News & Observer | newsobserver.com | Acts of Faith: 2004

July 2, 2004 Scott Lewis
From left, Deborah Barnes, Joseph Byrd, Donna Kay Smith, and Teresa Kohrman snack on cookies and soda before the Sunday Night Live service at Fairmont United Methodist Church in Raleigh. For 11 years, the church has served up sermons and gospel music to attract those who may not feel comfortable in a traditional morning service. Dress is casual and each week the program includes a thought from the 12-step recovery philosophy. "There are 12-step groups that need a place to meet, and Fairmont has met that need in spades," said Smith, the church's program coordinator. "We've developed a community of sorts. It's a small community but they come."
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

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