72 days ago we launched a campaign for freedom for the 27 million men, women and children trapped in human slavery around the world.  The idea wasn’t simply to lend our voices to those who cannot speak for themselves for a short segment of time.  Rather, to call the world to join with us as we link with others to continue the fight to help end slavery now.

With the launch, a 103′ tall Freedom Hand was raised in the midst of the city, a powerful and determined symbol of worship + justice that has stretched into the Atlanta sky for most of the year.  Beginning with Passion 2012, where 42K+ students and leaders gave over $3 million to fund and activate local and global freedom causes, the Freedom Hand has come to embody the heartbeat of a generation that refuses to stand by while others are exploited, used and crushed right before our eyes.

For some, the 72DaysForFreedom Campaign has been about awakening, opening many eyes to what happens everyday in Atlanta (in the very neighborhood we at Passion City Church call home) and in places all around the world.  For others, it’s been about engagement, as people have given over $185,000 to make possible new aftercare and restoration programs for girls rescued from sex trafficking in Atlanta and Vancouver, and to help fund a new 24 hour hotline in Greece, one of the world’s leading nations for sex trafficking exploitation.

Others have become champions of the fight, hosting showings of the Freedom Film, educating themselves and others as to ways to make a tangible difference, writing term papers for college classes and staging their own awareness/engagement campaigns on campuses, in churches, and at local events.

In just a few months, over 72,000 people have signed our Freedom Petition, asking the President to use the resources at his disposal and the influence of our nation to make the US the leader in the fight against modern-day slavery wherever it flourishes.

And we have prayed.  Led by the 72 day prayer journey we have raised our voices to Jesus, the original abolitionist.

The time has gone by quickly, yet so much has been accomplished, awakened, invested, sown.  Together, we have been, and are, a force for good.

Soon, the Freedom Hand will come down.  But make no mistake, the quest to set the captives free continues.  Our campaign may have lasted 72 days.  The fight will last until freedom comes to all.

Once again, we’re excited to unite the city of Atlanta for our Good Friday Celebration at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater at Encore Park. There’s nothing more powerful than considering the ultimate act of love, and the price that’s been paid to bring our hearts to life.  Tickets are on sale now.  Friday night will sell out.  Make plans to join us today and bring a friend!

As well, Passion City Church will be at Verizon for our Easter Sunday gathering at 10:30 AM.  Everyone is welcome and there is no cost to attend.  Please note, childcare is not provided for either gathering!

Our “Boy Meets Girl” series will resume on April 15 with our regularly scheduled gatherings.

Hope to see you there!

There are more slaves throughout the world today than at any time in human history!

For any follower of Jesus (or any decent human being), this is unacceptable.  Fortunately, in our lifetime, a new abolitionist movement is on the rise, freedom fighters who are speaking up on behalf of those trapped in gross injustice, intervening to rescue men, women and children trapped in human trafficking of all kinds.  Whether a woman sold for sex against her will here in Atlanta or a baby born only to be sold into the hands of pedophiles in Bulgaria, we must speak up for those who have no voice and contend for justice and liberty for all.

On the heels of our Do Something Now Freedom Campaign at Passion 2012, we are launching 72 Days For Freedom, a concentrated effort to raise awareness and engage as many as possible with the cause of Freedom.  The symbol of our 72 Days For Freedom Campaign is a “hand of justice…a hand of worship,” a massive sculpture that will rise at 515 (Passion City Church) for Atlanta and the world to see.

Please join us Monday, February 27 at 7:30P as we gather for worship with international and local leaders in the abolition movement and light the Freedom Sculpture. Most of the night will take place inside, with the candle light prayer happening outside as the hand is illuminated at the end of the night.  Please note, human trafficking is a mature subject, and portions of the night may not be appropriate for all ages.  (We recommend ages high school and above.)

If you’re in the Atlanta area please come and be a part of our launch, and no matter where you are check out the 72DaysForFreedom.com site on 2/27 and join the campaign!

It would be super helpful if we can get a bit creative with parking so we can accommodate as many as possible in the lot and deck.  Here are some ideas that would help significantly:

***If there’s a MARTA station between your house and 515, consider parking there and taking the train to the Lindbergh station.  You can easily find the PCC shuttle as you exit the Lindbergh station for the short ride down to 515.
***If driving, please carpool and head directly to the deck when you arrive (vs. swing by 515 to check the lot) so the incoming traffic is more evenly distributed.
***For all, please respect and follow the direction of our parking team and officers as they serve you this weekend.
For middle and high school students, space for Winter Weekend, 2.10-12, is limited. Students will not be gathering this week so jump online and register today at passioncitychurch.com or visit the black container on Sunday morning for more info.

The smile and effervescence of Gail Thomas (46) will be missed at Passion City Church.  The Senior Atlanta Police Officer, a 15-year veteran, was struck and killed by a suspected drunk driver while assisting other officers with a traffic incident on the downtown freeway late Tuesday night.

A viewing for Thomas is set for Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Murray Brothers Funeral Home in Atlanta. The funeral is scheduled for Monday at Elizabeth Baptist Church.

