Join on February 19th at 1:00pm EST to learn more about the Around the Table Cohorts for leaders wanting to think about faith formation at home in their contexts. Also learn updates about Around the Table Resources. Click here for more information.

Celebrate Black History Month with the North Avenue Presbyterian Church Concert Series!

Join us on Sunday afternoons in February for an unforgettable journey through the rich and inspiring legacy of Black music. From the soulful melodies of Jazz to the powerful harmonies of Gospel and spirituals, this series showcases the incredible artistry and heritage of Black music.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16th at 4 p.m.
Renowned Vocalist T, RENEE CRUTCHER
T. Renée Crutcher has spent more than 40 years as an accomplished performing artist recording and appearing around the globe in Broadway tour productions, concerts, television, film and commercials; critically reviewed in the New York Times. She has worked with such luminaries as; Harry Belafonte, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Leonard Bernstein, Robert Shaw, Hugh Masekela, Leta Mbulu,Soul II Soul, Barry White, Joe Cocker, Roy Ayers, Lou Rawls, and others.

Admission is free, and all are welcome. Be inspired by the music that moves the soul and tells a story of resilience, joy, and faith.

Installation of Bruce McRae

Sunday, February 16, 2025 at 2 PM
Monroe First Presbyterian Church

Join us as we celebrate the Installation of Rev. Dr. Bruce McRae as Pastor at Monroe First Presbyterian Church. The service will take place at Monroe First Presbyterian Church on Sunday, February 16, 2025 at 2 PM (ET).

An offering is to be received to benefit the Emergency Fund for Pastors.

Watching, Wailing, & Working: An Evening of Prayer in Solidarity with our Immigrant Siblings

Date & Time: Feb 12, 2025, 07:00 PM on Zoom

This event is a time of prayer, sharing, support, lament, and hope. It is a time of watching, wailing, and working.  You are welcome and encouraged to be there – for yourself and to support others in our midst.  

In an effort to keep this a safe space, the Zoom link requires registration. You will need to provide your name and email address, which will be kept confidential. The Presbytery will then email you (and each person who registers) a Zoom link for your use on Wednesday, February 12, 7-8 pm.

Registration: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ihYyRf5ZQsq4GV3XY5Dgqw#/registration

Come learn about issues central to this year's legislative session during an online training event: February 11th @ 7pm
 
PBG's legislative focus  in 2025 include:

• Passing a safe gun storage to protect kids

• Banning the death penalty for people with intellectual disabilities

• Growing access to mental and physical healthcare for all

• Ending homelessness and increasing affordable housing across Georgia

Hear the latest updates from our legislative advocate, Elizabeth Appley. 

Invite your friends and members of your faith community to join us! 

Church Statistics Due February 11
by C. Anderson James, Stated Clerk

Clerks of session and others who play a part in creating and submitting the Session Annual Statistical Report are reminded that the report is due on February 11, 2025. Learn more and log in here. Login information was distributed by mail to each congregation in December. If you are unable to locate your church’s login information, contact Stated Clerk Andy James at cajames@atlpcusa.org. As of January 27, 33 congregations have submitted at least some portion of their report. Please help us get to 100% participation!

This report is required of all PCUSA congregations each year and helps us all to learn more about who we are as Presbyterians so that we can support one another more effectively along the way. All data submitted should reflect membership and financial data as of December 31, 2024. Membership numbers reported now will be reflected in per capita assessments for 2026.

To learn more about the information required to submit these reports, download the guide to the Session Annual Statistical Report. If you have other questions or encounter issues getting access, contact Stated Clerk Andy James at cajames@atlpcusa.org.

Know Your Rights Workshop

Monday, February 10 at 10 AM
Columbia Presbyterian Church
711 South Columbia Drive
Decatur, Georgia 30030

Please RSVP at columbiapresbyterian@gmail.com

Organist Improvisation Masterclass & Hymn Festival
Presented by Druid Hills Presbyterian Church

Saturday, Feb 8, 2025
Druid Hills Presbyterian Church

Two Events:

• 10:30 AM - Organist Improvisation Masterclass with Clinician Michael Burkhardt

• 7:00 PM - Hymn Festival

Open to the public
No admission charge

The Presbytery of Greater Atlanta holds quarterly Stated Meetings to conduct business and join in worship together.

For more information about Stated Meetings (including links to registration, submit absence requests, download the current Commissioner Handbook, etc.), click the button below.

