Greensboro Daily Photo

Cemetery First Presbyterian at the Greensboro History Museum

Today's photo was taken at the entrance to the cemetery behind the Greensboro History Museum, which was formerly the First Presbyterian Church. The cemetery has been restored and is now part of the museum property. Many graves of prominent Greensboro residents are here; for example, former Governor Morehead- North Carolina's only governor from Guilford County. There are graves dating back to the early 1800s. In addition to benches that accommodate pause and silent mediation, the plants and trees are very calming. It is a true oasis of greenery in downtown. There are long and short leaf pine, holly trees, palmetto trees, and more. *

This is the time of year when people go to the cemetery to clean the graves. Catholics have All Souls' Day. Soon many people in Mexico and Central Mexico, (and the USA) will celebrate the Day of the Dead. The cemetery at the history museum isn't always open so check with a docent, or anyone inside the museum, to get a schedule for when it is open. Truly, this whole museum complex is one of Greensboro's finest, downtown treasures!  Happy Sunday!

* reference and more information from Joel Gillespie, HERE.

Pumpkin Patch Time

It is pumpkin time again and this patch found out in front of the Guilford College United Methodist Church at 1205 Fleming Road, where it intersects with New Garden Road and Ballinger Road.  You only have to walk around the pumpkin patch and look at the signage to realize just how dynamic this church is. In addition to church service, they have Girl and Boy Scout troops meeting there. They offer adult English classes on Wednesdays. They have a pre-school.  They are advertising a Brunswick stew sale. This Saturday, October 23rd, from 9:00 am - 3:00 pm, they are having a Fall Festival with professional crafters and a bake sale. This should be a fun event and one of many things you will be able to do this weekend to get out and celebrate autumn. If you buy a pumpkin, the proceeds to to the youth groups at the church. What a wonderful opportunity to do something for a church that does so much for the community.

Do you have your pumpkins yet? Do you like the traditional orange or are you seeking the white, green, and pastel ones? Do you like the textured ones that look like they have warts on them? It seems like every year there are more and more novel options. Happy week of the full moon! Happy pumpkin hunting!

Glenwood Blues at Tabernacle Baptist

In July, we noticed the purple/blue lights at Greensboro Montessori School on Horse Pen Creek Road. After a little research, we learned that the bulbs casting a deep color are bad bulbs, and Duke Power will come out and change them if you call and report them. Something about the colorful glow adds allure to a building and the Glenwood neighborhood is full of them. We kind of miss the lights once they have been replaced with ones that burn white. The above church, Tabernacle Baptist Church, is located at 1201 South Josephine Street. If you want to go to this church today, services are at 9:45 am and 11:00 am and 7:00 pm. 

On Facebook, Tabernacle Baptist bills itself as "inclusive in membership" and "conservative in philosophy." Their motto is "Advancing together." They are located near UNCG so likely they have college students attending. Attend by day, and you will see a small, humble, red brick, rectangular building. By night, you will see the purple/blue look, almost as if it were a black light like the ones that was so popular in the 70s. Drive through the Glenwood  neighborhood and you will see more of the purple/blue lights. Perhaps people should wait until after Halloween to report them. They fit with the holiday. Happy Sunday!

Life Community Church

Today, we're on location at Life Community Church, at 4900West Wendover Avenue, on the north side of Wendover between Jamestown and Greensboro. Life Community is a Baptist religious center and their mission is: "Together in Christ, sent to everyone." This mega-church is actually a large compound with two large buildings, lots of parking, and a fabulous playground. Life Community Church is the new home for Hunter Hills Baptist Church which used to be on Merritt Drive in Greensboro. Pertor Emeritus, Jake Thornhill is the one who oversaw the move so that the church could continue to grow.While the lead pastor is Chad Grayson, They actually have five full-time pastors.

Hunter Hills Baptist purchased the 28-acre tract of land in 2014. The church loves this location because it is accessible and visible.Perviously, the land was zoned agricultural, but now, it is institutional and it still has room to grow, if need be. If you are looking for a Baptist Church to join and  you like the idea of a  mega-congregation, this could be the church for you. Have a great Sunday, no matter how you spend it!

Tabernacle Church at 544 South Mendenhall

Today's photo is the "Power for Living" Tabernacle Church at 544 South Mendenhall Street. The church is located in the College Hill neighborhood, very near Church of the Covenant. We featured this church the first year we started Greensboro Daily Photo  in 2009 (see here), and just checked back in here a few weeks ago. The church still has the same pastor, T.J. Patterson, and, unfortunately, still doesn't have a website or much of an internet present. The same blue door is there, but the brick is no longer bright white; it is more almond color. In 2009, the electric scooter industry was not on the radar screen. In 2021, it people can ride scooters to church. Oh, how times are changing. 

Happy Sunday and may you find a spiritual home (if you are seeking one). Greensboro has plenty of options from small like Tabernacle Church to churches with thousands of congregants. There is something for everyone, regardless of your religion.

Angels In Heaven

"The angels in Heaven have signed my name." As Lalenja Harrington and Laurelyn Dossett performed this Badgett sisters song on stage, during "Songs of Hope and Justice", the sign language interpreter took their spoken words and transformed them into visual music. Throughout the evening, there were times interpreters were swaying to the music, too. Listening to beautiful music by talented North Carolina performers singing a song written by North Carolina women, nestled between the Greensboro Courthouse and the West Market Street United Methodist Church, seated with an attentive audience: It doesn't get better than that. It was as if we were holding church service, right in the middle of Market Street, Ground Zero for the city's north/south street designation.

