The Good News - This Week

One of Session's goals for this year is to "increase member participation." As part of that particular goal, Session said it wants to "challenge members to deeper discipleship and a discernment of their gifts so that every member has a ministry." In other words, we hope to invite you to follow the Lord Jesus more closely and serve him more actively in the life and work of APC. We hope every one of our members will be actively participating in at least one ministry of the church in addition to Sunday worship.

God's people are called to gather, praise, and worship regularly. This is the most basic of commitments for our members who are able to do so. We are striving to provide excellence in all aspects of our worship so that the worship experience is welcoming, meaningful, beautiful, faithful and engaging. The worship committee has been hard at work with your pastors and musical leaders to strive for such excellence to the glory of God. I ask you to make a commitment to attend worship. It is central to our life together (even in the summer!) and an essential part of every disciple's calling. Hebrews 10:24-25 reads, "let us not neglect to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encourage one another to love and good deeds."

I have digressed--back to our goal that "in addition to worship....every member will have a ministry." It is our hope that every member is engaged in some ministry or smaller group of the church. Your leaders have begun working to identify particular ways you can do that. Trust me, your gifts are needed at APC! You might wish to help usher, assist with funeral receptions, help with VBS (350 children are expected!), sing in the choir, attend an adult Bible study or class, be in a women's circle, help out at the Drake House or another of our other mission partners, play on our softball team, join the book club or ACT1's drama ministry. You get the idea. The list goes on. Such engagement beyond worship will strengthen APC's work and deepen your ties with us.

It's a fine goal, I think. I look forward to helping bring that vision to reality and ask you to prayerfully be a part of making that happen. What are your gifts? How can your discipleship deepen? Where is God calling you to participate in the life and work of your congregation? What will be your ministry in our midst?

An Invitation

You are cordially invited to attend

the

Worship Service at 11:00 a.m.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Reverend Helen Skillern

is awarded the title of

Pastor Emerita

in grateful appreciation for her long and outstanding service

Alpharetta Presbyterian Church

180 Academy Street

Alpharetta, GA 30009

Reception to follow at 12:15 p.m. in Fellowship Hall.

Pastor Emerita is an honor bestowed upon a retired female minister

of the church for her years of faithful service. The title indicates that the individual has retired from her regular daily duties to the church.

Camp Hollywood

Help us welcome FOCUS' Camp Hollywood to APC's campus next week! Families of Children Under Stress is a non-profit organization providing services to families with children who are medically fragile or have significant developmental or physical disabilities. They reach people all over the metro Atlanta area. This week, please bring individually packaged foods or other snacks to the Fellowship Hall. Clearly label items CAMP HOLLYWOOD VOLUNTEERS and help us extend the Christian hospitality of this community to those in need in our area.

APC Book Club

The APC Book Club will meet on Tuesday, June 14 at 7:00 pm in the Fellowship Hall to discuss Helen Simonson's Major Pettigrew's Last Stand. All are welcome! The book club will not meet during July, but will resume the regular 2nd Tuesday schedule in August.

Nominations Requested
Congregational Nominations Requested - Elder Mike Holt and Deacon Keith Scott are unable to serve their complete term as church officers. The Nominating Committee is requesting nominations to replace their positions. Please submit names to the church office or in the nomination box in the lobby. Please submit nominations by June 19.

Tornado Assistance

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) has set up a direct response account to help all areas affected by the recent tornado in Joplin, MO. PDA is a member of ACT Alliance, an international coalition of churches working for humanitarian aid and development. Individuals can donate by making their check payable to APC and marking PDA (Tornado Response-Joplin) on the memo line. All donations will be forwarded directly to PDA.

C.S. Lewis Lectures

2011 Adult Summer Sunday School - Special Announcement

Don't miss this! C.S. Lewis Lecture Series

A 10-week summer lecture and discussion series on the life and works of C.S. Lewis will begin Sunday, June 5 and run through August 10. APC member and Lewis scholar Jim Motter will lead this series that will be held during the 9:45 a.m. Sunday School hour in the theater.

