WE ARE ALL SAINTS

Meet Kevin and Jamie Mills

Meet two of our newest members, Kevin and Jamie Mills. Kevin and Jamie were baptized on All Saints Sunday, November 2, 2025, and we are so glad they are part of our church.

They are part of the wonderful Mills family. Kevin’s wife (and Jamie’s mom) is Franny Peale, who grew up in the New York City area and moved to Washington, DC after law school. Jamie has two younger sisters: Alison, who graduated from the University of Richmond in 2024 and is pursuing opportunities in the art museum world, and Robin, a senior at Georgetown University. We are grateful to have the Mills family among us at All Saints!



It was a blessing for many of us to witness Kevin and Jamie take their baptismal vows in November. Learn more about them in the Q&A below:

1) Where are you from? 

Kevin: I was born in Richmond, Virginia and grew up in Columbia, South Carolina. After law school, I moved to the DC area in 1995 to practice law. Jamie was born in Washington, DC and raised in Chevy Chase, Maryland. He attended Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School and graduated from the College of Charleston last year.   

2) What brought you to All Saints? What do you like about being a part of All Saints? 

Kevin: My wife had attended Episcopal church services 

and had been to All Saints a few times for weddings and holidays. Our family attended the All Saints’ Christmas Eve service in 2024 and decided to come back for Sunday worship. We have been coming back ever since. I grew up in the Baptist tradition but am embracing the worship traditions at All Saints. We especially enjoy the music and liturgy and the focus on sharing Christ’s love. Nearly a year later and after meetings with Father Jamie and Father BJ, it was so meaningful to be baptized together on All Saints Sunday.   

3) What do you like to do on a day off? 

Kevin: Jamie played baseball at BCC High School and coached the JV baseball team last season. I was delighted to be his assistant coach. I introduced Jamie to golf as a youngster, and we enjoy playing golf together. I am proud to say that the student has surpassed the teacher. I have taken up long distance running and just completed my fourth marathon in Richmond last month. 

4) Is there a Bible verse that is special to you right now? 

Kevin: About the time we started coming to All Saints, Jamie and I also started watching The Chosen together. (The Chosen is a multi-season TV series that portrays the life and ministry of Jesus in first-century Israel through the eyes of the twelve apostles and his followers.) The show strengthened the pull of faith that we were feeling at All Saints and encouraged us to explore the Gospels more deeply for ourselves. I have been rereading Jesus’ parables. One of my favorites is the parable of the prodigal son – and its lessons of humility, love, and forgiveness.    

Jamie: I have been learning – through the book of Hebrews - about all of the ways Jesus fulfills God’s promises in the Old Testament. I imagine the joy the disciples felt in Luke 24 when their “hearts burned within them” as Jesus was explaining the fulfillment of the Scriptures to them on the road to Emmaus. My favorite verses are from the very end of the story in Revelation 21. “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; ... Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. ... He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.” 

5) Is there a hymn or song that you love (and why)? 

Kevin: We sang “Amazing Grace” during worship service last Fall. This has been a long-time favorite, but the lyrics took on so much more personal meaning as we were moving toward faith and baptism.  

Jamie: I love the hymn “In Christ Alone.” It’s a contemporary hymn that combines Gospel-centered lyrics with a traditional hymn structure. 

FROM SUNDAY TO EVERYDAY

Practices for faith at home

Lent invites us into a 40-day season of prayer, repentance, and renewal, as we prepare our hearts for Easter. We compiled these Lenten recommendations from our staff to help guide your journey -- whether that be with quiet daily reflections, family practice, an entertaining overview of the lives of the saints, or deeper spiritual reads.

During Lent, consider intentionally cultivating habits that draw you closer to God. Start small, one or two practices is plenty. Read an overview from Father BJ on practicing the spiritual disciplines during Lent.

Online Devotionals

The Lent Project

A beautifully curated daily devotional from Biola University features Scripture, art, music, poetry, and thoughtful reflections throughout Lent.

Lenten Meditations from Episcopal Relief and Development

These daily meditations invite readers to rediscover or deepen "holy habits" of prayer, worship, and engagement with Scripture. This year's devotional is written by Sister Monica Clare, an Episcopal nun, author, and unlikely TikTok star.

Lent Madness

For a little light-hearted and educational fun during Lent, check out Lent Madness. Inspired by March Madness basketball brackets, this annual celebration invites readers to learn about the lives of saints through a tournament-style bracket. Thirty-two saints face off in daily matchups, and participants vote for their favorites as the field narrows until the winner receives the Golden Halo.

Recommended Lenten Books

The Return of the Prodigal Son (Henri Nouwen)

Sparked by a powerful encounter with a painting by Rembrandt, Henri Nouwen offers a deeply personal meditation on the parable of the prodigal son and the journey home to God’s love. This book will be the focus of our Theology Forum on Sunday mornings during Lent.

Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent and Easter

A collection of classic and contemporary spiritual readings that accompany the journey from Ash Wednesday through Easter.

Practicing the Way (John Mark Comer)

John Mark Comer invites readers into spiritual formation centered on: being with Jesus, becoming like him, and living as he did. Rooted in ancient practice, this book helps readers develop a meaningful rule of life that nurtures lasting transformation and hope. This practical and hopeful book is good for Lent or any time of year.

A Way Other Than Our Own (Walter Brueggemann)

A powerful devotional that invites readers to walk the countercultural way of Jesus during Lent.

Lent with Evelyn Underhill (Evelyn Underhill)

Daily reflections from the beloved Anglican spiritual writer offer a contemplative focus for the season. Underhill is a beacon to those who seek a deeper understanding of the "interior life in the mystical Christian tradition.

This Is the Night: Suffering, Salvation, and the Liturgies of Holy Week (James W. Farwell)

A beautiful exploration of the meaning and movement of Holy Week through the lens of the Church’s liturgy. This will deepen and enrich your celebration of Holy Week and rejoice as "this is the night" of the Easter Vigil.

Dancing to the Heartbeat of God: Stories of Discipleship

The Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lent Book for 2026! This book brings together voices from across the Anglican Communion to share real-life stories of faithful discipleship.

For Families with Children

• An Illustrated Lent for Families: Reflections on Prayer Seven weekly family devotions with coloring and activity pages. Email Susan Awad for a digital copy or printout.
• The Little Way Chapel Lent Guide is a lovely resource with simple daily practices for families of young children. It offers accessible ways that children can pray, fast, and give each day. Email Susan Awad if you would like a printout from church.
• Free Family Dinnertime Devotions (only two nights/week!)
• Make Room: A Child's Guide to Lent and Easter
• Preparing for Easter: A Family Lenten Devotional

MISSION AND OUTREACH

Stories from the Dominican Republic

Gary Wieder shares about our mission partners, Dr. Silvia Martinez and

The Luke Society in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

All Saints Church has been blessed to work and serve side by side with Dr. Silvia Martinez and The Luke Society for well over a decade. We partner with them in prayer and support throughout the year and each summer a team from All Saints goes to the Dominican Republic to serve alongside them. Our summer teams have helped deliver medicine and food build schools, homes and feeding centers; and assist with feeding programs and their summer Bible program for children. Our goal is to assist, wherever needed, so that Dr. Silvia and her team may continue to do the important work they are involved in – and hopefully do more of it. All Saints Church has sent over 80 people to serve since 2013!

Most of our work has been focused near the village of El Cacique, a community on the outskirts of Santo Domingo located next to the city dump. It is here that The Luke Society first started their feeding programs, school, and church. We have also traveled 3+ hours west of the city to serve in the bateys (rural communities of Haitian families) -- building, delivering food and medicine, and ministering to the children of these poor communities.

All Saints puts great value on cultivating long-term relationships with our mission partners. We consider it an answered prayer to have been paired with our friends in the Dominican Republic because we see the incredible impact Dr. Silvia and her teams are having year after year. Each summer a new project seems to evolve – a health clinic here, a new school there, trade and employment opportunities for the locals… it has grown so much since we first sent a team down to Santo Domingo!

We would love to have you join us in 2026 on a week-long mission trip. It will change your life!

Our next trip will be July 11 – 18, 2026

If you would like more information about the DR trip, contact Gary Wieder, Director of Mission and Evangelism, for more info: gary.wieder@allsaintschurch.net

If you are ready to join our team in the DR this summer, register here.

"The Luke Society provides resources and support for international Christian health visionaries passionate about ministering to needs in their own cultures. Our mission empowers nationals to share the saving grace of the Gospel through preaching, teaching, and healing."

AROUND ALL SAINTS

Sharing Christ's love with pancakes and Valentines

Our parish family gathered in joyful ways this February! We hosted a festive Welcome Wednesday Valentine Dinner, where we shared a meal together and made Valentines for our friends at Knollwood Retirement Community. At our beloved Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper, we enjoyed flipping, racing with, and eating pancakes. (Thanks to Student Ministry Coordinator Jourdan Folger her team for preparing dinner!)

Enjoy a few snapshots from these sweet times of connection, and we hope you’ll join us at the table soon!

So many good things are happening at All Saints! Check your Friday email, All Things, All Saints, for upcoming services and events. Or check our parish calendar HERE.

Previous issues of the Connect! newsletter are available on the church website HERE



Please join us in continuing to celebrate the good news of God working in our midst. Ideas for the Connect! newsletter are always welcome. You may submit possible topics, photos, or short articles to Communications Director, Allison Winter.