The Spring Good News Newsletter is online.



Reminders


Join Renee and friends to stuff Easter Eggs tonight at 6pm and scroll down to donate Easter Flowers and support our brass ensemble for Sunday.


Register NOW!

Don’t forget to register for the Maundy Thursday Agape Meal here. and the All-night Vigil with the Blessed Sacrament here. Keep reading for more details about our special Good Friday service at noon by our choir with a string ensemble.


Palm Sunday Potluck & Forum

Bill Murray and John Porter continue their Formation class on The Sopranos at 9:00 am in Inglett Hall. Bring something to share for breakfast and see what WEAR SOMETHING RED!


Easter Egg Stuffing Party Tonight!

March 26, 6:00 PM


We’ll be gathering in Bishop Commons to fill 2,000 eggs, and we need all the helping hands we can get. Snacks will be provided, so come hang out, lend a hand, and enjoy some good company while we get ready for Easter.

Holy Week Sweet Spot

Ruth's Reflection

 

There’s a Sweet Spot in Holy Week. It happens as vesper light floods an Upper Room and beckons our companionship.

 

On a Thursday. Maundy Thursday.

 

It is the rich moment when we lean in... close enough to talk in whispers. The rich moment when we gather with friends, break bread, and celebrate our place at Jesus’ table. The rich moment when He is there, and is relaxed and present and full of love, and He is leaning in, too.

 

It is the rich moment when he calls us to love. And to take care of one another for the love of Jesus. And to love Jesus, for the love of Jesus.

 

Jesus sends his beloved disciples to prepare the room. To get ready.

 

He wants this moment with them. For this evening, in this moment, we are leaning into spiritual intimacy with the Divine, because something tells us this night is different. It is the source of what it means to live in love. It is the bedrock, of what it means to live faithfully in the faith community.

 

Our Upper Room will be staged in Inglett Hall.

 

We will set the table for young and old to be shaped by the experience of the Sweet Spot of Holy Week. Bread for each table, goblets of wine, and a home-made Eucharist. The scent of Middle Eastern fare will transport us to the elbows of Mary and Martha. The presence of our young children will welcome the raucousness of Peter and the Sons of Thunder. Bowls and towels and jugs of water to wash one another’s feet, as though we’ve just come in from the hot dusty streets of Jerusalem. 

 

Our beloved king changes clothes and dons the garb of the suffering servant by wrapping a towel at his waist for tending each of us, because he gave us a new commandment and wants to show us how to do it. How to love, with a towel around our waists. Tender care. Comfort. Cleansing. Selflessness. Honoring the sacred. A new commandment, to love. And we lean in as he wonders out loud about the one who will betray him.

 

But we take up the burden of love. The work of being a faith community. Like John the disciple reclining at the table and leaning in to Jesus, and hearing his heart beating in his chest at dinner, so we too listen for the heartbeat of God in each other.

 

This is our meal. It defines and shapes, gives meaning and pattern, and ritual for all our days that are simply one day, that singular day which contains the whole of the kingdom of God.

 

There’s a sweet spot in Holy Week.

Jesus bids you.


Agape Family Dinner

April 2, 6:00-7:30 PM


This special evening invites all ages to gather around the table for food, fellowship, and reflection as we remember the Last Supper. With activities for all ages, this will be a welcoming space to connect and share together. Whether you’re new or have been part of our community for years, all are welcome to attend and invite others. A catered Mediterranean dinner will be served. $10 per adult; children and youth eat free.

Easter Flower & Music Donations

We invite you to support our Flower Guild's creativity and our excellent brass ensemble and timpani. You may dedicate your gift In Memory of or In Thanksgiving for a loved one. Please use this online form or the envelopes in the pew to donate. Use the memo line to indicate how you would like your gift to printed in the bulletins. Deadline for donations is March 29. For more information, please contact Renee Stephens at rstephens@holyinnocents.org



Holy Week at Holy Innocents



Palm Sunday • March 29

8:00, 10:15 am & 6:00 pm • Potluck Brunch • 9:00 am

We begin by blessing the palms and shouting Hosanna! and end with the gathering gloom of the week ahead with the reading of the Passion during our services: 8:00 am in the Chapel, 10:15 am in the Nave, 1:00 pm for the Spanish service in the Nave, and 6:00 pm in the Chapel. Bring a dish to share for the potluck brunch in Inglett Hall. WEAR RED!


