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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

      

The All Saints Messenger
August 17, 2017
In This Issue
  

Gary
Greetings in the name of  Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,

Is there anyone who hasn't felt the hurt that comes from being snubbed? Rejection is the  unkindest cut of all. In our reading, a woman with an agonizing family problem steps outside her religious comfort zone and comes toward Jesus with the cry, "Have mercy!" Her plea is met with--silence! If there is to be any answer at all, she will have to wait. And wait some more.

What Christian hasn't experienced this? You pray, but wonder if anyone is listening. You get the feeling that few, if any, of your prayers go anywhere but up into thin air. You wonder why God seems to be hiding from you. The silence this woman met didn't snatch hope from her soul. She let her faith carry her past uncertainty, past silence, past rejection, past humiliation and right into those words of Jesus, "Great is your faith!" Her daughter's inner torment found instant healing. God heard her cry, after all. Times of silence can let us know just how carefully God is listening.

Heather Heyer's (the young woman killed in Charlottesville this past weekend) mother could easily have slipped into a state of God not hearing her in her grief over her daughter. Instead, she rose up and challenged all of us to accountability for what is going on in our world today. She shared one of her daughter's facebook posts which said, "If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention." Sounds like Jesus to me calling us to love and forgive our neighbor always ensuring us that he is with us, listening to us and loving us. By sharing her pain, grief and hope Heather and her mom reminds us that God is with us always, always listening and always active in our world.

Gracious God, We ask that our courage not back up, nor let up, nor give up. Keep our faith grounded in your faithfulness. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

See ya Sunday,
Gary+

Don't forget your backpacks and school supplies!


The Fall session of EfM is coming up quickly.  EfM is a four year program from The University of the South, Sewanee.  It is a wonderful way to study the Bible, history and theology.  EfM has two new Mentors, Don Stine and Adam Nygren.  If you are interested in joining in the fun, please contact one of these Mentors as soon as possible.  We will continue to accept applicants up until September, with the understanding that it could delay you getting your books.  
If you have any questions, please contact 
Don at 704-691-4089 
Adam at 980-285-0915.
ANNOUNCEMENTS  

*  Children's Christian Formation:   Our first organizational meeting for our new youth program is this Wednesday, August 23rd at 6:30PM.

*  Last Friday Get Together: August 25th at 6PM.   A pot luck & Bingo night. Bring a dish and be ready to play!!! Food, fellowship, and fun! T his will be an evening for getting to know one another better, laughing together, and celebrating the fellowship that is All Saints! Please mark your calendars and join us. PS: If you have games hidden in your closet that you would like to donate to the church for future events, please feel free.

*  Parade of Tables:  Saturday, September 23rd from 6 - 8:30PM.  This is an outreach event that raises money for our church. It is an elegant evening with friends and includes dinner, a band and an auction. Church members host a table that is decorated in various themes. The table hosts sell tickets for a seat at their table. There are usually 12 to 15 tables and each ticket is $25.00 dollars. This includes appetizers, dinner and desert as well as great music and an auction. We will also sell raffle tickets for 2.00 a ticket and a 50/50 cash prize.  The evening is very enjoyable and full of fun. Please feel free to contact Lee and Casey Allison if you have any questions. All proceeds go to support our All Saints Outreach Programs.  Tickets: $25.00 per person.  Please let your table host know if you need babysitting as we can have it available.  

* Choir Rehearsal:  will resume this Sunday, August 20th at 9:25 am

*  Food Pantry:  Please help us restock the shelves by bringing in the following items: canned meat, soups, canned vegetables and fruit. Through your generosity, we have been able to help many families and individuals. 

*  Thank You:  The Forbes family thanks the Towel Ministry for the beautiful new walkway built for Rob Forbes this past weekend.  We are grateful and blessed by your love and hard work beyond words.  Thank You!!

*  Blessing of the BackpacksCalling all students, Kindergarten-College and all teachers and professors!  On Sunday August 20th, Fr. Gary will have a "Blessing of the Backpacks" for all those who are returning to school (in any capacity).  Bring yourselves, backpacks, computers, briefcases, etc. for a blessing and start out your school year with the Blessing of God!  We will also be collecting backpacks, pencils, crayons, glue sticks and any other school supplies to donate to Pleasant Ridge Elementary that we support through the Backpack Ministry.  

*  Preaching ROTA (rotation) at All Saints: We are blessed at All Saints to hear three different voices in preaching. Each one of our clergy; Gary, Cris and Martha, have experienced the world and see the world differently and through different lenses.  Because our community is made up of different people from different experiences we need to hear different voices. At All Saints, Deacon Cris preaches on the 3rd Sunday of each month, Deacon Martha preaches on the 1st Sunday
 of alternate months (next time is in September) and Fr. Gary preaches the other Sundays. We hope you find the different voices fulfilling in your spiritual journey.

