ANNOUNCEMENTS  

*  Server, Acolyte & Eucharistic Visitor (EV) Training: Servers, Acolytes and EVs have a unique and important history in our tradition. Each fills a unique calling in worship that goes back thousands of years. It has been a while since we have had dedicated training for these ministries. We know that in worship everyone wants to do things correct and uniformly. Thus, we will have two training sessions on the weekend of January 27-28th, 2018: Saturday morning at  9 AM and Sunday immediately following the  10:30 service. Please mark your calendars now for this important training. We thank each of you who serve for your time and dedication. We also invite anyone who desires to serve or has questions to join us on this training weekend.

*  Year End Statements:  Statements will be available for pick up after both services on Sunday.

*  Annual Meeting Luncheon:  Thanks are due to the many people who cooked and cleaned.  The cooks were Linda Boyd, Susan Maxon, Marlene Nivens and Jerry Wertz with Charlie Jenkins and Tony Fugate helping set-up. Desserts were provided by Erin Balco, Barbara Cooper, Kelly Halley, Judy Mullins, and Cheryl Saylor.  Tea was provided by Chong Saile.  Accolades for clean-up go to Tony Fugate, Jim McCarthy and one of our youth, Zoe Tilly.  Thanks to all who contributed - we raised $171.

*  Youth Meeting - The next meeting for Youth ages 6 and up will be  Sunday, February 4 from 3 - 4:30 pm in the Parish Life Center.  Any questions, please contact Chris Butterworth at c [email protected]

*  Episcopal 101 :  Continues from  9:30-10:15.   Fr. Gary is offering an introductory course, Episcopal 101, for new and established members of the Episcopal Tradition. We are a tradition rich in scripture, history, heritage, literature, art and so much more. Fr. Gary's class will journey through our history, the Sacraments, prayer and how they intersect with our world today. Please mark your calendar to attend these classes and learn some new things about our tradition.

*  Souper Bowl Of Caring:  is youth across the nation working to fight hunger and poverty in their own communities around the time of the Super Bowl.  On Sunday, February 4th, our children will have a soup pot available for you to drop your money into.  Dig deep in your pockets for loose change and bills!  All donations go to CAM (Crisis Assistance Ministry).  Please see Carol Wertz if you have any questions.

*  Save the date: All Saints Outreach will host a "Summer Blast Picnic" fundraiser on Saturday, June 2nd from 5-8. Please put it on your calendar and plan to attend. More details will follow!

*  Annual Giving : If you have not returned your pledge sheets we encourage you to do so. We appreciate your gifts in our corner of God's Kingdom.

*  2018 Sign Up Sheets:  For Coffee Hour, Altar Guild and Altar Flowers are on the bulletin board in the FLC.   Coffee Hour hosting can be as simple as drinks and cookies.  Coffee hour is provided to have fellowship with our parish family.  Please sign up or call the church office to add your name to the list (704-864-7201).

*  Cooking for the Army : On Saturday, Februaru 10th , parishioners will gather at  9AM  to cook approximately 700 meals for The Salvation Army & Cornerstone Ministry. We are always in need of more hands to assist in this life-giving project since "more hands make light work." If you are interested in this ministry, please contact the church office and we will put your name on the monthly e-mail reminder.

* Cookbooks :   $5.00   If you don't need a cookbook, but would like to help our Outreach committee reach their budget goal, consider buying a cookbook to donate to our newcomers committee. Any donated cookbooks will be included in the welcome bag we hand out to newcomers. 

