Church Action eNewsletter Week of June 5, 2017

[RCCAtl]

Church Action eNewsletter

Week of June 5, 2017

God calls us to some things we cannot do alone.

Regional Council of Churches of Atlanta

We have found that many of you with food pantries want to get together to share wisdom born of experience and new ideas. If a networking event would be of benefit send us contact information for anyone, volunteer or employed, who might be interested to [e-mail].  We will finalize the list this week.

1. The Insightful Couple Class is a 10-week marriage preparation utilizing the Prepare/Enrich Inventory. At the Verdery Counseling Center, a ministry of First Baptist Church Decatur, Thursdays beginning this week, 7:30-8:30 p.m. There are a few places left. Contact Monique Wischusen at [phone] to sign up. www.fbcdecatur.com/verdery-counseling-center

 

2. MUST Ministries’ Summer Lunch Program provides a nutritious lunch each summer weekday to 6,500+ children in seven counties who receive free/reduced lunches during the school year but often go hungry during the summer. You and your group can help by hosting a supply drive, coloring lunch bags, or volunteering in one of many positions. For more information, please visit mustministries.org/summer-lunch, where you also will find a video testimony from a girl whose family has been helped by Summer Lunch.

3. Can we stop climate change? Can we reverse it? One of our leading intellectual minds, Paul Hawken, has gathered the best practitioners in the world to answer that question. Join Georgia Interfaith Power & Light this Thursday to discuss Project Drawdown with some who worked on this study. June 8, 7 p.m. Details here.

4. Join Rotary International and Delta Airlines for a Worldwide Candlelight Vigil to End Modern Day Slavery, Centennial Olympic Park Atlanta, 265 Park Avenue West NW, Atlanta 30313, June 10, 8:30 p.m.

5. Saturday June 10 10am - 2pm is the third Annual Pork & Plants event with live music to benefit the Friendship Center at Holy Comforter Church, 737 Woodland Ave. SE, 30316; 404-627-6510.  The Holy Smokers, a BBQ team from Marietta, will be selling pulled pork or bbq chicken plates with all the sides, including a drink for $10 a plate. Order your ticket today at http://www.holycomforter-atlanta.org. The gardeners will supply everything you need for summer gardens, including decorative pots. The artists will be selling one-of-a-kind art. You can also pre-order whole smoked pork butts ($40) or chicken ($6) to be picked up during the event, or anytime the next week.

6. The Rev. Dr. Eric Barreto, Princeton Theological Seminary, is the featured preacher June 11 on “Day 1.” He is an ordained minister in the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. “We sometimes seem determined to create a world characterized by death and loss instead of the miracle of life and breath and goodness and the flourishing of all living things,” he says. In the Atlanta area hear this sermon on WSB News 95.5 and AM750. For more information, check the program’s website, http://day1.org.  

7. St. Benedict’s hosts Rev. Trish Greeves, retired seminary professor at United Theological Seminary and local author of “Prophetic Faith: Exploring Social Justice Advocacy as a Congregation” on Sunday, June 11 at 9:30 a.m. Come to the parish hall at 9 for coffee and bagels, 9:30 for a roundtable discussion and worship is at 10:30. St. Benedict’s Episcopal Church is located at 2160 Cooper Lake Road in Smyrna 30080, [phone].

8. Defacing Art: Images and Iconoclasm in the Reformation lunch and lecture with Dr. Ryan Bonfiglio at First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta, 1328 Peachtree Street, Atlanta 30309, Sunday, June 11, 12:15 p.m. Free admission; lunch available for purchase here.

9. Memorial for the Victims of the Pulse Tragedy, noon, Monday, June 12, at St. Mark United Methodist Church, 781 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta 30308. Come out to support all of those affected by this tragedy. Let our collective light shine as we denounce gun violence and discrimination. Places of worship across the nation will ring their bells 49 times at noon in memory of the 49 people who died that night. Here in Atlanta, we will offer prayers and reflect on how we can work for a world without this kind of tragedy. Please let me know if you have any questions or would like to get further involved. RSVP here. 

