Church Action eNewsletter Week of May 27, 2019

[RCCAtl]

Week of May 27, 2019
The Regional Council of Churches of Atlanta, Inc.

God calls us to some things we cannot do alone.

There are so many opportunities for service, worship, education, enrichment, connection in the next few weeks. Take a look at the Community Event Calendar on our website and celebrate all the good things that people of faith are doing. www.RCCAtl.org. You will also find the last few weeks' editions on our home page www.rccatl.org.

1. Smart Lunch, Smart Kid. Nearly one million Georgia children qualify for free or reduced breakfast and/or lunch at school. What happens in the summer? This crucial meal disappears. See what Action Ministries is doing and how you can help.

2. To hear a Catholic priest and Jewish rabbi telling jokes to an audience of 1,000 people, to hear the Islamic Call to Prayer sung from a Jewish temple’s pulpit, and to hear Sikh, Universalist Unitarian, Episcopal, Protestant and Mormons speak from the same pulpit . . . the annual Ecumenical Thanksgiving Celebration is a shining example of cooperation, brotherhood and sisterhood, and building the trusted friendships. The 15th service is being planned now. This service is held in Cobb County. Do you want to be a part of the planning? Have a look at the vibrant service from 2017 here. Email [e-mail] to get involved.

3. HealthTec: Why Health Equity Matters, hosted by Healthcare Georgia Foundation, Thursday, May 30, 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. During this interactive webinar, three Georgia-based community health experts will share their experiences, successes, and challenges in addressing health equity in their work with vulnerable populations and community coalitions in the metropolitan Savannah area, Lumpkin County, and other rural communities in in the state. Register

4. The Rev. Dr. Rodney Petersen, executive director of the Lord’s Day Alliance of the U.S. and executive director of Cooperative Metropolitan Ministries in Boston, is the featured preacher June 2 on “Day 1” with host Peter Wallace, the nationally broadcast ecumenical radio program also accessible online at Day1.org and via podcast. “The Sabbath and Social Renewal” is Petersen’s sermon for June 2. Hear it in Atlanta Sunday at 7:05 a.m. on News 95.5 and 750 AM WSB. For more information, check Day1.org.

5. New American Pathways offers June 1 & 18 Volunteer Orientations at their office. R.s.v.p. to an orientation here.

6. Project Understanding, from the Atlanta Black-Jewish
Coalition, ensures that relationships between Black and Jewish thought-leaders and decision-makers continue with the next generation. Project Understanding 2019, August 10-11, Peachtree City, is open to Black and Jewish young professionals between the ages of 25-39 who live in the Metro Atlanta area. The application due date is June 7. For more information about the Atlanta Black-Jewish Coalition, please click here. Application

7. Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership’s fifth year of Neighbors Together, half-day of training for neighborhood leaders in association with NeighborWorks Week. This year’s event is focused on resident leaders and young adults working together for stronger communities. Creating inter-generational partnerships to identify and respond to community needs. Developing leadership potential. Creating opportunity for young adults through better money management and communication skills. June 8, 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., GSU - Perimeter - Decatur Campus, 3251 Panthersville Rd, Decatur 30034. Find registration and more information here.

8. Celebrate the Celebrate the life and legacy of L'Arche founder Jean Vanier and honor his work on behalf of people with disabilities around the world. After the service, we'll share a feast in the joyful spirit of community! Holy Trinity Parish, Decatur, Saturday, June 8, 5:30 p.m. All are welcome to join in this celebration. Please bring a cold side or dessert to share. The main dish will be provided, so please R.s.v.p. See More

9. Founded by award-winning actor Max McLean, Fellowship for Performing Arts is a not-for-profit New York City-based production company producing theatre from a Christian worldview to engage a diverse audience. In Atlanta, June 8-9 with C.S. Lewis’s “The Screwtape Letters.” More here.

