The Good News - This Week

In an election year Americans are thinking a lot about leadership. Indeed, we will have the next several months to focus deeply on two presidential candidates, consider their character and hear their vision for the leadership needed from the White House. Leadership in politics, education, the justice system, business and the church plays a major role in our society. Good leadership is essential to any organization! While congregations are governed by sessions, presbyteries and the national level of the church (General Assembly) elect commissioners to make decisions for the whole. As one journal put it: leadership matters!

During the month of July your pastors look forward to exploring some biblical models of leadership. Whether Moses or Samuel, Paul or Deborah, Jesus or Esther....the Bible is full of persons whom God has appointed to speak an important word, risk sharing a vision or accomplish a vital task. What do we learn from their triumphs and failures? In what ways can we learn from their leadership and deepen our own life of faith? Whether at work, at home, in the community or at church, all of the baptized are called into ministry. In a sense, we are all leaders. We hope this series will help each of you discover and use the gifts God has given you for heaven's work on earth.

Disciple Bible Study

Disciple Bible Study - Fall, 2012. It is barely summer, but it is time to think about fall Bible studies. We need to order materials soon. If you were not involved in a class last year, consider joining us for a time of fellowship and spiritual renewal as we study together. The ideal place to begin Disciple Bible Study is with the long-term study, Disciple I. We will offer three opportunities for this class this fall:

Sunday morning - 8:30-10:30; Sunday evening - 5:00-7:00; Monday morning - 9:30-11:30

We will also offer three short-term classes (8-11 weeks in length):

Sunday evening, Invitation to Genesis; Monday morning, Invitation to Psalms; Monday morning, Invitation to John

One additional long-term class on Christine doctrine, Christian Believer, will be offered Thursday morning.

Please contact Mary Dantzler, 404-754-1763 or jdantzler@bellsouth.net for more information.

New Member Class

Interested in joining APC? Please speak with one of our pastors about our New Member Class on Saturday, July 14 in Fellowship Hall from 8:30-11:30am. July 15 will be our next "Joining Sunday."

ACT1 Production

Tickets are now available for The Wind in the Willows by Douglas Post; produced by special arrangement with The Dramatic Publishing Company of Woodstock, Illinois.

Produced at over 200 theaters across the country, this musical tells the story of the friendship of the good-hearted Water Rat, the shy and curious Mole, and the sensible Badger. What tests that friendship are the antics of Mr. Toad, a wily and impulsive animal given to sudden crazes such as stealing motor cars and driving them recklessly around the countryside. Their task is to save Toad from himself and then rescue the magnificent Toad Hall from the devious weasels, ferrets and stoats. This show is great for kids of all ages!

Show Dates: Every Friday and Saturday night from July 13 - August 5 at 7:30pm.

Sunday Matinees on July 22, 29 and August 5 at 2:00pm

Special Pricing for APC Members! Adults: $12 each, Children under 12 and Seniors over 60: $10 each. Group Discounts ARE available - just call our box office!

Get Your Tickets Today! Check out our website at www.act1theater.com or call the box office at 770-663-8989. Use coupon code APCCC for APC Members Discount!

See you there!

New Georgia Law

The Presbytery of Greater Atlanta has shared with its congregations this important news from the state of Georgia: "As of July 1, 2012 a new Georgia law expands the list of mandatory reporters of suspected child abuse to include Sunday school teachers, youth group leaders, chaperones and any other church volunteer who comes in contact with children." All APC members are encouraged to review and become familiar with the "APC Child and Youth Safety Policy" which is available in the "document library" on the APC website.

Summer Series

The fourth class of Molly Elkind's summer series, Seek His Face: Images of Jesus in Art, meets this week, July 1 at 9:45am in the theater. We will look this week at the art of the Renaissance and Reformation, focusing in particular on images of Jesus at the table. The final class in the series will be held July 8.

Divorce Care Group

New Beginnings, is a new divorce care group that is forming here at APC. If you are going through a divorce or have been through a divorce, this group is looking for you. It will be focused on understanding the effects of divorce - physical, emotional, spiritual - as well as fellowship and support of each other and preparing for what's next. If you are interested, please contact Greg Jones at gjones38@yahoo.com or 678-620-8879.

Dreams & Visions

Dreams and Visions: Final Call. We popped the balloons-we ate the cake-we celebrated the end of the Dreams and Visions campaign-but there are still some outstanding pledges to be received! Please help us to make our budgeted payment of $120,000 on our mortgage in July by making sure you have fulfilled your pledges to the debt-reduction campaign. Thanks to everyone whose gifts have made APC stronger.

VBS Update

Plans and preparations are in full swing for this year's VBS. We expect to have 350 children in attendance and we need your help! Our mission focus for this year's VBS is Haiti. Our VBS attendees will be creating educational materials and games for the children of Haiti and donating them through our partnership with La Gonave Haiti. Please save your cans (soup, bean, broth, etc) to be donated. Also we have placed a Helping Hands board in the hallway outside Fellowship Hall. Please help us make our VBS successful and serve the children of Haiti through donating supplies and volunteering the week of VBS, July 10-13. Volunteers can contact Kristin Hicks at kristinhicks@bellsouth.net

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.

Youth Ministry News

July Youth Group - July 8 at the Anton home from 6:00-7:30pm for a pool party and ice cream social.

During the summer, we will not send a weekly newsletter via e-mail, rather, we will send periodic information about summer activities and mission trips as needed. Please continue to refer to the Good News and the Youth Website for information.

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

Disciples' Village will not meet during the summer. We will welcome everyone back on Rally Day, August 19.

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

Promise Class is provided on Sundays during the 11:00 worship service for our special needs students in the Blue Room.

Kinderkirk (Children's Worship Education for children ages 3 - First Grade) will be during the 11:00 service only during the summer. Preschool classes will meet in Room 105 and Kindergarten and first grade in Room 108.

Sympathy & Celebrations

Sympathy - To the family and friends of Kathy Marshall, who died on Sunday, June 24 in Marietta GA. Services for family will be held in Michigan.

Sunday Volunteers

Serving as greeters this Sunday: Larry and Mim Prohl at 11:00

Serving as ushers this Sunday: Dick and Sharon Bean, Tom Hyatt, Richard Boston at 8:30 & Steve Ludlow, Dale Carter, Duane Lofdahl, Lee Jones at 11:00

Promise Class volunteers this Sunday: Laurie Peebles

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).