Name: First Christian Church of Atlanta
Address: 4532 LaVista Road, Tucker, Ga. 30084
Phone: 770-939-4358
Website: www.FirstChristianAtlanta.com
Services: 9 and 11 a.m.
Worship Style: Informal Cafe Christian Expresso at 9 a.m. and traditional at 11 a.m.
Average Sunday Attendance: 120
Minister: Jacob W. Kines, Jr.
Denomination Affiliation: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Mission Statement:
“Frederick Buechner once said, ‘The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.’ At First Christian Church of Atlanta, we strive to be a place where everyone can find their place in God’s healing, liberating, and reconciling mission in the world. We are, simply stated, ‘A Place to Find Your Place.’”
History:
The church’s traces its beginning in 1850 as a small group of “thinking Christians” who met regularly in homes until a building was erected in the center of downtown. For more than 150 years, the congregation has been “a haven for diverse people, generations, races and cultures. Today we seek to continue our historical legacy as an inclusive and reconciling church.”
Pastor's path:
Born in Atlanta and raised in Rome, the pastor received his B.A. in Religion and Philosophy from Berry College and his M.Div. from Emory University’s Candler School of Theology.
Kines is a Ph.D. candidate in the Joint Ph.D. Program at the Iliff School of Theology and University of Denver with a concentration in Religion and Social Change. He has served local churches since 2001 and was ordained in the Central Rocky Mountain Region (Disciples of Christ) in 2006.
The pastor joined the First Christian Church staff in mid-June and is excited about sharing his focus on religion and social change with a church that has long been a socially engaged community of faith.
“Historically, the church has been on the correct side of pivotal social issues” said Kines, citing the fact that First Christian was one of 80 churches in greater Atlanta to sign a manifesto on racial equality that was published in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 1957. “This is a legacy that the church is very proud of and one that we will strive to continue as we move forward into the 21st century.”
Ministries:
Kines said that while First Christian is the first Disciples of Christ congregation established in the greater Atlanta area, the congregation views itself as a perpetually new church because members are committed to being relevant to the local and global community today. First Christian Church works with neighboring churches and supports NETWorks, a local cooperative ministry, to meet emergency food, shelter and other needs of area residents. The church also supports Habitat for Humanity and other outreach efforts that include the denomination’s regional and global ministries.
The pastor wants to begin a lecture series featuring experts and specialists in social ethical concerns, particularly from seminaries and theological institutions located in Atlanta. On Sundays, worshippers can choose between a 9 a.m. Christian Expresso coffeehouse casual service with coffee, pastries and a brief message, or an 11 a.m. traditional worship experience with hymns and a robed choir led by Timothy Spraggins.
Christian education classes on Sunday mornings feature several adult options, including occasional lecture and discussion series taking place throughout the week. Middle and high school youth have an active class that includes discussions about current issues and members meet with youth from sister churches once a month for fellowship.
Children participate in Funday School, a workshop rotation that offers a lesson told through music, storytelling, crafting and drama over several weeks.
Thoughts from the pastor:
“To be sure, First Christian of Atlanta has a rich history. Perhaps even more importantly, it has been my observation that this is a church committed to being [quoting Martin Luther King Jr.] ‘co-workers with God’ here and now. Moving beyond models of maintenance and management, our vision is to become an important resource center for members and the greater community to discover their role or ‘place’ in God’s ongoing healing, liberating and reconciling mission in the world. Celebrating the past, envisioning a relevant future and resolved to do whatever it takes today … I cannot overstate how grateful my family and I are to be part of this faith community.”
