The Unity Center of Peace has welcomed its new minister, the Rev. Bruce Milne.

Sunday services are held from 11 a.m. to noon. The Adult Forum precedes the service each Sunday from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. Mary Wily will facilitate this month's forum from the book, "Love Without End: Jesus Speaks."

Jewelsong will lead a workshop called, "Jewels of the Goddess," on Feb. 2 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. A donation of $10 to $50 is suggested.

Unity's annual meeting will be Feb. 3 at 1 p.m.

Mark Malachi and Barbs Burman will lead a workshop called "Fulfilling Your Heart's Desire: Three Techniques for Discerning Divine Guidance" on Feb. 24 from 1 to 4 p.m. A $50 donation is suggested.

Malachi facilitates Jewish Erev Shabbat services on the last Friday of each month. The service begins at 7:30 p.m. and includes chanting, Hebrew prayers and music.

A healing circle meets weekly on Mondays from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

The Course in Miracles continues on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. and on Sundays at 7:30 p.m.

Call 968-1854 or see www.unitychapelhill.org.

Services, events at United Church

Sunday worship services at the United Church of Chapel Hill, 1321 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., are held at 8:45 and 11 a.m.

On Sunday, the Rev. Susan Steinberg will preach. United Church Brass and Handbells will offer music at the 8:45 a.m. service and the Chancel Choir will sing at the 11 a.m. service.

Iglesia Unida, the Spanish language worship service, will be held at 11 a.m. in the new Assembly Hall in the west wing of the building.

Church School will be held Sunday at 10 a.m.

Representatives from various mission and advocacy initiatives will speak Sunday at 10 a.m. to discuss opportunities for service and advocacy. Following their presentations, they will be available at tables with more information. Initiatives to be represented include prison ministry, the Inter-Faith Council for Social Service Community Kitchen, Health Care for All, the Sustainable Household Challenge, Habitat for Humanity, refugee resettlement and congregationally based organizing in Orange County.

Live @ Five, held every Sunday at 5 p.m., is an evening service of United Church of Chapel Hill that reflects the musical diversity of the congregation. On Sunday, the Rev. Jill Edens will lead worship, and the music will be offered by the a cappella group Crooked Creek. The service will be in the new assembly hall on the west end of the building.

The Monday noon book group will begin reading Stephen Finlan's book, "Problems With Atonement" on Monday at noon. Copies of the book are available at the church for $12.

Sermon Shaping meetings are held every Wednesday at 7 a.m. in the library. One of the pastors leads a look at the lectionary texts for the next Sunday.

The Chancel Choir directed by Jennifer Anderson will rehearse today at 7:30 p.m.

For information call 942-3540 or see www.unitedchurch.org.

New course explores Abrahamic faiths

A five-week course examining the Abrahamic faiths of Judaism, Christianity and Islam will begin Monday at the Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 4907 Garrett Road, Durham.

Meetings will be held every other Monday from 7 to 8:30 p.m. through March 24. The class is open to the public on a seats-available basis. There is a fee.

Discussions will focus on foundation stories depicting each religion's origins,how conflicts among and within these religions have influenced current tensions in the Middle East, and how the three faiths might achieve renewal and healing.

Eno River member David Halperin, a professor emeritus of religious studies at UNC, will facilitate the classes.

For information, e-mail office@eruuf.org or call 489-2575.

Bereavement group meets on Mondays

UNC Hospitals' Bereavement Support Services is offering the Community Grief Recovery Group, which will meet at the United Church of Chapel Hill on Mondays from 6:30 to 8 p.m. through March 10.

There is no charge to attend the group and it is open to anyone grieving a death regardless of faith background.

Facilitated by Heidi Gessner, a UNC bereavement coordinator, and Darryl Owens, grief counselor, the group will focus on sharing and moving toward healing in a safe and supportive setting. Some people join a support group to help them through their initial grieving process while others join years after their loved one's death. This social support facilitates healthy grieving and often reduces feelings of isolation and loneliness.

For information or to enroll, contact Gessner at 966-0716 or hgessner@unch.unc.edu.

Chatham church has new pastor

Jeff Lawrence has taken a position as lead pastor for the Chatham Community Church.

The new church was begun more than a year ago by members of the Chapel Hill Bible Church who felt that there was a strong need for an independent, non-denominational church in the fast-growing area of Chatham County. The congregation meets at Perry Harrison Elementary in Pittsboro.

Randy Russell, a pastor of the Chapel Hill Bible Church, has divided his time between the two churches, leading the Chatham congregation since it began meeting in February 2007. This month, Lawrence will take over as lead pastor at the Chatham church.

Lawrence attended Baylor University in Waco, Texas, and received a master's degree in theology from Dallas Theological Seminary. In 2000, he began work on his doctorate in theology at Dallas Theological Seminary while working part-time as a minister at Northwest Bible Church. Lawrence has served overseas multiple times, primarily training pastors in India and Ukraine.

Lawrence and his wife, Nan, have been married more than 13 years and are parents of three boys -- Mike, 5; Luke, 5; and Jake, 2.

For information call 309-5472 or see www.chathamchurch.org.

