March 29, 2024
Dear Peachtree Road Family,
I hope you are well. Let me begin this week’s note by thanking all who participated in last week’s Palm Sunday celebration at Peachtree Road UMC. Our sanctuary was filled with worshipers; the ushers gave out all worship bulletins; 26 new members joined our church; and we just about ran out of food at the luncheon in Grace Hall. The day exceeded all our expectations! Thank you! What other church has a live donkey leading the procession? The energy you brought to worship made it a Palm Sunday to remember. We now are set up for an exciting Easter celebration.
We will bring the season of Lent to a close later today at the Community Good Friday Service at 12:00 noon at the Cathedral of Christ the King Roman Catholic Church. Members from New Hope African Methodist Episcopal, Peachtree Presbyterian, Second Ponce de Leon Baptist, and Wieuca Road Baptist will join us at Christ the King for a somber ecumenical service. We will be considering the seven last words of Jesus spoken from the cross, and each church’s minister will offer a reflection on the reading. I hope you will join us for this particularly meaningful time of worship with our friends from throughout the community as we pray together.
The Annual Peachtree Road UMC Easter Egg Hunt will take place on Saturday, March 30, at the church from 10:00 am until 12:00 noon. All families with children between the ages of 1 and 5th grade are invited to register in Grace Hall and participate in the hunts that are being held throughout our campus. I understand the Easter Bunny will make an appearance, and we will have inflatables, a petting zoo, train rides, crafts for toddlers, and egg hunts on site. Please join us this Saturday morning on the church campus.
On Easter Sunday morning, we will gather to celebrate the Resurrection – God’s decisive act that for all time conquers sin and death. We especially need the message of Easter in the midst of the uncertainty of these days. The service will feature a joyous procession as we sing “Christ the Lord is Risen Today,” stirring anthems by the Chancel Choir accompanied by the Atlanta Brassworks and the Grand Organ, and the singing of “The Hallelujah Chorus” to close the service. We will offer four services on Sunday:
6:30 am – Sunrise Service beginning in the Columbarium
8:15 am – Easter Festival Worship in the Sanctuary
9:45 am – Easter Festival Worship in the Sanctuary
11:15 am – Easter Festival Worship in the Sanctuary
Please note the times for these services as they are a departure from our regular Sunday services. They are set to provide an extended time for the changeover between services as folks find parking and attend the service that best suits their schedule.
Several Special Notes for Easter:
- Complimentary Continental Breakfast – after the Sunrise Service, breakfast will offered in Grace Hall for worshipers from 7:00 am until 7:45 am.
- Online Worship – if you are unable to attend one of our Easter services in person, I certainly hope you will join members of your church family at Peachtree Road UMC online at www.prumc.org. All services will be broadcast live and available later in the week.
- Easter Cross of Flower Cuttings – covering the cross in front of the church on Peachtree Road with flowers is an Easter tradition that is enjoyed by our whole community. It is a stunning symbol of the Resurrection and testifies to our faith in Christ. This year we are asking you to participate by bringing your fresh-cut flowers, greenery, and flowering branches to the front of the church on Saturday, March 30, between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. Drive up in front of the church (on Peachtree) and volunteers will receive your cuttings. Thank you for your participation in this Easter tradition!
- The Lenten Offering – in recent years, we have been designating the Lenten Offering to provide financial support for some of our ministry partners here in the Greater Atlanta community. Your gift will help a child have food to eat; a veteran struggling with addiction to find hope and help; a single parent to have a place to call home; and a returning citizen to receive a job and life skills that will restore self-esteem. I challenge each of you to give a gift of $200 or more to this year’s offering (that’s just $5 a day for each of the 40 days in Lent!). Please join us in supporting our vision of a better Atlanta. Please click here for a video concerning this special offering. You may make your check payable to Peachtree Road UMC, mark it for the “Lenten Offering,” and mail it to the church office or give online here. Thank you for your generous support. Together, we are changing lives!
- Invite Others to Worship with You this Sunday – recent surveys of Americans have found that the uncertainty of our time has left people searching for something that will anchor their lives. They are looking for a reminder that “the worst thing is never the last thing.” They need the inspiration of Easter. Think about someone who might need to hear that good news and encourage them to worship with you this Easter at Peachtree Road UMC.
Finally, I want to share the good news from last Monday evening’s Church Conference that we have voted to merge with Collins Memorial UMC on Bolton Road on the Westside. This move will make it possible for our second campus (known as the Westside Table) to have a permanent home in the neighborhood. This marks a giant step forward for our ministry in that part of Atlanta. Thank you for your support. We will be sharing more details about this exciting development in the very near future.
Thank you for all you are doing. Thank you for your participation in worship, your fervent and regular prayers on behalf of others, your compassionate service and acts of kindness to strangers, and your generous sharing of your resources in the name of Christ. I look forward to worshiping with you this Sunday as we celebrate together the Resurrection.
Grace and peace,
Bill