Church Action eNewsletter Week of September 4, 2017

[RCCAtl]

Church Action eNewsletter

Week of September 4, 2017

God calls us to some things we cannot do alone.

Regional Council of Churches of Atlanta

website with Community Calendar

 

Please check Community Events for the coming weeks. There are so many opportunities to have fun, learn, worship, create community, and make a difference.  Community Calendar.

 

1. The Rev. Amos Disasa of Downtown Church in Columbia, S.C., is the featured preacher on Day 1 this week, Sunday, Sept. 10. You can read or hear the sermon and find many text, audio, and video resources at Day1.org. Tune into WSB 95.5 News or 750 AM every Sunday morning at 7:05 to hear Day 1.

 

2. David Gushee, author of “Still Christian: Following Jesus Out of American Evangelicalism” in conversation with Barbara Brown Taylor. Gushee speaks to cultural divisions and to those who have themselves been disillusioned by many battles within American Christianity. He highlights the turning points and decisions that we all face. As he takes us through his sometimes-amusing, sometimes-heartbreaking journey, he shows us that we can retain our faith in Christ even when Christians disappoint us. He is Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics and Director of the Center for Theology and Public Life at Mercer. Noted preacher, speaker, and author Barbara Brown Taylor spent fifteen years in parish ministry before becoming Butman Professor of Religion at Piedmont College, where she taught world religions for nearly twenty years. Atlanta History Center, 130 West Paces Ferry Road NW, Atlanta 30305, Tuesday, September 12, 8:00 p.m. Get Tickets

 

3. Pianos for Peace is an annual festival of music using colorful, painted pianos to inspire artists and unite people in the community through shared values of beauty, truth, and harmony.

Beautifully painted pianos are in public parks and streets throughout metro Atlanta from September 1 – 18, for everyone and anyone to enjoy. The pianos will be donated to local schools, nursing homes, healthcare facilities, and community centers where volunteer artists will participate in programs to make art accessible to all. Read more...

 

4. Remember that next week is Suicide Prevention Week and the National Day of Prayer for Faith, Hope & Life is September 10. Read about the observance and find resources from the Lutheran Suicide Prevention Ministry here.

 

5. "The Quest for Truth in a Technological Age: The Evolving Dialogue Between Science and Religion," Thursday, September 14 at 7 p.m., Technology Square Research Building (in Tech Square), 5th and Spring Streets, 85 5th Street NW, Atlanta  30308. Presented by Dr. John D. Cressler a longtime friend of the interfaith community. The presentation is free and open to the whole community.

 

6. You are asked to register by Sept. 15 for the Reclaiming Hope Through Remembering: a Memorial Pilgrimage to a Martyrdom Site, Saturday, Oct. 28, 8:45- 4:45. The Beloved Community: Commission for Dismantling Racism for the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta and The Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing invite you on a pilgrimage to the historic Chestnut Grove Baptist Church in Athens. (map) Click on the link above for all information. For pilgrims leaving from Atlanta, a bus will depart from St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church in Morrow at 7 a.m. Others plan to meet at Chestnut Grove Baptist Church, 610 Epps Bridge Parkway, at 8:45AM. The cost is $10 and includes lunch.

 

7. Latin American Association, the American Immigration Lawyers Association, GALEO, and the New Americans Campaign present Citizenship Day, September 16, at the LAA, 2750 Buford Highway, Atlanta 30324, free legal assistance to legal permanent residents to complete the naturalization application.  Walk-ins are welcome but priority will be given to those who register at the LAA, Mon-Thurs. 8:30 a.m. - 3 p.m., or online at http://galeo.org/citizenship (in English) or http://galeo.org/ciudadania (in Spanish). For eligibility requirements for U.S. citizenship and for a list of the documents needed to complete the application, visit here.

 

8. Mental Health Awareness in the Body of Christ: Building a Church Community That Cares About Mental Health, Cascade United Methodist Church, 3144 Cascade Avenue SW Atlanta 30311, Sept. 16, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. This forum features the Rev. Dr. Gerald Durley as speaker and a panel of mental health professionals moderated by Dr. Kevin Murriel. The event includes resource tables for attendees to get more information about mental health services.

 

9. The 40th Annual International Student and Scholar Welcome Reception will be held on Saturday, September 16 at Georgia Tech Student Center Ballroom, 350 Ferst Drive, Atlanta 30332, from 2-4 p.m.  The event is sponsored by the Atlanta Ministry with International Students, Inc. (AMIS) and Georgia District Kiwanis. The Kennesaw State University Jazz Trio will provide music and Carrabba's of Kennesaw is the sponsoring caterer.  The event is free to the public to help welcome international students studying in Georgia colleges and universities.  Contact Dené Dixon at [e-mail] if you have questions.

 

10. Come out for a great evening at First Christian Church of Atlanta, 4532 Lavista Road, Tucker. The first annual Cornbread Jamboree on Saturday, September 16, 6 - 9 p.m., promises festivities including a chili and cornbread dinner, live music, and jokes. Wear your country attire (overalls, flannels, straw hats, etc.).  Price of admission is a pot of chili or a pan of cornbread.  For more information call [phone].

