Church Action eNewsletter Week of March 28, 2016

[RCCAtl]

God calls us to some things we cannot do alone.

Regional Council of Churches of Atlanta

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Church Action eNewsletter Week of March 28, 2016

 

 

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. We remind you of the importance of faith communities and clergy to those who have a mental illness. Visit the Clergy Tool Box for Mental Health Ministry at www.chipgeorgia.com for ways you can prepare and educate yourself and your congregation, ways you can welcome people with a mental illness as full members of the body of Christ, and ideas of ways to serve and advocate for them. If you have questions please email [e-mail] or [e-mail]

 

1. A Public Conversation with Rev. Dr. Otis Moss, Jr. and Rev. Dr. Otis Moss, III will be this Thursday, March 31, in conjunction with the Conference on Ministers and Laity at Morehouse College.  The community is welcome to attend this much-anticipated event. If you have questions email [e-mail] .

 

2. Church Women United in Atlanta Monthly Meeting, 9:30 a.m., Friday, April 1, Peachtree Christian Church, 1580 Peachtree Street, NE, will feature a distinguished speaker, Dr. Catherine Meeks formerly a professor at Wesleyan College and faculty member of Mercer University. She is the chairperson of the Commission on Spiritual Growth for the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta. This newspaper columnist, radio commentator, former teacher of Jungian psychology, and author will focus on health and wellness.  Light refreshments will be served and there is no cost. Free parking in the rear parking lot on the corner of Spring Street. All are invited. For further information contact Claudette Rainey [e-mail], Dr. Erna Bryant [phone], or Savannah Potter-Miller [phone]or [e-mail].

 

3. The Faith-Rooted Community Organizing Workshop, April 1 at the Cathedral of St. Philip, Atlanta. Led by Lisa Sharon Harper, Sojourners; this workshop equips all people of faith - whether clergy, students, teachers, seekers, young or old - to marshal their unique gifts and bring them to bear on social justice issues and the common good. Cost is $20 and includes lunch and refreshments. Contact the Rev. Laura Bryant at [e-mail] if you are planning to attend. Clergy participants will receive four contact hours toward Continuing Education Credits. Register here.

 

4. Zentangle® Art Workshop with Fran McColman, Sunday, April, 2-5 p.m., Congregation Bet Haverim, 2074 Lavista Rd, Atlanta 30329. This fun and relaxing new art form increases focus and creativity while reducing stress.  There’s no wrong way to do it, and everyone can do it. Come release your inner artist – even if you think you don’t have one!  Class investment is $50 and includes a mini-kit so you can tangle at home. Registration is required in advance for planning purposes.  To reserve your spot, send an email to [e-mail]. 

 

5. L'Arche invites us to build relationships with people of all abilities and believes that our differences enrich the lives of us all. Not your Grannie’s Bingo at Oakhurst Baptist Church, 222 East Lake Drive, Decatur, is one of a series of social community events for adults with intellectual disabilities and all who come for fellowship. This Saturday, April 2, 5:30-8 p.m. Bring a savory to share, desserts will be provided and lots of prizes. Do let L’Arche know if you plan to come by emailing [e-mail].

 

6. The Rev. Peter W. Marty, senior pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Davenport, Iowa, and publisher of The Christian Century, is the featured preacher on Day 1 this week, April 3. His sermon for the second Sunday of Easter is Seeing is Believing. Visit DAY1.ORG to find your local station, read thought-provoking posts on current issues, theological questions, and spiritual practices, watch inspiring videos, hear classic radio devotionals, and much more.

 

7. Farmers markets are opening and FARM returns to St. Benedict’s, 2160 Cooper Lake Road, Smyrna, on April 5. It will operate on Tuesdays from 4:30 to 7 p.m. through October 25. Vendor fees support the ministry of Path To Shine ®. Check out FARM's website for weekly promos and specials.

 

8. Morehouse School of Medicine and the Department of Community Health and Preventive Medicine invite you and your community partners to participate in the Community-Based Solutions to End Violence – A Public Health Summit, April 6, on the MSM campus.  This year’s Dr. Daniel S. Blumenthal Annual Public Health Summit includes a town hall meeting and tools to address the elimination of violence in our communities.  Registration to attend is required and limited scholarships are available for community-based organizations.  For more information contact the registrar at [phone] or [e-mail]. For scholarship access, please register as a MSM Community Partner and use code 8SMf6sMd1.

 

9. The Hart Readers at the Cathedral Bookstore resumes Wednesday, April 6, at 6:30 p.m.  Jennifer Waters will lead a discussion of James Joyce's Dubliners.  2014 was the 100 year anniversary of this acclaimed collection of short stories. Cathedral of St. Philip, 2744 Peachtree Road, Atlanta 30305.

