Church Action eNewsletter Week of April 6, 2015

[RCCAtl]

God calls us to some things we cannot do alone.

Regional Council of Churches of Atlanta

Weekly Church Action eNewsletter

Week of April 6, 2015

 

 

This weekend, a fiesta, a car show, a flea market at the UMC Children’s Home, new pastor at St. Andrew’s PCUSA, interfaith theological reflection and more… check the Community Calendar at www.rccatl.org for what’s going on. 

1. You are invited to the 30^th Anniversary Martin Luther King Jr. College of Ministers and Laity at Morehouse College “Fostering Dialogues in Education, Ethics and Nonviolent Peacebuilding: Global Social and Religious Movements Today,” April 8 – 12. The Honorable Anwarul K. Chowdhury, Former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Ambassador of Bangladesh to UN; Founder of the Global Movement for the Culture of Peace, will be the speaker Thursday, 11 a.m. and be awarded the 2015 Gandhi-King-Ikeda Community Builders Prize. The event will recognize the contributions of 52 public leaders. The celebration concludes with Vespers at the MLK Jr. Int’l Chapel. The Crown Forum, Interfaith Assembly, Peace Fair and Peace Conference, and Sunday Vespers are free and open to the public. For a complete schedule of events, visit the MLK Chapel website.  

2. Young People Ages 8 - 12 Invited to Discuss Policing in Their Communities. If you have children at your school, mosque, synagogue, or church who may benefit from attending, please share this with their parent, guardian, or school official. Saturday, April 11, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Black Heritage Museum and Cultural Center, 250 Georgia Avenue, Suite 316, Atlanta 30312. Presented in partnership with community partners; Georgia Women's Action for New Direction (GA-WAND) and Camp Butterfly Girls. R.s.v.p to Dianne Valentin, BHMCC, [e-mail]

3. Dr. Casey Baggott from the Community Church of Vero Beach is the featured preacher on Day 1 this Sunday, April 12. Her sermon is “Parked Beliefs.” Visit Day1.org to find your local broadcaster, read or hear the sermon, and browse interesting resources.

4 The Greater Mountain Baptist Church, Rev. D. D. Prather, Senior Pastor, annual Women's Day Worship Service, Sunday, April 12, at 11 a.m. The guest speaker will be Minister Kellie Thurman from the Vision for Souls Family Worship Center. All are invited. Greater Mountain is at 3346 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive NW in the chapel of the historic Herschel Thornton Mortuary.  For more information contact the Rev. Paula Elaine Singleton at [phone].

5. The Renowned Rust College A’Cappella Choir from Holly Springs, Miss., will be in concert Sunday, April 12, 3:30 p.m., Ben Hill United Methodist Church, 2099 Fairburn Road SW, Atlanta 30331, where the Rev. Byron Thomas is Sr. Pastor. You don’t want to miss hearing this choir. Tell a friend and bring two friends with you. The choir will be offering scholarships to area high school seniors who wish to audition after the concert at Ben Hill United Methodist Church. For additional information call [phone]. Wow! Here's a taste.

6. Organist Gail Archer performs at 3:15 p.m. Sunday, April 12, at the Cathedral of St. Philip, 2744 Peachtree Road, Atlanta.   She is head of the music department at Barnard College and Columbia University and is college organist at Vassar. Her recital features famous women composers of the 20th and 21st centuries. Following the recital at the Cathedral Schola will offer Choral Evensong.

7. Lunch and Learn: The Role of Women in Islam. The Atlantic Institute partners with Go Eat Give to provide an opportunity to enjoy a traditional, homemade Turkish lunch and receive a greater insight into the reality of the role of women in Islam. Far too often Muslim women are tied to stereotypes and preconceptions, and the speaker Azizah Kahera, will debunk these misconstrued stereotypes. Tickets are $10 in advance and $20 at the door. There will be plenty of food and knowledge to digest at this luncheon, we hope you can attend! Tuesday, April 14, 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., Atlantic Institute Office, Two Midtown Plaza, Suite 1010, 1349 West Peachtree St, NW, Atlanta 30309. Tickets are $10 in advance; $20 at the door. Purchase tickets here.

