This Week's Announcements
April 16, 2018
Message from the Rector
April 16, 2018 
 
Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you."   Then he said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you--that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled."  Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures,  and he said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day,  and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 
You are witnesses of these things."
Luke 24:36b, 44-48

In the days following Jesus's crucifixion, the disciples were pretty shaken, afraid, and wondered what just happened. There were a lot of questions and uncertainties going on in their minds. They were filled with disappointment. In the verses from Luke that precede this week's gospel reading, the two followers who met Jesus on the Road to Emmaus told the one whom they thought was a mysterious traveler about the things that had just taken place in Jerusalem: how Jesus, "a great prophet, mighty in deed and word before God and the people" had been handed over, condemned, and crucified. They told Jesus, "We had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel." They were hoping that Jesus would change the state of the world, the status quo. They had hoped that Jesus would rally and mobilize the people to take back their promised land from the Romans. They had hoped that the new way of life that he preached would catch on. They had hoped that he really was the Messiah. Imagine their disappointment when he was crucified.

But this week's gospel is what will help us dig ourselves out of the pits of life's disappointments. It begins with the comforting words of Jesus, "Peace be with you." Be at peace, because it's gonna be ok. Why are you frightened? Why are you doubting? Don't you see me here in front of you? "Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have." Jesus was real and very much alive for them; he even ate with them. Over 2,000 years later, we're still talking about it, so he did change the world--the disciples back then just couldn't see it yet. But Jesus gave them a road map to get the change started: "Repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in [the name of the Messiah] to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things." God works some of his greatest miracles in the midst of suffering, despair, and disappointment.

And that's how we survive when life disappoints us, because we are witnesses of these things. We are witnesses that Jesus the Christ is alive for us every day of our lives. Our story of how he is alive for us is exactly what Jesus told us to do: to proclaim his message to the ends of the earth. That's what gives hope to others who may have lost hope.

In this world in which we live, where we put so much emphasis on research, facts, and evidence to convince us that something is true, our testimony as Christians is our evidence. We do have a written record of Jesus and his Resurrection, of God's mighty acts in human history--The Holy Bible. But, when that doesn't seem to be enough, our personal stories will fill in the gaps. We must tell our story of how Jesus Christ comes into our rooms, opens the scriptures to us, breaks bread with us, and fills us with his peace. We must share how God is constantly made real for us, whether it is in our daily lives or at the Eucharistic table. We have to help others see that God is real for them too. We have to help them see that the resurrected Christ is real and present in their lives too. God loves me, and he loves you too. God feeds me, and he feeds you too. How do we do that? We can start by showing love to people who need to be loved. We can start by respecting ourselves and each other as children of God. We can start by feeding someone who asks for bread. We can start by making the real Christ real through our deeds and actions.

Can you see yourself in the room with the disciples? Can you see Jesus coming into your life, breaking bread with you and opening up the scriptures to you? Do you feel him clothing you with the power of the Holy Spirit from on high? What is your experience with the risen Christ? How will you tell the world that God is real?
 

Events this Week

Monday, April 16
7:30 PM - Monthly Vestry Meeting

Tuesday, April 17
7:00 PM - Bible Study
Smyrna: The Suffering Church

Wednesday, April 18
(Easter Feria)
7:00 PM - Low Mass
7:45 PM - Choir Rehearsal

Friday, April 20
(Easter Feria)
9:30 AM - Low Mass
7:30 PM - Estudio Bíblico

Saturday, April 21
12:15 PM - Senior Lunch Program

Sunday, April 22
(Fourth Sunday of Easter)
8:00 AM - Said Mass (Rite 1)
9:30 AM - La Misa en Español (Ordo Luterano)
11:00 AM - High Mass (Rite 2)
12:30 PM - Meeting of Signage Committee
1:00 PM - Confirmation Class
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Tuesday Evening Bible Study

Revelation: The Seven Churches of Asia
7 PM in the Rectory

Potluck dinner. Bring a dish to share.




April 10            Ephesus: The Loveless Church
April 17            Smyrna: The Suffering Church
April 24            Pergamos: The Compromising Church
May 1               Thyatira: The Adulterous Church
May 8               Sardis: The Dead Church
May 15             Philadelphia: The Faithful Church
May 22             Laodicea: The Lukewarm Church

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IMPORTANT UPCOMING MEETINGS
Signage Committee Meeting

Sunday, April 22
12:30 PM





The Signage Committee will meet on April 22, 2018 in the  nave following the 11:00 AM Mass to discuss permanent signs for the front lawn. It is very important to have input  from the widest possible cross section of our congregation. All members of the  congregation are invited to offer their views, ideas and comments. This meeting  is intended to have as much input as possible before a decision is made on a  permanent name sign as well as event display signs. Previous meetings  were poorly attended, but now that the construction is underway, it is hoped that  there will be more input from the congregation.
 
