Church Action eNewsletter Week of February 13, 2012

[RCCAtl]

God calls us to some things we cannot do alone.

Regional Council of Churches of Atlanta

 

 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.

We have begun to gather Lenten resources . RCCAtl.org

1. The Monthly Meeting of Coalition for Homeless People With A Mental Illness is this afternoon, Wednesday, February 15, 3:30 to 5 p.m., at Atlanta First Presbyterian Church, Room 156, 16th Street at Peachtree Street. Special guest Sue Jamison will lead discussion on one of the most important issues facing those who work with or advocate for homeless people with a mental illness. The topic is problems homeless men and women face getting mental health outpatient services at Grady and elsewhere. To update you on the issue we have placed material from the coalition on RCCAtl.org

 2. An interfaith opportunity--Under Vine and Fig Tree: 500 Years of Turkish Jewish History, a lecture and photo exhibit from the Quincentennial Foundation Museum of Turkish Jews illuminates the special relationship between the Jewish community and the Turkish people. Jewish life has flourished in Turkish lands for over five hundred years, particularly after the Ottoman Empire's official invitation to the Jews fleeing the Spanish Inquisition. It highlights the Jewish community's contributions to Turkish society and the complementary relationship between the cultures. February 13-March 2, 2012. Design II - Architecture Building, Southern Polytechnic State University, 1100 South Marietta Pkwy, Marietta, GA 30060. Co-sponsored by Istanbul Center and SPSU.

3. Goodwill of North Georgia asked that we let you know they will begin recruiting workers to fill positions at a new Atlanta store and donation center on Friday. The facility will open to customers on March 22. Those interested should apply in person during the Goodwill Hiring Event on February 17, 20, and 21 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at The Mall at Peachtree Center, 231 Peachtree Street, Atlanta 30303. Candidates must be at least 18 years old, bring valid identification, have a high school diploma or equivalent, and be able to pass a pre-employment background screening and drug test. Interview attire.

4. Among Friends: Don’t Go It Alone women’s event, February 17-18 at First Baptist Atlanta. Host Kathy Troccoli will be singing and sharing her story and Anita Renfroe will deliver a side-splitting dose of laughter on Friday evening. Dr. Jeanne Porter will speak. First Baptist is at 4400 North Peachtree Rd., Atlanta 30338. More details and tickets at Among Friends

5. Black History Celebration --Celebrating the Past and Inspiring the Future..... Join Big Kidz Foundation this Saturday, February 18, 9:30-11:30 a.m., at the Apex Museum, 135 Auburn Avenue NE, Atlanta 30303. Keynote speaker is Michael “Killer Mike” Render. R.s.v.p. to [e-mail].

6. The Light of Hope Church of Inclusion and KES, Inc. present dinner and a play to commemorate Black History Month. Admission is free to this 3 p.m. performance. Dinner will be served afterwards. February 19, 6615 Tribble Street, Lithonia, 30058. Please contact the church by February 16 to let them know how many people are coming. Call 678-358-1180. All actors and actresses in this performance are differently abled. Churches, advocates, families, friends, and supporters are all invited to this powerful spiritual event.

7. The famous Tuskegee University Golden Voices, steeped in more than a century of pride and the richest of choral traditions, will be at Hoosier Memorial United Methodist Church, 2545 Benjamin E. Mays Dr SW, Atlanta 30311. Sunday, February 19, 4 p.m. Donations will be accepted at the door.

