The Good News - This Week

Our financial leaders have just completed their 2011 report on the church's operating budget. While this information has not yet been reviewed by the Finance Committee I thought it would be helpful to summarize some key points for you while the news is fresh. You will be able to review this information in far greater detail at our next congregational meeting. For now, here is a summary:

*In 2011 we spent $79,000 more than we received.

*Our pledged receipts were above what we budgeted by $14,000. Thank you!

*We spent the amount we budgeted for 2011.

*We received far less in "unpledged" giving ($42,000) than we anticipated.

*We overspent on our Sunday and Wednesday meals by $8,000.

*We overspent on the property by $12,000 due to some major roof repairs and equipment needs.

As you know, these are difficult economic times. Unemployment numbers remain high and many folks are hurting. Community charities are busier than ever in helping families in financial crisis. As your financial leaders work on our 2012 church budget we ask for your prayers. As you can see from the above summary, we have several matters that we need to address. Your generosity and commitment make possible the work and witness we offer in Christ's name. May God continue to bless your giving.

I want to add a word of deep appreciation to APC Treasurer, Mary Shevlin, and our Financial Administrator Susan Schiltz. We are in debt to them for the diligent and faithful work they do along with members of our Commitment Committee, Finance Committee and volunteers who count the Sunday offerings. If you have any questions about your giving or APC finances and budgets, please contact Susan in the office at susan@alpharettapres.com or 770-751-0033.

Grace and Peace to you,

Ollie

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.

Cancer Care Group

APC's Cancer Care Group will meet Sunday, January 22 at 9:45am in the Alpha Building, Classroom 1, and the 4^th Sunday of each month. Whether you have been the patient or the caregiver to a loved one, you know that cancer takes a toll on everyone. In this first meeting of 2012, we'll talk about problems, programs and projects that we can share with members of our APC family who may be at some point in this journey of healing and need our support. We hope you will join us. If you have questions, please contact Hope Williams at shwalpha@aol.com.

Women's Retreat

The Women's Retreat is coming in March! Information on the APC Women's Retreat will be coming soon. Mark your calendar for Saturday, March 10 from 9:00am - 4:00pm at Deer Creek Shores Presbyterian Church in Cumming.

Come join us as we will be Celebrating - 25 Years of APC Women!

Kitchen Talk at APC

We hope you are enjoying the Sunday Morning Breakfast buffet that is prepared each week by volunteers of APC and Chef Doug. Just a reminder about the Sunday Morning Breakfast buffet hours. The breakfast buffet food is ready at 8:00am and the last food preparation is completed around 9:30am and placed on the buffet table. The buffet closes at 10:00 AM. Between 9:30 and 10:00, the kitchen crew is finishing the cleaning up the kitchen and portions of Fellowship Hall. This allows them the opportunity to attend the 11:00 worship service.

NFCC News

Thanks to the community's generosity, North Fulton Community Charities helped 3,500 people with holiday celebrations (gifts and meals). Thank you! APC continues to collect non-perishable food items and personal hygiene items in the large yellow bins in the hallway. Those donations are delivered weekly to help our neighbors in need.

Closing Offices or Relocating? North Fulton Community Charities has a Family Enrichment Program that is looking for furnishings. As NFCC prepares to move into a new building where the enrichment program will be held, they are looking for training room furnishings, office and reception area furniture. If you know of someone who is closing an office or relocating an office, and may consider donating items for our training center, please contact Eden Purdy, epurdy@nfcchelp.org for a list of needed items or more information.

Adult Mission Trips

Kenya - APC member Walter Dean will lead a mission trip to Kenya from June 1 - June 11, 2012. We will be visiting Habitat Aid Initiative (www.habitataid.org) projects in the Western Province of Kenya and meeting community leaders and beneficiaries, including APC's water project accomplished through 2011 VBS donations. Habitat Aid works in health services, education, agriculture, water and sanitation and for gender equality. We will worship at Presbyterian churches and end our time by visiting the Masai Mara Game Park. Trip cost is $2,975 plus airfare to Kenya. The trip is for adults and youth age 14 and up accompanied by a parent. Contact Walter Dean at info@habitataid.org or 678-519-9845.

Haiti - We are hoping to offer a mission trip to the Island of La Gonave, Haiti this fall (Proposed October 27 to November 3). The intent of this trip is to build understanding, participate in a health fair for children and do building repairs. The trip is still in the planning stages but with Session's approval, the trip will be led by APC member Sydney Schneider; the estimated cost: $1,300. This is a trip for adults and youth age 14 and older if accompanied by one parent.

Contact sydschneider@comcast.net.

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.

Anyone who would like to donate a used acoustic guitar (full or children's size) to APC should contact Ollie Wagner. We need a few extra guitars to share with the children taking lessons.

Thank You

Dear APC family,

As we get settled in our new temporary home in Virginia, we want to send a fond farewell to our APC friends and thank you for being such a wonderful church family over our 10 years as members of APC. From Whiz Kids, Choir and Supper Six, to Stephen Ministry, APC Women, Angel Tree, etc., we have so many fond memories of the fellowship we shared and the friendships formed over the years. We have been blessed to be part of APC. We can be reached at kreiserj@comcast.net.

Best regards,

Jeanne & Jim Kreiser

Dayschool Sunday

Next Sunday is "Dayschool Sunday." We look forward to welcoming many of our Dayschool students and their families to worship at APC. Nancy Fain, Dayschool Director, will share an update of the Dayschool year as we celebrate their ministry of the church.

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 has completed its first two successful classes 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.

Career Transition

APC Career Transition Program - Recently the unemployment rate in Metro Atlanta dropped from 10.2% to 9.9 %. 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%. Since 2007, Georgia has lost 360,000 positions, so the state now has approximately the same number of jobs that existed in 1999. Elder Bill Harris leads efforts at APC to address the employment concerns and needs your help. We are trying to get a handle on how many of our members are unemployed and underemployed and whether or not they participate in the Career Transition Group at APC. If you would like employment assistance, please email Bill at w.m.harris@att.net.

If you work for or lead an organization, 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 and executives to reach out and make information available that will give a competitive edge to members of our congregation who are endeavoring to gain a sense of the real jobs and hidden market versus Internet postings. In the Lobby, the Career Transition Bulletin Board is now up and running. Please email Bill with any assistance you can offer as we renew our commitment to serve our members, veterans and the community 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 25: Chicken enchilada casserole, beans, 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.

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 third through 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 - Michael Bybee and his family, at the death of his father Frank W. Bybee, Jr., who died Friday, January 13. A memorial service is planned for February 4 in Las Vegas, NV.

Sunday Volunteers

Serving as acolytes this Sunday: Haley Jones and Daniel Redder at 8:30 & Zoe and Thea Genet at 11:00

Serving as greeters this Sunday: Volunteers needed

Serving as ushers this Sunday: Beau and David Armistead, Kelly Vandever, Donny Matchen, Marian Cunningham at 8:30 & Stu and Kyle Laubenstein, Dave and Zach Berry, Drew Rhoades, Mary Rogovin at 11:00

11:00 Kinderkirk volunteer this Sunday: Erika de Greef

11:00 Promise Class volunteer this Sunday: Kate McChesney

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).