The Durham Rescue Mission has sent out its annual call for new toys, games and books to make Christmas happen this year for hundreds of children in the city.

The mission needs 2,000 toys for elementary-aged children, but no stuffed animals. The mission will host its annual Christmas Eve dinner Dec. 24 for children whose parents are homeless or working but not able to buy toys.

"These children are just like all other children who get excited and dream of toys for Christmas. We hope the public will help us make their dream come true," said the Rev. Ernie Mills, mission founder and executive director.

Volunteers also are needed to help organize and distribute toys and serve the hot Christmas Eve meal.

This celebration has been a part of the mission's ministry since 1974. Persons interested in volunteering or contributing toys can call Paul Bryant at 688-9641, ext 5025, for more information.

On Thanksgiving Day, the mission was assisted by 400 volunteers in serving more than 1,000 traditional turkey dinners.

"This was the largest gathering of the haves and have-nots that I know of in North Carolina and it was right here in Durham," Mills said.

Durham Memorial holding craft, bake sale

Durham Memorial Baptist Church, 133 Robbins Road, will hold a craft and bake sale on Saturday, Dec. 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 207 Robbins Road.

Church secretary Liz Lund said this will be an ideal time to stock up on gifts for teachers, neighbors and co-workers.

But food is also a drawing card to this church event, she said. Biscuits will be sold in the morning and hotdogs in the afternoon.

Proceeds will go to the church's building fund.

Choirs go on tour for the holiday season

The North Carolina Boys Choir and Chamber Choir are a traditional part of the Christmas season in the area. Here is a listing of their holiday performances.

Sunday, Dec. 2: First Presbyterian Church, 222 Young St., Henderson. Seasonal music as part of a worship service with a choral prelude beginning at 10:40 a.m. Free.

Sunday, Dec. 9: Holy Trinity Anglican Church, 3400 White Oak Road, Raleigh, at 5 p.m. Festival of lessons and carols. Free.

Sunday, Dec. 16: Duke Chapel, Durham, 11 a.m. Seasonal music as part of a worship service with choral prelude beginning at 10:40 a.m. Free.

Monday, Dec. 17, Duke Chapel, Durham, 7:30 p.m. Annual Christmas concert. Tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for children 12 and under.

More information: 489-0291 or www.ncboyschoir.org.

St. Luke's funding trips by selling flowers

St. Luke's Episcopal, 1737 Hillandale Road, is selling poinsettias as a fundraiser for two mission teams that will go to Belize in February to work on Holy Cross Anglican Primary School.

Information and order forms may be found at www.stlukesdurham.org under the banner picture in the "It's Outreach Season at St. Luke's" section.

Plants will be available at the church on Dec. 2, and orders are due by Wednesday.

Yates teacher wins statewide Baptist award

Linda Miller, a member of Yates Baptist Church on Chapel Hill Road and a 30-year teacher in the church's Child Development Center, has been named the "North Carolina Teacher of the Year" by the N.C. Baptist Church Weekday Association.

Miller, who retired in September, has been an advocate for this kind of ministry to young children and their families.

To provide a more complete family ministry, she conducted the center's first weekend home visits to each of her 15 students' homes. This outreach was met with such enthusiasm that other teachers have followed her example, conducting home visits for children in their classes.

The church nomination of Miller for this award notes that she worked with her students in organizing donations for victims of house fires, collecting items for the homeless, creating fruit baskets for home-bound church members and writing get-well cards and thank you notes.

"She used her position as a vehicle for ministry by simply being a teacher who was willing to live a life of faith alongside the children," said Krissy Snyder, director.

Duke Chapel forms Faith Council for dialogue

This fall, Duke Chapel has put a new emphasis on religious understanding and interfaith dialogue with the creation of a Faith Council.

This group of 10 campus ministers and chapel staff meet regularly to study sacred texts, to learn from one another and to discuss issues and topics that are at the forefront in today's world.

The purpose of the Faith Council is to foster and model profound conversations across faith traditions.

In time, the council plans to begin such conversations within the university and beyond.

"Being surrounded by people different from oneself deepens one's experience of one's own tradition as well as offering wisdom from theirs," said Chapel Dean Sam Wells, who is a member of the council.