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The EP's Corner
Aisha invites you to check out the Montreat College Conference January 2-5, 2019.
Click here to visit the Facebook page or
click here for more information.
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Upcoming Stated Meeting featuring PC(USA) Stated Clerk J. Herbert Nelson as Guest Preacher
by Donna E. Wells, Stated Clerk
Please mark your calendars for the February 9th Stated Meeting of the Presbytery. We will gather at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Atlanta from 9:00 until 2:00. We are delighted to welcome the denomination's Stated Clerk, Rev. J. Herbert Nelson as our preacher for the day. Rev. Nelson will preach on our theme of "Passion." The meeting will include a question and answer period, so we may engage Rev. Nelson with our concerns, joys and simply discuss the state of the church in these times.
Please be on the lookout for the handbook, which will be posted on the website on January 25. You will also find all the overtures from the General Assembly to be voted on at the Presbytery meeting. Lunch will be served by advance reservation for which we will send out information in mid-January. Hope to see you there.
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The volunteer food sort is a great service opportunity with a huge material impact. We will sort, box and palletize a min. of 10,000 lbs of food and household items to be distributed in ACFB's 29 county service area the following week. We have a minimum of 30 slots to fill.
Click here to sign up!
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Want to be a 2020 General Assembly Commissioner?
by Mary Evans, Nominating Committee
WHO ME?
Yes, YOU
Calling Teaching and Ruling Elders for service as Commissioners to the
224th General Assembly in Baltimore June 20-27, 2020. Before
February 15,
Please complete the Volunteer Information Form and the General Assembly Commissioner Interest Form found here.
Couldn't be!
Can't serve this time?
Then, WHO?
Suggest those who would/could serve with energy, intelligence, imagination and love and
invite them to complete the two forms
. Or, send names and contact information to the Nominating Committee at
[email protected]
before
February 15
. Please and THANK YOU!
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Interim Ministry Clergy Group Forming
by Joel L. Alvis, Pleasant Hill Presbyterian Church
Are you an interim pastor? Do you serve in a ministry setting of transition? Are you interested in the topic of leadership transition?
If you are interested in actively serving in an interim capacity, join other interim or transitional pastors on Tuesday, December 18 from 10-11:30 am at the presbytery office for an organizational gathering.
Executive Presbyter the Rev. Aisha Brooks-Lytle will join us as we learn of our ministry contexts and discuss the ins and outs of ministry in the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta.
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Your Generosity is Appreciated!
by Chip Blankinship, Director of Operations
 The staff and leaders of the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta want to thank all of our congregations, pastors, elders, and all who support the presbytery for your generous support of the ministry we share. In 2018, you, together, have made it possible for great things to be done for God's kingdom in the greater Atlanta area. You are greatly appreciated.
As we approach the end of another year in ministry together, we ask that you continue in whatever ways you are able to support our shared ministry. We cannot do the ministry we do - and aspire to do - without all of us working together.
Again, thank you for your support. May the remaining days of Advent be deeply meaningful, may the joy of Christmas light your paths and your souls, and may 2019 bring even deeper and more joyful shared ministry within the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta.
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Songs of the Shepherd, III Concert
by Nancy Scott, Crossroads Presbyterian Church
At Crossroads Presbyterian, Pastor Richard Allen Farmer celebrates each year he pastors our congregation by presenting an evening concert. This year the concert will be on January 19 at 5:00 PM. We delight not only in his preaching, but also in his amazing gift of playing the piano and the wide-ranging musical styles he presents and enjoys.
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 Work Crews for Hurricane Michael Relief in Florida and Georgia
by Richard Hill, Covenant Presbyterian Church
Decatur Presbyterian is leading a trip to North Florida to repair the Presbytery camp for a staging ground for Presbyterian Disaster Assistance. There is plenty to do for all skill levels. They invite others to join the effort February 15-22 (part of the week or Friday through Presidents Day are also options).
Flint River Presbytery also has tremendous damage especially in Bainbridge and Donaldsonville, GA. They can rent
excavators or skid steers but need folks
who operate them. Tractors and 30-35"
chainsaws are also needed. Accommodations are available for work crews. Contact Richard Hill ([email protected]) or Elizabeth Cantrell (
[email protected]).
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Covenant Presbyterian Hosts Mitchell Sunday on #metoo Movement Sunday, January 27th, 2019
by Rev. Katie Owen Aumann, Associate Pastor at Covenant Presbyterian-Atlanta
Covenant Presbyterian Church is pleased to host Mitchell Sunday: #metoo/#churchtoo, a dialogue about women, the #metoo movement, and the church's response, on Sunday, January 27th, 2019. We welcome Rev. Aisha Brooks-Lytle, Executive Presbyter of the Greater Atlanta Presbytery, as our preacher during worship at 11am. Lunch and a panel conversation will follow to open a dialogue on women's experiences across generations and responses to the #metoo/#churchtoo movement today. Worship is open to all. RSVPs for lunch are desired via this online
link.
The Mitchell Series at Covenant is funded by an endowment from the Mitchell sisters to further education, advocacy, and dialogue by, about, and for women. Covenant Presbyterian is located at 2461 Peachtree Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30305. Parking is available in the Peachtree Battle upper deck off Terrace Drive, just south of the church.
