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Dear HJA,
The Sparks e-newsletter is the BRC's online communication
tool. We hope that BRC members and friends will find this
e-newsletter a great way to stay connected to the BRC family
and promote your products, events and services within and
beyond the Overground RR!!© community. Welcome aboard.
| BRC Business Member Byron X.
Williams at Lighthouse Promotions: "We Do It
All" |
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"I've been in this business 14 years now, the first
eleven years for somebody else and now three for myself.
I can honestly say there's almost nothing we can't
deliver, on time and at a competitive price. We do it
all, from the vwery large to the very small. Some people
will sell you what you don't need, and are careless
about delivering promised goods on time. That's how you
lose credibility and customers. We work hard here to
maintain the friends, the connections, the customers we
have, and it's paying off."
"It's a struggle every day, but when you deliver what
people need to boost their visibility, their special
event, their business, or organization, it's always
rewarding."
"Over the years we have taken
advantage of the BRC's services and I can honestly say
they've helped us grow our business. But even more
important than that is the BRC's message to our folks
that doing business with each other boosts all of us. I
believe that recirculating black dollars in black hands
lifts every boat in our community."
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| 100 Black Men Inc. Names Atlanta
"Chapter of the Year" |
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Each year 100
Black Men of America recognizes several of its 106
chapters from around the world for service excellence to
their constituent communities. This year, 100
Black Men of Atlanta was chosen for the top honor,
large chapter of the year. The selection was based upon
several criteria points, including, number of people
served, quality of programs, and the level of community
service and outreach
Chief among the 100 Black Men of Atlanta's
accomplishments this past year has been its
award-winning entry into the world of competitive
robotics. Team Success, the robotics team comprised of
100 Black Men of Atlanta's student mentees, was invited
to compete at the FIRST
Vex. World Robotics Championships this past spring
against robotics teams from around the world and secured
the honor of Rookie of the Year.
And as always, 100 Black Men, with the help of Bank
of America and other sponsors reminds everyone to save
the date --- September 29, 2007, for the Super Bowl of
black college football --- The Tennessee State Tigers vs
the Florida A&M Rattlers, featuring the apex of
halftime band entertainment.
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| July 26 Business Forum to Feature
Rev. Marvin Moss, BRC Business Member Joe
Shorter |
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After a hiatus, the BRC resumes its highly
successful Business Forums on Thursday July 26 at 11:30
AM.
BRC's Business Forums are unparalleled
networking opportunities where kitchen table affirmative
action is taken to the next level.
You can't
afford to miss it. Seating is limited, so RSVP at
404-346-0808.
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| Blessed Events: Noteworthy &
Newsworthy Occasions From BRC's Member
Churches |
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On Saturday July 14, Big
Miller Grove Missionary Baptist Church holds its
carnival on the Big Miller Grove campus, 3800 Big Miller
Grove Way in Lithonia. Come one and all to enjoy food,
fun, rides and games for the whole family.
This Sunday, July 15 at 5 PM the Music
Ministry of New
Beginnings Full Gospel Baptist Church cordially
invites everyone to a very special celebration of praise
featuring the James H. Morton Chorale in concert, Bishop
James H. Morton presiding. Special Guest Artist will be
Karen Clark-Sheard.
On Sunday, July 15 at 8 and 11 AM Enon
Baptist Church 3550 Enon Road in College Park will
celebrate its 135th church anniversary. "People
started this church back in 1872, with the dust of
slavery still on their shoes. Now we have 26 acres and a
beautiful sanctuary built on what we believe is some of
the land a few of our members worked back in the day for
somebody else. Shows what the Lord can make possible.
Our people in general, and Enon Baptist Church family in
particular are heirs of a powerful legacy and we invite
all to come worship with us this weekend", Pastor
Greg Pollard told SPARKS.
This Saturday and Sunday, July 14 and 15 Butler
Street Christian Methodist Eposcopal Church observes
its 125th anniversary with Bishop Thomas L. Brown Sr.
preaching. Until his elevation to bishop, Brown was the
pastor of College Park CME church.
On Sunday, July 29, historic Wheat
Street Baptist Church observes the 138th anniversary
of its founding. Guest preacher at 10:45 will be
Atlanta's own Rev. Dr. Joseph L. Lowery.
Zion
Hill Baptist Church celebrates its 135th church
anniversary on Sunday, August 19 at 8 and 11 AM.
Guest preachers will be the Rev. Dr. Delman Coates,
pastor of Mt. Enon Baptist Church in Clinton MD.
Elizabeth
Baptist Church humbly invites all to its Family
& Friends Days, Saturday and Sunday July 28 and
29. Saturday services are at 6PM, and Sundays at
7:30, 9:30 and 12 noon. Bring 3 unsaved or unchurched
friends or
Carver Bible College wants you to know that
registration for the fall of 2007 commences August
13-17. Carver Bible College is located at 3870
Cascade Road in Atlanta 30331, and can be found on the
web at http://wwwv.carver.edu.
Carver Bible College was established to meet the need
for an institution of higher learning for Black
Americans desiring biblical and theological training.
