The pastor of Lystra Baptist Church will mark her big 5-0 birthday this week and she's celebrating with a couple of unusual events.

As part of her celebration of this milestone, the Rev. Virginia Taylor is planning a mission trip to Haiti July 18-26.

"I believe that spending time in the poorest country in the Western hemisphere will be a great way to help me put my life in perspective, God's perspective," she wrote in the church newsletter. "Please pray for me and the team I will be traveling with and the people we will be working with in Haiti. I can't wait to come back and tell you about all the ways I see God at work there."

In the meantime, she has invited all her friends to join her for a frozen yogurt waffle cone this afternoon, July 15, at 4:30 p.m. at TCBY at Eastgate Shopping Center to celebrate the eve of her birthday and the goodness of God, she said in her invitation.

Taylor is a special assistant to William Friday as well as a pastor to the historic Lystra congregation on Lystra Road in northern Chatham County. The church that was organized in 1852 bills itself as "an old church with new ideas."

Taylor, a graduate of Duke Divinity School, was called by the Lystra church in April of 2007, recommended by a search committee of two members, a man and a woman.

It is noteworthy that a woman was chosen by a Baptist Church that had been aligned with the Southern Baptist Convention for most of its years. The church moved to a more moderate stance about 1990 when the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship was organized and many SBC churches decided to become more open and accepting of other theological positions.

"Lystra is an open and warm church," said the Rev. Everette Smith, who served as interim and pastor for 17 years. "The church is doing a great work since she came," he said this week.

Smith will preach at the 11 a.m. service on Sunday, July 19, while Taylor is on vacation, and will preach again on Sunday, July 26, while she is on the mission trip to Haiti.

Church sends teams into field

University United Methodist, 150 E. Franklin St., is a church in mission this summer as it will send more than 50 members on four different mission trips to serve others both in the United States and internationally.

For the 14th consecutive year, a team has gone to Panama. This year the team of 13 is there from July 10 to 19. Led by Jan Sassaman, the team is working in Chiriqui Province, where they will provide medical and construction assistance in support of the Methodist Church of Panama (Iglesia Evangelica Metodista de Panama).

The team is providing clinical screening services and basic medical care to the community of Bongo and surrounding areas. Additionally, they are assisting in construction of a classroom complex for the Methodist Church in Volcan.

University's 18-member high school mission team is serving in Washington, D.C., July 12-17. Led by Jim McConnell, director of youth and college ministries, the group is working with the needy in homeless shelters, food banks, elderly centers and children's programs.

After their return to Chapel Hill, they will serve lunch at the Inter-Faith Council for Social Service.

Robbie Dircks will lead a team of eight college students from the church on a trip to Minagua, Nicaragua, July 22-30. They will be painting and maintenance work on a church and school in the mornings and lead baseball clinics and a Vacation Bible School program in the afternoons.

To support the efforts, Carolina Brewery is donating a portion of its July 8 proceeds to the mission. The students are also collecting new and used baseball equipment to be donated to the youth baseball academy in Managua.

July 26-31, McConnell will lead the 12-member middle school mission team to Newport, Tenn., where they will spend time working with children and painting homes in the rural area.

Reception to honor youth director

A reception to celebrate the ministry of Frank Boyd at United Church of Chapel Hill will be held between the two worship services on Sunday, July 19.

Boyd has served as the director of youth and young adult ministries since 2004.

The church is at 1321 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Unity Center presents musical

The Unity Center of Peace is presenting Freddie Weber's one-woman musical titled "Being Here Now." Her performance, based on her practice of Eckhart Tolle's books, "The Power of Now" and "A New Earth," is an entertaining and inspiring spiritual journey. Her core message is about letting go and living in the now.

The Unity Center of Peace Church is near Chapel Hill High School at 8800 Seawell School Road. No admission fee is charged, but an offering will be taken. Call the church at 919-968-1854. for additional information.

Trip to Holy Land is open to public

The Rev. Tuck Taylor Bounds, pastor of Amity United Methodist, will lead a trip to the Holy Land Oct. 8-17. Slots are open to the general public.

Pilgrims will walk on the ground where Jesus walked, tour the town of Bethlehem, dip hands in the waters where he was baptized, walk into the home of Peter's mother-in-law, stand on the Mount of Olives and pray in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Interested persons should contact the church at 967-7546 or visit the church at 825 N. Estes Dr., near the YMCA.

Please let us know what's going on in your church or faith group, so we can share your news with our readers. E-mail news and announcements to Flo Johnston at fjohnston3@nc.rr.com.