First Sunday in Advent

Service  via the Internet on Facebook Live 

and

Candler Park

10:30 AM 

TODAY’S MESSAGE: “What Shall We Say” – Pastor Paul Romans 8:31-39

Sermon Verse:  None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.

OWN YOUR FAITH, DON’T RENT IT!

Effective July 1, 2014 until further notice, no firearms of any kind are allowed at any Gentle Spirit Christian Church of Atlanta event. This is pursuant to the Safe Carry Protection Act of 2014, which allows Georgia residents with concealed carry permits to bring firearms into churches that give express permission to do so. Gentle Spirit Christian Church of Atlanta under no circumstances grants this permission.

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Here are this weeks announcements:

 

1. 1. Church office is open. In-person appointments have resumed. Call the church. Dana will set up an in-person meetings or you have the option of Zoom or Facebook Messenger.
   2. Worship in Candler Park has resumed  Service will continue to be live streamed via Facebook messenger each Sunday morning at 10:30 AM. 
   3. Bible Study is BACK. Each Monday. We are studying the foundational scriptures of our church for the next 3 weeks at 7:30pm on Zoom. Monday the 29th we will be looking at James Matthew 25:31-40 and Romans 8:31-39.  Join with us to see what makes this ministry tick!
   4. Pastor Paul’s office time Monday-Wednesday 10:00 AM till 3:00 PM The Pastor will be off on Thursday’s.  Friday’s will be a study day and Saturdays the Pastor will be available as needed or by appointment. For now, Dana’s office time or church time has changed to Tuesday through Thursday 10 AM till 3 PM. She is available via e-mail or text on Monday’s and Friday’s
   5. We thank you for going to the church website to take care of your tithe, gifts, donations and offering.  Just go to gentlespirit.org and click on the donate button and follow the instructions.  Or if you are more comfortable with the US mail then send your tithe, gifts, donations and offerings via a check or money order to GSCC 601 West Ponce de Leon Decatur, GA 30030
   6. Gentle Spirit Christian Church is in search of a keyboard player for Sunday morning services in the park.  If you are interested or know someone who is please contact the Church office at 404-604-8124

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Pastor Paul’s hours for appointments: 

Monday through Wednesday from 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM 

Day off on Thursday, Friday is a study day and Saturday’s appointments and events as needed

Pastor’s Personal Assistant Dana Owings Tuesday through Thursday 10:00 am-2:00 p.m.

Please call for appointments (404) 604-8124 or send an e-mail to:

office@gentlespirit.org

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Want to know about Pastor Paul?  Check this out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82-5mutxGLM&feature=youtu.be&list=PLTpetkN815QzXtvqYp-6pzKKRDbVMjd6e

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Christmas Tree & Wreath Sale 

 

@ First Christian Church of Decatur

Quality trees and handmade wreaths for sale on the church lawn benefit church and community missions in the City of Decatur,  including the church’s Decatur Toy Park.

Volunteers needed and appreciated!

Sale starts Friday, November 26 at 9 AM 

and continues until sold out.

Volunteer for a 4-hour time slot during Tree Sale hours:

Click on This Link to Register to Volunteer:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F4AAFA82EA7FDC25-christmas

Ø Friday, Nov. 26 from 9am-1 pm; 1 – 5pm; 5 – 8:30pm

Ø Saturday, Nov. 27 from 9am-1 pm; 1 – 5pm; 5 – 8:30pm

Ø Sunday, Nov. 28 from 1 – 5pm; 5 – 8:30pm

Ø Wednesday, December 1 from 4:30 – 8:30 pm

Ø Thursday, December 2 from 4:30 – 8:30 pm

Ø Friday, December 3 from 4:30 – 8:30 pm

Ø Saturday, Dec. 4 from 9am – 1pm; 1 – 5pm; 5 – 8:30pm

Ø Sunday 1 PM – 5 PM; 5 – 8:30 PM

Tree Lot Closed Mondays and Tuesdays

Call 404-378-3621 or email our church office  fccdecatur@gmail.com  for information on how you and your organization can serve for a four-hour time slot.  Volunteers who serve 4 hours receive a meal & a free t-shirt and/or mask.  Thank you for your support!

5% Pre-Sale Discount on all orders received between Nov. 1 — Nov. 24.   For the Pre-Sale Discount please visit our website to pre-order & prepay.   Deadline for pick-up of pre-orders is Dec. 1.  Local deliveries $10; certain conditions apply.

