Church Action eNewsletter Week of February 9, 2015

[RCCAtl]

God calls us to some things we cannot do alone.

   Regional Council of Churches of Atlanta 

Weekly Church Action eNewsletter

Week of February 9, 2015

 

1. Musica Sacra at First Presbyterian Church presents Jens Korndorfer on the organ, 6,097 pipes will come alive in this evening with famous masterworks from Germany and France.  Dr. Korndorfer will take you on a tour through the ages with Baroque splendor, Bach, Franck, Saint-Saens, and Messiaen. Admission is free. Feb. 12, 7 p.m. in the sanctuary. Free parking is available in the LAZ lot located at 1337 Peachtree St. NE.

2. The Revolution of Love, February 14, a Benefit Concert for the Coalition Against Domestic Violence, For additional information and to purchase tickets for the concert, please use the link here.

3. The Feast of Absalom Jones will be celebrated at 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 15, at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, and a diocesan choir will perform. A practice for choir members from any parish will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 8, at St. Paul's. Trey Clegg will direct. Read more  

4. Social Protest, Social Change and Religion Exploring Creative Paths To Peace. Sunday, February 15, 3 – 5 p.m., Emory Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall, 1886 N. Decatur Rd., Atlanta GA 30307. An AILF Event in Recognition of United Nations Interfaith World Harmony Week. There is no charge for this event. Come and bring your friends.

5. Care and Counseling Center of Georgia offers a free Weekly Grief Support Group, Tuesdays 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Oak Grove UMC, A non-denominational, open group for individuals who have experienced loss and are looking for a community of support. All who are grieving are welcome to participate.  1722 Oak Grove Road, Decatur GA  30033.  To register contact Stephanie Foxman at 404-636-1457 ext. 421 or [e-mail].

6. Compassionate Atlanta inaugural working symposium on Leadership in a Multi-Faith World, Theme 1: Compassion. Leader of Charter Partner Theatrical Outfit Tom Key will be taking part in this upcoming symposium! Wednesday, February 18, 2 - 8 p.m., Historic Academy of Medicine, 875 West Peachtree St., NW, Atlanta, GA 30309. Keynote speaker: Dr. William H. Foege, Epidemiologist and Author of House on Fire: The Fight to Eradicate Smallpox. Reception 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. RSVP here.

7. Georgia Cares is offering a DMST Community Training in Douglasville, Feb. 19, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.  This is a free and open to the public course to educate the community on research related to child sex trafficking and will prepare participants to spread awareness and teach others. 2083 Fairburn Road, Douglasville. Call [phone] or visit www.gacares.org to register.

8. The Cathedral of St. Philip will once again host Dr. Luke Timothy Johnson for a Lenten Series, this year focusing on The Revelatory Body: Theology as Inductive Art. This series of  presentations, based on Dr. Johnson's recently completed book argues that the human body is the special arena of God's self-disclosure in the world and that careful attention to bodies draws closer to contact with God's Spirit. Child Hall, Wednesdays in Lent starting February 25. Read more.

9. The Mikell Spring Folk School returns to Toccoa Feb. 27 to March 1, with a wide variety of folk art classes and a keynote talk by Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta Assistant Bishop Keith Whitmore. The theme for the gathering is "Giving Voice, Discovering Gifts, Building Community through Art." Read more and register here. For further assistance contact Melanie Struble at Mikell Camp and Conference Center, 706-886-7515.   

10. Do you have a summer program for children? The City of Atlanta is preparing for the 2015 Summer Food Service Program in partnership with Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning. The 2015 program will operate in the months of June and July. Communities wishing to participate must be non-profit 501©3 organizations, houses of worship, government entities, colleges/universities, school systems, or National Youth Sports Programs (NYSP). The children who receive meals must be age 18 and under. However, a person 19 years of age and over who has a mental or physical disability and who participates during the school year in a public or private non-profit school program is also eligible to receive meals. Organizations must serve these meals in a supervised setting to children in low-income areas or specific groups of low-income children. If organizations or congregations are interested in partnering, please contact the Mayor’s Office of Human Services at 404-546-3069. The deadline for submission is Friday, February 27, 2015.

11. "Our Children Matter: It takes a village -   forum for youth, their parents, and the village. February 28, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 306 Peyton Road Atlanta 30311. The panel includes a judge, prosecutor, police officers, and other professionals. The community is warmly welcomed to join this important discussion.

12. More than 500 children died in Georgia in 2014 because of abuse, neglect and preventable accidents. These "innocents of our day" will be remembered at Holy Innocents' Episcopal Church, Atlanta, beginning with a prayer vigil on Saturday, Feb. 28, and concluding with a memorial Evensong on Sunday, March 1, with Bishop Rob Wright as preacher.  Read more 

13. Central United Methodist Church and Hillside International Truth Center are collaborating to present “Remembering the Shout” featuring the McIntosh County Shouters, on February 28, 6:00 p.m. at Hillside, 2450 Cascade Road, SW, Atlanta 30311. This a ten-member Gullah-Geechee group began performing professionally in 1980. They have educated and entertained audiences around the United States with the "ring shout," a compelling fusion of counterclockwise dance-like movement, call-and-response singing, and percussion consisting of hand claps and a stick beating the rhythm on a wooden floor. African in its origins, the ring shout affirms oneness with the Spirit and ancestors as well as community cohesiveness. These are the last active participants of this custom of sacred song and movement. All are invited to attend this free event which is suitable for all age groups. To learn more about the McIntosh Shouters see this For more information, you may contact Carol Tucker-Burden, co-chairperson, at 770-317-6285, [e-mail] or Marian M. Gamble, co-chairperson, at 404-758-6811, [e-mail].

