News
& Announcements
This section contains new information, announcements and
supplemental event information (i.e. forms, flyers, links to
event Web sites.). If you are looking for information on specific
meeting times please visit our Meetings/Events section to view our calendar.
Per Capita Approved
At the September Presbytery meeting Presbytery approved a per capita of $20.24 for 2009. Of that amount, $6.14 goes to General Assembly, $1.45 goes to Synod and $12.64 stays at Presbytery. Per capita covers the administrative and ecclesiastical costs of the larger church. It is considered by some to be the backbone of the Body of Christ for our church.
PGA Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Update
The Disaster Assistance and Emergency Response Team of the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta is ready to assist with any disaster assistance needs related to all 2008 U.S. Storms. We are currently working with area agencies (Georgia Emergency Management Agency, the American Red Cross, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, PC(USA), and the Georgia Volunteers Active In Disaster) to respond to any specific needs related to Hurricane IKE.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
PRAY. Pray for all those whose lives have been affected directly and indirectly by all severe weather in the U.S. and for those working with them toward recovery.
GIVE. Your contributions will help to be a witness to Christ’s healing love. Through this ministry of compassion and relief, donations will help meet people’s physical needs and provide emotional and spiritual care to survivors and those who care for them.
Donations to DR000162 (Disaster Response – 2008 U.S. Storms) can be made to the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta – Disaster Response, 1024 Ponce de Leon Ave., Atlanta, GA 30306. In the memo section indicate DR000162. All funds will be channeled to the appropriate designee.
STAY INFORMED. Please read regular updates. Offers of assistance can be made by leaving your contact information on the PGA Disaster Assistance Line at 404-898-0711 ext. 160 or pda.atl@presbyteryofgreateratl.org.
In addition, the following information is shared by one of our mission partners, the American Red Cross:
Plans and actions have already begun in the Gulf area and we in Atlanta are also monitoring and planning. People are being encouraged to pay attention and prepare to evacuate. When they do, many will come to the Atlanta area seeking refuge. The American Red Cross needs places and people to be ready to receive them; but we need to get both the places and people in our system NOW.
Please consider these facts:
1. Volunteers do the work during times of disaster. Responder organizations are very short on staff. None of the responder organizations could ever keep the number of staff needed to manage big disasters. And right now, we are still in the middle of a few other disasters, such as Fay, Gustav, and Hanna. Without volunteers, few people would get the help they need, including you and your family, when disasters strike. We need your help and the help of any groups or organizations to which you belong. We need volunteers to get credentialed NOW.
2. Right now, public school buildings are the only “guaranteed” shelters. By state law, they are “available” – but that is because they are under the control of the government and all cities and towns must at least identify some kinds of places, somewhere. The reality is that when school is in session, THERE ARE FEW TO NO SHELTERS. Gustavo will hit, during the school week, as will other disasters. WE NEED HALLS, AUDITORIUMS, CONFERENCE ROOMS, MEETING ROOMS, CLUB SPACE, COMMUNITY CLASSROOMS, COMMUNITY RECREATION SPACE – places where we can set up sleeping cots, that offer shower or bath facilities, and that allow us to service immediate needs and move people on towards recovery.
3. Red Cross shelters are short-term shelters. As disaster victims who are housed in shelters locate family and friends with whom to stay or are able to return to their homes or home towns, the numbers go down fairly quickly and we are able to close down our shelters and move the few remaining people to alternate space. American Red Cross shelters are run professionally and are very well maintained.
4. Any impressions you may have received from the Louisiana Super Dome and how it looked after the event, please know that while Red Cross was there to help, it was not our shelter. We would almost never use a huge, wide roof span facility for that purpose. They are not suitable for emergency sheltering during an event. It was established as a shelter by the City of New Orleans at the very last minute, because the order to evacuate was so late. That facility was not set up or managed by Red Cross, and while Red Cross and other outside agencies came in to help, the City of New Orleans did not have the personnel to manage or staff a shelter.