First Christian Church of Decatur

601 West Ponce De Leon Avenue, Decatur, Georgia 30030

404-378-3621  — Email fccdecatur@gmail.com — Website: www.DecaturDisciples.org

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Did you know that Whosoever.org is a ministry of Gentle Spirit Christian Church?  Whosoever is celebrating its 25th Anniversary.

Founded July 1, 1996 by Rev. Candace Chellew to be a safe place for the LGBTQIA Community. Over that period Whosoever has not only been a safe place but a place of in depth, profound and honest challenging of those spiritual issues that the traditional and mainline churches have used to shame, tell lies and used distortion to leave our community drowning in shame and fear.

Through 2.5 decades Whosoever have brought the best and most knowledgeable writers to the table. At our best Whosoever.org received more than 500,000 site visits a year — and many wrote to say how it had either changed or literally saved their lives. For 25 years Whosoever’s mission was to stay on the cutting edge of the LGBTQIA movement for acceptance in both church and society. We are here to stay and we hope you will join us in this exciting journey! God Bless, Rev. Paul M. Turner Editor in Chief

The Mission of Whosoever

Whosoever exists to publish resources, primarily in the form of curated content, for those who seek a deeper understanding of the truly loving God, whose unconditional love is experienced as boundless grace.

Our Vision

We aim to present a true diversity of voices that allows for the perspectives of those of various faiths, traditions, creeds, cultures, abilities, sexualities, ethnicities, socio-economic levels, geographies and gender expressions. Whosoever doesn’t limit itself solely to what Christians call God.

We aim to do this in a way that finds questions more interesting than answers, that values individual prayer and discernment over interpersonal argument, and that values real-world interaction over digital discourse.

We give ourselves permission to walk away from negativity, particularly online – and as necessary, to remove that negativity if it crosses the line into abuse and/or isn’t done in the spirit of true mutual understanding.

Our Core Values

A core value of Whosoever is that the individual has been granted by God the free will to pursue their own faith journey. Because of that, nothing is more important than an individual’s own relationship with their Creator, which is where the best work in the Omniverse takes place. This is opposed to having that relationship defined, controlled, mediated or disrupted by any person or institution.

Whosoever rejects all forms of fear-, guilt- or shame-based religion. We support the view that human beings start from a place of original blessing, not original sin.

Taking the example of the radically inclusive Jesus; Whosoever supports an infinitely expansive view of God that values inclusion over exclusion.

Whosoever defines as spiritual violence anything that attempts to disrupt an individual’s relationship with their Higher Power.

Founded by one of our founding members and 2nd person to be ordained as clergy by us, the Rev. Candance Chellew. She is our Editor Emeritus with Pastor Paul as the current Editor in Chief, Dr. Robert N. Minor Assistant Editor, Mr. Lance Helms service as the Communications Director and a host of members of GSCC write for the magazine including; Branden Mattox, Alyce Keener, Rev. Dr. James Brewer-Calvert, Jennifer Hasler, Darlene Wagner

Feel free to check us out at: www.whosoever.org

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Consider donating to Gentle Spirit Christian Church. Your gift is fully tax deductible.

Checks and Money orders can be written to: Gentle Spirit Christian Church and sent to 601 West Ponce de Leon Decatur, Georgia 30030

Or you can go to the website and click on the Donate button. www.gentlespirit.org

Your generosity and gifts will allow Gentle Spirit Christian Church to continue to do what it has done for the last 18 years…to be a life changing helpful hand to those in desperate need.

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Pastor Paul has a twitter account.  If you would like to follow him go to:

https://twitter.com/PastorPaul55

Get to the previous week’s sermon by going to:

https://gentlespirit.org/announcements/latest-sermon/

Read the most recent blog of our pastor go here:

https://gentlespirit.org/if-only-this-were-fake-news-but-its-not-even-alternative-facts/

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Gentle Spirit Christian Church’s  Response to the Coronavirus/COVID-19

We are encouraging these common-sense precautions to help protect our Community when we return to the park.

First and foremost, we encourage you to follow the CDC’s recommendations about preventing the spread of the virus

• Continue practicing these preventative measures to help protect yourself and others:
• Get Vaccinated
  • Stay home when you are sick, except to receive medical care.
  • Wear a mask correctly (covering nose and mouth) when you are at work or out in public.
  • Maintain a 6-foot distance between yourself and others.
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
  • Avoid touching your mouth, nose, and eyes.
  • Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, then throw the tissue in the trash.
  • Avoid close contact with others that are sick.
  • If you have not been vaccinated, consider and pray about  getting one.

