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 |
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The All Saints Messenger
May 4, 2017
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Greetings in the Name of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
Having just returned from an Alumni Council meeting in Sewanee and reading the passage from John for this Sunday brought to mind a classmate of mine. He graduated seminary with all of us but he decided to stay in Sewanee and not seek ordination because Sewanee had become a great place of growth and transformation for him. He had become contemplative and listened to the Spirit in new, exciting and different ways.
My classmate stayed, got married, and built a sheep farm. Chris & I (sometimes Emma) stay with him and his bride once in a while when we return and stay in a small apartment above the shed and art studio. We often wake up to the sound of his voice calling the sheep as he and his faithful sheep dog command them to move through the pasture. It is a special sight and experience. What was amazing was how he could easily call the sheep in and lead them where he needed them to go. Chris, Emma & I often laugh about the times our friend let us try to call them as the sheep ignored us.
Our gospel reading says, "When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice." What does it look like in your faith-filled life to listen to the voice of the shepherd? Where are you following this shepherd? Where are you being led in your life of faith--for the sake of the kingdom here and among us?
Faithful God, open our ears that we may hear the voice of the great shepherd and follow as we are led into greater faith and greater opportunities to proclaim the name of Jesus. Amen.
Fr. Gary+
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
* First Sunday of the Month: the loose offering from May 7th will go to benefit Camp Henry instead of Fr. Gary's discretionary fund.
* Mid-Week Service: All Saints "Service of Healing with Eucharist" is cancelled for Wednesday, May 10th. It will resume on May 17th.
* Music Fest: May 7th 3:00pm
, Bradley Memorial UMC. T
his program of choral music and hymn singing is sponsored by several churches in Gastonia. All Saints choir will be a part of this program. Please come out and hear some great singing and support the All Saints choir.
* Cookbooks: Mother's Day Special - $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.
* YARD SALE THANK YOU!! Our parish yard sale was a huge success thanks to all the many volunteers! We thank you for all you did the week before and at the sale
Saturday. It was definitely a "parish effort" and I think
Saturday everyone had a great time! I want to especially thank Jerry Wertz, Marian Watts and Linda Boyd for being at the church every day the week before the sale organizing and pricing all the items. We couldn't have been as successful without your efforts. Thanks again and start saving sale items for 2018! The Outreach Committee
*
The Wednesday morning Bible Study, which meets at the church at
10:00am, will be reading "An Altar in the World" by Barbara Brown Taylor. If this sounds of interest to you, please plan to join us.
*
Statements:
First quarter giving statements are available for pick up after both services on Sunday.
* Ministry Schedule: The 2017 May through August Ministry Schedule is on the table in the Family Life Center.
* Parish Breakfast
:
Sunday
morning breakfast will take place on May 7th. Sausage and eggs is the menu. If anyone has a special item they would like to bring, please sign up and let us know. Breakfast starts early for those attending choir practice (
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!
* Mother's Day Flowers
: If you wish to make a donation in Memory or in Honor of all mothers' or women who have guided, mentored and loved us, please fill out the form in Sunday's bulletin.
* Parish Picnic: We will have our Spring parish picnic with worship on May 21st at 10:30 AM at the waterfront shelters at Rankin Lake Park. We are hoping for great weather, great attendance, lots of fun, and good food. Chicken will not be provided so we ask people to bring main dishes, side dishes, salads and desserts.
* Family Promise: Family Promise is a community program that provides housing and support to families that are less fortunate. Our Family Promise guest will once again be with us starting
Sunday May 21st, and will be with us the entire week until
Sunday, May 28th. On the
Sunday they arrive, we need individuals to assist in unloading the trailer that contains the families' belongings, and on the following
Sunday we need volunteers to load the trailer. During the week, we like to have volunteers at the Fellowship Center when the guests arrive at
5pm. Then from
5:30pm to 6:30pm we find it rewarding to engage the children by playing games, coloring and other types of entertaining activities. Dinner is served to the families starting from
6pm, and each evening we need volunteers to prepare and serve meals. One of the most important duties that we require during the week is that someone be on the church premises from
8pm to 7am to ensure the families' safety and to assist in case of an emergency. The other way that parishioners can assist these families is to donate items that our guests need. This program is a wonderful opportunity to give families without a place that they can call home, a temporary sanctuary by providing shelter, substance and a bit of compassion. Any assistance that you might offer, rather it be in time, donations or other types of resources is greatly appreciated. For more information, or to volunteer please contact Marc Dudley at 704-718-4044 or
[email protected].
