Church Action eNewsletter Week of August 10, 2026

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1. FOCUS Atlanta is hosting a leisurely fun ride from Saint John the Wonderworker, 543 Cherokee Ave., in Grant Park to Wild Heaven brewery in Avondale Friday, August 14. If you are free come join in for some community building and exercise! Email [e-mail] for more information. The ride will start at 10 a.m. after FOCUS finishes the morning unhoused food and shower service. There will be route maps at the start, but it is basically Cherokee to Memorial, to Estoria, to the Beltline to Stone Mountain PATH connector near the Carter Center, then on to Avondale. It is about 8 miles each way, but all levels, experiences, persuasions, and ages are welcome!
2. Rediscovering the Green Roots of Christian Faith at St. Mary’s Sewanee. The Center for Deep Green Faith invites you to rediscover Christianity’s ecological roots in this workshop with Robin Gottfried andJohn Gatta. Drawing on monastic wisdom and contemplative practice, explore how growth in virtue includes our relationship with all creation. Examine how core Christian doctrines ground our care for the earth, moving environmental concern from the margins to the center of faithful living. Experience how deepening your connection with creation deepens your connection with God.  August 15, 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. Attend Deep Green Faith
3. Join Day1 this week to hear the Rev. Dr. Charles Qualls, former associate at Second-Ponce de Leon Baptist Church and now pastor of Franklin Baptist Church. “Life’s Harder Questions” is based on Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32 and explores themes of loneliness, mystery, and grace that refuses to let us go. Hear Day1 Episode 4247 Sundays at 7:05 a.m. on WSB, 85.5 and 750 AM. Visit Day1.org to read or hear the sermon now or find an expanded podcast version wherever you get your podcasts.
4. Atlantic Institute invites you to another gathering in the Exploring Faiths Series, an educational program that brings people together to learn about different faith traditions through the values they inspire. Exploring Buddhist Values and the Path to Mindful Living will take place on Sunday, August 16, at 2:00 p.m., hosted by Red Clay Sangha, 3315 Chamblee Dunwoody Rd, Chamblee 30341. Gareth Young, co-founder of Red Clay Sangha, will introduce participants to the core values of the Buddhist tradition, including principles of mindfulness and compassion, and guided meditation. Following the presentation and Q&A session, guests are invited to stay for lunch and meaningful conversation. Exploring Faiths is not a debate or an effort to compare religions, but an opportunity to learn directly from members of different faith communities. People of all faith backgrounds—and those with no religious affiliation—are warmly welcome. RSVP
5. Cross-Cultural Ministries, serving children of immigrant families in the Chamblee and Doraville area, is seeking volunteer tutors and mentors for its after-school program. Volunteers serve one afternoon each week, Monday- Friday, during either 2:30–4:00 p.m. or 4:30–6:00 p.m., helping elementary through high school students with homework, reading, math, English language development, and encouragement. Substitute volunteers are also needed to fill in when regular tutors are unavailable. No teaching experience is required, and all training, materials, and support are provided. Make a lasting difference by helping a child succeed in school while sharing God's love. For more information or to volunteer, contact [e-mail] [e-mail].
6. Planning meeting for 22^nd Annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Celebration– Amen is Just the Beginning, Monday, August 17, 7:00 - 8:15 p.m. at Temple Kol Emeth, 1415 Old Canton Rd, Marietta 30062.
7. From Pollution to Solutions: Protecting Health Through Electrification, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 6:30–8 p.m., Decatur First United Methodist Church. Join GIPL, Georgia Clinicians for Climate Action, and Electrify Decatur to explore the connection between fossil fuels, air pollution, and human health. Then discover practical electrification solutions that lower emissions, improve indoor air quality, and cut energy costs at home and in your congregation. Register Here Today.
8. Internal Arts presentsfree adult Tai Chi classes throughout the month of August at the Clarkston Community Center. These sessions are open to residents of Clarkston, Scottdale, Avondale Estates, Pine Lake, the City of Stone Mountain, and Decatur, and are led by instructor Sifu Sheria Enahora. Participants are invited to join a welcoming space to build movement, balance, focus, and overall wellness through the practice.  Saturdays in August at 9:30 a.m. at the Clarkston Community Center, Clarkston 30021. All sessions are free of charge.  For more information, contact Tabala Research Institute at [e-mail] 404-386-7769.
