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Purpose

 

To be a Community where all persons will encounter the power and 

love of the Living God, through His Son, Jesus Christ.

 

Vision

 

All Saints Episcopal Church is called by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to...

 

·     Worship Jesus Christ

·     Learn and Teach His Word

·     Minister in His Name

·     Proclaim Him and Share the Blessing of His Love

·     Welcome All in His Name

      

The All Saints Messenger
June 29, 2017
In This Issue
  

Gary
Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,

That greeting to the beloved community of Christians in the Epistles of Paul has become an often used greeting in our tradition. For me, in light of our Holy Land Pilgrimage it carries much more meaning than ever before. In reality, everything about our faith, our Savior, His ministry and suffering has become for me so different, so real, so alive.

Our 13 days in The Holy Land were filled with sights, sounds, smells, experiences, prayers, liturgies and so much more that they cannot be condensed down into one column. Let me say for you that I have been changed...I have been transformed by this experience.

From gaining a new understanding that Jerusalem is indeed the center of the world to truly living in the midst of dynamic tension, to experiencing a million faithful Muslims making their way to pray to walking The Way of Sorrows, The Via Delarosa, The Stations of the Cross and experiencing this where it really happened was life-changing for me. (The image below is a 16th C map locating Jerusalem as the center of the world.)



As I wrote in my blog, "It will take years to fully process everything I have experienced here" and by then I hope to return again to gain an even deeper insight into this mysteriously, hauntingly, faithful place where the three Abrahamic Faiths come together and try to co-exist together. Sometimes well...sometimes not so much. But the important part is that they continually try.

For now that is my biggest learning, to arise every morning, give thanks and venture out into this amazing world trying to do what God has called me and all of us to do! May it be so!

Note: Some are wondering when a presentation will be made about The Holy Land. My guess is that there will be many presentations. There will be a presentation on Tuesday, August 15th at 10 AM with the Pacesetters.

See ya Sunday,
Gary+

  
The Fall session of EfM is coming up quickly.  EfM is a four year program from The University of the South, Sewanee.  It is a wonderful way to study the Bible, history and theology.  EfM has two new Mentors, Don Stine and Adam Nygren.  If you are interested in joining in the fun, please contact one of these Mentors as soon as possible.  The Group 
will register in Early July in order to get books on time.  If you have 
any questions, please contact Don at 704-691-4089  or 
Adam at 980-285-0915 .
ANNOUNCEMENTS

*  Aloha Friday...June 30th...food, fellowship, fun!!  Pizza party and games. Prize for the best hat.  Any children present will be the judges.  6:00-8:00PM. Be there or be square.  Contact Deacon Cris if you have any questions.

*  Cooking for the Army:  Saturday, July 1st at 9am.

*  Parish Breakfast:   Sunday morning breakfast will take place on July 2nd with pancakes (blueberry & pecan). scrambled eggs and sausage on the menu.  If anyone has a special item they would like to bring, please sign up and let us know.   Breakfast starts early ( 9:00) and continues until  10:00.  Hopefully we can get more  10:30 people to attend with these expanded hours.  It is a great time to relax and visit!

*  First Sunday of the month Coffee Hour :  We need someone to set up and clean up only 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.

*  Reminder :  All loose offerings from the first Sunday of every month are deposited into the Rector's Discretionary Fund.

*  Diocesan Picnic:  August 19th at Valle Crucis Conference Center.   The diocese will provide hot dogs (and lemonade) and each parish can bring dishes to share and a dessert for the dessert table. We will have lots of opportunities to play outside, enjoy the beauty of Valle Crucis Conference Center, hike, etc.   More details to follow...

