The Good News - This Week

This Sunday we'll ordain and install a new class of elders and deacons. In the life of any Presbyterian congregation, this is big news. I hope you will be present in worship for this important event, adding your prayers for those new officers and for the ministry of the church. As we welcome new officers, we also express our gratitude to those who served God faithfully and well as part of the class of 2011. The church is stronger because of their leadership.

This Sunday we also return to our regular Sunday morning schedule: Worship at 8:30, 9:45 and 11:00am; Sunday School for all ages at 9:45am, Breakfast from 8:00-10:30am and Youth Group for middle and high school students from 5:30-7:30pm. Wednesday night fellowship dinners resume this week as do our weekly Bible studies.

In this new year opportunity is before us...I invite you to follow the "light of the world" who calls you to himself through worship and prayer, Bible study, Christian fellowship and service to those in need. APC has much to offer and accomplish in Christ's service...join in!

Welcome Liz Lorendo

We are very pleased to introduce our new lead teacher for the Promise class, Liz Lorendo. Liz brings with her a background in education, including working with special needs children. She is from Louisville, Kentucky and moved to the Cumming/Alpharetta area 17 years ago. Currently she is the preschool director for Christ the King Lutheran Church in Cumming. She has a young adult son, who currently lives and works in Dubai, and a daughter who attends school and works in this area. Music is a passion of Liz. As she states, "it is the thread that binds." Her enthusiasm and leadership skills will be an asset to her role as lead teacher. She is looking forward to making friends in the Promise class at APC. Please join us in welcoming her!

Epiphany Event

Children's Ministry will be hosting an International Event on Epiphany Sunday, January 8, from 9:45 to 10:45am in Fellowship Hall. All families and friends of APC are welcome to enjoy this enriching event! Come see interesting displays and items from countries including Egypt, Norway and China...to name a few. This will be held in lieu of Sunday School and parents are encouraged to attend with their children. Participate in an activity, sample a snack or two, and explore the world around us via this event!

Friends & Fellowship

Second Sunday Reception is this Sunday! Visitors and members, please join the deacons following the Congregational Meeting after the 11:00 service in Fellowship Hall for a time of fellowship. Light refreshments will be served. It's a great time to meet new people and catch-up with friends. We will also celebrate the ordination and installation of new officers that takes place this Sunday.

Sunday Flowers

The 2012 Flower Donation Chart is now up! APC members and friends are invited to donate flowers to beautify our sanctuary on Sunday mornings. The flowers may be placed in memory or honor of loved ones, or to mark a special occasion such as an anniversary, birthday or baptism. As many as three donors may participate on any given Sunday. The cost for each donor is $65 (note new price). Members of the diaconate take the flowers to homebound members after the service. The Flower Donation Chart is located outside the church office. Please complete a yellow form when you sign up and return it with your check to the church office.

APC Book Club

The APC Book Club will meet Tuesday, January 10 at 7:00pm in Fellowship Hall to discuss The Jefferson Key by Steve Berry. This New York Times bestseller features former Justice Department operative Cotton Malone at odds with the Commonwealth, a secret society of pirates first assembled during the American Revolution. Racing across the nation and taking to the high seas, Malone and Cassiopeia Vitt must break a secret cipher originally possessed by Thomas Jefferson, unravel a mystery concocted by Andrew Jackson, and unearth a document forged by the Founding Fathers. All are welcome to join us, having read the selection or not! Next month's selection: The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton.

Supper Six

If you are interested in signing up to participate in the spring session, please let us know. Those people who have already signed up for both sessions, or signed up for just the spring session are all set. If you want to change your status let us know. Please contact Lynn or Art Adams at lynnandartadams@gmail.com or 678-319-0984 by Wednesday, January 9.

The scheduled pairings for February, March and April will be published about mid January.

Dayschool Registration

Come one, come all! January 18 and 19 is Dayschool registration. If you or someone you know has a child ages 2-5, we invite you to join our program. For details, please visit our web site at www.alpharettapres.com/dayschool.

2012 Annual Pledge

If you have not made a pledge for 2012, please take a moment to complete and return the two pledge cards which you will find in the pew racks. The cards may be placed in the offering plate or dropped off in the church finance office's mail slot in the lobby.

As you complete and turn in your pledge cards regarding your 2012 giving to APC, please be sure to pick up your gift from the church: A beautiful APC car magnet of our stained glass rose window. The magnets may be picked up from the table in the lobby.

