Church Action eNewsletter Week of December 9, 2013

[RCCAtl]

God calls us to some things we cannot do alone.

   Regional Council of Churches of Atlanta 

Check the community calendar on our website 

 

Remember that more music, celebrations, and special services are listed on our website under Community Events www.rccatl.org.

If you would like to send a holiday card to a deployed solider you can use this address include Christmas Note or New Year’s Note in the Attention line.  MAJ Jeni Hope Gustafson, ATTN: -------------, PSC 831, Box 16, FPO, AE 09363-0016

1. The World Affairs Council of Atlanta and the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel at Morehouse College offers a community-wide memorial service for President Nelson Mandela. Tonight, December 11, 7 to 9 p.m., Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel at Morehouse College, 830 Westview Dr SW, Atlanta  30314. 

2. Day 1 has moved its headquarters to Second-Ponce de Leon Baptist Church, 2715 Peachtree Road, NE, Atlanta 30305. The community is invited to help celebrate and dedicate the new home with an Open House and service of blessing. Noted Atlanta clergy will participate in the service at 5:30. Open House from 3 – 6:30 p.m., Thursday, December 12. For information or to R.s.v.p. call Pat Reagan at 404-418-6772 or email [e-mail].

3. As the temperatures dip and the winter holiday spirit fills many hearts, AIB Metro focuses on  how safe havens are offered for those in need and savors a special family Christmas recipe from one of the metro area's pastry chefs and explores the stars with Helix Imaging.  Watch AIB Metro on Atlanta Interfaith Broadcasters Thursdays at 6:30 p.m., Fridays at 12 Noon, Saturdays at 7:30 P.M., and Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m.

4. Peachtree Road Lutheran Church will present its annual Live Nativity, December 13 and 14. Come wonder about the stable and pet the friendly animals, 3686 Peachtree Road, NE, Atlanta.  Call [phone] if you have questions.

5. You are invited to join Dr. Leandris Liburd, CDC’s Associate Director for Minority Health and Health Equity, and Louise E. Shaw, Curator of the David J. Sencer CDC Museum, for coffee and an opportunity to view the current exhibition, Health is a Human Right: Race and Place in America.  Two coffees have been scheduled for Friday, December 13, and Wednesday, January 8, from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. at the CDC Museum, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta. Free and open to the public through February 28 Health Is a Human Right is a 120-year historic reflection of the challenges, struggles, and successes in achieving health equity for all.  R.s.v.p. to [e-mail] noting the date you plan to attend.  If you have questions, call Louise Shaw at 404-639-3657. Learn more at www.cdc.gov/museum

6. The community is invited for great gospel music featuring members of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Gospel Choir and The "Voices of Hillside" directed by Jarvis R. Wilson, Artistic Director of Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Gospel Choir and Minister of Music at Hillside International Truth Center. Saturday, December 14, beginning at 5 p.m. at Hillside International Truth Center, 2450 Cascade Rd. SW, Atlanta, GA 30311. Free and open to everyone!

7. Cascade United Methodist Church Music and Arts Ministry presents Christmas Worship in Song, Sunday, December 15, at the 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. services. Cascade UMC, 3144 Cascade Avenue, SW, Atlanta.

8. A Festival of Advent Lessons and Carols will be offered at 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15, at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Newnan. The program will be directed by William Fred Scott. All are welcome.

9. Apostles Church of Sandy Springs invites the community to celebrate the Christmas season  Sunday, December 15, 5 p.m., at the Apostles Night of Music and Community Feast. The Apostles Praise and Worship Band, Adult Chorus, and Student Performance Group will  perform a variety of music including holiday favorites.   Stay after the Night of Music for a potluck Community Feast.   For the Community Feast, A - I:  Salads; H - S: Soups; T- Z: Desserts.  All are welcome regardless of ability to bring a potluck item. 6025 Glenridge Drive, NE, Sandy Springs 30328.

10. Lawrenceville Presbyterian Church is hosting its Twentieth Annual Christmas Concert on December 15 at 6 pm.  The community is invited for this multicultural celebration of Christmas, “We Are One."  Click here to view the blocked::http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001AAdyOeTEcVlRdr29ZlnA369b2tP....

11. St. Julian's Episcopal Church, Douglasville, will present a service of Nine Advent Lessons and Carols at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 15.  The choir is under the direction of George Mann.  There will be a light reception afterwards.

12. The joy of the Christmas season is sometimes overshadowed by personal losses or grief. If you are dreading the holidays, you are invited to attend Roswell United Methodist Church’s annual Service of Remembrance on Tuesday, Dec. 17, at 7 p.m. in the Chapel. This service provides an opportunity to focus on cherished memories while prayers, Scripture, music, and lighting a candle can bring comfort and peace. Light refreshments will be served. For more information, call the church office, 770-993-6218, or visit the web site at rumc.com. Roswell United Methodist Church is located at 814 Mimosa Blvd.