10. This is a reminder of To Kindergarten and Beyond... Hasta el Kinder y más allá... a free, bilingual night of family fun at First Presbyterian Church Marietta, June 14, 6 p.m. Dinner will be served at no cost. Children will make new friends. Adults will play the Brain Architecture game with GEEARS, have a chance to get to know organizations in Cobb dedicated to the healthy development of their children, and join a panel of parents and educators in English and Spanish to explore succeeding in school. R.s.v.p. here.

11. Members of all faith traditions are invited by the Muslim Mix with Atlanta Masjid of Al-Islam, American Jewish Committee, and Faith Alliance of Metro Atlanta to join the Atlanta Muslim community during the Holy Month of Ramadan for a rich evening of dialogue, fellowship, and understanding in a delightful fast-breaking dinner and an all-around cultural experience! Find out how you can be a part of the Interfaith Iftar, June 14, here.

12. So a Rabbi, an Episcopal Priest, and a Presbyterian Pastor walk into a bar…. How your faith tradition and questions about 12 steps may help or hinder your recovery with Yosef Lipskerv, rabbi of the Chabad of Berks County, Spenser Simrill, Episcopal priest, and Robby Carroll, Shallowford Presbyterian Church. Caron Treatment Centers, Caron Solutions & HAMSA invite you to the conversation, 7:00-8:30 p.m., Wednesday, June 14, Hilton Atlanta/Marietta Hotel & Conference Center, 500 Power Springs St., Marietta 30064. The event is free of charge and open to the public. For tickets email [e-mail]. For more information contact Nancy Zintak at (404)805‐1442.

 13. AtlantaFest Christian Music Festival is returning to Strong Rock Christian School in Locust Grove June 15- 17, 4200 Strong Rock Parkway, Locust Grove 30248.

14. Join Mental Health America of Georgia to raise awareness for the mental health of mothers throughout Georgia. A paint night fundraiser will be held on Friday, June 16 from 6:30 - 10 p.m. During this fun night, we will be painting, sipping (BYOB), having a silent auction, and raffling off some awesome prizes! Spend the night with your amazing friends and MHA of Georgia while we paint for a great cause! Register for Paint & Sip HERE!

15. Saturday, June 17, the New Americans Campaign (NAC) Atlanta will be hosting a Citizenship Workshop where Legal Permanent Residents (Green Card holders) will receive free legal assistance to complete their Application for Naturalization.  The event will take place at the Consulate General of Mexico, 1700 Chantilly Dr NE, Atlanta 30324. Doors will open at 9 a.m.  Registration is encouraged: https://bit.ly/citizenshipjune17.  All qualifying, potential applicants are welcome to attend. Volunteers are also needed for the event from 8 -3; breakfast & lunch will be provided. To volunteer, sign up here.

16. World Refugee Day is recognized on June 20 each year. It is important to celebrate the incredible strength and resilience of the refugee community and to recognize the invaluable contributions that they bring to our state. Saturday, June 17, from 10 a.m. - noon, New American Pathways will host  a World Refugee Day Celebration at Refuge Coffee at the corner of Market St. and E Ponce de Leon Ave in Clarkston. Afterwards head off to explore the diverse cuisine that Clarkston has to offer and interesting shops and businesses. Maps will be provided. You can R.s.v.p. on Facebook.

17. A special invitation for Saturday evening, June 17. The evening will feature CEO of the Community Assistance Center in Sandy Springs, Tamara Carrera. In one of the wealthiest areas in the country, the CAC serves those who are living below the poverty line. Ms. Carrera will speak about the vast divide between rich and poor and the services that they provide always considering the impact and dignity of the recipient. “The Economics of Racial Justice,” Saturday, June 17, 7-9 p.m., Atlanta Shambhala Center, 1447 Church Street, Decatur 30030. Register Click here to learn more about CAC.

18. The History Committee of First Church presents, Atlanta Daily World: A Story of Social Change by M. Alexis Scott, the inaugural Griot Series speaker on Sunday, June 18 after worship service from 1:00 pm – 2:15 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. All are welcome to come hear this important story!  First Congregational Church of Atlanta, 105 Courtland Street, Atlanta 30305.

