| |
 |
|
You Are Needed!
by Mary Evans, Chair of the Nominating Committee
The work of the Presbytery is guided by a supportive cadre of Presbyterians from different congregations who focus on a particular area of ministry. These committees and commissions strategize, research, plan, support and make decisions that guide the Presbytery in accomplishing its mission.
Each year 50-60 committee and commission members rotate out of service and must be replaced. Please prayerfully consider offering your talents and time to this work.
Click here to find descriptions of committees/commissions and complete a
Volunteer Interest Form (VIF) to let the Nominating Committee know of your interest and talents.
Pastors, please announce this need and include one of the below inserts within your church bulletins throughout the summer to inform congregants about these opportunities. Click
here for a full-page bulletin insert, or click
here for a half-page bulletin insert.
The Nominating Committee starts working in August to secure nominees for positions that begin in January. Terms are ordinarily 3 years.
Questions? Contact Joy Fisher,
[email protected] or members of the Nominating Committee. Thank YOU!
|
|
Commissioned Ruling Elder Training Program
by Donna E. Wells, Stated Clerk
This summer, the Presbytery is launching a Commissioned Ruling Elder training program in an effort to meet a growing need for creative pastoral leadership in some of our smaller churches. This program will run for one year beginning on July 13. Daylong workshops will be scheduled once a month from 9:30-3:30 to cover the many areas of pastoral ministry.
If you are an elder, and have felt a call to ministry upon your heart, but never went to seminary, God may be calling you to explore being a Commissioned Ruling Elder. We would love to have a conversation of exploration with you! Please contact Joy Fisher (
[email protected]) or Donna Wells (
[email protected]) for more information.
|
|
|
2019 Presyberian Youth Triennium
On July 16, 37 Presbytery of Greater Atlanta Youth and Adults will be traveling to Purdue University for the 2019 Presbyterian Youth Triennium (PYT). PYT is a gathering held every three years for high school age students in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Youth from all churches (across the sponsoring denominations) come together for this life changing, life giving, faith growing gathering! Five days that help form a younger generation of active Presbyterians. Five days that shape the leadership gifts and deepen the discipleship awareness for a generation already achieving a strong presence in this church and this world!
Destiny Williams, McDonough Presbyterian Church, is leading students from the following churches in our presbytery:
Alpharetta Presbyterian Church
Emory Presbyterian Church
Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church
Loyd Presbyterian Church
McDonough Presbyterian Church
Oakhurst Presbyterian Church
Presbyterian Church of the Resurrection
Radcliff Presbyterian Church
Summit of South Fayette
Please keep this group in prayers July 16-20 as we prepare to dig in to this year's
theme inspired by the hymn, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. Pray as we experience God's love in a way that is so powerful and compelling that our youth and leaders are moved to say, "Here's my heart." Pray that together we will learn what it means to serve Christ with our intelligence, energy, imagination and love.
|
|
|
Come Experience International Ministry...
by Joy Fisher, Congregational Consultant
...right here in Greater Atlanta! Our August 17 Presbytery meeting will be hosted by Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church and Memorial Drive Ministries (5140 Memorial Drive, Stone Mountain).
We are excited to invite you to come see first-hand the many opportunities for partnership with international neighbors on the campus of Memorial Drive. We will be treated to music and worship leadership by members of four diverse Presbyterian worshiping communities (MDPC, Shalom International Ministries, Zo Presbyterian Church and Chin Presbyterian Church). You will learn about the many varied neighboring ministries of MDM, including a bakery co-op, sewing classes, adult literacy,
Inspire after-school program, and more - and how your church can support, as well as benefit from, international ministry right here in Clarkston/Stone Mountain.
Oh, and after the meeting, please plan to stay for a FREE LUNCH, of eclectic international cuisine!
|
|
Small Group Leaders Needed for Montreat Middle School Conf.
Are you interested in being a Small Group Leader for Montreat Youth & Middle School Conferences? Organizers for Montreat Conference Center's Middle School Conference are looking for Small Group Leaders to help facilitate. This conference is July 17-21 at Maryville College. Click here for more information and to fill out an application.
|
|
Decatur Hosts Trinity (Decatur) During Transition
by Tamara Stewart
Trinity Presbyterian Church-Decatur has officially moved out of our Candler Road location and is worshipping at Decatur Presbyterian Church in downtown Decatur. 1706 Candler Road, and all God did with us in that place, will be in our hearts forever. We are excited for the new paths God is leading us towards and are so grateful for Rev. Dr. Todd Speed, his staff and congregation for welcoming us during our time of transition. All are invited to come worship with us each Sunday at 3pm. We look forward to seeing you!
|
|
|
Welcome to David's Court
by Ebenezer Alonge, Organizing Pastor of David's Court
New Church Development Commission (NCDC)
David's Court is a New Worshiping Community under care of the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta by way of the New Church Development Commission of the PC(USA). It started online over a year ago when Ebenezer Alonge began leading Monday services via Facebook Live, WhatsApp, and Instagram (now with approximately 500 regular participants).