West Market Street is peeking out of the right corner of the photo. Today, the NC Folk Fest events at this location, the Old Courthouse Stage, don't start up until 1:00 pm, giving church goers a chance to meet first. It is a good thing, as the first act on the stage is "Hard Drive" a North Carolina Old-time and Bluegrass group. Bluegrass, especially, can get a little loud and hard-driving flashy, a good thing- unless it is overpowering a preacher is trying to deliver a heartfelt sermon. Indeed, every detail of this festival is well-planned. As a matter of fact, just may attend the West Market Street UMC church service this morning and already be at the folk festival- the best of both worlds.

Happy Sunday!

Iglesia Elim Greensboro, Inc.

What better way for a church to get started up than to rent a space in an older strip mall. Today's church, Iglesia Ilim Greensboro, is located at 2319 Randleman Road. The church is just south of downtown Greensboro and while it was pretty quiet on Saturday afternoon, you can be sure that it will be filled with people on Sunday morning. The sign at the corner translates to say, "Come to me all of you who are worked and overburdened and I will provide you rest."  Mission Christian Elim. Pablo Hernandez is the local pastor.

The Christian Elim Mission International is a Pentecostal megachurch based in San Salvador, El Salvador. The church was founded in 1977. There are several branches in the United States, with the above congregation in Greensboro and a congregation in Burlington. With the large Hispanic population in the state, it stands to reason there would be a need for churches offering services in Spanish and catering to the needs of our residents from Spanish speaking countries. Have a happy Sunday and, if you attend a church, may you be spiritually fulfilled, regardless of the language of the service... or perhaps, better said, BECAUSE of the language of the service.

Christ's Blessing

Recently, we had a request to feature this stained glass window, located inside the Greensboro History Museum on Summit Avenue. Here is a view from the 3rd floor, looking down to the second, where the window is located. The stained glass window is here because the building was originally the First Presbyterian Church of Greensboro. There is not better way to describe it than to share what is on the plaque. As for its beauty, the window speaks for itself.

"Christ's Blessing, c 1903: Painted and kiln-fired stained glass using oxide paint, translucent opalescent glass, rippled cathedral glass and lead framing, including a memorial plate and original horizontal steel bracings. The theme for this beautiful Tiffany-style window comes from the Gospel verse, 'Let the little children come unto me... for such is the kingdom of heaven.'*  It was sponsored by members of the Scales family in memory of their mother Effie and Father Junius, who was a prominent 19th-century Greensboro attorney and state legislator. 

You are standing in the Smith Memorial Sunday school Building, one of the two areas in the museum that originally served as First Presbyterian Church. The other area, to the north, housed the sanctuary. Every arched window in the historic church building featured stained glass.

The window was removed in 1929 to the new First Presbyterian Church in Fisher Park and placed on display in a classroom. Experts reinstalled the stained glass in its original location in 1990." And, here it remains today. It is even more beautiful in person. The museum is free, and open to the public from 2:00- 5:00 pm today if you want to stop by and see it. Happy Sunday!

*Matthew: Chapter 19, Verse 14.

The Church of Pentecost USA, Inc.

The Church of Pentecost USA, Inc. Greensboro Assembly is located at 1401 South Eugene Street, just south of downtown and just north of where Elm and Eugene intersect. The lot is large and there is ample parking behind the church. To the right is a large vacant lot, giving the impression the property is located in a more rural area. There are branches of the Pentecost USA Church in Greensboro, Raleigh, Durham, and Apex. On their Facebook page, they describe themselves as a Bible-believing church with a contemporary worship style, and a church where "humanity encounters divinity." 

The church is located in the Warnersville community, a neighborhood with a rich history. Wasnersville was recognized as Greensboro's first Heritage Community in 2015. It encompasses a 35 acre tract of land purchased by local Quaker, Yardley Warner, in 1865, just after the Civil War. The land was divided into plots made available to "freedmen."  

We couldn't find anything online about this specific assembly, but the Church of Pentecost General Headquarters maintains a website with goals, themes, and their 2023 Vision. If you are interested in this denomination in general, or this specific assembly, this website is  a good place to start. If you want to attend church in a community with residents that honor their heritage while looking towards the future, Warnersville is a great option. Happy Sunday!

Greensboro History Museum

 

Yesterday was a beautiful day in downtown Greensboro, albeit 91+ degrees!  The above photo is of the Greensboro History Museum, located at 130 Summit Avenue. However, this side actually faces the Tanger Center for the Performing Arts. While this building is now the history museum, as you can see from the historic marker on the left, during the Civil War, it served as a Confederate Hospital, receiving wounded soldiers from the battle of Bentonville. Even before serving as a confederate hospital, it had been built as the First Presbyterian Church of Greensboro. The above view features an almost identical orientation of the photo found on p. 49 of Gale Hicks Fripp's book "Greensboro Volume II Neighborhoods (Arcadia Publishing, 1998). 

In her book, Fripp explains that in 1892, The First Presbyterian congregation completed this sanctuary, the third iteration of the church. The style is Romanesque Revival.  The dormer windows to the right remain intact from the late 1800s; however, the upper portion of the tower, formerly pointed, is missing. This sanctuary is the oldest part of the complex. Other features of the property include Mary Lynn Richardson Park, a cemetery, and the Smith Memorial Building. If you were hoping for a church service, since the late 1920s, the First Presbyterian Church has been located on North Elm Street in Fisher Park. If you have not visited the Greensboro History Museum, you owe it to yourself to do so. You can learn so much about the history of Greensboro, and the exhibits are breathtakingly curated. The current (temporary) exhibit on the third floor, Pieces of Now, features murals, masks, community stories and conversations centered around the Black Lives Matter Movement and the COVID Epidemic. Perhaps you can schedule a visit during the upcoming North Carolina Folk Festival, September 10- 12.

