Church Action eNewsletter Week of Feb. 1, 2016

[RCCAtl]

 

God calls us to some things we cannot do alone. Regional Council of Churches of Atlanta Church Action eNewsletter Week of January 25, 2016     1. Cathedral Antiques Show opens tomorrow.  Tickets are available now at the Cathedral Book Store and at cathedralantiques.org. Read all about this fabulous show benefiting a great cause.   2. Leanne Van Dyk, president of Columbia Theological Seminary, is the featured preacher this week on Day1; she preaches on the Transfiguration Feb. 7. Download, stream, or read online, and find your local station at Day1.org   3. 12th Annual ​Unmasking Children's Mental Illness Mardi Gras Benefit Ball​​, Fabulous Fox Theater,  Tuesday,  February 9,   6:00 – 9:30 p.m.  Ticket information.   4. Kick off the season of Lent and join the conversation on race at the Church of the Epiphany at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10. Jim Wallis, founder of Sojourners, will read from his new book America’s Original Sin: Racism, White Privilege and the Bridge to a New America and sign copies. For additional information, contact Dr. Catherine Meeks.  To order Wallis' book, visit the Cathedral Book Store or click here.   5. Meeting of the End New Jim Crow Action Group is Wed., Feb 10, at the Atlanta Friends Meeting House. It features Bonita Lacy, Director of Healing Hearts of Families, USA Ministries, who will talk about the court watch program and provide training for ENJC's volunteer court watch project. Thanks to the American Friends Service committee for start-up funds.  The meeting will begin at 7:15 p.m.; food and beverages will be available at 6:45 (donations accepted). Meeting house is at 701 W. Howard Ave., Decatur 30030, between the East Lake and Decatur MARTA stations.   6. Service to commemorate the life of Absalom Jones, Saturday, Feb. 13, at 1 p.m. at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 435 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta. Absalom Jones was born into slavery in Delaware November 6, 1746, and grew to become one of the foremost leaders among people of African descent during the post-revolutionary period. In 1802, Jones was ordained by Bishop William White as the first African American Priest of the Episcopal Church.   7. Compassionate Atlanta offers Mindfulness Meditation Workshop, suitable for beginning and experienced meditators alike, and incorporating one-on-one exercises, group discussion, and teacher-led meditation. Sunday, Feb. 14, 2-4 p.m., 5505 Roswell Road, NE, Suite 215, Sandy Springs 30342. Free and open to the public. For more information and to R.s.v.p. click here.   8. Georgia Interfaith Power & Light announces Conservation Day at the Capitol, Feb. 17. Read more.   9. HEALing Community Center's first Benefit Brunch Heart 2 Heart, Saturday, Feb. 20, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Ramada Plaza Capital Park Hotel, featuring a stellar panel of leading heart health experts and a surprise local anchor as the moderator. Space is limited. You won't want to miss it! Tickets are only $30 online and $35 the day of the event.  Purchase your tickets today! Ticket Information. 10. You are invited to join Interfaith Community Initiatives for a reception and performance Sacred Sounds featuring Azhar Mehmood, Ghazal singer of the music of Islamic mysticism,  Susana Behar exploring the roots of Ladino, Spanish, and Jewish music, and the Jones Family Singers with timeless soul gospel. February 20, 6:30 reception, 8 p.m. performance, Rialto Center for the Arts, Georgia State University. Proceeds benefit the World Pilgrims Scholarship Fund. Tickets here or contact [e-mail]   11. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear Robin Meyers, Feb. 26 and 27. His latest book, The Underground Church: Reclaiming the Subversive Way of Jesus is endorsed by Desmond Tutu, Bill Moyers, Marcus Borg, Harvey Cox, Parker Palmer, Brian McLaren, Diana Butler Bass, and Fred Craddock. Sandy Springs Christian Church, 301 Johnson Ferry Rd. Sandy Springs 30328. Register online at www.sandyspringscc.org or call [phone]. Childcare is available.   12. Atlanta Interfaith Leaders Forum invites you to Interfaith Harmony and Cooperation Amidst Conflict and Terror, Saturday, Feb. 27, 2:00 – 4:00 p.m., Al-Madina Institute, 3580 Sweetwater Road, Duluth 30096. Telephone [phone]. Shaykh Dr. Muhammad bin Yahya, head of the institute, will speak from his personal perspective and scholarship on Islamic core beliefs followed by Q&A. Free and open to all.   13. Dennis Covington, journalist and author, will be at Northside Drive Baptist Church, Sunday, Feb. 28, for Church School at 9:30 a.m. and as a part of the McComb Lecture Series that night at 7 p.m. This personal note is a first—his book Salvation on Sand Mountain changed my personal theology. He will talk about that book at Church School and then discuss his new book REVELATION: A Search for Faith in a Violent Religious World in the evening lecture. NDBC, 3100 Northside Drive, NW, Atlanta 30305.   