April 27, 2012

Dreams & Visions:  Making It Real

We're in the Home Stretch!  May 2012 will mark the end of the successful Dreams and Visions Capital Campaign for APC, and members are urged to carry out their pledges in full during these final weeks.  Doing so will bring APC to its strongest possible financial footing, as the campaign closes, giving us all even more reason to rejoice in the end of the campaign.  Join us on May 6, in Fellowship Hall for a celebratory reception.

The Impact You've Made at APC - The congregation's faithful support of this campaign has changed APC profoundly.  The church has already restructured its debt to reduce monthly mortgage costs by more than $10,000 during the first two years of the campaign!  For the first time in recent memory, APC devotes more of its budget to mission than to its own debt.  With 88 percent of our pledged $1.2 million in receipt by the end of February 2012, final receipts will enable the Finance Committee to strengthen these gains even further.

Stay Dedicated to the End - Together with the Finance Committee, the Dreams and Visions Follow-Up Committee urges APC members to stay committed to the campaign through its completion.  We have seen the power of a faithful campaign through these challenging financial times: every dollar received in the campaign magnifies APC's ability to fulfill its mission.  Thank you for your contributions and we urge you all to stay dedicated to this end.

Continuing Opportunities - If you are new to the church or have not yet made a "Dreams and Visions" gift to help us reduce our $2 million of building debt, we invite you to prayerfully consider joining us in this effort. To make a gift above and beyond your normal operating pledge, please contact Susan Schiltz in the APC Finance office (susan@alpharettapres.com or 770-751-0033).

As APC begins its search for a new Director of Children's Ministry we ask for your prayers. This is a very important position in the life of the church and our young families. Search Committee members are: Richard Boston (chair), Jodie Barger, Nancy Hill, Jerri Temple and Cindy Laubenstein. Kathy Ailts' last day will be May 13.  A job description and position posting have been placed on the APC website. The committee can be contacted by email at: DCMSearch@alpharettapres.com.

The Calvin Center is our Presbyterian Summer Camp located on 500 beautiful acres near Hampton, GA. They are currently accepting registrations for summer camp. You can learn more at www.calvincenter.org. The camp features horseback riding, swimming, lake activities, hikes, campfires, beautiful lodges, a large dining hall, lots of singing, games and fun.

APC has a strong relationship with the camp and will have two of our college students on the summer camp staff.  Camping ministries change lives and grow faith!  Why not check out this week how your son or daughter could participate and benefit from a week at camp?

Sports-N-Faith Camp (June 6-8, 9:00am-noon) Signup sheets will be posted outside the Disciples' Village Sunday School gathering place; the Solid Rock Theater. This camp is open to rising Kindergarteners through 3^rd graders, whose families are members of (or regularly attend) APC.  We are looking forward to a few fun-filled days of activity!  We also welcome additional youth and adult volunteers to join us. We hope everyone interested will sign up ASAP!  Please contact Kathy Ailts at kathy@alpharettapres.com for more info.

Sunday, April 29 during the 9:45am hour APC will hold it's second Blessing of the Bikes. We welcome all motorcyclists and bicyclists to join in this blessing. The Motorcycle Safety Crews of the The Susan G. Komen 3-Day™and the Atlanta 2 Day Walk for Breast Cancer have also been invited. Both Moto Crews combine motorcycles and bicycles to ensure the safety of walkers in both events. The Susan G. Komen 3-Day™ is a 60-mile walk for women and men who want to make a personal difference in the fight to end breast cancer. Participants commit to raise at least $2,300 and spend several months training to prepare for the event. They devote the entire three-day weekend to the cause. Since its inception in 2003, the 3-Day® has raised more than $600 million.  The Atlanta 2-Day Walk for Breast Cancer is a 30-mile walk to raise money and awareness for Georgia breast cancer organizations. In less than ten years, the walk has generated more than $8 million to fund 169 grants, assisting programs in Georgia that help provide awareness, education, diagnosis, treatment, and much more.

The Drake House mission is to provide short-term crisis housing, assessment, support and empowerment to homeless mothers and their children in the North Fulton area. The Drake House provides life skills classes to the residents.  Families often arrive for the classes directly from work and school. The provision of dinner for their family relieves stress and ensures that the family receives dinner and makes it to the workshop in a timely manner.  APC has volunteered to provide dinner on Monday, April 30.  We will be delivering meatloaf, potato casserole, green salad, fresh fruit, rolls and bottled water.  We will need food for 45 people.  There is a signup sheet with full information on the Mission bulletin board directly across from Fellowship Hall.  If you have questions, call Sue White at 770-772-4667 or Sheryl Wentworth at 770-777-1229.

Mission opportunity! The Drake House is hoping to assemble a library of books, movies, DVDs and other resources that can help bridge the gap and bless the lives of youth while they live at the Drake House.  

Please scan the shelves in your own home libraries and donate used (or new) reading and other materials that are appropriate for teenage boys and girls. This includes not only teen literature, but classic literature, self-help books and faith-based literature. We welcome books, dictionaries and encyclopedias, as well as DVDs of great movies and documentaries. Your support can make a meaningful difference in a young person's life.

APC member and a junior at Johns Creek High School, Brandon Motter, will have a table this Sunday with more information. Or you can contact him by email: DrakeLibrary@jbmotter.com or by phone: 770-619-2998

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.

Fun Wednesday  

We hope to see you at  Fun Wednesday Dinners. Reservations are no longer required for dinner. Please sign in when you pay for your meal.
 Dinner for May 2:  Pork chile verde, rice, refried beans, cheese quesadillas, salad & dessert

Adult Program:  "UNWIND on Wednesday." A brief and informal time of scripture, song and prayer beginning at 6:30pm in Fellowship Hall.

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 

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!