*  Bible Study:  The Faith Club is a wonderful book that has generated excellent discussion.  It is not too late to join this group which meets on Wednesday morning at 10:00 in the Family Life Center library.  If interested in joining, get the book and come.

*  First Sunday of the month Coffee Hour:  We need someone to set up and clean up only for Coffee Hour on Parish Breakfast Sunday.  You do not have to provide any food, just set out the food left from breakfast.  Please sign up for this on the Coffee Hour sign-up sheet.

*  A liturgical change for the summer: We are currently rotating between three alternative Eucharistic prayers written by The Episcopal Church's Standing Commission on Liturgy & Music. The three prayers are in booklets placed in each pew. We hope these new prayers, with new images might help open the Eucharist in new and exciting ways for you. The plan is to return to the Prayer Book prayers in the fall. Other minor changes include: a different Gloria, the Contemporary Lord's Prayer (said not sung, also considered by some scholars to be the original prayer of our Lord), new Sanctus & Fraction anthems, and a new Great Amen.

*  Family Promise:  The remaining 2017 dates that we will be host to the Family Promise guests are 10/8 - 10/15. Family Promise is a community program that provides housing and support to families that are having to deal with an unfortunate time in their lives. All Saints is one of the original churches that helped establish this ministry more than ten years ago. We host families in this ministry four times a year at our parish facilities with assistance from the Redeemer Lutheran Church here in Gastonia. There are many ways to support this ministry. During weeks that we host our guests, we need parishioners to greet and engage guests, to provide homework and enrichment activities for the children, to prepare and serve dinner, and to spend the night.The other way that parishioners can assist these families is to donate items that our guests need. Suggested items to donate are clothes, detergent, toothbrushes and toothpaste, small first aid kits, hair products, soap and/or body wash, suitcases (both used or new), 10, 20, and 30 gallon storage tubs w/ lids, towels and washcloths (both used or new), bed linens (both used or new), family friendly movies or videos, board games, & craft supplies.  For more information, or to volunteer please contact Marc Dudley at 704-718-4044 or [email protected].

*  Needed:  Monetary donations for lettuce and carrots for the Salvation Army salads on Mondays.  Our lettuce in the garden has "gone over to the dark side...bolted".  Will be a month or two before the new crop is in.  Until then, we need donations for lettuce and carrots.  Each week, we use up one large bag of sliced carrots and 6 heads of lettuce.  Cost is about $8 a week.  Donations are needed to offset this cost.  Anyone willing to donate cash or a gift card to the project, please see Linda Klocker, 704-827-3901.  Checks should be made out to All Saints, garden fund.  Thanks for your generosity.  The clients at the Salvation Army really enjoy a fresh salad.

*  Diocesan Picnic:  Saturday - August 19th, 11am until 3pm at Valle Crucis Conference Center.  The diocese will provide hot dogs (regular & veggie) and lemonade, and each parish can bring dishes to share and a dessert for the dessert table. We will have lots of opportunities to play outside, enjoy the beauty of Valle Crucis Conference Center, hike, etc. Please plan to carpool if possible!


* 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. 

* Cookbooks:  $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. 

*  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.  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:  All Saints will host a Zumba Gold class on Fridays at 9am in the Family Life Center.  It will be taught by certified instructor Barbara Mooradian who has been teaching for 6 years. Especially suited to older adults or those with mobility issues or restrictions, Zumba Gold has all of the liveliness and fun of Zumba while being low impact and easier on the body. It can even be done while sitting!  Zumba Fitness is fun-filled, energetic, and contagious. You do not have to know how to dance; you just have to enjoy yourself and keep moving!  Classes will be $5 each and payable by the month. Come try it out. You will be glad you did. For more info email Barbara at [email protected] or call 808-281-7172. See you on Friday.

*  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!

*  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, August 21st - Team #4.  (Carol Maiden)

*  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.

*  Partnership: All Saints has entered into a relationship with the YMCA's Resource Connection Gateway.  This 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.

*  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.

 Upcoming Schedule  

 

August 18th:  Zumba

August 19th:  Diocesan Picnic

August 20th:  Choir Rehearsal Resumes

August 20th:  Blessing of the Backpacks

August 23rd:  Youth Christian Formation Meeting

August 25th:  Last Friday Get Together

August 29th:  Outreach Meeting

September 3rd:  Parish Breakfast

September 19th:  Vestry

September 23rd:  Parade of Tables

October 29th:  Worship & Picnic at Rankin Lake

This Sunday's Scripture Readings

The Collect

Almighty God, you have given your only Son to be for us a sacrifice for sin, and also an example of godly life: Give us grace to receive thankfully the fruits of his redeeming work, and to follow daily in the blessed steps of his most holy life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The First Lesson:  Isaiah 56: 1,6-8

Thus says the Lord:
     Maintain justice, and do what is right,
for soon my salvation will come,
     and my deliverance be revealed.
And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord,
     to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord,
     and to be his servants,
all who keep the sabbath, and do not profane it,
     and hold fast my covenant--
these I will bring to my holy mountain,
     and make them joyful in my house of prayer;
their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
     will be accepted on my altar;
for my house shall be called a house of prayer
     for all peoples.
Thus says the Lord God,
     who gathers the outcasts of Israel,
I will gather others to them
     besides those already gathered.

