Church Action eNewsletter Week of October 5, 2020

[RCCAtl]

1. Jesse Hill Market, a collaboration between the Food Bank, GradyHealth, and Open Hand Atlanta, is a café + teaching kitchen + food pharmacy located next to Grady Hospital downtown. They are now open (safely) and serving grab & go lunch and snacks, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Learn more.

2. Interfaith Atlanta–Faith Alliance of Metro Atlanta [FAMA] offers us a weekly 30-minute midday reprise with a focus on peace, compassion, and kindness. Join this virtual contemplative program every Wednesday, 12:00 - 12:30 p.m. ET, starting Oct. 7, Zoom link.

3. Pitts Theology Library at Candler offers weekly workshops for students that would appeal to many others. This week's webinar, Information Overload: Deciphering, Analyzing, and Synthesizing Information, will introduce key components of information literacy and help you develop skills to identify, process, and information. Register here for Wednesday, October 7, 12-1 p.m. Reading for Writing webinar is now available on-demand.

4. “I AM Her Women's Leadership Summit 2020,” October 8-10, 2020, women coming together to be inspired, empowered, and equipped to do the work both, personally and professionally, within the United Methodist Church. Recognizing many are juggling work, virtual schooling, and more, on-demand recordings of the conference will be available afterward for all registered participants. Virtual conference, $39, CEUs available. Registration

5. The Cathedral Bookstore is hosting a series of conversations with local Episcopal priests. On Thursday, October 8, there will be a virtual conversation with Bishop Michael Curry, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church. https://zoom.us/j/96658685218 Meeting ID: 966 5868 5218

6. Concerts at First, visit First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta’s music website for information about the upcoming season. It begins this Friday, Oct 9, at 11:30 a.m. with the Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta, https://www.firstpresatl.org/concerts-at-first/

7. Women’s Retreat “Stories Jesus Told”, Oct. 9-11, a two-night women’s retreat at Ignatius House with Sr. Susan Arcaro centered on stories and parables Jesus used to convey a new understanding of God. $295 includes private room and bath, all meals, and 20 acres of woods for open-air solitude. All faiths welcome. Limited to 22 guests. Register at http://bit.ly/Oct9retreat, call [phone], or email Sue Chase, [e-mail]

 8. Are you ready to accept the 2020 Do Good Challenge from Orchard? Saturday, October 10, is the day. It is free, family friendly, and you can participate from anywhere. With more than 100 mini challenges to choose from, playing is easy! Register today with a team or play individually. Register here.

9. The Rev. Dr. Jarrod Longbons, senior minister of Peachtree Christian Church in Atlanta, is the featured preacher Oct. 11 on “Day 1” with host Peter Wallace, the nationally broadcast ecumenical radio program also accessible online and by podcast. His sermon for Oct. 11, “An Answer for our Ruminations,” is drawn from Philippians 4:1-9. Hear it in the Atlanta area on WSB News 95.5 and 750 AM at 7:05 a.m. on Sunday. For more information, see day1.org. 

10. The Cathedral of St. Philip presents an online recital Sunday, Oct. 11, 3:15 p.m., with Raymond & Elizabeth Chenault, duo-organ(organists emeriti, All Saints’ Episcopal Church, Atlanta). They will play Gaston Litaize, “Choral” (from Sonate à Deux), Rachel Laurin, Cantabile à Deux(world premiere), and Rachel Laurin, Fantasie á Deux. More info . . .  

11. Candler’s Women, Theology, and Ministry program will welcome Ingrid McIntyre, co-founder of Open Table Nashville and executive director of Open Table Nashville Village at Glencliff, and third-year MDiv student Luke Lea as the distinguished guest speakers for this year’s annual Women’s Forum, “The Journey of an Advocate Inside and Outside the Church.” Learn more and register for the Oct. 13 webinar.

