The Messenger for September 6, 2015

BLACK LIVES MATTER:
Should the Church be Silent?
Written By Quisa Foster
BUILDING GOD'S KINGDOM BY:
Hearing GOD,
Serving GOD,
Worshipping GOD
Trayvon Martin. Michael Brown. Eric Garner.
Freddie Gray. Sandra Bland. The Charleston
Massacre. All of these unfortunate deaths
gave birth to the Black Lives Matter movement across the country. The movement
prompted a “call to action” for people
everywhere to recognize the reality of
institutionalized racism.
But where does this leave the black church?
Black churches across the country are trying to
find their voice in the movement, but shouldn’t
the black church be at the forefront of the
movement? Black churches across the country
should take a position; however, that
response should be led by the voice of God
and not by violence. Christian leaders should
see the movement as a critical opportunity to
engage their churches in conversations about
race and privilege.
In September, Cascade UMC will host our
annual Fall Revival with Ben Hill UMC for a
three-day, spirit-filled worship experience.
This year’s theme is “Called to Kingdom Living:
In a Culture of Violence, Am I My Brother’s
Keeper?” According to Pastor Lawrence
Young, the focus of the revival is not an
accident and is directly related to a “call to
action” for Cascade not to be silent on the
issues that have challenged our community
over the last several years. “The big picture is
that we have a lost generation of people who
have no regard for life,” says Pastor Young.
“We must acknowledge the real pain in our
community and deal with those issues
knowing that our response should be deeper
than our problems with white police officers.
We should also recognize that there are
police officers who deal with issues
mentally, and because those issues are not
addressed, lives are lost. However, the
church can be that voice, the equalizer, in
most of these unfortunate situations. These
problems are much bigger than one person,
one church or one community.”
The Fall Revival schedule is listed as follows:
Sunday, September 13 | 6:00 p.m.
Rev. Dr. Zan W. Holmes, Jr.
Pastor Emeritus, St. Luke Community UMC
|Dallas, TX
Monday, September 14 | 7:00 p.m.
Rev. Kathi R. Chavous | Founder/President/
KRenee Ministries | Atlanta, GA
Tuesday, September 15 | 7:00 p.m.
Rev. David Lattimore
Mt. Zion Baptist Church | Joliet, IL
One of the main objectives of the revival is to
create a platform for conversation about the
church’s perspective and to be led by the
voice of God. Once the landscape is created,
we can collaboratively heal our communities.
The Leaders. The Church. The Community.
Our People. “We must acknowledge that we
have created a generation that we have
empowered to demand their rights and
privileges while failing to insist that they
maintain a certain character and moral
compass.” – Pastor Lawrence Young
activities in Middle School included serving as President of the
Student Body, a leading scorer of the soccer team, and a
cheerleader.
For this academic accomplishment, Kennedy received a letter
of commendation from Atlanta City Council member Caesar
Mitchell. The letter pledges the full support of the city in her
educational endeavors.
Meet Victoria Spann-Burton who
graduated in May with Honors from the
Magnet Science, Technology, Engineering
and Math (STEM) Program at Kennesaw
Mountain High School. Victoria achieved a
3.99 GPA and earned a perfect score on the
AP Calculus Exam. She made these
accomplishments while working a part-time
job. Victoria has been a long time
participant in community service
projects and Cascade Ministries.
Kennedy is the daughter of Michele Michael Petties.
Meet Imani Alsobrook, a 13-year old eighth
grader at Wesley International Academy
(APS). She has been an active girl scout at
CUMC for 5 years (currently a Cadette) and a
member of Cascade UMC since November
2010. Imani has been passionate about writing
and drawing since she could hold a pencil or
crayon. She is an artsy and extraordinarily
creative 13-year old, who wrote and illustrated
her first children's book, Maya in the Middle,
during her 7th grade year and published in July
2015. Currently, the book is being sold in paperback and E-book
(amazon.com) and is available online
at www.mayainthemiddle.com.
She is a regular volunteer with
Habitat for Humanity. Victoria was
the only youth among the Cascade
participants in the UMC Habitat
Mission Trip to the Bahamas in
2014. She served as a greeter,
Youth Usher and a member of the Cascade Tape and Video
Camera Ministry.