The museum open today from 2:00 pm- 5:00 pm. Fortunately, there is no interest fee- although donations are always appreciated! 

Happy Sunday!

Healing Earth Rhythms

Healing Earth Rhythms leads a community drum circle every First Friday at Center City Park in downtown Greensboro. The above photo was taken at their last gathering on August 6th from 6:30 pm- 9:00 pm. The next drumming event in Center City Park will be Friday, September 3rd. The event is presented by Greensboro Downtown Parks. You can bring your own drum or use one of the loaner drums. Drum therapy is an ancient approach to promote healing and self expression through rhythm. Some people drum because they enjoy the percussive sound; others drum because it resonates with them spiritually. Regardless of what you get out of the event, as long as you want to be there, you are invited. Drumming is encouraged, but not mandatory.

It is hard tell from the angle of this photograph, but most people in the audience had some type of instrument. The mom in the center of the photo is recording her son who was doing such a great job of keeping the beat to the music.  Healing Earth  also hold new and full moon drum circles. If you visit the First Friday event, you can learn more about other opportunities to drum.  We hope you have a lovely Sunday and that you have a chance to come downtown on a First Friday and participate in the  drum circle!

St. Andrew's Episcopal Church Now Hosting the Corner Market

The Saturday morning Corner Market had long outgrown its location at Walker and Elam. Yesterday, was the inaugural day in its new location, the parking lot of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church at 2105 West Market Street.  Hopefully, this relocation will be a good one not only for the market, but also for St. Andrew's. Perhaps they will be able to find tie-in events and maybe even gain more members who learn about it through the market. The aisles at the market are spacious and the parking lot even accommodates off-street parking. Also, market breakdown at the Elam/Walker location was hurried as Sticks and Stones needed their parking lot back in time to open. For being the first week on Market Street,  it was very well attended.  The aisles are wide and there is room for growth. There is also room for lines if people need to cue up for bread or produce. If they need a new name since they are no longer on "the corner", we suggest "Market on Market".

Yesterday was the farmers market, today it is church. Again, the parking lot will be full, only today with cars of congregants. St. Andrew's began in 1893 with three women founding an ecumenical Sunday school. Over the last 128 years, the church  has grown and relocated several times. They have a very informative history online (see here). If you are looking for a caring, accepting, liberal Christian church, St. Andrew's would be a great choice. Just look at how lovely and visible the church is from the parking lot. If you think the building is lovely, you should meet the members. Happy Sunday!

Carraway United Methodist Church

Carraway United Methodist Church is located on 16th Street at Fairview, in what used to be the heart of the mill district. In 2013, there was an article about the church, highlighting their successful Saturday hot dog sales. The cornerstone dates the church at 1938. Carraway UMC has worship at 9:30 am on Sunday and Sunday school at 10:45 am. It is a church within a church. On Sundays Iglesia de Dios Punto de Redención has Sunday school at 2:00 pm and church services at 3:00 pm. 

Carraway UMC is a dynamic church with meetings taking place other days of the week. On the day we were on site photographing, a youth group must have just finished a meeting as they had congregated on the side street where they had parked their cars. It is always nice to see teens socializing in person and not relying on social media. Hopefully, they will be out for today's services, too! Have a happy Sunday!

Reynolds Chapel Cemetery

Today's photo features the graveyard that used to be beside Reynolds Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, before the church sold their original property to BP and moved the church up the road to Hibler Road (featured on GDP yesterday). After recently reading Margaret Moffett Banks' 1/10/2014 News & Record article about the cemetery  in the church's previous location, we headed out to find it. On one side is the Wyndam Hotel and a chain link fence. The rest of the property has a wooden fence and there is no hint of an entrance. If you walk in the lane for the car wash at the BP, you will see a gate at the end, near the other car wash, the exotic car wash. While this isn't the best photo, we wanted you to see the orientation of the cemetery to the BP station and convenience store- note the green and white awning.

We were pleased to see that the cemetery is still being maintained and weeds no longer obscure the headstones.  The marked graves are mostly from people who died in the 20th century and that the only people being buried at the cemetery are people who already had family there.  If we read correctly, the most recent grave is from 2017 (Bertha Lee Pressley 1926-2017). It must have been hard getting the grave dug and a hearse brought into the cemetery in this landlocked 1/4 acre strip of land. The sanctuary has been gone for over thirty years, but the congregants continue to maintain this private cemetery. Now, if we were real detectives, we would attempt to settle the mystery Ms. Banks posed seven years ago. Where is Mary S. Means buries? Her husband Forrest has a double marker. Mary was born on May 20, 1901; either she was buried and a death date simply was not carved, or she was buried elsewhere. Hopefully, the Means family is satisfied with the solution.

Happy Monday!

