Church Action e Newsletter Week of August 26, 2024

[RCCAtl]

Church Action eNewsletter Week of August 26, 2024

God calls us to some things we cannot do alone. 

1. Today, Wednesday, August 28, at noon, will be the final Midday Respite from Interfaith Atlanta.This program was a started as a way for the Interfaith community to stay connected on line during Covid and it has been an enriching and helpful program to people from California to Maine. The presenter will be Rabbi Ellen Nemhauser, the President of Interfaith Atlanta. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83721314279?pwd=eEdrcVRpRGcrdGNScDQ5Rm80a....
2. Youth LEAD Georgia is open to students in 10th and 11th grade during the 2024-25 academic year who demonstrate leadership potential, academic commitment, and personal motivation. The deadline for nominations is Sept. 1. There is no costfor student participants. Meals, lodging, transportation for tours and program activities, and program materials are available through generous donations from Chick-fil-A. Students will be required to arrange transportation to the sessions. Those selected for the 2025 Youth LEAD Georgia class will be expected to attend all sessions. Session dates are available here. Nominate a young person today for Youth LEAD Georgia 2025! Learn more about Youth LEAD Georgia. Nominate a Youth Today for Youth LEAD Georgia 2025
3. How do we navigate our differences with a contentious election on the horizon? Check out this week’s CBF Podcast episode with John Inazu, law professor at Washington University and author of Learning to Disagree. “Most of our fights start over trivial issues and escalate to absurd levels. It’s a good reminder of how easily even those we care about the most can start to feel like problems to solve rather than people to love,” Inazu said. Listen to the podcast here. Sponsored by Diana R. Garland School of Social Work, School of Divinity at Gardner-Webb, BSK Theological Seminary,Community Transformation Center, Baptist House of Studies at UPSemand The Center for Congregational Health.
4. “So why wouldn’t we want to listen up for God’s instructions for our lives… believing that the One who created us knows best that which leads to life?” the V. Rev. Martin Fair asks in his Day1 sermon for Sept. 1. “Maybe someone wants to object, asking, ‘But aren’t we free from all of those commands and rules and regulations? Doesn’t the New Testament tell us that Christ has set us free… that we can live now how we want?’” The program includes interviews with Fair conducted by Katie Givens Kime, who is also executive producer. Hear Day1 in Atlanta on WSB 95.5 and 750 AM Sundays at 7:05 a.m. “Day 1” has been broadcast every week for 79 years. Featuring outstanding preachers from the mainline denominations, “Day 1” is currently distributed to radio stations across America and overseas, and the “Day1 Weekly Program” is on all podcast apps and online. For more information, check day1.org .   
5. Join Holy Comforter Episcopal Church, 737 Woodland Avenue SE, Atlanta 30316, Tuesday, September 3, at 8 p.m. for a service of sung compline, a time of peaceful nighttime prayers. The service will be entirely sung by professional singers, inviting you to sit in a candlelit church, say your prayers, meditate, or simply let the experience wash over you. After the service, stay for an optional time of refreshments and community. Come and unplug—put away screens, work, stress, and all the rest of it before you fall asleep.
6. Kennedy Creek Old Time Music Festival in Suches, a couple of hours north in the cooler mountains, is Sept. 6-8. , Saturday will feature Sacred Harp singing and there will be a Gospel Jam on Sunday. Find out more at morgan-ellis.net/kennedy-creek.
7. Cathedral of St. Philip Greek Classes resume on Sunday, Sept. 8, at 1:15 p.m. Open to walk-ins and beginners, classes include long-term members who share user-friendly resources and welcome newcomers to enjoy how the Greek text reveals nuance and depth in scripture. Using a Bible study format, no previous knowledge of Greek is needed. Classes meet Sundays from 1:15-2:45 p.m., in-person in room 239 and via Zoom. More at www.cathedralatl.org/ and contact the Rev. Dr. Thee Smith, 404-365-1093 or [e-mail] for the Zoom link and weekly notices. Parking at the Cathedral of St. Philip is easily accessed at the Rumson Rd. intersection with Peachtree Rd. across from Fellini’s and La Fonda’s restaurants, 2744 Peachtree Road NW, Atlanta, GA 30305. Directions & information: www.cathedralATL.org
8. The mission of the Interfaith Children's Movement (ICM) is to build a multi-faith grassroots advocacy coalition that works to create a Georgia where all children thrive. This year "Piecing Together a Better Tomorrow"will feature: Inspiring interfaith and intergenerational prayers; Compelling Teen Talks, where two Youth Advocacy Interns will share their calls to action regarding issues that matter to them; Marian Wright Edelman Awards; Youth Recognitions; FUN ways to help ICM put the pieces together for Georgia's children! Sunday, Sept. 8, 2:30 -5:30 p.m. This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with other individuals and faith communities who have a heart for children and the work of ICM. Register here!
9. An important tool in caring for our people is the 988 suicide lifeline. Sunday, September 8, is SAMHSA's 988 Day. 988 Day is a national initiative dedicated to raising awareness about the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and emphasizing the importance of mental health and suicide prevention. Here's a fulltoolkit of materialsto help share and promote 988 Day. Remember the Share Hope Interfaith Social Media Contest for your creative youth groups. Create a post, flyer, or bulletin that promotes the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline to win a Pizza Party. For guidelines visit 988ga.org/faith. The Regional Council of Churches is working on this with the Ga. Dept. of Behavioral Health & Developmental Disabilities.
