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

It's a really exciting time to be a part of APC! We have just adopted a Long Range Plan to guide us as we make important decisions about our property, staffing and ministry in the future. Our Dreams and Visions capital campaign to reduce our building debt has successfully completed. Lowering our mortgage payments hasfreed up resources for new areas of ministry! Last year we did not operate with a deficit but a surplus, and giving this year has been exceptional! All of this to say, APC is looking ahead with the vision and resources the Lord has provided us. Glory be to God!

The Property Committee has been hard at work speaking with contractors and making final decisions on products, colors and the timing of the sanctuary, narthex and Fellowship Hall renovation that will be done this summer. The Worship Committee is making plans to conduct summer worship in the multi-purpose room. The Personnel Committee is in the process of discussing hiring timetables and reviewing proposed job descriptions for several new staff positions we hope to fill this year. Those positions include a Director of Communications, a Parish or Ministry Associate, an Administrative Assistant for Youth and Children's Ministry and a Director of Music for Youth and Children's Choirs.

Other exciting things are ahead! The Finance Committee (having just refinanced our mortgage at a lower, fixed rate) will join with the Commitment Committee next week to begin planning for education in planned giving, Christian wills and the formation of an APC endowment. Youth Ministry is getting ready to launch several youth outings and mission trips this summer. Children's Ministry is preparing to put on VBS for hundreds of children...and so on! Adult Education will be sponsoring a summer series titled "The Spiritual Challenges of Mental Illness." On-line giving and on-line registration for events has been successfully introduced.

The APC website is a terrific resource for keeping up with all that is happening. Please use it! Let me call your attention to the document library which you will find listed under the heading "about APC." That library contains the long range plan and many other helpful, important resources.

It's a really exciting time to be a part of APC! Great things are ahead. Glory be to God!

The Times (and Places) Are A-Changin'!

Sunday morning worship times are changing for the summer! Beginning May 26 and running through August 11, we will worship at 9:00 and 10:30am.

Additionally, we will hold a sunrise service on June 2, July 7, and August 4 (first Sunday of each month) at 7:00am in the outdoor chapel.

Sunday worship will be held in the multipurpose Room (MPR) in the education building beginning June 23. Assuming the renovation of the sanctuary is complete, we will resume worship in the sanctuary according to our normal fall schedule on August 18. Sunday School will resume on August 18.

Church Directories

The Church Directories have arrived and will be available this Sunday, May 12! If you "sat" for a photograph, you will receive a free directory. Following all three worship services, please drop by the table in the lobby to pick up your copy. Directories may also be picked up in the church office Monday-Thursday 9:00am to 3:00pm and Friday 9:00am to 1:00pm.

Mother's Day Offering

Presbyterian Homes Mother's Day Offering - This Sunday, we will be taking up a special collection to benefit the Caring Hands Fund for Presbyterian Homes of Georgia. The Caring Hands Fund finances expenses for residents in four Presbyterian Homes' facilities throughout Georgia. This annual offering is the largest source of funds for charitable care of these retirement communities. Your gift to the Caring Hands Fund provides critical and direct support for care of more than 400 aging residents (mostly widows) who have outlived their financial resources. Because of the Caring Hands Fund,Presbyterian Homes has been able to keep a promise it made more than 60 years ago, to never ask any resident to leave because of declining financial resources. We ask that you show compassion and caring through your giving. There will be special offering envelopes in the pews. Checks should be made out to APC with "Mother's Day Offering" in the memo line.

Parent's Night Out

Our next Parent's Night Out is Saturday, May 11 from 5:00-8:00pm for our children with special needs and their siblings. Volunteers are needed to staff this event. Please make reservations for your children as soon as possible so we may then open it to the community. To volunteer or to make a reservation, contact Sarah Provow at shprovow@bellsouth.net.

Sunday School

Next Sunday is the last day of Sunday School for all of our APC classes. While our Sunday school classes for youth and children will take a break for the summer months, our adult education committee will be offering a summer series on the topic "The Spiritual Challenges of Mental Illness." Several counselors and physicians will be joining us from mid-June through July at 9:00am in the theater as we learn about various mental health disorders and how the church can respond with compassion and care. More information will follow soon.