* Choir Rehearsal:  will resume  Sunday August 20th at 9:25 am

*   Children's Christian Formation:  Our youth formation committee has been meeting and have decided to place Godly Play in a "Season of Reflection" for the upcoming year. In its place we will be using an Episcopal Church curriculum that is accessible to children and the adults leading it. Presently, we are in need of 10 or more volunteers and a coordinator. There is a sign up sheet in The Family Life Center.  At the conclusion of the 2017-2018 year we will assess where we have been with Godly Play and the new curriculum and plan accordingly. If you feel called and/or are interested in this very important ministry please see Fr. Gary.


*  A liturgical change for the summer: We are currently rotating between three alternative Eucharistic prayers written by The Episcopal Church's Standing Commission on Liturgy & Music. The three prayers are in booklets placed in each pew. We hope these new prayers, with new images might help open the Eucharist in new and exciting ways for you. The plan is to return to the Prayer Book prayers in the fall. Other minor changes include: a different Gloria, the Contemporary Lord's Prayer (said not sung, also considered by some scholars to be the original prayer of our Lord), new Sanctus & Fraction anthems, and a new Great Amen.

*  Family Promise :   The remaining 2017 dates that we will be host to the Family Promise guests are: 8/6 - 8/13, 10/8 - 10/15. 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] .

* 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. 

* Cookbooks:  $10  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. 

*  The Wednesday morning Bible Study , which meets at the church at  10:00am , is reading "An Altar in the World" by Barbara Brown Taylor.  If this sounds of interest to you, please plan to join us.

*  Food Pantry :  Please help us keep our food pantry stocked.  If you would like to give a monetary donation, we'd be happy to do the shopping for you.

*  Salvation Army Garden:  Planting of the garden is underway to provide vegetables for a salad each week or to use in the meals.   Charlie Jenkins is in charge of the garden along with a team.  We are in need of people/families willing to adopt 1 or 2 plots and do the weeding of those plots.  There is a sheet in the Family Life Center for you to put your name on a plot. In case you didn't know, All Saints provides the meal and fresh salad every  Monday  night at the Salvation Army.  The recipients are always very complimentary of the food provided.  The vestry representatives for the garden are Jerry Wertz and Linda Klocker.

*  Zumba:  All Saints will host a Zumba Gold class on Fridays at 9am in the Family Life Center.  It will be taught by certified instructor Barbara Mooradian who has been teaching for 6 years. Especially suited to older adults or those with mobility issues or restrictions, Zumba Gold has all of the liveliness and fun of Zumba while being low impact and easier on the body. It can even be done while sitting!  Zumba Fitness is fun-filled, energetic, and contagious. You do not have to know how to dance; you just have to enjoy yourself and keep moving!  Classes will be $5 each and payable by the month. Come try it out. You will be glad you did. For more info email Barbara at  [email protected]  or call 808-281-7172. See you on Friday.

*  Adult Christian Formation: We are studying "Great Figures of the New Testament." Our guide is the esteemed Jewish scholar Amy-Jill Levine who teaches at Vanderbilt University. What Ms. Levine brings to the table is a unique Jewish understanding of the New Testament, the culture and people of the day. She will take us on a journey of specific characters: who they are, what they do and how they have been assessed across the centuries. We begin at  9:25 AM. Please join us!

*  Parade of Tables:  Save the date!!  Saturday, September 23rd.  

*  Sign Up Sheets for coffee hour, altar guild and altar flowers are on the bulletin board in the Family Life Center.  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).

*  Salvation Army Service Schedule:  Monday, July 3rd - Team #3.  (William Graham, Pete Laine & Milton H.)

*  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.

*  Partnership: All Saints has entered into a relationship with the YMCA's Resource Connection Gateway.  This relationship enables us to help those in need more rapidly and efficiently while also addressing long-term needs versus only addressing immediate concerns.  If you would like more information please see Fr. Gary.

*  Salvation Army Serving:   If anyone is interested in serving at the Salvation Army on Mon. nights from 5:00 to 6:00, please contact Candy Albergine at 704-868-8691 or email  [email protected]. We have a couple of spots open and you will find this ministry is a true blessing to all involved. The schedule is on bulletin board in Family Life Center.