*  Lenten Study:  Beginning on Saturday, February 17 and continuing every Saturday through March 24 (6 sessions total), we will have a  study entitled "The Great Teachings: From Disciple to Apostle, A Lenten Study Based on the Gospel According to John." The group will meet from 9am-11:00/11:30am. Written and led by Deacon Cris South (perhaps with a friend or two), it will build upon last year's study as we move deeper into our lives in Christ. Everyone is welcome so please feel free to invite adult family and/or friends, regardless of religious affiliation. Also please call the church office and leave your name and phone number or sign up in the lobby to register so we have an accurate count. This is necessary for making sure there are enough study guides and snacks for everyone. From the course Introduction..."From the example of humble service through the washing of feet in John 13 to the great priestly prayer in John 17, Jesus prepares them to take his mantle and continue his work. In these chapters, he reiterates his entire message one last time. In doing so, he invites all of us to move into that same apostleship under our Christ.  Although a Bible study, this course is meant more to be a deep self-study, relating the teachings to ourselves and our lives in ways that enlighten and empower. Rather than lectures, each participant is invited to be present in that "upper room" with Jesus as he teaches, using his last chance to make all of us understand. It is only through that understanding that we can move from being disciples (believers and followers) to becoming apostles (literally, a person sent forth) of Christ's church in the world. It is relevant to us today and is meant to lead us to an apostolic life in Christ, serving the world and transforming all that is around us with his love. The season of Lent is a perfect time to deeply examine our faith, to commit ourselves, to accept our responsibility as new (or perhaps RE-newed) apostles. We come into this quiet season of reflection, knowing that we follow our Christ into the power, agony, and glory of Easter, and into his great triumph." I hope to see many of you there!

*  Family Promise:  The remaining 2018 dates that we will be host to the Family Promise guests are 4/8, 8/12 and 11/4. Family Promise is a community program that provides housing and support to families that are less fortunate. All Saints is one of the original churches that helped establish this ministry more than ten years ago. We host families in this ministry four times a year at our parish facilities with assistance from the Redeemer Lutheran Church here in Gastonia. There are many ways to support this ministry. During hosting weeks we need parishioners to greet and engage guests, to provide homework and enrichment activities for the children, to prepare and serve dinner, and to spend the night.The other way that parishioners can assist these families is to donate items that our guests need. Suggested items to donate are clothes, detergent, toothbrushes and toothpaste, small first aid kits, hair products, soap and/or body wash, suitcases (both used or new), 10, 20, and 30 gallon storage tubs w/ lids, towels and washcloths (both used or new), bed linens (both used or new), family friendly movies or videos, board games, & craft supplies.  For more information, or to volunteer please contact Marc Dudley at 704-718-4044 or  [email protected] .

*  Bishop's Visitation: Our bishop, The Rt. Rev. José McLoughlin, will make his parochial visit on  Sunday, March 4, 2018. A bishop's visit is time for celebration as well as Baptism, Confirmation, Reception and Reaffirmation. For new members this is a time for being received or confirmed into your new faith community. Fr. Gary will offer a course, Episcopal 101, to assist anyone interested in better understanding our tradition.

* Parish Nurse Ministry  will be taking blood pressures after the 8:00 and 10:30 services on the second Sunday of the month.  Nurses interested in the parish nurse ministry please contact Cheryl Saylor, MSN. 

*  Bible Study:   The Wednesday Bible Study group has completed  Zealot - The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth by Reza Aslan.  We highly recommend this book for all of you to read.  The next book we will study is Language of God by Francis S. Collins.  Dr. Collins was Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute.  He positions science not as a substitute for theology but as a subset of it.  The book traces his personal path to God and explains how his faith affects his work.  The group meets on Wednesday at 10:00 in the Family Life Center.   If you would like to join us for this study and need a copy of the book, please contact Jerry Wertz at 704-577-9699. 

     - Tuesday & Thursday at 7:15PM:  Please join Dana Wolfe for a fun workout made for everyone.  The class that started the dance-fitness revolution and changed the way we look at a "workout" forever. It's fun, effective and best of all? Made for everyone!

for Coffee Hour on Parish Breakfast Sunday.  You do not have to provide any food, just set out the food left from breakfast.  Please sign up for this on the Coffee Hour sign-up sheet.