8. The Delta Brass, a new generation of brass excellence - - and attitude, will be performing in the Kellett Chapel Sanctuary at Peachtree Presbyterian Church, 3434 Roswell Road NW, Atlanta 30305, Sunday, February 19 at 4:00 p.m.. This dynamic quintet hails from several of the great musical institutions of the southeast, including Vanderbilt, UNC School of the Arts, Georgia State, Jacksonville State, and the University of Alabama. An outreach program of "Spirit of Atlanta Drum & Bugle Corps", the Delta Brass brings the flavor of "Spirit of Atlanta" to a smaller, more intimate setting for audiences of all ages. Tickets are $10/$5 for students at the door. For information, contact the Peachtree Music Ministry at 404-842-5846 or see the PPC website

9. Holy Comforter will host a two-part Mental Health First Aid Training, February 22 and February 29. It introduces participants to risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems, builds understanding of their impact, and overviews common treatments. Those who take the 12-hour course to certify as Mental Health First Aiders learn a 5-step action plan encompassing the skills, resources, and knowledge to help an individual in crisis. Check out www.MentalHealthFirstAid.org for more information. No registration fee; 7 available slots; first-come first-serve; registration closes Thursday, February 16. Bring your own lunch. Participants must complete the entire 12 hours of training to receive certification. To register, email Matthew Collins at [e-mail] or call at 404-627-6510.

10. Don’t forget to come out to support A Future. Not A Past., Street GRACE, and Janie Chu. Thursday, February 23, 8 p.m. at the Drunken Unicorn, 736 Ponce de Leon Ave NE, Atlanta 30306

11. "Slave Routes: A Global Vision, " documentary screening and discussion, Thursday, February 23, at 6:00 p.m. (may change), Carter Presidential Library and Museum Theater. This document by UNESCO highlights the African presence across continents, the significant contributions of the African Diaspora to the host societies in various fields, and the racism and discrimination inherited from this tragic past. Its scope moves beyond the trauma of slavery and emphasizes slave resistance and resilience in surviving such a dehumanizing system. Free and open to the public. One of several Black History Month events at the Carter Center.

12. Pastor Aaron L. Parker and the Zion Hill Baptist Church family invite you to join them in celebration of Black History Month with the presentation of an original stage play -- Heritage: The Long Journey from the Motherland: Historical Leaders On our Path of Righteousness, Friday, February 24, at 6 p.m. in the church sanctuary, 6175 Campbellton Road SW. A heartfelt and soul-stirring evening of excellent family entertainment and education for all ages; filled with moments that will invite the audience to laugh, sing, cry, and shout! The event is free and open to the public. Convenient free parking is available. Call 404-691-8025 or go to www.zionhill.org if you need further information.

13. Remember the Hope Builders Academy youth and family events on February 24 and 25 at First Iconium Baptist and Friendship Community Church. Details and other current events at RCCAtl.org

14. Zion Hill Baptist Church, in partnership with CareGiver’s Hope, will present a Growing Awareness Educational Seminar for persons who are giving care or could become caregivers for a chronically-ill adult or elderly loved-one. Find out what you need to know from medical and aging experts at this free seminar, Saturday, February 25, noon to 2:30 p.m. in the Annex Assembly Hall at Zion Hill Baptist Church, 6175 Campbellton Road, SW, Atlanta, where Dr. Aaron L. Parker is pastor and members are “Living to Love and Loving to Serve”. Call 404-691-8025 or go to www.zionhill.org for more information.

15. Shrine of the Immaculate Conception invites the community to a 5-week Lenten series on social advocacy entitled, Faith-Filled Citizenship, Sunday mornings, 9:45-10:45, February 26-March 25. Understand the rights and responsibilities of Christ-centered citizenship with fresh eyes. Come hear about Jesus, political agitator to Rome with Msgr. Henry Gracz, Pastor of the Shrine on Feb 26; experience a day in the life of the homeless with Jane Elliot on March 4; Listen to the truth about mental challenges and homelessness on March 11. Hear the Atlanta Community Food Bank speak about the realities of feeding the poor on March 18; and close with an action packed ‘what now?’ challenge from Chuck Bowen, Director of Outreach and Advocacy from Central Presbyterian Church on March 25. For further information please call the Catholic Shrine at 404-521-1866.