*  All Saints Sermons online: Thanks to John Woodward, our sermons are available in audio and video on our website at:  www.allsaintsgastonia.org/sermons
  
*  Free Mulch:  There are several piles of mulch in the upper parking lot that you are welcome to take.  We need to free up some parking spaces in that upper lot.  Please do not take the mulch by the shed as that is intended for the garden.  

*  Church Directory:  Available on the table in the Family Life Center.

*  Towel Ministry:  We are excited and thankful that Vic Cooper and Jim McCarthy have taken over the coordination of our Towel Ministry.  Please approach them and let them know your talents and availability when projects arise.

*  Building Use Policy:  Our buildings are being used more and more and scheduling conflicts are occurring.  Effective immediately, all rooms/buildings will be scheduled by the Parish Administrator by the submission of a form which is available at the office and will soon be available on the web site.  We appreciate your understanding realizing that this will improve our ability to serve our parishioners and ministries.

* Planned Giving: Programs for Outreach Ministries are an important part of our parish.  You can ensure the continuation of these programs by setting up an endowment or including a bequest in your will. The Episcopal Foundation of Western Carolina has set up "The Living Stones Society" to provide Education and training to all clergy and parishioners about setting up a program. For more information see Fr. Gary or call the foundation at 828-225-6656.
  
* Ministry Opportunities: There are a variety of Ministries available at All Saints including feeding at The Salvation Army, tending the Garden, Family Promise where we take care of those without a home for a week at a time, Altar Guild, Readers, Lectors, Acolytes, Chalicers, and many more. Everyone at All Saints is encouraged to serve in some way. Please let us know what you are interested in and we will put you in touch with the ministry coordinator. You can call the office (704-864-7201), email ([email protected]) or speak to Fr. Gary.

 Upcoming Schedule  

 

June 30th:  Zumba

June 30th:  Last Friday Get Together

July 2nd:  Parish Breakfast

July 4th:  Office Closed

July 18th:  Pacesetters

July 18th:  Vestry Meeting

July 25th:  Pastoral Care

August 6th:  Family Promise Arrives

August 15th:  Pacesetters (Holy Land Presentation)

August 19th:  Diocesan Picnic

August 20th:  Choir Rehearsal Resumes

September 23rd:  Parade of Tables

October 29th:  Worship & Picnic at Rankin Lake

This Sunday's Scripture Readings

The Collect
Almighty God, you have built your Church upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone: Grant us so to be joined together in unity of spirit by their teaching, that we may be made a holy temple acceptable to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The First Lesson:  Genesis 22:1-14

God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." He said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you." So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt offering, and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place far away. Then Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; the boy and I will go over there; we will worship, and then we will come back to you." Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. Isaac said to his father Abraham, "Father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." He said, "The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" Abraham said, "God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." So the two of them walked on together.

When they came to the place that God had shown him, Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order. He bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." He said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me." And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place "The Lord will provide"; as it is said to this day, "On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided."

Psalm 13

H ow long, O Lord?
will you forget me for ever? *
how long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long shall I have perplexity in my mind,
and grief in my heart, day after day? *
how long shall my enemy triumph over me?
3 Look upon me and answer me, O Lord my God; *
give light to my eyes, lest I sleep in death;
4 Lest my enemy say, "I have prevailed over him," *
and my foes rejoice that I have fallen.
5 But I put my trust in your mercy; *
my heart is joyful because of your saving help.
6 I will sing to the Lord, for he has dealt with me richly; *
I will praise the Name of the Lord Most High.

The Epistle: 
Romans 6:12-23
 

Do not let sin exercise dominion in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. No longer present your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and present your members to God as instruments of righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

What then? Should we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that you, having once been slaves of sin, have become obedient from the heart to the form of teaching to which you were entrusted, and that you, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to greater and greater iniquity, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness for sanctification.