*  Towel Ministry Coordinator :  All Saints Towel Ministry funds and builds handicap ramps and does other small building projects for those in Gaston County who have a need.  If you are a good organizer and understand basic building techniques All Saints could use your services as our new Towel Ministry Coordinator.  You are not expected to do all the work, just take requests, assemble the teams and help out the citizens in our community who need help.  If interested please speak to Fr. Gary.

* Choir Rehearsal:  Sunday mornings at 9:25 am. 

*  Food Pantry:  Please help us restock the shelves!  Through your generosity, we have been able to help many families and individuals. 

*  Preaching ROTA (rotation) at All Saints: We are blessed at All Saints to hear three different voices in preaching. Each one of our clergy; Gary, Cris and Martha, have experienced the world and see the world differently and through different lenses.  Because our community is made up of different people from different experiences we need to hear different voices. At All Saints, Deacon Cris preaches on the 3rd  Sunday of each month, Deacon Martha preaches on the 1st  Sunday of alternate months, and Fr. Gary preaches the other Sundays. We hope you find the different voices fulfilling in your spiritual journey.

*  Church Financials: The Vestry wants to make sure that all parishioners are aware that the monthly financial reports are posted on the bulletin boards in The Family Life Center. If you have any concerns or questions please contact Phill Wertz or Fr. Gary.  Thank You!

*  Why Do You Love All Saints?  Who here loves All Saints?  Do you want to tell the world why you love being a part of the All Saints family?  Please help us spread the word about our congregation by telling your All Saints Story.  All Saints Stories will be published on our website:  AllSaintsGastonia.org as well as our facebook and twitter pages.  To submit your story, go to AllSaintsGastonia.org and click "All Saints Stories" under the Parish Life tab.  If you can, please submit a photo with your story.  

* Prayer List:  Our prayer list grows rapidly.  We ask all parishioners to keep the office informed so that our prayer list remains current and manageable.

The First Lesson: Deuteronomy 18: 15-20

Thomas Aquinas is the greatest theologian of the high Middle Ages,
and, next to Augustine, perhaps the greatest theologian in the history
of Western Christianity. Born into a noble Italian family, probably in
1225, he entered the new Dominican Order of Preachers, and soon
became an outstanding teacher in an age of intellectual ferment.

Perceiving the challenges that the recent rediscovery of Aristotle's
works might entail for traditional catholic doctrine, especially in its
emphasis upon empirical knowledge derived from reason and sense
perception, independent of faith and revelation, Thomas asserted that
reason and revelation are in basic harmony. "Grace" (revelation),
he said, "is not the denial of nature" (reason), "but the perfection of
it." This synthesis Thomas accomplished in his greatest works, the
Summa Theologica and the Summa Contra Gentiles, which even today
continue to exercise profound influence on Christian thought and
philosophy. He was considered a bold thinker, even a "radical," and
certain aspects of his thought were condemned by the ecclesiastical
authorities. His canonization on July 18, 1323, vindicated him.

Thomas understood God's disclosure of his Name, in Exodus 3:14,
"I Am Who I Am," to mean that God is Being, the Ultimate Reality
from which everything else derives its being. The difference between
God and the world is that God's essence is to exist, whereas all other
beings derive their being from him by the act of creation. Although,
for Thomas, God and the world are distinct, there is, nevertheless,
an analogy of being between God and the world, since the Creator
is reflected in his creation. It is possible, therefore, to have a limited
knowledge of God, by analogy from the created world. On this
basis, human reason can demonstrate that God exists; that he
created the world; and that he contains in himself, as their cause, all
the perfections which exist in his creation. The distinctive truths of
Christian faith, however, such as the Trinity and the Incarnation, are
known only by revelation. 

Thomas died in 1274, just under fifty years of age. In 1369, on
January 28, his remains were transferred to Toulouse. In addition to
his many theological writings, he composed several eucharistic hymns.
They include "O saving Victim" and "Now, my tongue, the mystery
telling."