A NOTE FROM NATHAN
It’s hard to believe that many kids will be going back to school on Monday. Summer seems to have come and gone more quickly than usual. And yet, we find ourselves, once again, on the cusp of getting back to regular routines and schedules, as we move toward the end of one season and the beginning of another.
For the church, that means back to regular programming and ministry as well. This Sunday, August 1st, we will have our annual Back to School Sunday, which will include promoting our children to new Sunday School classes, blessing the back packs of students, teachers and faculty alike and kicking off new ministry opportunities at church. Specifically, in-person Sunday School and small group opportunities are returning this Sunday. Some of those opportunities are listed below in more detail.
This last year, we have missed being together in person. I hope you will take advantage of these opportunities to grow spiritually and to reacquaint ourselves with one another. We will be experimenting with days, times and means by which we gather, as we rediscover what it is to be church together. I hope you will join us for worship this Back to School Sunday, as we begin a new sermon series, “Back to the Basics.”
See you Sunday!
Peace,
Nathan
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PATHFINDERS CLASS
Whether you have questions, answers, both, or neither you can expect wide-ranging information, discussion, and support in the Path Finders’ class. Your ideas, experiences, and knowledge are all welcome. And, if you feel that you don’t have any ideas, experiences, or knowledge you’ll find more than you can imagine as part of this community. Check out our topic each week in the newsletter and plan to join us.
Join John Mills and the Pathfinders in person every Sunday morning in Common Ground at 9:00 am. You can also join via Zoom by CLICKING HERE or to join by phone just dial 929-205-6099 and enter Meeting ID: 985 6868. The passcode is 831869. For more information please contact John Mills.
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NEW 12-WEEK STUDY STARTING 8/1
THE HEART OF CHRISTIANITY
Have you struggled with faith? I have. I have spent hours in prayer asking God to give me the faith to believe what, to me, is unbelievable. Reading one book changed all that for me—The Heart of Christianity by Marcus Borg. I thought faith meant I was to believe what the Bible writers, theologians, and church leaders told me to believe. As I struggled to believe them, my relationship with God suffered. I was on their path to God; not mine.
Reading this book, I learned: Faith is not the goal; knowing God is. It’s more important to belove than to believe. The Bible is not all fact, but it is true. And our spiritual journeys are as unique as we are.
Starting August 1st, I will be leading a study of The Heart of Christianity. For 12 weeks, we will meet in the Whitmire Pavilion at 5:00 PM on Sundays to study, while sharing a meal and community. We plan to include a virtual component for this study as well. If you are interested in the study, please click on the sign-up genius below and include your contact information so that you are included in communications about the study. I look forward to going on this journey with you!
Leslie Lady
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MODERN DISCIPLES
Our name, Modern Disciples, accurately reflects our mission to strive to live Christ-centered lives in this ever-changing modern world. We welcome you to visit our class no matter your age, your marital status or family make-up. If you are seeking to grow in your walk with Christ in a fun, casual setting, please consider joining us.
We meet in the Conference Room each Sunday at 9:00 AM and use video series, book discussions and service projects to grow spiritually, connect with one another and to serve others.
On August 8th, we will start a new study called, "The Difficult Words of Jesus," based on the new book by Amy Jill Levine. You can learn more about the study by clicking the button below.
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KID'S SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASSES
This Sunday all children will meet in the Sanctuary at 9:00 am for a combined Back to School class.
Every Sunday after that, kids age Preschool - 2nd grade will meet in the Leslie Classroom upstairs. Kids ages 3rd through 5th grade will meet downstairs in room 120.
They follow a curriculum which includes games, lessons, arts and crafts and bible study time. The kids will have fun and learn all at the same time.
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Back to the Basics
The Olympics are back, along with concerts, family reunions and theater productions. We are coming together, again, in person. It’s been too long. As with beginning anything anew, it’s good practice to go back to the basics – to remember the reasons for which we are part of the groups and gatherings we attend. For people of faith, it’s a perfect time to refresh ourselves on the fundamentals of our faith. What are the basics of being church? Perhaps we can gain some insight from many of the “firsts” in scripture. What did Jesus do first after the resurrection? And what does Isaiah say to do first, to the people Israel? As we kickoff in-person programming once again at SSCC, let’s spend a few weeks reflecting on the “firsts” of being a community of faith.
