A Note About Year-End Checks and Gratitude

I hope this note finds you well as we embark on a New Year together at Holy Innocents.

I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge something you may have noticed: mail delivery has been slower than usual in the past week. If you sent a year-end check to the church and it has not yet cleared the bank, please know that we deeply appreciate your generosity and patience. We are keeping an eye on everything and will ensure that all contributions are processed as quickly as possible.

Your incredible support sustains the mission and ministries of Holy Innocents and allows us to continue sharing God’s love in our community. If you have not yet made your pledge for 2025, there is still time to do so. Every pledge makes a meaningful difference as we work together to nurture faith, cultivate community, and build a brighter future.

Thank you for being such a vital part of this parish family. Should you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

We’ve received $1,425,730 in pledges toward our Nurturing Faith and Cultivating Community Stewardship Campaign for 2024, which brings us to 96% of our $1.54 million goal. This generosity comes from 209 pledges, including 22 new ones—thank you!

Give online here.

https://onrealm.org/holyinnocents/give/now

Pledge online here.

https://onrealm.org/holyinnocents/AddPledge/annualstewardship

Please let me know if you have any questions about your year-end giving, stock transfers or pledge status.

Caroline Fleming cfleming@holyinnocents.org

404-751-2906

Welcoming New Members: The Parrish Family by Meredith Johnson



If you follow Holy Innocents' Episcopal Church on social media, you’ve likely seen photos of beautiful worship services, talented clergy, and vibrant fellowship among parishioners. But our church family is so much more than those snapshots. In this edition of HI-Lights, we’re excited to spotlight the Parrish family, who recently became official members of Holy Innocents this fall.

I had the opportunity to sit down with Lindsay Parrish to learn more about their journey to HIEC. Lindsay, her husband Matt, and their children, McCabe and Charles, have attended Holy Innocents for two years. This fall, they decided it was time to make their connection to the church official by becoming members and making a stewardship pledge.

The Parrish family moved closer to Holy Innocents about two years ago and visited several churches in the area. Lindsay was baptized in an Episcopal church, attended an Episcopal day school in Pensacola, FL, and felt a natural pull toward the Episcopal faith. From the moment they first walked through the doors of Holy Innocents, the family experienced an unmistakable warmth. Greeters and parishioners welcomed them with smiling faces, making them feel embraced without any pressure to get involved immediately.

Since attending Holy Innocents, the Parrishes have actively participated in church life. All four Parrishes attended the Church Retreat in January. Matt has volunteered with the Children’s Committee, most recently assisting with the Sunday School Christmas Party. I experienced firsthand that Matt makes a mean cup of cocoa—a crowd favorite at the party! Lindsay has been volunteering with the College Connections program, sending cards and treats to college students so they can feel loved by their HI family.

When asked why they chose Holy Innocents, Lindsay shared a touching sentiment: “We wanted our children to have a place of worship where they will always feel welcome, no matter where they are in life.” She emphasized that the Episcopal faith lived out at Holy Innocents’ is one of radical inclusion and opportunity. Leaders at Holy Innocents reflect a diverse and welcoming community, showing McCabe and Charles that the church embraces and celebrates all people just as they are.

“When Holy Innocents says, ‘All are welcome,’ they truly mean it,” Lindsay said. For her and Matt, this was key in choosing a church that would hold space for their children to grow into whoever they choose to be and embrace whoever they choose as a partner in life.

Lindsay reflected on Holy Innocents’ unique nature: “Whether you’re a member or not, everyone is treated the same. That is love in action.” Now that they’ve made their membership official, Lindsay said nothing feels different—just a continuation of the kindness, affirmation, and love they’ve experienced since day one.

The Parrish family lives in East Cobb and officially joined Holy Innocents this fall after attending services for two years. We are so pleased to have Lindsay, Matt, McCabe, and Charles as part of our church family and look forward to seeing them grow in faith and fellowship here at Holy Innocents.

If you want to learn more about joining officially, please contact (Stewart, Melody, or Bill). We would love to welcome you to our Holy Innocents family!

Click here to watch Ruth's sermon from Sunday!

Pastoral Notes 

If someone is in the hospital, has died, or has some other pastoral emergency, we hope you will contact our clergy directly. Please call the church office at 410-255-4023 and follow the prompts. This will connect you directly with the clergyperson on call for the week. 

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

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 give us a call.