Some items, such as the Commissioner Handbook, registration link, etc., will be made available a couple of weeks prior to each event.

Book Talk with Dr. William Yoo
Presented by North Decatur Presbyterian Church

Thursday, February 6 at 7 PM
North Decatur Presbyterian Church
Available in-person and live-streamed at https://ndpc.org/

Reckoning with History confronts the histories of settler colonialism and slavery and illumines how these two devastating realities informed and ultimately deformed Protestant Christianity in the North American colonies and antebellum United States. In this book, William Yoo analyzes primary sources from Indigenous peoples, enslaved and free persons of African descent, Indigenous rights advocates, and abolitionists. The book's broad scope--which covers individuals and movements representing Baptists, Congregationalists, Episcopalians, Methodists, Presbyterians, and other Christian traditions--provides a timely and telling message for every Christian seeking racial justice today.

William Yoo is Associate Professor of American Religious and Cultural History at Columbia Theological Seminary. He has published books on African American Christianity, Asian American Christianity, and Presbyterian history. As a teacher, preacher, and scholar, Yoo focuses on the history of racism in American Christianity.

Talk and Book Launch for Reckoning with History: Settler Colonialism, Slavery, and the Making of American Christianity

Celebrate Black History Month with the North Avenue Presbyterian Church Concert Series!

Join us on Sunday afternoons in February for an unforgettable journey through the rich and inspiring legacy of Black music. From the soulful melodies of Jazz to the powerful harmonies of Gospel and spirituals, this series showcases the incredible artistry and heritage of Black music.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2nd at 5 p.m.
Jazz Saxophonist TAJ DAVIS
Saxophonist, arranger, and composer, Taj Davis is making a name for himself on the music scene. A native of Long Island, New York, Taj was inspired and encouraged to study music by his high school teachers, and friends. Taj received his Bachelors of Science in Music Education from Oakwood University. While studying there, Taj has played with the UAH Jazz Ensemble, Oakwood University Church, The Aeolians, and Madison Mission SDA church. Taj Davis right away pursued his education at Florida State University graduating summer 2012 with a Masters in Music Performance concentrating in Jazz Studies. Taj Davis is currently based in Atlanta, Georgia, performing with the Perfect 10 Band.

Admission is free, and all are welcome. Be inspired by the music that moves the soul and tells a story of resilience, joy, and faith.

On Saturday, February 1, 2025 at 3 PM, Hillside Presbyterian Church's Christian Education Ministry in collaboration with First World Mission will present Total Praise: An African American Cultural Celebration in memory of Samuel H. Johnson and Edith V. Johnson. This event will feature Mr. Hank Stewart (Author and Poet) and Mrs. Theresa Hamm Smith (Critically Acclaimed Soprano).

The Presbytery of Greater Atlanta requires all ministers of the Word and Sacrament and commissioned ruling elders, including members at large, ministers serving in a validated ministry, and retired ministers serving a church in any Presbytery-approved relationship, to take the Presbytery’s Boundaries Training once every three years.

For more information about Boundaries Training and/or to register, click the button below.

Conversations with the Clerk

Join Stated Clerk Andy James for a series of gatherings to follow up on the actions of the General Assembly and discuss other polity and procedure matters of the Presbytery!

Upcoming Conversations:

• Monday, January 6, 2025, 7:00 P.M.: Proposed Amendments to the Book of Order

Click the link below to register for one or more upcoming conversations.

Previous Conversations with the Clerk can be viewed on YouTube > Playlist: Conversations with the Clerk.

Christmas Joy
December 1 - December 24, 2024

The Christmas Joy Offering has been a cherished Presbyterian tradition since the 1930s. The Offering distributes gifts equally to the Assistance Program of the Board of Pensions and to Presbyterian-related schools and colleges equipping communities of color. The Assistance Program provides critical financial support to church workers and their families. Presbyterian-related schools and colleges provide education and leadership development while nurturing racial and ethnic heritage. This has been a Presbyterian commitment for nearly 140 years.

Information/Resources: https://specialofferings.pcusa.org/offering/christmas-joy/

Ordination of MJ Kim

Saturday, December 21st, 11 A.M.
Emory University Hospital T-239
1364 Clifton Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30322

Join us as we celebrate the Ordination of MJ Kim as a Minister of the Word and Sacrament, serving in a validated ministry as a chaplain fellow at Emory University Hospital. The service will take place in room T-239 at Emory University Hospital on Saturday, December 21, 2024 at 11:00 A.M. (ET).