 

10. New Life Covenant Church of Atlanta will host its second “Back to the Garden, Out of the City,” conference April 7-8.   This year’s event features Rev. Jennifer Harvey, author of the explosive Dear White Christians:  For Those Still Longing for Racial Reconciliation, as well as Navajo Native American Rev. Mark Charles, who will delve into his Doctrine of Discovery, which explores this nation’s treatment of First Nation peoples.   For further information, or to register for the conference, please go to http://newlifecovenantchurch.org/center-for-reconciliation-restoration/, or call [phone].

 

11. The Crime Victims Advocacy Council, a faith-based organization that serves crime victims in Atlanta, will host a Memorial Service for all those who lost a loved one to violent crime on Sunday, April 10, 5 p.m. at First Baptist Church, 308 Claremont Rd. Decatur. The name of a loved one can be called in to [phone]. See www.cvaconline.org for more info.

 

12. TACC 2016 Meaningful Conversations Event Can We Turn the Other Check?  Therapeutic, Civic, & Spiritual Responses to Violence is April 14, 6:15 p.m., St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 435 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, 30308. Hors d'oeuvres at 6:15, panel discussion at 7. Local pastors, mental health professionals, as well as legislative and community activists will share their opinions and experiences. Rev. Dan Matthews, rector at St. Luke's, will moderate. More information and tickets are at www.trainingandcounseling.org

 

13. Links for LAMB golf tournament, hosted by St. David’s, St. Aidan's, and the Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit, will be held on May 2, at the beautiful Trophy Club of Atlanta.  All proceeds from this tournament will directly benefit the children of the LAMB Institute.. Sign up here or email the tournament coordinator at [e-mail].

 

14. Calling all artists!  Children's Mental Health Awareness Week Art & Poetry Competition --​ If you are a child or a youth with an interest in art or creative writing you are invited to participate in Georgia Parents’ Support Network's Annual Art & Poetry Contest .  The work will be displayed during Children's Mental Health Day at the Capitol on May 5.  Prizes will be awarded to the winning entries.  Submit all entries with a completed entry form before April 15, 2016.    For more information email Sheena Biggerstaff.  

 

15. DeKalb County residents are invited to gather in the honor of those living with a mental health condition and their loved ones. Come to the Decatur Square May 6 at 7:00 p.m. for a Street Theater with the vigil at 7:30. Wear green and bring a blanket or lawn chair. Sponsored by the National Alliance on Mental Illness DeKalb County. For information call [phone].

 

16. Care and Counseling Center of Georgia offers Preparing for Marriage Workshop, Saturday, May 7, in the Family Life Center at Second-Ponce de Leon Baptist Church, 2715 Peachtree Road, Atlanta 30305.  To register contact [e-mail] or call [phone], x400.

 

17.   Holy Cross Anglican Church’s Annual Charity Golf Tournament is May 9 at Northwood Country Club, Lawrenceville. Proceeds benefit Pre-K Scholarships and food banks. More later here or visit www.hcanglican.org/brotherhoodgolf to register now.

18. In Our Shoes, Tuesday, May 17, Carter Center 2016 Dorothy C. Fuqua Lecture. The public is invited but space is limited.  Preregistration is required. The lecture begins at 7 p.m.  Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter will open the lecture with welcoming remarks. Speakers include former U.S. Congressman Patrick Kennedy, Virginia Senator Creigh Deeds, and Julie Hersh, author of the book Struck by Living: From Depression to Hope.

19. International Human Trafficking Institute Summer Teach-In: How to Plan, Strategize and Ignite College Students for Activism, July 22-23, The Center for Civil and Human Rights, 100 Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard, Atlanta 30313. The IHTI invites students and youth activists to Atlanta for this workshop. The strategies and principles may be applied toward addressing any social injustice. The program fee of $100 covers meals, materials, and two nights housing. A limited number of partial scholarships are available, email [e-mail]. Applications should be filled out and sent to [e-mail]. The deadline to apply is April 15, 2016.

20. New life at Easter, Epworth at Candler Park, UMC after more than 100 years has merged into Druid Hills UMC and the new congregation celebrated Easter as New Church, permanent new name later, at 1561 McClendon Avenue, NE, Atlanta 30307. “We thought we could be better together than apart,” said the Rev. Alvin Lingenfelter, pastor of Epworth. “We’re really excited about this new life that has been given us to be able to reimagine what it means to be a church, within and for a community,” said the Rev. Dave Allen Grady, pastor of Druid Hills. New Church will still be a United Methodist congregation, but Allen Grady said it’s important that they be a welcome and hospitable place for interfaith relationships. New Church is planning to focus on its strengths, families with youth, music and arts, and outreach and social justice to attract new people to its community. The church will attract the many young families who make the area home. Music and the arts are gifts of both congregations. With the 5 at 5 music show on Sundays, Rhythm and Blues month, Broadway Month and more, both pastors say they’re looking to elevate their musical activities and hope people from Candler Park and the surrounding areas continue to wander in as the music moves them.  A third area they’d like to make central to New Church is social justice and helping others.

 

Visit our website for more information and resources including a community calendar.

 

Peace,

Ethel Ware Carter

The Regional Council of Churches of Atlanta, Inc.