5. Lieutenant General Russel Honoré, the head of the Joint Task Force Katrina, who went down and directed the evacuation of people out of New Orleans after the flooding occurred, is now an official volunteer with Metropolitan Atlanta Red Cross (since March, 2008). He has repeatedly stated that in his work in New Orleans, all of the reporting about murders, rapes, and shootings in the Louisiana Dome were absolutely false. He could verify no such thing. There were six deaths confirmed at the Superdome. Four of these were from natural causes, one was the result of a drug overdose, and one was a suicide.
Please read this article concerning the events and reporting of Katrina http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=2793, in an effort to move you to positive action NOW on behalf of U.S. citizens who may need your help in the next few days.
6. Call us for an assessment of your facility and its suitability as a shelter space. When you sign on, if we need the space, we will call you to determine its availability. If it not available at any particular time, it’s a challenge, but it’s alright. We do not expect it to be available always, but we hope you will try to make it available when people really need your help.
7. Fear or misinformation is often to blame for not having shelter space or volunteers when they are needed. Please call us to discuss any concerns you may have. Call Cynthia D. Belton, Partner Services Coordinator at (404) 575-3112 or email at cbelton@arcatl.org.
The Disaster Response and Emergency Response Team of the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta is grateful for your continued support of all efforts. We are currently monitoring Hurricane IKE and the possible consequences of having to evacuate over 5.3 million residents of Texas. For additional information, don’t hesitate to contact Nath Briley, PGA Disaster Assistance Committee Chairperson (nbriley@dpchurch.org) or Cassandra Morrow, Associate Executive Presbyter for Mission and Institutions (cmorrow@presbyteryofgreateratl.org) or 404-898-0711 ext. 122.
Blessings to each of you. - Nath Briley, PGA Disaster Assistance Committee Chairperson
Free Choir Music
McDonough Presbyterian Church has cleaned out the music closet and has several boxes full of choir music that is free to a good home. If anyone is interested please contact our church office at 770-957-9890.
August PGA Newsletter Now Available
PGA News is now available in print
or online. This issue features the lead article, "Highlights of the Stated Meeting, July 15th, 2008 " as well as articles on our congreations,
pastors, evangelism, special recognitions and achievements,
upcoming events, job openings and more.
LPM: Leadership Program for Musicians
A Comprehensive,
Accessible Course of
Study Leading to
The LPM
Certificate in
Church Music. View the brochure for more information.
Thornwell Home for Children Identifys Plan to Re-connect Congregations to Children and Families at-Risk
Here in GeorgiaThornwell Home for Children entered into a period of prayer, consultation and study in
partnership with Family Innovations, a division of the Reich College of Education at Appalachian
State University, children’s agencies in Georgia and across the General Assembly and an
Advisory Council of noted children’s advocates in the presbytery itself and throughout the state
of Georgia.
Download Thornwell's Plan for Georgia.
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Update
Offers of assistance from member churches are being coordinated through the Disaster Assistance and Response line of the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta at 404-898-0711 ext. 160, or Cassandra Morrow, Associate Executive Presbyter at 404-898-0711 ext. 122, cmorrow@presbyteryofgreateratl.org
In an effort to document your response and assistance efforts, please share with our office the agency you are working with, the number of volunteer hours, and the type of assistance provided. The PGA Disaster Assistance line is 404-898-0711 ext. 160 or send an email to cmorrow@presbyteryofgreateratl.org. The Presbytery of Greater Atlanta would like to share this information on our website, at each stated meeting, and with the national office.
Disaster Preparedness Tips
Commissioners to the 218th (2008) General Assembly
From the
Presbytery of Greater Atlanta
New Presbytery of Greater Atlanta Youth Website Launched
Bookmark it today! http://www.ypga.org
Haiti Committee Launches New Website
The Haiti committee of Presbytery partners with the La Gonave Haiti Partnership. The partnership now has a website at www.lagonavepartners.org that updates the many projects/programs in Haiti, as well as listing mission trips and sharing photos of recent trips (McDonough Presbyterian, for example).
The Hillside/First Presbyterian Partnership Ministry needs your help with WHIZ KIDS! Whiz Kids is a tutorial program designed to assist students in first through third grades with reading. We also assist students in 4th and 5th grades with math. This program is designed to provide students with a one-on-one tutor for one hour per week throughout the academic year. If you are available on Wednesday afternoons from 3:30pm to 4:30 pm and can serve as a tutor, substitute tutor, or a preparer of snacks, please contact Rev. Connie Lee at (404) 289-3092 or (404) 228-7741. The Partnership Ministry is also seeking a special volunteer for Whiz Kids—someone who can conduct a 15 minute Club activity at the church with the children after they have completed their academic work.
