Friday Focus
News you need for the week of
OCTOBER 17, 2025
Worship in the Wild
Worship in the Wild is this coming Wednesday, October 22, from 6-7pm in the DUMC Tree Lot! Join us for fun, food, fellowship, and outdoor worship! You can pick up Wednesday Night Supper (register HERE) and nursery is available! We hope to see you there!
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Current Announcements
Join Kind30 this October
Everyone is facing challenges, and kindness can make a real difference. That’s why Dunwoody UMC’s OneLamb Wellness Initiative is sponsoring Kind30, a movement encouraging one small act of kindness each day. Pick up your Kind30 calendar at the church or click HERE to download it for daily ideas. Together, let’s bring more joy, peace, and compassion to Dunwoody and beyond—one kind act at a time!
Camp Glisson Registration Open
Summer 2026 registration is now open for everyone! 600+ campers have already saved their spot for a week of faith-forming fun this summer. Spread the word and start the planning. Register Today to secure the session that will work best for your camper and calendar! Click HERE to register.
Wednesday Night Supper
Join us for Wednesday Night Supper! Dinner begins at 5:00 p.m. and ends at 6:15 p.m. If you would like to register for WNS, please click HERE. You also have the option of emailing Debbie Collins or by calling at 770-394-0675, ext 111. Reservations are due by the end of day on Monday. Please do your best to adhere to this reservation deadline so there will be a meal prepared for you. The cost for Wednesday Night Supper is $10 for an adult meal, $5 for a child meal (3-11 years). Children under 3 years eat for free.
Advent Devotionals
Short devotions are needed for the annual DUMC Advent Devotion guide. Your devotion should be short (150-200 words) and include scripture, a prayer and a thought for the day. Devotions can be tied to the Advent themes of hope, peace, joy, and love, or anything that helps you prepare for Advent and Christmas. Devotions are due by Monday, October 20 to Virginia McGuffey.
Worship in the Wild
Join DUMC for "Worship in the Wild," Wednesday, October 22 from 6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. in the DUMC tree lot. This outdoor, casual worship experience will be a time for us to share food, fellowship, music, and most importantly, our stories. Pick up Wednesday Night Supper to-go (or eat early), bring a chair, circle around the campfire, and invite your friends! Nursery and kids programming (Wednesday Night Kids) will be offered as usual. Contact Rev. Calissa Dauterman to learn more.
Illuminated Concerts: Epic Film Scores
On Friday, October 24 at 8:00 p.m. experience the magic of Create Dunwoody’s first-ever Illuminated Concert: Epic Film Scores featuring a string quartet performing by candlelight in the historic chapel at Dunwoody United Methodist Church. This intimate evening offers beautiful acoustics, a serene setting, and a one-of-a-kind musical experience. Let the glow of candlelight and the richness of live strings transport you. Enjoy dinner and drinks at the Shops of Dunwoody and Dunwoody Village, then stroll through the back parking lots to the concert. Check back for sponsor details from Winestore, Dunwoody Tavern, Summit Coffee, and more, including special discounts on food and drinks. Learn more HERE. Click HERE to purchase tickets.
Discover DUMC
If you are interested in joining Dunwoody UMC or just need a refresher on what it means to be Methodist, we invite you to Discover DUMC, Sunday, October 26 at 10:00 a.m. in Room 252. This 1-hour interest session is a great way to learn more about the United Methodist Church and hear directly from a DUMC Pastor. Email Hospitality to let us know you’re coming!
Blessing of the Pets
Dunwoody UMC is partnering with the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta (MJCCA) to host a Blessing of the Pets for the whole Dunwoody community! Bring your four-legged, finned, and feathered friends, and join us at the dog park at Brook Run Park on Sunday, October 26 from 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m., for an afternoon of pet blessings, prayers for healing, and memorial prayers. All are welcome - so invite your neighbors and friends as we celebrate all of God's creatures.
Adventurous Eats with Phil - Postponed
Please accept our apologies, but Phil has had to reschedule this event. We apologize for any inconvenience. Look for a new invitation and announcement in the days ahead. Phil is looking forward to another meal again soon.
