Know a great Central Servant Leader?
Recommend them for service as an Elder or Deacon by March 5
Presbyterian churches are governed and cared for by two leadership bodies called the Session and Diaconate. Elders serve on the Session and deacons on the Diaconate in three classes, with each person serving a three-year term. Church leaders have active faith journeys and pray regularly for their congregation, community and world. They demonstrate selfless concern and care for others, are strong collaborators, and listen well. Elders, in particular, will need to have or develop a sense for how complex organizations function and be able to participate well in small and medium-size group deliberations about matters of church governance, finance, mission, and vision. Deacons, in particular, will need to have or develop a sense of how to offer care for other members of the congregation and community and collaborate with the pastoral staff team to develop avenues for congregational care and nurture.
If you know of someone whom God has gifted for service, please recommend them to the Standing Nominating Committee (elected at the February 16th Congregational Meeting) using this
form
. The Standing Nominating Committee will prayerfully consider all recommendations alongside the current composition of both the Session and Diaconate, and present new classes of Elders and Deacons to the congregation for election in April.
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W
e all know that mainline denominations are declining in membership, but what you may not know, and what has certainly been a learning experience for us, is the impact this decline is having on our candidate pool, especially among seminary graduates. To paint a picture for you, 10 years ago, when I was in Seminary, there were 40 PC(USA) MDiv graduates from Columbia Seminary. This May there will be just 19. And that is typical of what we're seeing from seminaries across the board. The good news is we're moving aggressively to speak with these graduates, and have already had conversations and interviews with students at Austin, Princeton, and Columbia, along with pastors who are completing residency programs and looking for second calls, with several more in the works.
The even better news is that we don't believe this is just a job search. We are confident that God is already calling our next associate pastor to Central, and that gives us the freedom to approach our work as a process of mutual discernment with our candidates, guided by the Spirit. In the meantime, we still want to hear from you if you have names to share or if you know of places we should definitely be looking. We also covet your prayers for us and for our candidates, that we will be sensitive to the Spirit's leading in all that we say and do.
- The APNC
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THE LENTEN JOURNEY
Throughout the Lenten Season we plan on offering a variety of ways to become more engaged along the journey. On Mondays, we will publish a special Lenten e-newsletter. On Wednesdays, we are offering a Bible Study class via Zoom. We also have special classes, menus and devotionals planned for this period. Here is a brief look at the journey ahead.
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Join Pastor Jessica for background and a conversation on the texts and sermon themes she'll be preaching from the following Sundays during this unique Bible study. This occurs on Tuesdays each week from noon to 1 p.m. The study begins March 3 and ends March 31. You can register
here.
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You may pick up 2020 Lent Devotionals in the Narthex. If you would prefer a digital copy, you may visit the
link here to download one.
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Foodie Faith Class
As we enter the season of Lent, our Sunday fellowship lunches will become more inclusive. By offering whole-food, plant-based menus, Centralites with dietary restrictions will no longer be excluded. In conjunction with the lunches, a class, 'Foodie Faith: A Lenten Study on How Our Theology Shapes Our Dietary Decisions
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A Faith and Family Class' will take place on Sunday mornings.
The 4-week study will address how we embody our theology and ethics with our dietary decisions. Each week will focus on a separate topic, exploring how our theology and food choices impact:
Week 1 (
March 1
): Physical and Mental Health
Week 2 (
March 8
): Care and Concern for Non-Human Animals
Week 3 (
March 15
): Environmental Ethics
Week 4 (
March 22
): Food Deserts and Social Justice
The class will meet Sundays from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. in the parlor and is open to everyone.
Teachers:
Abby Myers is a Licensed Psychologist and is Board Certified in Lifestyle Medicine; Jake Myers is a Professor at Columbia Theological Seminary. They have been following a whole-food, plant-based lifestyle for 3 1/2 years.
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Origami Crane Kits available
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Origami crane kits will be available to pick up in the Narthex on Sunday morning. The origami cranes are distributed each year during Lent. After their creation, the cranes are hung in our sanctuary during the Advent season. Each crane has a prayer inscribed with a name of a member. Join us for this special Central tradition by creating your own.
