Church Action eNewsletter Week of January 31, 2022

[RCCAtl]

God calls us to some things we cannot do alone. 

1. Interfaith Atlanta virtual meeting with the Atlanta FBI Monday, Jan.31, at 7 p.m. to address the community following the hostage situation at Congregation Beth Israel, Colleyville, Jan. 15. The meeting is open to interfaith leaders and community members to discuss ways to strengthen relationships with law enforcement for better protection in places of worship and secular settings. Join here. All attendees (in-person or virtual) are asked to provide the following for registration purposes to [e-mail].  Name; House of Worship/ Organization; Email
2. Are you looking for a place to connect with others who want to make a positive difference? Equitable Dinners Atlanta, is a free monthly series using the arts and courageous conversation to inspire Anti-Racism action in the world in collaboration with the Fulton County Remembrance Coalition.Stories from the Soil, sharing the lives of documented victims of racial terror in Fulton County between 1889-1936. Find out more and register at Equitable Dinners | Eventbrite

 

3. A midweek concert for Black History Month, highlighting music of Black composers, featuring Trey Clegg on the organ playing “Toccata on Life Every Voice and Sing” and more . . . Wednesday, Feb. 2, noon, streamed live on the First Congregational Church of Atlanta Facebook and at www.FirstChurchAtl.org
4. Dr. Mary Jane Haemig presents Elisabeth Cruciger: Wife, Hymnwriter, Theologian, Wednesday, Feb. 2, noon. Register here for this Pitts Theological Library, Candler, Kessler Conversation. This semester, 3 leading Reformation scholars share stories and voices of women of the Reformation era considering the roles women played in the period, the contributions they made to changes in theology, culture, and church practice, the ways their stories have been covered over, and the lessons we can all learn from their work. Find out more at The Kessler Conversations 2022 (emory.edu)
5. Interfaith Atlanta offers a weekly 30-minute virtual midday respite focused on peace, compassion and kindness at noon Wednesday, Feb. 2. Passcode: 060135 https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81625152726?pwd=aFJQeWo2M1NtWExocDZYZXNJc...
6. Join Rev. Robby Carroll and Kay Stewart with the Shallowford Family Counseling Center for weekly circle gatherings on Wednesdays from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. to wake up your best self by strengthening your human capacity for loving awareness, connection, compassion, and embodied peace. Together the group will explore various practices, including meditation, mindful dialogue, gentle chair yoga, and poetic inquiry. Sign Up HERE.
7. “The Church Cracked Open,” Feb. 3, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., online Register Here. Join Dr. Catherine Meeks, Executive Director of the Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing and the Rev. Canon Stephanie Spellers, Canon for Evangelism and Reconciliation for the The Episcopal Church. This discussion, part of Reconciliation as an agent of change, will explore how the loss and disruption of the past two years can reveal an opening to a community of greater love and justice. Spellers' new bookwill serve as a guide to this dialogue.
8. Dedication of beautiful new sanctuary piano at Atlanta First Presbyterian Church, Feb. 4, 8 p.m. The concert will feature international Chopin prize winner, Charles Richard-Hamelin, playing works by Mozart, Ravel, Franck, and Chopin. This concert will only be presented in-person. Purchase Tickets
9. Make a difference in the life of an under-resourced Atlanta adult with big dreams and too little support. Become a trained Partners in Change volunteer life coach. Through weekly virtual conversations, you provide a one-year, 1:1 supportive presence to an individual building skills and resilience as they reach toward a new goal. Click here to Sign Up for our next round of Volunteer Life Coach Trainings on Feb. 5 and 8 or to see other training dates. Visit picusa.org/get-involved or email [e-mail] for more info.
10. The Rev. Dr. Charles K. Robertson will preach Feb. 6 on “Day 1,” the ecumenical radio program also accessible online at Day1.org and by podcast. “I Am What I Am,” his sermon for Feb. 6, is based on 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 and Isaiah 6. He says, “Like Paul, you and I can make a conscious, intentional choice to turn away from those awful voices that will bring us down if we let them, and instead hang on to that resurrection power working in us which is stronger than all the forces of death and decay.” Hear it in Atlanta on WSB 95.5 and 750 AM, Sundays at 7:05 a.m. For more, http://day1.org.  
11. “Travel for Good,” a virtual celebration in travel, culture, and art of World Interfaith Harmony Week, Sunday, Feb. 6, 3 p.m. For 20 years ICI World Pilgrims has been creating opportunities for people of faith to develop friendships and transform the world through travel. Interfaith Registration Form (google.com)
12. Organist James Kealey will perform at the Cathedral of St. Philip, 2744 Peachtree Road NW, 30305, Sunday, Feb. 6, 3:15 p.m. A native of Britain, he holds degrees from Royal Holloway, University of London; and Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY. He will play works by Elgar, Cecila McDowall, Laurin, Widor, and Vierne. Following the recital, the Cathedral offers a service of Choral Evensong at 4:00. Concertgoers are welcome in person. The concert and evensong will be livestreamed on the Cathedral website at cathedralATL.org.
13. Dr. Mark Ellingsen on “At the Table” on AIB Network discussing the decline of American Christianity, the marked growth of the Nones (Religiously Unaffiliated) and the solutions he proposes to these challenges we all face in a new book, “Ever Hear of Feuerbach? That's Why American and European Christianity Are in Such a Funk!” Premiere on Feb. 8, 8 p.m. This program will be available throughout the month. Tuesdays at 8 p.m.; Wednesdays 9:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Thursdays 12 noon and 6:30 p.m.; Fridays at 2 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Programs air on-line on at www.aibtv.com/aibeverywhere and on Comcast (channel 295) and AT&T U-verse (channel 6.)  
14. AJC’s Atlanta Black/Jewish Coalition and the Atlanta Fulton Public Library Foundation offer “One Book, One Read,” featuring “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent” by Isabel Wilkerson. The book’s core resides in comparisons between the caste system in India, the American race system, and the rise of the Third Reich in Germany. Find an available copy of Caste through the Fulton County Library system.  AJC’s Atlanta Black/Jewish Coalition will be convening a conversation around “Caste” in late February or March. Interested in reading the book and joining the conversation? Let them know here.

