Church Action eNewsletter Week of January 5, 2015

[RCCAtl]

God calls us to some things we cannot do alone.

Regional Council of Churches of Atlanta Week of January 5, 2015

1. Gain the skills to save a life. Fayetteville First Baptist Church will host the 2015 kickoff of the I will intervene Challenge, January 26 and 27, 8:30 to 4:30. More than 1200 caregivers participated in the program in 2014. This program developed by Armed Forces Mission and Master Resilience Institute uses the curriculum Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training. This is open to all; 13 CE hours. Seating is limited. You can receive a 30% discount on the cost of this training if you use the code RCCA indicating that you found out about the program from our eNewsletter. Read more here. Register today for the January workshop

2. "Happy New Year!!! If you want to start the New Year off getting involved in a community service activity, register to volunteer to participate in the 2015 Point-in-Time Homeless Count on the evening of January 22, 2015. This effort to help gather information to end homelessness is headed by the City of Atlanta and partners. Help is needed from schools, churches, employers, employees, and anyone else willing to make this count successful by volunteering. Click the link below to find out more about the 2015 PiT Homeless Count and to register as a volunteer, and feel free to repost or forward to others. PiT Homeless Count.

3. Focus on Homelessness is the topic for Winter Studies at Central Presbyterian Church, Sundays in January. Hear from experts, find out the realities of homelessness, question what we are doing as a state and a city, and hear about possibilities. Find a link to the detailed flyer on this important opportunity here https://rccapilgrims.ning.com/profiles/blogs/winter-studies-at-cent...

4. Jews in the South explores the history and culture of Jewish Life in the South through lectures and field trips as a part of Georgia State University’s Jewish understudy program. From a tour of the Jewish section of Atlanta’s historic Oakland Cemetery to talks by scholars on Jewish involvement in the Civil Rights era, you’ll find fascinating stories in Jews in the South. On AIBTV Thursdays at 6, re-airing Friday 9:30 p.m., Mondays at 2 p.m., and Wednesdays at 2 p.m. AIBTV

5. The Rev. Dr. Maxwell Grant, minister of Second Congregational Church UCC in Greenwich, is the featured preacher on Day1 this Sunday, Jan. 11, the Baptism of the Lord. Based on Mark 1:4-11, his sermon is entitled "Torn Open, By God." He says, “Sometimes, I wish it were harder to join the church. I mean, honestly, sometimes I think it’s harder to get a membership at Costco than it is to become a Christian. That’s a bad thing.” Find your local broadcaster at here.

6. John Cannon, organist at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church in Estes Park, Colorado, will perform a recital at 3:15 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 11, at the Cathedral of St. Philip, 2744 Peachtree Road, Atlanta. He will perform works by J. S. Bach, Bolcolm, Widor and others. Choral Evensong follows at 4 p.m.

7. Georgia General Assembly will be back in session on Monday, January 12. Raise your voice with YouthSpark, Georgia Cares, Street Grace, and Wellspring Living in the fight to end domestic minor sex trafficking in Georgia at Lobby Day, Feb. 12, 8 a.m. REGISTER NOW

8. Moral Monday Georgia’s "People's State of the State: Teach In and Action" on the opening day of General Assembly, Monday. January 12, 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Attend to learn about the issues and influence elected officials on issues that range from criminal justice reform to social and economic justice. The morning will begin at Central Presbyterian with a Moral Monday Georgia’s address followed by breakout sessions on legislation, nonviolence training, and community organizing. After lunch, action regarding state violence, poverty, and health care will be discussed. There will be an opportunity to meet with elected officials. Central Presbyterian Church is located at 201 Washington Street SW, Atlanta, GA 30303. More at www.moralmondayga.com For transportation information see https://www.facebook.com/MoralMondayGA

9. Christian Encounters How did Christianity develop and grow from a Jewish sect to a religion with the most adherents around the world? In this AIB series, we meet with theologians and clergy from across the metro Atlanta area to broaden perspectives on what Christianity has looked like and does look like. This 12-part series attends to both historical developments and cultural/geographic diversity, featuring a mixture of interviews with local scholars and church leaders, together with filming a variety of Christian communities in the area. On AIB Mondays at 4 p.m., Rebroadcast Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 4 p.m. AIBTV

10. Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary will unveil its exciting new mission at a community-wide worship service, Jan. 15, 12 noon, at Druid Hills Presbyterian Church, Atlanta. Visit the website for the whole story and to register. Click on the first banner on the website or contact Maria Bryson at [phone] or [e-mail] for information.

