Church Action eNewsletter Week of June 15, 2026

[RCCAtl]

God calls us to some things we cannot do alone. 

1. Smyrna Camp Meeting started Friday and will continue through June 18. Smyrna Presbyterian Church, 2920 Highway 212 SW, Conyers 30094. For 199 years generations have gathered beneath the trees and in the tabernacle at Smyrna Campground and Presbyterian Church to worship, pray, and celebrate God's faithfulness. Dining Hall opens at 6, nursery provided, worship at 7:30. On Monday night, June 15, the Rev. Kate Colussy-Estes is preaching. On Tuesday, June 16, Dr. Cory Ingold from Monticello Presbyterian Church is preaching. On Wednesday night, June 17, the Rev. Neely Rentz-Lane from First Presbyterian Covington will preach. To close Camp Meeting, Thursday, June 18, the Rev. Mark George, pastor of Metter Presbyterian Church, will preach.
2. The Hiscox Foundation USA promised to match gifts to the Atlanta Community Food Bank, up to $100,000. Now they will TRIPLE donations and extend the deadline. Summer should be a fun, carefree break for children. But with school lunch programs shuttered during the summer months, it's estimated that 1 in every 6 children in our community are at risk of hunger. When times get tough — when rent rises, mom gets sick, dad faces a layoff — it's up to us to ensure they have access to nourishing food. Your contribution today can make three times the impact tomorrow for local families facing hunger. You can make a contribution here.
3. Juneteenth at Church of the Incarnation, 2407 Cascade Road SW, Atlanta 30311, “We Hold These Truths: Your Story is America’s Story” will observe Juneteenth, June 19, with a full array of celebration. An array of celebrations will begin at 3:00 p.m. All are invited. Visit https://app.inclusivv.co/whtt-template/conversations/6983 for more information.
4. All are invited to a free event at Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing, June 19, at 6 p.m. “Uplifting Songs that Resonate with the Soul,” presented by Mighty Voices of Power, features Dr. Daniel Black, acclaimed author, storyteller, Professor of African and African American Studies at Clark Atlanta University, and director of Mighty Voices of Power. This special Juneteenth celebration will include inspiring music, engaging Juneteenth trivia with prizes, and light refreshments rooted in Juneteenth tradition. The event is free and open to the public, and free parking is available. Come celebrate, learn, and be inspired, honoring the rich history and enduring spirit of Juneteenth. RSVP

