The site for the new Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Barbara on N.C. 751 has been cleared and grading is now under way. Pete Marinos, a congregation member who is supervising the $4.5 million phase one, said this week that foundation work is scheduled to begin within the next three weeks.

The 150-member congregation, which has met at 1316 Watts St. since 1950, hopes to celebrate Christmas 2007 in the new building. The sanctuary will feature traditional Byzantine architecture.

Marinos said the architect, who specializes in designing Greek Orthodox churches around the country, is from California. One of his first challenges was to site the church so the front faces east, a requirement in this tradition. Thus, the front of the church will not face N.C. 751, but will be adjacent to it.

An engineering professor at Duke University, Marinos said the church campus, located on about six acres, will be built in three phases -- first the sanctuary, next the administrative offices and last the education portion. The sanctuary will seat 300 and is designed so that it can be enlarged to seat 350.

Members come mainly from the Durham and Chapel Hill area, he said, but the church also serves members from Cary, Wake Forest and Henderson.

Marinos said N.C. 751 is a coveted location, making the church more accessible for members from across this broad area.

Lecture asks question: Is hip-hop holy?

The United Messianic Afrikan Assembly will feature the Rev. Paul Scott, who will speak on the topic "Hip-Hop Spirituality: Is hip-hop good or evil?" at the 11 a.m. service on Sunday. The service will be held at the Millennium Hotel, 2800 Campus Walk Avenue.

Scott has lectured around the country on the topic of race, rap and religion, and has been a guest on talk shows including ones on FoxNews and MSNBC.

Free Thanksgiving meal for those in need

The Satellite Pantry Ministry of Grace Church, 200 Sage Road in Chapel Hill (but serving Durham, as well), will host a free Thanksgiving dinner for anyone in need. Turkey and all the traditional turkey day dishes will be served from 2 to 4 p.m. and from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Space is limited and those interested should RSVP to Michelle Dingfelder at 883-7637.

New twist on healthy holiday dinner

A Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings will be served today at 11 a.m. at Changing a Generation Outreach Ministries, 603 Holloway St.

The Sons of New Bethel, a Durham gospel group, will sing during the event, and a nurse will be present to check blood pressures and provide health screenings.

Pastor Rodney Green said the goal is to feed 500 people today.

The ministry is also seeking donations to help buy Christmas gifts for needy families and children.

Toys and clothes are needed, Green said. More information is available on the ministry's Web site, changingageneration.org. The phone number is 824-2740 and the mailing address is P.O. Box 1061, Durham NC, 27702.

Exporting help, hope to quake survivors

It's going to be a cold winter and Joe Moran and Erica Adams, regional director and assistant director, respectively, of Church World Service in the Carolinas, are shopping for heavy clothing, woolen socks and sturdy boots. In early December, they expect to be trudging through the snow in northern Pakistan. They'll will visit refugee camps where Church World Service is helping with relief and recovery efforts for survivors of Pakistan's massive October 2005 earthquake.

"Many of the displaced are still living in tents a year later," Moran said.

CWS is assisting in the restoration of livelihoods and livestock, installation of potable water systems and sanitation.

To invite Moran or Adams to give a presentation about their experiences in Pakistan, call 888-297-2767.

Holderness joins Union Theological Seminary

The Rev. Haywood Holderness, retired pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church, has joined Union Theological Seminary & Presbyterian School of Christian Education as a senior development associate. The seminary is in Richmond, Va.

Holderness will help raise support for the seminary around the country and in Durham.

Dialougue with the deans

The deans of Duke University Chapel and of the Duke School of Medicine will explore the question "Is it possible to do any good?" during a discussion on Nov. 29 in Hock Plaza Auditorium, 2424 Erwin Road. The plaza is across Erwin Road from the Duke Eye Center.

The Rev. Sam Wells, dean of the chapel, and Dr. R. Sanders Williams, dean of the medical school, will host the event from 12:30 to 1:20 p.m., which will include a question-and-answer session.

This talk will be the first in the Dean's Dialogues series, sponsored by Duke Chapel. These events will be chaired by Wells and include deans from the university.

"Duke Chapel has a unique role in encouraging discussion about matters of common concern and in enabling dialogue to occur around the deeper issues that shape our character, lives and world," Wells said.

The discussion is free and open to the public. Those attending are encouraged to bring a bagged lunch.

"We have a chance to discover what motivates the senior leaders of Duke's schools ..." said the Rev. Gaston Warner, organizer of the series and director of University and Community Relations at the chapel.