Nurturing Faith, Cultivating Community

The summer is almost done. It seems strange to say that on July 31, but for some of our children school starts tomorrow, for another group it starts on Monday, and for a lucky few it starts on August 13. For the church, we finish our Summer Camp Formation and worship this Sunday with an eye towards the Blessing of the Backpacks and the beginning of that new academic year.

We have all the sentimentality around the beginning of a new calendar year with songs and resolutions and a desire to start something new. I suppose we also do have a certain joy in new pens and trapper keepers and folders for school. For me, I never relished the beginning of a new school year, but I was excited to see friends and learn who my teachers would be. 

The same is true for us this fall. Your clergy and staff have been hard at work preparing for an exciting and interesting fall. We have all sorts of plans on how to focus on Nurturing Faith and Cultivating Community. We are clear that we are working to go deeper with our faith and connect more and more as a community based in the love of Jesus Christ. From a Sunday Adult Forum called "Compact Wisdom" to increasing our impact in outreach to a renewed focus on Godly Play for our children to growing our choir and handbells to celebrating God's love together in community to a deeper push into a Master Plan for our spaces, we are excited to invite everyone back to church together. We hope you will join us as the calendar changes. Come and meet new teachers and connect with old friends. We have new pens and folders and, even more important, new faces and friends as we begin a new Fall at Holy Innocents. 

We hope to see you soon as we focus on Nurturing Faith and Cultivating Community.

The Rev. Dr. Bill Murray

Rector

Steve Larkin died on Tuesday, July 23 after an accident at home. Steve and Kathie have been very active at Holy Innocents for many years. Steve was a faithful usher among many other things in our community. Steve's funeral will be in the church this Saturday, August 3 at 11:00 am. Kathie and their children will greet visitors at a reception in Inglett Hall following the service.

Read Steve's obituary here.

In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made in her memory to Holy Innocents' Episcopal Church or the Community Assistance Center.

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

Camp HIEC - Summer Formation

August 4: Cabin Devotions | “Tea and B”

At the end of the day, campers gather in their cabins to wind down and connect in conversation about their wild day before they hit their bunks. It’s just a time to connect. To talk. Tell stories. Laugh. (And occasionally, cry). On this final day of Summer Formation, we will engage in conversation with a practice called “Tea and B”. The B is to simply invite each participant to just “Be”. We will have conversation starters on the placemats, to invite you to connect with others in our faith community, over a cup of tea.

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.

Reading Connections

August 12

Reading Connections is the women’s book club! The book for August is Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pel. We meet at 6:00 PM in the conference room.

Contact Kathie Larkin | kathie.larkin@retired.paceacademy.org

Third Friday: Men of HI

August 16

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

VG Opening: Nature Re-Imagined

August 22, 6:00-7:30 PM

Join us for our next gallery opening on August 22, from 6:00-7:30 PM. We are excited to showcase art by Anita Best Misel and Maryam Askaran! The exhibit will be displayed from August 22 to October 7.

Parent Party at Bill's

August 22

We would love all parents of Pre-K-12th grade students to join us for a fun gathering at Rev. Bill's house on Thursday, August 22nd. We will have dinner and drinks and enjoy getting to know each other as the new school year begins! Please RSVP by August 16.

EfM Registration

September 3

Education for Ministry is a four-year adult Christian formation program by the University of the South (Sewanee). It delves into the Holy Scriptures, Church history, and theology, helping us understand our relationship with God, neighbor, and creation. Our EfM group meets every Tuesday from 6:30 PM - 9:00 PM, September 3 through May 27, both in-person and via Zoom. The vibrant community engages in stimulating weekly discussions. Registration is open until August 13. Tuition applies; scholarships are available.

Contact Lin Stradley | lstradley@gmail.com (404) 233-3155

Contact Nicole Yarsawich | cole.yarsawich@gmail.com

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.

Men of HI: Braves Game 

September 8, 1:35 PM

Join the Men of Holy Innocents for an exciting Braves game with first-base seating! Tickets are $25 each. Contact Bill Clark to purchase yours before August 25. It’s a perfect chance to enjoy a great game and fellowship!

Contact Bill Clark | dandbclark@comcast.net

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.

Church of the Common Ground

September 22

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. 

Iconography Workshop

October 6-11

Join us in writing an icon! No previous experience is needed. Just a desire to try to push paint around and enjoy the process! This year, we will be painting the icon of Jonah. Jonah may well be the perfect prophet for this moment as we think and pray on our election, our nation, and our world. Where is God in all of this? Where is Jonah? Where are we?

Noted iconographer Mary Jane Miller will be joining us again and leading us in prayer, reflection, and conversation around this unique icon of faith. The class is open to all but limited to 15.  

Youth Group: Games

August 18, 4:00-6:00 PM

It's our first youth group gathering of the school year! All rising 6th-12th graders are invited to join us as we enjoy a taco bar, learn a new spiritual practice, and play hilarious water games! This year, our youth group will focus on missional spirituality and practices that can bring them closer to God. You won't want to miss it! Don't forget to bring a friend and a towel!

Acolyte Training

August 25

Have you ever wanted to serve as an acolyte? We invite all 5th-12th grade students to register as an acolyte this school year! Training will take place every Sunday morning from 8:45-9:15 AM starting August 25th through the month of September. Please sign up for a training date (only one is necessary) if you are interested. All current and new acolytes must participate.

GLOW

September 11, 6:00–7:00 PM

Come and GLOW with us for our first meeting of the year. Our kids are offered seemingly endless opportunities for activities and stimulation. Let’s take a step back and see how we can renew our strength through spiritual disciplines. Kids, PreK-5th grade, will learn four easy spiritual disciplines that we will practice all year long. PLUS hang out with friends, share a snack, and make your very own scripture jar to take home! 

Click above to watch Bill'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.