The Good News - This Week

The program year at APC is off to a really strong start. It's great to have our classrooms full of Dayschool students during the weekdays once again. Their joy and energy in the building and on the playgrounds is contagious! Your participation in the worship and work of the church is something for which I give thanks daily. As we enter the program year with all of its promise, please know that my door is open to hear your thoughts and ideas about APC. The Spirit has gifted each of you...let those gifts be used for the common good.

This year the Session is encouraging all of the members and friends of the church to "have a ministry." I invite you to get involved with your church beyond worship. You might join a women's circle, our book club, a choir or a Sunday School class. Maybe you'd like to help with work on the property or assist with our theater group or information/welcome centers. There are weekday bible studies and fellowship dinners that would always welcome you. We can always use dishwashers and ushers.

The work of the church isn't limited to our building but extends out into our community and world. This year we are hoping to organize a mission trip for adults to help with hurricane relief through Presbyterian Disaster Assistance. There will also be a trip to Kenya sometime in the late spring. Our work at Drake House, Foster Care and the Community Charities are local and ongoing. We always invite your prayers, encouragement and donations of time and talent to help.

Thanks be to God for the ministries we share and the friends with whom we share them. Thank you for your prayers.

God's peace to you,

Ollie

Nominations Requested
Congregational Nominations Requested - The Nominating Committee is requesting nominations for deacons and elders. Please submit names electronically at http://www.alpharettapres.com/nomination. Names can also be submitted to the church office or in the nomination box in the lobby. Please submit nominations by September 25.

Congregational Meeting

There will be a congregational meeting following the 11:00am worship service in the sanctuary on Sunday, September 18 for the purpose of electing four at-large members of the 2011-2012 Nominating Committee. The current nominating committee will be proposing the following slate of members for election: Bill Harris, Brian Moore, Louise Kennedy and Julie Jagmin.

Acolyte Training

Acolyte training this Sunday, September 18 at 9:30am for all youth nine years or older able to serve at the 8:30 service. Training will be held in the sanctuary immediately following the 8:30 service. Please send questions to Cindy Laubenstein at 678-366-0345 or cindylaub05@yahoo.com.

New Member Class

If you are interested in uniting with APC in membership, and learning more about the faith and life of the church, this class is for you! APC's next New Member Class will be held October 2, 9, and 16 during the Sunday school hour, 9:45-10:45am, in the theater. New members will be received by the Session and introduced to the congregation on Sunday, October 23. Please speak with Ollie or Jamie and contact Carol in the church office to express your interest in participating in this process, carol@alpharettapres.com.

Wellness EXPO

Mark your calendars for September 24! The APC Open Arms/Eldercare Support Group is sponsoring our first Wellness EXPO from 9:00am - 12:00pm in the multipurpose room. Information provided will include eldercare financial information, in-home care, home modification consulting, geriatric care providers, independent/assisted living options and more. Blood pressure and glucose screenings will be available and refreshments will be provided. For questions and other information, contact Ellen Adolph, hbunnies@gmail.com or 678-637-2928.

Haiti Partnership

La Gonâve Haiti Partnership Update

Even as our children have returned to school, the children on La Gonâve are excited to return to school. Perhaps it's hard to appreciate what a treasure it is for the Haitian kids to attend school, have a teacher. The children are eager to line up by classes each morning for their flag raising ceremony and national anthem. They are brimming with pride dressed in their school uniform, the girls' hair bedecked with ribbons, and wearing shoes or sandals! Wearing shoes is not an everyday thing; it's generally only for church or school that they are so finely dressed. Thanks to US based churches, such as ours, this is possible for 10 communities on the largely forgotten Island of La Gonave, Haiti. Check out the new web site for our La Gonave Haiti Partnership. If you are interested in joining APC's newly forming La Gonave Haiti Partnership Committee, please contact Sydney Schneider sydschneider@comcast.net or 770-664-0942.

Cancer Care Group

Have you or a loved one battled cancer? Have you lost a family member or friend to the disease? Are you interested in learning more about events, groups and theological resources that address this topic? Please join us for the first gathering of APC's Cancer Care Group on Sunday, September 25, 9:45 to 10:45am, in the Alpha Building. For more information, or how to be involved in this ministry, please contact Jamie Butcher, jamie@alpharettapres.com.

