Anybody gone church, synagogue or temple visiting this summer? I have. If you had chosen to attend the 11 a.m. service at Duke University Chapel a couple of Sundays ago, you could have heard the Rev. Bil Lepp, guest minister, who is the five-time champion of the West Virginia Liars Contest. And that's no lie.

A 1996 Duke Divinity School graduate, he is no longer a full time pastor, but a professional storyteller, preaching only a few times a year. He is also an author and recording artist. His CDs "King of Little Things" and "The Teacher in the Patriotic Bathing Suit" have both received the Parents' Choice Award and "Mayhem Dressed as an Eight Point Buck" won a 2008 National Parenting Publication Association award. He lives in Charleston, W. Va., with his wife and two children.

I also visited Durham's Aldersgate United Methodist on a recent Sunday to hear the church's new minister, the Rev. Doug Lain. Also a Duke Divinity School grad, he brings a lot of energy to his preaching and his sermon resonated with me. Otherwise, I wouldn't still remember anything he said.

The text was from the gospel lesson in John 3, the story of Nicodemus who came to Jesus by night to ask how he might have eternal life. And as usual that itinerant rabbi of the first century gave an answer that his followers have pondered for 2,000 years. "You must be born again."

In my opinion, this is the most used and misused text in the Bible, with those preachers who are greatly concerned about where and when an individual gets "saved" yelling the loudest about a new birth. They might be more helpful if they talked about grace, wonderful and amazing grace. That's what Lain did. He said to reach out and accept it, because God has been looking for us long before we were looking for God. His sermon was outstanding.

And kudos to Lain, he didn't call it "prevenient grace," just plain old garden variety grace. I've heard some academic Methodist preachers use the term "prevenient grace" in their sermons. I figure these are the ones who like to throw unfamiliar terms around just to impress all of us theologically challenged peons. That's divinity school talk, but, please, spare us simple-minded churchgoers from your inside jargon and we'll do the same for you.

And while I'm on the subject of "When did you get saved," here's a helpful response to that question. I once mentioned to the Rev. Haywood Holderness, a now retired pastor, that some religious folks I run into are prone to ask me about the status of my soul. They want to know when I got saved. "That's an easy one," Holderness said. "Tell them it was about 2,000 years ago on a hilltop outside Jerusalem."

That will halt even the most persistent questioners in their tracks.

You can surely top these visits. E-mail me a short piece about an interesting church you visit this summer: fjohnston3@nc.rr.com.

Pittsboro church to celebrate homecoming

New Salem Church, 5030 Old Graham Road, Pittsboro, will celebrate homecoming on Sunday, Aug. 9. Members, former members, friends, guests and visitors are all invited.

Worship is at 11 a.m. and an all-day program for children called King's Kids will be offered for ages 3 to 11. Also, a nursery for infants and toddlers will be available.

The covered dish lunch will be shared at noon and will feature the food that made dinner on the grounds famous -- fried chicken, potato salad and banana pudding. Special music will be provided by the Redeemed Harmony Quartet and Cara White.

"We invite you to come and enjoy the Christian fellowship and music, renew old acquaintances and make new ones," said Pastor Chris Gambos.

Families invited to preschool open house

Amity United Methodist Church's preschool will hold an Open House on Saturday, Aug. 15, from 1 to 4 p.m.

Parents are invited to tour the facility, meet teachers and review the program while children will be treated to fun activities like a Bounce House, face painting, arts and crafts and games.

Refreshments will be offered.

The Four Star Preschool is now accepting applications for children ages 2 and a half to 5. The school encourages diversity in both its staffing and children.

The church is at 825 N. Estes Drive, near the YMCA. The Rev. Tuck Taylor is the pastor. For further information visit www.amityumc.org or call the church at 929-6149.

Interfaith project will weatherize homes

North Carolina Interfaith Power & Light, a program of the N.C. Council of Churches, has announced a new outreach effort called Project Energize.

This is a collaboration with several other community organizations and congregations that will provide volunteers to weatherize 300 low-income homes throughout the state by June 2010.

Project Energize can make a permanent difference in the lives of the poorest by reducing the amount of money they are spending on energy while simultaneously increasing their health, comfort and safety. It will also reduce global warming emissions and other pollution such as mercury and particulate matter, according to Casey Burger, an AmeriCorps member who will coordinate these projects with congregations.

The project must raise at least $5,000 in non-federal matching funds in order to serve as a host for this AmeriCorps member and pay other related expenses as she travels around the state organizing and training volunteers.

Congregations interested in being a part of this effort should visit www.ncipl.org or info@ncipl.org. The phone number for the N.C. Council in Raleigh is 828-6501.

FAITH IN FOCUS

FLO JOHNSTON