The Rev. Kenneth R. Hammond, pastor of Durham's Union Baptist Church, will talk about the challenges of living the service-centered principles articulated by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. when he delivers the MLK Day sermon at Watts Street Baptist Church, 800 Watts Street, on Jan. 20. The public is invited.

"During the '60s and '70s, people got involved when they saw perceived areas of injustice, but now we seem to be in a time of less corporate action," Hammond said. "People are more concerned about their own issues."

Hammond, 56, is leading his church's efforts to address the challenges underprivileged young people face today. As part of these efforts, the Union Baptist Independent School will open on a site adjacent to the church in the fall of 2008. It will open with classes for pre-kindergarten through grade 2, with a longterm aim of adding grades through high school.

The school, eventually serving 250 students, will take a "whole child approach" that takes into account roadblocks to learning, including hunger and urban distractions. The likelihood of learning something is greatly diminished if a child is up all night because of gunfire in the neighborhood or is coming to school hungry, Hammond said. The school will give priority in enrollment to children from Northeast Central Durham.

Hammond is a native of Greenville, N.C., and an alumnus of East Carolina University and Shaw University Divinity School. He currently serves on the board of directors for the Greater Durham YMCA, Durham Habitat for Humanity, the Durham County Hospital Corporation, New Vision Community Development and the Joyland Foundation.

Union Baptist and Watts Street Baptist Church, along with Duke's Baptist House of Studies, have had a partnership for the past three years in ministering to Baptist students at Duke University.

Hammond is the recipient of the 2007 Pastor of the Year Servant Heart Award, sponsored by Christian Tools of Affirmation, Inc. of Fenton, Mo., in recognition of his outreach to the community. Hammond was chosen from more than 1,000 pastors from across the country based on nomination forms.

Hammond's sermon, to be given during the 11 a.m. service, will be followed by a luncheon and question-and-answer session in the church's fellowship hall. City and county officials will attend the service and luncheon. Lunch reservations can be made by calling the church office at 688-1366. Watts Street Baptist Church is at the corner of Watts and Urban streets, a block from Duke University's East Campus.

DCIA annual dinner to feature NCCU head

The Keynote speaker for the annual dinner meeting of Durham Congregations in Action will be the chancellor of North Carolina Central University. Dr. Charlie Nelms, who joined N.C. Central this past summer, has brought to the community not only his commitment to higher education, but a longstanding interest in hunger-relief work.

The meeting at 6 p.m. on Jan. 15 will be hosted by Westminster Presbyterian Church, 3639 Old Chapel Hill Road.

This annual occasion celebrates the ministries of the cooperative effort of DCIA, an organization of 59 faith communities that seeks to build a compassionate and just society. Not only are the regular representatives and participants in the monthly DCIA meetings welcome, but invited guests and members from other congregations in the city can attend as well, said Spencer Bradford, DCIA president.

Among the ministries to be recognized will be the 10th anniversary of the Families First program, which helps families move from welfare to work. Also, a report will be made on the first class of students participating in YO: Durham, a mentoring and career-readiness program that began this past summer.

The cost of the dinner is $14 per person. Reservations should be made by Jan. 9, either by telephone to 688-2036 or e-mail to dcia@dcia.org. A check for the total amount, payable to Durham Congregations in Action, should accompany reservations.

Duke Chapel presents 'Herself a Rose' concert

Celebrate winter and enjoy "Herself A Rose," a performance by the Women's Voices Chorus. The event will be held Sunday, Jan. 13, at 3 p.m. at Duke Chapel.

Directed by Allan Friedman, assistant conductor at Duke Chapel, the concert will feature a variety of works both sacred and secular. Highlights include Benjamin Britten's "Ceremony of Carols" and the premiere of a new composition, "Herself A Rose" by Eleanor Daley in honor of chorus founder Mary Lycan.

Also included are Magnificats by Porpora, Dufay and Lana Walter, and pieces by Byrd and Purcell.

Tickets are available at the door, $10 for adults and $5 for students. For more information, call 684-3855.

Pastor-guitarist making music for the Soul Cafe

The Soul Cafe at Duke Memorial United Methodist Church will feature a performance next Saturday by Will McFarlane, a talented singer, songwriter and musician who played guitar with Bonnie Raitt for six years and is now one of the pastors at Grace Church in Chapel Hill.

McFarlane, who became a Christian in 1980, moved to the Triangle seven years ago. Durham audiences have heard him during the past year at such local venues as Sips Coffee and Tea, Broad Street Cafe and Brightleaf Square.

The performance at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 12 will include blues and rock 'n' roll. Admission is $5.

The Soul Cafe is a ministry of Duke Memorial and offers desserts and freshly brewed coffee at all events. It is funded in part by a grant from the Mary Duke Biddle Foundation.

TV figure to headline women's group event

The Durham Women's Connection will hold its January luncheon and program on Jan. 19 in the dining room at Croasdaile Village, 2600 Croasdaile Farms Parkway.

"Designs in Mind" will feature Nancy Brown, who will show the newest products in the Vera Bradley Collection. The speaker will be Brenda Shumaker of Danville, Pa. She is an author and TV personality who uses humor and candor to describe her attempts at balancing priorities in her life. Reservations are necessary for the 10 a.m. meeting. Make them by calling 489-6924 by Jan. 16. The cost is $10.