Church Action eNewsletter Week of October 31, 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  October 31, 2016

 

 

1. Tomorrow night, Wednesday, Nov. 2, Newtown is screening for one night only as part of a nationwide event followed by a live telecast into each theater of a panel including parents and first responders from Newtown.   The panel will be moderated by CNN anchor Chris Cuomo and will cover issues surrounding gun violence as well as collective trauma and healing.  Just click on the link below; it will take you to the list to find a theater near you.  The Perimeter Point 10 Theater is the venue in Atlanta. Odyssey is encouraging the faith to view and then join in its Impact Campaign next year working in the area of preventing gun violence and also in supporting faith leaders as they face communal trauma after a mass shooting or any form of communal disaster.  Information.

 

2. Lunch on Main with First Baptist Church of Tucker will be exploring A Christian’s Guide to Islam through Nov. 16, with Michael McCullar, executive pastor of Johns Creek Baptist Church, leading the discussion. Wednesdays, 11:30 a.m., lunch is $5 and you can make reservations by calling  [phone] ext 216.  

 

3. EIRO’s first ever Pop-Up Lab! Pop-Up Labs are an introductory version of the Spiritual Formation Labs offering exercises for healthy community engagement. Many of us feel a deep need to be good neighbors, to extend hospitality to people who are different--newly arrived refugees or our neighbors experiencing homelessness. It is a daunting challenge. This Pop-Up Lab offers healthy postures, principles, and practices to help you “welcome the stranger.”  Try on some unfamiliar shoes and spend time making some new friends. And you will be fed. The Pop-Up Lab will take place on November 3, 6 -8 p.m., at 2367 Main Street, Tucker 30084. Purchase tickets (dinner included) here.

 

4. The Aquinas Center will host Michele Broemmelsiek, Vice President, Catholic Relief Services, to deliver the Women as Peacekeepers lecture, Thursday, Nov. 3, 7:30 – 9 p.m., Candler School of Theology, Rita Anne Rollins Bldg. Room 252, 1531 Dickey Drive, Atlanta 30322.  Reserve a ticket here.

 

5. You can give to Grady simply by eating lunch or dinner at the Taco Mac locations at Lindbergh or in Midtown on Friday, Nov. 4. 10% of your tab will be donated to Grady.  All you need to do is write Grady on your receipt and give it to the hostess when you depart.  You can check out the menu and get directions here. 

 

6. The Rev. Dr. Paul Wallace, an ordained Cooperative Baptist Fellowship pastor and teacher of astronomy any physics at Agnes Scott College, is the featured preacher on Day 1, Sunday, Nov. 6. His sermon “When God Shows Up” is based on Job 19. Visit Day1.org to find your local station and hear or read the sermon now. 

 

7.  In the past seven months William Barber, James Forbes, Traci Blackmon, and Sister Simone Campbell traveled to 22 states, hearing testimonies of people. The tour garnered the support of tens of thousands of people of faith and moral courage, including over 3,100 clergy who have signed on to the “Higher Ground Moral Declaration.”  Sunday, November 6 at the historic Riverside Church, 490 Riverside Drive in New York City there will be a national revival-- a national call to prayer, healing, action, and to vote. Not in NYC? You can join via live-stream here..     

 

8. Restoring Religious Freedom Conference: Law, Religion, Equality, and Dignity, November 6 and 7, Emory School of Law, Hunter Atrium, Sunday, Nov. 6, 7 p.m.; Monday, Nov. 7, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Douglas Laycock, an internationally-recognized religious liberty scholar, will deliver the keynote address on Nov. 7 at the Center for the Study of Law and Religion's first religious freedom conference. Other speakers include W. Cole Durham, Jr., founding director of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies at Brigham Young University Ján Figeľ, EU Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief, and Peter Kmec, ambassador of the Slovak Republic to the United States. More information can be found here here.  Register here.

 

9. For those congregations and ministries serving veterans and military families, this year, Army OneSource assists in offering a free webinar series during Joining Forces Wellness Week, Nov. 7-13.  These will be offered each day of the week and are open to all service providers who serve the military population. The hour-long presentations will feature subject matter experts from medical schools, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, and others who will focus on topics regarding the unique health care needs of service members, their families, veterans and caregivers. To learn more and to register, visit this website.     