16. Choral Masterworks Concert, the Music Ministries of Peachtree Presbyterian Church and Wieuca Road Baptist Church are delighted to join forces, singing a concert of some of the best choral music in the world under the baton of guest conductor, Dr. Donald Neuen, Sunday, February 26, at 6:30 PM at Wieuca Road Baptist Church, 3626 Peachtree Road, Atlanta 30326, Concert is free and open to the public. For more information visit www.wieuca.org or www.peachtreepres.org/musicconcertevents, or call 404-842-5846.

17. In his first written book, Singing the Lord’s Song in a Strange Land, the Rev. Joseph Lowery recalls many of his personal accounts as well as pays homage to other legends of the Movement. The book is about how the Lowery made his way from early Civil Rights activist to offering the benediction at the inauguration of President Barack Obama and is a call to a new generation to carry the mantle–for all people. Interview by Councilman Michael Julian Bond and Book Signing, Monday, February 27, 2012 at 7:00 p.m., Carter Presidential Library and Museum Theater. Free and open to the public

18. The Spiritual Roots of Addiction. This informative lunch and learn on February 28, 11:30-1:30, with speaker and author Clint Stonebraker is sponsored by the Southeastern Institute on Chemical Dependency and hosted by Winters Chapel United Methodist Church, 5105 Winters Chapel Road, Atlanta 30360. Only $15 for lunch and the presentation or $20 with GACA contact hours (1.5 GACA contact hours applied for). Registration: www.thesicd.org. Information: Email [e-mail] or call 678-525-2692. . Visit Southeastern Institute on Chemical Dependency at www.thesicd.org. "Renewal & Recovery for Congregations and Community" Great article on a rabbi’s book about religion and recovery

19. We announced the King Peggy event at the Carter Center but did not know that King Peggy will actually be there. Author Eleanor Herman will read and sign books but here is a chance to meet a real African king, a lady king at that, February 28, at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, 441 Freedom Parkway, at 7:00 p.m. King Peggy is a devout Christian whose message is that God has a purpose for all of us if we prepare ourselves and listen to Him. She wanted nothing more than to be a mother and says "Now God has given me 7,000 children and that's enough for anybody!" Here is a link to a segment on CBS Sunday Morning last Sunday King Peggy

20. Beulah Heights University asks, “Is your approach to running the business of church operations working?” An exclusive event assembles business minded church leaders to answer the question and explore change. BHU's Master of Business Administration Program presents The 2012 Business of Church Summit on Wednesday, February 29, at Beulah Heights University, 892 Berne Street SE, Atlanta 30316 10 a.m.-12 p.m. For event details and to R.s.v.p. contact [e-mail] by February 27. Space is Limited.

21. Luke Timothy Johnson will present a Lenten series on "The Life of Faith and the Faithful Use of Possessions" at the Cathedral of St. Philip, Atlanta, from 7 to 8 p.m. on Wednesdays, February 29 through March 28. Luke Timothy Johnson is the Robert W. Woodruff Professor of New Testament and Christian Origins at Candler School of Theology at Emory University. A former Benedictine monk, he is the author of more than 20 books including "The Real Jesus: The Misguided Quest for the Historical Jesus and the Truth of the Traditional Gospels," and "The Writings of the New Testament: An Interpretation."

22. Georgia Interfaith Power and Light announces the Keynote Speaker for the Sixth Annual GIPPY Awards. Gwendolyn Keyes Fleming, Regional Administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency's Region 4, will speak on the relationship between her faith and her commitment to sustainability. Fleming was appointed to this position by President Obama in 2010. She is the first African American to hold this position in Region 4, and this is not the first time she has made history. In 2005, she became the first African-American and first woman ever to serve as the DeKalb County District Attorney. Thursday, March 1, St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 435 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta 30308. Dessert Reception 7 p.m.; Ceremony 7:30 p.m. Click here to RSVP

23. The Roswell United Methodist Church Preschool and Kindergarten will host its semi-annual children’s consignment sale on Friday, March 9, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and Saturday, March 10, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The sale will be held in the Fellowship Hall, 814 Mimosa Boulevard, Roswell, and will benefit the church's preschool and kindergarten. Donated items will be given to the Foster Care Support Foundation. There will be overflowing rooms from more than 250 consignors and great prices on spring and summer children's clothing and accessories (newborn - size 14), maternity clothing, baby equipment, nursery décor, play sets, books, videos, toys, and more. Strollers are not allowed on Friday morning -- many of the items are half price on Saturday. All consignors must pre-register, even those who have consigned before. Click on www.rumc.com/rumck to register to consign or volunteer.