5. Singing from “Christian Harmony” (2010) and church hymnal, June 20, Blue Ridge Primitive Baptist Church, 134 Hyden Tyler Road, Chatsworth, with covered dish lunch at noon. For information contact Greg Smith at [e-mail].
6. Atlanta Freedom Bands’ 90-member Concert Band will mark our nation’s 250^thanniversary with “Americans We: Celebrating Our Shared Story in Music,”Saturday, June 20, at the new Ray Charles Performing Arts Center at Morehouse College, this musical offering features a diverse array of composers representing a wide array of American voices in music. This will NOT be your typical patriotic concert.  The concert celebrates the diversity, the varied voices, and shared stories that make up our country.  The music will challenge, inform, entertain, and delight. The program’s centerpiece is the premiere of a work AFB has commissioned for the occasion, “We the People” by Christopher Kyle Green.  The new venue features a beautiful auditorium, a large stage, more plentiful and comfortable seating, and plenty of nearby parking. $20 general admission, $15 seniors, $10 students. The concert will stream live from AFB’s YouTube channel. Find tickets at Americans We - Atlanta Freedom Bands
7. The Rev. Dr. Joe Evans is the featured preacher on Day1 with host Katie Givens Kime, for Episode 4239. He is the pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Marietta, Ga. His sermon is a call for practicing everyday kindness and trusting that faithful presence can shape the world. Hear the sermon Sunday at 7:05 AM on WSB 95.5 and 750 AM. Read or hear the sermon now at https://Day1.org, or find it wherever you get your podcasts.
8. You are cordially invited to sing June 21, 10:00 a.m., at Hopewell Primitive Baptist Church, 2227 Hopewell Road, Roopville. This will be the 158th session. Take Georgia Hwy 100 (Exit 5 from I-20) south to Ephesus. Turn left onto Ephesus/ Roosterville Road, go 2.5 miles, turn right. Contact is Karen Rollins, [e-mail].
9. Bring the kids for a joyful and engaging story time experience as The King Center hosts a Children’s Book Reading with Amora the Puppet, featuring the uplifting book It Starts With Me. Families are invited to join us on June 22 and July 13 from 1–2 p.m. for an afternoon of imagination, laughter, and heart‑centered learning as Amora and friends bring this empowering story to life. Held at 449 Auburn Ave NE in Atlanta, this event offers young readers a fun, memorable way to explore themes of kindness, community, and positive change. Learn more at www.thekingcenter.org.
10. Atlanta Singing, June 22, 7:00 p.m., in The Barn behind St. John the Wonderworker, 543 Cherokee Ave SE, Atlanta 30312 (near Grant Park and the Atlanta Zoo). To reach the barn from Orleans Avenue, walk up the drive way behind the church. No musical experience needed. Contact info: Anna Hinton [e-mail].
11. Voting Rights hybrid forum from Atlanta Friends Meeting with Helen Butler, Sunday, June 28, 11:45 – 1:30 p.m. Butler is executive director of the Georgia Coalition for the Peoples' Agenda, founded by Rev. Joseph E. Lowery. Learn about challenges to voting in Georgia, redistricting, and voter suppression. Find out what you can do to support voter turnout and other ways to ensure a fair election. You’ll have an opportunity for Q & A and to check your voting status.  The Social Concerns Committee and Quakers for Racial Equality encourage you to invite others in the wider community to come to the forum in person or join via AFM Zoom link. Everyone is welcome!  Snacks provided.  For more info, Susan Firestone, [e-mail]. Join the forum via the Atlanta Friends Meeting link for the meeting room https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89686276751?pwd=M29EYllFWEhSQUtZRVVPalFFY.... 
12. Join Georgia Budget and Policy Institute on the first day of Georgia’s 2027 fiscal year, July 1, at 3:30 p.m. for a virtual town hall discussing their state budget primer. The town hall is free and open to the public. It will feature GBPI experts discussing this year’s budget with a special focus on issue areas such as K-12 education, higher education, health care and economic justice. It will dive into data on timely issues such as income and property taxes, Gov. Kemp’s recent budget disregards and the DREAMS scholarship. Stay informed on how state leaders are spending Georgia’s money, register today on zoom. (This webinar may require you to update your Zoom application to the latest version).
13. Course from the Candler Foundry, July 7-28, Tuesdays, 12:00 p.m., Candler Foundry Online Course: "Five Misconceptions of Paul"with Candler Foundry Scholar-in-Residence Elizabeth "Ebby" Arnold. Course fee: $50.
14. “Legal, Financial & Care Planning for Alzheimer’s,” a lecture with dinner presented by the Atlanta Neuroscience Institute and the Alzheimer’s Association-Atlanta Chapter, is July 16, 6:00 p.m., at Second-Ponce de Leon Baptist Church, 2715 Peachtree Rd NE, Atlanta 30305. Visit https://atlneuroinstitute.org/atlanta-neuroscience-foundation/alzhe... to reserve a seat.
15. Weekend Ignatian Retreat: Mary Magdalene, the Apostle to the Apostles, July 17 - 19. Back by popular demand! As a friend to Jesus, an important figure in the resurrection story and a woman of great faith, Mary Magdalene has much to teach us. Fr. Bill Noe and Kimberly Nettuno will share how this incredible woman can help us all grow in freedom, develop intimacy with Christ, and cultivate the courage to be witnesses in the world. Come rediscover not just your best self but your truest self – as God created you to be. Register.
16. Weekend Retreat: Mystical Poetry and Spiritual Verse as a Sacred Practice, July 24 – 26, Ignatian Retreat Center. Join retreat leader, speaker, and author Carl McColman for a silent, interfaith retreat exploring the spiritual wisdom of sacred poetry from around the world. Participants will engage poetry as a doorway to prayer, contemplation, and deeper awareness of the Spirit's presence in their lives. Learn More.
17. Gov. Brian Kemp’s final budgetresulted in funding for only 100 new NOW&COMPWaivers instead of the 900 originally approved. Nearly 8,000 Georgians with Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) are waiting for Medicaid waivers to access community-based housing. Advocacy Matters! Connect with DBHDD to learn how best to stay engaged and informed on this issue.
18. McAfee School of Theology offers five different graduate certificates. Whether online, in-person, or a combination of both, the certificate programs can be a first step into deeper faith and leadership formation or an opportunity to refresh and expand your skills in specialized areas. For more information, contact the Admissions Office, [e-mail], and they will share with you more information about these five options: Theological Studies, Spiritual Care, Church Leadership, Ethics, Trauma and Theology.

Peace,

Ethel Ware Carter