12. Christian Unity Gathering “Breathing New Life into Our Nation: Repentance, Reformation, Reparation,“ from the National Council of Churches, Oct. 12-13. Featured will be Rev. Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes, Mercer University; author of I Bring the Voices of My People: A Womanist Vision for Racial Recon... and Rev. Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, Director, School for Conversion; St. John’s Missionary Baptist Church, Durham, NC; author of Reconstructing the Gospel: Finding Freedom from Slaveholder Religion. Rev. Dr. Otis Moss, III, senior pastor, Trinity United Church of Christ, Chicago, will preach. Find more information and registration at https://nationalcouncilofchurches.us/cug/

13.McDonald Lecture with Dr. M. Shawn Copeland, “The Political Imagination of Jesus,” Wed., Oct. 14, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. This event is made possible by the McDonald Agape Foundation, with support from The Aquinas Center at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology. This lecture explores Jesus’ vision in order to discern imperatives for authentic human living in our nation’s increasingly divisive and polarized social situation. This lecture is addressed not only to Christians, but to all women, men, and youth of good will who are concerned for our common home. Information and registration. 

14. Action Ministries invites everyone to Life Changers, Thursday, Oct. 15, 9 a.m. You can help end homelessness, fight hunger, and change lives. Register for the 2020 Virtual Life Changers Event at

www.lifechangersevent.com

15. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic the Monastery of the Holy Spirit retreat house is closed.  The monastery is offering Zoom retreats. Call the retreat house if you are interested in joining one of the Zoom Conferences.  The office is open Monday-Friday 8:00-1:30, the number is [phone]. Conversations with a Monk, Thursday, Oct. 15 – 6:00 to 7:30 p.m., features Br. Michael. This will be a time for sharing and answering questions. So be sure to have your questions ready! Virtual retreat on Zoom.

 

16. Weekend Retreat: Lord, Teach Us to Pray. Adults are invited to a silent retreat, Oct. 16-18, at Ignatius House, 6700 Riverside Dr. NW, Atlanta 30328. Although our experience of church has been impacted by the pandemic, we have an invitation to meet God precisely where we are. Sarah Otto, M.Div., leads reflections about the ways God invites us into our own inner chapel to encounter God. $295 includes private room and bath, all meals and use of 20 acres. All faiths welcome. Limited to the first 22 registrants. Information.

 

17. The Monastery of the Holy Spirit retreat house offers Zoom retreats. Call the retreat house if you are interested.  The office is open Monday-Friday 8:00-1:30, the number is [phone] SoulCollage and Spiritual Direction, Saturday October 17 - 9:30 AM and 2:00 PM - Alison Umminger. No artistic skills needed - just an open heart and a stack of magazines or images to choose from, glue stick or glue, scissors, and some 5x8 inch pieces of paper or cardboard. A combination of monastic and Jesuit practice will allow participants to travel inward and then go forth into the next month with greater self-knowledge, ready to engage positively with themselves and the world around them. 

 

18. Mennonite Central Committee represents fifteen Mennonite, Brethren in Christ, and Amish bodies in North America. This year they celebrate 100 years of relief, development, and peace and you are invited to participate. Oct. 17, 6:50 p.m. EDT, with videos, storytelling, music and a message of inspiration from longtime MCC leader and Pastor Leonard Dow. Find out more here.

 

19. From the Jung Society of Atlanta - “A Storytime with Robert Johnson” lecture by Nonnie Cullipher, Saturday, October 17, 7:30 on Zoom. Free for members; non-members $20; students $10. This lecture will visit Robert Johnsons favorite stories and Myths that he told at Journey into Wholeness over the years. Cullipher introduces a new collection of his stories that she has curated and published in a new book. Virginia Apperson and Pete Williams, two of the books contributors, will speak on their experiences and one of their favorite stories. For more information and registration go to jungatlanta.com

 

20. The Music at St. Luke's seriesbegins Sunday, Oct. 18, at 4:15 p.m., with an organ recital by former music associate, Charles Higgs, playing the Alston Memorial Organ. His performance will be followed by a Virtual Choral Evensong for the Feast of St. Luke sung by St. Luke's choirs with music by Craig Phillips, Matthew Cowgill, Charles Wood, and Ralph Vaughan Williams. For more information, contact Matthew Brown, Director of Music at [e-mail].  See St. Luke's Facebook https://www.facebook.com/stlukesatlanta and website www.stlukesatlanta.org.

 

21. Path To Shine10th Anniversary Celebration, Oct. 18, 5:00 p.m. Learn more about this program and why it is worthy of your support. The event will be virtual and will have food and wine presentations from three different culinary experts, music from singer-songwriter Charles Absher, and words from the Rt. Rev. Rob Wright .Register Here This event is free, but they suggest a $30 donation.

