All Saints' Episcopal Church Newsletter
November 29, 2020
Our Vision: A community living and growing in unity with God and all people through Christ.

Our Mission: To seek God in reverent worship, service to neighbors, gracious hospitality, and the pursuit of wisdom.
Here are the latest opportunities to strengthen
your faith and connect with the community

Trouble Finding Our Services Online?

Join us Sundays at 10:30 am for Holy Eucharist and Wednesdays at 6 pm for Evening Prayer. Each service will be streamed or uploaded to our YouTube page, but sometimes the video is not easy to find.

  • From our church website, www.allsaintsrussellville.org you can click on the graphic at the bottom of the page that links to YouTube. There you will also find the service bulletins.
  • If you're late to the service, don't worry! We have it enabled for you to rewind the service while we're live so you can start from the beginning.
  • If you miss the service completely, we will post the links on Facebook and our website once the video is done processing on YouTube.
  • If you would like to request a DVD of the previous services please let our office know.
  • Please feel free to interact during the broadcast in the comment section.

If you are having trouble finding the video, go to the All Saints' YouTube page, click on videos tab under the All Saints' page. Then you should see the Live video. If the time of the service arrives and the video is not active, simply refresh the page. Make sure to subscribe to our channel, where you'll receive alerts when we go live or have new videos. We look forward to seeing you online!

Services This Sunday

Due to the rising number of cases of Covid-19 in Pope County, we will have two services this Sunday morning. The 10:30 am Eucharist will be streamed online. A noon service of Morning Prayer or Antecommunion will be offered in the All Saints' parking lot, with the service being broadcast into cars via an transmitter to 98.9 FM. You can find printed bulletins on the small table upon entering the parking lot next to the offering box. This way everyone can remain safely in their cars while still gathering. Then a 4 p.m. service will be offered via Zoom for our Karen and Clarksville community. The link can be found here:
Practicing Hope: An Advent Tree
 
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."
1 Peter 1:3

As we approach the Advent holiday, we have an opportunity to cultivate hope in our lives.

A metal tree has been placed to the left of the outdoor altar and will remain in place through Advent. Feel free to come to the outside altar and say your own prayers for this Advent Season. Then write what you are hopeful for on a strip of fabric (which is provided, along with markers), either tying or clipping the fabric to the branches of the tree. As a community we will create a tree full of our hope.
Practicing Hope: Our 2020 Advent Program
Advent is a time to prepare ourselves for the coming of the Christ child, to look inward and cultivate the spiritual qualities that characterize the Christian life. One of these qualities is HOPE. Hope is different from optimism. Optimism is the belief that things are not really as bad as they may seem. Hope, on the other hand, looks unflinchingly at the world as it truly is and, yet, still believes that God is at work making all things new.

2020 is a year in which we need hope, perhaps even more than we have in the past. Living Compass is devoted to helping people live lives marked by wholeness and wellness -- in our relationships, spirituality, physical health, vocation, resilience, organization, rest & play, and emotions. This year Living Compass is offering the program Living Well Through Advent 2020: Practicing Hope with All Your Heart, Soul, Strength, and Mind. The themes to be explored include Hope is a Decision, Being a Messenger of Hope, The Power of Hope, and Grounding Our Hope in God.

All Saints' invites you to participate in this Advent offering. There is a written devotion for each day. You can find the booklet of these devotions here or by clicking on the booklet image below. If you prefer, you can sign up here to have the devotion delivered to you daily by email. A few copies of the devotions will be available on Sunday mornings at the drive-in service.

You are also invited to participate in a Zoom group that will meet three Wednesdays in Advent (December 2nd, 9th, and 16th) at 6:30 pm to share our insights about Christian hope. The link for these Zoom meetings is as follows: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85177742465.

