Enlarge Coming together has helped Greater Providence and Mint Hill Baptist churches. (illustration)

Posted: January 30th, 2012 Ken Garfield

The hope of Xchange Sermons is that swapping pulpits is just the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

In this third year of the campaign to inspire reconciliation among people of different beliefs and backgrounds, there is mounting evidence that relationships are flourishing long past the last words of a sermon. Among the 60 participating congregations, Temple Beth El has established an annual, gospel-infused Sabbath service each January honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and the cause of racial harmony. Piedmont Unitarian Universalist and Friendship Missionary Baptist churches are planning a partnership to include worship, fellowship, food and programs on healthy living, including nutrition, yoga and meditation. Click here to learn more about Xchange Sermons and how you can get involved. The program runs through May.

There is no more powerful illustration of an abiding friendship than the one that binds Greater Providence and Mint Hill Baptist churches. The former, on Milton Road, is predominantly African American. The latter, on Matthews-Mint Hill Road, is white. The story of their coming together rises above the racial divide that sparked the relationship.

Back in 1995, after a racially tinged act of violence sparked unrest in that part of Mecklenburg County, Revs. Fred Gibson of Greater Providence Baptist and Lee Proctor of Mint Hill Baptist met at a clergy breakfast meeting. Their conversation went from “Nice to meet you” to “Let’s start working together.” All these years later, the work continues on several fronts.

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Posted: January 25th, 2012 Lee Howard

Dozens of media reps (local, state and national) descended on the Panthers playing field at Bank of America Stadium recently where incumbent President Obama will make his acceptance speech on Sept. 6. The Democratic National Convention itself will be hosted at Time Warner Cable Arena, which more than 500 reporters toured on Jan. 18.

PROACT Search, the firm hired by CMS to help select a new school superintendent, is also currently conducting a search for a new superintendent in Anchorage. General qualifications for the job there sound like something we might benefit from here. CMS hopes to make a decision in March.

County Manager Harry Jones, who is being treated for an undisclosed illness, is urging the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners to take a conciliatory approach to handling the public’s business. He says his current health issues have spurred “spiritual growth” which he hopes will rub off on the often rancorous board.

Property crime dropped by about 8 percent last year and violent crime was down by 2 percent, Charlotte Police Chief Rodney Monroe announced last week. We guess that’s good news for the Queen City. Skeptics, however, believe the declines may have something to do with how crimes are now being classified.

The nearly three-hour “The Amen Corner", a play set in Harlem, was written by James Baldwin in 1954. The sprawling production features 32 cast members directed by Ruth E. Sloane. The play is being presented by On Q Productions, which is led by Quentin Talley, Crossroads Charlotte's Artist-in-Residence. It  runs through Saturday, Jan. 28, at Spirit Square's Duke Energy Theater, 345 N. College St. Tickets start at $17.

Posted: January 23rd, 2012 Brant Aycock

Do you have an idea that will bring diverse members of Charlotte's population together, but need some funding to make it happen?  You may be eligible to receive those funds through Crossroads Charlotte's A.C.T. (Achieving Community Today) Projects!

Candidates submit their ideas via Crossroads Charlotte's Facebook Page.  Submissions are reviewed by Crossroads Charlotte and finalists have their ideas voted upon by the Facebook community.  The best ideas get up to $500 of funding!

"The A.C.T. Projects were designed as a way to fund small community efforts that connect people across lines of difference," says Crossroads Charlotte Assistant Director Stacey Henderson.  "No idea is too small, and this is the perfect opportunity to make a change or impact."

Hundreds of people have already voted on projects throughout the community, and these projects have had a huge impact on those involved.  The next round of submissions starts on February 24th - so be ready to tell us about your idea!  No formal grant applications are involved!  We'll look forward to hearing from you. 

For more information you can contact Stacey Henderson at shenderson@fftc.org or 704.973.4577

Posted: January 20th, 2012 Crystal Dempsey

Video and report by Rid Creative Media

Some learned English as a second language. Some are former refugees just hearing English for the first time. The FACE Project (Friendships Across Charlotte Ethnicities), the brainchild of Amber Schrenkel, brings together elementary school students in a fun social setting, in hopes of stimulating new friendships.

The idea is to help kids look past their differences and focus on a common experience. A Crossroads Charlotte A.C.T. (Achieving Community Today) project winner, the FACE Project took the kids ice skating and the result was pure magic.