An offering will be received to benefit the Committee on Preparation for Ministry Scholarship Fund.

Ordination of Courtney Anne Henry at Pleasant Hill Presbyterian Church

Sunday, December 15, 2024 at 3:00 PM
Pleasant Hill Presbyterian Church

Join us as we celebrate the Ordination of Courtney Anne Henry at Pleasant Hill Presbyterian Church. The service will take place at Pleasant Hill Presbyterian Church on Sunday, December 15, 2024 at 3:00 PM (ET).

An offering is to be received to benefit the Committee on Preparation for Ministry Scholarship Fund.

On behalf of the Office of Immigration Issues, Migration Accompaniment Ministries, and the Office of Public Witness we invite you to join us for:

Now What?

A PCUSA Town Hall on Protecting Immigrant & Refugee Rights Near and Far

December 11th, 2024 at 5:30 PM EST

Registration: https://bit.ly/PCUSATownHall

This zoom gathering is designed to help concerned Presbyterians discern what we can do now to prepare for the new Administration's anti-immigrant policies. We will share how the Presbyterian Church USA denominational offices are gearing up and what resources are already available.  This is also a time to share your particular concerns so that our offices can support you and your congregations in the year ahead as we seek to be faithful in the midst of potentially devasting actions for our families, our churches and our communities.

Presenters:
Amanda Craft, Advocacy Manager, Office of Immigration Issues
Christina Cosby, Mission Associate, Office of Public Witness
Susan Krehbiel, Associate, Migration Accompaniment Ministries, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance
Omar Salinas Chacón, Mission Specialist, Migration Accompaniment Ministries, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance

Kimberly Wagner to preach on ‘Day 1’

Assistant professor of preaching at Princeton Theological Seminary

The Rev. Dr. Kimberly Wagner, assistant professor of preaching at Princeton Theological Seminary, is the featured preacher Dec. 1 and Dec. 8 on “Day 1,” with host Katie Givens Kime, the nationally broadcast ecumenical radio program also accessible online at Day1.org and by podcast. Hear the program in Atlanta on WSB 95.5 and 750 AM Sundays at 7:05 a.m. "Day1" has been on WSB for 79 years. 

“Advent Alertness,” the sermon for Dec. 1 explores Luke: 25-36. She says, “Advent is a time of waiting. But, as our text makes clear, it is not a time for passive waiting. It is a time of active waiting. We are to live preparing, anticipating, expecting that Jesus may show up at any moment.”

She draws the Dec. 6 sermon “Showing Up” from Luke 3:1-6. “I don’t know about you, but the minute we begin the litany, all those names at the start of today’s text in Luke, I catch my mind wandering,” she says. “The author of the Gospel takes the time to give us these names because they are actually important . . . . You see, Luke wants to make clear early on that this story he is about to unwind about Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of the Most High God, is not some abstract fairy tale or some timeless myth. Luke makes clear that God is not working in abstract other-worldly time, but in the context of human, historical time—in the middle of real life.”

A graduate of Miami University (OH), Wagner earned her M.Div. from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University and her Ph.D. from the Graduate Division of Religion at Emory University. She is ordained in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). She served on the pastoral staff at Green Acres Presbyterian Church, a PCUSA congregation in Virginia. She is passionate about supporting students’ formation and helping clergy and communities navigate the realities of an ever-changing world and church. Her current writing and work focus on preaching and ministry in the midst and wake of trauma, particularly thinking about collective trauma, the role of the preacher, and the resources of our Scriptures and faith to respond to these moments. Wagner’s book, Fractured Ground: Preaching in the Wake of Mass Trauma(Westminster John Knox Press, 2023), offers guidance for preaching in the aftermath of communal trauma, including mass violence, natural disasters, and public health crises. 

The programs include interviews with Wagner conducted by Kime, who is also executive producer. 

“Day 1” has been broadcast every week for 79 years, formerly as “The Protestant Hour.” Featuring outstanding preachers from the mainline denominations, “Day 1” is currently distributed to radio stations across America and overseas, and the “Day1 Weekly Program” is on all podcast apps. The program is produced by the Alliance for Christian Media, based in Atlanta, Ga. "Day 1"® is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office by the Alliance for Christian Media, Inc. For more information, check the program’s website, http://day1.org

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Oakhurst Presbyterian Church will host a gun safe surrender event on Saturday, December 7, 2024, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. in the church parking lot at 118 Second Avenue, Decatur (enter parking from East Lake Drive).