  Additional information can be found here:
  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention-treatment.html

The challenges are great, but our God is greater and we will come through this together stronger than ever.

God Bless,
Rev. Paul M. Turner-Sr. Pastor

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Resources for you or friends who need Free Immigration Help all over the US, just click on the appropriate state https://www.immigrationadvocates.org/nonprofit/legaldirectory/index

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Georgia Alliance to Prevent Homelessness Help Line is now operating. Feel free to call or refer clients in search of assistance in Georgia Toll Free: 1-877-540-4671; Main Office: 770-575-5785.

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Volunteer Services, Atlanta, VA Medical Center needs volunteers to help prevent missed appointments by our Veterans, this is a loss for the veteran and a dollar loss for the facility. The hours of operation for the call center are Monday-Thursday, 4:30 – 1:00 p.m. and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.  The call center is located on the ground floor (RM GC 233A) across from the Peter Wheeler Auditorium. Can you help? Should you have any questions, contact Mr. Franchi Clark at (404) 728-7728 or by email VHAATGVoluntaryService@va.gov.

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Help Connect is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping veterans and the disadvantaged by providing basic computer skills at shelters. Volunteers teach homeless vets and other disadvantaged people basic computer and internet skills which help them reconnect with family and friends and find employment on their way back onto their feet. They also help veterans with resumes and job search. If you are interested in helping, contact Tom Chernetsky at (404)791-8534 or tomchet2@mindspring.com. Tom is a member of the St Ann’s Catholic Church VFC Military Ministry team.

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Jewish Family & Career Services, operates the only full-time free dental clinic in Atlanta. The Ben Massell Dental Clinic has been in operation for 100 years and serves individuals and families that are at or below 12% of the poverty level. The clinic is in midtown. Please refer folks who need this service to the website to obtain instructions for securing an appointment, at http://www.benmasselldentalclinic.org/patients *************************************************************

Help Watch over Our Seniors. If you know seniors who spend all or part of their day alone, you might be interested in telling them and their families about a new service. The State of Georgia has partnered with ADT Home Health Division to provide a personal emergency response system, 24/7. Seniors 55+ are eligible thorough Medicaid for this service, free. Find out how this program operates by calling Audrey Railey, Georgia Governmental Program Coordinator at 404.629.3386 or 770.889.8887 *************************************************************

Emergency Utility Assistance Program! Here’s to Life, Inc has acquired funds to pay past due utility bills and will start accepting applications for eligible clients. Applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements: Provide proof of positive HIV sero-status (Examples of acceptable documentation include HIV-positive Western blot test results, medical providers diagnosis and/or medical therapies prescribed by a medical provider) Reside within the twenty-county eligible metropolitan areas (Must match bill address or name must be on lease agreement) Have an income no greater than 300% of federal poverty level (Proof may include pay stubs, Department of Labor statement of income, SSI/SSD benefit letter, DFCS Summary, Unemployment initial statement) Be enrolled in primary medical care (examples of documentation include a letter from your physician or copy of prescriptions) This temporary assistance is provided on a first come, first serve. Funds provided through Ryan White Part A Funding. (Thanks Tracee McDaniel, Certified Peer and HIV/AIDS Assessment Counselor, Juxtaposed Center for Transformation, inc. for providing info on this resource.)

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Most Recent Job Opportunity listings: For job descriptions, details and qualifications; follow the contact or application instructions included below.

Decatur Presbyterian Church is looking for a temporary Church Administrator while we work on a restructuring of our administrative staff.

Rev. Dr. Todd Speed Decatur Presbyterian Church
205 Sycamore Street Decatur, GA 30030
404-378-1777 church 404-368-3938 cell
www.dpchurch.org

DPC Staff Position Description

Position Title:                INTERIM Church Administrator

Reports To:                    Senior Pastor

 

Hours/Days of Week Worked:  Official hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Friday (though this professional position will require meetings outside of normal hours).  This position is classified as full-time, exempt.

