Church Action eNewsletter Week of December 17, 2018

[RCCAtl]

Regional Council of Churches of Atlanta, Inc.
God calls us to some things we cannot do alone.
Church Action eNewsletter Week of December 17, 2018

Remember that there are dozens of events on the Community Events Calendar on our website www.rccatl.org. Send your events and opportunities for the greater faith community to [e-mail] . And, please forward the eNewsletter to anyone you might think would be interested. They can sign up on our website or here.

1. Please help pass this along: If you live in Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, and Rockdale Counties and are a recipient of public assistance benefits including Medicaid, Peach Care, SSI, SNAP, CAPS and TANF, you are eligible to receive two gifts per child aged 12 and under at Santa’s Village. You must bring proof of public assistance eligibility (eligibility determination notice) and a photo ID. You may show proof on your mobile device by logging into www.gateway.ga.gov. You do NOT have to bring your children. Pre-registration is encouraged. Register by visiting www.emptystockingfund.org. You will receive a confirmation email. Your DFCS Case ID will serve as your invitation ID so please be sure this number is correct. You can find it at the top of your eligibility determination notice or when you log into Gateway. The last day to receive gifts is Dec. 22. For the best selection and to ensure that Empty Stocking Fund is able to serve your family, come early.

2. AIB Presents: Life Beyond Bars You can’t imagine how hard it is to start your life over after being released from prison. Finding a job. Finding somewhere to live. Even reconnecting with your family. For most, the sentence doesn’t end at the prison gate. Tune in at 7 p.m. on Dec. 19. Visit aibtv.com for full schedule.

3. “Why the Bible Remains a Bestseller” on Sacred Words. Find out why the Bible has remained one of the most widely-circulated books in human history though its translations have evolved over the centuries. Join scholars from Emory's Candler School of Theology to explore how the ancient texts continue to speak to contemporary issues in a deeper look into the letters of Paul addressing inclusivity and tolerance. Tune in at 10:30 p.m. tomorrow, Dec. 19. Visit aibtv.com .

4. Longest Night Service, Friday, Dec. 21, 7 – 8 p.m., Neighborhood Church, 1561 McLendon Avenue NE, Atlanta 30307.

5. The Rev. Scott Black Johnston, the Day 1 preacher for Dec. 23, pastor of Fifth Avenue Presbyterian in NYC, was earlier pastor of Trinity Presbyterian Church in Atlanta. His sermon is “Christmas at John’s House.” He says, “In John’s house, the professor leans forward and whispers to us, ‘I think God refuses to watch our hardship from a safe distance. I think Christmas is God climbing into the darkest place to be with us — to light a candle alongside us.’ ” Hear it Sunday at 7:05 a.m. on News 95.5 and 750 AM WSB. For more see day1.org.

6. Church of the Common Ground, an Episcopal parish for the homeless, will hold its Christmas Eve worship service in Woodruff Park in downtown Atlanta on December 24 at 1:00 p.m. Anyone who wishes to attend will be warmly welcomed.

7. What’s “in” and what’s “out” . . . why were some texts removed or left out of the Bible? Who decided? Why do some Christians still read texts that weren't included in the official church canon? Those are among the questions explored in the final episode of Sacred Words, a look at the Judeo-Christian scriptures. Dec. 26. Tune in to AIB at 10:30 p.m. Visit aibtv.com.

8. End the year... begin the year - on retreat at Ignatius House Jesuit Retreat Center. 6700 Riverside Drive NW Atlanta 30328. Reserve your private room & bath. Encounter Love Incarnate. Dec. 28-31 is a three-night retreat "From Hope to Gratitude" directed by Peter Fink, SJ. For more information go to IgnatiusHouse.org or phone [phone]

9. Disability and the Church Conference, Samford University, Tuesday, January 8, 2019. Read more at samford.edu

10. Stranger Things: Faith and Science in Dialogue. Explore the relationship of science and faith through this 4-week course taught by Dr. Paul Wallace, a former NASA scientist and current Lecturer in Physics at Agnes Scott College, and Dr. Ryan Bonfiglio, Scholar in Residence at First Presbyterian Church and Visiting Assistant Professor of Old Testament at Candler School of Theology. Wednesdays, January 9, 16, 23, 30, 7:00 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church in Midtown. The course is free of charge and open to the public. For more information and to register, visit www.FirstPresEDU.org.