Holy Monday • March 30

Holy Eucharist in Christ Chapel, 6:00 pm

After the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus visited the home of Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha. In the Gospel of John, Mary anoints Jesus’ feet with a costly ointment.


Holy Tuesday • March 31

Women of the Stations of the Cross, 6:00 pm

In a conversation with some Greeks or Gentiles recorded in the Gospel of John, Jesus predicts his crucifixion. We mark this night by walking the way of the cross through the eyes of the women there. But this service is open for all and concludes with communion.


Holy Wednesday • April 1

Art Lectio Stations of the Cross in Ventulett Gallery, 6:00 pm

This new contemplative experience is a prayerful way of engaging with artwork. We listen for how the art moves us, trusting that the Holy Spirit works through what we see and feel. We will gather with the exhibit by artist Vitoria Phillips for guided prayer for a Stations of the Cross meditation ending with Holy Eucharist. 


Maundy Thursday • April 2

Agape Family Dinner, 6:00 pm

This special evening invites all ages to gather around the table for food, fellowship, and reflection. A catered Mediterranean dinner will be served. $10 per adult; children and youth eat free. Register online here.


We will share stories, scripture, and prayers to mark the institution of the Last Supper and reflect on Jesus’ commandment to love one another. Following dinner, our children will help lead us in a solemn and meaningful time of the Stripping of the Altar.


Middle and high school students are invited to stay for an overnight Lock-in, continuing in community as we keep watch in the spirit of Maundy Thursday. We remember Jesus asking his disciples to stay awake and pray with him in the Garden of Gethsemane.


Vigil of the Blessed Sacrament • April 2

All night until April 3, 10:00 AM

The reserve sacrament is taken to Christ Chapel, which is decorated as a garden. Come and watch with the Lord and spend time in prayer anytime through the night until the vigil ends with a brief service of Morning Prayer at 10:00 am in Christ Chapel. Sign up here.


Good Friday • April 3

Liturgy and Lovefeast in the Nave, 12:00 pm

We cannot celebrate Easter without first walking through the Passion of Christ. We will gather in the Nave for a service of word and music in the Moravian tradition known as a Lovefeast. Through scripture, choral music with a guest string quartet, and a simple sharing of sweet rolls and beverages, we will reflect prayerfully on the sacrifice and love of Christ in a spirit of reverence and contemplation.


Easter Vigil • April 4

Nave, 8:00 pm

Perhaps the most triumphant and joyful service of the year, this service marks the moment when Jesus was raised from the dead to bring new life to the world. The Vigil begins in the Memorial Garden in darkness with a kindling of the new Paschal fire and moves into the Nave. With choir, organ, chanting, incense, readings, and Holy Eucharist, we celebrate the defeat of death and the promise of new life. 


Easter Day • April 5

8:00 am • Holy Eucharist

9:30 AM • Easter Egg Hunt

10:15 AM • Holy Eucharist

11:30 AM • Youth Egg Hunt

1:00 PM • Spanish Service

6:00 PM • Celtic Service

The Church celebrates Christ’s joyful resurrection as a community at our regularly scheduled services with singing, prayers, preaching, and praise. We celebrate with organ, choir, brass, and timpani, and a beautifully decorated church. The 10:15 am service will be live-streamed.


Wednesday of Easter Week • April 8

Stations of the Resurrection in Ventulett Gallery, 6:00 pm

This new contemplative experience is a prayerful way of engaging with artwork. Rather than asking whether we like a piece of art, we listen for how it moves or challenges us, trusting that the Holy Spirit works through what we see and feel. We will gather with the exhibit by artist Vitoria Phillips for guided prayer using art as our sacred text for a Stations of the Resurrection meditation concluding with with Holy Eucharist. 

 

Groups

 

Prayer Shawl

April 7, 7:00-8:30 PM


Join us in the Parlor on Tuesday, April 7, 7:00–8:30 PM. We knit and crochet shawls for those in need, but bring any project—needlepoint, cross-stitch, even mending—and enjoy fellowship while you work.


Contact Cammie Ives | cammieives@gmail.com

Third Friday: Men of HI

April 17, 7:30 AM


Enjoy warm hospitality, engaging discussions, and a fresh breakfast in the Frost Youth Center. Come for the conversation and stay for the fellowship.


Contact Charles Crosby | charles@corepm.net

 

Children and Youth

 

Kids in Action Lenten Food Drive Sort

March 29, 9:00 AM


HIEC is partnering with CAC to help feed local families in need. This week, our kids get to have a tangible opportunity to get involved by helping to sort the food donations. Sunday school classes will learn about our church’s project and then experience the joy of giving back by sorting the food donations.