Psalm 67

1  May God be merciful to us and bless us, *
show us the light of his countenance and come to us.
2 Let your ways be known upon earth, *
your saving health among all nations.
3 Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, *
for you judge the peoples with equity
and guide all the nations upon earth.
5 Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
6 The earth has brought forth her increase; *
may God, our own God, give us his blessing.
7 May God give us his blessing, *
and may all the ends of the earth stand in awe of him.

The Epistle: Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32

I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew.

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Just as you were once disobedient to God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, so they have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy. For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all.

The Gospel: Matthew 15: (10-20), 21-28

[Jesus called the crowd to him and said to them, "Listen and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles." Then the disciples approached and said to him, "Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?" He answered, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit." But Peter said to him, "Explain this parable to us." Then he said, "Are you also still without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach, and goes out into the sewer? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile."]

Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon." But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, "Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us." He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me." He answered, "It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." Then Jesus answered her, "Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed instantly.
Saint Day / Feast of the Week

Saint Bartholomew the Apostle

Bartholomew is one of the twelve Apostles known to us only by his
being listed among them in the Gospels according to Matthew, Mark,
and Luke. His name means "Son of Tolmai," and he is sometimes
identified with Nathanael, the friend of Philip, the "Israelite without
guile" in John's Gospel, to whom Jesus promised the vision of angels
ascending and descending on the Son of Man.

Nothing more is heard of him in the four Gospels.

Some sources credit Bartholomew with having written a Gospel,
whose existence was known to Jerome and Bede, but which is lost
today. There is a tradition that Bartholomew traveled to India, and
Eusebius reports that when Pantaenus of Alexandria visited India,
between 150 and 200, he found there "the Gospel according to
Matthew" in Hebrew, which had been left behind by "Bartholomew,
one of the Apostles."

An ancient tradition maintains that Bartholomew was flayed alive at
Albanopolis in Armenia.


August 31st - Bob Forbes
September 1st - Bill Collins
September 2nd - T.J. Solomon
September 2nd - Jay Roberts-Miller
September 3rd - Jessica Woodward
September 5th - Justin Butterworth
September 5th - Jack Gaskey
September 5th - Lydia Kish
September 5th - Carol Maiden
September 6th - Lynne Stine
September 8th - George Sowersby
September 9th - Adam Nygren
September 11th - Susan Maxon
September 14th - Aiden Klocker
September 15th - Ryan Klocker
September 17th - Casey Allison
September 18th - Erica Baird
September 19th - Kathleen Sowersby
September 22nd - Joan Cieslik
September 26th - Rob Forbes
September 28th - David Outsen
September 28th - Laura Tilly
September 29th - Tyler Baird

Please let the office know if we have missed your birthday!
MINISTRY SCHEDULE  

2017
August 20
August 27
CHALICE/LECTOR
8:00 AM
Lee Wells
Dennis Bolin
CHALICE 
10:30 AM
Jim & Flo
McCarthy
Nancy Byers
Adam Nygren
LECTOR
Jack Gaskey
John Still
ACOLYTES
Phill Wertz
Noelle Martin
Sophie Martin
Lee Wells
Zoe Tilly
Autumn Jager
GREETER/USHER
8:00 AM
Kelly Morris
Linda Boyd
GREETERS/USHERS
10:30 AM
Bob & Sharon Tatlock
Gay Lindsey
Pete Laine
ALTAR GUILD
Glenda Carpenter
Allison Wells
BREAD
August
Jocelyn King
September
Chris Butterworth
ALTAR FLOWERS
Cathy Harvey
Linda Klocker
COFFEE HOUR
Deb Alzner
James Martin
Jerry Wertz
Linda Boyd
MORNINGSIDE
10:30 AM
Lee & Allison Wells
Jim McCarthy
Judy Mullins
SOUND TECH
John Woodward
Terry Eckard
LAY EUCHARISTIC
VISITORS
Jerry Wertz
Chong Saile
David McDowell
Adam Nygren
VPOD 8:00
10:30
Linda Klocker
Marc Dudley
John Woodward
John Still

Blessings & Peace,
Fr. Gary+

phone: 704-864-7201
Fr. Gary's blog: