As many as 200 youths will fast for 30 hours this weekend and sleep overnight in cardboard boxes in the parking lot of HillSong Church as part of a "30-Hour Famine."

Hatch, the Chapel Hill-based communications agency serving clients locally and nationwide, has volunteered to help promote the event, which will raise money for earthquake victims in Haiti. Other sponsors, youths (ages 11-18), area churches and adult chaperones are invited.

This is the second year the event has been held at HillSong, 201 Culbreth Road.

"Our large hillside parking lot last year was a sea of cardboard boxes with 135 preteens and teenagers from nearby churches," said Jonathan Elwing, youth pastor at HillSong. More than 150 youths have signed up for the event this year from seven area churches in Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Durham and Pittsboro. Elwing is still recruiting adult volunteers to be chaperones. Any interested persons should contact him at HillSong's website, www.HillSong.org.

By going without food, youths get a taste of what the world's poorest children and families face every day. Before the event, youths raise funds with the knowledge that every $30 they raise can help feed and care for a child for a month.

Last year's event raised almost $10,000 that was sent to Haiti to provide medical supplies, food and care for victims still suffering from the 2010 earthquake's devastation.

Dr. Cathi Sander, who attends HillSong and is a family physician in Chapel Hill, just returned from her second trip as a volunteer providing medical care in Haiti.

"The suffering is still widespread and heartbreaking," she said. "Of the 1.5 million people made homeless by the earthquake, 680,000 are still living in makeshift housing. Limited access to clean water and even basic necessities continue to be a problem."

Participants are asked to start fasting at 7 a.m. on Friday. They will go to school as usual during the day wearing their Famine T-shirts and meet at 6:30 that night at the church. The evening will be packed with games, fun activities and worship. On Saturday morning, they will go out into the community to perform hands-on service projects and return to break their fast with a lunch provided by Chick-fil-A at University Mall.

The "30-Hour Famine" is organized through the global humanitarian organization World Vision.

Community Seders set next week

Community members and students are invited to join in two community Seders on Monday, April 18, and Tuesday, April 19, at 7 p.m. at the Franklin Hotel, 311 W. Franklin St. These are sponsored by Chabad of Durham-Chapel Hill.

Both Seders will feature rich discussion about Passover, excellent food and joyous singing. Rabbi Zalman Bluming will lead the inter-generational program.

The Seder (the meaning of the word is "order") is no ordinary meal. In fact, the Passover Seder incorporates 15 multi-sensory steps, which Rabbi Bluming says "reach deep into the human psyche in every way possible and all at once. Rich melodies, dynamic visuals, prayers and stories and even the visceral senses of taste, smell and touch. All part of the tradition."

Passover is a holy time in which Jews celebrate freedom, the time over 3,000 years ago when the Pharoah of Egypt set the Jews free from slavery. In 2011 democratic change has allowed Egyptians a taste of modern day freedom, said the rabbi.

"Join us as we explore how current events in Egypt relate to the biblical story of Passover," he said.

The Seders are free with a suggested donation of $28. Advance reservation is necessary by calling Yehudis Bluming at 357-5904 or email to ychudis18@aol.com or visit the website www.ChabadDCH.com/Passover.

Passover Seder will be held Tuesday

A Passover Seder for members of the local Jewish community will be hosted by the Chapel Hill Kehillah Synagogue on the second night of Passover Tuesday, April 19, at 5:30 p.m.

Rabbi Jennifer Feldman will lead the Seder, which is open to both adults and children of all ages.

Passover is a season of freedom, renewal and new beginnings. In the spirit of the festival, the Kehillah has planned this event and is expecting about 120 people to attend.

The cost is $38 for adults and $19 for children under 10.

The synagogue is located at 1200 Mason Farm Road. For more information visit admin@chkehillah.org or call 942-8914.

Students present Stations of the Cross

St. Thomas More Middle School students will present Live Stations of the Cross at the church, 920 Carmichael St., on Wednesday, April 20, at 10 a.m.

The Stations of the Cross refers to the depicting of the final hours or Passion of Jesus. The purpose is to help the faithful make a spiritual pilgrimage of prayer through meditating on the chief scenes of Christ's suffering and death. Students will use dramatic lighting and costumes to re-enact all 14 stations.

"You get caught up in the moment and feel as if you are witnessing the actual crucifixion," said Judy Foster, assistant to the principal.

"It is awe-inspiring and will move you to tears," said Linda Raymond, Middle School administrative assistant.

All are invited to attend this reverent and spiritual event.

Men's conference focuses on outreach

The men of St. Paul AME Church, 101 N. Merritt Mill Road, is sponsoring a Men of Destiny Conference from today through Sunday, April 17.

The theme is "Love, Commitment and Outreach: Our Promise Toward Discipleship."

Special activities will include a tutorial program orientation today at 7 p.m. in which participants will be trained to be mentors for young men.

On Thursday at 7 p.m. a program on Health and Exercise will be presented.

Family and Community Worship is the topic for the gathering at 7 p.m. on Friday at Gaines Chapel AME Church in Efland.

A community picnic and outreach is set for Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Phoenix Place Playground.

The 11 a.m. worship service on Sunday will end the conference. The speaker is Willie Deese, executive vice president/president of Merck Manufacturing Division. The St. Paul Male Chorus will sing.

'Patio party' to include baptisms

Newhope church at 7605 Fayetteville Road in Durham will have what the church is calling a Party on the Patio on Palm Sunday (April 17) from 3 to 5 p.m.

This party won't include cocktails and hors d'ouevres. But plenty of water will be in evidence, because the church will be holding a baptismal service.

About 100 candidates will receive the sacrament administered by Pastor Benji Kelley in the church's outside heated baptismal pool.

Located in front of the building, the large pool is the kind of feature an architect might call "water interest" with its spouting streams of water on two levels built into a stone edifice with the name of the church on the side toward the parking lot.

At newhope, the pastor wades into the waist-deep water and gives each candidate for baptism a good drenching in the symbolic waters: full immersion for adults and sprinkling for babies.

"We dedicate infants and young children," said Amy Lynn Kelley, Children's and Family Ministries pastor. "This is a special part of our baptism celebrations as parents commit to raise their child in the ways of Christ and partner with the newhope community of faith to bring that child to the decision to trust Christ as their personal savior one day. We have a baby dedication parent orientation to prepare parents for this celebration."

This will be the largest number of baptisms at one time for the nine-year-old church, which organized in Chapel Hill and moved after a couple of years to Durham. The church was named last summer as the 10th fastest growing congregation in America in a survey commissioned by "Outreach" magazine.

Sunday attendance at newhope's two campuses (Central Campus in Durham and a second one in Garner) averages more than 2,000 worshipers. Plans are now under way for another campus in Chapel Hill or Chatham County/Pittsboro, or a totally new Latino community of faith.