News & Observer | newsobserver.com | Acts of Faith: 2003

July 25, 2003 Scott Lewis [/assets/story/image_buynow.comp]
Bladen Alligood, 5, works on his coat of many colors during the Kid Quest 2003: A Dream Fantasy at the North Street Baptist Church in Raleigh. The church devoted its entire vacation bible school to the story of Joseph, borrowing from the Andrew Lloyd Weber musical, "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." Located in the Glenwood South area of downtown, the church is trying to bring in younger families to balance its traditional, older congregation. "It looks really great when I finish it," Alligood said of his painted, oversized T-shirt filling in for a multicolored coat. "And when I show it to my dad he will be so proud because I did such a great job today."
About This Project


Ethan Hyman
"Acts of Faith" explores the different belief systems that co-exist in the Triangle area. Ten years of heavy migration has brought many new faiths to the region, turning the Bible Belt home of Billy Graham into a spiritual coat of many colors. Mosques, Buddhist and Hindu temples, Sikh Gurudwaras, synagogues and scores of Christian churches have become spiritual and social centers for a radically changing population. The demographic shift has pushed congregations to find innovative ways to keep their members while attracting new arrivals. "Acts of Faith" was born as a way to show this new religious diversity and analyze the role spirituality plays in people's daily lives.


Pailin Wedel
When covering an event for Acts of Faith, we look for situations that evoke strong emotion and try to bring readers into the moment. Though holidays and major celebrations are important, we also look for unexpected expressions of faith and quieter moments of solitary exploration. We hope to give readers insight into the breadth and depth of faith by showing how people incorporate it into their everyday lives.


Ted Richardson
For two years, Sher Stoneman and Susana Vera produced this column. In 2004, they handed it over to Ethan Hyman, Scott Lewis and Lisa Lauck. In 2005, Ted Richardson replaced Scott Lewis on this project. In 2006, Pailin Wedel replaced Lisa Lauck.

More photos: 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006

Advertisements

Print Ads View all ads from past 7 days »

Hosting Partners of
newsobserver.com

Member of the
Real Cities Network

© Copyright 2008, The News & Observer Publishing Company

A subsidiary of The McClatchy Company