Reynolds Chapel Missionary Baptist Church

Reynolds Chapel Missionary Baptist Church is located at 327 Hibler Road, in the Woodyside community. According to the real estate sites, it was built in 1990. Previously, it was at 628 Guilford College Road, but that land was sold to BP and became a convenience store and Reynolds Chapel relocated here. About a half mile north, there is a cemetery affiliated with the church at the site of the old property.  In 2014,  was in the news as a "forgotten" cemetery and at that point it got cleaned off. (Read Margaret Moffett Banks' News & Record article). It doesn't appear that people are being buried at the old cemetery, and, if you want to visit a grave, you have to walk behind the convenience store. 

 This photo features the west side of the building, one that gets intense sun in the late afternoons. As you can see, there are no windows on this side of the building and the entrance doors have reflector foil to address the bright sunlight. The cross, built into the brickwork adds a decorative, yet humble, feature to the facade. The pastor is Sharon K. Lynn. It is nice to know that the congregation has a new facility and that it continues to thrive in spite of being relocated. Of course, we want to go visit the cemetery now. Greensboro Daily Photo is like that. Just when we start to wonder what on earth we can find to post, some new pieces of information lands in our lap. How wonderful that the cemetery got some TLC. Happy Sunday and a big thank you to Jane Mitchell for riding along to capture this photo!

 

Happy Sunday, Fourth of July!

Happy, glorious, Fourth of July Sunday. Today's photo was taken at the Thursday Peoples Market in Glenwood. It is held at the Glenwood branch of the Christ United Methodist Church at the corner of Glenwood Avenue and Florida Street. This past Thursday was a light market day due to the Fourth of July holiday; plus, we arrived near the end of the market at around 7:00 pm. There were many tasty food options, a potter, skin care proeducts, some produce, and more. It is so nice seeing neighbors out enjoying each other and people building their small businesses. 

Christ United Methodist Church has so many wonderful services and opportunities at their Glenwood Branch. They have traditional worship on Sundays at 11 am and on Mondays at 5:30pm a  contemporary worship service followed by a community meal. The first Monday of the month, there is a "Medical Monday" in partnership with Cone Health. Additionally, AmeriCorps has an office there. Truly, this church is dynamic because it is so involved with the community.  Glenwood is said to be the most diverse neighborhood in all of North Carolina. If you get a chance, stop by for one of the services at the church or at the Peoples Market. You just may end up deciding you want to live here!

Swift Street AME Zion Church

Since we featured Juneteenth yesterday, let's visit an African American church today, Swift Street AME Zion Church. It is, indeed, located on Swift Street, between Wendover Avenue and West Market Street, near the Terra Cotta Heritage Museum. This is a very active church, committed to God and Jesus and to issues related to social justice as well. They have Sunday school and worship on Sunday and Bible study on Wednesday. The pastor is Rev. Joshua Holmes. The church is so beautiful and look at those beautiful stained glass windows!

The AME Zion denomination was formed in 1821 in New York City. The denomination adheres to Wesleyan-Arminian theology and  was established due to overt discrimination and a need for African-Americans to have a place to worship, have autonomy, and fought hard to be able to not have to have white ministers. The church was largely confined to the north until after the Civil War. *. We wish Swift Street had more church history available through the Internet. However, we're betting those who attend know who the keepers of the church history are. On the day we drove by, there were neighbors out. It is one of those churches that has a community surrounding it that cares about it very much. We hope they had a good Juneteenth and that they are around for years to come.

* read more and reference, here.

St Timothy's United Methodist Church

Yesterday, we featured part of the property, one of the lakes, on the property at St. Timothy's United Methodist Church, located at 5228 Hilltop Road is what is actually Jamestown. In traveling along Hilltop Road, we saw at least four churches. Some are giant like Gate City Baptist and Community Fellowship Church. Others are smaller like St. Timothy's UMC and The Unitarian Universalist Church up near College Road. St. Timothy's in a small, but inclusive church with the following welcome statement, "At St. Timothy's, we practice the radical welcome of God and we believe that all people are of equal sacred worth and dignity. And ALL means ALL, y’all! We embrace and affirm people of all ages, races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, family structures, economic status, political persuasions, physical and mental abilities, and faith histories. " 

This is a church with women at the helm. Rev. Nikki Raye Rice is pastor and Nancy Cole is lead musician and choir director.  This little church, nestled in the woods, just a stone's throw away from Adam's Farm and retail on West Wendover, is a gem of a respite where God, people, good deeds, nature, and music converge. If you are interesting in visiting, outdoor services should start at 11am today. See here for more details. Happy Sunday!

Musings from the Lake at St. Timothy's

Today's photo was taken just off of Hilltop road, on the property of St. Timothy's United Methodist Church. We'll feature the actual church tomorrow, but for today, we're sharing this little spot that is perfect for reflecting and appreciating nature. It is right across from Adam's Farm at Adam's Farm Parkway. Hilltop used to be a sleepy little two lane road; now it is four lanes with a turn lane in the middle. A thin layer of trees separates this quite area from traffic and the bustle of suburbia. There are even benches for quiet reflection along St. Timothy's ponds. We are sitting on one installed by Jack and Pat Lambert in memory of Bill Shelor and Margie Kirby. What an act of love to install a bench.

 It is hard to believe that in the late 1980's, this whole area was woods and that soon, what was 710 acres of trees and fields would become 1,600 houses and 900 apartments. Adams Farm, just across the street from this spot, was a one of Greensboro's early big, planned-unit,  suburban developments.*  Adams Farm has its own, lake- 17 acres. Soon, we'll wander over to and take some photos at Adams Farm. It is hard to imagine that those first babies born in Adams Farm are now are now in their mid 30s!. As for today, we'll sit right here, listening to birds chirp and frogs croak, admiring these beautiful, yet tenacious daisies. 