 

22. Sharing Our Stories: Tools for Renewing the Body of Christ, from Center for Lifelong Learning at Columbia Seminary, Oct. 19 – Nov. 13, 2020. As churches began to move toward resuming worship and people return to work and school, one pastoral need is certain to emerge. Congregants will want to tell the story of what living in lockdown was like, those with whom they sheltered, how they coped, and what they learned. These stories need to be told and heard, to honored, held up, and prayed with, to be mined for the rich store of meaning they hold. To help church leaders, participants in this four-week online course will practice the power of storytelling as a process to unite communities around shared experiences of the pandemic and shared experiences of the biblical story. Coursework will consist of brief readings, examples of musical and visual stories, and weekly storytelling videos created by participants. Register.

 

23. Registration is open for the Interfaith Children’s Movement Interfaith Prayer Celebration and Children’s Sabbath, Oct. 25, 4 – 5 p.m. This virtual event will be hosted by Cassandra Henderson, recipient of several awards including the John W. Rustin Award for preaching, Berta & James T. Laney Award, and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award. Marian Wright Edelman, who helped organize the first Interfaith Call to Action Prayer Breakfast for Children, will return for an interview with youth. Register here.

 

24. Day of Reflection: Our Daily Bread – Hungering for God. Silent day of reflection for adults, Oct. 29, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. at Ignatius House, 6700 Riverside Dr., NW, Atlanta 30328. This year has brought up longings for community, for stability, and for hope. Spend a day in prayer with Sarah Otto, M.Div., reflecting on your spiritual hunger and God’s promise of daily bread. $65 includes presentations, time alone in prayer, lunch, use of 20 acres, and a concluding liturgy. All faiths welcome. Limited to the first 22 registrants. http://bit.ly/Oct29retreat

 

 

25. Hospice Atlanta’s Camp STARS online Friday–Sunday, November 6-8. When someone dies, people grieve and may struggle to cope with life without their loved one. Camp STARS family bereavement camps are designed to help people understand they are not alone and that their feelings of loss are normal. It provides a HIPPA-safe, user-friendly, virtual camp environment, specifically designed for adults and children, grouped separately. For more information or to register, call [phone] or visit www.vnhs.org/hospice-atlanta/camp-stars.

 

26. Save the date for FACE 22nd Virtual Homeownership Fair, Nov. 14, 9 a.m. -1 p.m. There is no cost to attend and registration is open now. There are limited seats. More information.

 

27. The Emory Police Homeless outreach team and the GSU Homeless outreach Team are conducting a clothing drive.  H.O.P.E. Teams are short for "Homeless Outreach Proactive Engagement."  There are times when a homeless person is hospitalized and upon discharge finds their clothing may have been discarded because their belongings couldn't be maintained clean and sanitary for storage and or return.  In those cases, the H.O.P.E. Team may be asked if they have any clothing that might help such a person.  Having clothes to sort through on those occasions helps a great deal. They try to keep 3 coats in the trunk of the police cars during the winter so that if they come across someone without one and clearly in need of warmth, they may be able to help.  Clothing for men, women, and children –even shoes – is needed. If your church or ministry would like to help, a team can pick up the donations.  They can also use empty backpacks and hygiene kits for men & women.  Please contact Sergeant Corrigan [e-mail] or Lt. Thomas Manns [e-mail] you want to help.

 

28. There is another open round for the United Way/Community Foundation COVID Response and Recovery Fund.  The application is online here  https://response.unitedwayatlanta.org/.

Atlanta COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program. English Flyer  Spanish Flyer

29. Hospice Atlanta Bereavement Services offers a 6-week grief. The free course provides a unique, professionally-facilitated opportunity for participants to process specific areas of their grief experience, while connecting and sharing with others in a closed, structured, small-group setting. For more information or to register, contact Chandelle Carter, [phone] or [e-mail].
30. The UNICEF report, “Toxic Truth,” mentions that about one in three children in the world is exposed to lead. There are many ways for you to be exposed and soil is one of the m. In partnership with Georgia Department of Public Health, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, and Georgia Adopt-A-Stream, Emory is offering free soil screening to anyone in Georgia who’s interested. They welcome you to bring samples from at most two sites of your choice before Sunday, Nov. 15. Read more.