Church Action eNewsletter Week of April 30, 2012

[RCCAtl]

God calls us to some things we cannot do alone.   

 Remember that all events listed in the eNewsletter are placed in the Community Events Listings on our website.  Newsletters are archived there at  eNewsletters --- with the most recent featured below the slide show of member churches on our home page under Featured RCCA Activities.   

 Go to www.rccatl.org and click on Join the Regional Council to open an application.  

 

 Hear from young preacher Brandon Perkins, Academy of Preachers ’10, on   The Cross and the Classroom: Living Out Your Calling.  Read about  the Academy and the National Festival of Young Preachers here...  

1. Imran Ahmad, today, Wednesday, May 2, 7:00 p.m., at the Jimmy Carter Library. Meet the author in a program jointly sponsored by the Library and the Center for the Book. The Perfect Gentleman: A Muslim Boy Meets the West, moving from Pakistan to London, Ahmad describes with humor and drama the choices he made between his Islamic identity and his desire to embrace the values of the West. Among the questions he faced: What exactly does God do? And, do you automatically go to hell for following the wrong religion? There will be copies of his book for sale and signing at the event. 

2. May 3 is The National Day of Prayer, an annual day of observance held on the first Thursday of May. Designated by the United States Congress, with Presidential Proclamation, it originated from a mandate by George Washington.

3. You are invited to a local meeting about Bread for the World's 2012 Offering of Letters campaign. Discussion will be this year's campaign and resources to get your community involved will be provided. There will be time to actually write letters to Congress. This meeting is open to the public. Please R.s.v.p. or ask for information by emailing [e-mail] or calling 404- 806-1387. Saturday, May 5, 9:00 to 10:30 a.m., Druid Hills United Methodist Church, 1200 Ponce De Leon Ave., N.E., Atlanta  30306.

4. Organ recital this Sunday afternoon, May 6, at 3:15 with Jonathan Dimmock, the Cathedral of St. Philip, 2744 Peachtree Road, Atlanta. A graduate of Oberlin College and Yale University, Dimmock performs regularly around the world and is widely heard on classical music stations. He will perform works by C.P.E. Bach and Felix Mendelssohn. Choral Evensong follows at 4 p.m.

5. Georgia Women’s Action for New Directions in partnership with the Women's Research and Resource Center at Spelman College presents Kristen Iversen, mother, teacher, activist, and best-selling author at their annual Mother’s Day for Peace fundraiser Sunday, May 6, 4 p.m. at Spelman College’s Cosby Auditorium, 350 Spelman Lane SW. Mother’s Day for Peace, Georgia WAND's annual Signature Event and fundraiser, commemorates the vision of Julia Ward Howe, poet and suffragist who, after viewing the Civil War battlefields, called for a national assembly of women who would devote themselves to ending war.

6. Interfaith Children’s Movement in Cobb will hold its general meeting Thursday, May 10, at 4:00 p.m. at MUST Ministries, 1407 Cobb Parkway, N., Marietta. In recognition of May as "National Foster Care Month," Sally Buchanan, executive director, and Paula Fine of Creative Community Services, will discuss therapeutic foster care services. Learn more about how you can be part of a support system for some of Georgia's most vulnerable children.

7. Ascension Coffee House at Church of the Ascension, Cartersville, will present Kevin Lane, a singer, songwriter, musician, poet, and Chattanooga boy, at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 11.  Admission is free, but bring donations for the parish's food pantry.  

 8. Reminder of the Writing the Sacred Workshop coming up on Saturday, May 12, at Amerson House Spirituality Center, St. Bartholomew’s  Church, Atlanta.  A day of creative prayer with  Ray McGinnis designed for those who enjoy writing and those who have never put pen to paper, this workshop is open to older children, youth,  and adults.  Contact Kimberly Broerman,  Deep Waters Center for Prayer & Exploration, 404-275-3328 or [e-mail]

9. Brookhaven UMC is participating in the “Change the World” event on Saturday, May 12. They offer two mission opportunities to the broader community.  Join them as they work with Brookhaven area churches on the new Habitat Build. They will also make sandwiches for the Open Door Community. (Participants need to bring at least one loaf of wheat bread, sandwich meat and sliced cheese.) Sign up as individuals or groups at www.rethinkchurch.org, going to the Change the World link.

10. God Give Me the Grace, a Gospel Stage Play, The Greater Travelers Rest Baptist Church, 4650 Flat Shoals Parkway, Decatur, Sunday, May 13, at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. www.gadpinc.com. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door.

11. Beth and Ray Chenault, All Saints’ Episcopal Church organists and choirmasters, will present Une Soirée à Paris  inspired by their summer 2011 trip to Paris. The Chenaults had the opportunity to play historic organs in French churches, chapels, and cathedrals including Notre Dame and Versailles, and concert attendees will be able to see all the glorious settings on a giant screen with colorful commentary. The finale will be their  new arrangement of a medley from Andrew Lloyd Weber’s Phantom of the Opera, in honor of the magnificent Paris Opera House. Tuesday, May 15, All Saints’ Episcopal church, 7:30 p.m. Tickets at the door or on line at www.allsaintsatlanta.org/

12. Keynote Speaker at the  9th Annual GALEO Power Breakfast will be Ms. Lydia Camarillo, Vice President of Southwest Voter Registration Education Project.  Reservations are being taken now for this May 16 event, 8:30 – 10:30 a.m., Evergreen Marriott Conference Resort, 4021 Lakeview Drive, Stone Mountain 30083. R.s.v.p. and payment are required by Thursday, May 10,  Call 404-745-2580 or email  [e-mail].