Wonder what we would see and hear, were we to sit here until church starts in the morning. 

 

* Read this interesting News & Record article about the Adams Farm neighborhood concept here. (We are so thankful to community journalism and the archives it establishes).

Grace United Methodist Church

Today, we see the steeple and façade of Grace United Methodist Church and its white steeple peeking out from behind a house on West Friendly Avenue It is just a stone's throw from NewBridge Bank Park (affectionately called Grasshopper Stadium). According to their website, Grace was chartered in 1891, making it 130 years old this year. Grace Church works a lot with the refugee and immigrant community. They also value participation of the congregants in decision-making in the church. Grace UMC is an active church. In addition to sermons, they do a lot to help build community, including missions, a fundraiser parking cars for the baseball games, blood drives, and more. If you like yard work, they would love to have you join the lawn care team. If you are looking for a church, Grace would be a good option.

As evidenced in the photo above, steeples make a church stand out from surrounding buildings. The steeple on Grace Church extends the height of the building by about 3 stories. The clouds and the beautiful blue sky extend the view into the heavens.  If you have a house of worship in Greensboro that we haven't yet featured, please let us know and we'll try to stop by! Happy Sunday, dear readers.

Hidden In Plain Sight

Sometimes we drive around Greensboro wondering how on earth we are going to find a new house of worship to feature on Sunday. After thirteen years of Sundays, that is approaching 700 different photos. Sure we've featured the same place more than once. Sometimes, for the smaller churches, we return to see if they are still open. However, driving around Glenwood on Saturday afternoon, down Florida Street, we saw the Prophetic Ministries of the Apostolic Faigh at 909 East Florida Street at the corner of Highland Avenue.The church is just west of Freeman Mill Road.

We're not sure how long this building has been a church, as, originally, it was a three bedroom, one bathroom house, built in 1955. Based on the sign, it appears the church has services Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday. The property looks well maintained and the grass is mowed. The Glenwood neighborhood is said to be THE most diverse neighborhood in North Carolina. It appears, with all the different churches and religious organizations with services in Glenwood, there is considerable religious diversity, too. Happy Sunday, we're thrilled to find another church, like we said, hidden in plain sight! 

 

West Market Street UMC

Today's photo is a view of the iconic Lincoln Financial Corporation building and the West Market Street United Methodist Church. It was taken from the northwest corner of the Governmental Plaza, near the Dr. George Simkins statue. The JP Building, now LFC. At one time, it was the tallest building between Atlanta and Washington D.C. Especially with the time and temperature at the top, it stands as a beacon in Greensboro. To the left in the photo, you see the south side of the West Market Street United Methodist Church. This vibrant, dynamic church offers traditional and contemporary services. They have something for everyone! Their music services are quite impressive. Dating back to 1873, West Market Street UMC is one of the oldest churches in Greensboro. Their stained glass windows are stunning and the sound of the Dobson-Rosales organ is memorable. There are approximately 2,000 members at West Market Street UMC, and do, if you are looking for a church that offers many programs and services for its members, this may well be the church for you. 

Fortunately, the church has an extensive history online. See their timeline and more photos here. Have a happy Sunday, no matter how or where you spend it!

Casa Belen Ebenezer

Casa Belen Ebenezer is an Apostolic Church located at 401 Norwalk Street , right at the corner with Pomona Drive. The pastors are Ivan and Azucena Morales Boitano. They offer Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday services in Spanish at 7pm. Also, there is a Sunday school at 10:00 and a service at 10:45. 

Yesterday, the building really stood out with the orange ramp against that bright, blue, cloudless sky. Also, there was someone on property doing yardwork. As quiet as it was here yesterday afternoon, it will be busy today. As Greensboro's population diversifies, more and more religions are offering services in other languages and not all of the buildings look like traditional houses of worship. It is not the facility itself, but the people, that makes a house of worship feel like a home.

We hope you have a great Sunday and that you have found a place to nourish your spirit... that feels like home. Happy Sunday!

Hopewell Wesleyan Church on Pleasant Ridge Road

Country churches always look beautiful, even on overcast, rainy days. Hopewell Wesleyan Church was built over 100 years ago, but members have kept up the property. As seen in the photo, the azaleas in the foreground are a little past prime, but the ones at the entrance to the church are in their full glory.

As of 2917, there were about 1,600 Wesleyan churches in the United States and their are Wesleyan churches in about 100 nations.*  The early Wesleyan churches were known for being advocates of abolitionism and women's rights. Hopewell is located at 2825 Pleasant Ridge Road. They have a Facebook page if you are considering attending. Services are at 11 am and it looks like they may have resumed services in person. If you look at the Facebook page, you can see that the interior is brightly painted. If you go in person, take time to walk through the cemetery. There are some very old graves... a lot of history on that property. Happy Sunday.

* To help get a scope on the size of the Wesleyan church community in the United States, compare its 1,600+ churches in the USA to over 20,000 Catholic Church buildings in this country.

Pope Mobile In Greensboro

Sundays, we usually post something related to religion or spirituality on GDP. Yesterday, we were headed to town for a photo shoot.  En route, the Weatherspoon Museum was calling our name. They have great art and the museum is free and open to the public. Visitors are required to sign in, for the purposes of contact tracing, if needed. As we were leaving, we noticed this Yaris, a subcompact Toyota, with a sun shield with a photo of the pope. If he saw this scene, Pope Francis would probably be smiling, the way he is on the sticker on the back-seat, driver-side of the vehicle. A quick walk around the car revealed additional Catholic, religious items on this NC-registered vehicle. We're betting it can be find in the parking of one of our local Catholic Churches today.