14. Through the Shadowlands: C.S. Lewis’ Journey of Reason, Love, Loss & Hope, led by the Rev. J. Thomas Buchanan, Associate Pastor of Emory Presbyterian Church, Three Tuesdays – March 3, 10 & 17 – from 7:00 to 8:30 pm each night, Emory Presbyterian Church – Fellowship Hall, 1886 North Decatur Road, N.E., Atlanta, GA 30307. There is no charge for this event. All are welcome.

15. High school students are invited to participate in the third annual Peachtree Road Farmers Market reusable bag design contest. The student with the winning design will receive a $1,000 scholarship. His/her design will also be displayed on thousands of reusable canvas bags distributed to shoppers this season at the market. Two runners-up will each receive a $500 scholarship. The deadline is Friday, March 6; the winning design will be revealed Saturday, April 11 at the market. The farmers market is open every Saturday, April-December, in the Cathedral of St. Philip parking lot, 2744 Peachtree Road. MORE INFORMATION

16. Sign up to fight hunger in our community and get a jumpstart on your fundraising for the 31^st annual Hunger Walk/Run by registering now!  This year’s event takes place Sunday, March 15, 2014 at Turner Field’s Green Lot.   Participants are encouraged to register early and fundraise online at www.HWR2015.org, by inviting friends and family to join their team or make a donation.  The registration fee is $25 for walkers and $35 for runners, which includes a special Hunger Walk/Run t-shirt while supplies last. Onsite registration is available for an additional $5 per entry.

17. Summit Counseling presents Caring for the Caregiver: A Clergy Wellness Workshop with special guest speaker Dr. Ron King, former executive director of Pastoral Institute.  Helping clergy fulfill their calling "where their deep gladness meets the world's deep needs", as Buechner suggests, is the ultimate goal of this experience, Thursday, March 19, 9:45 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Johns Creek United Methodist Church Gathering Room, 11180 Medlock Bridge Road, Johns Creek  30097. Cost: $50 (lunch included) CEU's Available through NGUMC. Call the Summit at 678-893-5300 to register. (Limited seating for 75)

18. Newnan First United Methodist Church will host the next I WILL INTERVENE CHALLENGE suicide prevention workshop on March 23. Take advantage of the lowest price of the year on registration.  This one day workshop offers 7 hours of CE credit for mental health professionals (NASW and LPCA). Individuals from all walks of life are invited to attend.   Register at www.iwillintervene.com

19. Women who are veterans in your congregation may be interested in the Women Veteran Social Justice second annual Women Veteran Conference, Friday, March 27 – Saturday, March 28, at  Kennesaw State University. Women Veteran Social Justice, WVSJ is an education technology nonprofit established in Georgia to inform, educate, and empower the national women veteran community.  For additional conference information and registration visit www.wvsj.org or call [phone].

20. Life Long Learning at Columbia Theological Seminary Spirituality Program will launch a new Certificate in Spiritual Direction in the fall of 2015. This course of study is geared toward lay people and clergy who discern a call to the practice of Christian Spiritual Direction. Read More

21. Word from Care for the Troops of upcoming retreats for veterans and family members:

CampTwinLakes.org sponsors Retreat weekends:

1. Family Weekends: Feb. 27-March 1; April 17-19; August 7-9 and Nov. 6-8

2. Kids Serve II Camp June 21-26, 2015

3. Kids of Fallen Soldiers Camp July 6-10, 2015

4. Families of Fallen Soldiers Weekend October 23-October 25, 2015

Contact is Kate Lipton, cell: 404-295-5295 - office: [phone],  [e-mail],

GratitudeAmerica Inc. a 501(c)(3) non-profit sponsors a Free Retreat for Post 9-11 ERA Georgia Military and their Primary Support Person or Spouse. Contact is Jason Jordan, 678.570.2375 or [e-mail], WinShape Retreat Center, Rome, April 1-4, 2015. Application: Here

22. Kathy Dawson, associate professor of Christian Education, Columbia Theological Seminary, was honored February 5 as the 2015 recipient of the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators Educator of the year award. Dawson used her acceptance speech as a time of encouragement while also unveiling a web-based, multi-platform Christian Education resource Hope4ce.net a place where innovative ideas and lesson plans can be shared for Christian education.

23. Peacebuilders Camp at Koinonia Farm is a unique overnight summer camp in rural south Georgia where youth ages 11 to 14 spend a week together learning how to work toward peace and justice. Campers enjoy farm life, play games and sports, go on field trips, learn about human rights, make new friends, and explore the stories of peacemakers past and present. Learn More

24. Alvin Borum, student at Emory University, is working on a project with the Emory University Urban Health Initiative called the Community Supplemental Transit Initiative, seeking to address deficiencies in Atlanta public transportation. Currently, UHI is partnered with Well Care and The Word of God Ministries to provide shuttle service to local schools, grocery stores, laundromats, and health services for residents of the Rolling Bends apartment community in northwest Atlanta at low costs (patrons pay $1 per ride). Are you interested in helping this young man with this valuable program? Contact Alvin Borum at [e-mail].

Peace,

Ethel Ware Carter

The Regional Council of Churches of Atlanta, Inc.

[e-mail]

404-201-6448