A NOTE FROM BRYANT
Four weeks! It is really hard to believe that we haven't been together in our Sanctuary for almost four weeks. I miss a lot of things... I miss seeing Bert and Shelton each Sunday as I arrive at church. I miss seeing the smiling faces of our children as they arrive. I miss giving handshakes and hugs. I definitely miss spending Sunday nights with our youth coming up with crazy games and having great discussions about life and God.
As much as I miss all of those things, I also know that ministry of SSCC must go on! It has been amazing to watch as the staff has come together to find new ways to connect with all of you. In our house, Sunday morning worship has become a sacred time together and we can feel each of you as we worship together.
Our youth also continue to meet, albeit virtually. We meet twice a week, and you know what...we still play crazy games and have wonderful discussion. We share what fears we have and what is bringing us joy. We are also making Sunday School videos for our children where they can still learn God's message. Although the physical place is gone, the church is still here.
We hope you'll make time to join us this Sunday for our Palm Sunday service. Ella and Susan are working to put together a musical service where I know the spirit will fill us all. We will also share a time of communion and prayer together.
Blessings to you all during this time,
Bryant
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SSCC Closed through Easter
The Leadership council has decided that the church will continue to be closed through Easter. We will reevaluate in mid-April. While we, unfortunately, would love to have Holy Week activities and Easter worship in person, unfortunately, the CDC recommends that groups larger than 10 not meet together at this time. We will continue to livestream worship on Sunday mornings at 10:15 AM on our YouTube Channel. Information about worship will be sent out each Friday. Remember that the staff continue to work from their homes. If you need something, you can email staff members individually or call the church office. We are picking up messages regularly. Thank you for your ongoing patience and understanding. Be safe and be well.
SSCC Leadership Council
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SSCC UNPLUGGED
As you may well know, we are livestreaming SSCC's Sunday services on our
YouTube channel
. You will receive an email tomorrow with all of the links necessary so you can join us.
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PALM SUNDAY AT SSCC
This Sunday, Bryant and Katie Gibson, Susan Wallace and Ella Lewis are collaborating to bring us a special worship service. Details will follow in tomorrow's email.
April 5, 2020
Palm Sunday
Matthew 21:1-11
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EASTER SUNDAY AT SSCC
Next Sunday, April 12, 2020
Run
John 20:1-18
Rev. Nathan C. Brown
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HOLY WEEK DEVOTIONALS
Next week, you will be receiving a video devotional, each day, during Holy Week. The devotionals will be a way for us to reflect on the final days of Jesus’ life. We want to thank Leslie Lady for creating the devotionals, along with Teresa Bensch, Bryant Gibson, Art Edwards, Kimbrell Teegarden, and Pastor Nathan for their contributions. We hope these daily devotionals help you have a meaningful Holy Week, as we prepare for Easter.
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PRAYER REQUESTS AND THANKS
Pastor Nathan Brown and his family would like to thank everyone for their prayers for his mom in Indiana, who has transitioned to hospice care.
Jeff and Sandy Matthews would like to request prayers for Jeff's two sisters: Barbara with back problems - fractured vertebrae and intense pain and Sharon with lung cancer that has metastasized to bone.
Prayers for Lane Campbell who fell and broke her shoulder. She is staying with her daughter in Atlanta.
Becky Kelly asks for prayers Pat Chadwick and their family. She and he husband, Scott were members of SSCC years ago. Scott unfortunately contacted Covid 19 and died over the past week-end.
Cordelia Rowell wants congregational prayers for her brother Greg Sweat who is having shoulder surgery on Friday. Due to problems from a stroke he does not have use of his other shoulder so his recovery is going to be very difficult.
Ferris Leslie asked for prayers for her sister and brother-in-law, Kay and Bill Fitch, former SSCC members. Bill had surgery recently and is home recuperating, with Kay providing care for him.
Donna Lassiter asked for prayers for her mother, Eleanor Wood, during this difficult time.
The Hales request prayers as Floyd is waiting for the results from testing after a bout of low blood pressure and Charlotte's next procedure is coming up to hopefully give her some relief from abdominal pain.
Prayers for Amy Frost's sister-in-law who recently had heart bypass surgery and had to be readmitted to the hospital for an infection. She can't have any visitors, but she can receive prayers!
Carmen Santiago's daughter Demarise is home recovering from an emergency appendectomy and she ask for prayers for her. She also writes, "We want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all the prayers and good wishes. I can definitely say Sandy Springs Christian Church members are like my family that I've never had since I've been here and thank you for everything."
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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NATHAN'S LEADERSHIP REPORT
My report to leadership this month is a fairly comprehensive summary of all that has transpired over the last month. Since we are not meeting in person or as frequently right now, I thought it would be good to share with the congregation so that you can be aware of what is going on behind the scenes. Thank you for your continued interest in and support of the ministry of SSCC!
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DOING MINISTRY DIFFERENTLY
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WE'RE STILL WORKING HARD...
