“Sunday Assembly,” Chapel Hill’s Un-Church, Marks One Year

On the second Sunday of every month, dozens of folks gather in Carrboro’s ArtsCenter for a church service. There’s singing, there’s fellowship, there are teachings and life lessons and fun and community and togetherness and humanity.

Only one thing is missing: the religion.

It’s called Sunday Assembly Chapel Hill – “all of the fun and community of church, but without the religion” – and it’s part of a growing movement worldwide. The “Sunday Assembly” idea originated in London in January 2013, the brainchild of British comedians Pippa Evans and Sanderson Jones – and in less than two years it’s taken off on both sides of the Atlantic. Chapel Hill-Carrboro’s Sunday Assembly, first organized this past January, is one of several dozen Sunday Assemblies that meet regularly across the country.

It’s open to everyone, religious, agnostic and atheistic alike. There’s a band playing popular songs and a ‘sermon’ from a different guest speaker every time. The community works with non-profits like Book Harvest and the Food Bank of Durham – and they serve as a support network for each other too. (Their motto is “Live Better, Help Often, Wonder More.”)

Kevin and Heather Klein are two of the co-organizers of Sunday Assembly Chapel Hill. They stopped by WCHL this week and spoke with Aaron Keck.

 

Sunday Assembly Chapel Hill meets at the ArtsCenter West End at 10:30 a.m. on the second Sunday of every month. Everyone is welcome. The next meeting is this Sunday, December 13 – they’re celebrating Solstice, with secular Christmas carols and a potluck. On January 10, they’ll celebrate their one-year anniversary in Chapel Hill-Carrboro.

Get more info at SundayAssemblyChapelHill.org, or like them on Facebook.

http://chapelboro.com/news/news-around-town/sunday-assembly-chapel-hills-un-church-marks-one-year

5k Walk/Run For St. Paul Village

CHAPEL HILL – Chapel Hill’s cornerstone church, St. Paul AME, plans to hold several events in the next year to raise money for the St. Paul Village and to celebrate their 150 anniversary.

One of the main events the church will hold is a 5k walk and run on March 1.  Race Chair, Joe Bynum, says that the proceeds will be helpful for the church.

“This is a 5k representing St. Paul, and it’s going to be a money stream for the general Village of St. Paul, what we are trying to build” Bynum says.

Earlier this year St. Paul held their first 5k walk with around 200 participants and rose over $8000 for the church.  This year Bynum says that they want to expand to more people in the surrounding area.

“We’re expanding our reaches, we’re going out for everybody, we’re trying to be a general area thing, we want to stretch-out, we want to go to Alamance County, the further way out your license plate the happier I’ll be” Bynum states.

Next year the church will also celebrate its 150 anniversary in October, but Reverend Thomas Nixon says that they have many events planned for throughout the year.

“January, February will be a month of celebrating our history, and March is going to be community outreach month, April is men’s month, May is health month, June is Christian education, youth is all July, and the month of August is going to be major banquet” Nixon says.

The banquet will be held at the Sheraton Imperia Hotel with a guest speaker people will be impressed to see. The anniversary worship service will be held in October, along with the official ground breaking for the St. Paul Village.  They will finish off the year with a gospel fest and worship service on December 31, 2014.

Registration cost for the 5k will be $20 for individuals and $40 for families if you register before February 1 next year, after that it will go up to $25 and $45.

For more information on registering click here.

http://chapelboro.com/news/non-profit-news/5k-walkrun-for-st-paul-village