24. Chastain Arts Center and Gallery is proud to present “Question Bridge: Black Males” an exhibit on display now through March 24, Chastain Arts Gallery. This provocative art installation is on view Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. After seeing the exhibit, come back for a roundtable discussion in conjunction with the project on March 24 from 5 to 7 p.m with artists Hank Willis Thomas, Bayate’ Ross Smith, Chris Johnson, and other voices from the community. This is an event that you and your sons won’t forget! All young men must be accompanied by a parent or adult. The roundtable discussion is free and open to the public; pre-registration is required. R.s.v.p. to [e-mail] – for the roundtable or art exhibition. Space is limited! For additional information, contact Chastain Arts Center and Gallery at [e-mail] or 404-252-2927, or visit www.ocaatlanta.com/.

25. Eleven years after his sold-out run of The Gospel of John at Theatre in the Square, Brad Sherrill returns to the Alley Stage to bring new life to Jesus' words as written in Matthew, Mark and Luke. This world premiere performance is not to be missed! Brad Sherrill Red Letter Jesus, Feb 8- March 10, at Theatre in the Square, Marietta Find out more and buy tickets at www.theatreinthesquare.com

26. Early Bird registration is available for the May 1 Cobb Faith Partnership Cobb Ministries Making a Big Difference Fair

27. Dr. Wayne Baker’s Our Values Project has reported on a survey exploring national character strengths taken by over 100,000 people from 54 nations including Americans in all 50 states. Considering the mean-spirited talk I hear in our nation I was surprised to see what our most prominent character strength was. If you want to read the short piece visit ReadtheSpirit .

28. Why Evangelicals Must Defend Muslims By Skye Jethani -- Huffington Post, Religion. As Christians, we cannot demand that everyone share our beliefs. But we can, and should, demand that everyone share our freedom. For where this freedom exists, we can be sure that Christ will be lifted up and draw people to himself.

29. You will want to read this essay about racial reconciliation by David Gushee, distinguished university professor of Christian ethics at Mercer University from Associated Baptist Press.

30. The White House Project, in partnership with the USDA, 1890s Land Grant Universities, and Wal-Mart, announces a training opportunity for women in agriculture. March 1-2 at Agricultural Tech Center near Fort Valley, GA. Blueprint for Change - Women's Leadership in Agriculture. Contact Liz for more information and sign up right away. Liz Johnson, National Director, Rural Leadership 612-819-9898

31. What’s New at Crossroads Community Ministries? Its new HUD-sponsored Angels Permanent Supportive Housing program for chronically homeless men with physical and/or mental disabilities. If you would like to learn more, or volunteer with this program, please email [e-mail]

32. Would you be willing to share the sermon you delivered on Sunday, January 15, 2012? You may have read about One Certain Sunday: A Snapshot in Time from America's Pulpits in The Christian Post. If not, here is a link to the story and more information at www.100Sermons.org. Author Scott H. Lewis is collecting sermons to create an anthology that will provide a view of the messages that American Christians heard on that day. Submit your sermon to [e-mail]. If you have questions email [e-mail]. Email sermons to [e-mail].

Did you know there is a Facebook group for Baptist Women in Ministry in Georgia, lay, ordained, vocational? Here it is!

Find out more about the National Festival of Young Preachers--- coming to Atlanta in January 2013—on the Academy of Preachers website.

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