Contact Renee Stephens rstephens@holyinnocents.org

Children’s Choir 

March 29, 9:00 AM


We are so excited to be singing and leading the processional for Palm Sunday. Our awesome kids have been working hard on our Palm Sunday piece and will lead the Palm Sunday processional at the 10:15 AM service and then sing our anthem at the very beginning of the service. Kids meet in Sunday school at 9:00 AM before we start rehearsal at 9:30 AM and get our big palm leaves!


Contact Renee Stephens rstephens@holyinnocents.org

Youth: Lock In

April 2, 6:00 PM–April 3, 9:00 AM


All 6th–12th graders are invited to our Maundy Thursday Lock-In on April 2! We’ll begin by attending the church service together, then stay overnight for a powerful evening of worship, reflection, and fun. Throughout the night, we’ll have meaningful moments to connect with God, along with games, snacks, and time to hang out. Don’t miss this special opportunity to grow in faith and community as we enter Holy Week.

Easter Egg Hunt

April 5, 9:30 AM


The hunt is on! Children are invited to bring a basket and gather near the entrance to the playground behind the church. Kids will hunt for eggs in age-specific groups. After the hunt, everyone is welcome to head inside for refreshments, and children can gather to open their eggs together before worship begins at 10:15 AM.

Egg Hiders Needed!

April 5, 8:30 am


Come be involved in one of our most treasured traditions. If you are available Easter morning to help hide eggs on the playground, please reach out to Renee at rstephens@holyinnocents.org

Youth Easter Egg Hunt

April 5, 11:30 AM


Easter isn't just for the little kids! All 6th-12th graders are invited to join us for a Youth Easter Egg Hunt immediately after worship on Easter Sunday. We will meet on the playground to find some awesome prizes like gift cards, squishes, and more. This hunt won't take long, but will help make Easter extra special for our older students. Bags will be provided!

VBS 2026: Knights of the North Castle

June 1–5 

 

Join Holy Innocents’ Episcopal Church for an unforgettable week at VBS 2026: Knights of the North Castle! June 1st–5th from 9:00 am to 12:15 pm, children will step into a world of courage, faith, and fun as they learn what it means to “Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power” (Ephesians 6:10). Through exciting Bible stories, music, crafts, games, and fellowship, campers will discover the Armor of Faith and how God equips us to stand strong in every season of life.


Optional aftercare is available until 3:30 pm for families who need a longer day of fun and supervision.

The week will conclude with campers sharing their VBS song during the 10:15 am service on Sunday, June 7th. Families are warmly invited to stay after the service for a picnic lunch as we celebrate a wonderful week together!


Cost:

$85 per camper

$85 additional for aftercare


Open to rising Pre-K through rising 5th grade. Rising 6th grade and up are invited to serve as youth leaders. Youth leaders, please sign up to volunteer here.


Don’t miss this kingdom adventure! Grab your armor and join us at North Castle!

 

Outreach

Church of the Common Ground 
Sandwich Build

May 10, 11:15 AM


Please join us in the Parish Hall tomorrow 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

Book Clubs

 

Reading Connections

April 13, 6:00 PM


The Women’s Reading Connections meeting will be held on Monday, April 13, in the Inglett Hall Small Conference Room C, at 6:00 PM. The meeting begins with light refreshments and the book discussion begins at 6:30 PM. This month’s book is March by Geraldine Brooks. The novel expands on the character of the absent father from Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, following him as a Union chaplain during the Civil War and explores his idealistic beliefs as they are challenged by the brutality of war, racism, and the horrors he witnesses, forcing him to confront the complexities of his faith and his family life. The book won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2006.



Contact Michelle Driscoll

dris1296@yahoo.com

Bucket List Book Club

April 7, 1:00 PM


This co-ed group is reading Three Men In A Boat by Jerome K Jerome. We’ll meet at 1:00 pm in the Parlor room.


Contact Audrey Sumner audreysum4833@gmail.com

Men's Dinner & a Book

May 12, 6:30 PM


The next Men's Dinner and a Book is Tuesday, May 12 at 6:30 PM and the book is Mattering: The Secret to a Life of Deep Connection and Purpose by Jennifer Wallace. Kevin Nuffer is hosting. If you would like to attend, please contact Jeremy Webber for details. All men at Holy Innocents are included and invited.



Contact Jeremy Webber

jhwwebber@gmail.com

 

Worship

Click the video above 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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