The Good News - This Week

The Good News - This Week is a publication of Alpharetta Presbyterian Church for its members and friends.

Send your comments and suggestions to connections
@alpharettapres.com.

Ollie's Offerings

As people of faith, you and I cannot conceive of life without promise. The promises of God, of course, come first. We know those primarily through Scripture: the promise "not to flood" again, the promise to Abraham and Sarah "to multiply and bless", the promise to David of a king "to reign forever" and the promise of Christ "to be with us always". We all long for the promise of prophets' visions to be fulfilled, "when wolf and lamb lie down together in peace" and "when death and tears shall be no more."

God who covenants with us is the faithful, saving one. Indeed, as the Lord's Prayer says, "we are debtors." We are in debt to God for all of God's goodness and blessing. As the scripture says, "before we loved God, God first loved us." And how is it that you show your love for God? What response to the good news do you offer? What promises do you make to the Lord whose promises give, shape and redeem our lives?

I think of the hymn "O Jesus, I have promised to serve thee to the end. Be thou forevermore with me my master and my friend. I shall never fear the battle if thou art by my side."

This Sunday we call "Commitment Sunday." It is a time of faithful, intentional response to God. Commitment means, "an agreement or pledge to do something in the future; the assumption of a financial obligation; the state of being obligated or impelled." After prayerfully considering God's blessings and calling upon our lives, we will dedicate our "2013 estimate of giving" cards to God in worship.

Come, ye thankful people come....let us with gladness and gratitude bring our pledges, promises and commitments to the Lord. What an incredible opportunity "to make a difference!" What response to the good news will you offer?

Community Thanksgiving Service

Alpharetta Community Thanksgiving Service, Tuesday, November 20. Mark your calendars and plan to join with several Alpharetta congregations at St. Aidan's Episcopal Church (13560 Cogburn Road, Alpharetta) on Tuesday, November 20 at 7:00pm for the fourth annual Alpharetta Community Thanksgiving Worship Service. The celebration will include inspirational choral music and a sermon preached by Dr. Don Martin, Pastor of Alpharetta First United Methodist Church. A time of refreshments and fellowship will follow the service. Clergy from several area congregations will share in worship leadership and an offering will be taken in support of North Fulton Community Charities. All are welcome to attend!

Angel Tree

There are angels on the tree this year for every budget and interest. Each angel represents a need in our community. If you don't have time to shop, you can also make a financial contribution (designated "Angel Tree). Every gift will make a difference in a child's life. Contact Michelle Olsen, 770-777-0549 or Eva Wardrup, 770-354-1226 if you have questions.

Thank You!

A heartfelt thank you to all who donated to APC's Military Care Packages! Thanks to your generous response and the leadership of Deacons Heidi Altar and John Hicks, the drive was a great success. We sent 18 boxes with over 40 items per box to our APC members overseas, as well as to servicemen and women currently serving in Afghanistan. Please remember to pray for our troops during the holiday season!

Hanging of the Greens

On Wednesday, November 28 come and enjoy an evening of dinner, making of Advent ornaments, singing Christmas carols, and participating in the Hanging of the Greens to decorate APC for the Advent season.

Dinner is from 6:00 PM - 6:30 PM. Dinner feesare: $4.00 for children 8 years and younger; $6.00 for adults/youth. Reservations are required for dinner. Make your reservations by noon of Sunday, November 25: (1) going on-line at http://www.alpharettapres.com/acs; (2) by filling out a card on the table in the hallway, or (3) by enteringinfo on the bright lime green sheet posted by the APC kitchen door.

The activities are intergenerational and will begin at 6:30 PM. Children, with assistance from parents, will make Advent ornaments. Some of the ornaments will be taken by APC Deacons to shut-ins from our church. Hanging of the Greens will help decorate our sanctuary and other areas of the church. Christmas carols along with Christmas cookies and holiday drinks will be available during the evening's activities. Nursery is provided.

Menu for dinner:

Taco Salad (If you are tired of turkey or ham from Thanksgiving!)