Climate Change – Impacts and Solutions
DUMC’s Environmental Stewardship Committee is pleased to host a meaningful presentation on Climate Change – Impacts and Solutions. Join us for an engaging talk with Larry Heiman, Sustainability and Climate Advocate, who will discuss: The impacts of climate change on our physical world and economy. Climate scientists’ predictions for earth’s climate future. Key sources of climate-warming pollution. Impactful actions individuals can take to reduce emissions. Thursday, October 30, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., Wesley Room. Snacks and drinks will be provided. Participants will also have the chance to win a small gift card raffle. This event is free and open to all. As part of a study on science communication, attendees will be asked to complete a short, anonymous questionnaire after the presentation. Register HERE.
133rd Birthday with Rev. Phil Schroeder and Tom Bever
Join us to celebrate the 133rd Birthday with Rev. Phil Schroeder and Tom Bever on Saturday, November 8, from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Pontoon Brewing, 8601 Dunwoody Pl #500, Sandy Springs. In honor of the celebration, you are invited to donate $133 to support Habitat for Humanity and the Community Assistance Center. RSVP HERE.
VEiL Meet & Greet
VEiL invites you to enjoy "Whittling" a selection of carvings by Jim Labus on display in the Library from now until the end of October.
Friday, October 17, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., DUMC Gym. Make a difference in our community and beyond by helping to ensure blood is on the shelves before it is needed for trauma victims, transplant recipients, and those being treated for cancer and sickle cell disease. Antibody testing will also be included. To make an appointment, visit www.redcrossblood.org, and enter sponsor code: dunwoodyumc, or call 1-800-RED CROSS.
BPBMA has a mission to provide weekend meals to food-insecure children in the Metro Atlanta area to enhance their mental and physical health. Dunwoody UMC is supporting that mission as a Community Buddy. Each week DUMC will have volunteers pick up nonperishable food from the BPBMA warehouse here in Dunwoody. The food is delivered to DUMC and packed by volunteers to be taken to area elementary schools for students to take home for the weekend so that they have food to replace the meals they would receive at school during the week. You can register here to participate in Backpack Buddies. There are three different opportunities: picking up food and delivering it to DUMC for packing, packing meals (approximately 35 meals), or delivering packed meals to Dunwoody Elementary. There are specific times for some jobs and others have some flexibility. Contact Bo Lane for details.
Volunteer with Hightower Homework Club at Crossroads Church (4805 Tilly Mill Rd.) from 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m., Monday-Thursday during the school year. There are classrooms and plenty of room for the kids to play outside. Children, from kindergarten to 5th grade, receive instruction and homework help from qualified teachers. Volunteers are needed to assist the teachers, give individual homework help as well as provide playground supervision. Volunteers are welcome to make their own hours. If interested contact Rich Reynell or click HERE for more information or to start the process for volunteering.
Upcoming Disaster Response Training & Deployments
If you would like to be informed of upcoming domestic disaster relief trips and training, please visit dunwoodyumc.org/missions to be added to the D.A.R.T. Disaster Assistance Response Team Group. As opportunities arise, you will be alerted via email from the Group Leader. Please see the following upcoming opportunities.
· DARE / DART trips are scheduled for the 3rd week of every month (subject to change).
· Contact Ken Sexton at 678-523-3905 for details.
Mental Health Awareness Month
DUMC’s OneLamb Mental Wellness is sponsoring Mental Wellness Awareness during the month of October. Each Sunday during the Sunday School hour, a special speaker will address mental health and wellness of a certain age group. The following therapists will be speaking during mental health month: Sunday, October 19: Jessica Gross, Topic: Loneliness-How to Stay Connected | Sunday, October 26: Janet Fluker, Topic: Alcohol Awareness. On Sunday, October 12, Beth Abernathy who is a co-creator of Kind30, will speak on the importance of kindness in a hurting world. All speakers will be in the Chapel beginning at 10:00 a.m. If you find yourself needing support, please click HERE to learn more about the support options we offer. For more information contact Rev. Kathy Brockman.
Stephen Ministry Sunday
Are you going through a challenging time? Our Stephen Ministers are here to listen, pray, support, and encourage you. Please stop by the Stephen Ministry table outside the Fellowship Hall or in the Narthex after the worship service on Sunday, October 26 to learn more.
Step Out & Speak Up: Faith Communities Uniting for Suicide Prevention
Join us for Step Out & Speak Up: Faith Communities Uniting for Suicide Prevention at the Out of the Darkness Walk in Atlanta. This year, Atlanta Faith Communities will come together in solidarity to break the grip of suicide on families and loved ones. The walk will take place on Sunday, November 2, at 2:00 p.m. at The Meadow in Piedmont Park. This collective effort of Atlanta’s faith community is a powerful statement of hope, compassion, and commitment to saving lives. Everyone is welcome—together, hope walks here.
Mom's Group for Littles
Are you a mom with a little one in Kindergarten or younger? Come join our community of moms as we share experiences, offer support, learn, and build friendships as we discuss the challenges and joys of motherhood. We meet the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month at 9:30 a.m. in the Young Adult Suite w/ occasional off-site meetings. Nursery is available for 6+ months beginning in September contact Meredith Dunn. To learn more contact Rev. Grace Guyton.
Sunday School Options
We all need people who help encourage us to be more like Jesus. At DUMC one of the best places to find your people, is in a Sunday School class from 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. We have 18 offerings that span every season of life and concurrent offerings for kids and youth. Click HERE to see a full list of options or stop by a Welcome Center on Sunday morning. You can visit a different class every week if you want, and we promise your people are here!
Smokescreen: What the Marijuana Industry Doesn't Want You to Know
As the Georgia Legislature considers increasing the potency of medical marijuana in our state from 5% to 50% THC, come learn more about today's high-potency marijuana as we dive into a book study of Smokescreen by Kevin Sabet, PhD, a leading expert in marijuana policy who served in the White House under Presidents Clinton, Bush, and Obama before co-founding the non-profit, Smart Approaches to Marijuana. Smokescreen has been called "a shocking exposé about how 21st century pot, today's new and highly potent form of the drug, is on the rise, spreading rapidly across America by an industry intent on putting rising profits over public health." Come and see for yourself as we seek to learn more about how to make informed choices for ourselves, our families, and our community. Starting Wednesdays, October 15 and October 22, 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m., Asbury Room. Led by Dr. Karen Drexler and Rev. Joy Melton. Based on the book by Dr. Kevin A. Sabet, PhD. called, "Smokescreen: What the Marijuana Industry Doesn't Want You to Know." Click HERE to sign up!
The Gospel of Luke
In this four-week course, we will explore the literary artistry and rich theology of Luke's Gospel. Each week's conversation will feature Luke's unique themes and stories. The goal of this course is to develop an appreciation for the Third Gospel's unique witness and to allow the narrative to shape Christian identity. Starting Wednesday, October 15 - November 5 from 7:00-8:30 pm in Room 240/242. Led by Oliver Agbile from The Candler Foundry. Click HERE to sign up!
The Christmas Letters
You may or may not know the story of your birth. If you do, there is something special about hearing your origin story again and remembering how it all began for you. That's why we observe Advent: to celebrate how it all began for us. In The Christmas Letters, Magrey deVega invites you to hear about the miracle of Christ's birth from those who first told the story. The letters in the New Testament, known as the Epistles, contain the first attempts by the church to understand and celebrate the mystery of the Incarnation. They point us to the origins of what we believe about Jesus, fully human and fully divine. By spending time with these holy, ancient words this Advent, you'll come to know the meaning of Christ's coming like never before. Read the New Testament letters, Romans, 1 John, Philippians, and Colossians as your first Christmas letters of the season and find within them an invitation from God to deepen your understanding of the Incarnation and embrace a fuller commitment to Jesus Christ. Starting Wednesdays, November 12 - December 10 (not meeting Thanksgiving week) 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m., Asbury Room. Led by Rev. David Melton and Rev. Joy Melton. You may buy the book for $15 or purchase from another retailer. Click HERE to sign up.
DUMC Choirs
The music ministry of Dunwoody UMC is excited to kick off another great season. We ask that you prayerfully consider how you might participate in and support the musical life of this church. We have choirs for all ages, from 3 to 93 and beyond; handbell choirs for 3rd graders through adults; opportunities for instrumentalists in a variety of styles and capacities, and more. We invite you to click HERE to get more information about our opportunities, and to be connected with someone who can tell you more. Also be sure to check out dunwoodyumc.org/music for updated concert and performance information, as well as more information on how you can serve.
Interested in Communicating Your Event?
Start by submitting a communications request form. This will give us a written record and start the conversation. Need something else? Not sure what you need? We’ll talk through it with you and do our best to help. Reach out to Communications with additional questions.