As you can see from the photo of South Tate Street in the background, the trees have just about leaved out. Happy Sunday!

 

Our Lady of Grace Roman Catholic Church

Today's photo features Our Lady of Grace (OLG)  Roman Catholic Church on West Market Street in Sunset Hills. It was taken on Palm Sunday, just after church had ended. The church is so large, it is necessary to photograph it from the other side of the street to get a photo of the whole facade. These beautiful, exterior walls are made from pink granite from Salisbury, NC.

The first mass was held at OLG in 1952. If you are local, you likely know the great love with which OLG was built. Greensboro businessman Julian Price, a Baptist, funded the building of OLG for his deceased wife Ethel Clay Price, who had been a devout Catholic. Tragically, Mr. Price died in a car accident before the church was built. If you ever have a chance to attend a service at OLG, you will have a chance to see the stained glass windows imported from Belgium. They are best appreciated from the sanctuary. Also, the pipe organ, a Kleuker from Germany, is known for its high quality tone.* While OLG is 69 year young, it has such a rich history, and it is so wonderful that this history is well documented and easily accessible through the internet. May it continue to serve its congregation for generations to come. Happy Sunday!

 

*read more about the organ, here.

Heavenly View on Palm Sunday

This time of year, we always find outselves drawn to the area around Westover Church on Muirs Chapel Road. Trees in bl0om surround the church and the perimeter of the parking lot.  The above view is along Tower Road,  facing west. The pattern in the sky looks like rays of white radiating out from the horizon. In reality, the white stripes are probably contrails from jets heading into the airport. Regardless, they punctuate the view of the trees.

For Christians, today is Palm Sunday. While the above photos are not palms, they remind us of the road, the path of this first day of Holy Week. If you are interested in learning more about Westover Terrace, see their website here. If you want to see the above view, you'd better head to Muirs Chapel and Tower Road quickly as before you know it, the pink and white blossoms will be replaced by green foliage. Happy Palm Sunday!

 

New Faith Baptist

New Faith Baptist Church is located on Tower Road, across from Morehead Elementary School, and in the heart of the Hamilton Lakes neighborhood. It is one of those plain, rectangular structures with that lone tree for shade and a marquee at the entrance. The pastor is Reverend Billy R. Holder and the leading lady is Reverend Pamela C. Holder. According to their Facebook page, the vision of the church is "Restoring the Body of Christ to Christ-Likeness." 

If you are interested in the church, you can follow them on their Facebook page where sermons are shared. The Sunday worship service is at 11:00 am and the Bible study is on Sunday at 10:00 am and Thursday at 7:00 am. We've featured lots of churches on Greensboro Daily Photo, but don't think we've shared this one before. Sometimes, just taking a new way from Point A to Point B yields so many new people and places. Happy Sunday!

Friendly Avenue Church of Christ

The tree with the pink blossoms in front of Friendly Avenue Church of Christ is so beautiful. We were driving along Friendly Avenue the other day, had just had to pull off and get a photo. Spring is like that. If you don't take a photo immediately, the next time you look, the landscape will have changed- especially if it rains. The church is at 5101 West Friendly Avenue, in the event that you want to attend, or simply to keep an eye out for this glorious little tree as you drive past.

Friendly Avenue Church of Christ is a dynamic church with English, Spanish, and Deaf Ministries. They offer sermons online and have a robust calendar of activities happening in the church. Music is an important part of the church and they have a very active Praise Team. Here is the website if you want to learn more about Friendly Avenue Church of Christ. They offer a hybrid worship service that you can watch through their Facebook page at 10:15 today. The stream opens at 10:00 in case you want to make sure your technology is working. We didn't see a church history online and couldn't find a cornerstone when we visited the other day. The church is a beautiful, expansive building- with plenty of parking.

Happy Sunday, however you choose to spend it.

Former Methodist Cemetery

Good morning, Greensboro!  A reader suggested we feature this sign explaining about a former Methodist cemetery. The sign is located at the 300 block of South Elm Street. The above photo shows a recent version of the sign. If the letters towards the center appear mottled, it looks someone took some red spray paint to them. That is so sad to vandalize a historic marker. When we featured it a few years ago, it had googlie eyes over the "O" on the word "original" resembling a German umlaut. Those googlie eyes are long gone.

This sign tells of a Methodist cemetery formerly located downtown and used for public burials. The unclaimed bodies were moved to Green Hill Cemetery, north of town. It is interesting that this sign would be placed so many blocks north of the location of the cemetery. Over ten percent of Christians in Greensboro are Methodist and Christians comprise the largest faith group in Greensboro. Historic markers are nice, because they help document events and help us remember our past, well into the future. Happy Sunday! It is a great day to drive around and read historic markers and HERE is a map, showing you where they are located.

Center United Methodist Church

Center United Methodist Church is located at 6142 Lake Brandt Road at the corner of  James Doak Parkway north of Greensboro. The above photo was taken about 6:00 pm last night. While the sun was setting, teens were shooting basket ball on the side of the church and on the other end, young teens were sitting and talking. The church seemed to be a hub of activity, exactly what a church needs to be to remain vibrant and attract and retain members. The wooden cross in front is draped in purple as the Lenten season has started.

