Nixon  next to an artist's conception of one of  St.Paul Village's buildings

This past Friday, the church held a kick-off banquet for a major multi-stage project in the Rogers Road area on the north side of town.  Church leaders envision a sprawling complex on 23 acres, featuring mixed-use affordable housing, a day care, athletic fields, senior citizen assisted living, a multicultural center, and more.  The centerpiece will be a new worship sanctuary and fellowship hall for the church.  It will all be designed to be environmentally sensitive, preserving areas of natural beauty.

"One of the desires of this vision was to provide a holistic ministry for the congregation," says Rev. Nixon.  "That we not only meet the spiritual needs but the mental, educational, and economic needs, and to deal with every age group of the congregation.  We have a very diverse age group in our congregation."

The church purchased the land for St. Paul AME Village several years ago.  Rev. Nixon told me that they hope to break ground on the first phase, which will feature the new sanctuary, fellowship hall and day care, by the end of the year.  The cost estimate for that is 3 to 4 million dollars.  Church leaders plan to spread the entire project out over ten years. 

But wait a minute.  Isn't there something called an economic downturn going on right now?

"I don't preach or believe that the God that we serve is in an economic crisis," says Nixon.  "I tell people, the one person you never see in the unemployment line or worrying about the economy is the drug dealer.  So, the money is here.  The challenge is, do we come out of the comfort of our stained glass windows and sanctuary to go re-direct those funds into Kingdom building?"

It's a huge undertaking.  But when your church is 147 years old -- having started during slavery days -- St. Paul's members know what it is to "walk by faith." 

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Update:  I reported in my last post about plans to make the faith-based movie Secrets in the Snow in Raleigh if enough seed money could be raised.  Well, guess what:  they reached their goal.  And co-producer  Brittany Goodwin emailed supporters that "every amount over the goal will go towards our final goal to cover costs of editing, marketing, etc."   Filming should take place next month.

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North Carolina’s most famous religious figure releases his newest book –- his 30^th -- this week.  The Rev. Billy Graham turns 93 next month, and appropriately enough, the book is about aging.  You can read an excerpt from Nearing Home:  Life, Faith and Finishing Well  at this link.

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They say music is the universal language.  And I can think of no greater example than the Heritage Mass Choir.  This group from South Korea loves African-American gospel music.  I can't understand what they're saying -- but I can understand what they're saying!  Check 'em out here.

A Blizzard on the Way?

So far this year Raleigh has experienced a tornado, an earthquake, and a hurricane. And coming in November, you may be able to add a blizzard to the mix.

That weather event, however, would be planned and controlled. The “blizzard” would be created for the production of a feature length faith-based film called Secrets in the Snow. It’s about six teens trapped in their school during a blizzard.

“They get snowed into their high school,” says co-producer Aaron Michael Johnson, “and each of them is dealing with something or some sort of secret that they have. We have all of these different issues that we’re dealing with in a faith-based way. We’re really seeing what the Lord can do in each of these situations as far as all of our characters go. With each of them there’s a different moral to be learned.”

The film is the brainchild of local filmmaker Brittany Goodwin, who wanted to make a movie the whole family could watch, and which would teach strong moral lessons. She asked Johnson, a Charlotte-based actor, if he would like to co-produce it, and he agreed.

“We wanted to create this movie based solely on the fact that it’s a Christian movie and it’s still going to be entertaining and teach you something,” Johnson told me. “We’ve got an awesome cast, a good story. There’s comedy, some drama, and tearjerkers -- stuff like that.”

Filming is expected to take about 10-12 days in November at two Raleigh private schools that have made their facilities available. But production can take place only if enough funds are raised first. You can read about that, and hear more about the project, in this promotional clip.

Johnson says if all goes well, Secrets in the Snow will be released on DVD next year and possibly even get theater distribution. One small thing, however: how do you create a blizzard in Raleigh?

