Church Action eNewsletter Week of April 29, 2019

[RCCAtl]

Week of April 29, 2019
The Regional Council of Churches of Atlanta, Inc.

God calls us to some things we cannot do alone.

There are so many opportunities for service, worship, education, enrichment, connection in the next few weeks. Take a look at the Community Event Calendar on our website and celebrate all the good things that people of faith are doing. www.RCCAtl.org. You will also find last week's edition on our home page www.rccatl.org.

1. Entrepreneurship as a Strategy to Address the Women's Wealth Gap, Thursday, May 2, 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m., Agnes Scott College. This event will feature the release of a new report with data and recommendations to strengthen the entrepreneurship landscape for women in Georgia and bolster economic opportunity to help close the state’s gender wealth divide. The panel will feature Katerina Taylor, President and CEO, DeKalb Chamber of Commerce; Sushma Barakoti, ED, Refugee Women’s Network; Stacey Key, President and CEO, Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council. Get more details about this event and register to attend here

2. Everyone is invited to join Church Women United – Atlanta Unit for Friendship Day Friday, May 3. At that time, the Young Church Woman Mrs. Kimberly Thorpe , a dedicated church and community worker, will be presented. Mrs. Thorpe is a member of St. Mark African Methodist Episcopal Church in Atlanta. Program starts at 10 a.m. at Peachtree Christian Church at 1580 Peachtree St. NW Atlanta.

3. Celebrate Mental Health Month with Arts in the Garden: Harmony in Bloom, May 3, 10 – 3, with live music, art and plants for sale, mental health education, and a cake walk. You're invited! Skyland Trail, Charles B. West Campus, 1903 North Druid Hills Road NE, Atlanta 30319. Open to the public with no admission cost. Learn More About Arts In The Garden >

4. The Rev. Bill Carter, First Presbyterian of Clark Summit, Pa., is the preacher on Day1 May 5. His sermon “Mourning to Morning” contains the story of Dave Brubeck’s composition of a setting for Psalm 30, “Joy Comes in the Morning.” Hear it in Atlanta on News 95.5 and 750 AM WSB, Sunday, 7:05 a.m. Visit Day1 to find this sermon and many other text, audio, and video resources.

5. At Neighborhood Church, 1561 McLendon Ave NE, Atlanta 30307, Sunday May 5, 3 – 5:30 p.m., Community Celebration of Breath & Life with with Plamen Russev. No prior breathwork experience is required to attend. By donation in advance or on the spot. To make your donation in advance go here. Breathwork is about opening ourselves to receive healing, guidance, and support in ways we may not be able to imagine with our rational and logical mind.

6. Ramadan is around the corner and so are the iftar dinners from the Atlantic Institute. Check all the dates, participants, R.s.v.p. information, and registration options below. You are welcome to dinner more than once.
1) Family Iftar Dinners, May 10 - June 1, share the joy of Ramadan at a Muslim home. R.s.v.p. here.
2) Interfaith Iftar Dinner & Panel Discussion, Thursday, May 9, four speakers from different faith traditions will talk about "Our Relationship with God" followed by an iftar dinner. R.s.v.p. here.
3) Mother's Day Iftar Dinner, Sunday May 12, this iftar dinner is dedicated to "Mothers away from Motherland." R.s.v.p. here.
4) 5th Annual Interfaith Iftar Dinner, Thursday, May 16, our annual interfaith tradition will continue. R.s.v.p. here.
5) Neighborhood Iftar Dinner, Thursday, May 23. Once a neighbor, always a neighbor... Make your R.s.v.p..

7. There are some spots left for Active Hope: A Workshop on Sacred Activism, Sat, May 11, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., St. John's Lutheran Church, 1410 Ponce De Leon Ave NE, Atlanta. Based on the work of Joanna Macy, this participatory workshop on Active Hope is based on over four decades of community work with thousands of people around the world. It is designed to help you transform fear and despair into inspiration and a sense of empowerment. More. Tickets

8. You are invited to a Mother’s Day Luncheon, Saturday, May 11, 10 a.m., at Holiday Inn & Suites, 1380 Virginia Avenue, East Point 30344, featuring music by M&M Entertainment and comedy with Lady Q. The Headland Heights United Methodist Women would love to see you there. The Rev. Matt Murphy is pastor of this UMC church at 2147 Dodson Dr, East Point. Donation $50 for adults and $25, ages 6-16, children under 6 are free. For tickets, please call [phone].

9. Neighbor in Need 2019 Gala in the Garden is May 11. Find out about this unusual organization and get tickets at neighborinneed.org.

10. Beyond Sandwiches: A Symposium on Poverty, Race, and Homelessness hosted by Church of the Common Ground, Saturday, May 18, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., All Saints’ Episcopal Church, Ellis Hall, 634 West Peachtree Street NW, Atlanta 30308. Learn and connect with an impressive panel of experts and partners who work with housing and food provision, medical care, criminal justice reform, and race relations. Conversation will be inclusive of primary voices - - street ministers and people experiencing homelessness. More here. Register now. Cost is $10. If you have questions contact Monica Mainwaring at [e-mail].

