February 21, 2025
Dear Peachtree Road Family,
I hope you are well. Last Sunday was a wonderful day as we welcomed Bishop Will Willimon to Peachtree Road UMC. He preached a powerful message from Habakkuk 2 in which he encouraged us to actively wait for the Lord’s vision for our church to be fully realized and to entertain the possibility that now just might be the time. As we sang our closing hymn, “Marching to Zion,” I was struck by how blessed we are as a congregation.
For 100 years, we have been guided by God’s Spirit. We worship in a sanctuary that fills us with awe and reverence for God; the music we hear week-in and week-out gives us the sense that we are worshiping with the angels in heaven (certainly, the music of the Chancel Choir, the Georgia Boy Choir, and the Atlanta Brassworks did that for us on Sunday); and the fellowship of being together fills us with hope and courage for the living of these days. However, we not only are blessed, but we are called to be a blessing to others. That is what keeps our church vital and flourishing. Thank you for all you do!
I really am looking forward to worshiping with you on Sunday. Musically, we will hear our children’s choirs sing (Cherubs at 8:45 am and the Covenant Choir and Celebration Singers at 11:15 am), and the Chancel Choir will sing Timothy Rees and Andrew Carter’s arrangement of Carter’s anthem “God Is Love.” Our hymns are two of my favorites (“Come, Christians, Join to Sing” and “Freely, Freely”), and I will be preaching a message entitled “The Platinum Rule.” In preparation for the message, I encourage you to read Luke 6:27-38. I hope to see you in person on Sunday, but, if you will be out of town, please join us by livestream at www.prumc.org.
Speaking of Sunday, this week we will receive a special offering for “Sponsor a Child.” Through this offering, you will have an opportunity to provide transformational support for one of the 400+ children Peachtree Road helps in four institutional schools in the country of Georgia. I hope you will decide to sponsor one or more of these children by making a pledge to the effort. Your sponsorship of $1 dollar a day ($365 for the full year) will provide a child who is living in the very poorest, rural areas of that country with the basic essentials of life: warm winter coats for unheated schools, boots for muddy unpaved roads, nutritional meals, medical examinations, a toothbrush, and so much more. I invite you to venture into Grace Hall on Sunday morning to view photos of the children, learn about their lives, and meet members of the Peachtree Road to Georgia mission team. They can tell you first-hand how your support will assure a future for these beloved children of God. For more information, click here.
I also hope you will join us for a fellowship luncheon in Grace Hall immediately following worship this Sunday. The meal will feature chicken enchiladas, Tex-Mex chopped salad, jalapeno cheddar cornbread, and tres leches cake. We will be serving from 11:00 am until 1:00 pm and invite you to come enjoy good food and warm fellowship.
Three weeks ago, we concluded our worship series on mental wellness. While the sermons have concluded, our emphasis upon mental wellness continues through our One Lamb Initiative. On Sunday, March 2, we will offer Making Connections: A Conversation about Aging and Social Wellbeing. 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. The workshop is set for 12:30 pm in Heritage Hall, and lunch will be provided for all registered attendees. For more information, please click here.
We also look forward to welcoming Old Testament scholar Dr. Brent Strawn to Peachtree Road UMC on March 2. Brent is one of my favorite Old Testament professors, and I first got to know him when he was at Candler School of Theology at Emory University. Now he teaches at Duke Divinity School and will be joining us on Sunday morning after speaking at the first annual Peachtree Road Men’s Ministry Retreat at Camp Glisson in Dahlonega on Friday and Saturday. Brent has a passion for scripture that is contagious, and I am pleased that he will be preaching at all our morning worship services. Please make your plans to join us.
As we continue to celebrate our Centennial year, let me encourage you to visit the Peachtree Road Storybook (peachtreeroadstorybook.org), which continues to add historical stories about the life of our church and its congregation. The most recent addition completes the historical narratives, beginning in 2008 and continuing to the present.
Finally, our church has authorized ten special offerings for 2025. In an effort to help you plan your giving for the year, here is a list of the dates and causes we will be supporting:
Youth Missions – February 9
Georgia Sponsor-a-Child – February 23
Lenten Offering – April 20
Wesley Woods Senior Living – May 11
Wellroot – June 15
Murphy-Harpst Home – August 17
10/10 Mental Health Support – October 12
Turkey Drive – November 9
Christmas Kindness – December 7
Christmas Eve Water Filters in Kenya – December 24
Thank you for your faith in God, your love for the ministry of Peachtree Road UMC, the grace you show toward others. I look forward to seeing you Sunday.
Grace and peace,
Bill