11. Parenting in the Digital Age, Heritage Preparatory School, 1700 Piedmont Avenue NE, Atlanta 30324. Saturday, January 12, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Register for this candid, hope-filled discussion with Tal Prince at www.heritageprep.org/litc

12. End the year... begin the year - on retreat at Ignatius House Jesuit Retreat Center. 6700 Riverside Drive NW Atlanta, Ga 30328. Reserve your private room & bath. Jan. 11 -13 is a two-night retreat "God's Gaze: Loved into Freedom" directed by Andy Otto. For more information go to IgnatiusHouse.org or phone [phone].

13. You are invited to share in a special retreat with Phileena Heuertz, author of “Mindful Silence: The Heart of Christian Contemplation.” Saturday, January 12, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., at Grace Episcopal Church, Gainesville. The day will include a morning presentation, lunch, panel discussion, and Q&A session. Cost is $40 to cover food and honoraria and scholarships are available. Please submit a registration form and payment on or before January 7, 2019 to reserve your space. Register Here

14. Be a part of “Unity in the Community,” Sunday, January 13, 2019, at 3:00 p.m. An Ecumenical Worship Service of Hope, Peace, and Unity hosted by McDonough First United Methodist Church, 151 Macon St., McDonough.

15. CBCT Compassion Training, an 8-week foundation course for the public, January 16- March 6, Emory University, All the details.

16. Learn How to Influence Your Legislators at a workshop sponsored by Tzedek Georgia and New Sanctuary Movement of Atlanta, Saturday, January 19, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., The Cathedral of St. Philip, 2744 Peachtree Road NW, Atlanta, GA 30305

17. Service of Commemoration: The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Epiphany Lutheran Church, 2375 GA Highway 20 SE, Conyers 30013. January 20, 2019, 3:00 p.m., Praise Music, 2:30 p.m., The Rev. H. Julian Gordy, Bishop, ELCA Southeastern Synod, will preach at this annual event sponsored by the Lutheran Theological Center in Atlanta and the Southeastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America.

18. Atlanta Brassworks, Holy Innocents is proud to offer up a quintet of Atlanta’s finest brass specialists playing the familiar to the not-so-familiar… the melodic to the dissonant… the baroque to the best of modern brass music. A treat for ears, eyes, and soul, Atlanta Brassworks will lift you up. Sunday, January 20, 2019 at 7 – 8 p.m. in the Nave. 805 Mount Vernon Highway Atlanta, GA, 30327.

19. "Joy of Music." In a Spiritual Journey interview, conducted in the magnificent sanctuary of John's Creek United Methodist Church, AIB Network brings us the First Lady of the Pipe Organ Diane Bush and the story of her inspiring instructors, her deep connection to her faith, the churches and cathedrals where she's performed, and the healing potential of music. She will perform on the congregation's historic organ -- an instrument originally installed at Trinity Church in NYC in the 1920s and donated to the metro Atlanta church after the terror attacks of 9/11. The AIB Network is honored to showcase this legendary musician. Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m., Thursdays at 10:30 a.m., Saturdays at 6 p.m., and Sundays at 5:30 p.m.

20. Center for Human and Civil Rights International Human Trafficking Institute offers information about trainings and ways you can help. Specifically offered is information about the Super Bowl. Big sporting events see upticks in human abuse. Read more at www.ihtinstitute.org/super-bowl-2019-information/

21. A New Year — new opportunities to learn. The mission of the Center for Lifelong Learning at Columbia Theological Seminary is to equip church professionals and lay people to be forerunners in discipleship. Here is news of upcoming courses, conferences, and seminars.

Visit our website www.rccatl.org for the community calendar, the Clergy Tool Box for Mental Health Ministry, daily devotionals sites, and much more…

Peace, Ethel Ware Carter