11. Rebuilding the Lord's House Prayer Conference, Saturday May 18. This worship experience will activate you and will facilitate strategies for you to walk in and exercise a deeper spiritual authority and provide a heightened awareness and revelation of the times and seasons we are in. Information and registration.


12. All are invited to come and shop for spring plants, local produce, handmade, earth-friendly soaps, and more at St. Teresa’s Episcopal Church Earth Day Celebration. Make sure to visit the conversation tables. This is a family-friendly event and children are welcome. Organizations participating include Carlton Farms, Catalina Gardens, Chattahoochee Nature Center, Georgia Sierra Club, Georgia Conservancy, Georgia Extension Service, Jean's Garden, Lost Mountain Nursery, Norwex, and more. A little late, but shouldn’t every day be Earth Day! Saturday, May 18, starting at 11. Earth Day Celebration, St. Teresa's Episcopal Church, Acworth.

13. Atlanta Chamber Players, May 19, 2 p.m., Concerts at First, First Presbyterian Church-Sanctuary, 1328 Peachtree Street, NE, Atlanta 30309. The program includes Franz Schubert - Trout Quintet (Forellenquintett) in A major, D. 667 and Johannes Brahms - Horn Trio in Eb major, Op. 40. Purchase Tickets.
General admission $20, 15 before May 5; senior $15, 10 before May 5. Students free with valid student ID.

14. Andrew Phillip Schmidt and the New South Festival Singers perform their 30th annual Piccolo Spoleto Bon Voyage Concert, Best of the Season, Covenant Presbyterian Church, Sunday, May 19, 3 - 4:30 p.m. The Festival Singers have performed to capacity audiences at Charleston's Piccolo Spoleto Festival each year since 1989. Tickets

15. “Truth Worth Telling” by Scott Pelley, well known reporter on 60 Minutes and CBS Evening News, who has witnessed the most important events and spoken to the top newsmakers of our time, has written a collection of inspiring tales that remind us of the value of values in uncertain times. Each chapter is a profile of someone who discovered the meaning of their life in the great events of our times, from NYC firefighters on 9/11 to an Air Force nurse in Iraq. His narratives are a mixture of investigative reporting and personal reminiscence and make a convincing case for why journalism still matters. His work has been recognized with 3 duPont-Columbia Awards, 3 Peabody Awards, the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism, and 37 Emmy Awards. He is the most awarded correspondent in the history of 60 Minutes. Talk and signing May 23 at the Carter Center at 7:00 p.m.

16. Talk Saves Lives prevention education program from American Foundation for Suicide Prevention on May 25 at Noonday Church in Marietta. All of the details can be found here.

17. Sacred Pause Retreat Summer Reboot, Sunday, June 2, 12:30-3:30 p.m., Amerson House Spirituality Center. Tired or overwhelmed these days? Longing for more rest, play, and joy in your life? Feel guilty seeking such things when there is so much that seems to demand our time, attention, and care? Come to reflect on how to weave rhythms of rest, renewal, and delight into life. Cost $35 - includes lunch and materials. Space is limited. To register contact Kimberly.

18. American is the mass incarceration capital of the world. Ending Mass Incarceration: Let My People Go Interfaith Conference in Atlanta June 17-18 at Ebenezer Baptist Church. The conference site is live now. $50 registration special until May 15.
A Time for Second Chances In this blog post, Eric Hargan, HHS Deputy Secretary, addresses the role of the government in substance use disorder treatment, supporting those returning from incarceration with employment opportunities, maintaining or rebuilding family connections, and more.

19. Three billion people around the world live in poverty and face hunger on a daily basis. In the drought-stricken West African nation of Burkina Faso, 29% of children under the age of 5 suffer from malnutrition. Friday, June 21, at Georgia International Convention Center, the Archdiocese of Atlanta’s Justice and Peace Ministries and Catholic Relief Services need your help to fight hunger at the fourth annual STARVE WARS meal packing event. Registration is required and space is limited, so sign up today by clicking register here.

20. Mark your calendar: 116th Convention of the United Sacred Harp Musical Association will be in Atlanta, Sept 7-8, at the Emory University Performing Arts Studio, 1804 N Decatur Rd NE. Come for singing and fellowship and dinner on the grounds at noon each day. More here.

21. Nine campers from Peacebuilders Camp at Koinonia were at PeaceJam Southeast's peace conference, at FSU in April. The campers participated in workshops and service projects and presented their peacemaking work to Nobel Peace Prize laureate Tawakkol Karman. Take a look at the Youth Activist Toolkit that these amazing campers developed. Applications are being accepted for next year's team, 13- to 15-year olds who are passionate about making change in their communities and committed to working as a team. Click here for information.

Remember that all events previously announced go into the Community Calendar on our website. Visit www.rccatl.org for the calendar, the Clergy Tool Box for Mental Health Ministry, and more.
Peace,
Ethel Ware Carter