Drake House Tour

Have you seen it? On Sunday, September 25 from 2:00-4:00 PM, you are invited to an Open House with tour of The Drake House. Come anytime you want between those hours. This special event is set up for APC only. You will see the two key areas of The Drake House - the apartments and The Drake Center. Come see what APC supports with our financial gifts, our time and our talents. Come see where homeless women and their families are housed, supported and given an opportunity to become self-sufficient. Come tour The Drake House! Location: The Drake House, 10500 Clara Drive Roswell, GA 30075. Contact person: Sheryl Wentworth at sherylwentworth@comcast.net

Peacemaking Offering

Sunday, October 2, World Communion Sunday, APC will join Presbyterians both locally and nationally in collecting the Presbyterian Peacemaking Offering. This offering is in recognition that God's healing is offered to people of all nations and that in taking Communion we are united in Christ with one another in the work of healing and peace. We hope you will join us in this national effort. The money donated to the Peacemaking Offering will be used by ministries of the PCUSA that promote world peace.

Volunteers Needed

The APC information booths in the sanctuary lobby and education wing need friendly faces. If you are looking for a convenient and easy volunteer opportunity, the Communications Committee hopes you can help us on Sunday mornings. Training is brief as most inquiries are immediate, such as the location of a specific activity. Sunday School maps and other timely information will be available. Please contact Amy Rogers, amyrrogers@bellsouth.net or 770.992.8181.

Dinner Theater

Do you know Speed Freak, Dim Bulb, Mental and Kevin? What do they all have in common? They all think they are Super Heroes in the comedy Insane with Power. Come meet them at the APC's Dinner Theater performed by ACT1 on October 1 or October 2. Reserve your seat at the Dinner Theater display table in the church hallway. Deadline is Wednesday, September 28. Contact: Sheryl Wentworth at sherylwentworth@comcast.net.

Harvest Moon Party

Make plans to celebrate the fall harvest with Earth Covenant Ministry Saturday, September 24 from 5:30-8:30pm, at its first annual Harvest Moon Party. We'll dine under the stars, enjoy a freshly prepared local organic meal and tap our feet to the rhythms of the Bluegrass Bonanza Band. The co-housing Community of East Lake Commons in Decatur is hosting us. Plan to stroll along the pathways through this eco-village that includes a small organic farm http://www.eastlakecommons.org. Come to learn more about co-housing and intentional neighborhoods. Come to celebrate and support Earth Covenant Ministry's work in Metro Atlanta. Come to connect with new and old friends on the earth-honoring faith journey. Dinner tickets are $30/person; $55/couple; $75/ Family 4-pack. For tickets, contact ECM at 678/362-7639 or RSVP@earthcovenantministry.org.

FW Plate FW Dinner Reservations

You can now make your Fun Wednesday Dinner reservations on-line. Go to www.alpharettapres.com/dinner and follow the directions to make your dinner reservations. Please make your reservations in advance as stated in the example on the website. If you are not making your reservations on-line, you may fill out the reservation cards on the table in the church lobby. Contact person: Sheryl Wentworth sherylwentworth@comcast.net.

Dinner for September 21: Chicken pot pie, roasted potatoes, vegetable, rolls, salad & dessert

Adult Program for September 21: Domestic Violence, Tara Hall, Executive Director of Family Haven, Inc.

Seeing and Savoring the Psalms

LAST WEEK for Ryan Bonfiglio's study of the Psalms at 9:45am in the theater. Please bring your Bibles!

Few books in the Bible are more cherished than the Psalms. Its evocative metaphors and penetrating imagery are so thoroughly ingrained in our Christian faith that Luther once called the book of Psalms the "little Bible."

Though ancient in origins, the psalms also provide an ever-relevant window to our most authentic praise and our most honest doubts. As such, the Psalter provides believers, both past and present, with a rich vocabulary of faith. Yet, while the psalms are dearly loved, they are not always deeply understood.

What sort of book is the Psalter and how should it be read? What types of prayers does it contain and where do they show up in our worship and liturgy? How can both psalms of praise and psalms of lament function as a vital resource in our lives of faith? By beginning to answer these and other questions, this four-week series is designed to enrich your understanding of and love for the book of Psalms. All are welcome to join us.

College Students

Have a college student, new or returning to school? As a part of our ministry and outreach efforts to serve our college students with our encouragement, well wishes and care packages, we need to update our database. Please forward your student's updated contact information (address, email and phone) to Kelly Edwards, APC Youth Ministry Director, at kelly@alpharettapres.com.

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 Ministry News

Connecting at Youth Group - APC Youth Group is in full swing, meeting on Sunday nights from 5:30 - 7:30 for fellowship and faith. Youth Group is a time for our middle and high school students to come together in a non-worship setting, share a meal and grow in their relationship with Christ and with each other. We encourage all middle and high school students to join us for Youth Group on Sunday nights.

Sunday, September 18, join us from 5:30-7:30pm for Wild and Wacky Game Night. Wear old clothes that can get dirty.