“There’s a company called Snow My Yard, and what they do, basically, is you buy snow by the ton,” says Johnson. “And they come out, they bring their their dump trucks and they just blow snow all over the entire place. We’ll be purchasing snow and we’ll be having a huge fun snow day in Raleigh.”

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Last year's Red Mass in Raleigh (photo courtesy Diocese of Raleigh)

Friday, October 7^th, will be a special time for many in Raleigh’s legal and judicial professions. The annual Red Mass will take place at Sacred Heart Cathedral at 12:10pm. The Red Mass is a tradition in the Catholic Church dating back to the 13^th century. The Mass gets its name from the red liturgical garments worn. The vestments signify the flames of the Holy Spirit, whose guidance is sought for those who pursue justice.

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This Friday evening at sundown marks the start of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Rabbi Daniel Greyber of Durham’s Beth El Synagogue says it’s the holiest day on the Jewish calendar.

“The Bible itself describes Yom Kippur as a Sabbath of Sabbaths, a Shabbat of Shabbats,” he told me. “It’s a day of forgiveness between God and the Jewish people, a day in which Jews come together and reflect on the year which has passed and how we can be better people towards one another and in the world as well. It’s a day of introspection and reflection, and ultimately a day of joy. We believe and trust in God’s forgiveness and in God’s goodness, and take energy from this day into the year.”

Beth El is having a pre-fast dinner at 4:45pm Friday, with a Yom Kippur services beginning Saturday morning at 8:30. It’s the one holiday of the year that even many non-religious Jews wouldn’t miss going to synagogue.

“People come for different reasons,” Greyber says, “but I think people want to reconnect with community and also with their traditions. People have a sense of the holiness of the day. You have the famous example of Sandy Koufax. Many years ago when he was a pitcher for the Dodgers he would not pitch on Yom Kippur. He was not a religious Jew where it was going to stand in his way pitching on other days, but Yom Kippur was understood to be qualitatively different.”

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Yom Kippur is the culmination of the Jewish High Holy Days -- the “Days of Awe.” That ten day period began last Thursday with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. For some, it was a time of solemnity and personal reflection. For others, a time of celebrating and even – break dancing! Check out this clip.

Local Father and Son Star in New Movie

 

How cool is this:  starring in a movie promoting responsible fatherhood…alongside your own father. 

That’s the case with 16-year-old Rusty Martin.  The Johnston County teen actor has a key role in the new faith-based movie, Courageous, which opens across the nation next month.

 
Rusty Martin (left) and Rusty Martin Sr. (right), along with Alex Kendrick of  "Courageous" 

“Best experience I've ever had in my life,” he told me. “I have such a great relationship with my dad, and this movie kinda fits my role perfectly.  It gives me a chance to show other kids my age that they need to have a relationship with their father.”

As I reported in my blog last week, Courageous tells the story of four law enforcement officers and the struggles they face at home as well as on the job.  Rusty plays the son of one of those officers.  (Here's a clip featuring Rusty and his "dad" in the movie, actor Alex Kendrick.)  With a budget estimated at $1,000,000, it’s the largest production yet by Albany, Georgia, based Sherwood Baptist Church (“Fireproof,” “Facing the Giants”).

“My part took about 3 months off and on to shoot,” says Rusty, who’s been acting since age 7, appearing in commercials and some small-budget films.  “Basically, this is a heart-warming, heart-thumping, awesome movie about fathers becoming heroes at home."

Rusty Martin Sr., has a smaller part in the film.  Although the two of them don’t actually play father and son in the movie, they both say the long drives back and forth to Albany and the down time in between scenes gave them lots of good bonding time.  Rusty Sr., who’s relatively new to the acting business, says he’s a big believer in this new film.

“This is not your low-budget church movie that you’d be embarrassed to go see or take your brother-in-law,” he told me.  “The production level is, in my opinion, Hollywood level.  And that’s why they’ve gone outside of the church for crew and actors and all – to bring that production level up.  It’s an action movie about first responders – so that’s going to appeal to people.  And they’re not going to be preached to for ninety minutes.  I think (theater-goers) are going to walk away pretty excited.”

