Founded in 1950, this Episcopal parish has grown beyond its original, small white sanctuary with the red doors, into a large church campus with multiple classrooms, library, parish hall and now a new nave. During the expansion, the original nave became the church parish hall.

A special liturgy for the 10-year anniversary was created by the rector, the Rev. Dr. Clarke French, and celebrated by the church's new assistant to the rector, the Rev. Sarah Ball-Damberg. Holy water was sprinkled throughout the nave to rededicate the space. A banquet awaited afterward with many dishes culled from the parish's decades old cookbooks.

Celebrations at the church will continue throughout Advent and Christmas.

Christmas lullabies from around the world is set on Saturday, Dec. 15, at 4 p.m. in the nave. It will be performed by opera baritone S.T. Kimbrough Jr. with Alma Gaudette on piano and guitarist Joshua Kimbrough.

Compline will be sung every Sunday night in Advent at 8 p.m. in the nave. Compline is an ancient monastic service marking the end of the day and will be chanted by a small choir by candle light.

Christmas Eve services are at 5 and 10 p.m. and Christmas Day service is at 10 a.m.

All events are open to the community and the building is handicap accessible.

Moravian Love Feasts set

University United Methodist Church, 150 E. Franklin St., will hold its 39th annual Love Feast in the Moravian tradition on Sunday, Dec. 16, at 7 p.m.

The church choir and Covenant Handbells will lead the music for the celebration featuring traditional Christmas carols and Moravian hymns, beeswax candles and sweet Moravian coffee and buns. Childcare will be provided for children up to 5 years of age.

University held its first love feast in 1973 with about 75 people in attendance. It has grown to one of the largest services of the year, attended by more than 700 people last year.

Other love feasts in the area include the following:

•  Lystra Baptist, 686 Lystra Road, will hold its Love Feast on Sunday, Dec. 16, at 4 p.m.

This service will feature the Hope Valley Ringers and Handbell Choir from Hope Valley Baptist in Durham.

•  Church of Reconciliation, 110 N. Elliott Road, will hold its Moravian Love Feast on Dec. 24 at New Hope Camp and Conference Center, 4805 N.C. 86. Carols will begin at 4:30 p.m.

Get ‘Christmas’D’ this holiday season

Newhope, a church that had its beginnings in Chapel Hill and is now located on Fayetteville Road in Durham, has an unusual Christmas emphasis ongoing called the “You Got Christmas'D Movement.”

The premise is that individuals gift someone with a kind act and give them a “You Got Christmas'D” gift tag and let them know it is now their turn to spread the love to someone else.

The church teaches that simple, yet deliberate acts of kindness and love have the power to change lives and the community.

The effort was launched two weeks ago and by now the church is receiving stories about what has happened when someone anonymously left groceries for a family, paid for the next car in the drive-thru, helped a busy grocery store employee bring in shopping carts, adopted a soldier, gave a busy mom a gift card to get a massage, took dinner to a neighbor or movies and magazines to someone who is bedridden.

The church invited all to visit a website created to explain this concept at YouGotChristmasD.com.

Advent services set this weekend

Advent services on Sunday at 11 a.m. at University Baptist, 100 S. Columbia St., will include the following:

• Sunday, Dec. 16, “Life into Joy,” Dr. Wanda Kidd, of the North Carolina Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, preaching.

• Sunday, Dec. 23, “A Littler Security,” Pastor Mitch Simpson, preaching.

• Sunday, Dec. 30, “All Dressed Up,” Pastor Simpson preaching.

Boys Choir Christmas concert set

The annual Christmas concert at Duke Chapel by the North Carolina Boys Choir, Chamber Choir and Girls Choir will be presented at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 17.

The concert will begin as it always does with the carol “Once in Royal David's City,” with the first verse sung by a boy soprano, followed by the choir in procession.

Tickets, available at the door, are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors 65 and older and $8 for children 12 and under.

This is the 41st season for the Boys Choir that is directed by Bill Graham.

Live Nativity scene to be held

Fairview Baptist Church, 600 Cornelius St., Hillsborough, will have a live Nativity scene from 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 15-16. Further information available by calling 919-732-3571.