Cheese Quesadillas

Chips, salsa, Guacamole

Dessert - Christmas Bread Pudding, Christmas Cookies

Drinks - Apple Cider, Eggnog, Hot Chocolate

Candy Canes

Family Worship Service

Open Arms Ministry is sponsoring a Family Worship Service to celebrate the coming of the Christ child on Saturday, December 1 from 4-5:00pm in the sanctuary followed by a craft and fellowship time in the Fellowship Hall. This is an exclusive service geared towards those with disabilities. Come help us begin the holiday season with story and song!

STARS Christmas Party

STARS Annual Christmas Party is Friday, December 7 at 6:00 PM in Fellowship Hall. Chef Doug will prepare a delicious holiday dinner followed by our annual White Elephant exchange. Cost is $21.00 per person. Checks are made payable to APC with STARS Christmas party on the note line and turned into the office or given to Barbara Gibson or Janice Armistead, who are coordinating the party. Please sign up on the STARS bulletin board just outside the church office. Deadline is November 28. All are welcome.

Tech Support

Are technological devices a challenge to you? Do smart phones make you feel less than intelligent? Does the word tablet bring to mind images of a bound booklet with lined pages? If so, help is on the way. We are pleased to announce a new support group available to APC which is part of the Communications Committee. This group will be led by Dick and Sharon Bean. They can be reached by phone at 770-475-5340 or tech@alpharettapres.com

Ladies Event

Ladies' Night Out - Dinner and Ornament Exchange. Enjoy dinner catered by Panera Bread and an Ornament Exchange on Friday, December 14 at 6:30 PM. We will meet at APC in Room 206/207. the price of $7.00 per person includes salad, drinks, and dessert! Bring a wrapped ornament or Christmas decoration. Friends welcome! RSVP by December 9 to pamheydinger@comcast.net or 770-664-8354.

A Christmas Carol

"Bah! Humbug!" The refrain follows us every Christmas...into parking lots and out of long lines. Gather the family together and take a break from the go-go Christmas Season. Meet our classic characters: Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim and of course, Ebenezer Scrooge and his three "spirited" friends. We'll weave our tale with a ribbon of all your favorite Christmas carols. Bring the spirit back to your Christmas Holiday at ACT1.

Shows are every Friday and Saturday night from November 23 - December 16 at 7:30pm and Sunday, December 2, December 9 and December 16 at 2:00pm.

Tickets are $10 for adults; $8 for children 12 and under and seniors 60 and over.

You can get tickets by calling our box office at 770-663-8989 or finding us online at www.act1theater.com.

Special Pricing for APC Members! Use Coupon Code APCCC when checking out.

ACT1 Theater is located inside Alpharetta Presbyterian Church at 180 Academy Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009.

Living Nativity: ACT1 is calling any gentlemen that can sit, stand or kneel for a while and will be available Christmas Eve from 3 - 5pm. We are helping to build a beautiful living nativity tableau on the front lawn for Christmas Eve. NO LINES TO LEARN! If interested, please contact Lisa Matchen.

Service Opportunity

ACT Together Ministries of Forsyth County will be serving a Thanksgiving meal for the hungry at Covenant Christian Academy in Cumming on Thanksgiving Day. ACT Together is seeking volunteers to help from 1pm - 5pm on Thanksgiving; and volunteers who will provide food or monetary donations (they especially need people to donate prepared turkeys!). If you would like to learn more about this project, please contact Allison Neal, 770-317-9628 or nealshop@comcast.net

Church Directory

We are pleased to announce that APC is in the process of putting together a beautiful, full color church member picture directory. The directory will have color family portraits and will be used with Access ACS to offer directory information. It is very important that all of our church families be included to assure a complete, up-to-date directory. Please click on the below link and choose a time that is most convenient for your family. We will have this Web Schedule available until November 27. Then we will have the schedule available for you to signup in the church. If you should need to reschedule your Web Appointment please do so by calling The Portrait Cafe at 1-877-896-9667 extension 325. Thanks for your participation and remember SMILE!

http://www.appointmentquest.com/scheduler/2170124024?schedule=alpharettapresbyterianchurch

Cancer Care Group

The Cancer Care Group is again creating gift baskets to provide to caregivers of pediatric cancer patients who must spend the holiday season in Children's Hospital of Atlanta. Among the items we would like to include:

Books, inspirational or paperbacks for fun reading

packets of tea, coffees, sugars, sweetners, etc.

prepackaged snacks: crackers, chips, cookies etc.

mints, gum etc.