OUR VISION is to help young people in the Atlanta area, with special focus on immigrants and their children, African Americans and others to worship in non-traditional space, so they may know God personally, serve Him passionately, and become productive ultimately. We want to support young people to discover, polish, utilize and maximize their God-given dreams, visions and talents for self- reliance and sustenance, for positive societal transformation, to the benefit of their immediate societies and the world at large.
OUR DESIRE is to raise and mentor young Christians, who are transformative, productive, self-sustaining, and entrepreneurial, who will in turn raise other leaders in their communities. This will drastically reduce gun violence, and other anti-social activities in Atlanta Area.
STARTING 07/07/2019
MEETING DAY: Every Sunday
Time: 5pm
Venue: 701 S. Columbia Dr. Decatur, GA 30030
ALSO, ONLINE EVERY MONDAY at 10pm
Coordinating Pastor:
Ebenezer Alonge
Phone: 678-353-8744
|
|
|
Sharing Pastoral Resources
by Cassandra Morrow, Congregational Consultant
In September 2018, Dallas-Dodd Presbyterian Church in LaGrange experienced uncertainty after their pastor of 13 years accepted a new call. Seeing a need to be met, Rev. Jan Tolbert, Interim Associate Pastor at First PC LaGrange, volunteered to moderate Dallas Dodd session meetings.
What about pastoral leadership on Sunday? Prayers were answered when Loyd Presbyterian Church agreed to share their full-time pastor/Head of Staff, Rev. Rix Threadgill, during the summer of 2019.
Rev. Rix Threadgill graciously agreed to preach and lead worship every Sunday at 9:00 AM from May 26 - September 1, 2019. Rix (Loyd PC) and Jan (First PC
LaGrange) will share pastoral care responsibilities and conduct any funerals.
The Presbytery of Greater Atlanta is grateful to these two pastors for partnering with a church in need. Loyd and First LaGrange are to be commended for sharing pastoral resources with their sister congregation, Dallas-Dodd. Thanks be to God!
|
|
|
PGA Highlights
- Druid Hills Presbyterian Church was highlighted in Presbyterians Today Magazine. Read now.
- NEXT Church featured an article by Gad Mpoyo, organizing pastor of Shalom International Ministry (a new worshiping community). Read now.
-
Artwork by Lauren Wright Pittman (
@lewpstudio
, www.lewpstudio.com) was featured on the cover of Mission Crossroads's Summer 2019 issue. View now.
-
Scott Weimer was featured in Presbyterians Today. Read here.
-
Catherine Meeks and Nibs Stroupe just released a book called Passionate for Justice: Ida B. Wells As Prophet for Our Time. Find it here.
|
|
|
Big Tent Conference 2019
by Donna E. Wells, Stated Clerk
The Big Tent conference will be in Baltimore, Maryland, August 1-3. The theme is from Romans 12:2, Called to a Movement Beyond Institution
. Everyone is invited to come and enjoy learning and worshiping together at the Inner Harbor area in Baltimore. Be a representative from your church or ministry! Registration and additional information is found here.
Our very own Dr. Tony McNeill (Johnson C. Smith, Oakhurst PC) will be the music worship leader and Rev. Amantha Barbee (pastor of Oakhust PC) will be leading a plenary on transformation.
|
|
Job Opportunities
The presbytery has a page dedicated to advertising employment opportunities within our congregations and partnerships. If you would like to browse opportunities or submit a new opening click here.
|
|
Click here for the Calvin Center's programs.
|
The next newslett
er
will go out July 29. Articles will be accepted through July 15. The following newsletter will go out August 31. To request space for an article, email your Congregational Consultant or Mark Sauls at
[email protected]
. Click here to view submission guidelines.
|
|
Top graphic attribution:
Patrobulus, Hermas, Linus, Caius, Philologus of the 70 Disciples, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=56974 [retrieved July 1, 2019]. Original source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Patrobulus,_Hermas,_Linus,_Caius,_Philologus_of_70_disciples_(Menologion_of_Basil_II).jpg.
|
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
