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Christmas Worship at All Saints'
Join us for online services on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day as we welcome Christ anew into our world and into our hearts. Journey with us from Creation to Bethlehem as we hear the ancient story and sing hymns with the All Saints’ Adult, Youth and Children’s Choirs.
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Session Five of Adult Formation
Our fifth session of Adult Formation classes concludes this Sunday, December 20. It's not too late to join! Click here to view recordings from the past two weeks. As ever, we aim to invite the Holy Spirit’s transformation in our lives, deepening our faith for the sake of the world.
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Dear saints,
This past week the vestry and staff have been doing some reflecting on this most curious of years. I even had the opportunity to do so with a group of unsuspecting Rotarians as a guest speaker at one of the local clubs. I found myself raising up some lessons learned: improvise, early and often; accept that ’normal’ is always provisional; learn to see the remarkable resilience of human beings; and trust that in the end life will find a way to thrive. For the staff I added: never bring your dog to a meeting, it rarely ends well. During our Wednesday night ‘On Reflection’ broadcast, even the three men on the clergy team at All Saints’ managed to reflect with tenderness on how this year had helped us see our bodies in new ways. For me, change, including great, big change like a year of Covid-19, is a stretching experience. It expands our frame of reference and enlarges our scope of vision, not because we all of a sudden become wiser than we used to be, but in the slight and not so slight fissures we see where it is we now need to grow. In the words of the singer-poet Leonard Cohen I so love to recall, this Advent more than ever is a time to pay attention to what is between the cracks: ‘Ring the bells that still can ring, Forget your perfect offering, There is a crack, a crack in everything, That’s how the light gets in.'
Grace, mercy and peace to you all,,
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Week of December 20, 2020 |
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Sunday
10:00 a.m.
Service of Morning Prayer
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Christmas Eve
Thursday
4:00 p.m.
A Christmas Liturgy of the Word with Children’s Pageant
8:00 p.m.
A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols
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Christmas Day
Friday
10:00 a.m.
Service of Morning Prayer on Christmas Day
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Please note: Children's Church and Noonday Prayer are taking a break this week. |
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Children's Church and Children's Formation classes are taking a break for the holidays. We'll be back on Sunday, January 10!
Make sure to join us for the 4:00 p.m. service on Christmas Eve, which includes our Children's Pageant and music from our Children's Choirs.
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Middle and High Schoolers |
Youth Formation classes for 6th and 7th graders and Rite 13 for 8th graders are taking a break for the holidays, as are our high school small groups. We'll be back on Sunday, January 10!
Make sure to tune in to one of our Christmas Eve services to hear music from our virtual Youth Choir.
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Our online gatherings for 2020 have finished, and we're looking forward more time together in 2021! Sarah has also curated a list of holiday concert recordings.
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Prophetic Mysticism with Luther Smith |
Sundays, December 6, 13, and 20,
9:00-9:55 a.m., on Zoom
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Based on the writings and witness of Howard Thurman, 20th century mystic and mentor to Martin Luther King, Jr., we will pursue understanding the interrelationship between contemplative spirituality and activism for beloved community. This series is led by Luther Smith, Howard Thurman scholar.
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Sin: Our Eyes Gravitating in Choir with David Pacini |
Sundays, December 6, 13, and 20,
9:00-9:55 a.m., on Zoom
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Join Emory Theology Professor David Pacini for this series: “Sin is an important, if often overlooked, component of racial reconciliation. It is altogether tempting to account ourselves free of specific transgressions when confessing to one another. But from Paul, Augustine and Calvin to Jonathan Edwards, sin has been understood as a distortion of seeing from which none of us escape unaided. In the course of this class, we will use art history to discern the role of the conception of sin in informing and legitimating all forms of racism.”
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Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow: Worship in the Church with the Rev. Dr. Andrew K. Barnett |
Sundays, December 6, 13, and 20, 9:00-9:55 a.m., on Zoom |
As a sign, instrument, and foretaste of God's kingdom, worship calls, gathers, centers, and sends us out for the sake of the world. Join the Rev. Dr. Andrew K. Barnett for a conversation about the Anglican liturgy - and please bring your opinions!
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Sundays (ongoing), 9:00-9:55 a.m., on Zoom |
Join this ongoing discussion of the news of the day and how we are called as Christians to respond in the public arena, in our private lives, and in our prayers.
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The Journey with the Rev. Karen Evans |
Wednesday, 10:00-11:00 a.m., on Zoom |
The Journey is a Bible study exploring the biblical journeys and what they have to say about our own. We’re currently exploring the journeys of Christmas in Matthew 1-2 and Luke 1-2.
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Looking Ahead
Our next session of Adult Formation classes begins on Sunday, January 10. Here's what's coming up (click each link to learn more):
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Many of our classes are recorded and available to watch on our website. The videos from Sunday are posted on Tuesday.
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Service and Social Justice |
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American Red Cross Blood Drive at St. Luke’s
Wednesday, December 30,
10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
The American Red Cross is facing a critical need for blood donors! Medical conditions and emergencies don’t stop for the holidays or a pandemic, and local hospitals are struggling. All donations are tested for COVID-19 antibodies and donors will receive a long-sleeve Red Cross t-shirt (while supplies last). Masks are required, and social distancing is enforced.
