Vibrant. Caring. Seeking. Compassionate. Thoughtful. Organized. Striving. Engaged in the lives of Broadway’s children. These are just a few ways to describe Rev. Emily Holladay, who is celebrating three years as the Associate Pastor (Families and Children) at Broadway. In three short years, Emily has done much to connect with Broadway’s families, to nurture family units, to host fellowship events, to help Broadway minister to the outside community, and to work behind the scenes on church communications and outreach initiatives.
To see Emily inside the church walls, you’ll find her smiling, engaging people of all ages in conversations, bending down on eye level to talk with the children, to share Bible stories with them, to ask them about their week, to play with them, or to pray with them. You might find her knee deep in a supply closet, organizing materials, or preparing for a big event such as the Easter Egg Hunt or the Fall Festival. Sometimes you’ll find her behind the screen of her laptop, creating schedules, researching children’s Sunday School curriculum, writing family Lenten or Advent devotions, or streamlining church-wide communications. You will find her sending first-time visitors a handwritten welcome note and a Heine Brothers gift card. You will also find her studying and writing sermons, or, on a Sunday morning, baptizing children, preaching, dedicating babies, sharing her musical gifts on the viola, praying, and serving communion. You will also find her talking with parents and grandparents, leading small group discussions on how to raise a family of faith. You’ll find her offering a listening ear, words of encouragement, or sharing in the inevitable laughter and tears that come with walking with families as their children grow into young people of faith.
Outside the church walls, you’ll find Emily cheering on the Cards, no matter the sport; but more importantly, you’ll find her hosting Broadway’s families with children in her home. You’ll find her volunteering to represent Christianity in a local school’s world religion unit guest panel. You’ll find her visiting children in the hospital before and after surgeries. You’ll find her taking children to fellowship outings at Sky Zone, Graeter’s, or to walk across the Big Four Bridge. You will find her handing out candy to hundreds of children trick-or-treating in Brown Park, or, later in winter, serving hot cocoa as she represents our church in the community at large. You’ll find her visiting the schools of Broadway’s children to have lunch with them. You’ll find her cheering on the sidelines of their sporting events or in the audiences of their school plays. She lets them know their minister cares about their lives and about them as people, not just as members of a Sunday School Class.
Whatever it is you find Emily doing, either inside or outside of the church’s physical space, know that she offers herself, daily, as the hands and feet of Christ to her Broadway Family, and particularly to the families with young children. We are very fortunate to celebrate three years of her wonderful service to Broadway this fall. Thank you, Emily!
-Shelly Jones