Coffee mugs or travel mugs

Christmas-theme gift tissue paper (red, green or print)

A bin has been set up in the lobby for donations. We will be accepting donations throughout the month of November and assembling our bags on Saturday December 1.

C.S. Lewis Series Update

Due to schedule conflicts stemming from the holidays and other personal matters, the C.S. Lewis series on Mere Christianity that is being conducted by APC member Jim Motter will be temporarily suspended until early January. We have now completed three of the four "books" that comprise Mere Christianity, and are therefore at convenient a break-point. In order to sustain continuity and momentum, the series will pick up again in early January for the three remaining sessions.

Youth Ministry News

Sunday, November 18 - Youth Group 5:00 - 8:00 PM.

Join us for REEL WORLD NIGHT with "Batman Begins". Please bring $4 for dinner

No Youth Group on November 25 - Happy Thanksgiving!

Save the date! Youth Group Christmas Party will be Sunday, December 9, more details coming soon.

Youth Orchestra Forming - calling all Youth Instrumentalists. APC will again form a Youth Orchestra to play on Sunday, December 9 at the 11:00 service. We will rehearse on Sunday, December 2 from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm and then again before the 11:00 service on December 9. If you play an instrument and have played at least 2 years, let Joel Lillethun know joel@alpharettapres.com and he will get music to you. If you cannot make the December 2 practice but would still like to play, let Joel know and he can make arrangements for you.

Join us for Sunday School! Middle and High School Youth meet in the upstairs education wing from 9:45 - 10:45 on Sunday mornings. We hope you'll come and feed your spirit through thoughtful discussion and fellowship.

Morning Prayer Breakfasts - West Side meets every Wednesday morning, 7:00 AM, at Crabapple Starbuck's. East Side meets monthly on Tuesday morning, 7:00 AM, at Bronx Bagels (next meeting will be December 11). Additional details on the Youth Website.

We need parents to help with meal prep for Youth Group. Contact Wendy Curl to select your date.

Please update your information in Access ACS! The Youth Ministry will begin transitioning all sign ups for events and volunteering to this system over the next few weeks and we want to make sure that we have current information for everyone. If you are having trouble, please contact Michelle Burton for assistance.

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

Nursery care is provided on Sundays from 8:15- 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 - rising 2nd graders) will be during the 11:00 service only during the summer. Preschool classes will meet in Room 101 and Kindergarten and rising second graders in Room 102.

Children's Ministry is participating in Operation Christmas this year. Packed shoeboxes are to be brought to church not later than November 18. Club 45 will be touring the Operation Christmas distribution center on November 17 and delivering the boxes that have been received by that date.

Sympathy & Celebrations

Sympathy - To Kareem Messawer and his family, at the death of his brother-in-law, Marcelo Gatica.

Sunday Volunteers

Serving as acolytes this Sunday: Jack Shevlin at 8:30 & Sam Moen and Ashley Hays at 11:00

Serving as greeters this Sunday: Chris and Ibia Vetrano at 11:00

Serving as ushers this Sunday: Kim and Valerie Fulkerson, Sybille Johnstone, Alan Crowell, June Fortson at 8:30 & Ed and Pat Rea, Jeff Stewart, Ralph Pollifrone at 11:00

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 Nancy Hill-Personnell/Nominating Charles Moriarty-Property/CE Adult

Jessie Prigge-Youth Ministry Jan Hughey-LRP/Finance Sarah Provow-Open Arms/Commitment

Amy Rogers-Communications Kylie Vacko-Open Arms Ferrell White-Worship/Fellowship

Jean Williams-Nominating/Membership

Deacon Care Teams

Hospitality - John Hicks, 678-513-4570, john.c.hicks@gmail.com

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).