January 10, 2025

Dear Peachtree Road family,

I hope you are well. As you read these words, the predicted winter storm has arrived in Atlanta. Out of an abundance of caution and concern for your safety, the church is closed today – all church activities (including The Preschool) are cancelled for today. We spent Thursday preparing the campus for the weekend and look forward to everything returning to normal on Saturday and Sunday. Please stay warm and safe. 

We have gotten off to a great start to the new year here at Peachtree Road UMC. Last Sunday we heard the challenge of the prophet Isaiah in the form of two double imperatives: “Arise! Shine! Your light has come!” and “Lift up your eyes and see!” We begin our centennial year as a church, remembering that Christ’s light shines upon us, and our mission is to shine that light into the dark places of our world so all may experience the love, mercy, and grace of God. We closed worship by praying together the “Wesley Covenant Prayer” and then celebrating the Sacrament of Holy Communion. We made a good new beginning. 

This Sunday also promises to be a good day of worship as we kick off a series of messages on mental wellness. The series is entitled “The Battle Within…” Mental health professionals tell us that our nation is facing a mental health crisis. Young people are struggling to contend with anxiety, our jails have become de facto mental health centers, and deaths from drug overdose are rising at an alarming rate. Can the church be a place of healing and hope and help folks find a healthy way forward? That is the question with which we will wrestle during this month:  

January 12	Revelation 2:1-5	Stuck in Apathy
January 19	I Thessalonians 4:13-18	Coming to Grips with Grief
January 26	Philippians 3:12-17	Haunted by Regrets
February 2	John 14:25-27	Troubled by Fear

We begin the series by talking about apathy and its effects upon our mental health.In preparation for this message, I encourage you to read Revelation 2:1-5. We are set to welcome a group of new members on Sunday, and at the close of worship, we will have the opportunity to approach the baptismal font, touch the water, and remember that our Lord knows us by name and offers us his love, mercy, and grace. In addition, we will be singing one of the great hymns of the church (“Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord, God Almighty”), and the Chancel Choir will offer Donald Fellows’ inspiring arrangement of “Springs of Water” as its anthem. As we approach the font to remember our baptism, we will join in singing the old spiritual “Down to the River to Pray.” This is one of my favorite Sundays in the first quarter of a new year, and I look forward to seeing you in worship at either 8:45 am in the sanctuary, 10:00 am in the chapel, or 11:15 am in the sanctuary. Please remember, if you cannot worship with us in person, please join us by livestream at www.prumc.org. 

After the worship services this Sunday, please join your friends at Peachtree Road UMC for a fellowship meal in Grace Hall. The menu will feature a hearty meal of chili, grilled cheese sandwiches, green salad, and brownies for dessert. The serving line will be open from 11:00 am until 1:00 pm, and the meal is complimentary. Join us for our first fellowship luncheon of 2025. 

Since this month will find us emphasizing the importance of mental wellness, I wanted to share with you some opportunities being made available through our church. I am grateful for our director of mental wellness Rev. Emily Miles and the One Lamb Initiative for Mental Wellness team here at Peachtree Road UMC for creating these offerings: 

• NAMI Family-to-Family 8-Week Course – Sundays, January 19 through March 9, 2:00 pm until 4:30 pm in C106 and by Zoom. If you have family or friends with mental health challenges, this course, provided at no charge by the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI), will provide you with the coping skills you need to help your loved one deal with his or her illness. You will learn problem-solving techniques in an anonymous, non-threatening setting as well as self-care, support resources, crisis management, treatment, and more. This semi-annual course is a core part of One Lamb’s programming. For more information, contact Diane Sitton at sittonnami@gmail.com. 

• Midweek Yoga – Wednesdays, January 15 through February 19, at 12:45 pm in C208. You are invited to join Rev. Emily Miles for this weekly class designed to help you increase flexibility and strength. No experience is necessary. For more information, please contact Emily Miles at emilym@prumc.org. To sign up, click here.

• An Evening with Kate Bowler – Sunday, January 26, 5:00 pm in the Sanctuary. Kate Bowler is a New York Times best-selling author, theologian at Duke Divinity School, and host of the popular podcast “Everything Happens.” Kate is a rock star in the church world and is appreciated for her wisdom, humor, and the honest way she embraces life’s joys and struggles. I first came to know of Kate through her excellent research concerning the “prosperity gospel.” Then she experienced a diagnosis of stage IV colon cancer and had to rethink what trust and hope look like. Kate’s faith is deep and has sustained her throughout her journey of fighting cancer. She then wrote her bestselling memoir “Everything Happens for a Reason…and Other Lies I’ve Loved.” She comes to Peachtree Road UMC to share her faith in Christ and what it means to live through the best days, the worst days, and all the in-betweens of life. I about grateful to the One Lamb Mental Wellness Initiative for sponsoring this event and encourage you to join us. The cost is $30 per person, and you may get your tickets here.

Finally, are you new to Peachtree Road UMC and looking for ways to connect? Please join us on Sunday, January 26, at 12:30 pm in the Hospitality Suite. At this month’s “Tea with the Clergy” luncheon, you will have the opportunity to meet with several members of our clergy staff, hear about the ministry of this great church, ask questions, and even have an opportunity to join at the end of the session. Please contact our director of evangelism and hospitality, Brittany Charron (brittanyc@prumc.org), for more information or to sign up.  

I look forward to seeing you Sunday as we touch the water and remember who we are and whose we are.

Grace and peace, 

Bill