10. Northside Drive Baptist Churchisexcited to invite the Atlanta community to an important lecture addressing the pressing issue of Christian nationalism, a political ideology that seeks to merge Christian identity with national identity. On September 8 at 4 p.m. Northside Drive Baptist Church and the McComb Lecture series will host Amanda Tyler, an attorney, executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, and lead organizer of Christians  Against Christian Nationalism, to speak on this issue. Tyler holds degrees from Georgetown University and the University of Texas School of Law. A Texas and U.S. Supreme Court Bar member, she has testified before Congress, and her work has been featured by or published in the New York Times, The Washington  Post, CBS News, ABC News, CNN, and MSNBC. The goal is for attendees to leave informed but not discouraged. “As followers of Jesus, we counter Christian nationalism by showing the love of Jesus not just through our words but through our actions. We pray this event will challenge Christians to do more of what Jesus taught — loving our neighbors, promoting  justice, and standing up for the oppressed.” Cost: $15. Tickets: northsidedrive.org/cacn
11. 2024 Election Season: An Update on Democracy and how to Preserve What United Us, Monday, September 9, 7-8:30 p.m. at The Temple, 1589 Peachtree Street, Atlanta 30309. A panel moderated by Rickey Bevington includes Dr. Alan Abramowitz, professor of political science at Emory and an authority on American politics and Edward Lindsey, former Republican House Majority Whip and partner at Dentons Law Firm, recently an official with the Georgia State Elections Board.
12. On September 12 at Transfiguration Catholic Church, 1815 Blackwell Road, Marietta 30066, renowned author and publisher, Robert Ellsberg, will speak on what studying the saints has meant to him (details here). 
13. A translation of Ignatius’ “First Principle and Foundation” ends with the line, “Our only desire and our one choice should be this: I want and I choose what better leads to God’s deepening his life in me.” So often the deep desires we have for our life and the choices we make on a daily basis conflict. In this Sept. 13-15 weekend retreat at Ignatius Retreat Center in Sandy Springs, directed by Sarah Otto and Fr. Bill Noe, you’ll explore the wisdom of Ignatian spirituality alongside the ancient monastic practice of living a “rule of life.” By creating our own rhythm or rule, we build a trellis that helps to sustain our own spiritual growth, aligning our desires and choices to lead us closer to God. Registration is open now here.
14. Visit Holy Comforter Episcopal Church, 737 Woodland Ave, Atlanta, GA 30316, on Saturday, September 14 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. for the fall garden sale with a selection of houseplants, perennials and saplings, including Japanese Maples, Dogwood, Redbuds, Ferns, Begonias, Key Lime, Overbearing Raspberries, Blue Wild Indigo, and Columbine. Buy some of home-baked goods while you're there to reward your efforts after planting your new greenery. Proceeds from our plant sales support the work of the Friendship Center which offers programming for adults living with mental illness. The garden gives employment for some of the adults in the Center's community while providing much needed funds. 
15. Get tickets now for the 2024 15th Annual Mary Ruth Weir Celebration and Awards: Chimes of Freedom, September 14, from 12:00 - 2:30 p.m. at the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church.  Georgians for an Alternative to the Death Penaltyworks for an end to the death penalty in Georgia. Buy your ticket here.
16. Georgia Interfaith Power & Light reminds us that Sunday, Sept. 15, is World River Day.They are partnering with the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta and Ismaili CIVIC to clean up five river sites in metro Atlanta. Register at gipl.org/worldriverday. 
17. Northside Church’s Jesus for Presidentconference features Shane Claiborne, prominent speaker, activist, and best-selling author. He worked with Mother Teresa in Calcutta, and heads up Red Letter Christians, a movement of folks who are committed to living “as if Jesus meant the things he said.” Talks will include topics such as The Upside-Down Kingdom, Holy Nonconformists, and The Jesus Way in the World Today. In addition to the three main talks by Claiborne, breakout sessions will be taught by Northside staff. Friday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. and Saturday. Register.   For more, contact Dr. James Johnson [e-mail]
18. Save the date: Unity Atlanta Church in Peachtree Corners, proudly announces its milestone 100^thAnniversary. The culmination of the yearlong observance takes place in September. The community is invited to the Sunday morning Centennial Celebration Service on Sep. 22, 11:00 a.m. This historic event features a “Bridge of Faith Ceremony” and special music by the church’s Soulful Harmonics Band and choir. A southern-style potluck immediately follows the service. From its humble beginnings as one of the first Unity study groups in 1924, Unity Atlanta Church has grown into a flagship congregation of Unity Worldwide Ministries. Unity Atlanta Church is at 3597 Parkway Lane in Peachtree Corners. For more information please call 770-441-0585 or visit the website, www.unityatl.org.
19. Your participation in the Decatur Cooperative Ministry Silent Splendor Auction supports their programs: Hagar’s House offering emergency night shelter and assessment to homeless families with children; Our Family House offers up to six months of transitional housing for homeless families with compound barriers to housing stability; Project Take Charge offers homeless prevention services to low-income and at-risk seniors, Veterans, and families. Find our more at https://auctria.events/DCM

20. New American Pathways needs After-School volunteers for the upcoming school year. The after-school program is a free, comprehensive program serving refugee and immigrant students who need support in English language, academics, social and cultural adjustment, and educational engagement. Volunteers provide homework support, help develop English skills, and lead educational, extracurricular, and recreational activities. Volunteers can work with elementary and/or middle school students. Elementary Hours: Monday – Thursday, 2:30 to 5:30 p.m.; Middle School Hours: Monday – Thursday, 4:00 to 6:30 p.m. If you're interested in volunteering, contact [e-mail] or [phone].