9. Question, Persuade, and Refer from Mental Health America Georgia, Wednesday, August 19, 12:00 – 1:15 p.m. This training teaches participants how to recognize the signs of a suicide crisis, how to persuade the person to get help, and how to refer them to appropriate resources. REGISTER HERE
10. Wellsprings Contemplative Prayer Circle offers Word Made Flesh: Following Jesus through the Gospel of Luke, First and Third Tuesdays, 7-8 p.m. Via Zoom. Click here for more details. Email Kimberlyto join the mailing list to receive reminders with the Zoom link.
11. The Georgia Interfaith Public Policy Center cordially invites you, your senior leadership team, and senior congregational leaders to attend our Annual 2026 Leadership Summit. The summit will feature senior faith leaders convened to strategize on how we can coordinate policy advocacy across faith traditions in our state during the upcoming 2027 Legislative Session.  This year we will focus on healthcare policy advocacy and access in our state, leveraging faith-based partners and will announce new mental health programming for faith leaders. August 20, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., at The Temple. Register Here
12. When Life Throws a Curve Ball: IUgnatian (and Your Own) Wisdom for the Journey, Augsut 21-23, Ignatius House Retreat Center, Sandy Springs. The life of Ignatius of Loyola was full of twists and turns, unexpected grace, and continual discernment, much like our own lives. Ignatius' story, along with our own sacred stories, invites us to contemplate more deeply under God's ever-loving gaze and to become more aware of God's dream for each of us. Register
13. Christian Harmony singing, Tickanetley Primitive Baptist Church, Ellijay, GA. August 23, Singing 10-11; Preaching 11-12; Lunch 12-1; Singing 1-3.  From Ellijay take Highway 52 east for about 16 miles. Turn Left (at Stanley Grocery/Cartecay UMC) onto Roy Road. Follow it for about 8 miles as it winds. Turn right on Tickanetley Road. Watch for church signs. The church is on the right.
14. You are invited to join Compassionate Atlanta and DeKalb County Commissioner Michelle Long Spears for On Common Ground: Building Bridges Across Faith and Community in Dekalb County, District 2. This is an interfaith gathering series rooted in relationship, shared learning, and a compassionate community response to homelessness across DeKalb County. Every faith tradition, and every humanist and secular ethical framework, holds teachings that affirm human dignity and call us toward care, hospitality, and action. That shared ground is exactly where we want to gather. Each gathering will be hosted in a house of worship, modeling the kind of cross pollination that rarely happens on its own. By breaking bread together and learning about each faith, we will explore the landscape of homelessness in our community, learn about existing resources and responses, exchange what is working, and discover possibilities for collaboration. The presence of diverse voices is essential. This is an open invitation to all who carry a commitment to human dignity. Gathering One hosted by the Atlanta Headquarters Ismaili Jamatkhana, Wednesday, August 26, 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. On Common Ground -Session 1 - Compassionate Atlanta
15. Free webinar from Skyland Trail, School Success: Parenting Skills for Time Management and Goal Achievement, August 26, www.skylandtrail.org/parents
16. 2026 Center for the Study of Law and Religion Berman Lecture, Thursday, August 27, 3:00 p.m., Tull Auditorium, Emory Law, features Greg Epstein in a lecture entitled “Tech Agnostic: How Technology Became the World’s Most Powerful Religion, and Why It Desperately Needs a Reformation. The lecture will be followed by a panel discussion.

17. The International Rescue Committee invites you to join our annual States Lay the Foundation Summit — a virtual gathering at a defining moment for the future of refugee resettlement and integration in the United States. Framed this year around the theme of Stabilization and Resilience, the summit goes beyond reflection to focus on action. August 28, 2026, 12:30 p.m. EDT, Virtual. Changes to the decades-long U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program are reshaping how newcomers access support. As federal structures evolve, states and local communities are stepping into a critical leadership role, often with fewer resources and greater urgency. What happens next will depend on the decisions being made right now. Through dynamic panels and forward-looking conversations, you'll gain insight into: What's working and what's next in state-led integration systems, Innovative, sustainable funding models emerging across the country; How bipartisan collaboration is driving durable, lasting solutions. Whether you're a legislator shaping policy, a partner doing the work on the ground, a community advocate, or a donor investing in what's possible, your voice matters in this conversation. LEARN MORE & REGISTER >

18. Shallowford Presbyterian Church will host Shalom International Ministry's "Weaving Our Cultures" fundraising event, a night of inspiration, connection, and a chance to make a real impact. Sunday,  August 30, 5-7 p.m. RSVP & Learn More