Even with the social distancing and shelter in place suggestions, your creative SSCC Staff has figured out a way to conduct our weekly staff meetings by using our ZOOM account. We discuss all things SSCC, check in with each other, update everyone on how we're doing through this crisis, and discuss what we can do for the members of SSCC.
This week we decided to wear our "sports" gear. We represented the Braves, TCU, and Ohio State. We even had a guest appearance by Katie and Cooper!
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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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NEW FEATURE - BRIGHT SPOTS @ SSCC
In an effort to stay connected during this time, we plan to send out a weekly “Bright Spot” about the ways in which you are spending your time during this period of social-distancing. Each week we will feature a story that we hope brightens your day. It might be a picture of one of you, along with how you are spending part of your time. It could be a video, like the one this week, about a way that you are reaching out to others. It might just be a story you’d like to share about how someone might have reached out to you. During this seemingly dark time, we hope this is a weekly reminder that there are still many bright spots in the world.
This week’s “Bright Spot” features the Gibson family. Join the family as they take a walk through the neighborhood. All camera work by Cam Gibson.
CLICK HERE
to view the second installment.
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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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SHEPHERDING PROGRAM
Over the next couple of weeks, the elders and some of the deacons will be rolling out a new congregational outreach effort, called shepherding. As part of this program, one of us will be reaching out to you on a regular basis to ensure you know what is going on at church and to check in on you during this time when we are unable to meet in person.
Like me, I’m sure that many of you learned as a child that the church is not a building. The church is the people. While I wish we were not in the midst of a pandemic, and I pray that it will pass quickly, the COVID-19 pandemic, as unwelcome as it is, gives us an opportunity to live into this in an entirely new way. It is my hope and prayer for us that during this time, we will truly learn that the building is not what holds us together. We are bound together in our love for God, our desire to follow Jesus and live out his teachings, and our love for one another. While we will be reaching out to you, please do not hesitate to reach out to us as well if there is any way we can assist and support you during this time. My email is
eliz.peterson@att.net
and my cell phone is 404-805-1022.
Elizabeth Peterson
Chair of Elders
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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 email
(amy@sandyspringscc.org)
to schedule your group on the calendar. We can help you learn how to send an invite to your group.
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A MOMENT FOR STEWARDSHIP
In an effort to do more year-round stewardship at SSCC this year, we are including regular testimonials from congregants about how/why they give to SSCC. See this month’s below from Elizabeth Peterson.
"In light of the pandemic, we are all being challenged to find new ways to do things. For me, one of the new ways to do things is to pay my pledge online. I already pay most of my bills online, but always found it easy to pay my pledge by putting my check into the offering plate -- until now, that is. With all of the challenges of social distancing, I am grateful that technology makes it easier than it ever has been to stay connected even when we cannot be together. Part of staying connected is to continue to give financial gifts to the church, and I found it very easy to do this without leaving my house by simply going to our website (
www.sandyspringscc.org
) and clicking "Give Online." The steps to give online were simple and easy to follow, and it saved me the time and inconvenience of driving to the post office to mail my check. Let us continue to give thanks to God for all that we have been given, by giving in new ways to the ministry of Sandy Springs Christian Church."
Elizabeth Peterson
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A NOTE FROM THE BOOKKEEPER
"Thank you to those who have transitioned from bringing a donation to our church to using the online giving system. We are so thankful that giving is able to continue even though we may not be able to gather together in our church building. All check payments are processed with a tiny .45 cent fee. Credit card payments are processed similarly but with a swipe fee as a % (percent) of the donation. We continue to give donors full credit for the total of their donation with SSCC picking up the fee. The online giving allows us to be blessed with your generous spirit. It's yet another witness that we are still together -- just worshiping separately. Be BLESSED." Kathryn Hartman, SSCC Bookkeeper
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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 the Coronavirus Pandemic. 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.
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, Dried Beans ,Canned Fruit, Cereal, Dry, Pasta, Mixed Vegetables, Rice, Tomato Sauce, 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 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
or on the picture to the right to access a flyer for more information and how you can help.
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FREE YOGA CLASSES
Stacie Brooks is offering free online yoga classes during this "shelter in place" time that we find ourselves in.
Here is the information:
Free daily 28-minute yoga stretch breaks via ZOOM meeting at 2:30 pm ET: Easy Wear/Where-you-are Yoga with Stacie from Atlanta Meeting ID: 224 932 681.
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Camden Gibson 04/01
Suzanna Torbert 04/01
Austin Michels 04/02
Michael McCluskey 04/03
Caroline Filacchione 04/03
MacKenzie Michels 04/04
Nathan C. Brown 04/05
Emma McCluskey 04/05
Tanner Hicks 04/10
Leslie Kahrs 04/11
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Betsy Robinson-Hicks 04/11
Michelle Leek 04/12
David McGahee 04/17
Terry Frost 04/20
Evan Bensch 04/21
Ryan Driemeyer 04/25
Carol Armstrong 04/25
Michaela Mason 04/27
Donovan Frost 04/29
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