 

11. Atlanta’s third National Race Relations Forum, Sunday, Sept. 17, 2 p.m., Big Bethel AME Church, 220 Auburn Avenue, NE, Atlanta 30303. You are invited to worship at 11 a.m. before the forum and there will be refreshments before the forum begins. This forum is organized by Bishop John Bulinda and Stuart-Sinclair Weeks. Contact Rev. Bessie Donaldson at [e-mail] if you have questions.

 

12. The Circle is a gathering at Grace Church in Gainesville of individuals who seek to practice and explore the dimensions of contemplative prayer. The first gathering will be Sunday, Sept. 17, at 6:30 p.m.  Fr. Stuart Higginbotham will facilitate.  The current session is scheduled for four consecutive Sundays: September 17, 24, October 1, and 8. The Chapel entrance is on Washington St. If you have questions contact Fr. Stuart at [e-mail].

 

13. Jane Baird Lecture, September 21, 7 p.m. The Cathedral Book Store, located at the Cathedral of St. Philip, 2744 Peachtree Rd. NW, is pleased to welcome Carl McColman as the speaker for its annual Jane Baird Lecture. The title of his lecture is "The Christian of the Future Will Be a Mystic." McColman, a noted writer, speaker, and retreat leader, is a Lay Cistercian at the monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers. His book Befriending Silence: Discovering the Gifts of Cistercian Spirituality was the Winner of the 2015 Georgia Author of the Year Award for best Religious/Inspirational Book. For more information, visit www.carlmccolman.net. Book  signing and refreshments will follow the event. The book store will be open.  All are welcome at this free event but reservations are requested.  Click here to R.s.v.p.You may also reply to [e-mail] or [phone].

 

14. Dr. Angela D. Sims, author of “Lynched: The Power of Memory in a Culture of Terror,” will lecture on Thursday, Sept. 21, at 7:p.m. at All Saints’ Episcopal Church. The book chronicles the history and aftermath of lynching in America. By rooting her work in oral histories, Dr.  Sims gives voice to the memories of African American elders who remember lynching not only as individual acts but as a culture of violence, domination, and fear. The event is free but registration is required.  Register here.

 

15. Don’t forget to let your congregation know about the Georgia Department of Public Health/Shepherd Center Annual Fall Prevention Awareness Day Sept. 22. This free event is fun and offers complimentary health screenings, information, giveaways, lunch, flu shots, parking, and more! Shepherd Center, 2020 Peachtree Road. Friday Sept. 22, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Sponsors include Georgia Department of Public Health, Shepherd Center, Grady Health System, Division of Aging Services, and others.  

 

16. Heart & Soul Annual Barbecue, Saturday, Sept. 23, 11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m., Church of the Holy Family (map) Prepared by the famous Holy Family Holy Smokers this long-time family event will be loads of fun! Lunch can be delivered to your employees for $10 each from 11-1 p.m. Dinner on the grounds includes music! Price includes barbecue, Brunswick stew, slaw, homemade desserts, and drink. All proceeds benefit local charities. Prices: $10 lunch, $12 dinner. Please R.s.v.p. by 9/20 by calling [phone] for tickets. 

 

17. You are invited to celebrate the International Day of Peace at the Roswell Branch Library, 115 Norcross St., Roswell 30075, on Saturday, September 23 from 2-3:30 p.m. Organized by the Women’s Federation for World Peace-Atlanta, GA Chapter, the event will explore how we can take action and implement changes in our own lives that reflect the peace we wish to see in the world. The presentation will focus on how we can connect, cooperate, and work together to heal our families, communities, and the world. For more details, contact Myrna Lapres, GA Co-Chairwoman at [e-mail] 

 

18. The second annual Voices for the Earth concert is Saturday, September 30, at 7:30 p.m. at Holy Trinity Parish in Decatur. Free and open to the public, the concert features folk, worship, and choir music in a celebration of the community of life. This event is handicap-accessible with ample free parking in the church lot and on surrounding streets. This event is sponsored by  Holy Trinity Parish, North Decatur Presbyterian Church, Decatur First United Methodist Church, First Baptist Church Decatur, and Agnes Scott College.

 

19. Registration is open for the October 10 Georgia ACT Annual Fall Affordable Housing Conference, State Bar of Georgia, Atlanta.  Register Here  

 

20. Praying, Contemplating, and Healing with Beads is a full day workshop at Lake Logan Conference Center (map) exploring the history and art of using beads in prayer. The Oct. 12 event will be led by Kristen Vincent, author of A Bead and Prayer: A Beginner's Guide to Protestant Prayer Beads and other books, and Max Vincent, author of A Joyful Lent: Reading Philippians in a Season of Self-Denial and pastor of Inman Park Church UMC. Click here to register.

 

21. Register early if you plan to attend the Camp Mikell Fall Folk School, Friday- Sunday, Oct. 20-22. See the class offerings and find registration information here. If you have any questions, call Amanda Price [phone] or send an email to [e-mail].

 

22. As you plan commemorations of the 500th Anniversary of Luther’s 95 theses remember the wonderful resources for celebrations or classes at the Pitts Theology Library, more than 60,000 images from 15^th through the 19^th centuries available online. Explore here.

 

Visit our website for a complete community calendar, links to the Toolbox  for Mental Health Ministry, websites for daily devotionals, and many other resources.

 

Peace,

Ethel Ware Carter

The Regional Council of Churches of Atlanta, Inc.

[e-mail]

 

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