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A Message from Our New Stated Clerk
by Andy James, Stated Clerk
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“In life and in death we belong to God.” While these opening words of our Brief Statement of Faith are very recent, they echo the apostle Paul to remind us of the wonder, majesty, and grace of God. I can think of no better summation of the faith of the Reformed tradition that shapes our life together as Presbyterians.
This deep affirmation of our shared faith is also deeply personal for me, as it speaks to how God’s presence is the ground and source of my own life, too. I have experienced this presence in new ways in my response to this call to serve among you. The search committee offered an incredible space for discerning the movement of the Spirit as they listened to voices within and beyond this presbytery to explore how the work of the Stated Clerk can support the mission and ministry of this presbytery and most especially its congregations and leaders. The presbytery staff have shown me gracious and generous hospitality in their welcome to me that beautifully reflects how Jesus invited others to follow him. Your outgoing Stated Clerk Donna Wells has offered me God’s presence in sharing her deep knowledge and generous spirit. And in my early visits with all of you in congregations and meetings, you have offered me a broadening vision of how God is at work within and beyond the church in the ways that you are working and worshiping together.
In all these ways, I have been reminded that in life and in death I belong to God. While much is shifting in this season of life for me and for all of us, I pray that we will continue to see reminders of all the many ways that in life and in death we belong to God, and I look forward to sharing those stories with you along the road ahead. Thanks be to God!
Andy
[email protected]
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1001 New Worshipping Communities Day
by Rev. Saranell Kracht Hartman
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June 6, 2022 has been declared “1001 New Worshiping Communities Day” by the Presbyterian Church USA. This day has been set aside to recognize the commitment of the PCUSA to start new churches. The Presbytery of Greater Atlanta, through the work of the New Church Development Commission (NCDC), has over 25 new worshiping communities – one of the largest concentrations in the country! This means we have a lot to celebrate and care for.
NCDC, the commission of 22 teaching and ruling elders, is committed to supporting the birth of new worshiping communities in our presbytery. Establishing a new worshiping community requires an extraordinary amount of resources, wisdom, and creativity. NCDC has prepared a liturgy for your worship service to recognize and celebrate the NWCs in our Presbytery. You are invited to remember the work of new church development in your worship services and to pray for those leading and guiding these communities. You can also visit the website (www.ncdcatlanta.org) for more ideas and opportunities to get to know and celebrate our 25+ new worshiping communities.
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Town Hall - Vital Congregations Initiative
Mark #2 - Intentional Authentic Evangelism
by Aisha Brooks-Johnson
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Dear VCI Family,
First and foremost, please know that we are praying for you as leaders who are constantly caring for others. The past few weeks have been filled with violence and pain that has rendered us speechless. We pray that you find the space needed to breathe, process, lament, and remember the depths of God’s love especially in difficult times.
Second, I wanted to pass along an opportunity to engage the topic of Intentional Authentic Evangelism for our next virtual town hall gathering. Below you will find the information and the Zoom registration. We would love for you to attend and pass along to members in your church who may find it helpful.
May the Lord continue to grant you strength and peace,
ABJ
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Tuesday, June 7th – 10am-11:30am (ET) - ZOOM
A Conversation on Intentional Authentic Evangelism with Ray Jones, Director of the Office of Theology, Formation, and Evangelism, PCUSA
Please join us for a conversation on evangelism and ways we can engage in practical tools to share our faith with the world. To learn more about the 8 Habits of Evangelism resource, please visit www.8habits.org.
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEvdu2vqjosHdVX7XKlEWNhTVNU4gN4sy2s
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
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PGA Clergy Crowdsource Zoom Meeting Dates | |
The PGA Clergy Crowdsource Zoom meeting will continue on the second Wednesday of the month from 12pm to 1pm. For the Zoom link, contact the Executive Presbyter or your Congregational Consultant.
If you are a pastor and would like to join the Facebook group, you may click here and request to join. You do not have to join the group to get a link to the meeting.
