"Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is not in the repertoire of the 40-member choir at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church. Not yet.

The choir has been invited to sing the National Anthem for the Durham Bulls home game with Indianapolis on Aug. 23.

"It's a fun thing most church choirs don't think of doing," said Ben Hutchens, director of music. "It's fun for everybody and good PR for the church."

The a cappella rendition will be a standard four-part arrangement, Hutchens said. "We actually did the same thing last year and got a lot of response."

Hutchens said that Father Bob Kaynor, rector, thinks the idea is a good opportunity for socializing and for the parish to move beyond its own walls. "Bob knows when to be a priest and when to be a human," Hutchens said.

St. Stephen's is at 82 Kimberly Drive.

Groups help relieve citizens from the heat

As temperatures nudged toward the 100-degree mark this week, ministries took steps to protect folks who live on the streets from the risk of heat exposure and heat exhaustion.

Respite from the heat was available at the Urban Ministries Center on Main Street in downtown.

"We allow people to sit in the cafeteria area after eating," said Travis Sellers, residential manager. "We ask them to leave until the kitchen crew cleans up and then they can come back in.

"There are more people on the street in summer," said Sellers. "I'm a recovered addict myself and I understand what it's like on the other side of the fence."

The Open Table Ministry, which targets the homeless along U.S. 15-501 between Durham and Chapel Hill, has not moved into crisis mode because all of its regulars, with the exception of one man, have some form of shelter at this time, said Carolyn Schuldt, director.

"The last time it was this hot, we had someone go by frequently to take water," she said. "We were not able to house all of them at that time. We'd like to be able to rent a motel room on such occasions, but we don't have that kind of money available."

Schuldt credits Housing for New Hope and the Durham Center for outstanding efforts in finding housing for so many among the city's homeless population.

In spite of Wednesday's heat, Open Table served lunch at noon on the service road near New Hope Commons. Rougemont United Methodist provided a home-cooked meal and the volunteers to serve it.

Back in downtown, the Rev. Mary Banner, former director of Presbyterian Urban Ministries who now works part time at First Presbyterian on East Main Street, said living outside in summer's heat with no access to water is just as risky for homeless folks as the freezing nights in winter.

During the past four to six months, Banner said a total of 25 regulars have sought shelter at night on the church's two porches. Right now all of them have a place to live, and the congregation is helping them furnish apartments.

Banner has been working with teams of church members getting to know the nighttime visitors and steering them in the direction of more permanent housing.

Banner also noted that more people are on the street during summer, and for First Presbyterian this means more knocking on the church's back door. Taking care of these requests is part of her ministry, she said.

"They have the usual kinds of problems, money for rent, utilities, food and transportation. We get them to the right agencies," she said.

Mount Vernon to hold special pastoral service

Mount Vernon Baptist Church, 1007 S. Roxboro St., will celebrate the anniversary of Pastor Jerome J. Washington with a special service on Aug. 24.

The Rev. Roger Williams, pastor of First Baptist Church in Glenn Cove, N.Y., will preach at the 11 a.m. service. A special anniversary choir will provide music. The public is invited.