While all believers have a geographic location on the earth, Divya Pradhan said it best when she pointed out that her center serves “not American communities.”

Pradhan is the current president of the Hindu Cultural Center of North Alabama, a temple dedicated to honoring the beliefs and cultures of all spiritual devotees. Located in the Harvest area, Limestone County residents may or may not know that the center is there or what they do.

“Our center is Sarvajana Temple. In other words, we worship all the gods, not only just the Hindu gods, but also we have the Buddha statue there and gurus there. … We believe in the Sanatana dharma,” Pradhan explained.

The Sanatana dharma follows four pillars — devotion, knowledge, work, and rituals — and Pradhan says that it is up to believers and their individuals journeys as to what they should do when they come to the temple, as long as they are working towards mukti, that is, liberation from this circle of life.

“If you wish, in the temple, you can go and do rituals. If you wish, we have lots of gurus coming who have taught philosophy. You have meditation. … You can follow these books and gain knowledge, if that’s your path. … You can also do service in the temple.”

The temple isn’t just a place to go worship, and the work isn’t just directed towards the temple itself. Those who wish to work can participate in the HCCNA can help with community service events, such as this past Saturday, Feb. 18, when the center fed 400 people for free.

“Free food was given out to them. It was not like one small soup or something. It was a proper meal. Anybody, everybody, could walk into the temple, go and pray or meditate — whatever you wish — and then you could come downstairs and eat. The temple is open seven days a week. There is free, small food of some kind — we call it prasad, because whatever is cooked is first offered to God and then distributed — that is offered almost seven days a week.”

They don’t only serve food. The HCCNA hosts spiritual retreats, such as their upcoming event on March 18-19; allows devotional singing whenever their temple is open; and provides services from their three priests — even if it isn’t a service the priest has provided before. They are looking at starting inexpensive academic tutorial sessions as well as a food pantry.

She then explained that, as long as the event is spiritual and open to the community, they have a hall at the center that can be used for these events for free.

Pradhan may currently serve as president of the Hindu temple, but she is no stranger to the Christian faiths that are also so strong in our area.

“It is not ‘oh, you have to be of a certain denomination’ … It is open to anybody. When I grew up, I went to a Catholic school, and my father was a teacher at a Protestant school. I know I can pray and meditate anywhere. I’ve prayed in churches and been to masses.”

This means, in part, that Pradhan can relate to spiritual beliefs of others that come through the temple doors.

“Two groups of students, they were starting interfaith — or different cultures, I don’t know — but we have a lot of students that come visit our temple and learn about our customs and cultures.”

On the other side of town, Limestone’s Catholic presence is just as strong.

With the growth in Limestone County being so heavily concentrated on the east side, St. Paul Catholic Church might have once been concerned their parishioners were turning towards Madison County churches, but that is no longer the case.

“We do not have this concern anymore,” Father Tom John explained. “With the area growing so rapidly, parishioners seem to be staying within their respective county. We have seen more inflow of parishioners than outflow, and in recent years, we have had more than 100 parishioners join our parish.”

Just one of the ways that St. Paul remains active in the community is through their participation in Limestone County Churches Involved. LCCI works together to, according to their website, “food and general assistance to Limestone County residents.” Beyond just churches, LCCI provides community organizations from elementary schools to the Athens Arts League a place to work for, a place to send their resources and trust that the food will make it to the hands of the needy.

LCCI’s website claims to have used over four million dollars to provide assistance to more than 8,500 households and 19,500 individuals.

As we approach spring and summer, there are several churches around the area that are focusing on the food that endures instead of the fish of John 6 by hosting Gospel Meetings to strengthen the faith of their congregations and planning events such as vacation Bible schools to help our youngest residents’ hearts engage with their God.

In preparation for these events, members of congregations such as Eastside church of Christ focus their community work on trying to make connections to invite individuals to join them during the services.

While that is their main goal, Adam Lee, a project estimator for a local roofing company and the deacon at Eastside who organizes these Saturday morning efforts, says that visitors aren’t usually the resulting fruit.

“We have had some visitors from door knocking, but most of the effects are seen right there and then. With my [roofing] job in door knocking, that’s what happens most of the time. It’s an on the spot, right then kind of thing.”

He says that, despite the fact that attendance numbers might not be rising, making these connections, keeping a list, and following up on subsequent visits hopefully helps the community remember who they are and see the “light of Christ in [the members of Eastside].”

“For instance, a member knocked on the door, and an older man answered. The man said he was ‘not doing good. He had just had a biopsy and was concerned about cancer. … Prayed for him right there on the spot. That guy was so encouraged by that; he took the card and said he would tell his family about that.”

Whether residents are a member of a Christian belief or engage with their faith on a more individual, spiritual level, Limestone County is a growing community full of members who consider themselves as a part of more than just their physical community, as Pradhan pointed out, and are working to care for others at all levels, even when the spiritual impact in their neighbors’ lives might be “where we may not ever know or see,” as Lee suggests.