Feel free to invite others who may be interested in participating!
Saying “Thank you” at Christmas

Every Holiday season we have the opportunity to show appreciation to the clergy and staff of All Saints’ with a gift of money from the Parish. A donation for these gifts can be mailed to the church office (501 South Phoenix, 72801) or placed in the red collection box at the drive-up
services anytime before December 14. Please write Christmas Gift in the memo line of your check. Gifts will be divided equally among the clergy and office staff; if you prefer to remember one staffer, you can do that directly.

Thank you for joining me in saying thank you in this way to our deserving staffers.

Carolyn McLellan
Senior Warden
Face Mask 2
Face Masks Available

With increasing numbers of Covid-19 in the River Valley, we still have cloth masks on hand for anyone who made need them. Please contact the office and we can drop them off on your front porch or mail them to you.
Sacred Ground Training to begin December 3rd on Zoom

Join us for our next session of Sacred Ground training offered from the Episcopal Church. This will take place on Thursdays at 6 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. on Zoom and facilitated by Melissa Simpson. Join our Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/4666537026753855

Emails will go out tomorrow, November 27, to those interested on how to log in and start reading/watching the videos. Please contact Melissa if you're interested.

WHAT IS THE SACRED GROUND RACE DIALOGUE SERIES?
  • Sacred Ground is a sensitive, prayerful resource that creates space for difficult but respectful and transformative dialogue on race and racism.
  • It invites participants to walk back through history in order to peel away the layers that brought us to today, reflecting on family histories and stories, as well as important narratives that shape the collective American story.
  • It holds as a guiding star the vision of beloved community – where all people are honored and protected and nurtured as beloved children of God, where we weep at one another's pain and seek one another’s flourishing.

We will engage over 10 sessions using films, videos, written materials and each other as a group study. There is no cost to join and only two books to purchase if you'd like to do so. Everything else will be provided online through an online portal to the Episcopal website. This is not limited to just Episcopalians attending. Everyone is welcome. Visit their website to read more on it https://episcopalchurch.org/sacred-ground

Dates are:
December 3, 10, 17
January 7, 14, 21, 28
February 4, 11, 18

For more information please contact Melissa Simpson at mleasimpson@gmail.com. Previous attendees were Rhonda Wolf, Nancy Smith and Brenda Smith if you have any questions about the material.
Young Adult Survey

All Saints' would like to hear from our 18 to 35 year old members and guests on programs they'd like to see in the future. Please take a moment and fill out this survey.
Join us for evening prayer on Wednesdays on YouTube or Facebook at 6 p.m. This week we had Melissa Simpson lead us in worship for the feast day of Sojourner Truth.
Neighbors Table Thanksgiving!

Our Neighbors Table Thanksgiving celebration was a huge success! The team of great cooks from New Prospect Church, with turkeys from Central Presbyterian Church and a little help from All Saints', created a delicious meal. We are still hearing compliments about the delicious meal we were able to serve.

We have a simple soup meal planned this week, and are looking ahead to our Christmas feast, December 19. We give grateful thanks for the abundant support that our church and our community provide this ministry. Please remember Neighbors Table in your prayers. If you’d like
to join our team of joyful workers, just text or call Catherine at 479-264-4346. We follow safety precautions from start to finish. We’ll find a time and task that suits you, and show you how we do it now.
Bath Soap, Cereal & Milk, Toothbrushes & Toothpaste, Feminine Hygiene Products for Loaves and Fishes

Loaves and Fishes, a part of the Neighbors Table ministry, asks for donations of bath soap to provide to our guests. Also needed are soft and medium toothbrushes and toothpaste. Cereal and shelf stable or dry milk are also requested by our guests. There is also a need for feminine hygiene products.

