Dear Harmony SDA Church Family,

As I sit down to write this, my heart is full—full of gratitude, love, and the bittersweet reality of change. For the past 8 ½ years, the Georgia-Cumberland Conference of Seventh-day Adventists has been home to me and my family. It has been one of the greatest privileges of my life to serve as your pastor.

I'm grateful for the opportunity to serve the Austell Grandview SDA Church and the Sweetwater SDA Company, which later merged together to become the Harmony SDA Church. We have seen the Holy Spirit do some amazing things! We have laughed together, cried together, prayed together, and seen God work in ways that remind us of His faithfulness time and time again. We shared many baby dedications, witnessed baptisms, celebrated weddings, tackled challenging counseling sessions, many out-of-the-box evangelistic series, and growth moments in bible studies, always knowing that “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). The memories we’ve created will remain treasures that I carry with me.

As I transition to a new position with the Texas Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, I want to remind you of a truth that has carried me throughout this journey: God is still leading His people. Just as He led the children of Israel through the wilderness with a cloud by day and fire by night, He continues to guide His church today. Philippians 1:6 assures us, “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” The Lord is not finished with you yet, greater growth is in your future!

Thank you for your love, your support, and your faithfulness to Christ. I leave you with this challenge: remain steadfast in the Word, love one another deeply, and keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). Your Salvation is secure in Christ and not in the traditions or actions of the Church.

Join us on our last Sabbath, December 28th, when we share a final communion meal together. 

With much love and blessings!✌,
Richard F. McNeil

Below you will find photos a property in Austell, GA  that we are prayerfully considering. 

We ask that you join us in praying as the Lord guides us to know whether this site will be our new home.

Address: 5061 Austell Powder Springs Rd, Austell, GA 30106
Lot size: 4.6 acres of land with room for future expansion
Additional small house on the property that can be used for assisting families in need with a place to stay for several nights.
The property is very visible off a main road, with in a residential community around it. 

This property has a playground for children as well as a picnic pavilion perfect for our outdoor church gatherings. The outside has its own storage, open space for children to run around and an outside chapel area among the trees.

The sanctuary seats more than 200; it will need to some updating with carpet, repainted, ceiling lighting, screens etc. but it is in good shape. The main floor does need bathrooms to be added as the only bathrooms are downstairs. The roof will need to some repairs due to its age but it has no major leaks.

Spacious fellowship hall with full kitchen and storage for fellowship meals, prayer breakfast, food pantry and food distribution. There are water damage to the walls and floor that will need to be investigated in the due diligence process. 

Several classrooms, office space and storage rooms for children's ministry, pathfinders, computer lab and outreach ministries.

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Greetings,

I would like to inform you that Charlsie Hayes, the mother of Hellen Bland and grandmother of Jerry Bland, has passed away after several decades of faithfully serving the Lord. Her family will be holding a Celebration of Life service for her on Thursday May 2, 2024 at 11am at Berean SDA Church. If you would like to attend the service in person or view it online please review the information below:

Public Viewing & Funeral
Viewing for family and friends will be from 10am-11am. The funeral will start promptly at 11am at Berean SDA Church located at 291 Hamilton E. Holmes Drive Atlanta, GA 30318 with the repast to immediately follow.

Livestreaming
For individuals who won't be able to attend the funeral in person, the service will be livestreamed via Berean SDA Church and can be viewed via their Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Atlantaberean

Burial
We will leave for the burial promptly at 1pm which will be held at Sunrise Gardens of Memories located at 11261 Veterans Memorial Hwy, Douglasville, GA 30134.

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact Jerry at 770-895-4075.

Sister Peggy Sue Brannon Case, 84 passed away peacefully on Friday, April 19, 2024 at her home in Hiram, Georgia after an extended battle with lung cancer.

She was a dearly loved woman of God and she had a sweet presence about her. She will be dearly missed by all.
 

The family will receive friends on Thursday, April 25th, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at Davis-Struempf Funeral Home.

A funeral service honoring Peggy's life will be held Friday, April 26th, 11:00 AM at Davis-Struempf Chapel with Patricia Hinote and Pastor Richard McNeil officiating.

A private graveside service for the family will occur at 2:00 PM at Georgia National Cemetery, Canton.

Our dear sister Estela Lumbsden (February 17, 1927 - April 10, 2024) passed away peacefully in her sleep on April 10, 2024.

She was a dearly loved woman of God and her presence will be missed. Our deepest condolences to family during this period of mourning.