Softball Team

Congratulations to the APC men's softball team on another successful season. Our thanks to coaches Hans Appen and Ed Baginski for their leadership. The team has completed its regular season and begins its playoff run in the Alpharetta city league this week at the North Park fields. Go Team APC!

Day of Pentecost

Next Sunday is the Day of Pentecost. We will celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Communion and receive a special offering for the APC youth who will be attending the national Presbyterian youth conference called "Triennium" at Purdue University. Please come prepared to support our youth who will accompany chaperones Kelly Edwards and Jamie Butcher on this great adventure of faith!

Save the Date! Family Promise Host Week June 16 - 23

Our second Family Promise Host Week is right around the corner and we will once again be calling on the generous servants at APC as we turn our Alpha and Omega buildings into a week-long shelter for families experiencing homelessness.

All volunteers who work with our families are required to participate in a volunteer training session. We have two scheduled in May. The first will be Tuesday, May 14, from 7pm - 8:30pm and the second will be Thursday, May 23, from 10am - 11:30am. Sign ups are available via the APC Family Promise Site, or on the mission bulletin board outside Fellowship Hall. Stay tuned for more details about volunteer and donation needs during our host week.

Comedy Night at St. James UMC to benefit Family Promise

Here's a great opportunity to have a fun night out AND benefit our Family Promise mission partner. St. James UMC (right up the street from APC!) is hosting a comedy night on Friday, May 10. All proceeds will benefit Family Promise North Fulton/DeKalb. Visit the St. James website for more information and ticket purchase.

Disciple Bible Study

Disciple Bible Study classes have been finishing up this and last month. Disciple is a weekly, small group Bible study series that is very popular and active at APC. Classes will soon begin to form for the fall semester. Please consider being a part of this exciting way to learn more about Scripture, grow spiritually and deepen friendships. First-time students will be a part of Disciple I which meets Sunday nights or Monday mornings. Upper level and short-term classes will also be offering a full schedule. Stay posted for more information...but now is the time to consider being a part!

Adult CE Survey

APC's Adult Christian Education Committee is reviewing our current offerings of classes and opportunities to determine what changes we need to make for the coming year. To this end, we request your help. We have prepared a brief survey and request that you complete it and submit it to us. Neither your name or email address will be submitted; only your answers. Thank you for your willingness to participate and help us improve the Christian Education program for adults of all ages at APC.

Please go to the following link to complete the survey: http://alpharettapres.com/cesurvey.

Haiti Mission Trip

Mark your calendar now and prepare to be challenged and blessed on a Mission Trip to Haiti and the nearby island of La Gonâve. On this Adult Mission Trip, September 20-26, 2013, we will fly to Port-au-Prince and the following day, take a ferry to La Gonâve. There we will meet fellow Haitian Christians in the small rural community of Ticotelette. A year ago, three APC members visited and felt called to the needs of this specific community. Upon their return, they recommended that we partner with the church and school of Holy Innocents in this place.

Since then several exciting things have happened to make a real difference in the lives of our sister church. APC mission funds are now starting to pay teachers' salaries so children up to grade 6 can get an education. The generous gifts from our APC Alternative Christmas fair provided funds to repair the damaged cistern. Once again the cistern can capture and hold rain water so children can have water during school hours. Also, an APC donor provided a motorcycle so the principal will now have a 2 hour commute instead of an 8 hour walking commute.

We will meet and build relationships with fellow Christians in Ticotelette and also undertake several hands on projects together during our trip. Youth age 14 and older accompanied by a parent are invited to join us. Trip cost will be around $1,200 to $1,300. APC member Sydney Schneider will lead the trip. For questions/sign-up, contact Sydney Schneider at 770-664-0942 or

sydschneider@comcast.net.

Link for impressions from APC's Oct. 2012 trip and other partnership activities. Stay tuned for the first introductory meeting in May when you can learn more so that you can decide if God is calling you to this place at this time.

Music Ministry

As the new Music Director, I would like to thank you for your warm welcome to APC. Great things are in store for the music ministry here and I am excited to be a part of it. Right now is a great time to get involved. If you sing and would like to join the choir, please contact me at drew@alpharettapres.com for more information. If you have young children do not let this deter you. I have an almost 5 year old and understand. We will certainly work with ways to get you involved. Please do hestitate to contact me with questions. Drew Bowers

Sunday Flowers

The 2013 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. Our deacons 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.