* CAM: June is CAM (Crisis Assistance Ministry) month for All Saints. CAM is a cooperative ministry of the greater Gastonia faith community and provides emergency food and financial assistance to those facing financial crisis or struggling with the burden of poverty. CAM needs financial assistance, food contributions, and volunteers. A shopping list and more information can be found on the table in the Family Life Center.
* 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.
* Vestry Meeting: Tuesday, May 16th at 7PM.
*
Work Day
:
We will have a parish workday on Saturday, May 20th at 8AM. Please put the date on your calendar and join us in sprucing up the church and the grounds. Many hands make light work! "Please don't fall for that voice that tells you someone else will do it"
* Pastoral Care: Tuesday, May 30th.
* 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. Yes, we are a little ahead of ourselves but the garden will be planted soon and before you know it, the beds will be covered in weeds. 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: Will resume on Friday, June 9th.
* New Partnership: New Life Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) has begun using space at All Saints for their worship services. New Life is a small parish of about 15 people who have recently lost their worship space in Charlotte. They are a liturgical church that celebrates The Eucharist weekly and our traditions share many common rites, rituals, symbols and theological underpinnings. The Vestry and Fr. Gary have been in discussions and negotiations with New Life for about six months and most of the details have been finalized. New Life will contribute to the financial needs of All Saints in this arrangement. New Life's services are held on Sunday evening at 7PM and on first Sundays they will gather in our parish hall for a potluck supper and worship beginning at 6 PM. New Life parishioners hope to participate in some of our ministries and attend some of our more unique services. Please give them a wonderful All Saints welcome! Any questions please contact Fr. Gary.
* 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.
* 2017 Pledge Cards: If you have not turned in your pledge card yet, please think about doing so. Pledge Cards are available in the Narthex. The Vestry thanks everyone for their generosity.
* Choir: Rehearsal will now be on Sunday mornings at 9:25am.
* 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, May 8th - Team #1. (Candy Albergine & Susan Marshall)
* 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.
* Fr. Gary's Blog: theway2016blog.wordpress.com
* Flower Ministry: We are looking for a volunteer to head up our Flower Ministry. It entails breaking down the large
Sunday flower arrangement into smaller arrangements
on Monday mornings. These smaller arrangements are then delivered to parishioners who are home bound or sick. Please let Debra know if you would be interested in this ministry.
* New Partnership: All Saints has entered into a new relationship with the YMCA's Resource Connection Gateway. This new 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.
* Christian Formation for Youth. If you have questions please ask Laura Tilly, Phill Wertz, or Fr. Gary.
* 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.
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| Upcoming Schedule May 20th: Parish Work Day May 21st: Service & Picnic at Rankin Lake May 30th: Pastoral Care June 27th: Outreach September 23rd: Parade of Tables |
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This Sunday's Scripture Readings
The Collect
O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of your people: Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him who calls us each by name, and follow where he leads; who, with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
The Gospel: Acts 2:42-47
Those who had been baptized devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.
Psalm 23
1
The
Lord is my shepherd; *
I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures *
and leads me beside still waters.
3 He revives my soul *
and guides me along right pathways for his Name's sake.
4 Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I shall fear no evil; *
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me; *
you have anointed my head with oil,
and my cup is running over.
6 Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, *
and I will dwell in the house of the
Lord for ever.
The Epistle: 1 Peter 2:19-25
It is a credit to you if, being aware of God, you endure pain while suffering unjustly. If you endure when you are beaten for doing wrong, what credit is that? But if you endure when you do right and suffer for it, you have God's approval. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps.
"He committed no sin,
and no deceit was found in his mouth."
When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.
Jesus said, "Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers." Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
So again Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."