Service will be held on Friday, May 3, 2024 at West End SDA Church

Address:
Westend SDA Church
845 Lawton Street, SW
Atlanta, GA 30310

The Family Viewing starts at 10:00 am - 10:30 am

Open Viewing will begin at 10:30 am - 11:30 am

The Funeral Service will begin at 11:30 am - 1:30 pm

Interment after Funeral Service will happen at the Paulding
Memorial Gardens

Address:
3566 Jimmy Lee Smith Pkwy,
Hiram, GA 30141

Repass Information to Follow

Baptism Sabbath March 30, 2024

Nikalia Casserly
Khaliya McKenzie
Michael Casserly Jr
Jovantia Brown
Kealen Scott
Kenland Scott

1. I believe that the church is not merely a building or an organization. The church is people in connection, in HARMONY with Jesus.

2. I will not be upset and leave when church members let me down. I know that God is divine, that His Church is human. When I see mistakes in my church, I will look to Jesus, who died for all of us while we were still sinners. I will also continue to look for and work towards helping others in my church.

3. I will learn from people who don't believe exactly the same way I do. No matter how much I learn, I will remain teachable.

4. Because I have been covered by God's grace, I will be gracious, accepting, giving, and forgiving-even to those who seem like they don’t care.

5. In a world of hatred, fear, lies, abuse, and hopelessness, I will continue to seek beauty, courage, truth, creativity, and hope.

6. I will seek to develop godly friendships with people who are inside and also with those who are outside my church. Especially will I strive to develop a trusting, loyal, no-matter-what friendship with Jesus.

7. I will resist all efforts to make me believe that I can earn my salvation, or that God cannot enable me to overcome sinful ways.

8. I will at times step outside my "comfort zone" to spread the good news of Jesus by sharing and caring for the needs of others. If necessary, I'll use words.

9. I believe that the church should enable us to be honest about our problems and to find the solutions-together-in Jesus. Committing to the church is to grow and watch how God works through our challenges and failures.

10. I believe that my body is the temple of God. Therefore I will abstain from polluting His temple with gossip, negative talk and unhealthy eating.

11. I believe my church has been granted a distinctive, important message, I will be grateful and humble about it.

12. I believe that the Bible, baptism, faith, obedience, and love are wonderful, but these cannot save me. Only Jesus, God's Son, saves me!

13. I believe that baptism is not the end. Baptism is the beginning of my journey with God.
14. I will never let go of my Jesus. Never, never, never.

In Loving Memory of Roger Hinote

It is with heavy hearts and tearful eyes that we come together to remember and honor a beloved member of our Harmony church family, Roger. His passing has left a void that cannot be filled, but his legacy of kindness will forever resonate within the walls of our church and in the hearts of those who were fortunate enough to know him.

Our hearts truly mourn with his wife elder Pat Hinote who now navigates life with a new sense longing and pain. In times like these, our faith becomes a source of comfort. Let us support, Elder Pat Hinote with love and prayers. As Romans 12:15 "Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep." We share in the pain and the reality of loss of a fellow brother in Christ.

We will post an update as to when and where his memorial service will take place.

Harmony SDA Church is gearing up for its annual Socks-Giving event on December 30, 2023. The event aims to provide items to those in need to keep warm this winter. The goal is pretty simple, provide items to warm the body and provide the love of Christ to warm the spirit.

To make this event a success, Harmony needs your help. We are collecting funds to purchase essential items such as socks, gloves, and hats. Additionally, we are also accepting new and gently used blankets to be distributed to the less fortunate. *Please note, all used blanket donations should be in good condition and clean.

Donations will be accepted from December 11th until December 29th. We encourage everyone to participate in this event. Even if you feel you have nothing to donate you can still be a part of this wonderful event by praying for the event and the people it will help.

To donate online follow these simple steps:
Step 1) Visit https://adventistgiving.org/donate/ANTFDB
Step 2) Scroll down to the 'Community Services' section.
Step 3) Enter the amount you would like to donate.
Step 4) Click 'Continue to Donate' and follow the prompts.

When you donate to the Socks-Giving event, the less fortunate know they belong to a compassionate community that cares for its members. Join us in making a positive impact this holiday season. After all, in the spirit of Socks-Giving, warm hearts and warm feet go hand in hand.

Embracing Gr-attitude & Building Our Future Together

Dear Harmony Church Family,

As the beautiful Fall leaves of November signal a season of thankfulness and reflection, we sincerely hope that your Thanksgiving celebrations were filled with joy, love, and the warmth of family and friends. In these moments, when we gather around tables filled with delicious food and share stories of gratitude and grace, our hearts are reminded of the countless blessings in our lives.