Dave Ramsey - Financial Peace

APC will complete its first two successful classes of Financial Peace on Sunday, January 15. The thirteen week course will end for our Sunday morning and Sunday evening classes. Approximately 40 people will then be awarded their certificates of completion. But more importantly, the learning and understanding they gained has given them the opportunity to apply it to their own financial planning and ultimate goal of "Financial Peace".

Due to the success of the program, APC will again offer a class beginning Wednesday, January 25. Classes will meet at 6:30pm and continue weekly for thirteen weeks. The cost of course materials is $100.00 and includes a complete set of audio CDs, a course workbook, the Dave Ramsey book Financial Peace Revisited, access to the resources of the Dave Ramsey organization, plus other bits and pieces that compliment the course. Please contact Ted Lynam, (home phone-770-754-0445) or the APC office if you are interested in taking the course.

Dave Ramsey - Live! Take Control of Your Money! Saturday, January 21 - The Arena at Gwinnett, 1-6:00 PM

Discover Dave Ramsey's proven financial principles, all packaged into one action-packed experience! At these dynamic events, Dave will teach you how to win with money in an entertaining, educating and inspiring way. He has already helped millions of people take control of their money, and he can help you!

APC has tickets available for $25.00. Tickets at the door are more than $49.00

Please contact Ted Lynam, (Home Phone - 770-754-0445) or the APC office if you are interested in attending.

Adult Sunday School

Ancient Figures, Modern Faith - Ryan Bonfiglio's new lecture series, Sunday mornings in the theater at 9:45, January 15 - February 5.

For many protestants today, ancient figures such as prophets, priests, kings, and sages are often seen as relics of the distant past, strange artifacts of the Old Testament that seem hardly relevant to modern faith. Yet, such characterizations tend to overlook the central role concepts related to prophets, priests, kings, and sages have played both in Biblical theology and the Reformed tradition.

In fact, John Calvin famously described the work of Christ - and thus the vocation of the Church - in terms of the threefold office of prophet, priest, and king. This four-week study will attempt to uncover whom these ancient figures were and how they were understood in the ancient world in order to recover why they still can and should matter in the life and mission of the church today. All are welcome to join us for this series.

Haiti Update

Thank you APC members for your extra giving support of our Haiti mission on La Gonâve during December! Through your purchases of alternative Christmas gifts and honorariums, an additional $668 was received which will help to fill serious shortfalls in education and healthcare programs on the island. During this economic slowdown giving is down nationally in all areas including La Gonâve. As a result we have had to lay off teachers and health workers. So every gift given helps! There is good news to share in that APC's mission committee designated $1,200 towards the purchase of a replacement vehicle for the mission. The existing "ambulance" as it is called, is falling apart and each mission group has been stranded while roadside repairs are made. The island has few roads and much of the travel is done on rocky paths. Without a vehicle, the mission work is almost completely stalled. US mission groups cannot provide mobile clinics or visit sister churches and the priest cannot get to all nine churches. These gifts are appreciated enormously! Each partnership church has contributed and we expect to be able to purchase the vehicle this month. Thank you APC! Submitted by Sydney Schneider, National Coordinator for La Gonâve Haiti Partnership.

Career Transition

APC Career Transition Program - Recently the unemployment rate in Metro Atlanta dropped to 9.9 % from 10.2 %. While this is a move in the right direction, it is not the whole story. Since 2007, Georgia has lost 360,000 positions, so the state now has approximately the same number of jobs that existed in 1999. When individuals are no longer job hunting, as well as those who seek full-time jobs are counted, the real rate of unemployment is a conservative figure of 15%. Elder Bill Harris leads efforts at APC to address the employment concerns of our congregation and needs your help. We are trying to get a handle on the reality of how many of our members are unemployed and underemployed - whether or not you currently attend the Career Transition Group at APC, if you fit either category, please email Bill at w.m.harris@att.net.

In addition, the job market is tight and the impersonal internet has made it difficult to get recognized. If you work for or own a company, we would appreciate any information on positions that might represent opportunities that become available or contact names that would ensure a more effective outreach. We need our employed professionals to reach out and make information available that will give a competitive chance to members of our congregation who are struggling to get a sense of the real jobs versus automatic postings, and to get noticed! Please email Bill with any help you can offer as we renew our commitment to serve our members in this challenging and prolonged recession.

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.

