Sunday Breakfast!

The faithful regular 8:00 AM service folks are providing breakfast for us starting at 8:45 AM in Bishop Commons. Please spend time with us as we don't always cross paths on Sunday mornings! Thanks in advance for a yummy feast. Then stick around for Summer Camp in the Parish Hall...

Ruth's Reflection

Ten, take-away 6, equals 4.

What to do with the 4? 

Is 4 of truly lesser value because it is not 10, or is it just a different, yet still valuable, number?

Like many of you, we have a vacation tradition in our family. For 30 years we have gone to the beach with my sister and her family. Because of various changes and challenges in both families this year, and because I must travel to Salt Lake City to visit my daughter Sally in her new digs, we will forgo our beach vacation. We are, in that sense, diminished. Lessened. We are on the inside of a take-away equation.

But, we have decided to try something different with just our own family. We rented a cabin on Lake Blue Ridge for a few days which will open time for me to get to SLC at the end of the week. 

Everyone feels good about 3 days together, mountain air and lake water, fishing and boating, and the ease of vacation. It is not our beach vacation. It is something different. It will be good, and we are embracing it to get the goodness out of it. 

You could say that the traditional trend for summer church is also diminishment. Fewer folks in the pews, no choir, and less energy in the room, yet we plow forward with big liturgy as usual as though we are not reduced.

Instead, we decided to embrace something different, to get the goodness out of it, for six weeks of summer. Something a little bit like summer camp. Ten is not 4 but 4 is, nonetheless, full of goodness.

You’ve heard the list of differences: going green on bulletins with only one printing for six weeks, hymn singing with piano or instruments but no organ, old familiar hymns and songs, and the prayers of the people written on fabric prayer flags. And the order, we start at the font to remember our spiritual birth waters, so that we can begin again and start fresh.

It is fresh indeed. And sometimes a little tricky because we’re not used to it. But all in all, we have been joyfully courageous as a community embracing this summertime worship.

Formation has taken shape similarly as a camp setting. 

We are indulging in the goodness of summer camp for one hour, from 9:00 – 10:00, with the Canteen available weekly!

Music will be this week’s goodness. Sonia, from Wellness Vibes, will be here to lead us in a Drum Circle. Vibration, sound and sensation, heartbeat, history of humanity, feeling, and rhythm, all the good stuff. 

We are all in to make less into more. Don’t miss the Drum Circle this Sunday. 

It’s all good!

Ruth+

Summer church camp at HI is for all who long to play and find the welcome place where all of us can relish the beauty and joy of our community. Please join us at 9 am in the Parish Hall.

HIYA: Mellow Mushroom Lunch

July 14

Ready for some fun and great food? Join us for lunch at Mellow Mushroom, 6100 Roswell Rd, Sandy Springs, GA 30328, right after the service on July 14. It's the perfect way to kick back, make new friends, and enjoy a tasty meal together.

Contact Megan Atkinson | matkinson@holyinnocents.org

Third Friday: Men of HI

July 19

Enjoy warm hospitality, engaging discussions, and a fresh sausage and biscuit breakfast. Come for the conversation and stay for the fellowship. 7:30 AM in the Frost Youth Center.

Contact Charles Crosby | charles@corepm.net

HIYA: Pool Party

August 3, 12:00 PM-4:00 PM

All young adults are welcome to enjoy a refreshing pool party and savor a delicious seafood boil crafted by Jenny Cantrell. Bring your swim gear and your appetite! Please RSVP. Contact Megan Atkinson | matkinson@holyinnocents.org

Backpack Blessing and Picnic

August 11

Join us for a special Backpack Blessing and Picnic on August 11 during the 10:15 service! Bring your backpacks for a blessing to kick off the new school year with positivity and prayer. After the service, stay for a hamburger and hotdog picnic with your church family. It's a wonderful opportunity to come together, celebrate, and enjoy some summer fun. Don't forget to invite friends and family! We look forward to seeing you there.

Episcopal School Sunday September 8

Join us for Episcopal School Sunday on September 8, as we celebrate the 65th anniversary of HIES's founding. We will unveil the portrait of the Rev. Hugh Saussy, and breakfast will be provided by the school at 8:45 AM.

Ministry Fair

September 15

There are numerous groups where you can worship, connect, and serve! During Formation time, Inglett Hall will be transformed into a Ministry Fair where each group will have a booth and you can learn more about ways to get involved at the church. We are enthusiastic about our ongoing growth and community involvement, and we invite you to join us on this journey.

Iconography Workshop

October 6-11

Join us for a six-day retreat in Byzantine icon painting technique and Meditation where spirit will inspire you in the sacred art of painting in egg tempera. The schedule for the course begins on Sunday evening with introductions and continues daily from 9:00 AM until 4:30 PM for five days.

If needed and depending on each participant's progress, extend the schedule every day throughout the workshop, allowing time to finish.

You are invited to take time anyway from your regular life. Miller is a full-time iconographer dedicated to egg tempera and the love for spiritual awakening through painting with Mother Earth. A Window into Stillness retreat includes prayer, solitude, materials, painting, and lunch. Each participant will complete one Icon.

Habitat for Humanity Build

Final Build Date - This Saturday!

We are so thankful for everyone who has volunteered for this wonderful program!

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

Backpack Drive

July 20

Help ensure every child starts the school year prepared by donating backpacks and school supplies for Sandy Springs students. There are two ways you can provide help: either by purchasing prefilled backpacks or by dropping off new or gently used backpacks at the Church or Solidarity’s location. Your donation can make a big difference in a child's education and future. Join us in supporting our community's students! You can also make donations through the Amazon Wishlist now online.

Important Updates for Backpack Drive

Also, new this year elementary schools have specifically asked for headphones rather than earbuds, which are more functional for younger children. Headphones have been added to the list. Earbuds with a microphone remain on the list for middle and high schoolers.

Backpacks for all ages are not included on the supply list. If you’d like to purchase backpacks, the following are needed based on students’ ages:

· Pre-K – 20

· K-5th grade – 425

· Middle and high school – 375

Backpacks can be ordered online or purchased locally and delivered to the address listed in the flyer. Or donations to Solidarity of $50 will cover the costs of a backpack and supplies. Simply scan the QR code or mail a check to the listed address. The deadline to deliver items is July 20.

Contact Jan Paul | janpaul1005@gmail.com

Contact Charles Crosby | charles@corepm.net

Church of the Common Ground

July 21

HI will be packing 80+ lunches for our unhoused brothers and sisters who attend Church of the Common Ground in Woodruff Park in downtown Atlanta. Please join us in Parish Hall after the 10:15 AM service to help make sandwiches and assemble lunch bags. An additional part of our outreach is to worship with the men and women of CCG at their 1:00 PM service in Woodruff Park.  

Contact Robin Hickey | hickeys5040@gmail.com | churchofthecommonground.org. 

Mocha Meetups

Every Wednesday, 1:00 PM

Join Megan every Wednesday this summer at Starbucks (6350 Powers Ferry Rd NW, Atlanta, GA 30327) for Mocha Meetups! All middle and high schoolers are invited to join a midweek treat to unwind and connect with new friends.

Contact Megan Atkinson | matkinson@holyinnocents.org

Click above to watch Craig's sermon from last 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.