Career Transition

APC Career Transition Program - Recently, the unemployment rate in Metro Atlanta dipped below 8% for the first time in four years in the month of March, as a result of 14,700 jobs tht were added in the First Quarter of 2013. If you would like employment assistance, please contact Elder Bill Harris at w.m.harris@att.net. If you are employed in a decision making level position, please contact Bill with opportunities in your own organization, as well as positions that might be open in other Metro Atlanta organizations.

Camp Calvin

The Calvin Center is the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta's summer camp and year-round conference center. Our camp has just released information on its summer camping program and would love to serve the needs of our youth, children and their families this summer. For more information, please visit their website www.calvincenter.org or contact Kelly Edwards or Kristin Hicks.

Youth Ministry News

Youth Group meets this Sunday, May 5 from 5:30-7:30 PM. Please bring $4 for dinner.

Would you like to experience three days of FUN? Youth Ministry has the trip for you, Destination Unknown, July 28-30. All students, rising 6th grade through college freshman in the 2013-2014 school year are invited to experience this amazing journey. The cost is $175 and the deadline is coming up soon so if you are interested, please ask any of the youth advisors or Kelly Edwards for details. Who knows, will this actually be the year we go to Ohio!!! Please join us!

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

VBS: Registration for this summer's VBS is now in progress but will end on May 20!!! The Epic adventure begins June 10-14. Your kids won't want to miss this one so be sure to register TODAY! Kingdom Rock is filled with a colossal castle, knights on horseback, drawbridges and armor. An adventure where kids learn how to stand strong for the one true King! See the APC website www.alpharettapres.com for registration information.

Club 45 is our fellowship ministry for children in 4th and 5th grade. They will meet next Sunday night, May 19 at 4:30pm for a fun outing to SkyZone in Roswell. To learn more or get involved, please contact our Director of Children's Ministry, Kristin Hicks, at kristin@alpharettapres.com.

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 9:50 and 11:00 worship services for our special needs students in the Blue Room.

Kinderkirk (Children's Worship Education for children ages 3 - rising 2nd graders) is offered at the 8:30 and 11:00 service. Preschool classes will meet in Room 101 and Kindergarten and rising second graders in Room 102.

Sympathy & Celebrations

Celebration - With Zack Vandever and Ellen Buice at their marriage on Saturday, May 11. Zack is the son of Rich and Kelly Vandever.

Celebration - With Laura Mahone and Nick Boney at their engagement and upcoming nuptials. Laura is the daughter of Mike and Anne Mahone and the granddaugher of Jim and Mary Dantzler.

Sunday Volunteers

Serving as acolytes this Sunday: Robin and Edy Borden at 8:30 & Nick and Tyler Heydinger at 11:00

Serving as greeters this Sunday: Sybille Johnstone at 8:30 & Jack Hittle at 11:00

Serving as ushers this Sunday: George and Susie Myers, Marian Cunningham, Wilson Borden at 8:30 & Ken Bogle, Larry Prohl, Dale Carter, Dot Van Dyke at 11:00

APC Church Officers

The Session

Class of 2013 Class of 2014 Class of 2015

George Bancroft-Property Zach Berry-Youth Ministry Gerard Ballard-Mission

Jodie Barger-Children's Ministry Scott Doll-Youth Ministry/Membership John Bullock-Membership

Lynn Danson-Fellowship/Mission Molly Elkind-Clerk of Session/Worship Julie Jagmin-Children's Ministry

Pat Dennis-Open Arms Stu Laubenstein-Personnel/Nominating Tyler Jones-Communications

Nancy Hill-Nominating/Personnel Anne Mahone-Dayschool/LRP Dave McKemey-Youth Ministry

Jan Hughey-Finance/LRP Charles Moriarty-CE Adult/Property Steve Wardrup-Finance/Commitment

Mike Marcin-Communications Sarah Provow-Commitment/Open Arms Beverly Williams-CE Adult/Fellowship

Kylie Vacko-Open Arms Ferrell White-Worship

Deacon Care Teams

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

Companion Care - Janice Armistead, janice.armistead@att.net

Hospital & Recovery - Eva Wardrup, zumaland@aol.com

Sympathy & Celebrations - Jennifer Autian, jautian@hotmail.com

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).