August 1, 2021
First Things First
(Back to School Sunday)
Isaiah 55:1-13
Rev. Dr. Nathan C. Brown
August 8, 2021
The Essentials
Micah 6:1-8
Mark 12:28-34
Rev. Dr. Nathan C. Brown
August 15, 2021
Take Care
Genesis 1:26-31
Rev. Dr. Nathan C. Brown
August 22, 2021
Staying Power
Luke 24:36-49
Rev. Dr. Nathan C. Brown
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August 29, 2021
Whoever Welcomes a Child
(TDS Sunday)
Mark 9:30-37
Rev. Dr. Nathan C. Brown
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To view the service this Sunday on our YouTube page, click here.
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WE NEED YOUR HELP
Starting in August, we are going to have a worship leader for worship each week. The worship leader will lead a call to worship, read scripture, offer the call to giving and welcome visitors. All the words are scripted for you, so there is nothing to prepare. We just need individuals willing to serve as worship leaders each week. Having one worship leader each week will help the staff plan worship, give uniformity to the worship experience and give individuals who enjoy leading worship the opportunity to sign up well in advance. If you'd like to sign up to be a worship leader, please click on the link below. You may sign up for two Sundays, for now. Those who enjoy leading communion, offering pastoral prayers and preaching will continue to be recruited as they have been. If you have any questions, please reach out to the chair of Worship, Arts and Education, Stuart Michels, or Pastor Nathan.
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BACK TO SCHOOL SUNDAY
Can you believe another school year is upon us? This Sunday, August 1st we will celebrate "Back to School Sunday." There's a lot happening in the life of the church that day. Our children and youth will finally return to Sunday School (adults too)! We will have Promotion Sunday in the Sanctuary at 9:00 am and children and youth will get to return to their old and new classes. We will also have a Blessing of the Backpacks during worship.
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BLESSING OF THE BACKPACKS
Students of all ages are welcome to bring their backpacks to be blessed on Back to School this Sunday, August 1st. We want all our SSCC family to know that we are here to support them over the upcoming school year.
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REMEMBERING KATHY ELLIOTT
Please join us in sending condolences to the Elliott Family on the passing of long-time SSCC Member, Kathy Elliott.
Sid Elliott writes, "After declining rapidly Sunday night, Kathy died peacefully at home yesterday morning. She was able to spend some quality time with all of her eight grandchildren Sunday, which was very important to her and us. Monday morning Adam and Laura were with me for her final hours. While we are shocked and extremely saddened by her death, we are especially grateful for her life and the special time we had with her since she came home from Northside Hospital last Friday."
A memorial service will take place at Sandy Springs Christian Church on Saturday, August 7th at 1:00 p.m. to celebrate Kathy’s life. There will be a reception at the church following the service in Dunlap Hall. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to SSCC in Kathy's memory.
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CONGRATULATIONS!
We would like to send congratulations to the French family. Samantha French, daughter of Pete and Patty, married Austin Clayton on Saturday, July 10th. Wishing them all the best as they begin their lives together.
Photo courtesy of Andrea Kelly Photography.
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MEN'S GROUP RESUMING SOON
We will be resuming our Friday Morning Men's Group soon. All adult male members and friends are welcome to attend. Since 1990, we have been meeting at 7:00 am on Friday. After a sixteen-month hiatus, we are open to changing our meeting time, if a better time can be determined. There may be some, or many, who have not joined us in the past because of our early meeting time. That time was set over thirty years ago so that those who are employed could attend before work. Most of our current participants are retired. Will more attend if we change our meeting time? We are open to changing the time of day, the day of the week, or having an evening meeting. We will resume meeting after receiving input.
If you would like to participate, what is the best time for you? Please respond to: milthill@comcast,net, (770) 241-6435, or in person on a Sunday morning.
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GREEN CHALICE UPDATE
Sandy Springs Christian Church received Green Chalice designation a couple of years ago. While Rev. Bryce Bowers was our Pastoral Intern, he brought our congregation into compliance with Disciples Home Missions and the Green Chalice standards. We do an excellent job of recycling Sunday bulletins as we leave the sanctuary and using ceramic coffee mugs which helps us avoid filling landfills.