19. “Spiritual Direction,” is the focus of the next Clergy Bagel Brunch at the Care and Counseling Center of Ga. This complimentary brunch for pastors June 21, 10-11:30, answers what spiritual direction is, how it differs from other pedagogy, and how directors are trained. Leader is Debonee Morgan, certified spiritual director, and a graduate of the inaugural cohort of Fr. Richard Rohr’s Living School. She is director of “Resonance,” a new training program for spiritual directors and a specialist in integrating spirituality and therapy. Doors open at 9:30. To R.s.v.p. call Tom Van Laningham, 404-636-1457, x 403 or [e-mail]

20. June clergy breakfast of the Georgians for Healthy Marriages and Families, Thursday, June 22, 9-11 a.m., Atlanta Airport Marriott, 4711 Best Road, Atlanta, 30337. Voya Restaurant.  When you enter the hotel lobby, you’ll see the private room on your far right past the main dining area of the Voya Restaurant. Parking is free, if you use the self-parking lot.  Bring your ticket in for validation. Attendees will be responsible for their own meals.  Bishop Aaron B. Lackey, Temple of Prayer Family Worship Cathedral in Fairburn, will speak on “Balancing Family and Ministry.” He is also the Chief Apostle and Presiding Bishop of the United Church of God in Christ an international ministry with congregations throughout North America, Hawaii, the Caribbean, the Philippines and the continent of Africa.

21. The Festival Singers of Atlanta, an a cappella chamber choir, will present a summer concert Ease on Down the Yellow Brick Road Saturday, June 24, at 7:30 p.m. in Wade Hall at St. Mark UMC, 781 Peachtree Street, Atlanta 30308. The program features music from The Wizard of Oz, The Wiz, and Wicked. Desserts and soft drinks will be served. Tickets are $20 per person and available through the website or at the door. Proceeds will help fund future concerts and commissions of new choral works. For more information, visit our festivalsingersofatlanta.org.

22. Simple Abundance Cooking Demo and Tasting. Summer is here; it’s patio and grilling time. Join the Atlanta Community Food Bank Monday, June 26, for il Giallo's Chef de Cuisine Parker Jorgesen's sensational, seasonal menu. Register today

23. Disaster Chaplain and Religious Literacy & Competency in Crisis Settings Training in Atlanta (Riverdale), July 18-20. The Southeastern Synod ELCA , the Lutheran Theological Center of Atlanta, and the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta with National Disaster Interfaiths Network, invite clergy, religious leaders, and spiritual caregivers of all faiths to take this three-day Disaster Chaplaincy Training, including Religious Literacy & Competency in Crisis Settings. Participants who complete this certification can volunteer in their own congregation, diocese, synod, or faith community or affiliate with a local provider. NDIN can also volunteers in finding opportunities in local communities across the U.S. Emergency managers and disaster mental health professionals may take this course to develop their knowledge of best practices. Register here  Complete info is here.

24. Growing Generous Givers is a stewardship conference at Decatur First Baptist Church on Saturday, August 19, for Atlanta area churches. This conference promises to deliver effective and timely content plus experienced guidance in crafting your congregation's stewardship plan. For location, times and costs, visit GrowingGenerousGivers.com. Sponsored by The Center for Congregational Health. 

25. Atlanta Community Food Bank reminds us that 63% of children in Georgia depend on school breakfast and lunch programs each day, and when school is out, those meals aren’t available. Text FOODGA to 877-877 to find a summer meals site near you or make a donation to help us meet the need.   

26. The National Council of Churches podcasts won the DeRose-Hinkhouse award for excellence in Digital Communications.  You can subscribe to hear a wide selection on moral, religious, and political issues. This week's episode: Nathan Hosler, director of the Washington office of the Church of the Brethren, talks about community gardening and how churches are using gardens to make a difference. Visit here  to find out more and listen free.

27. All Episcopal women are members of Episcopal Church Women by virtue of their membership in the Episcopal Church. ECW are women of all ages, ethnic origins, and socioeconomic backgrounds united by love of God and the desire to do His work. They hold several events each year. Contact Gwen Hyman from St. Timothy's at [e-mail] if you are interested in membership or in starting a chapter in your parish.

Visit our website for a complete community calendar, links to the Toolbox  for Mental Health Ministry, websites for daily devotionals, and many other resources.

Peace,

Ethel Ware Carter

The Regional Council of Churches of Atlanta, Inc.

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