Dinner for January 11: Baked chicken breast, squash casserole, rice, rolls, salad & dessert

Adult program is from 6:15-7:15pm and topics include guest mission speakers, Bible study, faith discussions and music programs.

Youth Ministry News

Welcome back, everyone! We hope you had a wonderful Christmas break. Youth Group will meet Sunday evening at APC, please join us for dinner in Fellowship Hall at 5:30, followed by group activities until 7:30pm.

Look for your next Youth Ministry Newsletter on Monday, January 9.

For questions or more information, please contact Kelly Edwards, Director of Youth Ministries at kelly@alpharettapres.com or 770-751-0033.

Children's Ministry News

The Epiphany Sunday event will be in lieu of 9:45 Sunday School classes on January 8.

January 22, 2012 from 2:00-4:00pm Children's Ministry is hosting a Winter Challenge event for fourth and fifth graders. Mark your calendars for a fun afternoon of activities; there will be variety of choices...something for everyone, including hot cocoa and s'mores for a winter warm-up!

Sunday School

Sunday School for preschool and elementary age children is from 9:45 - 10:45am.

Nursery care is provided on Sundays from 8:15am - 12:15pm for ages 0-2 in the nursery.

Children's Choir practice is on Sundays at 9:30am; children will join the rest of their classes following this time.

Promise Class is provided on Sundays from 9:30 am - 12:30pm for our special needs students in the Rainbow Room.

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 Room 108 (Kindergarten & First) during the 11:00am service.

Fun Wednesdays' enrichment program for children meets from 6:15pm - 7:15pm following Fun Wednesday dinner. Activities include music, art, Bible stories, drama and games.

For more information, contact Kathy Ailts at kathy@alpharettapres.com.

Sympathy & Celebrations

Sympathy - To Tim Deitrich and his family, at the death of his mother, Jan Deitrich, who died Tuesday, January 3. Services will be held at Presbyterian Village in Austell, GA.

Sympathy - To Hope Williams, at the death of her stepmother, Carolyn Deaton Williams, who died Thursday, January 5. Services were held Saturday, January 7 in Lawrenceville, GA.

Sympathy - To Christy Mooney, former APC member, at the death of her father, Calvin Vick, who died December 31.

Celebration - Congratulations to Catherine Conner and Michael Scully at their wedding held December 31 at APC.

Sunday Volunteers

Serving as acolytes this Sunday: Volunteers needed

Serving as greeters this Sunday: Sybille Johnstone at 8:30

Serving as ushers this Sunday: George and Sue Myers, Carolyn Dillon, Wilson Borden at 8:30 Ken Bogle, Larry Prohl, Dale Carter, Dot Van Dyke at 11:00

11:00 Kinderkirk volunteers this Sunday: Amy Barker & Ashley Birnbaum

11:00 Promise Class volunteer this Sunday: Fran Mosher

APC Church Officers

The Session

Class of 2012 Class of 2013 Class of 2014

Dianne Berry-Children's Ministry George Bancroft-Property Scott Doll-Membership/Youth Ministry

Michelle Burton-Youth Ministry Jodie Barger-Children's Ministry Molly Elkind-Worship

Morris Estes-Finance Lynn Danson-Fellowship/Mission Stu Laubenstein-Personnel

Jim Gray-Clerk of Session/CE Pat Dennis-Open Arms Anne Mahone-Dayschool/LRP

John Shevlin-Mission Stacy Guy-Commitment/Communications Charles Moriarty-Property/CE

Jessie Prigge-Youth Ministry Nancy Hill-Personnel/Nominating Sarah Provow-Open Arms/Commitment

Amy Rogers-Communications Jan Hughey-Long Range Plan/Finance Ferrell White-Worship/Fellowship

Jean Williams-Nominating/Membership Kylie Vacko-Open Arms

Deacon Care Teams

Hospitality - John Hicks, 678-513-4570, hicksjc@bellsouth.net

Companion Care - Carolyn Dillon, 770-751-3799, csdillon@bellsouth.net

Hospital & Recovery - Paul McChesney, 678-234-8471, paulsmcchesney@gmail.com

Sympathy & Celebrations, Steve Ludlow, 770-722-5473, ludlowst@comcast.net

APC on Facebook

Find us on Facebook! That's right Alpharetta Presbyterian Church has a facebook page! You can "like" APC at http://facebook.com/alpharettapres. Look for the latest information about activities and missions of the church!

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).