Church Action eNewsletter Week of August 26, 2013

[RCCAtl]

God calls us to some things we cannot do alone.

Let Freedom Ring!

  

 Check the community calendar on our website

Underlined words are live links     

 

We will soon be in the process of choosing affordable health insurance. There is great need for certified application counselors; this is an important ministry opportunity for congregations across the region. Churches and houses of worship are eligible to be CAC organizations. As a CAC organization, your volunteers will help people understand, apply, and enroll for health coverage through the Marketplace. We will be happy to talk with you about this or direct you to someone who can answer any questions you have. The training for volunteers is online and five hours. There are a couple of trainings in the next week or so. What an opportunity to make a difference for the future health and stability of the families in your congregation! Read about the process>>

1. The Istanbul Center invites the community to an interfaith program featuring Presbyterian minister Tom Buchanan. Exploring Faiths: A Presbyterian Christian Perspective will be held at the Istanbul Center, 223 Roswell Street, Alpharetta 30009 on   Friday, August 30, at 7 p.m.   This event is free and open to public however, please R.s.v.p.  here so there will be enough chairs and snacks.  

2. Most Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church last summer "Movie on the Green" is August 30. The film will start after 8:45p.m. You are invited to bring your lawn chairs or blankets, picnic baskets or snacks, and the desire to see a really great movie. The movie is "Unconditional." "Movies on the Green" is free of charge. The church is located at 2971 Butner Road SW in Atlanta, 30331. For further information or directions call 404-349-0176 or visit www.mbschurch.com.

3. Mt. Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church is one of the oldest African American churches in DeKalb County celebrating over 140 years of ministry to the community. Sunday, September 1, will be a special day at Mt. Zion AME – the Homecoming Worship Service and Celebration, 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. A table laden feast of food is shared with the community as well as God’s love celebrating the fruits of the spirit and God’s word preached through Pastor David F. Richards, III. 2977 LaVista Road, Decatur, 30033. Visit the website or call for more information, 404-633-2288.

4. There are spaces in the Social Media for Natural Disaster Response Training on September 5, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Grand Hyatt Buckhead, Atlanta. This FEMA certified training is hosted by FEI Behavioral Health and is facilitated by the University of Hawaii National Disaster Preparedness Training Center. Read more>>

5.  C.H.O.I.C.E.S. offered Camp Divas this summer and 24 overweight girls with the support of 8 volunteers changed their lives. This program will continue with teens, young women, and mothers who share the goal of making better food and lifestyle choices. Adult volunteer mentors are needed, as well. . The program is based at C.H.O.I.C.E.S. Downtown Center, First Congregational Church Commons, 125 Ellis Street, Atlanta, 30303.  Fin dour more at an Open House, Saturday, September 7, starting at 5:30 p.m. Bring a friend. R.s.v.p. to [e-mail] or call 678-819-3663.

6. Glenn Good Neighbor Day, the great day of service with Glenn United Methodist Church is Saturday, September 7! They invite readers of this newsletter to join them for a few hours of service to the community. There are over 15 projects to choose from – something for everyone. Find out more and sign up here. 

7. Sacred Harp Singers will hold their annual international festival at the Episcopal Church of Our Savior in Atlanta, Sept. 7-8.  The festival is sponsored by the United Sacred Harp Musical Association, which was founded in Atlanta in 1904. The festival is Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and  Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with noon lunch breaks. The event is free and open to the public. Church of Our Savior is located at 1068 North Highland Avenue, Atlanta. Curious about shaped-note singing? Read more>>

8. Anne Nelson's riveting "The Guys" opens Theatrical Outfit's 2013-14 season with its first preview performance on the 12th anniversary of September 11.  Read more>>

9. Atlanta is competing in the Compassion Games 2013 Find out all about this challenge to make our community safer, kinder, more just, and a better places to live. No matter where you are you can perform a Random Act of Kindness, or become a Secret Agent of Compassion" href="http://compassiongames.org/compassion-games/secret-agent/"">Secret Agent of Compassion and receive a secret mission for each of the eleven days.  Or you can create your own plan to make a difference everyday.  Do you know about the Charter for Compassion? Take a minute to read about the Compassion Games>>  And read about the kick-off at Atlanta Friends Meeting, September 11. More here>>

10. Recovery ROCKS! A Youth Forum about all aspects of recovery, September 14,11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Georgia Parent Support Network, 1395 Metropolitan Parkway, Atlanta 30310. This event includes a pizza lunch, original spoken word performances, recovery stories, music, games and prizes. Young people should R.s.v.p. because space is limited. Call [phone] ext. 105 to reserve a space today.