Here is a list of every church that lists with The News Courier on the Thursday church pages:

Adventist

Athens Seventh Day Adventist

Hispanic Seventh Day Adventist

State-Line Seventh Day Adventist

Trinity Seventh Day Adventist

Assembly of God

New Life Assembly of God

Baptist

Beacon Baptist

Belmor Baptist

Berea Baptist

Bible Believers Baptist

Blackburn Road Baptist

Calvary Baptist

Capshaw Baptist

Carey Baptist

Cherry Grove Baptist

Clements Baptist Church

Clements Baptist Church Poplar Creek Campus

Community Baptist

Concord Baptist

East Highland Baptist

Ebenezer Baptist Church

Ebenezer Missionary Baptist

Elk River Baptist

Elkmont Baptist

Elkwood Baptist

Elkton Road Baptist

Elm Street Baptist

Emmanuel Baptist

Enon Baptist

Fairview Baptist

Faith Baptist

First Baptist of Ardmore

First Baptist of Tanner

First Baptist of Athens

First M Baptist of Elkmont, Inc

First Union Baptist

Grace Missionary Baptist

Greater Hope Missionary Baptist

Greater Peace Community

Greenbrier Baptist

Holt Road Baptist

James Chapel Missionary Baptist

Lighthouse Baptist

Lindsay Lane Baptist

Little Elk Missionary Baptist

Little Ezekiel Missionary Baptist

Little Zion Missionary Baptist

Madison Baptist

May’s Memorial Baptist

Midway Baptist

Mt. Calvary Independent

Mt. Nebo Missionary Baptist

Mt. Pisgah Baptist

New Beginnings Missionary Baptist

New Beria Missionary Baptist

New Bethel Baptist

Newby Chapel Missionary Baptist

New Fellowship Baptist

New Hope Baptist

New Hope Primitive Baptist

New Hopewell Missionary

New Life Baptist

New Oakland Baptist

New Salem Missionary Baptist

New Zion Missionary Baptist Church

Oakdale Baptist

Owens Crossroads Baptist

Parkview Baptist

Peace Missionary Baptist

Piney Grove Baptist

Pleasant Grove Baptist

Poplar Creek Missionary Baptist

Round Island Baptist

Salem Springs Baptist

Sand Springs Baptist

Sardis Springs Baptist

Shanghai First Baptist Church

Solomon Temple Missionary Church

Southside Baptist

St. John Missionary Baptist

St. Luke Missionary Baptist

St. Mark Primitive Baptist

St. Paul Missionary Baptist

St. Paul Baptist

Sweet Home Missionary Baptist

Sweet Springs Baptist

Tabernacle Baptist

Temperance Oak Baptist

Temple Baptist

The Grove

Truth Baptist

West Highland Baptist

Wooley Springs Baptist

Word of Faith Missionary Baptist

Catholic

St. Paul Catholic

Church Of Christ

Athens Church of Christ

Bethel Church of Christ

West Hobbs Street Church of Christ

Capshaw Church of Christ

Carriger Church of Christ

Cartwright Church of Christ

Central Church of Christ

Coxey Church of Christ

Eastside Church of Christ

Elkmont Church of Christ

Elk View Church of Christ

Ephesus Church of Christ

Greenbrier Church of Christ

Hays Mill Church of Christ

Hester Chapel Church of Christ

Holland’s Gin Church of Christ

Jackson Drive Church of Christ

Jones Road Church of Christ

Leggtown Church of Christ

Lucas Street Church of Christ

Marion Street Church of Christ

Market Street Church of Christ

Mr. Carmel Church of Christ

Mt. Zion Church of Christ

New Hope Church of Christ

North Athens Church of Christ

Northside Church of Christ

Oakland Church of Christ

O’Neal Church of Christ

Pepper Road Church of Christ

Pleasant Valley Church of Christ

Reunion Church of Christ

Salem Church of Christ

Sandefer Road Church of Christ

Sandlin Road Church of Christ

Sardis Springs Church of Christ

Segars Road Church of Christ

Seven Mile Post Road Church of Christ

Sunny Hill Church of Christ

Tanner Church of Christ

Valley View Church of Christ

Westside Church of Christ

Westview Church of Christ

Church of God

Athens Church of God

The Church of God of Prophecy

Episcopal

St. Timothy’s Episcopal

Lutheran

Faith Lutheran Church

Lamb of God Lutheran Church

Messiah Lutheran Church

Methodist

Ardmore UMC

Athens First UMC

Boyd’s Chapem UMC

Cairo UM

Elkmont UM

Frazier CME

First Independent Methodist

Friendship North Church

Friendship Church

Good Shepherd UMC

Isom’s Chapel UMC

Lakeview UMC

Oak Grove CME

Oakland UM

Parker Chapel UM

Pettusville UM

Riddles Chapel Global Methodist

Salem UM

Tanner UM

Village View UM

Non-Denominational

Arise Worship Center

Christ Temple Holiness Church

Christ Way Church International

Church of the Living God

Faith of Freedom Ministries

Freedom Chapel Church

Full Gospel Tabernacle

Grace Fellowship

Jesus in Me H.O.P.

Lebanon Community

Nebo Community Church

New Covenant Life Ministries

New Song Community Church

Pathway Yo Heaven Chapel

Section Line Community Church

Simply Amazing Ministries

Discovery Church

The Life Church

Victory Full Gospel

Walnut Grove Community Church

Pentecostal

Ark of Promise Apostolic Church

Faith tabernacle

First Pentecostal of Tanner

First Church

Full Gospel Deliverance Center

The Lighthouse Pentecostal

The Pentecostals of Ardmore

New Garden Pentecostal

Presbyterian

Antioch CP in America

Bright Hope CP in America

Copeland Presbyterian

Elkmont CP in America

First Presbyterian

Grace Covenant Church

Pleasant Grove Cumberland

Union Hill CP Church

Voice of Truth Chapel

Word of God Ministry

Other Denominations

Abundant Life Ministries

Christway International

The Church of Jesus Christ Latter-Day Saints

Emmanuel Church of God in Christ

Fellowship Worship & The Word

First Christian Church

Freedom Christian Center

Heritage Ministries (Full Gospel)

Jesus the New Begining

Kingdom Way Christian Center

Light House Mission

Limestone Apostolic Holiness

Mighty Warrior

Majestic Chapel

New Life Full Gospel

Prayer Chapel

Restoration Church

Southwind Christian Center

The Bridge at Valley

Trinity Congregational

Victory Chapel Church

Word of God Holiness

If your church is not listed or up to date, contact The News Courier to add your information.