Bring your unloaded firearms stored in the trunk of your vehicle. Guns will be dismantled and sent to RAWtools to be made into garden tools. We are holding this event because we are concerned about the high level of gun violence in our State and across the country. Anyone can bring unwanted and unloaded guns to be dismantled and made into garden tools. (Ammunition is not accepted.) If you feel it is no longer safe or desirable for you to have a gun in your home, this is a way of responsibly disposing of unwanted guns without returning them to the gun marketplace. 

The event honors those killed in the Sandy Hook School shooting in December 2012, and many who die, are injured or experience trauma each day because of gun violence.  Co-sponsors of this event are: Atlanta Friends Meeting, Social Concerns Committee; Druid Hills Presbyterian Church; North Decatur Presbyterian Church, Peace & Justice Committee; Oakhurst Baptist Church; and Saint Mark United Methodist Church.  For more information please call 404-378-6284.  

1st Wednesday SACK Lunch
South Atlantic Community Knowledge

A monthly Zoom for sharing across the synod!

Join, learn and share: experience, resources, and best practices on a new topic each month.

First Wednesday SACK Lunch

• 12/4/24 Racial Justice/Social

Information: https://www.synodofsouthatlantic.org/

Registration: https://form.jotform.com/240293832066052

Supporting Older Adults in the “Third Thirty”
Presbyterian Older Adult Ministries Network

December 3, 2 PM (ET)

Learn about the challenges of aging, how older adults can best navigate them, and how the church can provide support. Chris Pomfret, a 10-year member of POAMN and its current treasurer, will lead the webinar.

Chris observed how his parents and many others were unprepared for events that come their way in their later lives. These include decisions about where to live as they age, the importance of downsizing, and having conversations with children or loved ones about our end-of-life wishes. He wanted to help people in this “Third Thirty” period age smartly, wisely, gracefully, sensibly, and spiritually.

During the webinar, Chris will introduce an ecumenical curriculum for church organizations and/or older adult leaders to use or adapt with their congregations.

The webinar is free; registration is required.

Register: https://poamn.org/third-thirty-webinar-2024/ 

Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/449824228138878/

The Presbytery of Greater Atlanta requires all ministers of the Word and Sacrament and commissioned ruling elders, including members at large, ministers serving in a validated ministry, and retired ministers serving a church in any Presbytery-approved relationship, to take the Presbytery’s Boundaries Training once every three years.

For more information about Boundaries Training and/or to register, click the button below.

#GIVINGTUESDAY IS DECEMBER 3, 2024
NCDC IS FUNDRAISING NOVEMBER 1 - DECEMBER 3
FOR THE NCDC EMERGENCY FUND
GOAL: $10,000

At the New Church Development Commission, we walk alongside an average of 50-60 individuals each year as they discern and/or navigate what it means to start and build a new worshiping community. Most of these leaders are multivocational, meaning they have multiple jobs as their worshiping community is newly forming, low income, and/or otherwise unable to financially support leadership.

At times, leaders experience hardship and need assistance. This year alone, we have had fire destroy a leader’s home, Hurricane damage prove too costly to bear, medical challenges financially devastate , children of leaders need unaffordable basics, cars that are essential to ministry break down, etc. Financial challenges for volunteer and/or underpaid church leaders are legion.

During the month leading up to Giving Tuesday, NCDC is raising funds for NCDC’s Emergency Fund, which assists in times of need. In this Thanksgiving season, we give thanks for all that our new worshiping community leaders contribute to the life of this Presbytery and to so many people. In this Thanksgiving season, we also thank you for being there in times of need. Your support is nothing less than breathtaking and literally life-giving.

Retiree Christmas Luncheon

Monday, December 2, 2024 at 12 PM

All retired Pastors, Christian Educators, and Validated Ministers will receive an invitation with more details and registration within the first week in November.

Location:
Presbyterian Village
2000 E West Connector
Austell, GA 30106
When you arrive at Presbyterian Village, follow signs saying “Event” to the location of the lunch.