11. Dr. James Barnette, associate professor of religion and director of preministerial scholars at Samford University in Birmingham, is the speaker Sept. 15 on “Day 1” with host Peter Wallace. Barnette also serves as teaching pastor of Brookwood Baptist Church in Mountain Brook, Ala. His  sermon based on Jesus’ parables of the lost sheep and lost coin in Luke is “Room at the Table.” For more information, call 888-411-DAY-1 or check the website.

12. Break Every Chain! Building upon the great Tabernacle Prayer Experience of spring 2013, a fall gathering promises even more impact— multi-racial, multi-generational, and multi-denominational prayer about real needs in our city, Saturday September 21, 1 – 2:30 p.m., Carver College -3870 Cascade Road Atlanta 30331 Want to bring a Youth group? Contact Tom Fritz at [e-mail]   or Cornelius Williams at blocked::mailto:[e-mail]" href="mailto:[e-mail]"">[e-mail] .  Sponsored by the Metro Atlanta Leadership Foundation, Atlanta Community Ministries, Cru, Iron to Iron and Friends

13. September is National Recovery Month and the 7^th Annual Walk of HEROes at Kirkwood Mental Health Center ,  5K walk/run and tot trot, will be Saturday, September 21 at 8:30 a.m. This event raises support and awareness for DeKalb CSB’s mental health, substance addiction, and developmental disability services. Register today at www.walkofheroes5k.com New this year - USA Track and Field Certified Course – Peachtree Road Race Qualifier. Enjoy music, refreshments, drawing prizes, awards, and community vendors! (Pre-registration closes September 18. In-store registration is available at Phidippides at Ansley Mall.) Also see blocked::http://www.facebook.com/walkofheroes5k" href="http://www.facebook.com/walkofheroes5k"">www.facebook.com/walkofheroes5k.

14. Walk the Road in Peoplestown|Learn, Serve, Celebrate Come and experience the diversity of housing in Peoplestown and the challenges of facing this neighborhood. Learn from housing leaders and residents; serve as we walk to a variety of homes; celebrate at a community cookout hosted by Church of the Annunciation, Marietta. 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 22, Emmaus House, 1017 Hank Aaron Drive SE, Atlanta 30315.  T-shirts are $5 or five canned food items for the food pantry. Please R.s.v.p. to 404-525-5948, ext. 10.

15. Scholar, Episcopal priest, and bestselling author Barbara Brown Taylor joins Emory University's Candler School of Theology for the fall semester as the Alonzo L. McDonald Family Chair on the Life and Teachings of Jesus and their Impact on Culture., Taylor will present a public lecture, “Learning to Walk in the Dark,” on Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. at Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church on the Emory campus. Admission is free, but registration is required. Register online.

16. Georgia is the 2nd worst state for people with criminal records trying to move on with their lives, but the good news is the law on expungement in Georgia was improved effective July 1, 2013. Breaking the Chains: Part 2 – explores the effects of a criminal record in Georgia and the new and improved law on expungement, Saturday, Sept. 28, 11 a.m. -  2 p.m.,  Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, 25 Boulevard N.E., Atlanta, 30312. This free conference is co-sponsored by American Friends Service Committee Southern Region, 9 to 5, Georgia Justice Project, Racial Justice Action Center, Racial Justice Action, and Central Outreach and Advocacy Center to help individuals, the community, and service providers understand the issues, explain the new law and empower individuals impacted to advocate for more changes to laws that make it so difficult to move on in Georgia.

17. Come to welcome our international students at the AMIS 36th Annual International Student Welcome Concert and Reception, Sunday, September 29, at Spelman College The Reception in Manley Center will follow a 4:30 concert by the Atlanta Opera in Sisters Chapel. Today approximately 10,700 international students form 160 nations are studying in Atlanta's 19 colleges and universities.  Learn more about Spelman here. Learn more about the Atlanta Opera.  Find easy http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001MBGzcoZ99k7f_jU-4DyBkZY_3O8i3_V6V_GjoXJW2KMy27X4qHRBAXR6eO_kkbVbPsLZ5OuZblvK-13UtrFfiHMQKUXO5x-HDAzRBC0xkMuFwJlF9uELa8hXHuq3a_z61IpuQ7ZUmluLxqnrzsJa8bo9f6uSr3R-7e6XpphXIz-rKsP2u9AO-LEBjU5h3_au9N7vz9hsR8y5dKVnbWhFmZINFBhtfiQV" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001MBGzcoZ99k7f_jU-4DyBkZY_3O8i3_V6V_GjoXJW2KMy27X4qHRBAXR6eO_kkbVbPsLZ5OuZblvK-13UtrFfiHMQKUXO5x-HDAzRBC0xkMuFwJlF9uELa8hXHuq3a_z61IpuQ7ZUmluLxqnrzsJa8bo9f6uSr3R-7e6XpphXIz-rKsP2u9AO-LEBjU5h3_au9N7vz9hsR8y5dKVnbWhFmZINFBhtfiQV4UPBsPD_v2VXpTryAwzoY1vMIWC7vxjM6vrcR4qimoo=" target="_blank"">directions to Spelman College, 440 Westview Dr. S.W., Atlanta 30310 .