8. CNN DIALOGUES, “Film and Social Justice: An Ongoing Conversation,” Thursday, April 16, 7 p.m., Center for Civil and Human Rights brought to us by the center and CNN and the James Weldon Johnson Institute for the Study of Race and Difference at Emory University. Moderator and participants in a discussion of films about social justice and their role as a platform to help traditionally marginalized groups shine in front of, as well as behind, the camera. Doors will open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $15 for general admission and $10 for students and members of The Center. Tickets are available for purchase online. For information about the program, contact Dina Bailey at [e-mail].

9. What Is Stephen Ministry? More than 12,000 congregations have Stephen Ministry in all 50 states of the U.S., 10 Canadian provinces, and 24 other countries. Stephen Ministry is a one-to-one lay caring ministry that takes place in congregations read a little more Read a little more>>

April 18. Introduction to Stephen Ministry, Johns Creek UMC, conducted by Stephen Ministries, St. Louis., 11180 Medlock Bridge Road, April 18, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.  $15 per person or $50 per congregation. Sign up>>

April 25. The Atlanta Stephen Ministry 4th annual meeting, Sat., April 25 at 1:00 – 4:30 p.m., St. Martin in the Fields Episcopal Church—Gable Hall, 3110 Ashford Dunwoody Road, Atlanta  30319. R.s.v.p. to [e-mail]

10. The St. Paul's Cathedral Choir of London, England, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 18, at the Cathedral of St. Philip. This is the choir's first U.S. tour in more than a decade. For details and to purchase tickets, click here.

11. April 18-26 is National Crime Victims’ Rights Week; Crime Victims Advocacy Council will sponsor two events:  1) A Memorial service for families and friends who experienced a loss after a violent crime will be held Saturday, April 18 at 5PM at First Baptist Church, 308 Clairemont Dr., Decatur.  2)  Stand Up for Crime Victims event at the state capitol (Liberty Plaza) at 11:00 a.m., Monday, April 20. Anyone may attend these events to show support for crime victims and if there are any victims or interested parties in specific congregations they can call [phone] or access www.cvaconline.org for more information. CVAC is an advance mission special of the North Georgia Conference UMC. 

12. 8th annual Caring for Creation Conference is April 24-25. This year's conference, "Environmental Resurrection: Let Justice Flow Down Like Waters," will be held at Decatur First UMC with Glenn Memorial UMC co-hosting. Interested groups and individuals are encouraged to register for and attend the conference. The youth conference on Saturday is free to youth. Conference keynote speaker, Michele Roberts, will preach at Glenn on Sunday, April 26 at 8:30 and 11:00 a.m. worship.  Details.

13. Join Care and Counseling Center of Georgia (CCCG) in celebration of 52 years of service to the North Georgia community. Healing and Hope for the Journey, Sunday, April 26, 6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., is a community event honoring CCCG's commitment to creating access to behavioral health services and is a celebration of members of the community who provide hope & healing every day. Community leaders will share their insights on Finding Balance in their lives.  A parent of three, a busy executive, and a newly retired national consultant all share the struggle to find balance.  How do we take what we love and what we need – work, family, friends, community and our individuality – to create a healthy place for ourselves along this journey?  2015 Daring to Care honorees are Rev. Miriam Needham, Dr. Ayanna Buckner and Meredith Leapley.

14. Daniel Roth, widely acclaimed as a leading French organ virtuoso, the titular organist at St-Sulpice, the famous Paris church where his predecessors included Charles-Marie Widor and Marcel Dupré, will play at All Saints’ Episcopal Church, 634 West Peachtree, Atlanta. April 27, 7:30 p.m. He is widely requested as a soloist, teacher of masterclasses, and jurist for organ competitions throughout the world and his recordings are highly regarded. He is the composer of works for organ, for flute and organ, and choir and organ. Roth is also well known for his brilliant improvisations which are regularly included in his concert programs. Tickets General & Student/Senior.

