The Vicar's View

The Holy Spirit Is Alive and Well!

There are moments when it is good to pause and give thanks for what God is doing among us.

Just look at the last few weeks:

91 children at Vacation Bible School
50 youth serving as leaders and helpers
25 newcomers gathered for a joyful pool party and supper last night
48 people confirmed or received during Bishop Wright's visit

The Holy Spirit is alive and very busy at Holy Innocents.

Many thanks to Alex and Bill Allen for their extraordinary hospitality, and to Glenn and the team from McDaniel's BBQ for helping make our newcomers gathering so wonderful evening. (They also catered our VBS Picnic!)

As we continue to welcome new people into our life together, keep wearing those name tags (unless you have a pacemaker and one of the magnetic ones!). More importantly, take the initiative to introduce yourself. Instead of asking, "Are you new?" try, "I don't think we've met yet," or "Remind me of your name again." Then ask, "How long have you been at Holy Innocents'?" or "What do you love about this community?" Those simple conversations help turn visitors into friends.

This summer, Bill, our staff, and I are working through the parish directory, reconnecting with members we haven't seen in a while and catching up on pastoral visits. We hope you'll stay engaged with us, whether online while traveling or in person when you're home. And remember, our 6:00 p.m. Celtic Service is a wonderful way to end a summer weekend with prayer, music, and reflection.

This Sunday at 6:00 p.m., we will commission Christine Pfeiffer as a Lay Pastoral Caregiver in the Community of Hope. We give thanks for her ministry and faithfulness.

God is doing wonderful things at Holy Innocents. Thank you for being part of the story!

Stewart+

Summer Food Drive

We invite you to continue supporting the Community Assistance Center and the Solidarity Sandy Springs Food Banks this vacation season. Please bring donations to the barrel by the fireplace in Bishop Commons. You can grab a purple reusable bag as a reminder to bring your donations.

Church Directory Update

As we continue to make improvements and updates to our church directory, some parishioners may receive a notification indicating that their privacy settings have changed. These notifications may be generated automatically as part of the update process and do not necessarily require any action on your part.

We want to reassure everyone that our church directory is available only to authorized church members and is not accessible to the general public. Protecting the privacy of our parish community is a top priority. The directory is maintained using secure systems and safeguards designed to protect personal information and ensure that member data remains confidential.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to keep our directory accurate, secure, and up to date. If you have any questions or concerns about your directory information or privacy settings, please contact Renee Stephens at rstephens@holyinnocents.org

Summer Forum Series:
The Bible With and Without Jesus

June 7 - July 19, 9:00 AM

Join us this summer for a thought-provoking study of The Bible With and Without Jesus by Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler. Together, we will explore familiar passages from the Hebrew Bible and discover how Jews and Christians have interpreted these texts across the centuries.

Bill leads the conversation on Adam and Eve this week. Join us for donuts, coffee and conversation in Inglett Hall.

Ventulett Gallery Opening:
Refuse to Fade

June 18, 6:00-7:30 pm

Join us for the opening reception of Refuse to Fade: Defiance and Color, a powerful exhibition by Atlanta-based artist Alisha Morgan.

In this deeply personal body of work, Morgan reflects on her journey after being diagnosed with a rare small-cell carcinoma of the cervix at age twenty-six and being told she would not survive. Twenty years later, her vibrant floral paintings stand as a celebration of resilience, gratitude, and life reclaimed. Set against dramatic black backgrounds, each bloom represents a year lived, fought for, and celebrated.

Patriotic Concert and Lunch

June 25, 12:00 PM

Celebrate the arrival of our new Director of Music, Dock Anderson, at a special concert on Thursday, June 25! Enjoy an afternoon of patriotic music and familiar favorites. A lunch will be held beforehand. Dock’s first Sunday will be June 21, with a reception following worship.

RSVP

Women of HI: Mahjong Night

July 10, 6:30 PM

Join Women of Holy Innocents for an evening of laughter and lively games at our Mahjong Night! Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just learning the tiles, all are welcome for this special time of community and connection. You don’t need to be an experienced player to attend, but you should know the basics of how to play. This is not a learning session.

Church of the Common Ground
Sandwich Build

July 12, 11:15 AM

Please join us in the Parish Hall to make sandwiches for our unhoused siblings who worship in Woodruff Park weekly. If you would like to help deliver the lunches and worship with our friends, we will leave at 12:15 PM.

Contact Robin Hickey | hickeys5040@gmail.com

Backpack Drive for Solidarity Sandy Springs

Holy Innocents is partnering with Solidarity Sandy Springs to help provide backpacks for students in our community. Please join us as we collect much-needed items to ensure all kids start off next school year on the right foot. More information to come!

Wishlist

Book Clubs

Reading Connections

July 13, 6:00 PM | Inglett C

The meeting begins with light refreshments, and the book discussion begins at 6:30 PM. This month’s book is The Henna Artist by Alak Joshi. A historical fiction novel set in 1950s Jaipur, India, following Lakshmi, a young woman who escapes an abusive marriage to become a sought-after henna artist for the wealthy elite, navigating a world of tradition, secrets, and the challenges of independence.

Contact Michelle Driscoll

dris1296@yahoo.com

Men's Dinner & a Book

July 14, 6:30 PM

The next Men's Dinner and a Book is Tuesday, July 14, at 6:30 PM, and the book is Phantom Fleet by Alexander Rose. Jeremy Webber is hosting. If you would like to attend, please contact him for details. All men at Holy Innocents are included and invited.

Contact Jeremy Webber

jhwwebber@gmail.com

Sunday Worship

Click the video to watch last Sunday's service!

Realm Access

Realm is our database system, which allows us to communicate all of the things that the clergy and staff do behind the scenes to make Holy Innocents' our home. You are also now able to connect to your record with instant access to the directory, your giving, event registration, and more. To connect to your account:

Email Renee Stephens at rstephens@holyinnocents.org for an invitation link.
Create your password and remember it!
Use your email address and password to log in through a browser or the Connect app

Connect app for iPhone: click here. Connect app for Android: click here.

Once you have your account access, update your contact information and upload a picture that will be used in the directory. Contact Renee for help. rstephens@holyinnocents.org

Pastoral Notes

If someone is in the hospital, has died, or has some other pastoral emergency, please contact our clergy directly. Call the church office at 404-255-4023 and follow the prompts. This will connect you directly with the clergyperson on call.

If you have joys to share, new births, grandbabies, graduations, or job announcements, we will gladly share them in our weekly Hi-Lights email if you send a note to communications@holyinnocents.org

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