May 12, 2023

Dear Peachtree Road Family,

I hope you are well. Of course, this Sunday is Mother’s Day. I understand that $20.7 billion will be spent honoring mothers this holiday weekend – gifts, flowers, cards, and meals. It’s amazing what this day of recognition has become, especially when you consider how it all started. 

Ann Reeves Jarvis was a member of Andrews Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia. She taught Sunday School, organized other women in her church to work for better sanitation in her community, volunteered at the local hospital, and worked to support young mothers. After the Civil War, she helped organize something she called “Mothers Friendship Day” picnics. These were designed to bring people together from both the Union and the Confederacy for a meal. Ann Jarvis died in 1905, and three years later, her daughter, Anna Jarvis, organized a day at the church to honor her mother and other women who had done so much for the community. She ordered white carnations (her mother’s favorite flower) for every woman in the church. The event was so well-received that she began to work to establish a holiday to honor mothers everywhere. Then, in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson did just that – he signed a proclamation making the second Sunday in May Mother’s Day in America.

Just think. It all began 109 years ago in a small Methodist Church in West Virginia. I like the fact Mother’s Day started in a Methodist Church. And I like the fact that it started as a way of honoring a woman who made a difference in the lives of others. I encourage you to join us as we honor the women who have made a difference in our lives. 

In this Sunday’s message, we will reflect upon a message entitled “Jesus’ Pronouncement of Peace” and consider his words from John’s Gospel:

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” – John 14:27

We will sing some of our favorite hymns (“For the Beauty of the Earth” and “Blessed Assurance”), hear our Chancel Choir’s inspiring offering of John Rutter’s anthem “For the Beauty of the Earth,” and take time to honor several special women in our congregation. It will be a wonderful service, and I hope you will make your plans to join us in person (8:45 am, 10:00 am, or 11:15 am) or online through the church website: www.prumc.org. It will be a great day!

As has become our tradition, we will receive the Wesley Woods Mother’s Day Offering this Sunday as well. Wesley Woods is a ministry started by Methodists in the North Georgia Conference to provide for the needs of the elderly in our communities through residential services as well as health care, rehabilitation, nursing home care, and specialized care for persons suffering from Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. People certainly are living longer than ever before, and many are outliving their financial resources. Through the years, Peachtree Road UMC has given more than any other church to this ministry. I hope you will help us to continue to lead the way by giving generously when the offering plate is passed. You may make your check payable to Peachtree Road UMC and mark it for Wesley Woods, place your cash offering in the envelope provided in your worship bulletin, or give online through the church’s website (www.prumc.org). Thank you in advance for your generosity toward this special offering. 

Two more opportunities to hear good music at Peachtree Road UMC:

  • Doxology Youth Choir Concert – you are invited to hear Doxology in concert this Sunday, May 14, as they present “Home by Another Road” at 10:00 am in Grace Hall. This is a special preview concert featuring music from their upcoming choir tour to Sarasota, Florida, and Disneyworld! There is no charge for the concert, and all are welcome to attend.
  • Midday Music in May – each Wednesday at 1:00 pm, you are invited to attend a 30-minute organ recital featuring the best of Atlanta’s organists. These anniversary-themed recitals will be held in the sanctuary and celebrate The Great Organ of Peachtree Road UMC. There is no charge and you may follow this linkfor a schedule.

Please join me in welcoming John Yambasu, our Candler summer ministry intern. John is from Sierra Leone and is preparing to enter his second year of theological education. He will be learning about the ministry of Peachtree Road UMC and experiencing first-hand the transforming work of Christ through this great congregation. We will introduce John on Sunday after the worship services, and I hope you will join me in welcoming him.

Last week we announced the opportunity to participate in the Anniston Civil Rights Trail experience on August 26. This is a joint venture being sponsored by Cascade UMC and Peachtree Road UMC. Members of our two churches will travel together on Saturday, August 26, to Anniston, Alabama to commemorate the events of the American Civil Rights Movement and receive an introduction to the cultural changes that have transformed Anniston into the city it is today. Participants will leave Atlanta at 10:00 am, travel together via charter bus, eat lunch together, learn together, and return by 5:00 pm. The cost is $20/per person, and you may register here: www.prumc.org. 

Finally, are you interested in becoming a member of Peachtree Road UMC? Please join us next Sunday, May 21, at 12:30 pm for lunch and “Tea with the Clergy.” You will have an opportunity to meet our ministerial staff, learn about the history and programs of the church, ask questions, and discover where you fit into the ministry of this great church. We already have a number of folks signed up for this month’s gathering. If you would like to take the next step in your growth as a Christian and become a member of Peachtree Road UMC, please contact our director of evangelism and hospitality Brittany Charron at brittanyc@prumc.org.

I am grateful for you – your daily prayers for the ministry of our church, your faithful presence in worship, your generous gifts that support our mission, your compassionate service to others, and your enthusiastic witness to the transforming power of Christ.

Grace and peace,

Bill