Gathering in His Name: The Power of Community & Witness 

Megan Atkinson 

For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”- Matthew 18:20 

In Matthew 18:20, we are reminded of the profound significance of community in the life of believers. Jesus, in His infinite wisdom, understood the power of gathering together in His name. He knew that when hearts unite in pursuit of Him, He is not merely a distant observer but an active participant. Community is not just a human construct; it is a reflection of the very nature of God Himself. Within the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—we see perfect unity, love, and communion. As beings created in the image of God, we are called to mirror this divine community here on earth, loving one another as Christ has loved us and bearing witness to His transformative power through our shared lives. 



In community, we find a safe haven for our souls- a place where we can be vulnerable, authentic, and fully known. Such was the aspiration of the You Who Witness luncheon held on Sunday, April 7th. Across generations, individuals gathered to share their personal encounters with God and the profound ways He has shaped their lives. Our confirmands learned of times when God helped pull others through tough situations and times when joy was so overflowing that praise of God was a necessity. Through this short luncheon, bridges were built, and community was evident as our youth confirmands learned of the overwhelming support they have from their Christian family. I thank all those who participated in this gathering and all who will stand witness to their confirmation of faith on May 5th.  

Easter Egg Hunt a Joyous Time for Solidarity’s Children

Easter Saturday was a glorious day for the children of Solidarity Sandy Springs as they searched Holy Innocents Lower School playground for Easter eggs and enjoyed numerous activities! Over 350 children participated in the Easter Egg Hunt, and they received beautiful, age-appropriate Easter bags filled with goodies. The Easter bunny made a grand appearance, and the kids had a blast sitting on his lap. Chick-fil-A supplied chicken nuggets, while Solidarity provided snacks, snow cones, balloon art, and fun music. Additionally, Holy Innocents high schoolers were a huge help by holding a homeroom contest to stuff over 3,000 Easter eggs! Solidarity is very grateful for the partnership with HI church and school and appreciates the use of our indoor and outdoor space!

Outreach Committee Shoe Drive for Church of the Common Ground

Thank you so much to everyone who donated to the shoe and sock drive for CCG. The final count for shoes and sandals bagged up and ready to give to CCG is 114, give or take a few. We also received 10 bags of diabetic socks, numerous bags of other socks, and a couple of jars of Vicks Vaporub. Because of CCG's very limited storage space, items that did not meet the criterion of the shoe drive were instead donated to and gladly received by CAC. To end with a touching story and example of how much good you all did--today my husband Duffy and I were able to give a very cold, very wet homeless man in Sandy Springs the pair of khaki pants someone donated along with shoes. They were almost a perfect fit, but he had a belt in his cart. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Your generosity abounds. God is good.

Bishop’s Visit and Confirmation

May 5

The Right Reverend Robert C. Wright, Bishop of the Diocese of Atlanta, will join us for our 10:15 AM service for a joint Confirmation with Our Lady of Guadalupe. This is your opportunity to join the Episcopal church through Confirmation, or Reception into the Episcopal Church from another denomination. Any in the community are invited to strengthen their spiritual life with a Reaffirmation of faith on this festival day. Contact Ruth if you are interested in confirmation.

Contact Rev. Ruth Pattison | rpattison@holyinnocents.org

Habitat for Humanity Build

May 11-July 13

Holy Innocents, St. James Methodist, Cathedral of St. Philip, St. Martin in the Fields, and St. Luke’s Presbyterian are sponsoring Atlanta Habitat for Humanity’s summer faith build. All parishioners 16 and older may participate. No skills are required, just the desire to help an Atlanta family buy a home at a very affordable price.

 Learn more here.

Contact John Harris | harris4338@gmail.com | 678-761-6765

Men’s Dinner and a Book

May 14

The next Men’s Dinner and a Book is Tuesday, May 14 at 6:30 PM, and the book is Eiffel’s Tower by Jill Jonnes. Joe Nuzzaco is hosting. All men are included and invited.

Contact Jeremy Webber | jhwwebber@gmail.com

I Will with God's Help

Adult Formation, Sundays at 9:00 AM | These are the words with which we enter the Baptismal Covenant in the Episcopal Church. Companion with our confirmation candidates for this class series. See it as a refresher course and reaffirm your own faith when our Bishop visits on May 5th. This class will explore all the questions to which we answer, “I will with God’s help,” at Baptism and Confirmation.