Due to Covid precautions, Neighbors Table asks that you bring your
donations to All Saints’ Episcopal Church on Saturdays between 9:00 AM and 12:30 PM. Please place your gifts in the Loaves and Fishes Wagon at the door outside Sutherland Hall. As a reminder, you can support Neighbors Table with a donation to Food Ministries in the Giving tab
at the All Saints’ webpage.
Faith and Reason Sunday School

Join the Faith and Reason class every Sunday at 9 .m. Lead by Bill Parton and Paul Gray

Use this link to join the Zoom meeting:
Meeting ID: 958 5975 7730
Passcode: 1234

Meeting should open around 8:50am.
Practicing Prayer
New Time 5:15 to 6:15

We’ll begin with 20 minutes of silent prayer and then continue our discussion of Thomas Keating’s book, Manifesting God, p. 34. To receive a Zoom invitation, please email Catherine Crews, catherine.crews@icloud.com, with your contact information. All are welcome!
Enneagram on Zoom

The Enneagram in Love and Work by Helen Palmer, weekly book study, begins October 6th on Zoom at 7pm-8:30 pm.

Meeting ID: 886 1035 0105
Passcode: 867714

All are welcome. While the book is helpful you do not have to read it to participate. The leaders are Suzanne Alford, Sheila Jacobs and Rhonda Wolf. 

If you have questions please call or email Rhonda Wolf at (719) 650-6021 or rhondawolf@live.com

Please celebrate the following birthdays this week with us: Michael Gillum, Pedro Garza, Kristen Hodges, Mary-Ann King, and Joy Pohl.

O God, our times are in your hand: Look with favor, we pray, on
your servants as they begin another year. Grant that they may grow
in wisdom and grace, and strengthen their trust in your goodness
all the days of their lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For those celebrating an anniversary this week: Pat and Mike Roys.

O gracious and everliving God, look mercifully upon your servants who come to renew the promises they have made to each other. Grant them your blessing, and assist them with your grace, that with true fidelity and steadfast love they may honor and keep their promises and vows; through Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Please let the office know if your birthday or anniversary has been missed.
Remembering in your Prayers
 
Weekly Prayers:

We pray for Miguel, Jon & Pam, Lisa, Nancy, Kenneth, Melissa, Bruce, Barbara, Teresa, Walter, Joseph, Dave, Jenny, for all who have contracted the Covid-19 virus, and for those who have lost loved ones in the pandemic.

Long Term Prayers:
 
Sandy Britt, Jack & Carol Lee, Charlie Busch, the Busch Family, Susan Durham Shelton, Bernice & Carina, Tom Munson, Don Cave, Tom Tyler, Arthur Hastings, Isaac, Sarah Lee, the Kellner Family, Rodolpho, Bernice, Marilyn Tischhauser, Bob, Robby, Israel Delabra, Wyatt Sherman, Ann McCorkle, Jeffrey & Jennifer Whitehead, Jordan Hein & family, and Kenny.

To request changes or updates to our weekly or long term prayer list, please contact our office at allsaints@allsaintsrussellville.net
Readings for First Sunday of Advent
Please click on the blue scripture to link to the readings

The First Lesson

The Response

The Epistle

The Gospel
All Saints' Staff

The Rt. Rev. Larry Benfield - Bishop of Arkansas
The Rev. Teri Daily - Rector
Tim and Kristin Smith - Music Ministers
Melissa Simpson - Director of Christian Formation for Children, Youth, and Young Adults 
KaDee McCormick - Parish Administrator
Sherrie Cotton - Administrative Assistant
Marcia Van Horn, Ron Anderson - Office Assistants
 
All Saints' Vestry & Officers
 
Carolyn McLellan - Senior Warden
Don Hill – Junior Warden
Ron Anderson – Junior Warden
Mary Ellen Patton
Thomas Parton
Diane Yarbrough
Elaine Tise
Brandon Etzkorn
Rudy Delabra

Lori Price - Treasurer
Sherrie Cotton - Secretary
Giving at All Saints'

During this time of social distancing and staying home, it is important that we are still able to support our parish and our community through our financial gifts. Contributions may be mailed to the church office or to give online, go to allsaintsrussellville.org and click on GIVE located on the bottom of the web page. You can designate your donation toward a specific ministry or our general fund.