Transportation:
Bus transportation will be provided by Presbyterian Village from Trinity PC in Atlanta.
If you prefer to ride the bus from Trinity PC Atlanta, please designate when you register.
 “Presbyterian Village” Bus
Trinity Presbyterian Church
3003 Howell Mill Road
Atlanta, Ga
Meet the parking lot in front of the sanctuary
Leave the Trinity parking lot at 11 am
Return from Presbyterian Village leaving around 1:45 pm

Registration Deadline: November 22

Kimberly Wagner to preach on ‘Day 1’

Assistant professor of preaching at Princeton Theological Seminary

The Rev. Dr. Kimberly Wagner, assistant professor of preaching at Princeton Theological Seminary, is the featured preacher Dec. 1 and Dec. 8 on “Day 1,” with host Katie Givens Kime, the nationally broadcast ecumenical radio program also accessible online at Day1.org and by podcast. Hear the program in Atlanta on WSB 95.5 and 750 AM Sundays at 7:05 a.m. "Day1" has been on WSB for 79 years. 

“Advent Alertness,” the sermon for Dec. 1 explores Luke: 25-36. She says, “Advent is a time of waiting. But, as our text makes clear, it is not a time for passive waiting. It is a time of active waiting. We are to live preparing, anticipating, expecting that Jesus may show up at any moment.”

She draws the Dec. 6 sermon “Showing Up” from Luke 3:1-6. “I don’t know about you, but the minute we begin the litany, all those names at the start of today’s text in Luke, I catch my mind wandering,” she says. “The author of the Gospel takes the time to give us these names because they are actually important . . . . You see, Luke wants to make clear early on that this story he is about to unwind about Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of the Most High God, is not some abstract fairy tale or some timeless myth. Luke makes clear that God is not working in abstract other-worldly time, but in the context of human, historical time—in the middle of real life.”

A graduate of Miami University (OH), Wagner earned her M.Div. from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University and her Ph.D. from the Graduate Division of Religion at Emory University. She is ordained in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). She served on the pastoral staff at Green Acres Presbyterian Church, a PCUSA congregation in Virginia. She is passionate about supporting students’ formation and helping clergy and communities navigate the realities of an ever-changing world and church. Her current writing and work focus on preaching and ministry in the midst and wake of trauma, particularly thinking about collective trauma, the role of the preacher, and the resources of our Scriptures and faith to respond to these moments. Wagner’s book, Fractured Ground: Preaching in the Wake of Mass Trauma(Westminster John Knox Press, 2023), offers guidance for preaching in the aftermath of communal trauma, including mass violence, natural disasters, and public health crises. 

The programs include interviews with Wagner conducted by Kime, who is also executive producer. 

“Day 1” has been broadcast every week for 79 years, formerly as “The Protestant Hour.” Featuring outstanding preachers from the mainline denominations, “Day 1” is currently distributed to radio stations across America and overseas, and the “Day1 Weekly Program” is on all podcast apps. The program is produced by the Alliance for Christian Media, based in Atlanta, Ga. "Day 1"® is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office by the Alliance for Christian Media, Inc. For more information, check the program’s website, http://day1.org

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75th Anniversary of Trinity Presbyterian Church in Atlanta

Next month will mark the 75th anniversary of Trinity church and we have much for which to be grateful! We hope you will join us on November 17 as we worship through music, and plan to stay after our 11:00 worship service as we celebrate Norman Mackenzie’s 40 years of service here.

The following Sunday, on November 24, we will gather for a morning of thanksgiving for Trinity's history and sharing joy for God's future. At 10:00, we will enjoy a 75th anniversary video, and our 11:00 worship will echo the service of dedication of Trinity's sanctuary when it was newly constructed. After worship, we will gather as a church family for a catered luncheon in Williams Hall. Please RSVP and join us to celebrate!

Save the Date!

2025 Legislative Issues Forum
Hosted by Presbyterians for a Better Georgia
November 21, 2024
7:00-8:10 p.m. via Zoom

Come learn about the issues our legislature will consider in 2025 and how best to advocate for healthcare and housing for all Georgians!

Speakers to include: Rep. Michelle Au (D Johns Creek, physician on Public Health Committee)

Roland Behm, Esq. advocate and co-founder of the Georgia Mental Health Policy Priorities coalition.

What: PCUSA Ministry Update: Stay in the Loop!
Where: Columbia Seminary, Ellis Room (adjacent to the Cafeteria)
When: Nov. 20, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Join us on November 20, 2024, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. for a conversation about important changes happening in the PCUSA. Connect with denominational staff, mid-council leaders, and local pastors to discuss key actions from the 226th General Assembly, updates to Churchwide Special Offerings, the evolving work of the new Interim Unified Agency, and much more! This is a great opportunity to stay informed, ask questions, and share your thoughts—don’t miss it!