In September, our family had a chance to do a first-time campus visit to Presbyterian College with Ellington. It was great to see college students volunteering to greet prospective students as they considered their options for higher education. I couldn’t help but to think of the importance in taking the time to invest in our leaders of tomorrow. Thanks to PC alum Brad Bryant, a seed was planted for Ellington to begin thinking about schools that will shape him as a student, as an athlete, as a person of faith, and as a human being. 

While he is only a junior, it is never too early—or too late!—to invest in leadership training and development. Each of us must take the time to encourage, support, and remind leaders that their gifts make a difference in the world. As we enter this season of celebrating Empowered Servant Leadership, it is my prayer that we will take advantage of the training opportunities in our presbytery and beyond, and it is my hope that we will take the initiative to inspire unsuspecting leaders among us, no matter their age or stage in life. 

-ABJ

#EmpoweredServantLeadership

#YouAreVital

#YouAreLoved

Join our new Stated Clerk, Andy James, for Conversations with the Clerk, a series of opportunities to share information and get to know one another. We will also have a chance to learn more about what has been going on in the larger church through the work of the General Assembly (GA). Come be a part of the conversation!

• Saturday, October 1, 9am: GA Actions on Church Issues - register here
• Monday, October 24, 7pm: Church Discipline in the Book of Order - register here - with special guest Donna Wells from the Rules of Discipline Task Force
• Saturday, January 7, 2023, 9am: Book of Order Amendments

In Case You Missed It:

• August 22's session: General Assembly Actions on National/International Issues

Rev. Chip Blankinship, Director of Operations and Congregational Consultant, has announced his intent to retire at the end of the current fiscal year, January 31, 2023. The Personnel Committee has formed a search committee to seek qualified candidates and make a final recommendation to Council regarding staffing the position. Some rearrangements among staff functions are being made. The new position is titled Director of Finance and Property, and it is a 30-hour per week position, with benefits. Ministers and lay persons will be considered.

Your help is needed! Please view the job description for the position and share the link with others who may be interested in applying. Questions and indications of interest may be directed to the search committee at [email protected].

International Peacemaker Pastor Helivao Poget of Madagascar will visit the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta in person October 7- 9, 2022. Please R.S.V.P. by October 5, 2022.

Friday, October 7, 11:30 am - 1:30 pm - lunch program at Columbia Presbyterian Church, 711 S. Columbia Drive, Decatur

Saturday, October 8, 4 - 6 pm  - program (with light refreshments) at Pleasant Hill Presbyterian Church, 3700 Pleasant Hill Road, Duluth

Sunday, October 9, 9:30 - presentation and worship at Alpharetta Presbyterian Church, 180 Academy St., Alpharetta 

Sunday, October 9, 12:30 - 2 pm - lunch program at Covenant Presbyterian Church, 2461 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta

No charge for lunch/refreshments. To RSVP for an event, please email Karen Turney at [email protected]. For additional details about opportunities to visit with Rev. Poget, contact Karen Turney, [email protected] or Rena Marroquin, [email protected].

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.

• October 12
• November 9
• December 14

The Grants Committee is pleased to announce that we are currently receiving applications for the Diaconal Ministry Grants, a grant opportunity which includes what were previously known as the Compassion and PATH grants. The application form is a fillable .pdf file that can be completed without printing and scanning. (If you are unable to complete the online application, please send a request to [email protected] and a text copy of the application will be sent to you.)

The application, which is available here, is due by midnight on Sunday, October 16. The committee will meet soon after that date to review grant submissions.

We look forward to receiving your applications, and to learning about the innovative and life-changing ministries taking place in our midst.

All active ministers of the Word and Sacrament and others serving in pastoral roles are required to complete Boundaries Training at least once every five years. The next opportunity to fulfill this requirement is coming up on Tuesday, October 18, from 12:30-3:30. The deadline to register is Thursday, October 13. This particular session is designed for ministers serving in congregational settings and will be facilitated by Rev. Holly Tickle. Topics will include navigating the waters of social media boundaries, appropriate friendships with parishioners, sexual misconduct prevention, child protection, self care, and more. Register now! Contact Stated Clerk Andy James at [email protected] with any questions.