And there’s another family member who’s pretty excited about the movie, too:  Kim Martin, who’s the manager for her husband and son.  She was actually able to help them get their roles via Skype teleconferencing.

"You never get parts without actually meeting the director in person,” she says.  “I mean, that's just unheard of.  But this was definitely a God thing.  What I want people to see in this movie -- the dads in it are not all perfect.  They all make mistakes.  But they don't ever think it's too late to save that relationship between their kids and themselves.  That's the redeeming power of it -- that it's never too late."

Courageous opens in theaters September 30^th.

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Triangle area rabbis, in cooperation with local synagogues, are presenting ten-week courses giving “An Introduction to Judaism.”  The classes start this Wednesday night (August 31^st).   More details here and here.

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Speaking of ten-week courses, Raleigh’s Forest Hills Baptist Church is offering a ten-week free course that explores the Christian faith.  Their kickoff to The Alpha Course is Tuesday, September 6^th, with a free dinner and a movie starting at 6pm.

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Duke University’s Muslim Chaplain, Abdullah Antepli, is back from an emotional trip to Afghanistan.  While there, Antepli met with Muslim leaders and US troops.  More about his trip here.

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As the college football season opens, a lot of NC State fans may also be keeping an eye on new Wisconsin (and former Wolfpack) quarterback Russell Wilson, thinking about what might have been.  Wilson recently gave an interesting interview describing how his faith has shaped his life.   You can read about it here.

Getting 'Courageous' about Family

Fighting crime takes courage. But it also takes courage to raise your family the right way these days. That’s the message of the new faith-based movie, Courageous, which is set to hit theaters next month.

Deputies Mitchell and Fuller (Alex Kendrick and Kevin Downes) search for suspects in "Courageous"

The drama centers around four law enforcement officers who give their best on the job, but who tend to come up short as fathers. And if some enthusiastic local supporters of the movie have their way, hundreds of police officers, firefighters, and paramedics in the Triangle will get to see the film for free.

“Our vision is to send 500 first responders to go see the movie,” says Rally DeLeon, a Raleigh church deacon who is a member of the local “Action Team” that’s getting the word out about Courageous. He and fellow team members Josh Royster, Fred Bosse, and Kim Martin are trying to raise funds now for the effort. They launched a similar project three years ago with another faith-based film, Fireproof, and were and able to send hundreds of first responders to see it at no charge.

“We’ve got a lot of excitement, and lot of initiative in the local area,” DeLeon told me. “We’ve got more partners (this time). The people that were on board before are saying, ‘let’s build upon what we did before in ’08.’ And so we’re just coming together as a team and trying to leverage each other’s strengths and contacts and share it with the first responders.”

Like Fireproof and Facing the Giants (which came out in 2006), Courageous was produced by Sherwood Baptist Church of Albany, Georgia. Although made on modest budgets, the previous two films ended up making millions in sales and rentals. Sherwood’s pastor, the Rev. Michael Catt, told fellow pastors at a recent convention that Sherwood wanted to focus on fathers for its next film because "as fathers go, so goes the family, and so goes the church, and so goes the nation."

Says DeLeon: “I think there’s a message in Courageous that would help any man regardless of their belief system. It’s about being involved, about being committed, about being courageous and doing our very best. It’s not so much feeling guilty. Doing our best always stretches us.”

DeLeon say the Action Team hopes to raise $12,500 to send the local first responders to the movie, but they’re only about a quarter of the way there. If you’d like to make a tax deductible contribution – or if you’re a Raleigh-area first responder interested in the free screening, go to this website for more information.

Courageous is set to open nationally on September 30^th. And although it was shot in Georgia, folks in the Triangle may see a couple of local faces in it. That part of the story in my blog next week.