Classes, workshop at Zen Center

Beginning Zen practice and a meditation workshop will be offered at the Chapel Hill Zen Center.

David Guy will teach a six-week class on beginning Zen practice at the center, 5322 N.C. 86. The class will be on Mondays, 7:30 to 9 p.m., from Jan. 28 to March 3.

The first session will begin with meditation instruction and a short period of sitting. Classes will begin with sitting meditation and gradually increasing the time. Students will have a chance to ask questions, and the class will study other aspects of Zen practice, including walking meditation, protocol around the meditation hall and sutra chanting service. The focus will be on Zen meditation and the students' practice as it unfolds.

Guy has practiced meditation since 1991. He has co-authored two books with Larry Rosenberg -- "Breath by Breath: The Liberating Practice of Insight Meditation" and "Living in the Light of Death: On the Art of Being Truly Alive" -- and is a contributing editor to Tricycle: The Buddhist Review. In April his fifth novel, "Jake Fades: A Novel of Impermanence," was published.

For information or to sign up, contact Guy at 286-4952 or davidguy@mindspring.com.

Taitaku Pat Phelan will offer a Zen meditation workshop on Feb. 9 from 9:30 a.m. to noon at the Zen Center. In Zen meditation, practitioners focus on the inter-relationship of body, breath and mind through presence in immediate experience. Instruction will include awareness of the breath and how to practice with the mind, with individual attention given to finding a sitting position that works for each person.

The workshop is for beginners and anyone who wants to review Zen meditation. Suggested donation is $20, $10 for students. To register, call 967-0861.

Author to speak on gay parenthood

Author, pastor and father Brett Webb-Mitchell will be at the Bull's Head Bookshop in the UNC Student Stores today at 3:30 p.m. to share from his new book, "On Being a Gay Parent: Making a Future Together."

Webb-Mitchell, who has a doctorate from UNC and taught for several years at Duke Divinity School, has become a spokesperson and advocate on issues pertaining to the LGBTQ community and the church.

His new book is a practical guide that answers the questions unique to the Christian gay-parenting experience. It is a mix of concrete information, illuminating anecdotes, and creative solutions.

For information on the book, see www.onbeingagayparent.com.

Lecture series centers on Jewish studies

The Carolina Center for Jewish Studies at UNC will present a series of free public lectures in the theater of the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History at 150 South Road. All programs begin at 7:30 p.m.

On Feb. 4, Eric Goldstein, director of the graduate program in Jewish studies and associate professor at Emory University, will present "Jewish Merchants and Former Slaves: The Economic Relationship in the Post-Civil War South."

On March 3, Joshua Jacobson, professor of music and director of choral activities at Northeastern University, will present "Jewish Music and All That Jazz." Jacobson will examine the impact of American life on Jewish composers and the impact of Jews on American music.

On April 14, Richard Elliott Friedman, Ann and Jay Davis professor of Jewish studies at the University of Georgia, will present "A Brief History of 3,200 Years." Freidman will discuss why understanding present-day Israel involves exploring its history dating back to biblical times

The lectures are co-sponsored by other campus units including the Carolina Center for the Study of the Middle East and Muslim Civilizations, the Center for the Study of the American South and the departments of music and religion.

For information, visit www.unc.edu/ccjs or call 962-1509.

Services held at Advent Lutheran

Sunday services including Holy Communion will begin at 10:25 a.m. at Advent Lutheran Church, 230 Erwin Road.

Classes for all ages begin at 9 a.m.

Call 968-7690.

Services, events at Chapel of the Cross

Services at Chapel of the Cross Episcopal Church, 304 E. Franklin St., on Sunday will include services of Holy Eucharist at 7:30, 9 and 11:15 a.m. and 5:15 p.m.

A service of Holy Eucharist will be held at Carol Woods Retirement Community at 4 p.m.; this service is open to all and not limited to residents of Carolina Meadows. A service of Sung Compline will be held at 9:30 p.m. in the church.

A brief service of evening prayers will be in the chapel today and Friday.

A service of Holy Eucharist will be in the chapel today at 10 a.m.

Christian education for adults will begin Sunday at 10:20 a.m.

The weekly Tuesday morning Bible Study will meet Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. in the parish library. This self-led study welcomes newcomers.

The Centering Prayer Group meets on Wednesdays from 5 to 6 p.m. The group focuses on a contemporary form of an ancient way of silent, contemplative prayer. New members are welcome. For information about centering prayer, contact the Rev. David Frazelle, associate for parish ministry, at dfrazelle@thechapelofthecross.org.

An adult inquirers' class for those wishing to join the Episcopal Church or learn more about it will meet on most Mondays from 7:30 to 9 p.m.

A social hour begins at 12:20 p.m. each Sunday, following the conclusion of the 11:15 a.m. service.

Wednesday potluck dinners are held at 5:30 p.m. in the parish house dining room.

Episcopal Campus Ministry will meet on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. in the campus center for dinner, fellowship, and worship. All members of the university community are invited. For information about Episcopal Campus Ministry, contact the Rev. Tammy Lee, associate for university ministry, at tlee@thechapelofthecross.org or see the ECM Web site at www.unc.edu/ecm.