The

Episcopal Church of the Nativity, Fayetteville, is

looking forward to quite a remarkable year.

In just

nine weeks it will go into its very first church building

of its very own on Antioch Road. For the past nine years

the congregation has been in several rented spaces and

the 150 congregants look forward to spreading out over

seven acres.

The new

sanctuary will seat about 250 people with a capital

outlay of $436,000.

They will

be next door neighbors to St. Gabriel Catholic Church and

the two churches are hoping to share Palm Sunday services

April 14 in a joint outdoor service.

The Rev.

Bob Hudak, vicar, said there are several new programs he

hopes to begin at the site: a flower garden and a

vegetable garden, so that members could share with others

that which God gave them; and a memorial garden, where

people could sit and meditate, especially at those times

when the church would be closed.

"It

would be an outdoor extension of the sanctuary,"

said Hudak. "We would like to have an area nearby in

which ashes of the cremated could be buried and families

could feel assured the deceased was resting in a sacred

place."

The church

has been involved in a number of local and national

missions for a number of years.

The

Samaritans are one of its favorites in Fayette County. It

participates in the Southern Crescent Habitat for

Humanity by providing lunches at the construction sites,

it participated in the "Souper Bowl of Caring"

and will be using those funds in local charitable

endeavors, in April, the church will participate in its

third Walk for Hunger, and at Christmas members sent as

much support as they could to the flood victims in

Venezuela and North Carolina.

The church

is currently at 1381-C Ga. Highway 85 north and can be

reached at 770-460-6390.