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A couple of large Durham-based churches are expanding their reach into Wake County. King's Park International Church opens its Raleigh campus on Sunday (August 28^th), operating out of Wiley Elementary School. And on the same day, The Summit Church launches its Cary campus at Cary High School. Summit already has four other locations in Durham and Raleigh.

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Bishop Michael Burbidge of the Diocese of Raleigh dedicates a new Wayne County Church on Sunday, August 28^th. Construction of the new parish church in Mt. Olive, to be named Our Lady of the Angels, got underway in late 2010.

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They say prayer changes things… but can it lead to drug busts? That’s what they’re saying in one rural Tennessee county, as detailed in this report.

Dancin' with Dad

 

This Friday night is shaping up to be a big one for members and friends of Raleigh's Restoration Christian Church.

"Everybody has been just wide open about it," says Pastor Jesse Mills.  "And the men?  Their response has been outstanding."

What are the men excited about?  A chance to shower attention on their daughters.  Restoration is holding its first annual Father and Daughter Dance, which will take place at the Biltmore Hills Community Center.  "And I think it's just going to be an awesome night and an awesome opportunity to rekindle the relationship between dad and daughter," the pastor says.

On a personal level, Mills says he's looking forward to spending special time with his own 17-year-old daughter.    

"I looked at my own life and I know that my life is busy.  Sometimes I just haven't taken the time to pamper my daughter and show her how I think that she should be treated as a young lady."

And that's what Friday night is all about.  Tickets for the semi-formal event are 15 dollars and open to the public.  Proceeds will support the church’s Youth Ministry.  You can find more information on Restoration's Facebook page. 

The really neat thing about it?  It's open to all ages. "Not just for teenagers or younger children," Pastor Jesse told me.  "It doesn't matter.  There are daddies that have called their daughters up and they're telling me their daughters are excited about being able to attend." 

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Demonstrators carrying signs are not an unusual sight in downtown Raleigh.  Except perhaps when that demonstrator is wearing a clerical collar – and a yarmulke, or Jewish skullcap.  This particular demonstrator walking up and down Fayetteville Street during lunch hour several days last week was none other than the Chaplain of the Raleigh-Durham International Airport, the Rev. Dennis Stiles. 

“This is not a 'gloom and doom' message,” he told me.  “This has nothing whatsoever to do with the Raleigh-Durham Airport, or the Airport Chapel.  This is about Christian support for Israel.  The people of Israel are in a precarious position right now, and they need to know and to understand that Christians are standing with them.”

Stiles’ sign contains Bible verses referencing the land of Israel, a country he has visited seven times.  The sign is addressed to President Obama, whom Stiles says he met briefly at the airport when he was running for president in 2008.

“I told him that I was praying for him.  And he thanked me and asked me to tell others to pray for him. I really believe that he wants to do the right thing.  So, this is why I feel compelled to let him know that if he tries to influence Israel into accepting a Palestinian state within its borders, or if he recognizes a Palestinian state within the state of Israel, this is against scripture.”

But can you really base modern day foreign policy on centuries old Bible verses?  And what about the Palestinians’ rights?

“This land (Israel) was promised to the Jewish people,” Stiles says, “the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  And that's what these scriptures are for -- for people to read so they’ll get an understanding of what God says and what His word says about Israel and about the Middle East, about us, and about how things are supposed to be done.” 

Rev. Stiles says he’ll continue his unusual protest as he feels led to do so.

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Drugs.  Sex.  Peer pressure.  Suicide.  These are some of the issues facing teenagers today that will be spotlighted in a free movie this Saturday night at Elm City United Methodist Church.  The church will be showing the independent film To Save a Life.  The movie will be shown at 5:30 and 8:30 pm.  Families and youth groups are encouraged to attend.  The film is rated PG-13.

Taking the Church on the Road

 

Some Chatham County congregations are taking their churches on the road next Sunday for a day of service.  