 

General and Essential Functions:

1. Schedule facility use for inside and outside groups in all church buildings, including the Retreat Center; coordinate meeting setups and breakdowns via work orders and direct communication with custodial staff, meeting planners, and any caterer involved.
2. Oversee work of Physical Plant Manager and custodial staff to manage and maintain Church facilities.
3. Communicate the message of the church in all relevant formats: print, electronic, internet and social media. Collaborate with other DPC staff, committees, councils, and groups to promote events, etc.
4. Collaborate with councils and committees, along with Program and Ministerial Secretary, to plan and carry out promotion of events and accomplishments within DPC and in the community.
5. Ensure the smooth running of the church office and oversee all assigned administrative functions and special projects. Oversee office procedures including filing, records maintenance, word processing, emails, and mail distribution; maintain all office equipment and supplies; train staff and volunteers on use of office equipment, including phone system and copier/printing equipment.
6. Responsible for working with established budgets for areas of responsibility, including office supplies and equipment, building maintenance and repairs (including Retreat Center), utilities, grounds keeping, transportation, insurance, office equipment contracts and repairs, technology.
7. In consultation with the Technology Guild, serve as “go to” person for questions and problems regarding all computer hardware and software, serve as in-house IT systems administrator.
8. Handle a variety of administrative matters and special projects, compile and oversee distribution of regular and special congregational communications/mailings, train and oversee volunteer receptionists, and maintain the church calendar(s).

Core Competencies:

1 – People/Volunteer Management – provides direction, gains commitment, facilitates change and achieves results through the efficient, creative and responsible deployment of volunteers; engages people in their areas of giftedness and passion

2 – Supervising Work – establishes clear expectations and sets clear direction; sets stretching objectives; distributes the workload appropriately; provides regular and ongoing feedback about performance; proactively deals with substandard performance; engages disciplinary processes in a timely manner

3 – Delegation – clearly and comfortably delegates both routine and important tasks and decisions; appropriately shares authority and responsibility; creates accountability; sets clear objectives and measures, monitors process, progress and results; builds feedback loops into the work; trusts people to perform their own work

4 – Decision Making and Problem solving – uses sound logic to approach difficult problems and apply effective solutions; can distinguish between symptoms, causes, and implied solutions; decides in a timely manner based upon a blend of research, experience, risk-taking and judgment

5 – Organizational Knowledge – knowledgeable about how congregational communication, decision-making and leadership works; knows how to get things done through formal and informal decision making channels; can maneuver through charged political situations effectively and quietly; anticipates organizational barriers and plans his/her approach accordingly

6 – Priority Setting  – spends his/her time and directs the time of others to what is important; quickly zones in on the critical issue, and ignores or minimizes distractions; can sense what will help or hinder accomplishing a goal; eliminates roadblocks; demonstrates focus

7 – Attention to Detail – consistently attends to the many small pieces which much be assembled into an organized whole; follows up on missing or out of balance items; resolves unanswered questions needed to address a problem; keeps the larger picture in mind while attending to the smallest of details   

8 – Written Communication – is able to write clearly and succinctly; employs correct grammar, punctuation and patterns of speech; clearly delivers message in a tone appropriate to the context

9 – Time Management  – is able and willing to focus time on tasks that contribute to organizational goals; uses time effectively and efficiently; values time and respects the time of others; concentrates his/her efforts on the most important priorities; can appropriately balance priorities

10 – Mission Ownership – demonstrates understanding and full support of the mission, vision, values, and beliefs of the congregation; can demonstrate those values to others; consistently behaves in a manner congruent with the mission, vision, values and beliefs

Position Requirements:

• Undergraduate degree and minimum of three-year’s office experience in an administrative role; ability to oversee work of others and delegate as appropriate
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral
• Strong office skills- typing, filing, phones, business etiquette, math/accounting
• Experience with or ability to learn use of office equipment (copier, fax, postage machine, printer, folding machines, phone system)
• Solid knowledge of computer software, hardware, and peripherals and ability to learn software programs without much, if any, training or direction
• Ability to work with minimal supervision

Strongly prefer two or more of the following:

• Prior office management experience
• Prior communications experience
• Prior facilities management and vendor management experience
• Prior supervisory experience

Effect on End Result:  The job is well done when facilities cleanliness, maintenance and repairs are handled in a professional and timely fashion, when the office is well equipped and maintained, when church communications are excellent and timely, when the calendar is correct and up-to-date, when staff members and volunteers are appropriately trained on office equipment and software, and when healthy relationships are maintained with church membership and the broader community.

Environmental Factors:  Ability to be on feet (may be outside in heat) for hours or at a desk for hours. Some lifting (deliveries) required.