 

10. Home Is Where the Heart Is: A Conversation About Seniors Moving from Their Homes, Second-Ponce de Leon Baptist Church, 2715 Peachtree Road, Atlanta 30305. Some questions can be challenging. Should I move? What kind of setting is right? Why do our family members seem to want us to move? What is a retirement community really like? All are invited on Thursday, Nov. 10, at 10:30 a.m., to the Fellowship Hall to explore some of those tough decisions. Presentations will be followed by lunch. Enjoy a delicious meal and ask your questions during a panel dialogue. Registration fee is $5.00 which includes lunch, a raffle, and more. Registration is required. Contact Vicki McCaskey at [e-mail] or [phone] to register.

 

11. The Cathedral Book Store will host Dr Catherine Meeks for a book launch party Thursday, Nov. 10, 7 p.m. Her book is called Living Into God's Dream: Dismantling Racism in America. She's the editor, some of the writers in the book will accompany her for this special event. Dr. Meeks is the chair of the Diocese of Atlanta's Commission for Dismantling Racism.    

 

12. St. Paul Lutheran Church Fresh Anointing Dance Ministry presents 5th Annual Dance Fest: It's Time for a Revolution, Saturday, November 12, 3:00 p.m. at the church at 2569 Tilson Rd, Decatur.  

 

13. Come out to Ben Hill United Methodist Church and join in the big 40^th year celebration of the extraordinary Majestic Choir, Sunday, Nov. 13, at 5:00 p.m. We hear the anniversary Reunion Concert of praising God through song is a must-see event! Ben Hill UMC, where the Rev. Dr. Byron E. Thomas is pastor, is at 2099 Fairburn Rd., SW, Atlanta.  Be blessed by your favorite songs of the past and present.

 

14. Egg-Onomics Breakfast Series at All Saints’ Episcopal Church features James Wells, CEO of Canterbury Court, Tuesday, November 15, 7:30 a.m., Parish House. Wells will talk about "The Economics of Aging: Beyond Dollars." All are welcome to join this conversation and enjoy a hot breakfast buffet provided by the Men of Hope at Covenant Community. The cost is $5. To sign up email [e-mail].

 

15. How can we do more to help Atlanta’s homeless? Join Crossroads on the rooftop of Six Feet Under for conversation and drinks with Crossroads Executive Director Tony Johns, 685 11^th Street NW, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 6-7:30 p.m. All are welcome, all over 21. Suggested donation of $20 includes snacks and a beverage. R.s.v.p. here. Contact Caroline for more information. 

 

16. The Unruly Mystic: Saint Hildegard, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 7:30 p.m., Aquinas Center, Oxford Road Presentation Room, 1390 Oxford Road, Atlanta, 30322.  This is an inspirational 65-minute documentary of how the filmmaker Michael Conti reaffirmed his life’s creative work when he fell in love with a 12th century Saint. Over fifteen people share stories of how Saint Hildegard influenced their own lives.  The filmmaker traveled internationally to capture many of the stories you will hear in this film.  Following the film, there will be a conversation with the filmmaker on Hildegard as "patron saint of creativity". 

 

17. CHRIS 180 is hosting a community wide youth homeless outreach event Wednesday, November 16, 12-3 p.m. at the Freight Depot in downtown Atlanta.  Your help is needed.   A 2015 GSU study documented 3,347 homeless youth in metro Atlanta: 28% self-identify as LGBTQ, 27% were formerly in foster care, 49% reported prior sexual abuse. The goal is to help 300 homeless youth at this event with services offered by community partners as well as a warm meal, clothing, needed supplies, and housing, education, and employment resources.

