Peace Church, a congregation that has met for worship in the Lions Club Building on Hillandale Road since its organization eight years ago, is joining the ranks of Christian voices in the northern part of the county. This 50-member congregation has begun to worship in a new building located on an 8.3-acre site at 6114 Russell Road.

Peace is Durham's first Evangelical Presbyterian Church.

"Our name describes us well," said Pastor James Banks. "The EPC is both evangelical and Presbyterian. We are evangelical in our zeal for the Gospel as well as evangelism, missions and living obediently as followers of Jesus."

The building of this church is a story of sweat equity in which the congregation saved thousands of dollars by taking on the impossible and doing it themselves. The total cost of the project is in the area of $350,000, not including the cost of the land, which the church owns free and clear. The project has been completed without a commercial loan.

The building is an energy-efficient Morton Building of 3,100 square feet. The entry is marked by two eight-foot teak doors and a small church bell. The congregation bought the bell off eBay from a church in Mississippi.

Several local contractors helped these inexperienced church builders, often giving the church a break and even donating services. The heating and air contractor, Mike Bowling, donated a 17-foot red cedar cross that stands at the top of the property.

Serving as their own contractor for the interior saved thousands, Banks said.

"Several members, especially our building chair Bob Griffin and elder Bruce Gray, donated hundreds of hours painting, installing tile, laminating flooring, kitchen countertop and cabinets, trim and molding, electrical fixtures," he said.

In an unusual turn of events, before the drywall was installed, several members wrote Scripture verses and prayers on the studs of the walls. Scripture verses also have been painted in gold script over the sanctuary entry and exit in several rooms.

The eight brass chandeliers in the sanctuary were donated by Scott McClintock of the Church Operations Center. Banks knows McClintock through a group called Durham Ministers in Prayer.

A beautiful quilt adorned with Scripture verses hangs in the back of the sanctuary, a piece of art representing more than 1,000 hours of work by the women of the church.

Before Christmas, an antique stained-glass window will be placed in the front of the sanctuary, Banks said. The church found the window, originally in a church in Revere, Mass., on eBay. When the seller learned of the church's interest, she reduced the price.

The window has a pointed arch, depicting Jesus in the center with a man and a woman praying in the two lower corners. Banks says this represents the two priorities for mission that God has given his church: prayer and evangelism.

Banks said that Griffin, the building chairman, used his gift for landscaping to oversee the plantings on the church site. As you enter, you will drive by 11 crepe myrtles, 12 pink dogwoods and more than 130 azaleas, 120 of which were donated by WRAL's annual azalea giveaway.

"The building provides us with a full-time base of operations for the first time," Banks said. "We hope it will serve as a sending place for our members to go and share Jesus' love with others as well as a place where many may come to find peace with God."

Worship services on Sunday are at 11 a.m. and office hours at the church are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The phone number at the church is 477-1155.

CROP Walk all-stars

Congregations, organizations and individuals were recognized this week at the meeting of Durham Congregations in Action for their participation in the annual Durham CROP Walk held this past March. The total amount raised was approximately $176,000.

Congregation awards were presented in three categories, large, mid-size and small.

Large: Aldersgate United Methodist got the gold for raising $8,145.; Immaculate Conception, silver with $7,525.

Mid-size: Westminster Presbyterian, gold, $14,890; McMannen United Methodist, silver, $9,133.

Small: Pilgrim United Church of Christ, gold, $4,907; Resurrection United Methodist, $4,151.

Other categories included businesses, nonprofits and schools.

Businesses: Syngenta Biotech, gold, $2,760; and Coastal Federal Credit Union, $900.

Nonprofits: Housing for New Hope, gold, $2,772; and Boy Scout Troop 461, $2,695.

Schools: Duke School for Children Middle School, gold, $5,193; and Krestrel Heights School, $939.

Individuals who raised more than $1,000 included the Hall Family at McMannen UMC, $3,426; Tuppence-Rozak Team at Westminster, $3,760; David Claris at Calvary UMC, $1,025; Larry Matthews at McMannen UMC, $1,050; Chip Reinhardt and Boy Scout Troop 451 at Westminster, $1,314.

Also, Barbara Self at Duke Memorial UMC, $1,335; Dan Read at Durham Friends Meeting, $1,350; Vivian Lyndon at Aldersgate UMC, $1,755; Joseph Levi, $2,000; Betty Jane Upchurch at Aldersgate UMC, $2,090; Margaret Merryman at Epworth UMC, more than $2,500; and Kenzie Brannon at Westminster, $2,845.

