All Saints Episcopal Church
Fr. Christopher Wilkerson, Rector
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100 N. Drew Street, Appleton, WI 54911
920-734-3656 (office) or 920-249-4147
allsaintsappleton@gmail.com
Parish Office Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-3pm
Celebrating Our Life Together in Christ
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Please scroll down to the bottom of the page to see
the schedule of servers for upcoming Sundays.
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From Fr. Christopher Wilkerson |
My dear family in Christ,
This week, we launched the latest course in our ongoing Living Christianity faith formation series: an extended workshop focused on discerning our specific spiritual gifts. As I introduced the course and laid out some foundational concepts, I realized that much of what we covered last Monday applies to the nature of just being Christian and trying to live a Christian life -- particularly, the work of discernment.
In The Episcopal Church, broadly speaking, we tend to associate the word “discernment” with some very specific activities: rector searches, the elections of bishops, capital campaigns (or just general stewardship), &c. But probably seven or eight times out of ten, when people in Episcopal circles bring up discernment, we’re going to assume that they are talking about exploring a potential “call” to Holy Orders (to priesthood, in the vast majority of cases). Naturally, y’all will be able to think of exceptions, but I’m pretty confident in my claim that when most Episcopalians hear “discernment,” they think about a possible call to the priesthood.
That, my dear friends, is terribly unfortunate! Not the call to priesthood itself, obviously -- we still have quite a priest shortage across The Episcopal Church; there are many more full time positions for priests throughout the country than there are priests to fill them. What is unfortunate is that, in our boots-on-the-ground practice in our Church, we end up restricting the work and practice of discernment only to those folks who feel that God might be calling them to ordained ministry. Now, why is that unfortunate? Precisely because the work (and joy!) of discernment is what every single Christian is called, invited, and indeed commanded into in the sacrament of Holy Baptism!
It is not an overstatement to say that the entirety of the Christian life is meant to be defined and profoundly shaped by the constant, consistent, and ongoing practice of discernment.
Read more...
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From the Senior Warden, Stephanie Gadzik |
Thank you for your financial stewardship
On behalf of the vestry and the finance ministry team, we express sincere thanks and gratitude for the pledges of financial support for 2025. One of the many things I understand better about our financial planning after taking a turn as senior warden is the difference between our types of income. Pledged income is expected giving, or the promise of financial contributions received between January and December, on any schedule the donor wants to follow, for example, one sum total gift or many small gifts throughout the year. Plate income is unplanned giving, gratefully received in the offertory plate on Sundays from unknown sources. Nonpledged Giving is received from known sources in the offertory plate on Sundays, or anytime in the mail or online. It is always up to each household to determine the amount to give, how to give, and when to give. All gifts are gratefully received for what they are - a gift willingly given that when combined, supports this parish and all its financial responsibilities.
In our budgeting process, as we plan for the very practical details of maintenance, insurance, salary, and supplies, our revenue is forecast with a combination of specific pledged dollars and a conservative educated guess of plate and nonpledged income based on previous years’ activity. I am pleased to share that for 2025, we have received pledges totaling $248,250 and we have forecast $2,900 plate income and $20,000 nonpledged giving to create the 2025 budget. (Note: the plate income from the first Sunday of the month is for the Rector’s Discretionary Fund so the budget forecast for plate income is based on totals collected the last 3-4 weeks of the month.)
The final financial result of this year's stewardship campaign was:
50 pledges received
21 pledges were increased
18 stayed the same
5 decreased
2 did not renew
6 new pledges were received
Thank you for all these gifts, and I must acknowledge the other thoughtful and kind gifts that are received all year long and not necessarily reflected in our operating expenses, like purchasing gas for the lawn mower and mowing the lawn, donating a new coffee pot, making wreaths to hang, filling our planters with flowers, laundering linens at home, and the many hours you expend providing services for our parish. The list goes on and on. These big and small contributions keep us moving forward. I observe these tasks as gifts of beautiful obligation and shared responsibility that benefit our community. Thank you, everyone! Thank you, thank you!
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Sunday, Jan. 26 is our Annual Parish Meeting! We'll have one service at 9:30 am, followed by a potluck lunch and the meeting in Kemper Hall. This year's meeting will not be livestreamed, but a virtual version of the packet will be sent out next week for those who want to look over the reports ahead of time.
Business includes ministry reports; election of vestry members and delegates to the Diocesan Convention; and presentation of the 2025 budget. Come and participate in making All Saints a thriving parish!
- To bring food for the potluck, please sign up on the bulletin board or contact the office.
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If you have a report for the Annual Meeting packet that hasn't yet been submitted, please send it to the office by Monday, Jan. 20.
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It's time to refresh the list of names that we pray for during the Prayers of the People on Sundays. Please contact the office to let Emily know which names from the current list we should continue to include. | |
Fiber Night is back! Our next gathering will be held on Friday, January 17 at 6:30 pm. Join us in the Palmer Room for an evening of crafting and fellowship! Bring along any portable handcraft you'd like to work on (or want to get help with). Tea and refreshments will be provided. Contact Sarah Gilbert for more info.
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Livestream Volunteers Needed |
Are you good with computers? Would you like to help make our services accessible to people who can't come to church in person? Join our team of livestream volunteers!
The job involves streaming the 10:30am Sunday service (plus some special services like Christmas Eve, Easter, etc.) to the All Saints Facebook page; adjusting camera angles as needed for different parts of the service; and sharing Powerpoint slides at appropriate points during the stream. Training will be provided. If this sounds like something you'd be interested in, please contact the office or any of our current volunteers (Ken Bozeman, Pete Gilbert, Craig Jackels, and Pam Sealy) for more information.
