Last Sunday was Youth Sunday here at Peachtree Road UMC, and our students led us well in worship – their enthusiasm was contagious, and 13 of our seniors offered inspirational testimonies of how their faith has grown through their participation in this ministry.

This Sunday promises to be an exciting day as we celebrate Youth Sunday here at Peachtree Road UMC at the 8:45 am and 11:15 am services in the sanctuary. Our students will be leading us, and several high school seniors will share reflections about their faith. I am grateful to our director of youth ministries Chris Mucha and his assistant directors Mary Allred, Rachel Hockman, and Ryan Holder. They, along with a host of volunteers, do an amazing job to help our middle and high school students grow as disciples of Jesus Christ.

Last week we wrapped up our Sunday morning messages focusing upon mental health. The One Lamb Initiative on Mental Health here at Peachtree Road UMC sponsored a number of events during the month including a conversation with Jane Pauley, a “Family to Family” class designed to help those with loved ones struggling with mental illness, and a forum on the causes and treatments for depression entitled “Brain on Fire.”

I hope you are well. I also hope you are finding our emphasis on mental health this month to be helpful. Last week we discovered that our connection with God and one another can have a positive impact upon our mental well-being. According to data from the Springtide Research Institute, 76% of young people who claim that they are connected to a community of faith say they are “flourishing” in their mental or emotional health.

Earlier this week Scott Atchison shared a saying he picked up from a friend: “Watching worship online is like watching that fireplace on TV. You see it, but never feel the warmth.” Now, that might be a bit of an overstatement (I really do value the opportunity that online worship provides), but the point is well taken.

We have made a good beginning to the new year here at Peachtree Road UMC. Last Sunday we celebrated God’s gift of the Holy Spirit in our lives, approached the font to touch water from the springs of the Jordan River, and remembered our baptism. It was a wonderful day.

As we make a new beginning here at Peachtree Road UMC, I want you to know that our ministry theme for the year will be “Be still and know that I am God.” These words of the Psalmist (Psalm 46:10) encourage us to slow down in our lives, breathe, and sense the presence of God in our midst. I am hopeful that you will find that thread running through the fabric of everything we do this year whether that be worship, prayer, study, or outreach to others. 

Let me begin this year-ending note by taking a glance back at 2022. We dedicated the year to living out Christ’s blessing found in his Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God.” (Matthew 5:9) Throughout the year, we strived to be peacemakers in our community and world:

Merry Christmas! As I write these words, we are merely hours away from our Christmas Eve celebration. The church has been buzzing with excitement as members of the flower guild, altar guild, usher teams, hospitality volunteers, children’s choir moms, Doxology Choir members, Chancel Choir members, and pageant helpers all have been making their final preparations for the big day. The church is at its most beautiful, and I am grateful to all who have helped. There is nothing like Christmas at Peachtree Road UMC!