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Coming in Mid-January 2021: Sacred Ground Small Groups
Sign up ASAP!
Sacred Ground is a film- and readings-based dialogue series on race, grounded in faith from the national Episcopal Church. We're creating All Saints' dialogue circles to learn, listen, and share stories in a brave space.
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Provide a Meal for the Men of Covenant Community
Available dates: Mondays, January 4, 11, and 18
We are at the heart of the giving season—and we invite your help with Monday dinners for the men of Covenant Community. While it is still not possible to join the men inside to share a meal, you can bring dinner to Covenant Community’s front door at any time during the day. After dinner, the men would very much like meet with you over Zoom!
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Epiphany Drive-Through and Canned Food Drive
Sunday, January 10, 1:30-3:00 p.m., in the Lower Parking Deck
Join Children's Ministries in bringing “a can in each hand" to our canned food drive. Our cans represent bringing gifts we have for others, just as the shepherds and Magi brought gifts for Jesus. This event will benefit Atlanta Food Bank, which will need to restock after helping so many families during the holidays.
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Let Your Light Shine for Epiphany!
In January, bring back your angel lanterns from Homecoming Sunday to celebrate Epiphany, the “Feast of Lights”! Take a picture of yourself with your lantern somewhere fun in your neighborhood and send us a picture in to share during our worship service on Sunday, January 10.
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Coming in January 2021: All Saints’ Connects Small Groups
All Saints' Connects Small Groups are gearing up again in 2021, with sign-up details coming in January. Whether you choose our monthly groups (once monthly for six months) or the classic weekly track (once weekly for six contiguous weeks, offered in Lent), we look forward to growing spiritually with you!
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Lifting Through Generosity |
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing: Please make your pledge to the church by the end of the year!
Click here to fill out the super-easy pledge card.
Thank you!
Danny and Louisa Johnson
Chairs, 2021 Annual Canvass
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Reminders
Four Ways to Give:
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Mail in a check. We receive the mail at the church each day at 634 West Peachtree St. NW, Atlanta, GA 30308.
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Pay online with a credit card. Click here to fill out the online form.
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Create a login for ACCESS:AllSaints’ and set up pledge payments, gifts, and recurring gifts from credit cards or a bank account. This feature also opens our online directory to you. You can view your own annual giving records and easily find phone numbers for friends you might want to contact. Plus, you can use this same login to access a free mobile app called Churchlife that allows you to give from your phone and connect with others in the parish. Click here to create an account (go to “Need a login? Click here.”). If you’d like to request assistance, please contact Betsey Gibbs at [email protected].
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Text to Give! On your phone, text “ALLSAINTSATLANTA General” to the number 73256 and fill in a dollar amount you want to give. For example, to give $50, send a text to: 73256 and in the message type “ALLSAINTSATLANTA General 50” (spacing is important). Standard text messaging rates may apply.
A note for those who make pledge payments by check
Please remember to write on the check memo line if this gift is to be directed to your 2020 or to your 2021 pledge…thanks! For more information, contact Betsey Gibbs at [email protected].
Year-End Giving
The year is swiftly coming to a close, but there’s still time to make a 2020 gift, pledge payment, or stock transfer. We must have all year-end gifts by noon on Thursday, December 31 (or postmarked by that date) for 2020 tax purposes. Stock transfers come to us without the sender’s name and we want to acknowledge your gift properly, so please let Ellen Hayes or Betsey Gibbs know the name of the stock and how many shares are being given. The information you need to make a stock transfer is below:
- Charles Schwab
- DTC #: 0164, code 40
- For Credit to Account: All Saints' Episcopal Church
- Account #: 1084-6679
Would you like a packet of offering envelopes with 2021 dates already marked on them for mailing in your pledge and gift checks? Email Ellen Hayes and we will mail you a packet of these: [email protected].
One more reminder:
Year-End Giving Statements will be mailed in mid-January 2021.
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PHOTO ALBUM: St. Nicholas Drive-Through Celebration! |
Last Saturday, some of the saints visited the parking deck to experience the magic of St. Nicholas of Myra!
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VIDEO: Advent Candle Lighting at Home with the Youth Choir |
All are invited to observe the liturgical season of Advent at home through a short Advent candle lighting video featuring songs and prayers led by the All Saints' Youth Choir. Gather four candles, arrange them in a circle to represent a wreath, and join us each week as we all watch and wait for the coming of the Messiah.
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Thank you to everyone who participated in this year's Giving Tree!
An astounding 256 people gave 529 gifts to children supported by Midtown Assistance Center, Emmaus House, FOCUS, and Refugee Ministries.
In addition, we have raised $12,000 in food gift cards for 120 former refugee families!
We're collecting food gift card donations until December 20. Every penny of each donation is used to buy a gift card to a grocery store in Clarkston called Thriftown, which is walking distance for our families and has an excellent selection of international foods.
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