The 2010 Walk will be held on Sunday, March 21, at 2:30 p.m. at Duke Chapel.

St. Barbara candlelight tour

An Open House and Candlelight Tour will be held on Friday, Dec. 4, from 4 to 7:30 p.m. at St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church's new facility, located at 8306 N.C. 751, about a mile west of I-40.

The gleaming golden dome and its tall Christian cross that top the church's Byzantine architecture will surely become one of Durham's landmarks as it towers over the trees along N.C. 751, one of the more heavily traveled entrances to the city.

The general public is invited to the open house. Father Andrew Koufopoulos will be on hand to offer guided tours of the sanctuary and to hold a question-and-answer session.

St. Barbara dates its organization back to 1945. The congregation's previous church was located on Watts Street in the Trinity Park Neighborhood. That property was sold to a Reformed Presbyterian congregation.

Divine Liturgy at St. Barbara is held at 10:30 a.m. on Sundays.

White Rock wins with Relay

Team Rock n' Research, White Rock Baptist's Relay for Life team, won a platinum level plaque at the recent wrap of Relay 2009.

The team raised $8,700 for the American Cancer Society.

Quartet to play at St. Stephen's

St. Stephen's Episcopal Church's Concert Series will feature the Borromeo String Quartet and Dr. Joseph Kitchen, organist, on Sunday, Nov. 22, at the church, 82 Kimberly Drive.

The quartet has been the official Quartet in Residence at the New England Conservatory of Music for 17 years and is known for communicating even the most challenging repertoires so audiences can comprehend and enjoy.

The program on Sunday includes the Passacaglia and Fugue by J.S. Bach, transcribed for string quartet by Nicholas Kitchen and in its original form played by Dr. Kitchen on the Kenan Memorial Flentrop organ at St. Stephens. Other works on the program are the Sunrise Quartet by Haydn and the Fourth Quartet of Bela Bartok.

During the pre-concert gathering at 3 p.m. in the parish hall, the quartet will discuss Bartok's String Quartet No. 4 in C Major.

Tickets are $15. Admission is free for ages 18 and under.

Habitat project, dedication

It's time to raise the roof! Volunteers are needed today at 8:15 a.m. as construction will begin with a blessing at 1107 Morehead in Southwest Central Durham on the Habitat home for the Billious family.

Folks who pedaled in Habitat for Durham's Bull Moon and Halloween Bike Rides raised more than $75,000, enough to start this home.

Building will continue on Fridays and Saturdays through the winter months.

Contact the volunteer manager for more information at the Habitat office, 682-0516, ext. 101.

A Habitat House for Robert Daye, who for 32 years has been the custodian at First Presbyterian Church, will be dedicated at noon today.

The house is located at 702 Carroll St. and the dedication will be followed by a light lunch.

The ceremony will be one of rejoicing for Daye, but also for members of the church who have put in many hours of work to make this dream come true for a revered member of its staff.

"Robert has the longest longevity of anyone working with our congregation," said the Rev. Joe Harvard, pastor. "He is a valuable colleague and building this house with Habitat has been a joy."

All are welcome to attend.

First Presbyterian is located on the corner of Main and Roxboro streets in downtown.

Saturday night live music

Looking for Saturday night entertainment? Find it at the Soul Café tonight, Nov. 21, where Jon Shain Trio will be playing at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $10.

Jon is a veteran singer-songwriter who's been turning heads for years with his words, his fiery guitar work and his evolved musical style, combining improvised piedmont blues with bluegrass, swing and ragtime.

The Soul Café is an intimate coffeehouse-like venue that seats 80 people. It is located at the rear of Duke Memorial United Methodist Church, 504 W. Chapel Hill St. You enter under the Soul Café awning on Memorial Street right off either Duke or Gregson streets.

All are welcome.

Ministries gets service award

The Catholic Network of Volunteer Service recently recognized Urban Ministries of Durham with the Father George Mader Award.

Created in 1988, the award honors organizations and individuals that encourage men and women to serve others. It is named after Father Mader of the Archdiocese of Newark, N.J., who in 1963, together with his sister Patricia Mader Stalker, founded what is today the Catholic Network of Volunteer Service.

Urban Ministries of Durham was founded by volunteers from Durham Congregations in Action and the community in 1982. Today it hosts more than 4,100 volunteers a year of which 53 percent are from a diverse group of more than 60 faith communities in the area.