I really am looking forward to worshiping with you this Sunday. It is Commitment Sunday here at Peachtree Road UMC, and we will have an opportunity to renew our commitment to Christ through this great church. Our children’s choirs will be singing, and at the close of the service, you will have an opportunity to bring your commitment card to the altar to pray and offer yourself to Christ in a time of dedication.
Continue readingWords to Build a Life On
I really am looking forward to Sunday as we continue our series of messages entitled “Greater Than.” This month we are considering the question, “How has my relationship with Jesus made my life greater?” Over the course of the last 15 years, I have had the joy of watching Jesus make life greater here at Peachtree Road UMC. I have seen lives transformed as you have allowed the light of Christ to shine through you into our hurting world. It is our relationship with Jesus that gives meaning and purpose and satisfaction to life. That’s what we’re talking about this month.
Continue readingThe Presence of Christ, The Power of the Holy Spirit
It’s hard to believe, but we have begun the last quarter of the year. Where has 2022 gone? This year our church has been focused upon the words of Jesus from his Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are the peacemakers…” Our church’s ministry initiatives have been designed with the goal of bringing the peace of Christ to those around us.
Continue readingCarolyn Stephens
Dear Peachtree Road Family,
I write this note to express my deep and genuine gratitude to you, for your overwhelming kindness and generosity. Anthony and I are truly thankful for the love and appreciation you have shown through your farewell gifts to us.
My time with you was a tremendous blessing. Not one day of the five years that I served you did I work. No, each day was a gift I received. It was a gift in which I found joy and delight because I got the opportunity to walk alongside you on your faith journey, and to experience with you the presence, power, and goodness of God, doing ministry together. It is now a treasured gift because I got to know your hearts and have built wonderful and life-long relationships with so many of you.
I have been truly blessed in more ways than one because of you, and you have indelibly carved your place in our hearts.
Thank you,
Carolyn and Anthony
Laughter is Good Medicine
As you read these words, Wendie and I are on our way back to Atlanta from a trip with our daughter, son-in-law, and two of our grandchildren to Italy. We had a great time exploring Rome, where we visited the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica, Florence, where we stood in awe of Michelangelo’s sculpture of the shepherd boy David preparing to defeat the giant Goliath, and Milan, where we viewed Leonardo DaVinci’s mural of the Last Supper. We enjoyed great food and family time together with much laughter. It has been a good week, and we are glad to be returning home.
Continue readingA New Walk With Christ
Let me begin this week’s note by sharing the heart-breaking news with you that our associate minister Julie Wright’s daughter Chelsea died yesterday afternoon. Over the years, people have asked me: “Which is more difficult – losing a loved one suddenly or losing him or her after a long illness?” I have always answered, “They are equally difficult, but nothing compares to the death of a child.”
Continue readingThriving, Reflecting and Inviting
Let me begin this week’s note with the news that one of our members, Jane Murray, celebrated her 100th birthday on Wednesday afternoon in the Hospitality Suite. Jane is doing very well and stays connected with our church family online. Happy birthday, Jane! You are a treasure.
Continue readingHealing and Hope with Iris Bolton
Iris Bolton is uniquely qualified professionally and personally to offer hope to those who have lost loved ones by death, loss, and suicide. After the tragic death through the suicide of her 20-year-old son in 1977, Iris and her family were catapulted into a grief process that was excruciatingly painful and ultimately healing and transformative.
Continue readingMy Son … My Son … – A Guide to Healing After Death, Loss, or Suicide – by Iris Bolton
As one might guess from the title, this book is about a very somber subject matter. While the loss of a loved one to a sudden death or suicide is serious, the author provides a hopeful pathway for those that survive to deal with the tragedy. The author, Iris Bolton, is a trained councilor and Director Emeritus of the Link Counseling Center in Atlanta writes of how she and her family dealt with the suicide of her son Mitch. The book is part memoir of their experience and part handbook for dealing with the grief.
Continue readingIt Is Time…
I hope you are well. My message to you today is this: “It is time.” The pandemic has ebbed. The summer is over. If you have been away from church, it is time to press the reset button on your spiritual life and come back to Peachtree Road UMC. Sunday marks “Fall Kick-off,” and I want to suggest five good reasons to make attendance this week a priority:
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