10. You are invited to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Bishops Storehouse & Home Storage Center Open House and Tour, June 13, 2 – 4 p.m. and 6 – 8 p.m., 4823 North Royal Atlanta Drive, Tucker 30084. This Tucker location is the central storehouse providing inventory to 9 other church-owned locations in the SE. Run mostly by volunteers, the storehouse provides assistance through the church’s welfare program, provides food to local nonprofit organizations and church food pantries, is open to the public for purchase of bulk emergency food supplies, and works with VOAD in natural disaster cleanup and relief. For more information contact Tom Owen [e-mail] or Kent Davies [e-mail]

11. The Annual Beer Tasting & BBQ Battle is a collaborative effort of the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation and Atlanta Legal Aid Society to promote awareness, generate enthusiasm for, and raise friends and funds to support critical legal aid programs administered by each organization. Guests will have the opportunity to sample craft beers and indulge in delicious barbecue as esteemed Atlanta chefs battle it out to win the title of Best Barbecue in Atlanta. Thursday, June 13, 6 – 9 p.m., Park Tavern, Piedmont Park. Tickets

12. “The Mask You Live In” is a movie on raising boys and young men with healthy masculinity. Discussion afterwards on an inter-generational mentoring approach, in collaboration with church, home, school, and social entities. June 14, 7 p.m. Spiritual Living Center of Atlanta, 3107 Clairmont Rd, Suite A. For more information email [e-mail]. Open to everyone.

13. The Coalition of Refugee Service Agencies will host its annual World Refugee Day celebration at Refuge Coffee on June 15 from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. R.s.v.p. on Facebook here.

14. The 80+ teenage members of the youth choir at Shallowford Presbyterian Church will present their annual homecoming concert on Saturday, June 15, from 4 to 5 p.m. at the church. The concert is open to the public and free of charge. The event caps the choir’s annual 10-day tour with a homecoming concert delivered with great gusto as a gift to the church and the community in appreciation for their support. Enjoy the choir’s new program Peace, Hope & Unity. Saturday, June 15, 4:00 – 5:00 p.m., Shallowford Presbyterian Church, 2375 Shallowford Road, Atlanta 30345. .7 miles east of I-85 in central DeKalb County.

15. The Festival Singers of Atlanta close their 2018-2019 season with a cabaret fundraiser entitled “A Night on Broadway” Saturday, June 15, at 7:30 p.m. at Northside Drive Baptist Church Fellowship Hall, 3100 Northside Dr. NW, Atlanta 30305. The program features songs from Broadway musicals. Tickets are $20 per person, available online or at the door. Desserts and soft drinks will be served. For more information, check www.festivalsingersofatlanta.org.

16. Michelle Alexander will give a public lecture at the Multi-Faith Movement to End Mass Incarceration, Monday, June 17, at 5:30. She initiated a national conversation around the New Jim Crow and she’ll be at the conference to break it all down. Early bird registration has been extended to June 1 - $50! Find at more here.

17. Space is limited so register early for STARVE WARS. Three billion people around the world live in poverty and face hunger on a daily basis. In the drought-stricken West African nation of Burkina Faso, 29% of children under the age of 5 suffer from malnutrition. Friday, June 21, at Georgia International Convention Center, the Archdiocese of Atlanta’s Justice and Peace Ministries and Catholic Relief Services need your help to fight hunger at the fourth annual STARVE WARS meal packing event. Registration is required and space is limited, so sign up today here.

18. youthSpark is gearing up for a robust summer engagement program and they need you! If you'd like to volunteer or learn more about available opportunities, visit Volunteer Engagement Form and they'll be in touch. If you have not completed the 101 volunteer training, sign up for the next training on June 25. Space is limited, R.s.v.p. soon. More about youthSpark.

19. St. Mary's Sewanee: The Ayres Center for Spiritual Development is sponsoring a one-day retreat July 13 called “Forest Bathing with Painting Response.” To learn more about this amazing experience, including registration information, click here. See the full range of offerings at www.stmaryssewanee.org/calendar/

20. Registration is now open for Harvest of Hope, an ecumenical, intergenerational weekend retreat hosted by Society of St. Andrew in Georgia at Pinnacle Retreat Center in Clayton. Participants will reflect, worship, and take action around the themes of food insecurity, food waste, and food recovery. Gleaning apples marks one highlight of the event. Cost is $100. Sign up your group at endhunger.org/hoh-registration/ September 20-22.

21. The “Community Clergy Training Program Digest” is a publication of the Veterans Health Administration Office of Rural Health and National VA Chaplain Center Rural Clergy Training Program. Beginning in 2020, the Digest will be published twice annually. Committed to increasing your knowledge of critical issues related to Veteran care, your comments and any helpful information are welcome. Contact [e-mail]. Or subscribe here.

Remember that all events previously announced go into the Community Calendar on our website. Visit www.rccatl.org for the calendar, the Clergy Tool Box for Mental Health Ministry, and more.
Peace,
Ethel Ware Carter