According to their Facebook page, Center UMC has been serving Greensboro and Summerfield since 1823. They are an active church that holds online services at 10:00 am today. You can tune in and watch live on Facebook. Their pastor is the Rev. Cecil Donahue. This church has Back Buddies, a program feeding the homeless and those in need of food. They have traditional and contemporary services. .  If you live near Lake Brandt Road in North Greensboro and are looking for a Methodist church, this may be the one for you (see here).

Happy Sunday and Happy Birthday to one of our faithful readers in Madison, WI: Ginny S!!!!!

Community Garden at First Baptist Church on Friendly Avenue

Yesterday, at First Baptist Church, a group gathered to repair and refresh the raised beds to their community garden. With the church as a backdrop, the volunteers worked for several hours. Due to water runoff, the south side of the wooden frames rots first and they need to be replaced before the first seeds are planted. From Associate Pastor and Music Director Doug Vancil to other church members, volunteers had frames reinforced after a day of manual labor. The beds are planted and cared for by church and community members. The adjacent neighborhood is Westerwood. Soon, it will be time to plant and, before you know it, the watering, feeding, weeding, harvesting, and sharing of produce will begin to unfold. The plots are ready! Winds were strong and temperatures cool yesterday, but the glorious sunshine made working and being outside absolutely glorious.

If you want to hear a sermon from First Baptist, they are available on the website (see HERE). You can also log on to the Facebook page of  First Baptist Church of Greensboro and the service starts at 10:30. First Baptist is a liberal church. If you are looking for an active congregation that has something for everybody, at all ages and stages of life, First Baptist is a great church to consider. From what we hear from members, it is a great religious home. We learned firsthand, yesterday that the music director is kind and inviting. May their congregation and community garden thrive.

Happy Sunday!

Ice All Around Us on a Valentine's Day Sunday

For Winter 2021, this has been the weekend for ice in Greensboro! Temperatures have hovered near 32 degrees with rain turning to ice and freezing on tree branches and twigs. Many trees are down in and around Greensboro. People have lost power and many stores are closed. Seeing Wal-Mart on North Battleground Avenue pitch dark at 8:30 pm last night was a strange site. Not even parking lot lights were on.

Weather events help us realize that as hard as we humans try to control all situations, some things in life remain out of our hands. The above photo was taken on a small bush in northwest Greensboro with sweet gum trees looming in the background. Water is frozen in time and space and beautiful in a way that only nature can produce.  We hope everyone is OK Finally, Happy Valentines Day. May you be safe at home with someone you love. Life is beautiful.

Iglesia Redención y Salvación

Happy Sunday, the day we try to post something spiritual or reflective on Greensboro Daily Photo. We try to find places that reflect the diversity of Greensboro. There are almost 26,000 Hispanic people in Greensboro, or 8.7 percent of the population. It is only natural for churches, businesses and services that cater to the Spanish speaking community.  The Iglesia Redención y Salvación is a Pentecostal church located at 3312 Spring Garden Street, between Gay Terrace and Crazy Tires Tire Shop, just west of Holden Road. All along Spring Garden Street, from Lindley Park to West Market Street, there are several businesses that cater to the Spanish speaking members of the community.

The building housing the "Iglesia Redención y Salvación" looks like it used to house a commercial business. But if you drive by on a Sunday, Tuesday, or Saturday, you will see that it is indeed a church with people attending services and participating in fellowship with each other. This church doesn't seem to maintain a website, but they do have a Facebook page, if you want to try to learn more about them. Have a great day, whether you are in church, watching The Super Bowl, working, or just relaxing with family.

National House of Prayer for All People

The United House of Prayer for All People  is a dynamic, Apostolic  church, located at the south end of the campus of North Carolina A&T University, at the corner of Dudley and Market Streets.  The Greensboro branch of the United House of Prayer of  is one of 149 houses of worship in the Unites States. Some of the biggest news at the Greensboro church is that it is  building 172 apartments and retail on the 13.7 acre vacant lot across the street from the church. In 2005, the church purchased the lot from the Greensboro post office, which formerly had a facility on the now-vacant lot. This "Downtown East" venture is timed perfectly to provide new housing at a time when NC A&T is building a state-of-the-art engineering facility.

The  United House of Prayer for All People is known, not only for its powerful services and sense of community, but also for its fine restaurant that serves delicious comfort food, fish,  fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, and other delicious sides. The first church was founded in Massachusetts in 1919.  Entering its second century, the religion seems to be thriving and as community oriented as ever. Sunday hours are 11:30 am- 4:00 pm. Stop by if you get a chance and learn about all that is going on with this church. Happy Sunday!

"Project Warmth" Clothing Available Under the Eugene Street Bridge

 

Today's photo takes us underneath the Eugene Street Bridge at 300 Spring Garden Street. This is where the 16 Cents Ministry holds their services and where they serve meals. At the moment, since it is winter and cold, the ministry has set up an outdoor,  cold-weather garmet closet. Associated Scaffolding donated the fencing and anyone who has a clean warm coat to donate can hang it on the fence. Those in need can find something to wear at no cost. Their motto is "Take one if you need one, leave one if you can." 

On the day we visited, it was cold and people were taking advantage of this great community resource dubbed "Project Warmth." It is nice to know that there is a place to go for someone in need of a coat or scarf. You don't even need to ask permission. In addition to clothing under the bridge, food distribution, fellowship, and worship happen every Saturday at 6:00 p.m. That would be a good time to drop off an article of clothing and to see the ministry in action. Every day is a good day to think about what we can do for others. If you are a homeless person in Greensboro or person in need, you probably already know about all that happens under the bridge. If you are in a position to help, be prepared to feel really uplifted the first time you witness all the good the 16 cents ministry does. 