13. What are we as Christians to be known for?  Love.  The body of Christ is not always perceived that way in our community.  One to Another is an initiative among a group of regional churches focused on Loving Generously.  For 40 days, from Easter to Pentecost, pastors will pray together and preach on the same topic, church members will be challenged and inspired to love generously, and churches will come together with their community to serve and bless their city. With God, all things are possible!  Learn more by attending an information gathering, Wed, Dec 18, noon-1:30 pm at Grace Point Community Church in Suwanee.  RSVP here.  www.one2anotherAtl.org

14. The Episcopal Church entered into full communion with the Moravian Church in North America in 2010. A Moravian Lovefeast Celebration, which includes Christmas hymns, carols and devotions, will be offered at 7  p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 18, at St. Patrick's Episcopal Church, Dunwoody. The Moravian tradition calls for a certain sweet, spiced,  and buttery yeast bun to be served along with mugs of coffee and lemonade.

15. A family-friendly outdoor Nativity Celebration, featuring live animals and costumed humans, will be presented  Friday, Dec. 20, and Saturday, Dec. 21, at St. Teresa's Episcopal Church, Acworth. The program runs both nights every 30 minutes between 6 and 9 p.m. Admission and parking are free of charge. The church includes "A Community Messiah" at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21, and seeks altos, tenors, sopranos and basses to participate.  To sing in the choir, call 770-0590-9040.

16. The Skylark Vocal Ensemble will present A Skylark Christmas: King James and Carols at 8 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 19, at Covenant Presbyterian Church, 2461 Peachtree Road, Buckhead. The program will also be presented on Friday, Dec. 20, at Holy Innocents' Episcopal Church, Atlanta. Tickets, available at the door or online, are $30, or $20 for seniors, and free for students and music educators. http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001SwFThI5iuerIHGuoQ4We8ogxv-V79gOSan1r...

17. The 38th Annual Music of the Holidays will take place at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church (IHM) on Friday, December 20, and Saturday, December 21, at 8:00 p.m. with Alumni and Atlanta Young Singers Dads Chorus on Saturday, December 21. Tickets are $15 adults, $12 students/seniors and $10 each for groups of 10 or more. Call 404-873-3365 to purchase tickets or visit www.aysc.org. IHM is located at 2855 Briarcliff Rd. NE Atlanta, GA 30329. IHM invites you to Mass on Christmas Eve, 4, 6, and 8 p.m., 10 p.m. in Spanish, and Christmas Day, 10 a.m. in English and 12 noon in Spanish.  If you have questions call 404-636-1418 ext 226.

18. Saint Paul Missionary Baptist Church combined choir ministry presents “A Christmas Cantata” on December 21, at 6 p.m. Join this congregation to hear your favorite songs and carols, traditional, contemporary, and gospel. Saint Paul is at 2870 Headland Dr., East Point, 30344, and the Rev. Clayton E. Taylor, Sr. is Pastor.

19. The Center for Lifelong Learning at Columbia Theological Seminary has extended the application deadline for Thompson Scholars 2014 to January 6, 2014. A Different World: Evangelism for the Screen Share Generation is scheduled for April 29 – May 2, 2014 on the seminary campus. This annual event, led by Ralph C. Basui Watkins, associate professor of evangelism and church growth, brings together pastors and other church leaders to explore contemporary approaches to evangelism.For an application form, click here. For more information, please contact Sarah Erickson, director of lifelong learning, at [e-mail] or 404-687-4526.

20. Have you visited Following the Star this Advent season? Daily devotionals with prayer, reflections, and scripture are online every day at http://www.d365.org. Following the Star available year round and is a ministry of Passport, Inc. sponsored by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, the Presbyterian Church (USA), and the Episcopal Church.

21. Volunteers are being sought for the 2014 Homeless Count, City of Atlanta, Fulton County, DeKalb County, which will be Monday Night, January 27, 2014. Survey at emergency shelter and transitional housing programs, 4 to 9 p.m., and outdoors and on the streets, 9 to 3 a.m. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
You can find out more and sign up on line at www.pcni.org.

22. The Gateway Center is looking for compassionate volunteers to serve once a week, Monday- Friday, in client assessment and direct services with persons experiencing homelessness. Interested parties should contact Bec Cranford-Smith at the Gateway Center. 404-215-6615 [e-mail]

23. If you have a teen who needs a great ‘stocking stuffer,’ why not consider a Safe America Driver Education class?   There are several openings and there is a special ‘Santa Discount’ of $50! Spaces are limited… so learn more details and register someone you love, today, by dialing 770- 973-7233.

24. “If 1950 were to return, my congregation would be ready.” Do read this great essay about the church and contemporary society.

25. The time for enrollment in the Health Insurance Marketplace is here, and there is help to ensure your members are ready to sign up for health insurance on the Marketplace if they qualify. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services asks for your help with an initiative called 2nd Sunday Enrollment Events. Every Second Sunday between December 8, 2013 and March 9, 2014, they ask that churches discuss, facilitate enrollment, and provide information about the Health Insurance Marketplace. Materials such as bookmarks, inserts for your congregation bulletin, handouts and other forms of guidance have already been created and are located at http://www.healthconnectors.org If you would like assistance, you can complete Speaking Request Form on the website.

Last week we asked if your congregation welcomes those with mental and addictive illness as full members. The link might not have worked. Take a look at www.chipgeorgia.com/ scroll to Compassionate Congregations Clergy Tool Box and the drop down menu will show you Welcome. Click there for some good ideas about fully welcoming all.  

Peace,

Ethel Ware Carter

The Regional Council of Churches of Atlanta, Inc.

[e-mail]

404-201-6448