As your church leadership, we are continually inspired by your unwavering faith, your generous spirits, and your commitment to our community. It is in these times of togetherness and thanksgiving that we are vividly reminded of the power of gratitude in our lives. Gratitude, a virtue deeply rooted in our faith, has the power to transform not just individual hearts, but entire communities.

In the spirit of this transformative gratitude, we are embarking on a significant and exciting journey as a church family. As many of you know, we have been prayerfully considering the purchase of a new ministry facility. This space is not just a building; it is envisioned to be a center for community gathering, and a place where we can grow together in faith and fellowship.

Our new ministry facility is more than just a physical space – it represents our commitment to serving our community and beyond. It will be a place where we can welcome more people into our church family, offer new ministries, and provide a sanctuary for those in need of spiritual comfort and guidance.

As we stand on the cusp of this new chapter, we invite each of you to be an integral part of this journey. We are reaching out to our church family to support the Building Fund for our new ministry facility. Your contribution, whether big or small, will be a testament to our harmony of faith and our collective commitment to God’s work in our community.

Online Giving: https://adventistgiving.org/donate/ANTFDB
(Harmony SDA Church previously known as the Austell Grandview SDA Church)

We understand that everyone's circumstances are different, and we appreciate that giving is a personal decision made in the context of your own financial situation. Every act of generosity, no matter the size, is a powerful expression of faith and gratitude. Together, our contributions will lay the foundation for a future filled with hope and blessings.

In closing, we pray that the spirit of Thanksgiving continues to dwell in your hearts and homes. May we all continue to embrace gratitude not just as a seasonal sentiment, but as a daily practice that guides our actions and enriches our lives.

With heartfelt thanks and blessings,
Pastor Richard McNeil
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” - Psalm 107:1

On October 22, 2023 our newly merged churches came together as one and voted on a new name.

Based on the following Bible verses

Roman 12:16 - "Live in harmony with each other. Don't be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don't think you know it all."

Phillipians 2:2 - Paul exhorts unity by saying, "Then make my joy complete by being like minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind."

Our church has taken on a new identity, new approaches to ministry, new perspectives, new goals, as the Lord is doing a new thing among us.

We are excited to re-introduce ourselves as no longer the Austell Grandview SDA Church but now we are Harmony SDA Church or Harmony Church.

Our Website will be renamed: "Harmony Church Atlanta"
Web address: www.harmonychurchatl.org

The old address www.grandviewsda.com will be forwarded to our new site at www.harmonychurchatl.org. ".org" will be our primary website address as we are a non-profit organization.

Starting November 1, the current website will be rebraned to reflect our new name and church family. Starting November 1, 2023 we direct everyone to use the name "Harmony".

ARE YOU IN HARMONY?

Please continue to give and support Harmony Church and its ministries. We are still actively looking to purchase a new facility but we will be renting a new place to gather, while we look.
Please select "Building Fund" on the page linked below.

As September 30, 2023, it is a privilege and honor to state that the Austell Grandview and Sweetwater SDA Company have officially voted to merge into one entity.

The merge means that the two churches will combine into one church, then we will elect new officers, set new Church policies, and the new church will decide on a new name. We will have another members meeting where members can share their suggestions on what the new name will be.

After a new name is chosen all of our social media accounts, website, app and accounts will be updated with the new name.

Think of it as a marriage, coming together as a new family. It’s not going to be a Grandview thing or a Sweetwater thing; it’s will be a new church and a new union. The old has been laid to rest and behold all things are new.

We will have a Hybrid approach to ministry where we minister both in a virtual and in-person setting.

Building Update

Hello everyone,

I would to take this time to give you all the latest update on our building initiative.
As you know from our last members meeting we have been pursuing the property located at 1115 Clay Rd SW, Mableton, GA 30126.

It is currently an active funeral home and we pursued the property with a Letter of Intent (LOI) to buy. Unfortunately, we were outbid by another funeral home that submitted a higher offer.

We are not giving up as we know the plans God has for us and the community.
We are still actively looking and pursuing any properties that are within our price range.
We still need your assistance in giving. Our fundraising initiative will remain active to give us the best chance at purchasing the next property of interest.

Thank you for your support!

To share in this vision, please give using the link below and select  “Building Fund”.
https://adventistgiving.org/donate/ANTFDB

1. PRAY for our Church family.
2. PRAY that we do not give up on the vision.
3. PRAY that we raise the necessary funds to purchase this property.