15 Respite Care Atlanta offers meaningful days for people with early to mid-stage dementia and a respite for their caregiving families. The work of volunteers is essential to this enterprise. Are you interested in volunteering? Contact Jane Brann by email at [e-mail] or by phone at 404-591-4365 to find out about upcoming Volunteer Information Sessions, 10-11 a.m., at Second-Ponce de Leon Baptist Church. Next is Feb. 14, 2022.

16. So You Wanna Start a New Church/Ministry – McAfee School of Theology’s Alumni Vocational Service Panels are designed to support students, alumni, and friends as they discern their vocational paths or shifts in their ministerial focus. Anyone is welcome to join these programs, simply click on the link below at the date and time designated. If you have questions, email Nikki Hardeman at [e-mail]. Feb. 17, 12:15-1:15 p.m., So You Wanna Start A New Church/Ministry 
17. Registration is open for Georgia Interfaith Power & Light’s “Breathe Again.” On Thursday, Feb. 17, learn skills to lead your community to act on air pollution, climate justice, and public health. Friday, Feb. 18 is a Day of Action --an opportunity to participate in collective action. Learn More.
18. Calling all high school juniors and seniors! You can win up to $2000 for college in the Baptist Joint Committee Religious Liberty Essay Scholarship Contest. Your essay is due March 14. Get entry forms and additional details at https://bjconline.org/contest/ There are no GPA or religious requirements -- all high school students in the classes of 2022 and 2023 are eligible to enter. You must submit an essay responding to the writing prompt, and it must be received by March 14. Full prompt: In an essay using the First Amendment and RLUIPA, discuss whether prisoners should have the right to have a religious adviser present in the execution chamber and what, if any, final religious practices a prisoner should be able to request.

 

19. Registration is open for “Be Still & Know: A Contemplative Retreat” at Sacred Heart Monastery, May 2-6, from Columbia Theological Seminary Center for Lifelong Learning. Prayer, silence, reflection, and rest await at this spiritual retreat. You’ll embrace stillness and community as you move through the gentle rhythm of the week. Click here.