The Good News - This Week

Congratulations, graduates! No, I'm not referring to our high school and college seniors. They don't graduate until late spring. This weekend at APC two classes of Dave Ramsey's "Financial Peace University" will graduate from their thirteen-week seminar, having learned much about managing personal finances effectively and faithfully. "FPU" has no mascot and doesn't field a popular football team. Instead, its alumni boast of reduced debt, better management of their finances, more generous living and a greater sense of peace in their lives through common-sense planning. APC will graduate nearly 40 men and women on Sunday from FPU.

I invite each of you to consider enrolling in our next "Financial Peace" class. Tuition is $100 (per household). Classes involve an hour of Dave Ramsey on video, an hour of group discussion, and of course, homework. Lecture topics include: Saving, Budgeting, Dumping Debt, Buying, Decision Making, Insurance, Investments, Retirement, Planning for College, Careers, Mortgages and Generous Giving. The class will meet Wednesday nights from 5:30 - 7:30pm in the Theater beginning on Wednesday, January 25th. Child care is available at no charge.

The first class is free and requires no commitment on your part. If you have any interest at all, I encourage you to attend. It is an opportunity to test the waters. If you have any questions about this educational ministry of APC, please contact the church office. Our facilitators are Ted Lynam or Allison Neal.

"In the house of the wise are stores of food and oil, but the foolish devour all that they have." -Proverbs 21:20.

Peace!

Eldercare Support

APC Eldercare Support Group, January 19 at 6:30pm in Fellowship Hall. Do any of these sound familiar...repetitive questions, unusually argumentative conversations, paranoiac comments? There are many behavioral aspects of Alzheimer's disease and dementia as well as strategies for how family members can deal with these behaviors.You may well want to hear what Thom Corrigan has to say! Thom, a seasoned geriatric care manager from Metta Johnson Associates, will address our audience. Thom is very experienced in the eldercare community and is happy to address these questions and more. We hope to see you then. If you have any questions, please contact Ellen Adolph, APC Open Arms, at hbunnies@gmail.com.

New Member Class

If you are interested in joining 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 Sundays, February 5, 12 and 19 from 9:45-10:45am, in the theater. New members will be received by the Session and introduced to the congregation on Sunday, February 26. 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.

Dayschool Registration

Dayschool registration for the 2012-2013 school year is January 18 for current students and January 19 for new families. If you have a child ages 2-5 and are looking for a preschool, please give the Dayschool office a call at 770-751-3862.

For details, please visit our web site at www.alpharettapres.com/dayschool.

Vases Needed

The deacons are looking for extra flower vases for our Sunday flower delivery. Please bring any slightly used or new vases to the APC office. Thank you for participating in this component of the ministry of care and compassion at APC.

Guitar Lessons

Interested in learning to play the guitar? Ollie Wagner offers beginner guitar lessons to children (age 7 and older) on Wednesdays from 4:30 - 5:15pm and follows the Fun Wednesday dinner schedule.

If you have a guitar, you may bring it. APC also has some that you may borrow. Instructions are in a group setting and held in the choir room (next to the sanctuary). Please direct any questions or interest to ollie@alpharettapres.com. There are no fees or charges for this music ministry.

Zambia Trip

Anyone interested in joining Mount Vernon Presbyterian Church (Sandy Springs, GA) for an April 9-16, 2012 mission trip to Lusaka, Zambia should contact MVPC member and trip leader Barbara Hughes at her email: thughe5@att.net. Anticipated total cost (including airfare) is $2,250. MVPC will also lead a mission team to Zambia from June 19 - July 5 which will include a trip to Victoria Falls (and so be more expensive). Feel free to contact Ollie Wagner to learn more about these opportunities.

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.

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 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, beginning 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.

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 18: Beef stroganoff, noodles, 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

Tip of the Iceberg Retreat at Calvin Center - In 2009, Calvin Center offered the first Tip of the Iceberg Retreat. Because it was so successful, Calvin is once again offering this powerful retreat for high school students. The purpose of the retreat is to create a safe place for all to begin or continue to understand the multi-faceted nature of sexuality. The leaders at Calvin Center recognized in 2009 that the our secular world typically takes a "tip of the iceberg" approach to educating young people about sex and sexuality. This approach is one dimensional and rarely includes the role of God or spirituality in the equation. The Tip of the Iceberg Retreat takes a holistic approach and includes appreciation for the theological, emotional, physical and spiritual nature of our bodies as more than just flesh and bone but a holy assembly of God's design. We affirm that our sexuality is a part of who we are in God's creation.

Paul Humphreys from Calvin Center will be at APC on Sunday, January 29, at 12:15pm to offer an overview of the retreat and answer questions from parents and youth. Please mark your calendars to attend this valuable informational meeting.

Reel World Night (Movie Night) - Sunday, January 15, 5:00-8:00pm.

Bowling Night - Sunday, January 15 5:00-7:30pm. Join us for a fun night at the lanes in next week. We'll leave APC at 5:00pm, return at 7:30pm. Cost is $10 per participant and includes dinner, laser tag or bumper cars and game room tokens. Please sign up for this outing.

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

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 Lee Jones and her family, at the death of her grandfather, Charles Lee Bowman, who died Tuesday, January 10. Services will be held in Albany, GA. Lieutenant Colonel Bowman was 94 years old.

Sunday Volunteers

Serving as acolytes this Sunday: Chip Neal and Jack Shevlin at 8:30 & Nick and Tyler Heydinger 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: Kirsten Brannon & Ann Cooley

11:00 Promise Class volunteer this Sunday: Trish Kent

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/Commun. Charles Moriarty-Property/CE

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

Amy Rogers-Communications Jan Hughey-LRP/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).