April 14 | Clergy team: Sacred Time

The rhythm of prayer: The Prayer Book, Sacraments, and the Seasons

April 21 | Lin Stradley

“Do you promise to follow and obey Jesus as your Lord?”

Reading and praying from Scriptures.

April 28 | Clergy team: Show and Tell, Fashion, and Episcopal-ese

The polity and practices of the Episcopal Church

Youth Sunday

April 28

Join us for Youth Sunday where we’ll celebrate our incredible students. Graduating senior, Emma Losin, will deliver the sermon, and we’ll honor all our seniors during the service. Following the service, stick around for a reception. All 6th-12th graders to our Summer Kickoff from 4:00-7:00 PM. We’ll be playing an incredible game called Bubbleball which includes students getting inside of a giant bubble! We will also have a free food truck providing dinner and will have tons of fun games and other activities as well.

Contact Megan Atkinson | matkinson@holyinnocents.org

Confirmation Sunday

May 5

Join us in our celebration of the HIEC confirmands on Sunday, May 5th. We will honor these students during the 10:15 AM worship service and celebrate them with a beautiful reception following the service in Inglett Hall. Don't miss this opportunity to congratulate these students on their confirmation of faith!

Children’s Choir May 12

We are so excited to be singing on May 12 in honor of Mother’s Day. Kids, grab your doughnuts and meet in Sunday school by 9:00 AM for rehearsal! Children’s Choir will sing for the congregation at the 10:15 AM service following that morning’s Children’s Chapel.

Children: End of the Year Sunday School Celebration

May 19

We are celebrating another successful school year with a pancake bar, games, and activities. Kids have been collaborating on some special projects which will be unveiled on May 19. Each child has a special gift to take home. Sign up here.

Club 45 Nerf Bash May 19

4^th and 5^th graders join us for our end-of-the-year celebration including an epic playground Nerf Bash and a pancake bar. Bring your Nerf toy and get ready to party! RSVP here.

VBS Decorating Party

May 30

We need your hands to help prep for VBS. In just a few short weeks we will welcome 100 kids for an entire week of crafts, science experiments, music, games, and other activities. Help us prepare our space and supplies for this exciting ministry. May 30th 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM, pizza provided!

Sign up here.

VBS Registration is Now Open!  

We are so excited to announce that VBS registration is now available. Holy Innocents 2024 VBS will be June 3-7th from 9:00 AM until 12:15 PM with optional aftercare until 3:30 PM. Registration cost is $65 for early bird registration and aftercare is an additional $65. 

At Camp Firelight VBS, your child will enjoy an interactive, energizing, faith-based fun time as they learn to face their fears while trusting in God. Campers will explore timeless Bible stories showing how Old and New Testament figures trusted God, faced their fears, and went on to do great things in God’s name. 

Campers will perform their VBS song on Sunday, June 9th at 10:15 AM and families are invited to stay after for a picnic lunch! 

Limited spots are available, register now. We are looking forward to another exciting week together!

April 14

Our 6th-12th grade students will meet for youth group on Sunday, April 14th from 4:00-6:00 PM. We'll enjoy music and dinner together before using small groups to discuss our topic for the evening. Friends are always welcome. Please RSVP to give us a headcount for food.

GLOW | May 1

Let’s GLOW for Pentecost! Kids ages PreK-5th grade, join us for a science experiment and a very special GLOW about Pentecost and prayer. This is our last meeting before summer break so mark your calendars and join us for this special time. Let Ms. Renee know you’re coming here.

Click above to watch last Sunday's service!

Warning about email scammers

When you receive an email from a Holy Innocents staff member, please check if the sender's email address ends with 'holyinnocents.org'. If it does not, it is likely not from us. Unfortunately, some individuals are attempting to scam various church members, posing as clergy and requesting gift cards. We never ask for money in this way. If someone claiming to be Bill, Stewart, Ruth, or another staff member contacts you, please let us know immediately. Report the email, block the sender, and delete the message. If you have any doubts, please reach out to us by phone.