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Programs for Everyone at Calvin Center!
by Cheryl Hartman, Director of Program Development, Calvin Center
 Calvin Center invites all friends, past staff, past campers and past retreat attendees to come to Calvin for a Saturday afternoon/evening on December 29, 2018 beginning at 1 pm. Calvin Center and Camp Calvin Reunion will be a time for enjoying regular camp activities, including s'mores! RSVP required: [email protected]. Reunion with Dinner $30 per person - Children 3-9 $15, under 3 free.
The Art of Transitional Ministry
is a Transitional Ministry Education Consortium event for anyone interested in Interim Positions and churches in transition. January 21-25, 2019. Click here for more information and to register.
Joining a church and exploring your faith is an important part of a youth's
Confirmation process. February 1-3, 2019. Calvin Center presents
Inside Out! The Sacraments as an Outward Expression of the Inward Reality of our Covenant with God.
Leadership by Rev. Jeff Davis. Click here to register your church.
Calvin Center, in partnership with the Outreach Foundation Small Church Initiative, is offering The Mustard Seed Gathering - Celebrating Small Churches. March 8-9, 2019. Join other small church pastors and ruling elders to focus on the challenges and blessings of the small church.
Click here for more information and to register.
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P4BG: Advocacy Training and "A Day at the Capitol"
by Leea Allen, Presbyterians for a Better Georgia
 Presbyterians for a Better Georgia presents Advocacy Training - Tuesday, January 29, 2019 at First Presbyterian Church Atlanta: Want to advocate for important issues but don't know how? Here you can learn key skills from the experts themselves. Learn how to advocate for access to healthcare and affordable housing, and develop effective ways to reach your state legislators.
Presbyterians for a Better Georgia and Central Presbyterian Church host a "Day at the Capitol" - Wednesday, February 6, 2019: Join P4BG for a morning of advocacy training, issue briefings, a photo with the Governor, and meetings with your elected representatives. Together we will advocate for better access to healthcare and affordable housing. Whether you've been to the Capitol many times or you're completely new to advocacy, this event will be an inspiring, informative, and meaningful way for you to get involved.
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Migration and Border Crossings Conference Feb. 7-9
submitted by Mark Douglas, Professor of Christian Ethics, Columbia Theological Seminary
 Columbia Theological Seminary and Emory University's Center for the Study of Law and Religion are excited to co-host a multidisciplinary conference on immigration, Migration and Border Crossings, on February 7-9, 2019 at CTS.
Juan Felipe Herrera, Poet Laureate
of the U.S. from 2015 to 2017 and winner of the 2008 National Book Critics award, and Emilie Townes, a distinguished womanist scholar and Dean of Vanderbilt Divinity School, will give the opening and closing keynotes. The conference will bring together leading theologians, legal scholars, artists, and leaders of faith communities to explore global migration.
Other notable presenters include: Kwok Pui Lan, Khaled Beydoun, Daniel Carroll, Kristin Heyer, Peter C. Phan, Todd Green, Rose Cuison Villazor, Jehu Hanciles, Heval Kelli, Azadeh Shahshahani, Mark Douglas, and Claudio Carvalhaes.
The conference features three plenary sessions that will explore the causes, processes and effects of migration from political, theological, legal, and religious perspectives, as well as workshops that will offer insights and tools for addressing immigration-related issues at many levels.
Organizations supporting the conference include the World Council of Churches and the Center on American-Islamic Relations.
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Association of Small Congregations 32nd Ann. Conference & Retreat
Epworth-by-the-Sea, St. Simmons Island, GA
March 15-17
Seven Biblical Marks of Vital Small Churches
Keynote: Kathryn Threadgill, Associate for Vital Congregations, Presbyterian Mission Agency
Churches are in a critical time of awakening, and smaller congregations - where the majority of Presbyterians worship - are on the front line of the Holy Spirit's powerful work of revitalization. Small church leaders have the flexibility and creative power to show the way to the Church that Jesus Crist is calling us to be. The Rev. Dr. Kathryn Threadgill has been working with PC(USA) congregations across the country to discern the faithful actions that increase vitality in even our smallest churches - and it turns out that the actions are right there in Scripture. Join us as we explore with Kathryn the seven Biblical marks that can help small congregations live into faithful discipleship and compelling mission.
The Association of Smaller Congregations (ASC) was organized in 1987 to serve congregations having fewer than 200 members. The group seeks to lift up these smaller congregations, offering tools and support, promoting their unique strengths and needs, and providing opportunities for fellowship, education, creative thinking and sharing. For more information and registration find us online at www.presbyasc.org.
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Pastor Group
by Chip Blankinship, Director of Operations
 This month, Pastor Group will meet on January 10 at 10:00 a.m. and will cover chapter 5, "Practice Sabbath Delight." Our discussion will be on the topic of sabbath and self care.
We have long believed that the best way to have healthy congregations is for our congregations to have healthy leaders. This season, we are studying together Peter Scazzero's book
The Emotionally Healthy Leader. Each month, we will begin with a brief discussion summarizing a chapter of the book. Then we will have a presentation and discussion around a related topic, given by leaders within our presbytery and beyond.
Please plan to join us for this series. We're excited about it, and hope that you will be, too!
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Jan. 19 - Songs of the Shepherd, III @ Crossroads PC
Click here for the Calvin Center's programs.
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The next newslett
er
will go out January 31. Articles will be accepted through January 21. The following newsletter will go out February 28. 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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