In a poll conducted by Christianity Today, Lewis was voted the most personally influential Christian writer of the 20^th Century. His Mere Christianity was also accorded the honor as "greatest Christian book in history, other than the Four Gospels," placing Lewis among the pantheon of great Christian thinkers.

Did you know that Lewis is often called the "Apostle to the Skeptics?" He earned this distinction because for several decades he went into the Oxford Socratic Club on a weekly basis to confront in vigorous debate Oxford University's most brilliant and skeptical professors. Local lore contends Lewis never lost. It is no surprise, for Lewis was well equipped for this task. Not only was he a master of logic, rhetoric and argumentation; he was a polymath and arguably one of the most erudite individuals in history.

Moreover, Lewis was once an ardent atheist himself. He knew full well the weight of the atheists' arguments against belief, such as:

It is only natural that Prehistoric Man would invent the notion of gods.
Faith is a product of a vivid imagination.
Christians cling to a medieval worldview.
Evolution is a fact.
Christianity is a myth.

During this lecture series we will learn about Lewis' extraordinary faith journey and his genius. We will also delve deeply into several of his most powerful and enduring literary works, including:

The Great Divorce-a theological fantasy on Heaven and (you know where).

The Problem of Pain-considered by many philosophers to be the greatest response to the question: "Why is there pain and evil?" ever written.

The Weight of Glory-one of the greatest sermons ever preached.

Please join us for this special series to learn how Lewis responded to the atheist's arguments against belief. But, be forewarned: you may be surprised.

Please note: Attendees are strongly encouraged to read The Great Divorce in advance of the third session. It would be beneficial to read The Problem of Pain, but not essential.

The schedule for the summer series is as follows:

Week 1 - June 5: Profile of a Great Man (Who was Lewis and why should you read him?)

Week 2 - June 12: A Man of Many Geniuses (Was Lewis the most erudite person ever?)

Week 3 - June 19: Surprised by Joy (Why is his faith journey unique?)

Week 4 - June 26: Paradoxes in Lewis' Thought (Which of Lewis' insights will surprise you?)

July 3 - no class

Week 5 - July 10: The Great Divorce (Part 1)

Week 6 - July 17: The Great Divorce (Part 2)

Week 7 - July 24: The Problem of Pain (Part 1)

Week 8 - July 31: The Problem of Pain (Part 2)

Week 9 - August 7: The Weight of Glory (Part 1)

Week 10 - August 14: The Weight of Glory (Part 2)

New Member Class

Interested in joining APC? Please speak to one of our pastors about our next new member class. Our next "Joining Sunday" will be June 19.

No Breakfast June 5

No Sunday Morning Breakfast on Sunday, June 5 - Preparations will be going on in the APC kitchen and Fellowship Hall for the reception honoring Rev. Helen Skillern. We will not be serving breakfast that morning but coffee will be available.

Disciple Bible Study

Disciple Bible Study has had another rewarding year of study and fellowship. We have preliminary plans to offer these classes next year: Disciple I (Monday morning and Sunday evening), Disciple II (as needed), Jesus in the Gospels, Christian Believer, and short term classes as interest indicates. Watch for more information in the summer or contact Mary Dantzler at 404-754-1763, jdantzler@bellsouth.net with questions. Registration is now open now for Disciple I. Email Mary to register for the fall.

Photography Exhibit

In keeping with the theme of grace, Liturgical Art is extending the deadline for submitting a photograph to our second photography exhibit. The theme this year is Snapshots of Grace, and the show will run concurrently with the summer sermon series, Grace upon Grace, through the month of July. Your photograph can be color or black & white, film or digital. We ask that it measures 8" X 10" and be your own original work. You may submit your photo and entry forms now through June 5. Questions? Contact Molly Elkind mpelkind@comcast.net or Sheryl Wentworth sherylwentworth@comcast.net.