On Sunday morning, August 12, Ray
of Hope Christian Church takes radical discipleship
to Six Flags Over Georgia, inviting you to celebrate
Pastor Cynthia Hale's 28th ordination anniversary with
an innovative worship service in the Axis Arena of Six
Flags Amusement Park. Following worship you and your
family are free to enjoy the amusement park for the
entire day.
Tickets are on sale now. Call Ray of
Hope at 770-696-5100 weekdays between 9 and 6, or
Sundays between 7AM and 2 PM.
Love
LIfe Christian Fellowship holds its 2007 Golf
Tournament Friday, August 10 at Sugar Creek Golf
Club, 2706 Bouldercrest Road in Atlanta. Registration at
8AM and Tee off at 9 AM.
For information, please
contact Deacon Demetrius Wright at 678-612-6538
or
the church office at 404-241-1499. Continue to check the
website for updates.
Friday and Saturday, August 17 and 18
St. James Missionary Baptist Church in Conyers,
where Bishop Rodney B. Harris is senior pastor hosts the
Spiritual Empowerment Conference. For further details,
call 770-388-9844.
Providence
Missionary Baptist Church will celebrate the 20th
Anniversary of the pastorate of Rev. Dr. Gerald E.
Durley at the Sheraton Gateway Saturday August
18. Tickets are $50. For more information call
404-752-6869
Did we miss what's happening at your BRC church? Fax
us your bulletin each week. Call our office with your
news, 404-346-0808, or email us at info@brcatl.com.
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| Are you a BRC member
yet? |
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Board the Overground RR!! and find out how
you can practice "KTAA" Kitchen Table
Affirmative Action. Visit online at www.brcatl.com
or call our office today at 404-346-0808 to find
out how you can become a member.
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A Ministry of Service, A
Neighborhood in Transition: SPARKS Interviews Rev. David
Melson |
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Rev. David Melson is pastor at
Dodd-Sterling United Methodist Church
SPARKS: Tell us about your own history,
and some of the changes you've seen in five decades here
in Atlanta.
REV. MELSON: I was born in
Grady Hospital in 1950, and raised in south Fulton
County. I still remember segregation. When I had to go
get my physical to participate in football. I had to go
to the doctor's office in downtown Fairburn and through
the colored door where the black nurse waited on me.
When the doctor came in, he came in putting his plastic
gloves on so that none of me would rub off on him. I
remember that very vividly. I try to make sure young
people know we aren't that far removed from that kind of
society, and that if we're not careful we're doomed to
go back, unless we know and share that history.
SPARKS: Talk about your
ministry the history of Dodd-Sterling
REV.
MELSON: I've been in ministry thirty years this
year, tweny now at Dodd-Sterling, which we celebrate on
the fifth Sunday, July 29 all day, 11 o'clock and 3
o'clock.
Dodd Sterling was the result of the
merger of two congregations, Nellie Dodd Memorial, the
white congregation, and Sterling Chapel which was the
black congregation... In 1977 this area was going
through transition and our conference worked to bring
the two together. The location where we are now was
built by the Nellie Dodd Church, and the area where
where Sterling Chapel was located was being torn down
because of renewal and the expansion of I-75.
The two churches held their first service on
July 17, 1977 as a blended congregation, but in a few
years only the black remnants of Sterling Chapel were
still there. I came in 1987, already living in the
neighborhood. So it's been a wonderful opportunity to do
ministry, to bring the families together, and to have a
positive impact on families and on the
community.
We have accomplished a lot in twenty
years, but the greatest thing has been our ministry to
latchkey children, providing a safe and uplifting space
for them.
SPARKS: What do the next few
years look like.
REV. MELSON: Of course
we will be trying to expand and refine our ministries to
children and families. We identified that need our first
year at Dodd-Sterling and it's been a focus ever since.
We've just begun tackling business
entrepreneurship, the ministry of helping our young
people start businesses. We're working to get their
mindsets away from just being consumers, getting money
and spending it. Real empowerment comes when more of us
develop our own businesses, and accumulate wealth. When
we have wealth we can make more of a contribution to the
betterment of society both individually and through the
collective efforts we support, like our churches.
Ultimately I believe that's going to be a great boon for
us.
I have a young man in my congregation who
washes cars, who has a little trailer. Effective
ministry to someone like him has to focus on giving him
the tools of marketing, helping him develop a business
plan and fully legitimizing his business so that it goes
to the next level and on beyond. These are the kinds of
things we're going to do to empower more of our
families... I want to help them take that to the next
level so that they're not just doing something on the
side, but starting, planning and running full fledged
businesses, creating wealth for themselves, but
employing others in their own families and perhaps
outside.
I visited another young man's business
yesterday, Diggety Dog, in East Point and just listened
to him. He told me he just had an idea, he wanted to
open up a hot dog stand, and did it, made it happen.
He's been in business a week now, and he's been amazed
at where he found the employees. They're right within
his network. People just came to him and said I want to
work for you. I want to be part of that.
SPARKS: So you think the
black church really has a mission, a charge to promote
business and self-sufficiency in our communities
REV. MELSON: It's very basic. As those
business thrive, there's more money coming into our
churches. That gives us the ability to expand our
financial base and do the kinds of ministries that meet
the needs of people. That's extremely important, and
it's why the BRC's mission is something we at Dodd
Sterling and other churches enthusiastically embrace.
It's the wave of the future. The train is
coming. Time to get on board.
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