Faith Files

Vinings Church Finds a Home

New church has been serving the Smyrna-Vinings-Cumberland areas quite well in the last year.

Vinings Church, a non-denominational church recently planted in the area by Douglasville’s Crossroads Church, has made an impactful contribution to our community since Patch profiled it last December. Whether it’s gathering warm coats for those in need, collecting school supplies for kids, or cleaning up local schools and parks with its serveCobb events, Vinings Church has been serving the community well. And now the church has a home as impassioned head pastor Justin Craig and Vinings Church are holding weekly Sunday morning services at The Galleria at the Waverly Hotel. Check out their introduction video and see what they are all about.

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Free movies and magic to entertain the kids

Check out these Smyrna-Vinings family-friendly events that are easy on the wallet.

It’s all about the kids in Smyrna-Vinings Patch and here are some fun, free activities for families and an opportunity to help kids in need. Join the Smyrna Public Library Thursday night for a Summer Reading Finale at the Smyrna Community Center. The party kicks off at 6 p.m. with a visit from the Chick-fil-A cow. She’ll bring goodies to all the kids before magician Arthur Atsma performs at 6:30 p.m. Registration is required to attend and attendees must have a Smyrna Library card. To register, call 770-431-2860 extension 3. Kids and their parents can also catch a free movie Thursday at The Gardens at Galleria Centre. Vinings Church’s Movies In The Park series features movies that kids and their parents can enjoy. This week they’re …

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Volunteers needed for Saturday's serveCobb event

Vinings Church organized volunteer effort to address numerous areas including the Chattahoochee National Park, which in an unrelated story is accepting public input on the development of its commercial services strategy.

Volunteers are still needed for Saturday’s serveCOBB event organized by Vinings Church that will assist 30 underprivileged areas around the county. Home Depot and Chick-fil-A are lending their support with discounted materials and free food for the July 23 event. Area schools that will be given attention and love will be Nickajack and Teasley elementary and Campbell Middle. The Chattahoochee River National Recreational Area will also be a site of service. See here for additional information on service projects. Voluneeers are asked to meet at the Vinings Home Depot at 2450 Cumberland Parkway at 9 a.m. Registration is preferred to help with a food count, but walkups are welcomed. See here for more information. Speaking of the Chattahoochee …

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June Jobs Report Disappointing

A night after Cobb business leaders gather to network and mingle in a festive atmosphere, Friday's U.S. government jobs report reveals there's little to celebrate.

The Labor Department's jobs report released Friday morning didn’t produce a lot of good news with unemployment rising and hiring sluggish. President Barack Obama is expected to speak on the jobs report at 10:35 a.m. According to the report, the economy gained only 18,000 jobs in June, less than the disappointing 25,000 jobs that were added in May.  The economy reportedly needs to add about 150,000 jobs a month to merely keep pace with population growth. June marked the weakest month since September, when the U.S economy was still losing jobs. In more disappointing news, the government also revised the job numbers downward for both April and May. And oh yeah, the unemployment rate rose in June to 9.2% from 9.1% in May. The sluggish economy …

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Give some and then start the weekend fun

Plenty of assorted shenanigans are happening around Smyrna-Vinings the next few days.

When you take your child shopping for school supplies, why not set an exemplary example, do a generous deed, and show a little love, all at the same time? Through its Backpacks For Kids initiative, Vinings Church is collecting school supplies for families who are struggling to provide them for their kids, in our community and beyond. From 8 a.m. to noon every Friday in July, volunteers are on duty to collect school supplies from generous people like you. Please donate a new backpack filled with notebook paper, three-ring half-inch binder, 10-pack of pencils, pencil carrier and a plastic pencil sharpener. Many drop-off locations are scattered throughout our Smyrna-Vinings community, including some Chick-fil-A restaurants and elementary …

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Vinings Church organizing serveCobb event

Volunteers needed for the July 23 event that will help benefit Smyrna-Vinings and surrounding communities.

Vinings Church has organized a service event, serveCOBB, to help better our surrounding community. Home Depot and Chick-fil-A are lending their support with discounted materials and free food for the July 23 event that is in need of volunteers. Area schools that will be given attention and love will be Nickajack and Teasley elementary and Campbell Middle. The Chattahoochee National Park will also be a site of service. See here for additional information on service projects. Voluneeers are asked to meet at the Vinings Home Depot at 2450 Cumberland Parkway at 9 a.m. Registration is preferred to help with a food count, but walkups are welcomed. See here for more information.

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Vinings Church on the Rise

Non-denominational church is being planted in the area by Douglasville’s Crossroads Church.

Vinings Church doesn't have a physical building to call a home just yet. But that doesn't dismay impassioned head pastor Justin Craig one bit as he sips coffee on a recent afternoon at a busy local java house. "We are targeting the 700,000 un-churched people within 10 miles of Vinings,'' Craig explained. "We do not want to purchase property too early, so we will go multi-site, using temporary facilities with The Lovett School being a possibility. In five years, we expect to be on two-to-three campuses (high school, movie theatres, etc). We will call ourselves Atlanta Church and have a Vinings campus, Smyrna campus, Mableton campus and others.'' The church's purpose is simple in that it desires "to help people find their role in the story…

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