The World Day of Prayer Celebration will be observed by the Church Women United of Chapel Hill-Carrboro Unit NC003 on Friday at 10 a.m. at Amity United Methodist Church.

The program "God's Wisdom Provides New Understanding" was written by the Women of Guyana.

All interested women in the community are invited to this ecumenical celebration.

Amity United Methodist Church is at the corner of Estes Drive and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Call 489-1587.

Sojun to speak at Zen Center

Sojun Mel Weitsman, a disciple of Shunryu Suzuki and abbot of the Berkeley Zen Center, will give a public talk on March 16 at 10:30 a.m. at the Chapel Hill Zen Center. Everyone is welcome.

For information see www.intrex.net/chag/events.htm or call 967-0861. The Chapel Hill Zen Center is at 5322 N.C. 86.

Talk focuses on declassified files

The Triangle Seminar for Jewish Studies will present "From the Declassified Files of WWII and the Holocaust," by Gerhard L. Weinberg, William Rand Kenan Jr. professor of history emeritus at UNC, on March 17 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the National Humanities Center in Research Triangle Park.

Weinberg is chair of the Committee on Declassification. He will discuss new information regarding Palestine from the files. Call 848-3752

Lenten services at First Baptist

First Baptist Church, 106 N. Roberson St., will recognize the season of Lent on Wednesday nights through March 12.

Services will begin at 7 p.m. The First Baptist associate ministers will deliver the evening message. Everyone is welcome.

For information, call 942-2552.

Amity series will study meaning of Methodism

The Rev. Verson Tyson will lead a series called "What Does It Mean to Be a Methodist Christian in 2008" on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. at Amity United Methodist Church, 825 Estes Drive.

The series will continue through April 29.

For information, call 967-7546 or see amityumc.org.

Series on Buddhism held on Wednesdays

The series "Introduction to Buddhism" will conclude tonight from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at Piedmont KTC Tibetan Buddhist Meditation Center, 35 Perkins Drive off Weaver Dairy Road. Everyone is welcome.

Call 933-2138 or see www.piedmontktc.org. 933-2138.

Worship services, prayer group meet at Binkley

Binkley Baptist Church, 1712 Willow Drive, holds regular worship services each Sunday morning at 11 a.m. Church school starts at 9:30 a.m.

The Contemplative Prayer Group meets each Monday morning at 9:15 in the Binkley chapel.

Spring Adult Christian Classes are held each Sunday through May at 9:30 a.m. Classes include "Re-Thinking Basic Beliefs," "An Active Faith in Daily Life," "Emmaus Class" and "Learning About the Twelve Steps."

The Lenten Art Display, featuring a variety of symbolic trees from the Celtic Christian tradition of seeing the sacred in nature, will continue through Lent in the sanctuary. The labyrinth begins March 16.

Chancel Choir will meet today at 7:30 p.m. The Younger Children's Choir will meet Sunday at 12:45 p.m., and the Older Children's Choir will meet Sunday at 1:45 p.m. The Youth Choir meets Sunday at 5 p.m.

Racial Reconciliation will meet Thursday at 7 p.m. "You and Your Aging Parent" will meet Thursday at 7:30 p.m.

Binkely will conduct an energy audit of its campus today from 4 to 6 p.m.

For information, call 942-4964, or visit www.binkleychurch.org.

Services, events at Unity Center

Sunday services at the Unity Center of Peace Church, 8800 Seawell School Road, are from 11 a.m. to noon. The Adult Forum precedes the service each Sunday from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m.

Mark 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.

Music of U2 will be featured at United Church

United Church of Chapel Hill, 1321 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., will hold a U2charist Sunday at 5 p.m. in the new assembly hall. The service is a worship service featuring the music of the band U2. All money raised will go this year's Crop Walk.

Sunday worship services at United Church of Chapel Hill are held at 8:45 and 11 a.m. The Chamber Choir will sing at the 8:45 a.m. service. The Chancel Choir will sing at the 11 a.m. service. Church school for all ages begins at 10 a.m.

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

The Monday Noon Book Group will meet Monday to discuss "God and Empire," by John Dominic Crossan. A video called "Eclipsing Empire," with Crossan and Marcus Born, will be shown to introduce the book. Copies of the book are available at the church for $12.

The Lenten Series on Wednesdays includes sessions on faith questions, economic justice, grief, transformation, children's faith practices and woodcarving. Sessions begin with a meal at 5:45 p.m., and the programs are from 6:30 to 7:30.

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.

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

Lenten devotions held at Advent Lutheran

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

Classes for all ages begin at 9 a.m.

Lenten devotions will be every Wednesday through March 19. Soup suppers will be at 6:15 p.m., followed by services at 7 p.m. Choir practice follows.

Call 968-7690.

Holy Eucharist, evening prayer at Chapel of Cross

Sunday services at Chapel of the Cross Episcopal Church, 304 E. Franklin St., will include 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 4 p.m. at Carol Woods Retirement Community. A service of Sung Compline will be held at 9:30 p.m. in the church.

A brief service of evening prayer will be in the chapel Monday and Tuesday at 5:15 p.m.

Adult Education on Sunday will begin at 10:20 a.m. with the fifth in a series of presentations titled "Reviewing the Baptismal Covenant." Also during the adult education session, the Educational Stewardship Committee will focus on a "carbon fast" by offering a computer analysis of carbon emissions and providing resources to decrease carbon emissions.

A special worship education class for first- and second-grade children will be held during the 9 a.m. service; the topic will be Passover and Holy Communion.

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

An adult inquirers' class for those wishing to join the Episcopal Church or learn more about it will meet Monday from 7:30 to 9 p.m. The class will meet most Mondays until April 20.

Centering Prayer Groups will meet Monday at 10 a.m. and March 12 at 5:15 p.m. in the parish house.

A six-week Lenten class in Christian yoga continues on Monday from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Lectio divina prayer groups using passages unique to John's gospel are offered four times weekly during Lent. Registration forms are available in the parish dining room and the office.

Episcopal Campus Ministry will not meet Tuesday due to the university's spring break, but will resume its regular schedule on March 18 at 5:30 p.m. in the campus center for dinner, fellowship, and worship.

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

See www.thechapelofthecross.org or call 929-2193.

Bereavement group meets on Monday

A grief recovery group offered by the UNC Hospitals Bereavement Support Services will meet Monday from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the United Church of Chapel Hill.

The group is free and open to anyone grieving a death regardless of faith background.

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 the initial grieving process while others join years after a loved one's death. This social support facilitates healthy grieving and often reduces feelings of isolation and loneliness.

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

Please let us know what's going on in your church or faith group, so we can share your news with our readers. E-mail news and announcements to chnclerk@nando.com.