13. The Seedtime and Harvest Greenhouse and Gardens of Holy Comfort Church, 737 Woodland Ave. SE, Atlanta 30316, is sponsoring its third organic plant sale of the season on Saturday, May 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.. Gorgeous containers in all price ranges, herbs, perennials and annuals (shade and sun), houseplants, shrubs, ground covers, and vegetables, including unusual varieties of heirloom tomatoes will be available. The gardens, recently featured on AIB-TV are a reflection of the diverse church community. Come shop and enjoy the vegetable and herb gardens, the butterfly garden, the flower gardens, and a woodland garden surrounding the 175 year old Red Oak tree.

14. The Rev. Robyn Green-O'Neal of Mt. Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church in Decatur, GA, will present 7 evening sessions on spiritual warfare called, Defeating the Strongman.  For the many women facing divorce, tough economic times, widowhood, family violence, substance abuse in their homes or financial problems, the series explores the concept of spiritual warfare and what tools others have used to overcome such adversity.  The sessions begin on May 17, 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Mt. Zion AME Church, 2977 LaVista Road, Decatur.. The sessions are all free. Call 404-633-2288 to register.

15. St. Timothy's Church in Decatur will celebrate its 18th annual Caribbean-American Festival from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, May 19, on the church grounds. Activities will include a fashion show, maypole plaiting, crowning of the May queen, African dances, NetBall exhibition, free health screenings, voter registration, and children's activities. All are welcome. For ticket information call 404-241-7711

16. Experience of God, Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m., on AIB-TV. On May 22, Dr. Ben Johnson talks with Greg Watson a member of the Baha'i Community about his decision to become a Baha'i and how this path has given him a different appreciation for the Divine.  

17. Mirabai Starr will be at First Baptist Church Decatur, 308 Clairemont Ave, on Sunday, June 3, at 6:30 p.m., for lecture and signing of her new book, God of Love: A Guide to the Heart of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. She explores the deep connection between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam with powerful personal stories that remind us not only that God is love, but love is God. Starr introduces us to the exploration of spiritual truths at the core of every religious tradition connecting us to our deep roots and empowering us to  reach a new and deeper understanding of God in everyday life.  This program is sponsored by Georgia Center for the Book in partnership with the First Baptist Church Decatur Conversations Ministry. No tickets or reservations required.

18. Decatur UCC will host Wine and the Word, A time to make and deepen friendships and explore a book in community. They plan to take a closer look at the biblical story of Jacob's children and then read the best-selling novel, The Red Tent. Reflection will consider how the story might help us understand the literature of our faith. Four Thursday evenings beginning June 7. Dates are June 7, 14, 21, and 28.  More to follow.

19. Communication is Key: Healthy church strategies for websites, social media, email, and personal and congregational communication, Friday, June 8, Mercer University, Atlanta, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with an optional tutorial available from 3-4 p.m.  The Center for Congregational Health will share an overview of research of the four key practices for a healthy congregation and the cultural shifts in communication processes. The internal communication skills portion of the conference will be led by Dr. Bill Wilson, President of the Center. The external communication skills portion of the conference will be led by Natalie Aho, Communications Specialist for the Center. $125 per person - lunch is included. For a group of 3 or more from the same congregation/staff, the cost is $100 per person. Registration is limited, so please register early.  Learn more and register  or contact Robin Danner at [e-mail] or 336-716-9722. 

20. Save the Date. The 20th Annual Celebration of Excellence honoring youth in Georgia Foster Care who are graduating from high school, G.E.D. programs, vocational school, or college. This year’s celebration will be held on Wednesday, June 13, at 6 p.m. at the Georgia State Rialto Theatre.

21. Visit the Calendar of Care for Troops for events and trainings currently available. These will be of interest to clergy and congregations that include military families – that would be most I would think. CareForTheTroops Calendar 

22. During each Sunday morning 11 a.m. worship service, the Greater Mountain Baptist Church , where Rev. D. D. Prather is Senior Pastor, will continue its voter registration initiative. Registration forms will be available.  Poll location sites, voter registration status, election information, free transportation to the polls,  and other information pertinent to civic involvement will be available. The Greater Mountain Baptist Church is located at 3346 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. For more information contact Rev. Joseph D. Flint at 404-422-6514 or [e-mail]  

23. The Rights of the Needy is the focus of CSLR's When Law and Religion Meet Lecture Series, 2012-2013, with two esteemed Emory Law faculty,  Martha A. Fineman and Barbara B. Woodhouse,  leading off the discussion on September 13. Fineman will introduce the theme of "human vulnerability," including those in religious communities. Woodhouse will address the vulnerability of children in different settings. A panel discussion will follow. Watch for more on this fall event at Emory Law's Tull Auditorium.

24. AIB Presents offers three important programs on Mondays in May  at 7 p.m. Encore Presentations on Tuesdays at 12:00 p.m., Thursdays 9:00 a.m. and Saturdays at 12:30 p.m. 

Women in White: The Pillars of the Church This episode provides a glimpse of the women in white and how they serve their congregations. Tune in Monday, May 7 at 7:00 p.m.

Sex and the Pulpit, On May 14, AIB TV brings together young women who aspire to leadership in the church, with Rev. Dr. Pamela Cooper White, a scholar of women's issues in ministry and professor at Columbia Theological Seminary. Listen as they share honestly and openly in a forthright conversation about the challenges and blessings of being a woman in ministry.

Art and Soul: The Hale Woodruff Exhibit at the High Museum of Art, On May 21 Dr. Dwight Andrews takes us behind the mural for a look at its creator Hale Woodruff and the inspiration for the work of art. 

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Peace,

Ethel Ware Carter

Regional Council of Churches of Atlanta

404-538-0246

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