 

• CHRIS 180 is recruiting volunteers and collecting backpacks (need 120 more), hygiene items, hoodies (150), energy bars, etc. that can fit into a backpack and MARTA Breeze cards.  Email [e-mail] with donations or to volunteer.  Thank you Delta Air Lines for providing 300 airline blankets!!! 
• This is an opportunity for you to do something tangible to help. If you can’t volunteer or don’t have time to pick something up and get it there, you can make a donation to help purchase MARTA Breeze cards or provide emergency funding to get a kid off the street while safe housing is found. In the designation box of the donation form, simply type in Homeless Youth.  Donate to the CHRIS 180 Homeless Outreach event   

 

18. Fall Chili Cook-Off for the Clarkston Community Center, Saturday, November 19, 2:00 - 5:00 p.m., 3701 College Avenue, Clarkston 30021. This is a fun event of a chili competition, with chili tasting, drinks, prizes, and vendors. Celebrate fall and cast your vote for the best chili in town. For tickets, click here.

 

19. Everyone is invited to the Decatur Cooperative Ministry annual ecumenical Thanksgiving service, Sunday, Nov. 20, beginning with a simple meal of soup and bread at 5 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall behind Columbia Presbyterian Church. After the meal the worship service will include special music, congregational singing, and testimonies from families that DCM has helped out of homelessness or the threat of homelessness. DCM helps families facing homelessness settle into safe, stable homes and build healthy lives filled with peace, hope, and opportunity.

 

20. Alif Institute and The Center for Civil and Human Rights will host a reception for Ibitsam Barakat as she shares her book “Balcony on the Moon.” Nov. 20, 3-5 p.m. Her book is a memoir detailing her life as she came of age in Palestine, 1972 – 1981, a politically turbulent time.  The book explores important themes of equal rights and education for girls. This is a free event, but you must R.s.v.p. here.

 

21.  Paper Quilling for Christmas and other occasions is a workshop designed to teach beginners the art of quilling. Each participant will receive a kit which includes all supplies needed and will begin by making an ornament. Instructions and handouts will be given to make other designs. Quilling is easy and fun to do. Devotions will be based on the Advent themes of peace, joy, hope, and love. Class size limited to 14. Monday- Wednesday, Nov. 28-30, at Lutheranch, just outside Atlanta. Registration.

 

22. Empowerment Resource Center Exploring Realistic Expectations: Emerging Strategies for HIV and Viral Hepatitis Co-Infection Symposium, part of the World AIDS Day Campaign, Dec. 1-2,  Loudermilk Conference Center, Atlanta. Keynote speaker is Dr. Carlos del Rio, Hubert Professor and Chair of the Department of Global Health at the Rollins School of Public Health and Professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Emory University School of Medicine. Georgia Department of Public Health and Emory University are supporting sponsors.  This symposium is open to all medical and allied public health professionals, as well as residents, fellows, and students.   Register here or call Lydie Marc at (4040526-1145 ext.106. 

 

23. Save the date for the Atlanta InterFaith Leaders Fellowship Eighth Annual Taste of Faith, Sunday, Dec. 4, 4:00 -6:00 P.M., Unity Atlanta Church, 3597 Parkway Lane, Norcross 30097, [phone]. 

 

24. Sandy Springs Christian Church has started a new worshiping community called The Table. Meeting at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday evenings, The Table is a community that comes together in a more modern, laid back, conversational setting to worship God, learn more about the Christian faith, and grow closer to one another. The weekly service meets outside (weather-permitting) at Sandy Springs Christian Church and welcomes all to come to the table. Find out more at sandyspringscc.org and at The Table at SSCC.

 

25. Are you interested in volunteering to prepare taxes? Consider becoming a VITA Volunteer this tax season. As a VITA volunteer, you will have the opportunity to make a difference in your community to help both individuals and families. >>Learn More 

 

26. Registration is open. Trinity Institute 2017: Water Justice will equip faith communities with actionable guidance on the water justice issue of rising tides, as well as those of access, droughts, pollution, and flooding. For more information about the conference, including speakers, schedules, and how to attend—in New York City, at a Partner Site near you, or by hosting a Partner Site— visit the updated website for Trinity Institute 2017: Water Justice

 

Visit our website for a complete community calendar, links to the Toolbox  for Mental Health Ministry, websites for daily devotionals, and many other resources. We will be happy to include your announcements in an upcoming eNewsletter. Send them to [e-mail].

Peace,

Ethel Ware Carter

The Regional Council of Churches of Atlanta, Inc.

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