January 31, 2025
Dear Peachtree Road Family,
I hope you are well. Let me begin this week’s note by sharing three prayer concerns:
- Our hearts are broken by the tragic news of the crash between the Blackhawk helicopter and American Airlines Flight 5342 in Washington earlier this week. We grieve for the families who lost loved ones and pray for God’s comforting Holy Spirit to console them and their friends in these difficult hours.
- Last week, I solicited your prayers on behalf of our director of music ministries and organist, Scott Atchison. Thank you for your prayerful support of Scott. He came through his quadruple heart bypass surgery well and is now home recuperating. Please continue to pray for him as he recovers.
- Yesterday we received the news that our oldest member has died. Virginia Gammill died on Wednesday evening, less than two months shy of her 105thbirthday. Her funeral will be on Thursday, February 6, at 11:00 am in the Moore Chapel. Please remember her family in your prayers.
It is hard to believe that the first month of the new year is coming to a close. For Methodist churches, the end of January always means “end of the year reports,” and I will share some of our statistics from last year later in this note. Spoiler alert: it was an outstanding year!
On Sunday, we will conclude our series on mental wellness with a message entitled “The Battle Within: Troubled by Fear.” Fear is an innate, involuntary response to a perceived danger or threat. In other words, it can be a completely healthy and natural emotion. However, you and I know folks who have become paralyzed by their fears, even when the perceived threat seems insignificant. How do you help someone who is overcome with fear? On Sunday, we will consider the words of the psalmist in our message: “O Most High, when I am afraid, I put my trust in you…” (Psalms 56:3). What do those words mean, and how can they impact the way we live? Those are the questions with which I want us to wrestle this Sunday in worship. We will sing two of my favorite hymns (“Praise to the Lord, the Almighty” and “Amazing Grace”), and the Chancel Choir will sing Philip Stopford’s beautiful arrangement of Gerald Markland’s anthem “Do Not Be Afraid.” I hope you will join us at 8:45 am, 10:00 am, or 11:15 am. If you cannot make it in person, please worship online.
As you have heard, the Mississippi Mass Choir Concert set for next Friday evening, February 7, is sold out. In fact, the 1800 available tickets were gone a month ago. This concert is a part of our centennial celebration, and those of you who have tickets are in for a treat. For those who don’t have a ticket, we do not want you to miss out on the evening of gospel music, so we have arranged for the concert to be live-streamedonline here. The Mississippi Mass Choir was formed in 1988 and has touched the lives of millions across the globe through their soul-stirring anthems of resilience, hope, and strong faith in Jesus Christ. Tune in and enjoy the music!
Upcoming Special Worship Services:
- Youth Sunday – Sunday, February 9, at the 8:45 am and 11:15 am services in the sanctuary. Our students will be leading us, and six high school seniors at each service will share testimonies about their faith. I am grateful to our director of youth ministries, Chris Mucha, and his assistant directors, Rachel Hockman, Ryan Holder, and Aleah McClendon. They, along with a host of volunteers, do an amazing job helping our middle and high school students grow as disciples of Jesus Christ. Please join us at either service or online as we celebrate our church’s ministry with youth. Thank you for your support.
- Bishop Will Willimon preaching – Sunday, February 16, at all morning services. In 1996, Baylor University published a list of the “12 most effective preachers in the English-speaking world,” and Bishop Will Willimon was the lone Methodist to make the list. I have known Bishop Willimon for many years, count him as one of my mentors, and look forward to welcoming him to our pulpit. Please mark the date on your calendar and join us for worship.
- Dr. Brent Strawn preaching – Sunday, March 2, at all morning services. Brent is one of my favorite Old Testament professors. I first got to know him when he was at Candler School of Theology at Emory University, and now he teaches at Duke Divinity School. Brent has a passion for scripture that is contagious. I am pleased that he will be preaching at our morning worship services here at Peachtree Road UMC.
As we come to the close of our series of messages on mental health, I want to express my gratitude to our director of mental wellness, Rev. Emily Miles, and the One Lamb team here at Peachtree Road UMC. They have been front and center during these first weeks of the new year and will continue to offer hope and help throughout the year. They have many resources available and are ready to support you. If you are in need of financial assistance to get the mental health you need, please visit www.1lamb.org and click on the “Giving and Gifts” menu tab to see the scholarship application that you can submit online.
Here are several upcoming educational opportunities being offered in the coming weeks:
- The Dreaded “C: Word – Tuesday, February 4, 11:00 am in the Hospitality Suite. Rev. Mace Hall will lead a conversation about the emotional impact a diagnosis of cancer can have on a family. To register for this event, sign up here.
- From Worried to Well: Managing Anxiety in an Anxious World – Sunday, February 16 at 10:00 am in Heritage Hall. Dr. Ben Hunter, chief Medical Officer at Skyland Trail, will offer a presentation on anxiety in which he will discuss how avoidance behaviors can drive anxiety and how challenging these behaviors is key to fostering personal growth.
- Raising Resilience: Parenting Anxious Kids to Bravery Workshop – Thursday, February 20, 6:30 pm in The Loft (3rd floor of the Rollins Building). Navigating the push-pull of supporting anxious kids is challenging. How do you know when to encourage your child to face his or her fears and when to help them rest and recuperate? That’s the question with which this workshop will address. Marti Munford, clinical mental health therapist, will share with humor and compassion ways you can help your child flourish.
- Making Connections: A Conversation about Aging and Social Wellbeing – Sunday, March 2, 12:15 pm, Heritage Hall. You are invited to come for an open and honest conversation about the impact of life’s changes and challenges as we age. The focus of this conversation will be upon discovering ways to promote resilience and adaptation to the challenges of aging. Lunch will be provided for all registered attendees. For more information, please contact Rev. Emily Miles at emilym@prumc.org.
Finally, as promised, I want to share a few statistics gleaned from our year-end reports:
Membership – 8593 (+194)
Number of Persons Who Joined – 247
Number of Persons Who Joined on Profession of Faith – 80
Average Worship Attendance – 2118 (1271 in person, 848 online)
Giving to the Ministry Budget – $8.315 million
Giving to Lenten Offering – $137k
Giving to Christmas Kindness – $205k
Giving to Christmas Eve Offering for Water for Kenya – $201k
These numbers represent countless lives that have been touched through the vital ministries of this congregation. I am grateful for your faithfulness to Christ and for your love of Peachtree Road UMC. We came out of 2024 with great momentum, and it has continued through the first month of 2025. Thank you!
I hope to see you Sunday as we worship, pray, fellowship, and listen for the Lord’s voice speaking words of comfort to us.
Grace and peace,
Bill