Members of Chapel in the Pines and Chatham Community Church will descend on North Chatham School for a much-needed school beautification work day.  The churches will actually forego their normal sanctuary services for the work day.  They’re expecting as many as 200 people to show up for the event, which they're calling The Church has Left the Building.

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Also on May 22^nd, the Triangle’s Jewish community will celebrate Israel’s 63^rd Independence Day.  The Jewish Federations of Raleigh-Cary and Durham-Chapel Hill have teamed up for a big festival, which will take place from 3 to 6pm at the RTP Hilton.  They’ll have Israeli food, music, and dancing.

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Baseball superstar and Raleigh native Josh Hamilton may be taking time off the ballfield, but not from the other great love of his life:   his faith.

The Texas Rangers all-star is helping to promote National Back to Church Sunday, a cross-denominational movement aimed at reversing declining church attendance.  Hamilton, who has been sidelined for weeks with an arm fracture, has given his official endorsement to the back-to-church movement.  He has credited his faith and church with helping him overcome a serious drug addiction.

“God’s word tells us to spur one another on toward love and good deeds, and not give up meeting together," Hamilton says in a statement.  "We are to walk through life with other believers. My family and I have found that church is a wonderful way to do this, so I encourage you to join thousands of Americans as they go back to church on National Back to Church Sunday."

This year’s Back to Church Sunday is set for September 18^th.

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East Chapel Hill High School is going Greek next weekend – courtesy of the folks at St. Barbara's Greek Orthodox Church.  The church is sponsoring its annual Greek Festival at the school, Friday through Sunday.  They’ll have lots of Greek art, souvenirs…and of course, plenty of Greek delicacies.  

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Raleigh’s Western Boulevard Presbyterian Church is bringing back the days of the drive-in theater.  This Saturday night they’ll be showing Toy Story 3 at 7pm and The Blind Side at 9:15 in the church parking lot.  Concessions sold and donations collected will benefit the church’s mission trip this summer.

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With the date rapidly approaching, I thought it’d be a good time to revisit Amber Rupinta's report from a few weeks back about a religious group convinced that this Saturday (May 21^st) is Judgment Day. 

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Beautiful music alert:   Check out this new YouTube clip from Raleigh’s Hayes Barton Baptist Church, featuring visiting singers from Millbrook High School.

Growing crops -- and hope

 

A new farm is starting up in Granville County.  And in addition to the corn, green beans, and other crops that will soon be growing, add a couple of other things to the list:   hope and redemption.

"It's very therapeutic when they can plant and can see something grow,” says Shawn Saunders, Executive Director of Converting Hearts Ministries in Creedmoor. 

Converting Hearts is the Christian-based substance abuse ministry operating the farm.  The workers who will plant and cultivate the crops are all men going through CHM’s program.

“It's so great because you pull them out of the hustle and bustle and chaos of urban life,” says Saunders, “and put them in a place where they can just have peace and quiet, and sequester them to work on a farm, work with their hands.”

Converting Hearts started up a couple of years ago and now has 11 recovery beds.  But the farm itself is something new. 

“We're on six acres now, but we've got plenty of farmland to do some major harvesting, so it'll get larger and larger as we grow,” Saunders told me.  “We'll probably have about 40 head of cattle.  We're going to be selling eggs.   It'll be self-sustaining.  We'll be able to manufacture our own beef as well as our own crops.  And the men will be making furniture as well – we're going to have a wood shop."

Saunders knows all too well the devastation drug and alcohol abuse can cause a family.  He saw his mother and two brothers wreck their lives by abusing prescription drugs and other things.  Now, one brother is in CHM’s program – and the other is on the staff.

"Will (Saunders) and I work together now,” he says.  “This is a dream of ours -- to help people who struggle with life-controlling issues such as chemical/substance abuse.  My brother Nathan's actually in our program ready to become a house manager.  He's been here for five months.  He's doing great."

The Converting Hearts farm is on Highway 96 near the Wake County line.  Saunders says it will probably be an all-organic operation.  I’ll let you know in a future blog when they’re ready to start selling.

