A NOTE FROM JOHN MILLS
Leave Time for Nathan
I hope this note finds you and your families healthy and safe. We hear the term “new normal” frequently during this time. It seems an eternity since Sandy Springs Christian Church last experienced the “old normal.” Our old normal ended with a sewer back-up on February 12
th
, causing the church to be without running water for over a month, and the subsequent suspension of classes by The Day School along with the suspension of meetings by organizations such as Alcoholics Anonymous. Then, COVID-19 appeared and, in mid-March, we suspended in-person Worship and Sunday School, as well as all use of the Church facilities.
This has been a tough time for Nathan. During the flood and pandemic he has led our congregation through a challenging time. He had to help us recreate the church overnight, rethinking how we do church in a different way. He has been planning the virtual services we attend each Sunday, along with continually improving the look and feel of those services. Then, on April 16
th
his mother died. He could not be with her in Indiana because hospice care would not allow visitors. Then his uncle died here in Atlanta. In the midst of this, Marion lost a cousin as well. I am sure that no modern-day minister has ever experienced anything like the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic while at the same time struggling with the grief occasioned by the deaths of close family members. Nathan needs a break.
Consequently, Leadership has encouraged Nathan to take some time away. He will be off from June 8
th
to July 6
th
. He will preach and conduct the June 7
th
service and return for the July 12
th
service. In the interim, the SSCC staff will plan and conduct our services, along with covering the other aspects of our ministry in Nathan’s absence. Nathan will be taking a combination of vacation, spiritual retreat, and grieve leave, conducting his mother’s memorial service during the week of the 4
th
of July. Very importantly, he will also be thinking and planning strategically regarding how we move forward, given that we are likely to be holding hybrid in-person and virtual Worship services and Sunday School. Thank you for supporting Nathan and his family during this time. If any of you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
John
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UPDATE! ONLINE WORSHIP ONLY THROUGH JUNE
In an effort to continue keeping one another safe at this time, Leadership has decided to extend online worship only through the end of
June
. The building is closed during this time and all in-person activities are cancelled. The staff is working primarily from home. If you need something, you can contact a staff member directly by email or call the church office, as voicemails are being checked regularly. Thank you for your ongoing patience and understanding during this unprecedented time. Continue to look to the newsletter for ways to stay connected to SSCC.
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Pentecost Sunday
and Honoring our 2020 Graduates
Sunday, May 31, 2020
"One"
1 Corinthians 12:4-13
Rev. Dr. Nathan C. Brown
As is our usual SSCC tradition, we encourage you to wear red,
even if it's your best red PJ's!
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PRAYER REQUESTS
Prayers requested for Teresa Edens who broke her arm and needed a second surgery.
Carmen Santiago was hospitalized yesterday for difficulty breathing due to allergies. Please pray for her and her family.
We pray for our SSCC family members who serve as first responders and SSCC's own serving in the military: Jamie Price Smith, Rachel Robeck, Michelle Brown, Tyler Brown, Derrick Brown, Kevin Mooney, Jared Mills and Dalton Brown. (If we are missing someone, please let us know so that we can include their name in our weekly prayers).
JOIN SSCC!
You can join SSCC by a simple affirmation of faith anytime! If you want to join during this virtual time, just let Pastor Nathan know and we will make that happen. He can announce it during the livestream on Sunday morning! Simply
e-mail Pastor Nathan
to let him know you would like to join!
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WELCOME TO THE WORLD!
Travis and Emily Harple write, "We welcomed Derek Jude Harple on May 24th, he was 7 pounds 11 oz and 20 inches long! We are over the moon in love and so grateful that everything went smoothly and everyone is healthy!
We are looking forward to when we can start bringing him to church! Thanks so much for your prayers and support!"
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CONGRATS GRADS!
We want to congratulate SSCC's 2020 graduates and recognize them in this Sunday's virtual worship service.
Amos Bolay graduated high school, along with Bailey Mooney and Evan Bensch from college.
If you know of any other graduates please send an email ASAP to
amy@sandyspringscc.org
. We want to include them as well. Thanks in advance!
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PENTECOST SPECIAL OFFERING
Pentecost is coming and we are celebrating, Church! Two decades ago the goal to plant 1,000 new communities of faith by 2020 was set. It was done and has become part of who we are as Disciples.
New Church Ministry
and your regional new church teams benefit from the special day offering received by congregations May 31 and June 7. This is indeed a time for joy and rebirth as the Church celebrates!
If you would like to contribute to the Pentecost special offering, you may do so online or by sending a check. Please clearly notate "Pentecost special offering" when you give.
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WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
Each Tuesday we send out a "Bright Spots" email. We want to encourage folks to participate by sharing pictures, videos, or submitting positive and uplifting messages with the SSCC community. Be creative!
Let us know what you and your families are doing these days, how you're coping with being cooped up, and do we even dare to ask how home schooling is going?
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VIRTUAL COFFEE HOUR MOVING TO FIRST SUNDAY OF EACH MONTH
We know you are missing the social aspect of interacting over a warm, wonderful cup of "church coffee". So we are introducing Virtual Coffee Hour after service the FIRST Sunday of each month from 11:00 am - 12:00 pm (stay as long as you wish). Our next coffee hour will be held on June 7, 2020.
We are creating Zoom chat rooms where you can visit with other members, guests and visitors and see their faces and hear their voices. To join, simp
ly
CLICK HERE.
If you have not previously dowloaded zoom on your computer, you may be prompted to do so. Once you join the meeting, Nathan will randomly assign folks to small groups to catch up with one another. If you don't have a web cam or a smart phone, you can simply use one of the telephone numbers and call in. Those numbers will be included in Friday's blast about worship. Look forward to seeing and hearing from you then!