Pastoral Team Proposes "First Call" Pastoral Support Program
All “first call” pastors, whether solo or on multiple staffs, will take part in a
program comprised of three components: (1) Personal Support; (2) Professional
Support; and (3) Support from Mentors, which will run concurrently . Each component could stand alone and be helpful, but together
they provide the well rounded support pastors need. View the "First Call" Pastoral Support Program Proposal.
Items Needed for Local Church
The Kenyan American Community Church in Marietta is in need of various items such as furniture, hymn books, bibles, piano, computers etc for their new location. Please contact Ed Albright for more details. Your assistance in this great project will be highly appreciated.
Presbytery Haiti Committee Launches New Web Site
Visit the web site to see all of the interesting programs on all available projects.
Presbytery of Greater Atlanta Interfaith Task Force
The Presbytery of Greater Atlanta engaged the local Israeli, Palestinian, Islamic and Jewish communities around issues of justice and peace in Israel/Palestine as well as representatives of the Israeli and Palestinian human rights communities. Listen to the five panels discussing issues of world importance.  Panel 1 | Panel 2 | Panel 3 | Panel 4 | Panel 5
The Emerging Church Committee
To learn more about the Emerging Church Committee, contact Rev. Joanna Adams at joannamadams@bellsouth.net or call 404.876.7396x11.
INVITATION FOR YOUR FEEDBACK!
The 217th General Assembly called for the appointment of a Form of Government Task Force
instructing the task force to undertake significant revisions to the Book of Order to be
presented at the 218th General Assembly.
The Task Force has been working diligently on what is referred to as the FOG (Form of
Government) report. Their proposed revisions are available at www.pcusa.org/formofgovernment. The revisions, however, are still a work in progress and will not be
finalized until December. Between now and then the Task Force is eagerly soliciting
feedback from pastors, sessions and presbyteries to help perfect their final
recommendations.
Wendell Phillips to Serve as Presbytery’s Public Policy Advocate
Submit your
Article Today!
PGA Newsletter
One of the primary features of PGA News is stories from our
congregations. We invite you to submit brief articles about
the mission and work of your congregation.
Learn more>>
Networking Forum
This bulletin board is for posting jobs wanted. (i.e. you are looking for a position) Use this forum to network with others. If you are looking to post a job opening please visit, our employment classifieds page.
Understand the Assembly’s Actions
The 217th General Assembly took many important actions during its recent meeting in Birmingham, AL. Three in particular, the Trinity paper, Palestine/Israel, and the report of the Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity and Purity of the Church, have received substantial press coverage. Read the Reports.
Free
Translation
A no-charge Web site that offers translations from English to
10 different languages, including Spanish. The free offer is
good for several sentences or a short paragraph. Careful though.
It doesn't take into consideration regional influence, such
as the difference between Spanish spoken in Los Angeles, and
that spoken in Miami. Good assistance for getting a message
out to non-English speaking members of your congregation or
community.
Thank you for your contributions to the Capital Funds Campaign!
View photos of the Atlana Hostel in Kenya.
Worship Resources Available from Racial Justice and Advocacy
The Racial Justice and Advocacy office offers ideas for worship and events.
Presbyterians Walk! - A Walking Program Guide for Congregations
Increased activity through walking lower blood pressure, blood sugar and generally increases energy. The NHM Congregational Walking Program is a get way to begin and provides all you need to get started. Go to Let's Get Moving and, WALK!
Journeying Together: A Visual Flowchart
Want the CPM process drawn out for you? Print the Journeying Together chart.
Presbyterian Publishing Corp. Offers Free Disaster Assistance Program
For many years PPC has offered, free of charge, a sizable package of resources to congregations who have experienced a physical disaster. This package includes Bibles, hymnals, and other resources.
For more information contact Vince Patton in PPC (vpatton@presbypub.com or 800-227-2872, ext. 8043)
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