18. The annual Mikell Folk School is Oct. 11-13 at Mikell Camp and Conference Center in Toccoa. Registration is now open and closes Sept. 30. There are five art offerings (copper enameling, pottery, stained glass, weaving, and wood turning) and a limited enrollment of 40. There's also a self-directed class.  Learn more here.

19. Mental Health First Aid: A special workshop for clergy and lay leaders, Thursday, October 17, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Skyland Trail 1961 North Druid Hills Road NE, Atlanta 30329. Mental Health First Aid is a groundbreaking public education program that helps members of the public, including clergy and lay leaders, identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders and make appropriate referrals. The interactive, 8-hour course will be led by certified trainers who are divinity school graduates.  For details and registration, contact Ayo Yetunde, Pastoral Counselor, [e-mail] or 678-636-5908 www.skylandtrail.org

20. Columbia Theological Seminary Center for Lifelong Learning announces that applications for the 2014 cohort of the S3 Project (Sabbath, Study, and Service) will be accepted through October 18, 2013.  Applicant groups representing all stages of ministry – from first or early call through mid-to-late career ministry – are invited to apply to this self-directed peer learning opportunity.  Groups selected to participate will attend an orientation retreat February 17-20, 2014 and a final evaluation retreat in February, 2015.  Complete program details, including brochure, application and instructions, may be downloaded here.

21. Three Metro Atlanta high school students will share $900 in prizes in the 2013 Peace Essay Contest sponsored by Atlanta Grandmothers for Peace.  This year, the organization invites high school students to explore a current and controversial foreign policy issue, the use of drones in warfare. Participating students will submit 600-word essays by October 20. A panel of educators, writers, and peacemakers will judge the essays on originality, content, and style. Atlanta Grandmothers for Peace will hold a public program of recognition for the winners. For the previous competition, U.S. Congressman John Lewis presented the prizes All Atlanta-area high school students ages 16 to 19 are eligible. Interested students who have not received contest instructions through their schools should contact the organization at 678-654-0787 or [e-mail].

22. Move for Moms! is a November 2 fun run in Piedmont Park designed to promote maternal mental health. A 1k welcomes walkers, families, and stroller enthusiasts, and the 5k is for those would like to run a longer distance. Project Healthy Moms of Mental Health America of Georgia is dedicated to raising awareness, reducing stigma, and promoting resources for women suffering from postpartum depression and other maternal mental illnesses. Maternal mental illness affects nearly 20% of women who become pregnant; these illnesses can have a drastic impact on the health of the whole family. Find out more>> To sign up go here.

23. For churches worshipping in the Anglican tradition the Church of Canada has developed a delightful free Sunday School program for children The Compendium of the Church Mice.

24. St. Matthew’s Church in Snellville welcomes the Rev. Debra Shew as interim. She most recently served as interim at St. Luke’s in New Haven. Debbie was ordained by the Diocese of Atlanta in 1994, and served as Canon for Community Ministries with the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta, Vicar and Director of Emmaus House, and Assistant Rector of Holy Innocents in Atlanta.   Debbie and her husband, David, reside in Atlanta and have four children ages 10-26.  Welcome home,  Debbie. 

25. Second-Ponce de Leon Baptist Church welcomes new pastor James Neil (Dock) Hollingsworth, Jr. He is Assistant Dean and Professor at McAfee School of Theology, Mercer, and has served churches in North Carolina and Georgia. He is also Executive Director of the Center for Teaching Churches. He serves on the boards of the Lord's Day Alliance of North America and The Care and Counseling Center of Georgia. September 1 is his first day as pastor of Second-Ponce de Leon Baptist Church; his first Sunday in the pulpit will be September 22.

Register now for the TriRegional Faith and Community Health Summit, Atlanta, October 4-6, at St. Philip AME Church. The Regional Council of Churches participated in the planning of this conference which will educate, empower, and engage leaders from faith-based organizations to improve their personal health, advance the health and wellness of their organizations and communities, and protect the health of future generations. The Community Health Interfaith Partnership (C.H.I.P.) will present its Compassionate Congregations Clergy Tool Box for Mental Health Ministry at the summit.   Read more>> 

 

Fall programs have begun and many more events are planned this season than in the summer. Please refer to the Community Calendar for reminders.   

 

 Peace,

Ethel Ware Carter

404-538-0246 [e-mail]" Our magnificent mailing list services are kindly donated by www.combinework.com/