- June 8
- July 13
- August 10
- September 14
- October 12
- November 9
- December 14
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Starting on June 1st, the offices of the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta will be open to the public by appointment only. Here are the standards we will uphold from now through the end of the year:
- Committee meetings will remain on Zoom or off-site.
- Staff will continue a hybrid work schedule.
- Small group meetings no larger than 10 people are permitted.
- Masks are strongly recommended.
Our office will be closed on Monday, June 20th, in observance of the Juneteenth holiday. A special service will be observed during the 225 General Assembly (ga-pcusa.org/juneteenth).
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by Donna E. Wells, former Stated Clerk | |
Our first hybrid Presbytery meeting!!! All went very well and we are grateful to the great folks of First in Peachtree City with special thanks to Robert Hay, Mark Sauls, and Marthame Sanders for the tech support in making this possible!
Several highlights to report:
- Our theme was Mark 2: Intentional Authentic Evangelism. Our guest preacher, Rev. Dr. Kathryn Threadgill, preached a powerful sermon.
- We welcomed 3 new ministers into the Presbytery.
- We commissioned Tom Whitworth to serve First Bremen Church.
- We got a taste of the ministry of Oikos.
- Our offering went to support Presbyterian Disaster Assistance in their work with Ukraine and the ministry WASH.
- We elected our new Stated Clerk, Andy James.
Our next Presbytery meeting will be Tuesday, August 16 and will be held on Zoom. Hope to see you then.
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During General Assembly, commissioners will be attending their various committees in person in Louisville, KY, during the month of June, while plenary will be virtual beginning on July 5. ALL are able to tune in by going to the General Assembly website: ga-pcusa.org. Business for the Assembly may be found on PC-Biz www.pc-biz.org. Eighteen committees will be at work discerning the Spirit’s guidance on issues ranging from the environment to polity. Please keep them in your prayers. | | |
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Week 1 - In Person - June 19-24, 2022
Week 2 - In Person - June 26-July 1, 2022
Online Option - June 26-July 1, 2022
The Worship and Music Conference at Montreat is an intergenerational conference for children, youth, adults, pastors, directors, organists, pianists, instrumentalists, dancers, ringers, worship leaders, choir members, and anyone who loves and takes part in the worship and music of the church. Our own Aisha Brooks-Johnson will be the keynote speaker for the conference. Click here for more information.
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Click here for information on JCSTS Good Trouble Series in June. This course is designed to educate and empower voters who understand critical dynamics around race in the area of civic engagement. | Click here for information on the Urban Presbyteries Network annual conference, July 28. | |
Columbia Theological Seminary has elected its 11th president, Rev. Dr. Victor Aloyo. Click here to read the press release. | June 27 - July 1 - The Digital Ministry Summit provides an in depth look at hybrid worship, online church, virtual community, and more. Remember, if you register 5 people, it only costs $25! Click here for more information. | |
Click here for the June newsletter of the Peace & Global Witness partnership. | |
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Each month we are taking the time to pray for our churches and new worshiping communities throughout the year. Please take a moment each week to lift up the following communities in prayer:
6/5- Alpharetta, Atlanta Taiwanese
6/12 - Austell, *4Pointes Church
6/19 - Barnesville, Bethany
6/26 - Buford, Carrollton, *Atlanta Good Church
*Denotes New Worshiping Communities
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The Presbytery Staff will never email you asking for money or gift cards. If seeking donations, staff will direct you to the Presbytery website or invite you to mail a check. If you have any suspicion, please reach out to one of us directly before responding! Stay safe in cyberspace! | |
Click here for CTS's Center for Lifelong Learning courses and events.
Click here for the Calvin Center's programs.
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The presbytery advertises employment opportunities within our congregations and partnerships. If you would like to browse opportunities or submit a new opening click here.
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The next newsletter will go out July 7. Articles will be accepted through June 22. The following newsletter will go out August 1. To request space for an article, email your Congregational Consultant or Mark Sauls at [email protected]. Click here to view submission guidelines.
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Top Graphic Attribution:
Kossowski, Adam. Veni Sancti Spiritus, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=56946 [retrieved June 2, 2022]. Original source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/paullew/8750321716 - Fr Lawrence Lew, O.P..
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