Rev Mark Sandlin

This week, we had the very special opportunity to meet Reverend Mark Sandlin, minister at the Presbyterian Church of the Covenant (PCoC) on South Mendenhall in Greensboro. Rev. Sandlin, hails from Asheboro, NC. He attended Appalachian State University, obtaining two undergraduate degrees and working in the business world for 25 years before being able to realize his dream of attending divinity school (at Wake Forest University) and becoming a minister. Rev. Sandlin is an ordained Presbyterian Church minister and  has been at PCoC for 7 years now. He has built a national reputation and quite a following as a liberal Christian leader. He is deeply involved in issues related to social justice. Rev. Sandlin sees the Bible as a text of hope and love. He sees the Bible not so much a book to be interpreted literally, but, as a document that is more allegorical,- a document still relevant today. He is a progressive Christian who co-founded "The Christian Left" and is currently serving as President of Progress Christianity. 

If you are looking for a liberal Christian church. Presbyterian Church of the Covenant may be the perfect place for you. It would be well worth your time to attend a service, which you can do virtually through Facebook. If you want a small church where people will get to know you quickly, reach out and get more information about PCoC.. As you can see, the sanctuary is quite lovely. Here is another photo of the sanctuary, taken during the one of the Tuesday, Silent Meditation, times. We actually featured the church 12 years ago. Please see this link if you want to learn more.

Last week's sermon, called Proud Boys, Wise Men, and the Allegory of Epiphany, can be heard here. It has been listened to by over 35,000 people. The sermon will give you a good overview of Rev. Sandlin's style of preaching, especially he ties in current events with scripture. Thank you Rev. Sandlin for taking time out of your busy schedule to take with us. Thank you Kate Baird for arranging it all.

Westover Church

 

Some of you may remember when Westover Church was smaller and located on Westover Terrace, across from Grimsley High School. The congregation actually dates back to 1948 with about 200 attending services at the Masonic temple, and the Westover Terrace church was built in 1950. Westover Church relocated to Muir's Chapel Road in 1994 and in 2006, the church was expanded with a worship center that seats 3,000. The above photo features one side of this expanded, mega-church. 

Pastor Don Miller has been there since 1991 and can be credited for helping make the church the success it is today. This non-denominational, mega-church is both local and international.  Westover Church is Evangelical and Christ-centered and, while they do a lot in Greensboro, they also have global ministries and international programs and outreach.They work intentionally to ensure staff and worship teams are diverse. The community pastor is a native speaker of Spanish. They have programs to feed the homeless, to help battle racial disparity, and to help everyone who attends the church feel like they are part of the church community, and not just one of thousands. They have programs serving families in the apartment complexes surrounding the church. Many of these families are immigrants, struggling to begin their lives in a new country and learning to speak a new language, and Westover Church feels like their lifeline. 

When we stopped by yesterday, all was silent, except for people out for daily walks who cut through the empty parking lot. Today, will be busier as there will be in-person worship at 10:30, with an option to attend services remotely through You Tube and Facebook.

In 2010, we featured Westover Church on Greensboro Daily Photo.

See The Good

Are you ever driving along and see something so inspiring that you have to pull off the road and photograph it? Such was the case for us last week when we were driving along Spring Garden Street at Pomona Drive when we saw this billboard. See the good. If you search that phrase, you will actually find an initiative started by a person named Kathy. Her goal is for people to see the good in each day. It doesn't say where Kathy is from, but surely, there is a Greensboro connection as the billboard is in our city. Her blog encourages people to contribute a paragraph about something good. 

As we look ahead to 2021, the notion of seeing the good, in our local community and the people around us sounds like a meaningful way to approach life. Perhaps this could be a New Year's resolution. It is easy to see the good in Greensboro as the weather is not too extreme, there is a good greenway system for walking and bicycling; there are many parks; good schools and several universities, colleges, and community colleges- to name just a few of the good things. If you are looking for a religious community, there are multiple churches of just about every faith.

Our motto has always been to see the good in Greensboro and to feature as much as we can. We thank you for starting your year out with Greensboro Daily Photo and hope you will stay with us for this new year of exploring the people and places of our city. Happy Sunday!

Update: Thanks to a reader, we've learned that the #seethegood initiative recently started in High Point. Bob Buckley at Fox 8 reported on it, here.

No Hate!

Imagine driving in the Friendswood neighborhood of Greensboro along Meadowview Street and seeing this bright flag. It reads, "Hate has no home here." This flag emphasizing the worth and dignity of all people seems appropriate for our Sunday post, a day when we try to post something more spiritual. This three bedroom, two bath,  suburban ranch home built in the 1960s is quite representative of many homes in the area. When it was built, the house would have really felt like it was out in the country, far from town. Sixty years ago, nationally, the Civil Rights Act of 1968 had not yet passed and locally, nearby Wendover Avenue would not be completed until 1972.

As we close out 2020 and look to 2021, we need to talk to the people who live in this home and learn the story of how it is they are so far along on the diversity continuum. Their neutral, beige house is filled with people who have taken a colorful stance against discrimination. Maybe all of Friendswood is filled with friends and allies. If you put a sign in your yard or a flag on a tree, what would it say. Ours would say, "Have a great day and THANK YOU for reading Greensboro Daily Photo" (and No Hate)!