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Saint Day / Feast of the Week
Harriet Starr Cannon
Religious, 1896
Harriet Starr Cannon founded the Community of St. Mary. Cannon
was born in Charleston in 1823 and was orphaned in 1824 when
her parents died of yellow fever. She grew up with her only surviving
sibling in Bridgeport, Connecticut, in the home of relatives. In 1851,
Cannon entered the Sisters of the Holy Communion, an order founded
by William Augustus Muhlenberg, Rector of the Church of the Holy
Communion in New York City. The Sisters were heavily involved
in the operation of clinics and care facilities that would become St.
Luke's Hospital in the City of New York. During her years with the
Sisters of the Holy Communion, Cannon served as a nurse.
Over time, Harriet Cannon yearned for a more traditional monastic
form of religious life. When agreement could not be reached with
Sisters of the Holy Communion, Cannon and a small group of her
sisters moved to form a new order. On the Feast of the Presentation,
February 2, 1865, Horatio Potter, Bishop of the Diocese of New
York, received from Harriet Cannon and her sisters the traditional
vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, at St. Michael's Church in
Manhattan. The sisters began life together as the Community of St.
Mary and Harriet Cannon became the Order's first Superior.
The apostolate of The Community of St. Mary began with nursing
and the care of women who had endured difficult circumstances. After
time, however, Mother Cannon and her Sisters became increasingly
committed to providing free schools for the education of young
women in addition to their medical work. The Community continued
to grow and developed girls' schools, hospitals, and orphanages in
New York, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.
The Community of St. Mary played a critical role in response to the
yellow fever epidemic in Memphis in the 1870's. Sister Constance and
her companions are remembered on September 9.
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May 5th - Emily Frazier
May 10th - Emma Butterworth
May 11th - Tim Whittaker
May 12th - Mike Mong
May 16th - Fred Ellison
May 16th - Randy Mullins
May 18th - LouAnne Hicks
May 18th - Oliver Baird
May 20th - Brett Brown
May 21st - Joshua Jager
May 26th - Courtney Brunder
May 26th - Charles Jenkins
May 29th - Abby Woodward
May 30th - Paul Balco
June 2nd - Susan Marshall
June 3rd - Karen Solis
June 5th - Susan Stroud
June 9th - John Still
June 15th - Brenda Bostian
June 17th - Claudette Forbes
June 17th - Cheryl Saylor
June 18th - Shelton Current
June 19th - Sophie Martin
June 21st - Carol Wertz
June 22nd - Theo Sloop
June 24th - Cathy Harvey
June 25th - Vic Cooper
June 27th - Lee Wells
June 27th - Emory Borner
Please let the office know if we have missed your birthday!
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MINISTRY SCHEDULE
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2017
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May 7
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May 14
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CHALICE/LECTOR
8:00 AM
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Brad Frazier
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Jim McCarthy
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CHALICE
10:30 AM
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Lee Wells
George Sowersby
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George Sowersby
Kyle Tilly
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LECTOR
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Marc Dudley
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Bob Forbes
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ACOLYTES
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Phill Wertz
Noelle Martin
Sophie Martin
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Sydney Wertz
Zoe Tilly
Emory Borner
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GREETER/USHER
8:00 AM
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Jim Howard
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Jerry Wertz
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GREETERS/USHERS
10:30 AM
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Sharon & Bob
Tatlock
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Candy Albergine
Marc Dudley
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ALTAR GUILD
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Marc Dudley
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Terry Eckard
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BREAD
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June
Kelly Halley
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ALTAR FLOWERS
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Jay Oden
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Mother's Day
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COFFEE HOUR
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Parish Breakfast
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MORNINGSIDE
10:30 AM
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C.B. Barr
Morningside Resident
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Pete Laine
Eileen Klimkowski
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SOUND TECH
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Terry Eckard
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William Graham
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LAY EUCHARISTIC
VISITORS
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Jim & Flo
McCarthy
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Lee & Casey
Allison
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VPOD 8:00
10:30
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Jerry Wertz
Phill Wertz
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Blessings & Peace,
Fr. Gary+
phone: 704-864-7201
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