Newhope Church, organized almost 10 years ago in Chapel Hill and now located on a 37-acre campus in southwest Durham near Southpoint, has announced the opening of a new multi-site campus in Chapel Hill.

At this time, volunteers from the church are remodeling an old church building at 7326 Sunrise Road, located north of Weaver Dairy Road near Chapel Hill High School. The next work day is set for Saturday, Jan. 14. The date of the first service at the new site has not been announced.

Chad Lunsford, 30, a member of newhope's staff for about a year, will be the off-site pastor. He and his wife, Katie, have two young children and live in Chapel Hill.

Newhope has two campuses, the Durham campus on Fayetteville Road near Southpoint and a Garner campus at 2967 Benson Road in Garner. The multi-site model is being used around the country by large congregations that have members driving long distances to a main campus.

Those who gather at one of newhope's multi-sites have the same worship experience offered at the Southpoint campus, but with their own worship leader and a simulcast of Pastor Benji Kelley's message.

During its first decade, newhope, led by Kelley, 41, a graduate of the University of South Carolina, Duke Divinity School and Asbury Theological Seminary, has grown from only five (the pastor, his wife, Amy Lynn, and three children at the time) to a vibrant congregation of about 2,500 in its worship celebrations on Sundays.

A couple of years ago, the church was designated by a national publication as the 10th fastest growing congregation in America.

Benefit concert set at United Church

United Church of Chapel Hill, 1321 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., will host an evening of music with The Road Home Band, beginning at 7 p.m. on New Year's Eve.

This is a benefit concert for the Inter-Faith Council.

The Road Home Band (Folk, Rock, Blues) covers titles by such artist greats as Carrie Newcomer, David Wilcox, Alison Krauss, Bob Dylan and Nickel Creek.

This ambitious four-piece band has developed a sound all its own, a mix of vocals, mandolin, guitar, bass and drums that creates nothing less than folk music at its best.

Nancy Maeder is a true standout as lead vocalist with an edgy yet upbeat sound that speaks to the group's search for a "road home." David Langham is the counterpoint on lead guitar, lending his smooth melodies along with a bit of spice from mandolin and vocals. Brad Kintner offers innovative bass melodies and Robert Kintner offers the strong foundation on drums.

An offering will be taken.

For more information, visit unitedchurch.org or call 942-3540.

Zen Center marks new year with meditation

On New Year's Eve, the Chapel Hill Zen Center will welcome the New Year with two periods of meditation at 8 and 8:50 p.m., followed by the Bodhisattva Ceremony at 9:20 p.m. and a Fire Ceremony at 9:50 p.m.

In the Fire Ceremony, participants write down habits and tendencies, difficult states of mind, tangled aspects of relationship, for example that they would like to release.

A fire will burn the papers along with name cards from Memorial Services held during the past year and incense stubs that have accumulated throughout the year.

Everyone is welcome for the whole program or to any part of it. The program will end with potluck refreshments and beverages that are provided.

The Zen Center is located at 5322 N.C. 86, just 2.5 miles north of I-40, at exit 266.

Also at the Zen Center, Jeffrey Schneider will lead a Recovery Retreat on Saturday, Jan. 7, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Schneider has been practicing at the San Francisco Zen Center where he is a priest since 1978.

He began the Meditation and Recovery Group there in 2000 and has led retreats on Buddhism and Recovery in a variety of places since then.

This day-long retreat will include meditation instruction for those new to the practice as well as several periods of sitting and walking meditation, a talk and discussion and a silent lunch. The day will end with a Twelve Step meeting.

Participants are asked to bring their own lunch, with tea and coffee provided. Suggested donation is $25.

Three Recovery Classes with Schneider are set for Saturday, Sunday and Monday nights, Jan. 7-9, at 7:30 p.m. During these evenings, participants will explore the connections between Buddhism and recovery and how they can mutually inform and support each other. Meditation instruction will be given along with a short period of meditation and a talk followed by discussion.

It is suggested that participants attend all three evenings since the subject matter is sequential; however, participants are welcome to attend just one or two sessions.

Schneider is co-leading the second year-long recovery "Sangha in Recovery" at the San Francisco Zen Center.

This includes regular small groups, classes, retreats and workshops.

He is a Certified Addiction Treatment Counselor with the California Association for Alcohol/Drug Educators.

To register or for further information call 636-2889 or spaceferrets@yahoo.com.

The contact number for the Chapel Hill Zen Center is 967-0861.

Guest minister to speak Sunday

Peter Hausmann, an ordained Presbyterian minister, who was co-pastor of Blacknall Memorial Presbyterian Church in Durham for a time but left that position to work in construction, a field closely related to his degree in architecture from Clemson University, will preach on Sunday, Jan. 1, at Chapel in the Pines Presbyterian Church in Chatham County.

He is a project manager for C.T. Wilson Construction of Durham, the general contractor for the Chapel in the Pines' recently completed new church building at 314 Great Ridge Parkway.

Hausmann, who grew up in Raleigh, and his wife, Margot, a writer with at least two books to her credit, are both graduates of Princeton Theological Seminary and both are members of New Hope Presbytery. They have three children.