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Thousands of Catholics and those curious about the Catholic faith will converge on the State Fairgrounds this weekend for the Raleigh Diocese's largest conference of the year.  Ignited by Truth takes place Friday evening and all day Saturday at the Jim Graham Building.  The event features nationally-known speakers, live music, and workshops, and is in its ninth year.

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The Islamic Association of Raleigh is extending a welcome to its non-Muslim neighbors and friends with an Open House this Saturday (February 26th) from 2:00 to 5:00PM.  The Association is located at 808 Atwater Street.  More details here.

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Looking to try something different for Passover?  How about trying it Southern style?  Penny Rich, a Personal Chef and Caterer, gives the traditional Passover meal a Southern accent this Sunday (February 27^th) at the NC Museum of History.  She’ll serve up dishes such as “dirty matzoh” and Mississippi praline macaroons.  The cooking demonstration is free, but you have to register by February 23^rd.    Call (919) 807-7992.

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America’s religious landscape is changing.  ABC News reported on a new study that details which denominations are shrinking – and which are growing. 

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The big Hollywood studios are still somewhat uncomfortable about how to handle matters of faith.  Case in point:  one studio exec literally tried to edit the Bible out of a new film that’s based on a true story.  You can read about it here.

Porn in the Church?

 

The title certainly grabs your attention:  “Porn Week at Church.”   And that’s exactly what will be discussed February 2^nd through 9^th at Whitley Church in Goldsboro and at Whitley’s satellite campus, The Bridge.

“We’re excited with what God’s gonna do,” says Bridge Pastor Jeremy White.  “We’ve had an overwhelming response already.  We have a couple billboards that are up in the Goldsboro area.  We have signs up, we've advertised in the newspapers – really trying to get the word out.”

And the word is certainly getting around in Wayne County – not all of it good.  “There has been some criticism,” White admits.  “But a lot of that criticism is coming from other Christians outside of our church.  Our people inside of our church have been overwhelmingly supportive of it.  We’re not afraid to talk about things that are really impacting people’s lives.”

The week-long teaching and sermon series will tackle such topics as “Pornography in Marriage,” and “Pornography and Teenagers.”  White says pornography is a 57 billion dollar business, raking in more revenue annually than Major League Baseball, the NFL, and the NBA combined. 

And, he says its influence reaches into the church:   “40 percent of Christian men admit that they struggle with pornography.   20 percent of Christian women say they struggle with this.  And 30 percent of pastors say they struggle with pornography.  It’s a huge problem.  We think that it’s outside the church but it’s in the walls of our churches.”

As to critics who say the topic isn’t appropriate for church, Pastor White is unapologetic.  “Unfortunately, a lot of churches, they don’t want to talk about these issues -- even if they’re relevant -- because they’re controversial.  The controversy happens, but as long as people’s lives are being restored and their marriages and families, that matters more than any controversy that we’re gonna get.”

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You can take a trip around the world this Friday (February 4^th) at St. Raphael the Archangel Catholic Church in Raleigh.  The parish’s annual Heritage Festival takes place from 6 to 10PM, as they take time to celebrate different cultures and diversity.

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Folks in the Smithfield-Selma area are mourning the loss of the Rev. Donald Coates, who died last week after a long battle with cancer.   Rev. Coates pastored Pine Level Free Will Baptist Church, but was also known for founding the 100-plus Young Disciples Singing Ministry.  Coates was 54 years old. 

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A new report projects the world’s population of Muslims will grow about 35% to 2.2 million over the next 20 years.  Here in the US, the number of Muslims is projected to increase from 2.6 million to 6.2 million over the same period of time.  More about the story here.

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The new supernatural thriller The Rite opened in theaters across the country Friday.  Now, a Northern California TV station has interviewed the real-life priest/exorcist whose life is portrayed in the Anthony Hopkins film.  Check out the report here.