Victoria was awarded a four year Scholarship to New York
University and a scholarship from the American Association
of Blacks in Energy (AABE).
Maya in the Middle centers on the life of Maya Hope, a not-soordinary 12-year old girl who is about to enter seventh grade at
a new school. How will Maya adjust to life's challenges? The
book allows readers to explore Maya's colorful journey and
discover how she faces these challenges and meets new BFFAEs
(Best Friends Forever and Ever), while tackling unexpected
drama along the way. Unlike the vast majority of the tween/
teen books that are on the market, Imani’s book lends a fresh
perspective of tween/teen life that is written and illustrated by
an actual teen. Imani has decided to expand Maya in the
Middle into an entire book series that will follow Maya
throughout her remaining Middle School years. Imani has
already written and illustrated Book #2 in the series and she
plans to publish this fall.
Victoria is the daughter of proud parents, Levada SpannBurton and James H. Burton, II.
Meet Kennedy M. Petties who at the
age of 14 was accepted as a boarding
student into the prestigious St. Mark's
School in Boston, Massachusetts.
Kennedy is one of 65 students from
around the world to be accepted this
year, the only student from Georgia, and
one of eight African American students.
She will have access to some of the top
educators in the country and will attend
school with other like- minded scholastic
In addition to creating awesome books like Maya in the Middle,
Imani owns her own clothing company, Peachie Pi. She is a
straight-A student who loves hanging out with her friends and
“sort of” enjoys being an older sister to Madison (age 8) and
Dylan (age 6). She is doing a lot of great things, but at the end
of the day, Imani genuinely enjoys just being a kid. She
wholeheartedly rejects society's current agenda that
encourages girls to grow up too fast. She has become a positive
role model, whether she realizes it or not.
achievers.
Kennedy tested in the top 97% of top achievers on the SSAT
entrance exam, maintained a straight A average and
graduated from Imhotep Academy as Class Valedictorian. As
a result, Kennedy is the recipient of over $200,000 in
scholarship money for her tuition. Her extracurricular
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calcium intake, and men with a
history of Agent Orange exposure.
SEPTEMBER IS PROSTATE
CANCER PREVENTION MONTH
Prostate Cancer continues to
disproportionately impact men in the
African-American community. Men in the
African-American community are also 2
½ times as likely to experience mortality
as a result of prostate cancer.
The risk of developing Prostate cancer
actually increases with age with the
majority of cases diagnosed in men over
the age of 65. As many as 1 in 14 men
diagnosed are between 60-69 years of
age. Other factors associated with an
increased risk include: family history and
a reduced exposure to sunlight which
leads to a decreased Vitamin D levels.
Additional risk factors are associated
with the development of more
aggressive prostate cancer types. These
include: smoking, an inadequate intake
of vegetables, Obesity, Tall height,
inactivity or a sedentary lifestyle, a high
Diet and lifestyle modification are
associated with decreasing the risk of
developing, recurrence and even
slowing the progression of the
disease. Conditions that do not have
an association with the development
of prostate cancer include: Benign
Prostatic Hypertrophy, Urinary Tract
Infections, or undergoing Vasectomy.
Some recommendations to avert or
decrease the chance of developing
prostate cancer include:
 Reducing caloric intake an
incorporating exercise to maintain a
healthy weight.
 Minimize the amount of fat
ingested from dairy foods and red
meat
 Avoid an intake of more than 1500
mg of calcium each day either
through dietary intake or
supplements. Also, avoid over use of
megavitamins which can accelerate
the progression of prostate cancer.
 Include cooked tomatoes, olive oil,
broccoli, cauliflower, soy and green
tea. These foods are healthy.
 Avoid smoking and consume alcohol in
moderation.
 Seek medical attention for high blood
pressure, elevated cholesterol,
excessive stress, and/or depression.
 If you are older than 40 years of age,
African-American, or have a family
history of prostate cancer, consider
having a yearly rectal examination and
a PSA test performed.
Two tests designed to screen for
prostate cancer include the PSA and the
Digital Rectal Examination (DRE). The PSA
test detects the level of a protein that is
released in proportion with the health of
the prostate gland. Lower levels are
associated with the absence of prostate
cancer and higher levels can be
associated with the disease. These levels
are also elevated in benign prostate
conditions. This test is not a flawless test
and is best used in conjunction with
physical examination.
