Church Action eNewsletter Week of December 14, 2020

[RCCAtl]

God calls us to some things we cannot do alone.

Regional Council of Churches eNewsletter Week of December 14, 2020

1. “Forty Days of Prayer to Transform: A Journey to Newness.” Begun on Dec. 12 and continuing daily through Jan. 20, the National Council of Churches and partners will offer prays for hope, unity, and healing. Please join in. During this Advent and Christmas season and into the New Year we put our hope in the ability and desire of God, through Jesus Christ, to heal and transform hearts and minds. We look for the Holy Spirit to breathe God’s newness into lives, faith communities, the soul of our nation, indeed, the whole world. Sign Up to receive the daily prayer email. The prayers will also be published on the website.

 

2. Blue Christmas at the National Cathedral, Wednesday, Dec. 16, 7 p.m. In the midst of a difficult year in which so many are experiencing grief, loss, and hardship, this service of prayer, music, and reflection invites us into hope and healing. If you are struggling and need to talk to someone, counselors and chaplains are available to talk by phone by calling [phone]. This service will be available on YouTubeand Facebook.

 

3. Faith & Fire Conversation from the National Council of Christian Churches with the Rev. Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas, Dean of the Episcopal Divinity School, Union Theological Seminary, and the Rev. Stacey Cole Wilson, Exec. Minister of Justice and service, Baltimore-Washington Conference, UMC, “Where Are We Going: Beloved Community Through Bethlehem, part 1, Wednesday, Dec. 16, 7 p.m. Register here.

 

4. The 94^thAnnual Spelman-Morehouse Christmas Carol Concert will, for the first time ever, be a virtual event. Wednesday, Dec. 16, 7:30 – 8:30 p.m. Livestreamand Facebook Live. This year’s celebration will combine virtual performances with past recordings of concert favorites like Morehouse’s rendition of “Betelehemu” and Spelman’s “We Are Christmas” and “Children Go Where I Send Thee,” arranged by Kevin Johnson, Spelman Glee Club director. The performance will include interviews with Dr. Johnson; Joyce Johnson, Spelman organist and professor emerita of music; and David Morrow, director of the Morehouse College Glee Club.
5. Festival Sounds of the Season, the Trey Clegg Singers present a virtual Christmas Concert, Saturday, Dec. 19, 6:00 p.m. Visit the website. Preview trailer.

Don’t forget that First Congregational Church presents, “A Midweek Musical Meditation” with Trey Clegg at noon on Wednesdays. 

www.facebook.com/firstchurchatl  www.youtube.com/user/firstchurchatl; Live Stream: firstchurchatl.org/sunday-service/

6. This week's Religica Theolab Podcast, Rabbi Jeffrey Myers, Hope, Community Healing, and the Need to Do Better, features a conversation between Religica Theolab founder Michael Reid Trice and Rabbi Jeffrey Myers, the Rabbi and Cantor of Tree of Life, Or L'Simcha Congregation in Pittsburgh, that was the target of an act of violence that left eleven people murdered on Oct. 27, 2018. In this episode, Rabbi Myers reflects on ways to engage the sacred, the process of healing, and the role of solidarity in creating change, "We should remain strong in our faith because, overall, humanity is good." Listen here.

 

7. The Very Rev. Kate Moorehead, dean of St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral in Jacksonville, is the featured preacher Dec. 20 on “Day 1,” the nationally broadcast ecumenical radio program also accessible online at Day1.org and by podcast.  “Stepping Aside” is based on the story of the angel Gabriel’s appearance to Mary in Luke. She says. “It is often the smallest acts of surrender, when we give up control rather than try to take it, that we allow God to enter the world in the most powerful ways.”  “Day 1” has been broadcast every week for 75 years, formerly as “The Protestant Hour.” Featuring outstanding preachers from the mainline denominations, “Day 1” is currently distributed to more than 200 radio stations across America and overseas. Hear Day1 in Atlanta on WSB News 95.5 and 750 AM Sundays at 7:05 a.m. For information and many audio, video, and text resources, visit Day1.org.  
8. A Poet Reads the Gospels: A Re-reading of the Story of Stables, this webinar is from the Church of the Heavenly Rest and features poet and theologian Pádraig Ó Tuama. He hosts the Poetry Unbound podcast and is the staff poet and theologian at the On Being Project. He is currently the Fall Poet-in-Residence at the Church of the Heavenly Rest. Register here. Sunday, Dec. 20, 6:30 p.m. ET.
9. Virginia-Highland UCC offers a "Longest Night" service for winter solstice Monday, Dec. 21 at 6:30 p.m. on Facebook. The service includes music, reflections, and words of comfort as we lift up any grief or sadness we may be carrying this time of year. More information at www.facebook.com/VHChurch.

 

10. The American Red Cross has a critical need for blood donors this holiday season. Medical conditions and emergencies don’t stop for the holidays or a pandemic; the Red Cross needs our community’s support to maintain a stable blood supply for area hospitals. Regular host sites are scarce. In-town residents are invited to a community blood drive at St. Luke’s on Dec. 30, sign-up here! First-time donors are WELCOME! All public blood drives can be found at www.redcrossblood.org. Questions? Contact Haley at [e-mail]. Masks and social distancing are enforced, and appointments are strongly encouraged.

 

11. The Calvin Institute of Christian Worship free online symposium featuring more than 90 contributors begins January 6. The symposium will include webinars, panels, worship services and other online opportunities. Registration is required to participate in on-demand content and live-stream sessions. Learn more »

 

12. Alliant Health Solutions offers QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) a suicide prevention virtual training at no cost. Click Here to Register for Jan. 11 at 10:30 a.m. Click Here to Register for January 15 at 11 a.m. Click Here to Register for Jan. 19 at 10 a.m. Registration is required. This 1.5 hr. on-line training will provide a comprehensive review of a 3-step approach anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide. Participants will also receive access to the QPR Institute’s database to access additional resources and educational materials. One (1) continuing education unit (CEU) through the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) will be available for attending the entire session. If you would like to schedule a training for your organization, email [e-mail].

 

13. “Parish Life, Pandemics, and the People of God: Coming Home to a Place We've Never Been Before.” Join the Aquinas Center of Theology for this lecture by Assistant Professor of Catholic Studies Susan B. Reynolds. Learn more and register. Wednesday, January 13, 7 p.m
14.  Our Lives. . . Our Hope . . . Our Future Are Bound Together . . . the Interfaith Children’s Movement presents Blessings for Beloved Community. The one-hour program will be live with prayers from many faiths and interactive exploration of how Beloved Community can be achieved in these fraught times. The diverse panel of faith speakers including youth will be hosted by the Rev. William Flippin, Jr. Thursday, Jan 14, 7-8 p.m. Pre-Register Now

15. Registration is now open for the Mental Health Day at the Capitol Virtual Edition on January 19, 2021. Register here.
16. The Rev. Dr. Otis Moss, III is McAfee School of Theology Visiting Professor of Preaching for the spring semester of 2021. Dr. Moss is Senior Pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. Moss is an honors graduate of Morehouse College. He earned a Master of Divinity form Yale Divinity School and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Chicago Theological Seminary. He was recently recognized as one of the “12 Most Effective Preachers in the English-Speaking World” by Baylor University. For information on auditing his course and other classes at McAfee, click here.