When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. So what advantage did you then get from the things of which you now are ashamed? The end of those things is death. But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Gospel: Matthew 10:40-42

Jesus said, "Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple-- truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward."


Saint Day / Feast of the Week

Samson Occum
Witness to the Faith in New England, 1792

Samson Occum, the first ordained Native American minister, was born
a member of the Mohegan nation near New London, Connecticut
in 1723. By the age of sixteen, Occum has been exposed to the
evangelical preaching of the Great Awakening. In 1743 he began
studying theology at the school of congregational minister Eleazar
Wheelock, later founder of Dartmouth College.

Occum did mission work among the Native Americans in New
England and Montauk, Long Island. In 1759, he was ordained a
Presbyterian minister. In 1766, at the behest of Eleazar Wheelock,
Occum went to England, where he was to raise money for Wheelock's
Indian charity school. He preached extensively for over a year,
traveling across England, and raising over eleven thousand pounds
from wealthy patrons including King George III. When he returned
from England, however, his family, supposedly under the care of
Wheelock, was found destitute, and the school for which he had
labored moved to Hanover, New Hampshire, where it became
Dartmouth College. The funds he had raised had been put toward the
education of Englishman rather than of Native Americans.

Following a disagreement with the colonial government of Connecticut
over a lack of compensation for lands they had sold, Occum and many
other Mohegans moved to Oneida territory in upstate New York.
There, he and his companions founded the Brothertown Community.
In his day, Occum was renowned for his eloquence and spiritual
wisdom, and his work among the Mohegans of Connecticut, many of
whom became Christians under this guidance, which helped them to
avoid later relocation.


July 2nd - Danielle Witry McMillan
July 2nd - David McDowell
July 4th - Lana Ray
July 4th - Don Stine
July 5th - William Graham
July 6th - Kelly Morris
July 6th - Lee Allison
July 9th - Cheryl Richard
July 11th - Ofejiro Sido
July 15th - Lindsey Wells
July 15th - Amber Forbes
July 16th - Debbie Birk
July 16th - Dorothy DeCristofor
July 16th - Josie Polhemus
July 19th - Judy Mullins
July 23rd - Martha Richard
July 25th - Connor Kish
July 25th - Eileen Klimkowski
July 26th - Bob Tatlock
July 26th - Flo McCarthy
July 30th - Wayne Butler
July 30th - Alice Braddy

Please let the office know if we have missed your birthday!
MINISTRY SCHEDULE  

2017
July 2
July 9
CHALICE/LECTOR
8:00 AM
Lee Wells
Dennis Bolin
CHALICE 
10:30 AM
Jim & Flo
McCarthy
Terry Eckard
Jack Gaskey
LECTOR
Adam Nygren
Marsha Ellison
ACOLYTES
Cheryl Richard
Lydia Kish
Randy Mullins
Lee Wells
Noelle Martin
Zoe Tilly
GREETER/USHER
8:00 AM
Laurie Stewart
Kelly Morris
GREETERS/USHERS
10:30 AM
Sharon & Bob
Tatlock
Bob & Claudette Forbes
ALTAR GUILD
Marc Dudley
Glenda Carpenter
BREAD
July
Jay Oden
August
Jocelyn King
ALTAR FLOWERS
Sid Brandon
Kelly Morris
COFFEE HOUR
Parish Breakfast

MORNINGSIDE
10:30 AM
C.B. Barr
Morningside Resident
Jim McCarthy
Eileen Klimkowski
SOUND TECH
Terry Eckard
William Graham
LAY EUCHARISTIC
VISITORS
William & Priscilla Graham
Jerry Wertz
Chong Saile
VPOD 8:00
10:30
Lee Wells
Marc Dudley
Jerry Wertz
Glenda Carpenter

Blessings & Peace,
Fr. Gary+

phone: 704-864-7201
Fr. Gary's blog: