Friday Focus
News you need for the week of
OCTOBER 31, 2025
Night to Shine 2026
It's time to start thinking about Night to Shine 2026! Whether you're attending as an honored guest, volunteering, or sponsoring the event financially, there's a place for you to participate and make this the best NTS yet! All registrations open on Saturday, November 1. Visit dunwoodyumc.org/night-to-shine to register and find out more!
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Current Announcements
All Saints Sunday
When we celebrate All Saints Sunday on November 2, we will pause to remember the people who have influenced our faith and consider how we might strive to become a saint ourselves. All three services will feature a roll call of the saints we've lost this year at DUMC, as well as time to light candles in remembrance of our loved ones.
On Sunday, November 30 at the 11:15 a.m. service, we will recognize and honor members who have reached the age of 90 years old and older. Longevity is a gift to be celebrated so join us as we honor these special members who have listened to a lot of sermons in their lives, taught many Sunday School lessons, and prayed a lot of prayers in their lifetime. We hope you will join the celebration!
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.
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 Exhibit and Meet & Greet
VEiL invites you to an informal Meet & Greet with our November/December featured artist, Mary Phillips. Please join her in the church Library on Sunday, November 9 following any of the morning's Worship services.
Get Involved
This 1-hour session allows participants to learn about different ways to get involved within the life of Dunwoody United Methodist Church, as well as meet others who are new to the church. Sessions are guided by participants' interests, and therefore each session is different. We will meet in Conference Room B at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, November 9. Come learn of the many ways you can get involved at Dunwoody UMC! Email Hospitality to let us know you're coming!
Family Prayer Walk in Clarkesville, GA
Put the football games on record, turn your cellphones on silent, and join DUMC's Outdoor Ministry on a Prayer Walk in the North Georgia Mountains. Everyone is invited. Bring the family. Or come alone and meet someone new! Join us on Saturday, November 15, 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. 5315 Piedmont Mountain Road, Clarkesville, GA. Meet at 8:00 a.m. at the DUMC parking lot to carpool or meet us at the site. Event will occur rain or shine. Click HERE to RSVP.
Special Membership Sunday
Rev. Dr. Phil Schroeder and the congregation of Dunwoody United Methodist Church invite you to become a member on Special Membership Day, Sunday, November 16 at any of the worship services: 8:30, 9:00, or 11:15 a.m. We hope you will take this opportunity to join Dunwoody United Methodist Church. If you have questions, please reach out by emailing Hospitality or by phone 770-394-0675 Ext. 128 or 136.
Safety Training
We’ve worked hard to upgrade our Safety & Security this year and we want YOU to see it in its final form! Join us Wednesday, November 12 from 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. OR Sunday, November 16 from 12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. (light lunch provided on Sunday). We hope to gather our ushers, greeters, hospitality, parking lot, clergy, staff and volunteer medical professionals to review severe weather (new to our training) and talk about Advent and Christmas Eve. Click HERE to RSVP.
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.
ACAP - Adult Children of Aging Parents
UTI's are the second most common reason for hospitalization in those over 65. This discussion will help inform you of risk factors, symptoms to be aware of, treatments available and ways to prevent. Program Presenter: Nadia Nabavi, MD,Dr. Nadia Nabavi is a physician, board certified in Emergency Medicine and Emergency Medical Services on Tuesday, November 11 at 5:30 p.m. in the Asbury Room. She is the founder and CEO of Green Dot Health. Learn more and RSVP HERE.
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.
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.
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!
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.
You are cordially invited to the DUMC United Women in Faith Green and White Celebration. We will have a brunch followed by speaker, Diane Moffett, the founder and leader of One Lamb Initiative which began at Peachtree Road UMC. One Lamb’s mission is to nurture and embrace mental wellness in a faith community of connection and support. The event is Saturday, December 6, from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Please register by Monday, November 24. Thanks to a generous anonymous donation, there is no cost to attend this year's Green & White Banquet. We’re excited to celebrate together—your RSVP is all that’s needed! We will accept donations to both Murphy Harpst and Wellroot Family Services. Cash or check is acceptable for both (checks should be payable to each specific agency). Amazon, Walmart, or VISA gift cards or gifts appropriate for preteens and teens are also options for Murphy Harpst. Please click HERE to register by Monday, November 24. For assistance, please contact La'Saundra Anderson at 770-394-0675.
DUMCP Kindergarten Information Meeting
Learn about the Kindergarten classes at DUMCP! Kindergarten at DUMCP prepares students for their next step in loving environment, small class size, and meets Georgia Kindergarten Standards of Excellence. Wednesday, November 12 at 9:15 a.m., Asbury Room. Click HERE to RSVP.
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.