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Upcoming Events


Wednesday, September 4

9:30am + 10:30am Miss Anne's Music Class / Patio


Thursday, September 5

12:15pm Pray for the Saints/ LIB


Friday, September 6

10:00a+ 11:00a Miss Anne's Music Class / Patio


Saturday, September 7

10:30am Codependents Anon.


Sunday, September 8

8:00am HE Rite I Service

10:30am HE Rite II Service with Baptism

11:45pm Youth Group Meeting and Lunch / Patio



Monday, September 9

10:15am God Within Group / LIB



Tuesday, September 10

10:00am Staff Meeting / LIB

10:00a+ 11:00a Miss Anne's Music Class / Patio

7:00pm Executive Committee

Sunday, September 8



8:00am Holy Eucharist Rite I in the Chapel

10:30am Holy Eucharist Rite II with Baptism


Our nursery is available for infants through age 3 during the 10:30am service. Children's activity bags will be available during the 10:30am outdoor service.

 

Our livestream is available to watch during the 10:30am service on our website, facebook page, and youtube page.

A Reflection from Scott Hayes



As you know, September marks the start of many activities in the church. Various groups are planning their year, and the diverse ministries are coming to life! It’s inspiring to witness these new beginnings as each one adapts and evolves with the changes in society and the engagement of our community.

 

The same is true for All Saints’ cherished choir program, now celebrating its remarkable 125th year. Established in 1899 as the Choir of Men & Boys, the program was created in anticipation of a new church building, which stood from 1901 to 1960. The choir spent nearly two years in rehearsal before making its debut at the first service in the new building in 1901. This founding marked a significant evolution in All Saints’ music ministry, transitioning from a professional quartet to a Men & Boys choir—a popular trend in the late 19th century and a first for Richmond at the time.

 

All Saints looks very different today compared to its earlier days, whether in 1899, in 1957 when the River Road building was constructed, or even just 10 years ago. The music ministry has also evolved, and it’s time to officially align the program with the current reality of our choirs. If you’re sitting in the pew, you might not notice much of a difference—most of these changes were already in place as the choirs returned after the pandemic. However, the names and some of the internal structures will be updated.

 

The first major change is that the Boys Choir and the Girls Choir will officially merge into a single group called the All Saints Choristers Choir. We’ve been operating this way since 2021, and it’s been wonderful to see each choir’s traditions continue in a unified and distinctive way. The Choristers will be supported by an auditioned schola, which will be adjusted based on the number of trebles in any given year.



The second change is that the Men’s Choir and the Parish Choir will merge into a single mixed ensemble called the All Saints Choir. This decision reflects the reality that the choirs shared most of their singers, making it impractical to continue holding separate rehearsals for two distinct groups.

 

This change marks the end of an important era—the Men & Boys Choir will no longer exist. In many ways, it had already ceased to function as such before I joined All Saints in 2016. This shift mirrors changes happening in other Men & Boys Choirs around the world, from St. Paul’s Cathedral in London to Trinity Church in New Haven, CT. In these places, the tradition continues through combined Boys & Girls choirs, and these ensembles are beginning to flourish. I pray the same will happen at All Saints. This next chapter is exciting and positions our choirs for numerical strength as we move into the future.

 

For more details, please refer to the Q & A available here. As we make this transition, we invite you to join us in a spirit of prayer and open dialogue. We’re all in this together, and Ben and I are here to listen to your concerns and answer any questions you may have.

 

Soli Deo Gloria!

 

Scott Hayes

Director of Music

School Supply Drive: Thank You!

 

We want to send a big thank you to everyone who donated school supplies to support Anna Julia Cooper School. Tyronn and Winston delivered them last week and had four great helpers to bring them all inside.

Faith Formation Resumes September 8

 

Faith formation resumes on September 8th, at 9:15am in Thornton Hall. We will begin with a 4-week study of the Book of Ruth. Please bring whatever Bible translation you normally use and join us for conversation, learning, and laughter. Coffee and breakfast snacks provided. And, please come when you are able. You don't need to attend every session if your calendar does not permit. 

Men's Club Returns September 16

 

The Men’s Club will begin their monthly dinners again on Monday, September 16 at 6pm. They will meet in the Parish Hall for dinner, fellowship, and a speaker. More details to come!

Hymnathon: September 27, 28, & 29

 

Support the choirs as they raise funds for scholarships for our 2025 trip to Scotland by joining the challenge to sing all 720 hymns from the Hymnal 1982! The Hymnathon will kick off at 5:00 PM on Friday, September 27, continue at 8:00 AM on Saturday, September 28, and conclude after church on Sunday, September 29. Everyone is invited to join us as we sing at least one verse of every hymn in the hymnal!

 

Sponsorships are essential to the success of the Hymnathon, and we aim to cover all 720 hymns! Hymns are priced based on their “popularity”—less common hymns start at $10, while favorites go up to $150. We’d greatly appreciate your support in helping us reach our goal!

 

If you have a favorite hymn you'd like to sponsor, please check the list to see if it’s still available. You can choose as many hymns as you’d like. Email Scott Hayes or call the office with your selections.