This building meets all our ministry needs and gives us direct access to the communities of Austell and Mableton.

A gathering area to meet and greet guests.

Nice seating area for food and fellowship

It has a kitchen area for food prep and area for fellowship lunches.

Food Pantry Ministry - and driving space to load and unload items for those from the community.

It has classrooms for Children's Ministries of Adventurers and Pathfinders.

It has space for a media lab for our online ministries.

It has space of our computer lab for tutoring with the Sting Program.

It also has office spaces for our secretary and leaders.

It has an Auditorium that seats over 200 people

It has solar panels on the roof to offset energy costs. The building totals over 8,500 SF and sits on a beautiful ±6.67 acre lot.
Bonus: Has a private living area so we can help for families in need have a place to sleep for a few nights.

A New Building!

Hello Grandview!

There is a new property in the Mableton area that is up for your consideration. It DOES NOT NEED ANY REPAIRS and it is READY TO BE USED.

This property has storage space for our Food Pantry Ministry and driving space to load and unload items for those from the community.
It has classrooms for Children's Ministries of Adventurers and Pathfinders.
It has space of our computer lab for tutoring with the Sting Program.
It has space for a media lab for our online ministries.
It has an Auditorium that seats over 200 easy.
It has a kitchen area for food prep and area for fellowship lunches.
It also has office spaces for our secretary and leaders.
It has solar panels on the roof to offset energy costs.
Bonus: Has a private living area so we can help for families in need have a place to sleep for a few nights.

This building meets all our ministry needs and gives us direct access to the communities of Austell and Mableton.

The building totals over 8,500 SF and sits on a beautiful ±6.67 acre lot.
Asking Price: $1,500,000

ADDRESS: 1115 Clay Rd SW, Mableton, GA 30126

Check this link for details.
https://www.crexi.com/properties/1135908/georgia-confidential-commercial-redevelopment-opportunity

I would like for us all to go see it on Sunday, July 16 and then have a members meeting on Wednesday, July 19 at 8:00pm EST via Zoom to  vote on it.

Please keep praying, God is with us!

To share in this vision please give, using the link below and select  “Building Fund”.
https://adventistgiving.org/donate/ANTFDB

This new property is located at 4850 Sweetwater Valley Rd. Austell GA and it is 5,948 SF Specialty Building Offered at $1,450,000 in Austell, GA.

BUILDING SUMMARY
RELIGIOUS FACILITY CONSTRUCTED ON 5 ACRES CORNER LOT

LOCATED AT THE INTERSECTION OF CLAY RD. AND SWEETWATER VALLEY RD.
0.5 MILES FROM SWEETWATER TENNIS CENTER.

CLOSE PROXIMITY TO NUMEROUS SCHOOLS.
30 MINUTE DRIVE TO ATLANTA CBD.

EXCELLENT VISIBILITY FROM SWEETWATER VALLEY RD.
ROOF WAS REPLACED IN 2018.

We believe this property has great potential and is ideal for Grandview's development and future. It sits on 5 acres of land and is in the heart of Austell surrounded by residential communities so we will have better access to the people.

The worship space is a bit small but it can be expanded and remodeled to allow for higher seating capacity. The building has several classrooms and space for storage, a kitchen and a fellowship hall.

It does need some renovations but nothing major. We would reach out to Home Depot for renovation help in repainting etc along with some new furniture for the classrooms.  It definitely meets our needs and fits our vision of ministering to the community of Austell.
With this facility we will be able to do food pantry distribution, tutoring with the Sting Program, start GED Classes and much more.

To share in this vision please give, using the link below and select  “Building Fund”.
https://adventistgiving.org/donate/ANTFDB

Thank you.

Support our efforts for our future facility.

For the past three years our church has operated in an online/hybrid state and gathering occasionally in-person at parks and with our sister church Sweetwater, for longer than intended due to circumstances beyond our control.

Our vision remains the same – to reach the community of Austell with the warmth and love of Jesus Christ. To this end, we are still seeking to purchase a facility that will allow us to be of even greater service to the community.

While online, we have continued to assist families in our community through our food/clothing distribution of families in need, groceries for seniors each month, “Toys for Tots” Christmas toy drive, feeding the homeless, and STING partnership in mentoring and tutoring for high schoolers.

If you have been impacted by our church in any way, please prayerfully consider supporting our efforts to acquire our next church facility. We are grateful for gifts of any amount and covet your prayers in this endeavor.

Please use the link below and select  “Building Fund”.
https://adventistgiving.org/donate/ANTFDB

Thank you.