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WAYS YOU CAN HELP SSCC JUST BY SHOPPING
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We know many of you are shopping from home so you can stay safe. If you shop on Amazon, we encourage you to go to Smile.
Amazon.com. AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service. Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to SSCC when you designate SSCC as your charitable organization of your choice.
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The Kroger Co. Family of Stores realizes that every community has unique causes that need support and recognizes SSCC as an important organization in our community.
We encourage you link your rewards card to their Community Rewards program by designating SSCC (Account XX291) as your chosen organization. The more you shop, the more money SSCC will earn! Currently we only have 22 SSCC households participating.
They are committed to carefully protecting your personal information. In order to meet their expectation of privacy, we have adopted a simple policy to never share a customer's personal information. Our privacy policy applies to Community Rewards participation as well.
CLICK HERE
for more information.
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DOING MINISTRY DIFFERENTLY
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WOULD YOU LIKE TO HELP LEAD WORSHIP?
We are looking for those of you who would like to participate in Sunday's online worship services. If you would like to do the call to worship, read scripture, call to giving, or even participate in the children's moment, we would love to hear from you.
We prefer that you would participate by recording yourself and submitting a video or a voice recording, and we can try to help you with that. We can send you guidelines and helpful hints on how to submit your part. Please email
Amy@sandyspringscc.org
if you would like to participate.
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FOOD ASSISTANCE IN-REACH PROGRAM
SSCC Outreach realizes that the Covid-19 crisis is directly impacting many families in our church community. If you or someone you know in our church community are facing food insecurity because of a decrease or loss in income, we want to offer some support. This program is offered for members and regular visitors of SSCC. Please privately contact Jenna Hicks so that we can provide assistance to keep your pantry full.
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GROCERY/ERRAND MINISTRY
In the wake of Covid-19, Tim and Breijanna Dyke have offered to pick up groceries or run small errands for those among us who can't get out. If you need some assistance, but do not feel comfortable leaving your home, or would like to help Tim and Breijanna with this ministry, you may contact them at
breijney@gmail.com
, 360-632-9455 or
tim.dyke@icloud.com
, 513-615-4609.
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SUBMITTING PRAYER AND CONGREGATIONAL CARE REQUESTS
Due to the fact that we are holding "virtual" church service, and are not able to submit prayer requests, please use the following emails and/or phone numbers to submit your requests:
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CONNECT WITH OTHERS
SSCC has subscribed to zoom for anyone who might need it to virtually meet using a video conference method. Only one group can use our account at a time. If you would like your group to use zoom to virtually meet, please contact Amy Frost via em
ail
(amy@sandyspringscc.org)
t
o schedule your group on the calendar. We can help you learn how to send an invite to your group.
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CAC NEEDS YOUR HELP
Sandy Springs Christian Church is helping an effort to assist local area families who are most vulnerable during this time. In partnership with Community Assistance Center (CAC) which is located in Sandy Springs and houses one of the largest Food Pantry programs in the Metro Atlanta area, we can help families and individuals who face financial hardships due to lost income and medical expenses. The CAC is currently doing
financial assistance interviews via phone & online.
CAC is in need of online cash donations to purchase food gift cards and most needed items not currently stocked in their pantry as well as funds to help with rent. Online donations reduce the number of human interactions as we all do our part to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. To donate to Sandy Springs Christian Church Relief Fund for CAC
CLICK HERE
. For updates on volunteer opportunities and services visit CAC at
www.ourcac.org
.
Food Pantry Needs:
Canned Meat, Tuna, Chicken, Beef Stew, Chili, Rice, Dried Beans, Canned Fruit, Cereal, Mixed Vegetables, Baking Mixes, Milk and Juice Boxes for kids and Plastic Bags.
You may bring donations to the CAC Food Pantry at 8607 Roswell Rd. Sandy Springs, GA 30350.
Food Donation Times:
- Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 9:30 am – 1:30 pm
- No Saturday hours.
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MUST MINISTRIES DONATIONS
Sandy Springs Christian Church has a long standing relationship with MUST Ministries.
Food donations (see list below) are very much needed and can be delivered in the following manners…
1. Drop off at the MUST Donation at 1280 Field Parkway in Marietta, 30066, Tuesday through Saturday, 9 to 5pm or
2. Drop off at MUST Cherokee at 111 Brown Industrial Parkway, Marietta.
3. Order food through Amazon and have it delivered to the addresses above.
Monetary donations are very much needed and can be delivered in two manners…
1. Online via their website, or for those who are reluctant to give online
2. Send
a check in the mail to MUST Ministries, P.O. Box 1717, Marietta, GA 30061.
Please
CLICK HERE
o
r on the picture to the right to access a flyer for more information and how you can help.
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Michelle Brown 05/30
Josie Worley 05
/31
Ronda Hirst 06/01
Ryan Chimera 06/04
Doug Driemeyer 06/06
Allison Lenz 06/06
Steven Ryan Butz 06/08
Cindy Driemeyer 06/10
William Reese 06/10
Atticus Mooney 06/10
Joshua Jones 06/14
Carolyn Dishman 06/15
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Tracey McCluskey 06/15
Charlotte Hale 06/16
Kathy Woodworth 06/20
Jeff Matthews 06/20
Patsy McBride 06/21
Sue Strahm 06/21
Laura McKinney 06/21
Grace Saygbor 06/24
Tony Chimera 06/25
Brandon Lenz 06/26
Brandi Williams 06/27
Gregg Worley 06/28
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