Wednesday, September 21 - Fun Wednesday "Plant a Seed" Youth Mission Night. Join us for an evening at the Dogwood Homes retirement village. We'll play "Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader" with the residents. We will leave APC at 5:00pm.

Sunday, September 25 - Six Flags Outing Don't miss this great group outing. Cost is only $20 plus your food. If your child hasn't yet become part of our group, this would be a great day to try it out!

The Middle School Retreat to Calvin Center will take place from October 7 - 9. APC Middle School youth will join youth from other churches around Atlanta for a weekend of fun, faith and fellowship centered around this year's theme "5 loaves, 2 fish and Youth." Cost of the retreat is $45 per child. Registration deadline is September 23.

For more information or to RSVP contact Kelly Edwards at kelly@alpharettapres.com.

Children's Ministry News

Sunday Schedule for Children at APC for 2011 - 2012

Parents make the commitment and see your child's faith and your joy increase.

9:30am - 10:00am Children's Choirs Practice for ages K - 5^th grade: 10:00 to 10:15 AM for Preschool ages (beginning of Preschool Sunday School)

10:00am - 10:45am Preschool Sunday School Lessons and Elementary Workshops

Nursery care is provided on Sundays from 8:15am - 12:15pm for ages 0-3 in the nursery and red room. (all year long)

Children's Choirs practice on Sundays from 9:30am - 10:00am. The elementary children (K-Gr 5) practice in room 109 from 9:30am - 10:00am and are then escorted to their age group's workshop. The preschoolers have music in their Sunday school room at 10:00am. Sunday school ends at 10:45am. Parents pick up their children from designated rooms and workshops.

Promise Class is provided on Sundays from 9:30 am - 12:30pm for our special needs students in the Rainbow and Noah's Ark Room. (all year long)

Kinderkirk (Children's Worship Education for children ages 3 - First Grade) meets in room 108 for the 8:30am service and room 105 (Preschool) and 108 Kindergarten & First) during the 11:00am service. Children are escorted back to Kinderkirk by their Kinderkirk teachers. Parents pick up children from the designated rooms after worship.

Fun Wednesdays are underway with a new enrichment program for children that involves drama, music, art, Bible study, and games. Dinner starts at 5:15pm followed by new and exciting activities for children from 6:15pm - 7:15pm.

September 18 at 12:00pm "Meet Kathy Luncheon" following church, for families who have RSVP'd, we will have a light lunch and a time to get acquainted.

October 2 from 2:00-4:00pm Bowling Blast families with 4^th and 5^th graders are invited to meet up at Brunswick Lanes (785 Old Roswell Rd Roswell) for an afternoon of fun.

October 9 at 12:15pm Child Safety Training Following church, we will have a training session for all who have not yet attended one, and who will be volunteering with our children's or youth program.

Please take a few moments to complete our "Getting to Know You" survey! These will be distributed during Sunday School and available on our information tables. We'd appreciate your feedback to help us best serve the needs of our families at APC.

Sympathy & Celebrations
Celebration - For Lee and Sarah Provow whose daughter Emily will marry Joe Prine in Highlands, NC on Saturday, September 17. Dr. Walter Jones will officiate.

Sympathy - To Anna Anton and her family, at the death of her father, Rev. Chick Thorington, who died Monday, September 12. Services will be held Saturday, September 17 at 11:00am at Northwest Presbyterian Church in Atlanta.

Sympathy - To Barbara Duffy, Executive Director of North Fulton Community Charities, at the death of her husband, Tom Duffy, who died Friday, September 9. Services were held Tuesday, September 13 at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Alpharetta.

Sympathy - To Michael Pupillo and his family, at the death of his grandmother, Genevieve Grass, who died Thursday, September 8. Services were held Monday, September 12 at St. John Bosco in Hammond, IN.

Sympathy - To Virginia Terrell and her family, at the death of her husband, Thom Terrell, who died Tuesday, September 6. Services were held Friday, September 9 in Blue Ridge, GA.

Sunday Volunteers

Serving as acolytes this Sunday: Chip Neal and Haley Jones at 8:30 & Sarah Gould and Caroline Tweedy at 11:00

Serving as greeters this Sunday: Volunteers needed

Serving as ushers this Sunday: Kim and Valerie Fulkerson, Sybille Johnstone, Alan Crowell at 8:30 & Ed and Pat Rea, Jeff Stewart, Ralph Pollifrone at 11:00

11:00 Kinderkirk volunteers this Sunday: Jodie Barger and Michelle Smith

11:00 Promise Class volunteer this Sunday: Trish Kent

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 (Mon-Thurs, 8:00am-4:00pm and Friday, 8:00am-1:00pm).