As do many churches, PCC depends on the services of police and other law enforcement personnel to help with traffic flow and overall security during our gatherings.  Gail Thomas not only served in an off-duty capacity at  PCC, she became a fixture, and a part of our PCC Door Holder family.  You could always find her near our main welcome/info desk with plenty of joy to share.  As well, Officer Thomas served as a volunteer for Passion 2012.  Several students remembered how, after MARTA closed late one evening before they could commute to their hotel, Officer Thomas was quick to give them a ride and escort them home for the night.

Our hearts and prayers surround her family (especially her collegiate daughter), her fellow officers and all who loved her.  May the peace and presence of Jesus sustain you all as He carries you gently through these difficult days.

We will be remembering Officer Thomas and honoring all who serve in law enforcement this Sunday.

Speaking of The Dome, we would treasure your prayers, both today and throughout the conference. It’s so powerful knowing our PCC family is behind us, so if you can’t serve with us, please pray. You can follow our journey of Worship and Word to The Dome at Acclimate, joining with people around the globe as we read the entire Scripture on the way to Passion 2012.

And, you can unite with us as we raise our voices for Freedom through Do Something Now.  Click the link to find out more about our causes at The Dome and join us as we seek to help end modern day slavery here in Atlanta and globally.

Speaking of Do Something Now, we are pumped to announce that our Haiti-Rising.com project has been fully funded!!!  Yes, God has provided in miraculous ways and we met our target of $621k+ just in time for Christmas!  Thank you so much for your generosity and for helping us make it possible for our Haitian friends to remove the rubble that stands in the way of rebuilding their future.

We can’t wait to see what God has in store during the next few weeks and throughout 2012.

See you at The Dome, or at our first PCC gathering of 2012 on January 8!

Expecting great things….

Advent is underway, inviting us to slow down and rekindle our sense of expectation and confidence in the promise of God.  As we journey together, we are reminded of His faithfulness displayed in Christ’s arrival in Bethlehem, and we are filled with hope that He will come again to rescue and restore.

While we wait, and as we celebrate His birth, we want to move from consumption to compassion, recovering the spirit of the season as we reach out to those in need.  For us at PCC, we are excited to continue our partnership with Samaritan’s Purse to make possible rebuilding efforts for our neighbors in Haiti. Though no longer front page news (or news at all), a massive need remains and we are eager to help.  For many Haitian families, the future is stalled by massive piles of rubble that can easily be removed if more heavy equipment is available.

We can make a difference!

Please give a generous gift to Haiti Rising during this Christmas season and help clear the rubble for families still waiting for hope to arrive.  As well, gift cards are available which benefit Haiti Rising and make great stocking stuffers for friends, co-workers and family.

To give, or for more info, visit Hait-Rising.com.

We’re almost two months away from Passion 2012 and tens of thousands of college students and young people are headed to the Georgia Dome for four days that will alter forever the direction of their lives.  We couldn’t be more excited about the potential of these days and the opportunity to serve this generation.

Given our Passion City Church team is leading the way (both planning and leading Passion 2012) we want all of PCC to join our volunteer team for The Dome.  We already have over 1,000 amazing volunteers signed up from across the nation, but we still need  hundreds more and want our PCC Door Holders to lead the way.

So if your willing to come and serve, have an energetic spirit, like long hours invested in the stuff that really matters and understand that there is no role too small for those of us in His Kingdom…we want you to come and join our team.

The dates are January 2-5, but we also need your help the days before as we load in. You can get all the info AND sign up on the Passion 2012 website.

Trust me, if you serve at Passion 2012 you will never be the same!

Humbled to hold the door with you,

Louie (and the entire Passion team)

Why be normal?

If God is truly great and extraordinary in every way, then we, too, should live lives that reflect His unusual character and beauty to the world around us.  Don’t miss the challenge and encouragement of this new series–running now through October.

Weekly gatherings, Sundays at 11 A and 5 P.

See you there!

It’s been so exciting to settle into our new gathering space at 515 and watch the place fill and overflow as people encounter Jesus and experience His transforming power in their lives.  As we expected, the addition of Passion Kids and Bloom, as well as our having a permanent place in the neighborhood, have caused our one Sunday night gathering to exceed our ability to serve people well.  Obviously, some of the crunch has been due to the summer rhythm and many out of town guests, but even with school starting again we have more people coming than we can squeeze into one gathering.

After much consideration and discussion with our team, we are happy to announce that we will be adding a second gathering  at 11 AM beginning September 25.  As well, we will be moving the evening gathering time to 5 PM.  Passion Kids will move to the 11 AM slot while Bloom will be available at both 11 and 5.

Given all the options, we believe it’s time to offer a morning gathering at PCC and believe the 11 AM time slot will allow us to best serve families with small children AND build our PCC core.  Yet, we don’t want to relinquish our evening footprint in the city, since from the beginning we have invited people to gather on Sunday nights.  Thus, hosting both AM and PM gatherings makes the most sense for us at this point in our journey as we continue to allow God to mature us as a church for God, for people, for the city and for the world.

Adding a second gathering will definitely require more of those who are serving every week.  We hope that with the addition, you will take the step from attending to serving and join one of our volunteer teams.

You’ll hear more about the new schedule in the weeks to come, but for now make sure to mark Labor Day Sunday on your schedule as we’ll “Take The Plunge In Worship” with a special night of worship and communion on September 4.  You don’t want to miss it!

Humbled, honored and expecting great things,

Louie, Shelley and the PCC Team