14. From Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary, The Belhar Confession Webinar for a diverse worshipping community. This four-part series, Mondays at 8 p.m., Feb. 29- March 21, will be recorded live at The Historic Martin Luther King, Jr. Center in Atlanta. Each session may be engaged as a stand-alone training.  The series will focus on the interpretation and application of the belief statement as a response to the challenging and diverse times in which we live. You may attend in person or online.  If you are concerned about our faith response to injustice you should Register.   15. Disaster Chaplaincy Training with the National Disaster Interfaith Network, March 8-9, Sewanee, Tenn. Here's all the information.   16. Meet the most amazing people on the planet at the 2016 Global Humanitarian Summit March 18-20, at Unity North Atlanta Church, 4255 Sandy Plains Rd., Marietta,   30066. The summit, founded by Dr. Neil Shulman, is a gathering of humanitarians from all over the world, and is FREE for everyone. For more information and to register go to www.GlobalHumanitarianSummit.org, If you have questions email.   17. Run, Walk, Bunny run on March 26 benefits the Atlanta Children’s Shelter, 8 a.m., Piedmont Park, Peachtree Road Race qualifier.  More info.   18. Suicide Prevention for the Incarcerated: A Faith Based Perspective from Lutheran Suicide Prevention Ministry. Did you know that suicide among the incarcerated is three times the rate of the general population? There are many ways to reach out to the incarcerated; visit the website above and contact the ministry for more information on how might get involved in a ministry of grace.   19. Every five seconds, a child dies, often from preventable causes such as malnutrition. Bread for the World invites you to help change this by your participation in the Offering of Letters 2016: Survive and Thrive which will focus on the nutrition and health of mothers and children. Ask Congress to support robust funding in this year's appropriations bill for nutrition and health for mothers, newborns, and young children. Letters kits will be available in March and can be pre-ordered. Start learning about the issues and planning your letter-writing event NOW. Everything you need is available on the website. Spanish-language materials will also be available February 8.   20. Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that 1.1 million incarcerated persons are parents to an estimated 2.3 million children. In addition, more than 7 million children have a parent under some form of correctional supervision. If your church experiences this population, go to  Healing Communities: A Framework for Congregations in Their Ministry to Families Affected by Incarceration   21. Do you need a speaker on Islam for your congregation or group? The Islamic Speakers Bureau can provide help. See, Resources > Speakers   22. Watch Atlanta Interfaith Broadcaster’s wonderful piece on the Global Village Project, an innovative school in Decatur which enrolls 30-40 students each year, all of them refugees, who speak 17 different languages. You'll meet some of the volunteers who serve in a variety of functions -- from mentoring the students, even after they graduate, to helping them learn the ABC's. Watch it here.   Martha Stearns Marshall Month of Preaching an invitation to Baptist churches to feature women preachers during February. The Rev. Paula Elaine Singleton will be preaching Feb. 14 and 28 at Greater Mountain Baptist Church, 3346 Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr., Atlanta 30331   The Rev. Kristy Bay, who was awarded the 2010 Emily Weatherspoon Preaching Award for excellence in preaching, will preach Feb. 21 at 11 a.m. at Northside Drive Baptist Church, 3100 Northside Drive, Atlanta 30305.   Amanda Lewis, an award winning student at McAfee School of Theology will preach, March 6 at Second-Ponce de Leon Baptist Church, 2715 Peachtree Road, Atlanta 30305.   You might find the Rev. Mimi Walker preaching every Sunday in February at Church at Ponce & Highland (Druid Hills Baptist), 1085 Ponce de Leon Avenue, NE, Atlanta 30306. Send us the name of your Martha Stearns Marshall Preacher and we will feature her.