In order to give our new Pastor, Rev. Dr. Jordan Thrasher a little time to settle in, I thought I’d share a few updates about what’s going on in the church.
Coming this week:
· Saturday, July 10th: A special 1-day Family VBS will take place Saturday, July 10 from 9:00 am until Noon in the Education Wing. All ages can participate. This will be a safe, socially distanced, creative discovery time on Adventure Island! Families will work together to explore ways God shines great light in the world. Registration is closed but look for images on social media showing the fun that was had by all!
· Sunday, July 11th: Welcoming Dr. Jordan Thrasher and his family to Embry Hills! Don’t miss Jordan’s first Sunday as pastor and the chance to meet Meredith and their three girls: Georgia, Elizabeth, and Anna. We’ll have Three Tikis here (similar to Kona Ice) to enjoy outside in the parking lot from noon-2 pm.
Staff Parish Relations Committee (SPRC), Stacy Bradfield - Chair
We are excited to welcome the Reverend Dr. Jordan Thrasher and his family to Embry Hills. Jordan grew up all over North Georgia as the son of a United Methodist Minister. He has a BA in History and Religion from Wofford College in Spartanburg, SC. He went on to earn his Master of Divinity and his Doctorate in Ministry from the Candler School of Theology at Emory. He was Commissioned in 2009 and ordained an Elder in Full Connection in 2012. He has served as the associate pastor of Chamblee UMC, pastor of Bold Spring-Carnesville, Chaplain of Reinhardt University, Associate at Creekside, and currently serves as the Pastor of Hampton UMC. Jordan is married to Meredith Shelnutt Thrasher, (granddaughter of Dumas Shelnutt) who also grew up a United Methodist preacher’s kid. They have 3 daughters, Georgia, 11, Elizabeth, 9, and Anna, 7.
We are still searching for someone to fill the Children’s Minister position. We have not had many candidates yet, but we are confident in our efforts. We are committed to finding the right fit for our children.
Communications Committee, Carrie Brown, Chair
The Communications Committee is looking to start a photography group. Are you interested in photography and would like to join a team to document the life of Embry Hills UMC? If so, email carriewbrown@gmail.com
Board of Trustees, Andy Strain – Co-Chair
· Roofing replacement of the Education building is 99% finished and will be completed within the next few weeks.
· The Chapel AC needed some additional work and has been completed.
· Additional research and consideration for the replacement/upgrades for the sanctuary HVAC is underway.
· Near-term and long-term projected repairs/replacements have been identified and prioritized -against our available resources (this work is being done in conjunction with Finance)
· We are continuing to look for ways to make our campus more inviting and more usable for a variety of needs, both personally and as a community
Serve Team, Victoria Stoddard – Director
· Trinity T.E.A.M. Dinner: Led by Sylvia Bell and Jim Deichert, about 17 EHUMC folks prepared and delivered a Trinity T.E.A.M. (Together Everyone Achieves More) dinner to the gentlemen of Trinity House and then some took part in a very meaningful exchange with them over Zoom in late June. The exchange of personal stories was a deeply moving experience as we quickly found common ground: stories of challenges, struggles, triumphs, and inspiration. Trinity House is a residential program in downtown Atlanta that works with men who have addiction issues and/or were homeless and are working their way back to a normal life. There are plans to participate again soon.
· American Red Cross Blood Drive: EHUMC's June blood drive welcomed 54 community and congregation members as donors and finished the day with 59 pints donated--our goal was 40! Even better, 5 first-time donors took part! Mark your calendar for August 23 (2-7 pm), appointment times are available now. Healthy donors are strongly encouraged to make an appointment through rcblood.org/appt, using our donation site code “embryhills”. You may also use this code through the “Blood Donor by American Red Cross“ app or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
· Spirit of Giving: Wellroot Family Services expressed gratitude for approx. $100 worth of new school supplies for the foster families they serve. New school supplies are still being collected for NETWorks Cooperative Ministries and Snax Sax for Kids schools. Hearty soups/stews, low sodium soups, and non-perishable gluten-free foods are also being collected for Wesley Woods Food Pantry. A cart for collections is available near the entrance to the Family Life Center on Sunday mornings.
Youth Ministries, Victoria Stoddard – Director
· Confirmation: On June 13, EHUMC welcomed 5 new Full Professing Members to the membership roll. The Confirmation Class of 2020 started classes in Fall 2019. Together they decided not to hold Zoom classes and together they all persevered with a full-year delay in the process. They participated as a group in worship planning and composed a Call to Action Prayer Card for in-person congregants to take home.
· Service Project with Clarkston UMC: Six Youth Ministries folks joined a small team from Clarkston UMC last week to help that church prepare space for a non-profit to use in their work with the refugee community. A bonus was getting a treat across the street from Refuge Coffee, who trains and employs refugees while paying them a living wage.