 Consume more fish. Fish is high in
omega 3 fatty acids which are
healthy.
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Continued on page 4 -
Eleanor Mitchell ‐ September 2
Marshall E. Smith, Jr. ‐ Sept. 2
Kim Brown ‐ September 3
Lillian Smith Williamson ‐ Sept. 3
Earl Cleveland ‐ September 4
Nancy Gillenwater ‐ September 4
Roosevelt Simmons ‐ September 4
Zsa Boykin ‐ September 6
Istrelda Agnew ‐ September 7
Opal Charleston ‐ September 7
Nathaniel Moore - September 7
Michelle Ashley ‐ September 8
“Praise be to the God and Father Victor Roberts ‐ September 8
of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His Paul Hopson ‐ September 9
Charlene Ketchen ‐ September 9
great mercy He has given us new
Robert Gates ‐ September 10
birth into a living hope through
the resurrection of Jesus Christ Tarneshia Jenkins ‐ September 10
Derrick Lottie Sr. - September 15
from the dead,...” - 1 Peter 1:3
Derrick Mathews - September 10
Ayanna C. Johnson ‐ September 1 Imagene Embry‐Jones ‐ Sept. 11
Delores J. Marshall ‐ Sept. 11
Sabrina Randolph ‐ September 1
John Teasley ‐ September 11
Sonya Randolph ‐ September 1
Continued from page 3 SEPTEMBER PROSTATE CANCER
PREVENTION MONTH
DRE is recommended, though an
unpopular exam that helps detect
irregularities in the size, shape and
consistency of the prostate gland.
Early screening and detection are the
key to curing this cancer. Diagnosing
prostate cancer at an early stage offers
the benefit of the most optimal treatment options with the fewest side
effects and risks of treatment failure.
Excerpted from www.pcf.org.
Prostate Cancer Foundation website.
Visit the Health &
Wellness Ministry
table after the
7:00, 9:00 and
11:30 am worship
services to receive
more information about
Prostate Cancer each Sunday
in September.
Geraldine Perry - September 12
Eva B. Thornton ‐ September 12
Rod Boykin ‐ September 12
Tracie Hughes ‐ September 14
Necia Cunningham ‐ Sept. 15
Elias D. Lee, III ‐ September 15
Laura Dew ‐ September 16
Gayle Gay ‐ September 18
Randall Jackson ‐ September 18
Patricia Bishop ‐ September 19
Dorothy Fletcher ‐ September 19
J. Lewis Alston ‐ September 20
Brook Clopton ‐ September 20
Ravena B. Lottie - September 20
Michelle Saunders ‐ September 20
Karen N. Jones ‐ September 20
Ivy Scott‐Williams ‐ September 21
Floretta K. Moore ‐ September 21
Tonya Brathwaite - September 22
Helen Gay ‐ September 22
Deanna Parks-Jones - Sept. 22
Robin Andrews‐Tobo ‐ Sept. 22
Rhonda Andrews Cobb ‐ Sept. 23
Bridgette Lee ‐ September 24
Benita Harris ‐ September 24
Matthew C. Monroe ‐ Sept. 24
Benjamin Thornton - Sept. 24
Kenny Banks ‐ September 25
Vivian S. Baskerville - Sept. 25
George Tobo ‐ September 26
Michael German ‐ September 28
Allene McCollum ‐ September 28
Cequillia E. Stone ‐ September 28
NOTE: Birthdays are placed in The
Messenger by request only. Send
birthday requests prior to the 15th
of the month of your birthday to
announcements@cascadeumc.org.
Join Team Cascade
as we walk with
The American Cancer
Society for their
annual “Making
Strides Against Breast Cancer
Walk,” October 24, 2015 at
Centennial Olympic Park at
9:00 am. Contact Janice Hull at
health.wellness@cascadeumc.org.
The following individuals and families
send their special thanks and
appreciation to Cascade UMC clergy,
staff and church family during their
time of illness or bereavement:
The Family of Dr. B. LaConyea Butler
The Family of Roscoe J. Hudson, Jr.
Kirk and Adrienne Douglas
The Family of Karen Germany
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