15. Healthcare for the Poor: An Interfaith Dialogue.  Join Mercy Care and members of Atlanta’s richly diverse religious community for an expert panel discussion featuring: Brother Minlib Dallh, O.P., Our Lady of Lourdes, Scholar in Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim relations; Audrey Galex, Producer, Atlanta Interfaith Broadcasters; Dr. Robert Nash, Jr., Associate Dean for the Doctor of Ministry Program and Arnall-Mann-Thomasson Professor of Missions and World Religions, Mercer University, Tuesday, April 28. Cocktail reception and heavy hors d’oeuvres served at 5:30 p.m.; panel discussion starts at 6:30. Mercy Care, 424 Decatur Street, Atlanta 30312. R.s.v.p. to Ali Gant by April 22 at [e-mail] or [phone]

God asks us to love those whom he loves most: the widow, the orphan and the stranger. Today, providing health care for the vulnerable among us is one of the most pressing calls we have. Our sense of who we are as human beings begins with our capacity to recognize, protect and honor “the image and likeness of God.” -Brother Minlib

16. Sign up now for "Life After Prison: Navigating the Challenges of Successful Reentry" panel discussion and program at 6 p.m., Wednesday, April 29, sponsored by the Training and Counseling Center of St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Atlanta. For details, click here.

17. Remember that Due West United Methodist Church in Marietta invites your congregation to the fourth annual Caregivers' Conference: Empowering the Caregiver 2015. This free event will be held May 2, 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. A beautiful lunch is provided.  3956 Due West Road, Marietta 30064. Make your reservation by contacting Sheila Welch at [e-mail] or [phone].

18. The Center for Lifelong Learning Columbia Theological Seminary currently features an exhibit of the thought-provoking, prophetic cartoons of James G. (Jim) Crane. The work featured in “Jim Crane Cartoons: A Retrospective” addresses issues of theology, morality, ethics and spirituality. The show will remain open through August 14. “How deeply can you probe into the human condition with little line drawings? I want to find out,” says Crane. “I want to explore as much of the richness of being human as the medium will allow.  I want to push the cartoon to what Tillich might call its religious dimensions.”  Second Floor, Harrington Center, Columbia Theological Seminary, open to the public during regular office hours (8:30 – 4:30 p.m., Monday –Friday). Arrangements to view the exhibit at other times may be made by contacting the Center for Lifelong Learning at [phone] or

19. Registration is open for the 2015 Summer Institute on Theology and Disability in Atlanta, Tuesday, May 26, through Friday, May 29. Click here to see the big-picture overview and learn the important details, including the lodging options. An Early Bird discount saves $50 off standard registration through April 20. Tuesday, the opening day, is Community Day, a single-day event focused on Atlanta-area participants. Through a generous sponsorship from the Robert and Susan Freeman Philanthropic Fund, Community Day registration is subsidized, offering a low-cost taste of the Summer Institute. To register for Community Day, choose the “Day Registration” option.

20. Jean Vanier, the founder of L’Arche, is the recipient of this year’s Templeton Prize, a prestigious award given to someone who has made an exceptional contribution to life's spiritual dimension. He joins the community of former recipients, including Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama. His vision of L’Arche has spread to over 35 countries around the world. L’Arche is a faith-community that brings together people with and without disabilities to share life together. L’Arche creates spaces where people with disabilities can explore their own spiritual lives, to deepen their own faith commitments, and to offer their spiritual gifts to the life of the community. We have a L’Arche community in Atlanta visit the website website.

21. Registration for is open the 2015 National Institute in Church Finance and Administration.  Registration and more information. NICFA at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology powers the business of ministry by training church administrators, pastors, and volunteers in the business of running a church. Legal and tax matters; personnel, office and financial management; strategic planning; conflict resolution—churches that attend to these details allow ministry to thrive. 

22 The 10th anniversary of United Way of Greater Atlanta’s Shoebox Project is underway. Volunteers are needed to help sort and pack the shoeboxes for distribution to homeless women and children across our region. Interested? Click here to sign up and volunteer.  You might also want to fill and decorate a shoebox. Then visit a drop-off site.

23. Browse the wonderful opportunities at St. Mary’s Sewanee Ayers Center for Spiritual Development coming up in the next months here.

24. Medicare Basics 101 workshops will be offered by Agent Nichelle Jones, RHU of Jones Health and Benefits, LLC from April-June 2015 to RCCA member churches at no cost.  These free one hour education workshops are open to church leaders for their members, families, and neighbors who will be turning 65 in 2015, retiring from the workforce in 2015, or have been Medicare disabled for the last two years.   Flexible scheduling is available to include evening and weekends around church activities.  To learn more contact [phone] or visit the Contact Us page at www.joneshealthandbenefits.com.

Peace,

Ethel Ware Carter

The Regional Council of Churches of Atlanta, Inc.

[e-mail]

404-201-6448