What? A time to reconnect with your peers (pastors, validated, HR, Christian educators) over lunch as we gather regionally around the presbytery.

How? A quiet area in a local restaurant where you can select/purchase or bring your lunch.

When/where?

• Intown Clergy - Wednesday, October 19th at 9am around Peachtree Battle Shopping center area

• Eastside Clergy - Wednesday, October 26th at noon around Scott Blvd/Medlock area

• Northside Clergy - Wednesday, November 2nd, at noon around Holcomb Bridge/400 area.

• Southside and Westside - TBD

More info on locations to come! If you are willing to host and/or have suggestions, please contact Jane ([email protected]).

To all elders, deacons, and clerks of session:

We invite our officers to join us for a presentation and officer training on Saturday, October 29, 2022, 9:30am-12:00pm. This virtual gathering will focus on Empowered Servant Leadership, the fourth mark in the Vital Congregations Initiative. We are excited to welcome Rev. Dr. Buz Wilcoxon, Chaplain and Dean of Student Life at Presbyterian College, who will lead our large group session. After this presentation, elders, deacons, and clerks will go into breakout rooms for training led by presbytery staff.

The next meeting of the presbytery will be held on Saturday, November 12, from 9:00am-1:00pm at Korean Central Presbyterian Church, 4201 N Peachtree Rd, Chamblee. Our theme will be Empowered Servant Leadership, the fourth mark of the Vital Congregations Initiative, and we will be celebrating the many servant leaders in our congregations and across our presbytery. This will be the first fully in-person meeting of the presbytery since February 2020, and we hope you will be able to be a part of it!

Expected highlights of the meeting include:

• Nominations and elections to presbytery service for 2023 and beyond
• Examination of potential candidates for ministry and potential ministers for ordination
• Annual celebration and remembrance of the ruling elders and ministers who have died during the previous year
• Votes on proposed amendments to the Rules of Discipline in the Book of Order
• Installation of our new Stated Clerk Andy James
• The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper

A Korean fusion lunch will be served by our hosts at Korean Central, and childcare will be available by preregistration.

Health and safety protocols will be set based on the practices of the host church and current recommendations by the CDC and announced closer to the time of the meeting. We encourage all attendees to use the weeks between now and the meeting to get current with covid and other vaccinations, and those who do not feel well on the day of the meeting should stay home. A livestream of the meeting (without interactive capabilities) will be available via YouTube.

Look for more information, including preregistration, in mid-October. The preregistration deadline will be October 31.

For more information and questions, contact Stated Clerk Andy James at [email protected].

November 4-6, 2022

Calvin Center (13550 Woolsey Rd, Hampton, GA 30228)

For youth currently in 6th through 8th grade

Registration is OPEN for the Presbytery Fall Middle School Retreat!

Each church needs to fill out the group registration form best estimating numbers by October 2. Workshop sign-ups will be sent out 2 weeks before the retreat. 

The cost is $125. Churches can collect the payments and send a check made out to Decatur Presbyterian Church with "Middle School Retreat" in the memo line. Payment is due before (mailed to c/o Tully Fletcher at 205 Sycamore St., Decatur, GA 30030) or upon arrival at the retreat.

The theme will be "When Did We See You?" drawing on the 2022 Matthew 25 Triennium theme and resources. More information can be found here.

Celebrate Christmas with the NCDC! When you donate a minimum of $25 to the NCDC between now and Christmas, you will receive a limited edition NCDC Christmas Ornament! Designed by NWC leaders, these handcrafted ornaments make a great addition to your Christmas tree at home, OR an additional ornament for your church’s Hanging of the Green service. 

You can donate here today!

Want to know more? Reach out to Christina at [email protected] today and learn how your family can make an impact.

The Presbytery Staff will never email or text 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!