They come from every state and many countries to get help. Every injury or ailment is unique as are the stories that go with them. They hale from dairly farms, major cities, coastal regions and mountain retreats. However, they all are hurting inside and out as they recover from spinal or brain related trauma or disease. And all of them live for a time right right across the street from our church.


We get together twice a month:

  • WELCOME BAGS
    We stuff and deliver welcome bags to Shepherd Place, usually the third Sunday of each month. To get our email updates, just send us an email.

  • COOKOUTS
    To host a cookout or special event at Shepherd Place, held the Tuesday after the welcome bags. This is a free cookout for fellowship and fun.

I'm talking about Shepherd Place, a tweleve appartment facility run by Shepherd Center, one of the country's foremost hospitals of its kind. These patients are in the middle of life-changing rehab at the hospital while learning to live independently with the help of their family or attendants.

What an amazing opportunity to love our literal neighbors, but these aren't just any neighbors. Every one of them has had their lives shattered and are desperately trying to pick up the pieces. Each of them is either asking or thinkg about life's deepest questions.

Thank you so much for your kind and caring hearts. You have a sweet Christian Spirit. The bags and cookout were really great!
-- Nona and Abbey Cameron

Shepherd Friends is a ChristChurch mercy minstiry that reaches out to these people. Every third Sunday we fill welcome bags with goodies, snacks, toiletries, drinks, cards, an invitation to ChristChurch and a Gospel of John. We walk these bags and knock on doors, talking to those who are home and leaving bags for each appartment.

We also have a special event each month a few days after we deliver the bags. From April to October we have a free cookout. In November we deliver Thanksgiving dinners and in December we deliver treats and Christmas carol among other things. Shepherd Friends was started in 1999.

These people are hurting physically be they are not very different from each one of us. They have stories to share, jokes to tell, and hopes and dreams for their lives. All who visit Shepherd place will see appreciate smiles and warm hearts reciprocating our generosity.

The need is great and the laborers are few. These appartments and Shepherd Center (next to Piedmont hospital) need people who care to volunteer a little time to help out. If you are interested in joining the Shepherd Friends minsitry please email George Wallace at george.wallace@mindspring.com.



Profile:
Shepherd Friends Coordinator

George Wallace and his family have been attending ChristChurch for eleven years. He served as deacon for 6 years and taught 4-year-old Sunday School for two. A paraplegic, George was injured in a motorcycle accident in 1983 when he was 19. He himself was a patient at Shepherd Center. He is married to Lee, and has two kids: Matthew, 7, and Anna, 5. His heart is to see ChristChurch reach out to their literal neighbors with such great needs. "It seems to me that God made this ministry very obviouse to our congregation," said George.

Please email George to get the monthly udpate for Shepherd Friends.


Site created and maintained by George Wallace at Best Case Websites

Photography by Carroll Morgan / Buckhead On-site Photography