High school sweethearts, Angela Maki and her husband Eero, married after college and eventually settled in Atlanta to raise their family of three boys. They attended the Lutheran church, following Eero’s family tradition.
When their son Henry turned two, Angela needed a preschool close to home. Her kitchen window faced Shallowford’s parking lot, so the choice was easy.
One Easter Sunday morning, when Angela announced it was time to put away the Easter baskets and head for church, five-year-old Henry asked, “What church are we going to, yours or mine?” Angela replied, “The Lutheran church, of course.”
“That’s not my church!” said Henry and then pointed to Shallowford. “That’s my church!”
Henry and his brothers thrived at Shallowford Presbyterian School where they had friends and caring, nurturing teachers. Angela appreciated the convenience, so they decided to give the church a try.
They soon realized that with a church close to home, they could be more engaged not just on Sunday mornings, but also in weekly activities, fellowship or study groups, choirs, dinners, community service, and all sorts of offerings.
“We fell in love with the people, the worship services, the programs for youth and really found a place for all of us,” said Angela. “We raised our kids in this church. They went to Vacation Bible School, joined Shallowford Youth, and went on choir tours. They’re in their early 20s now, but when they’re home, Shallowford is part of home.”
“What keeps us at Shallowford is the community of people and the wonderful friends we made,” she continued. “We came for the family; we stayed for ourselves.”