 

If you prefer to support scholarships in general, feel free to make a donation of any amount, and we’ll assign hymns for you. All donations will be acknowledged in the printed Hymnathon booklet.

 

Payments can be made by check or online. For checks, please make them out to All Saints and include “Hymnathon” in the memo. For online payments, select “Scotland Trip 2025” as the fund and include “Hymnathon” in the memo.

 

Stay tuned for more details about the anticipated time each group of hymns will be sung, so you can join us for your favorites!

Blessing of the Animals: September 29

 

Our annual blessing of the animals service will be held Sunday, September 29 at 5pm outdoors on the patio. Bring your pet, a picture of your pet, or even a special stuffed animal for a blessing. We will also be collecting dog and cat food (dry and wet), cat toys, and towels (new or used) for the Richmond SPCA.

Sacred Ground Program

 

St. Mary's Episcopal Church invites All Saints members to join its third Sacred Ground program. Sacred Ground is a "film- and readings-based dialogue series on race, grounded in faith. Small groups are invited to walk through chapters of America’s history of race and racism, while weaving in threads of family story, economic class, and political and regional identity." It will begin on Monday, Oct 14th, at 5:30pm, and it will run for 11 weeks (breaking for holidays). The group will meet at St. Mary's. To learn more or to register, please contact Samuel Bruce at sbruce2@richmond.edu.  

Are You Called to be a Delegate?

 

Do you love a long meeting? Are you interested in the granular details of how the church is organized across central and northern Virginia? Face it, are you an Episcopal geek? Perhaps you would enjoy being a Delegate from All Saints to the Annual Convention of our Diocese of Virginia. The Convention will gather Thursday, 7 November, through Saturday, 9 November, in Fredericksburg for worship and fellowship, to elect various officers, and to consider the budget and other legislation. Ben and David will attend along with two delegates selected by the Vestry. If you are interested, or have questions, please contact Ben or Senior Warden Blair Bruch.

Do You Like to Sing? Join Us in the Choir!

 

As schools resume in the next few weeks, it’s time to start thinking about All Saints Choirs resuming rehearsals! We’re always looking for new singers of all ages and voice parts. If you, or anyone you know, has a voice they’d like to share in worship, please consider joining us! 

 

Boys & Girls Choirs will resume rehearsal on Thursday, August 29, 5:30 – 7:30 PM. And the Men’s & Parish Choirs will resume at 7:30 PM on September 5You can find out more about the choirs here!

 

Questions? Ask Scott Hayes, Director of Music at shayes@allsaintsrichmond.org or at 288.7811.

Consider Becoming an Acolyte

 

Acolytes are an important part of our worship service and we are looking for new acolytes! Beginners are given easy tasks and work their way up adding new responsibilities. Schedules are flexible and training is provided. We accept any grade level-it's never too late!



Contact Anne Blackwell at 804-317-3036, annefblackwell@gmail.com or look for us in the Cloister every Sunday before the 10:30 service.

All Saints Garden Guild

 

Want to get your hands dirty? The All Saints Garden Guild is reforming. Help with the regular upkeep of our many beautiful gardens. Lots of different tasks, something for every ability. Come when you can. Any time you can give is appreciated. No previous experience needed. No long-term commitment. Email our Junior Warden, Gretchen Jones, to sign up or ask questions.

Children's Chapel Volunteers Needed

 

Calling all volunteers! Assistants for Children's Chapel are needed on Sundays and spread joy to our little ones. Whether you prefer to be a smiling presence, lead the lesson and prayers, or get creative with crafts, your involvement level is entirely up to you. Volunteer with us Sundays from 10:15 to 11:15 am and shine like a star in the hearts of our young worshippers! Email Whitney Reid at wreid@allsaintsrichmond.org with any questions.

 

Click here to signup.

Welborne United Methodist Food Pantry Donations


Welborne is in great need of food donations for their food pantry. Please consider picking up a few items during your next grocery trip and donating them to the green shed outside of the All Saints Playground.


Click here to view Welborne's Facebook page where they post important updates as well as their current needs.


If you are interested in volunteering at Welborne, please email Mark Wilcox at mbwmsi@gmail.com


CURRENT FOOD PANTRY NEEDS:

Canned pasta like SpaghettiOs or Chef Boyardee

Canned fruit

Evaporated milk

Mashed potatoes

How to Contact Us


8787 River Road, Richmond, Virginia, 23229

(804) 288-7811

allsaintsrichmond.org


The Rev. Ben Robertson, Rector

The Rev. David Curtis, Deacon

Scott Hayes, Director of Music

Daniel Stipe, Principal Organist

Winston Hazlegrove, Parish Administrator

Natallia Chyhryna, Financial Secretary

Sam Robinson, AV Coordinator

Melissa Taylor, Preschool Director

Tyronn Wilkins, Building & Grounds

Nick Brata, Director of Youth Ministries

Whitney Reid, Director of Children & Family Ministries

Judy Kronimus, Nursery Director

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