DRAWING TO BE HELD ON APRIL 22.
Please see a member of the Celebrations Committee or Fr. Whitmire for a ticket.
All money and unsold tickets must be turned in by APRIL 15.
Winner need not be present to be receive prize.
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SUNDAY, APRIL 29

COMBINED MASS
10:00 AM

Followed by a discussion of the responses
from the parish discussions during Lent.
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Parish Hall Construction Update

Installation of the new siding is almost complete. Ducts for the heating and air conditioning system are being installed in the lower level. Rooms continue to be framed. Thank you for your prayers and patience.




























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Your pledges are important.

In order for All Saints Church to continue its ministry and mission, we require an average weekly pledge of $4,000. This week we received $2,821. 
 
Did you know that you can pay your regular pledge and make other contributions to the General Church Fund online? Simply go to our church management page and set up a personal password. Once it is set up, you can contribute online and see the record of your contributions at any time.  Contributions can be made by e-check (preferred) or by credit/debit card, and are automatically credited to your church record within one or two business days.  Click here to be directed to our church management system. If you have any questions or trouble signing in, please send us an e-mail or call the church for assistance.
Update your information.
Actualiza tu información.
 
Please click below to be directed to our website where you can download the Demographic Information Form. You may attach it to an e-mail and send it back to the church, or place it in the designated box on the table in the rear of the church.
 
Por favor, haz clic abajo para dirigirte a nuestro sitio web donde puedes descargar la forma demográfica. Puedes adjuntarla a un correo electrónico y enviarla a la iglesia, o ponerla en la caja designada en la parte de atrás de la iglesia.
 

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Pastoral Care Opportunities offered by Pastor Leticia
Oportunidades de Cuidado Pastoral ofrecidas por Pastora Leticia

Sometimes we all need a listening heart to process the questions we face.

Give yourself the gift of a confidential conversation that is nonjudgmental, open to YOUR questions and spiritual challenges, and fully supportive of your life quest and spiritual needs.  Hard or challenging times need not be walked alone.  All Saints wants to be there for you, whatever the pain or need.

To schedule a conversation or visit, please call 718-350-9536 or 
click here to e-mail Pastor Leticia.



Hay tiempos cuando todos necesitamos un corazón que escuche para poder procesar las cuestiones que la vida nos presenta.

Date el regalo de una conversación confidencial donde no serás juzgad@, donde lo que importa son TUS preguntas y donde encontraras apoyo para tu búsqueda personal y tus necesidades espirituales.

En tiempos difíciles no es necesario caminar solo.  ¡Todos los Santos quiere estar ahí para ti!

Para acordar una convarsación o visita, llama al 718-350-9536 o envía un correo electrónico a Pastor Leticia, por tocar aquí .

EVENTS AROUND THE DIOCESE
STEWARDSHIP OF CHURCH PROPERTY  WORKSHOP FOR BROOKLYN & QUEENS

Saturday, April 21, 2018
9 am - 12 noon
St. Ann & the Holy Trinity, Brooklyn

The Rev. Andrew Durbidge,
           Real Estate Manager, EDLI
Mr. Haiko Cornelissen, Architect 


A new workshop on Stewardship of Church Property will take place on Saturday, April 21 at St. Ann and the Holy Trinity in Brooklyn, from 9 am to 12 Noon. 

Topics will include: property maintenance; capital improvements; leasing; and real estate development. The session will feature use of case studies and "on-the-ground" experience from the expert presenters. 

This workshop is the first in a series to be offered in different regions in the diocese.This particular version will address processes, procedures and regulations associated with church property management in the City of New York. 

There is no charge for this program. 

 
Growing to Give:
A Forum for Gardeners

Hosted by

April 21, 2018
9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.


This Forum will be a valuable day of learning for anyone involved or interested in the intersection of vegetable gardening, feeding the hungry, and action that works to heal the earth.

New gardeners and old pros alike will come away with ideas and techniques for starting, nurturing, and maintaining organic gardens. Whether you are growing for yourself or ready to explore ways you can help address food insecurity on Long Island, this forum is for you.

The day will highlight innovative agricultural movements happening on Long Island and also offer practical tips that can help your garden flourish. You'll be inspired and learn from a variety of speakers and experts including:

Plenary Speaker: Brian Sellers-Petersen, Author of Harvesting Abundance: Local Initiatives of Food and Faith

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OUTREACH
 
 
Donate to Disaster Relief in the US and Worldwide

In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in Texas & Louisiana and Hurricane Irma in The Caribbean and Florida, there are many places in need of disaster relief.  Natural disasters are happening all the time around the globe.  You can contribute to the many relief efforts through Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD).
 
OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS
COMING IN OCTOBER 2018
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