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Sunday, March 1
Jessica Patchett
Psalm 121, Matthew 4.1-11
Pilgrimage: Temptation
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FROM THE ORGAN BENCH
Vicki Fey
Sunday’s Opening Voluntary is a brief arrangement of the hymn tune to which we will
sing our middle hymn, “O God, Who Gives Us Life.” The text of the hymn, written by
Carl Daw, Jr., past Executive Director of the Hymn Society in North America, was
written in 1990 and draws on several Hebrew scriptures calling attention to God’s
faithfulness and the promise of a new covenant. The hymn tune NOEL is an English
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Book Signing by Martin Lehfeldt
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Central member Martin Lehfeldt will be signing copies of the book he co-authored with Jamil Zainaldin on Sunday after worship in the Taylor Room in Tull Hall. The book is, 'The Liberating Promise of Philanthropy: Stories of Grant-Making in the South.'
Here
is a recent interview with the two writers about the book.
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New art exhibit in Tull Hall
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Central is happy to have artist and illustrator Ned Bustard's work hanging in Tull Hall as our current exhibit. Ned is a member of CIVA (Christians In The Visual Arts). We will have an interview with him in the next few weeks. You can learn more about Ned and CIVA
here.
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The 45-minute Taizé service includes sung prayers, simple, beautiful music, a time of silence, spoken and silent prayers. The event begins at 7 p.m. and is held in Rand Chapel. Free parking for this service is available in front of the church on Washington Street.
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Women's Retreat March 6 to 8
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A Women's Retreat takes place March 6 to 8 at the Calvin Retreat Center. Facilitated by Jill M. Joyner, MDiv, MAPT, the retreat’s theme is, “Honoring The Body.” Joyner has described the event as, “A heart-opening and eye-opening retreat to look at how we honor our bodies. We will explore what God has provided for us with our physical and emotional body, how we have suffered in our bodies, how we have celebrated our bodies and how we can use scripture and our “still, small voice” to write a new script or revise our plan for honoring our bodies," she said. "You can read more about Joyner a
t
www.jilljoyner.wordpress.com
.
You can register for the event
here.
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The Shelter
needs your help
During the month of February, the volunteer coordinators at the Central Night Shelter have opportunities for you to help make a difference in someone's life. In addition to
spending the night, volunteers are also needed to prepare sack meals. Upcoming dates at Central Presbyterian where help is needed are
March 2, 4, 5, 9, 11, 22, 23, 24, 10, 11,15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22 and 23.
If you can help, contact Wills Moore by
email
or (404) 863-6511.
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Courtyard Ministry seeks volunteers
Since its inception, Cal and Kathleen Engstrom have been at the core of our Courtyard Ministry on Sunday mornings. At this time they are unable to participate to the level they have and all of Central has an opportunity to help continue this ministry with our neighbors. Please sign up
here
for an opportunity to be a part of this wonderful ministry. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Kate.
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New member dinner date change
The new member dinner is rescheduled for Sunday, March 15. Attendees should have received a message from paperless post with the update. We will have more details soon.
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Justice Day
Thursday, Feb. 27 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sloppy Floyd Building & State Capitol
Justice Day will bring together a wide array of community members and organizations to show Georgia lawmakers there is still a need for criminal justice reform and meaningful changes to promote healthy and safe communities. The program features leaders in the criminal justice reform movement.
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OAC holds fund-raiser on March 26
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The Central Outreach and Advocacy Center is holding, 'Cheers for Change,' its annual fund-raiser on March 26 at POUR Taproom from 6 to 9 p.m. The event includes an unlimited scan pass, a commemorative glass and light bites.
Tickets are available at an early bird discount through Feb. 29 at $35. Tickets will increase to $50 on March 1. Patron and host packages are also available.
To purchase tickets as a guest or patron, click
here. To register as a host or sponsor, visit
here.
For more information:
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Sunday, March 1 Menu
Indian Chick Pea & Cauliflower Tikka Masala, Vegetable Biryani, Bhindi Masala, Assorted Flatbread, Fresh Fruit and Salad Bar, Assorted Dessert Bars
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The Chili Cook-Off takes place Sunday, March 29 from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. in Tull Hall.
Want to compete to win? You can sign up
here
. You can win in four categories including most unique chili, chili with the best-decorated table, most socially-conscious chili and chili with the best-dressed chef. There will also be a People’s Choice Chili award. Want to eat?
Register here
and
pay here
. Tickets are $10 per person. You can read more about the event
here.
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Publix Marathon will affect traffic on Sunday
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The Publix Marathon takes place Sunday, March 1 and will affect roads around the Church. Please check traffic and make extra time for your journey to worship. More details
here.
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Do you have news to include in upcoming issues of The Weekly News? Do you have a headshot you can send us? Please send your information to Mark Wallace Maguire by
email.
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For a list of all events and activities at Central Church,
Need to add an event/activity/meeting to the calendar?
Contact Debra Link, Pastoral Assistant, by
email.
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