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We are excited to share our outreach intentions for 2025. The following organizations will be the focus of donations and collections throughout the calendar year:
- Fox Valley Humane Society
- Fox Valley World Relief
- Jake's Network of Hope
- Harbor House
All of these organizations serve individuals, families, and animals in need throughout the Fox Valley. Keep an eye out in the newsletter and bulletin board for more information and collection timeframes.
Of course, All Saints parishioners continue to serve meals at Salvation Army and Pillars, donate food items to St Joe's Pantry, and raise funds for local organizations through our “Music at All Saints” program.
"All Saints seeks to fulfill Jesus' call to serve the poor, needy and oppressed in our community and beyond. We do this through regular volunteer opportunities, and donation of items and resources to meet specific needs coordinated by charitable organizations in our community."
Collectively, we are meeting our call from Jesus to love one another.
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Parish Birthdays & Anniversaries
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REMINDER: If you'd like to have your birthday or anniversary recognized, please contact the office.
January Birthdays
1/1 - Carolyn Crawford
1/7 - Fr. Patrick Twomey
1/15 - Jim Padley
1/17 - Andrew Fischer
1/23 - Bill Crabb
1/24 - Laurie Leonard
1/30 - Chris Mitchell
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Diocesan & Community Events | |
From Stephen Leader Julie Holly |
Are you or someone you know in need of confidential Christian caregiving? If so, please contact Julie Holly, Stephen Leader, at 920.809.2416 (c), 920.731.6896 (h), or email her at jmholly76@gmail.com. You may also contact Fr Christopher at 920.266.9262 (Pastoral Care Line), or Paul Van Duser, Pastoral Care Team Leader, at 847.287.2321.
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Calendar of Upcoming Events | |
All Saints Weekly Schedule
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NOTE: Even if you don't have a Facebook account, you can still view the livestreams or any other information on the All Saints page by clicking the links below.
Wednesday, January 15
E-newsletter out
5:30-6:30 pm Rector's Office Hours
6:30 pm Holy Eucharist
Thursday, January 16
12:30 pm Faith Talk (Zoom)
Friday, January 17
6:30 pm Fiber Night
Sunday, January 19
8:30 am Holy Eucharist (in-person)
9:30 am Choir Rehearsal
10:30 am Holy Eucharist (in-person and Facebook livestream)
Monday, January 20
11:30 am Bible Study (Zoom)
6:30 pm Living Christianity
Tuesday, January 21
9:30 am Holy Eucharist
11 am -12:30 pm Rector's Office Hours
6:30 pm Vestry Meeting
Wednesday, January 22
5:30-6:30 pm Rector's Office Hours
6:30 pm Holy Eucharist
Thursday, January 23
12:30 pm Faith Talk (Zoom)
Sunday, January 26
8:30 am Choir Rehearsal
9:30 am Holy Eucharist - note time change (in-person and Facebook livestream)
11:30 am-2 pm Potluck & Annual Meeting
Monday, January 27
11:30 am Bible Study (Zoom)
6:30 pm Living Christianity
Tuesday, January 28
9:30 am Holy Eucharist
11 am -12:30 pm Rector's Office Hours
Wednesday, January 30
E-newsletter out
5:30-6:30 pm Rector's Office Hours
6:30 pm Holy Eucharist
Thursday, January 31
12:30 pm Faith Talk (Zoom)
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Sunday, January 19
Second Sunday
after Epiphany
8:30 am
Lector/Intercessor
Robert Schimmelpfenning
Isaiah 62:1-5
Psalm 36:5-10
1 Corinthians 12:1-11
Chalice Bearer/Acolyte
Barb Schoenike
Usher
Ken Schoenike
10:30 am
Lectors
Sarah Gilbert
Isaiah 62:1-5
Joanne Bozeman
1 Corinthians 12:1-11
Intercessor
Susan Allen
Chalice Bearers
Emily Gilbert,
Dolores Wiseman
Acolyte
Suzanne Fischer
Ushers
Peter Gilbert,
Ken Bozeman
Counters
Suzanne Fischer,
Joanne Bozeman
Altar Guild
Cathy Twomey
Livestream
Pam Sealy
Coffee Hour
The Gilbert Family
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Sunday, January 26
Third Sunday
after Epiphany
9:30 am
Lectors
Mike Gadzik
Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10
Jan Watson
1 Corinthians 12:12-31a
Intercessor
Peter Gilbert
Chalice Bearers
Peter Gilbert,
Nancy Krueger
Acolyte
Julie Holly
Ushers
Pam Sealy,
Steve Gilling
Counters
Anne Wilkerson,
Cathy Twomey
Altar Guild
Sarah Gilbert
Livestream
Ken Bozeman
Coffee Hour
Annual Meeting Potluck
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Sunday, February 2
The Presentation
8:30 am
Lector/Intercessor
Judy Hebbe
Malachi 3:1-4
Psalm 24:7-10
Hebrews 2:14-18
Chalice Bearer/Acolyte
Judy Hebbe
Usher
Cherie Krynock-Morris
10:30 am
Lectors
Anne Wilkerson
Malachi 3:1-4
Emily Gilbert
Hebrews 2:14-18
Intercessor
Ken Bozeman
Chalice Bearers
Suzanne Fischer,
Dolores Wiseman
Acolyte
Lydia Warfel
Ushers
Mike Gadzik,
Ken Bozeman
Counters
Jan Watson,
Peter Gilbert
Altar Guild
Catherine Neiswender
Livestream
Peter Gilbert
Coffee Hour
Volunteer
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