For other recyclables, we have a large blue cart near the upstairs elevator for office paper, cardboard boxes, plastic bottles, etc. Please try to put your recyclables in that recycling container instead of one of our regular trash cans.
ALSO YOU CAN...
- Bring aluminum can tabs to church for Ronald McDonald House Charities.
- Bring clean (real) corks - not the plastic kind - and place them in the Outreach cabinet.
- Community Assistance Center (CAC) can use clean plastic and paper bags - like you would get from the grocery store, and/or other retailers. These bags are used in the Food Pantry and the larger bags are needed in the Boutique. Bags may be left in the kitchenette upstairs.
WE ARE NO LONGER...
- Collecting bottle caps (requested last week), they have all they need.
- Taking cloth/clothing for ReLoom.
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THERE'S AN APP FOR THAT?
Did you know you can download the Breeze app onto your phone and access SSCC Member Directory information right at your fingertips? You can download the app from the app store (for iphones and ipads) by CLICKING HERE. Please call the church office if you have any questions. |
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PRAYER REQUESTS
Prayers are requested for Elton and Ann Border, Amy Frost's sister and brother-in-law for health related issues. And please pray for Justina Frost who will be having surgery on August 5th.
Please pray for our members and their families who serve as first responders and health care workers: Katie Gibson, Tracey McCluskey, Dr. Vijay Rathinam, Robyn Hicks and Pete French. Also those serving in the military: Michelle Brown (Navy), daughter of Cindy and Pete Brown. Tyler Brown (Army), son of Tami and Stephen Brown. Jared Mills (Army), son/stepson of John and Floy Mills. Rachel Robeck (Navy), daughter of John and Mary Robeck. Jamie Price Smith (Air Force) and Dalton Brown (Army) granddaughter and grandson of Barb Duren and Chaplain Kevin Mooney (Navy), Linda Whitmire's grand-daughter, Hayleigh Whitmire (Army) and Kathy Woodworth's step grandson Parker Mansel (Marines). If we are missing someone, please let us know so that we can include their name in our weekly prayers.
If you have any prayer requests or would like to reach out to Teddy Ivey, our Director of Congregational Care, please email him at Teddy@sandyspringscc.org.
JOIN SSCC!
You can join SSCC by a simple affirmation of faith! If you are attending virtually, just let us know you would like to join!
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HELPING THE CAC
CAC Pantry/Thrift Shop Expands to 5 Days,
The Community Assistance Center’s food pantry and thrift shop, Upscale Thrift, will once again be open 5 days a week. Contact Nolan at volunteer@ourcac.org for volunteering at the food pantry and Debbie at Debbie.Olson@ourcac.org to volunteer at the Thrift Store. Visit CAC’s website for more details.
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MUST MINISTRIES: If you would like to donate and drop off items at Must Ministries please CLICK HERE to access a flyer that outlines the most needed items. Monetary donations are very much needed and can be done so online via their website, or send a check in the mail to MUST Ministries, P.O. Box 1717, Marietta, GA 30061. If you have questions please contact Cathy Cortright at cortright13@gmail.com. |
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Alan Burgess July 30
Tyler Brown July 31
Donna Lassiter July 31
Janis Hill August 01
Teddy Ivey August 02
Emily Rose Ivey August 04
Henry Leek August 04
Janet Lochery August 05
Les Baright August 06
Monalea Dalrymple August 06
Tim Helton August 06
Emily Harple August 07
Ruth Brown August 09
Amy Frost August 15
Zachary Chimera August 16
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Benay Gunby August 16
Aubrey Norman August 16
Jim Ruehman August 16
Jim Bickelhaupt August 19
Walt Michels August 19
Andy Torbert August 19
Kimberly French August 23
Suzanne Ruehman August 23
Brooks Torbert August 24
Lisa Berger-Gilmore August 25
Barbara Duren August 25
Maggie Driemeyer August 26
Sheri Mason August 27
Courtney Strickland August 28
Jay Donnelly August 30
Abby Hicks August 31
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