11. Explore critical global issues in depth at Great Decisions. Talks by foreign policy experts are followed by audience questions and discussion. Topics include a look at Russia's aggressive stance in the Ukraine, sectarian and political influences in current Middle East conflicts, and how the concept of privacy is being redefined by new technologies. Participants receive a briefing book published annually by the nonpartisan Foreign Policy Association, plus admission to the lecture series. Develop an informed opinion on the role the United States should play in world affairs, Thursdays, January 15 - March 5, 2015 at 7:30 p.m. at the Dunwoody United Methodist Church. Register today at www.gciv.org/programs/gd/dunwoody.

12. Masorti Olami invites the community to a conversation with Rabbi Dr. Abraham Skorka, Rabbis Analia Bortz and Mario Karpuj in Or Hadash, 7460 Trowbridge Road, Atlanta, January 18. Rabbi Skorka and Pope Francis wrote a book together on interfaith dialogue. The evening will honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and how religious tradition and values can transform society. This is a free event but registration is required. More>>

13. January 20 is Mental Health Day at the Capitol. This is an opportunity for congregations to speak up publically for those in their pews and in the community who have a mental illness. You should register if you want breakfast. See more here. Visit the C.H.I.P. website for tools for mental health ministry.

14. Interfaith Children's Movement will host its Celebration of Children, an educational conference and community resource fair, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 22, at Marietta First United Methodist Church, 56 Whitlock Ave., Marietta. Guest speaker is Bobby Cagle, director of the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services. The events are free, lunch is available for $10. For details and registration, see www.interfaithchildrensmovement.org

15. Trinity Institute 2015 Live Web Broadcast, Jan. 22–24, 2015, The Beecken Center will host a live, interactive webcast of Trinity Institute’s 44th National Theological Conference, Creating Common Good: A Practical Conference on Economic Equality. Speakers and Q&A panel participants will include the Most Rev. Justin Welby, Dr. Cornel West, Barbara Ehrenreich, Rachel Held Evans, and Robert Reich. As a partner site, The Beecken Center will offer all aspects of the conference—held at Trinity Church in New York City—in real time, via webcast. Participants can submit questions for speakers via email during the live Q&A sessions, and onsite reflection groups will be coordinated using materials prepared and provided by Trinity Institute. Register here.

16. The St. Olaf Choir, with 75 mixed voices, is the premier a cappella choir in the United States. For over a century, the choir has set a standard of choral excellence and remained at the forefront of choral artistry. Hear them at the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts, Emory, 1700 North Decatur Road, Atlanta. January 25, 3 p.m. Contact the box office at [phone] or [e-mail] for ticket information.

17. Georgia Network to End Sexual Assault, Georgia Council Against Domestic Violence, and the Georgia Commission on Family Violence announce Stop the Violence Against Women Day at the Georgia State Capitol, Tuesday, February 3, from 8:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Central Presbyterian Church, 201 Washington Street, SW, Atlanta 30303. Find all information and register here.

18. An English Afternoon Tea to benefit Decatur community outreach programs will be offered in two sittings, at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 8, at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, 515 E. Ponce de Leon Ave., Decatur. Refreshments include scones, sandwiches. and sweets. Tickets are $15 if purchased by Feb. 6 or $20 after that. Top of Form

A cookbook of recipes of foods served during at the previous 14 annual English teas will be available for sale. For tickets and to make reservations for four or more, call the church office at [phone].

19. Being the Church Together: Discussing Marriage, Sharing Faith: A Conversation with Brian Ellison and Paul Detterman, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta. Ellison, Executive Director of the Covenant Network of Presbyterians, and Detterman, National Director of The Fellowship Community, have been invited to model a Christ-honoring relationship between people who hold strongly opposing views on important issues (in this case, changes to the Directory for Worship language regarding marriage), but who are also deeply committed to maintaining a healthy relationship with each other as they serve together. The community is invited to attend this event which will include presentations, small group discussions, and Q & A. First Atlanta is located at 1328 Peachtree Street, Atlanta 30309. Parking is available directly across the street and will be validated.

20. Mikell Folk School with keynote speaker Bishop Keith Whitmore, Friday, February 27- Sunday, March 1, 2015. It fills up fast! See the registration form and schedule here.

21. Georgia Center for Youth and Families in Hampton is now registering students for their STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) afterschool program. Students receive daily homework assistance, tutoring, hands-on science labs, instruction in computer coding and web design, robotics, math, cooking, and more- and free school pick-up from a number of schools. Find out more here.

22. Do you know a high school junior or senior who could use up to $2,000 to prepare for college? The Baptist Joint Committee is once again sponsoring a religious liberty essay contest for high school juniors and seniors. The grand prize is $2,000 and a trip for two to Washington, D.C. Second prize is $1,000 and third prize is $250. The topic has been announced. March 6 is the deadline. Read all about the contest here.

Peace,

Ethel Ware Carter