Career Transition

APC Career Transition Program - With Metro Atlanta's unemployment rate still hovering around 10%, many members and friends of APC find themselves unemployed or underemployed. When those who have given up are no longer job hunting, as well as those who want full-time jobs, but still work part-time, the real total unemployment rate leaps to 16.7%.

If your organization is seeking candidates to recruit, please contact Elder Bill Harris at w.m.harris@att.net. It's possible that some of our own members could be a good fit for your opportunity. Thank you for keeping our Career Transitions Ministry and the lives it touches in your prayers. For more information, or how to be involved with this ministry, please contact Bill Harris.

Youth & Child Safety Training

Required Training for Youth and Children's Ministry Volunteers in Room 206 (new volunteers, please pick one session to attend and RSVP to volunteer@alpharettapres.com).

Sunday, June 5 9:45am

Sunday, June 26 9:45am

Sunday, July 10 9:45am and 2:00pm

New Volunteers: Our training sessions are for all new or current volunteers who have not yet attended a required volunteer training session. Childcare is provided during the 45 minute training sessions. Volunteer training will be led by Youth and Children's Ministry staff and elders.

Returning Volunteers: If you have already attended a training session in the last two years and filled out the required forms (volunteer form and background check form) you only need to fill out the signature form saying that you have read and will abide by the revised APC Child and Youth Safety Policy. This includes the Discipline Policy (see below on how to find the documents).

All Volunteers: The revised safety policy is available on the APC website at www.alpharettapres.com. Go to "ABOUT APC" and find the "documents library" page. The policy and all required forms for volunteers can be found there. Please print the required forms, complete them and turn them in to "Carolyn Dillon, Volunteer Coordinator" in the church office as soon as possible. If you have questions about the process or the status of your paperwork, please contact Carolyn Dillon at volunteer@alpharettapres.com.

Youth Ministry News

There are great events happening over the next few months. Please take time to look over and if there is an event that you would like to participate in please let us know, especially offsite events.

June 5 Youth Group Unplugged 6:00-7:30pm

June 12 on site movie night

June 19 Fathers' Day, no Youth Group

Please invite a friend to APC!

If you have any questions, concerning Youth Ministry at APC,

please contact Kelly Edwards at Kelly@alpharettapres.com or 770-751-0033

Children's Ministry News

Vacation Bible School is now FULL. You may place your children's names on the waiting list.

Parents bring your children this summer so you can attend the C.S. Lewis Series during Sunday School. Parents attending the summer Sunday School series on C.S. Lewis can bring their children over to the APC cottage and garden for an hour of art and gardening. Children 4 years old through 5th grade are welcome to join Miss Margaret and Miss Heather for basic art projects and lessons in the vegetable garden. Parents can sign children in at the garden/cottage at 9:45am and sign them out at 10:45am. The vegetables are growing and they will be donated to the Drake House. Children younger than 4 are welcome in our nursery and toddler room. We also have the Promise Class open from 9:30 - 12:30pm for children and youth with special needs.

Sympathy & Celebrations

Sympathy - To Sophia Balmer and her family, at the death of her husband, John Balmer, who died Sunday, May 29. Services were held at APC on Thursday, June 2, Rev. Butcher and Dr. Wagner officiating.

Sunday Volunteers

Serving as greeters this Sunday: Larry & Mim Prohl at 11:00

Serving as ushers this Sunday: Dick & Sharon Bean, Rick Caudle, Tom Hyatt at 8:30 and Steve Ludlow, Dale Carter, Duane Lofdahl

11:00 Kinderkirk volunteers this Sunday: Heidi Alatar & Amy Barker

11:00 Promise Class volunteers this Sunday: Fran Mosher

The Good News - This Week

Alpharetta Presbyterian Church.
You can visit the church on line at www.alpharettapres.com or contact the office during regular business hours at 770-751-0033.