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Dear saints,
Five weeks ago today, I wrote a note to you all in this weekly e-news with these words, "Over the next few weeks you will receive an invitation, once more, to be generous in this place, not because you haven’t already been immensely so, and not because it will be easy, but because this is a call that we feel is ours." The focus of that appeal to your generosity was the beloved of God who have arrived on our shores as refugees, and who have lost access to federal support via the refugee resettlement agencies we have long partnered with in this state. Our stated goal five weeks ago was to raise funds so that the six families we had built volunteer resettlement teams around could be supported for the first six months of the year. If we managed to achieve that goal of $75,000, we would then count it a wonderful blessing to be able to support an additional family with each $12,500 we raised.
There has been no letter writing or phone calling campaign. We have simply invited parishioners to share their experience of volunteering with refugee ministries on a Sunday morning and then watched the Holy Spirit move in this place. Louisa Merchant and I had hoped we might raise enough to help an additional 14 families, so 20 families in all. Well, we should have known better. It was Valentine's Day when I extended that appeal after all, and this parish has an immensely large and generous heart. All the same, I have to say that I am deeply moved and not just a little overwhelmed by the sheer scale of your generosity these past five weeks, which has meant that at the time of me writing this, our effort to be a light in our city has yielded just over a staggering $379,000.
I am someone who is rarely lost for words. Today I am. What more can be said, other than thanks be to God for this remarkable and abundant act of giving. Thanks be to each of you who made a donation, to each of you who volunteered to be part of refugee ministries, and to each of you who bought a ticket for our "Hallelujah Anyhow" celebration at church on Saturday March 29th - and you can still buy a ticket right here.
I should also say more one more thank you: to our own Louisa Merchant. I told her last week that while all of this is a beautiful testament to the core and character of this parish, it is also a testament to all she has worked so very hard to build here over the years of her ministry at All Saints’. So, if she is not collapsed asleep in the corner in Ellis Hall by the time we get to the evening of Saturday March 29th, please look her in the eye and say, ‘Hallelujah Anyhow’.
This is a time of quiet miracles.
Peace,
| | Raising Hope for Refugees | | |
Volunteer. Give. Celebrate.
Help us support refugee families as they build new lives among us. We have an urgent need for Atlanta-area volunteers to help refugees transition to living in the US. Our refugee resettlement teams are truly amazing experiences for volunteers. We ask volunteers to commit to one 90-minute in-person reflection meeting and one volunteer act (typically 2 hour and involves providing transportation to a family) per month for three months.
A team of 15 volunteers works together with the same refugee family for 3 months, and they get to know each other and collaborate through the meetings which take place at All Saints' in midtown Atlanta. We have both secular teams and inclusive Christian teams. All Saints' welcomes people regardless of any belief or identity. Your first step is to email louisam@allsaintsatlanta.org to schedule a one on one 30-minute zoom to learn more.
Donations are welcome. Donate here and choose the Refugee Ministry Donation Fund. In celebration of our fundraising efforts and commitment to Refugee Ministries, join us for Hallelujah Anyhow: A Night of Celebration in Ellis Hall on Saturday, March 29, 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. The event will feature an exciting array of global cuisines from cutting-edge pop-up chefs, live music, and a vibrant community atmosphere. Tickets are $100. We’re pleased to offer free childcare and dinner for children. Buy tickets before they sell out!
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The First Sunday in Lent
Sunday, March 23, Church
Weekly Service Times
- 8:00 a.m. (Traditional Language, No Music)
- 9:00 a.m. (Contemporary Language, Choral Music)
- 11:15 a.m. (Contemporary Language, Choral Music)
- 5:00 p.m. The Welcome Table (Contemporary Language, Jazz Music)
| | PARKING: Overflow parking is available at the Bank of America—please enter on North Ave. Please request an additional validation ticket from an usher in the church narthex upon arrival or exit. Use both validation tickets upon exiting the Bank of America parking deck to park free of charge. Be aware, also, that on Sundays in Midtown Atlanta, street parking is free. | | SPECIAL NOTE: Sunday Morning Breakfast takes a break for Lent. | | |
Sacred Ground Alumni Lunch
TOMORROW: Saturday, March 22, 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., Ross Room
All Sacred Ground alumni/alumnae are invited to join the latest Sacred Ground circle as they complete their time together with Session 11: "Walk On: The Journey after Sacred Ground." The current circle will be gathering at 9 a.m., and you are welcome to join them in walking the labyrinth in Ellis Hall and in conversation over coffee. We are especially hopeful that you will be present at least from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for lunch and a special Eucharist in the Ross Room. Please RSVP to Jilli Robertson at jilli.ff.robertson@gmail.com so that we can have the right amount of food and also let her know if you would like to speak to the group during lunch.
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Young Adult High Musuem Tour
TOMORROW: Saturday, March 22, 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., High Musuem
Join this young adults' social gathering as we immerse ourselves in the art and culture of the High Museum. We will have a 1-hour guided tour, followed by collective sight-seeing. Space is limited so please sign up for tickets. Contact Tasia Blair at youngadults@allsaintsatlanta.org.
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What Makes You Come Alive: Discussing Chapter 5
Sunday, March 23, 10:20 a.m. - 11:05 a.m., 3rd Floor Parish House OR
Tuesday, March 25, 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., Zoom
During the season of Lent, the entire parish will read Lerita Coleman Brown’s What Makes You Come Alive: A Spiritual Walk with Howard Thurman together and gather over four weeks for small group discussion in person during the Sunday morning formation period or on Zoom the following Tuesday. All are welcome to join the conversation at any time!
Though we invite you to read the whole book, we will be focusing this week's discussion on Chapter 5. For the Tuesday Zoom link, or for more information, please contact Jenny McBride, jmcbride@allsaintsatlanta.org.
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MAC Annual Lenten Food Drive
Sundays through April 13th
The MAC Lenten Food Drive has started and runs until Palm Sunday, April 13th. Bags with donated food items can be dropped off in Ellis Hall any Sunday during Lent. Last year, the Food Drive brought in 2,522 pounds of food. Let's see if we can beat that this Lent! These contributions enable MAC to support neighbors facing housing and food insecurity. For a detailed list of necessary food items, please visit midtownassistancecenter.org/donate/. For questions, please contact Jenny McBride or MAC’s volunteer manager, Savanna Keo, at savanna@midtownassistancecenter.org.
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Young Adults Brunch & Bible Study
Sunday, March 23, 12:30 p.m., Ross Room
Come enjoy a delicious catered meal, lively conversation, and bible study with the All Saints’ Young Adults’ following the 11:15 a.m. service. All are invited – whether you’re looking to connect for the first time, reconnect after a long while, or keep connections going! Childcare is available upon request. Contact: Tasia Blair at youngadults@allsaintsatlanta.org.
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Jesus on the Front Page
Sundays, 10:20 a.m. - 11:05 a.m., Parish Hall 307
In this weekly Sunday morning discussion of a current news story, participants reflect on how we are called to live as faithful people. In a nonpartisan reflection, we explore how we might be called to pray differently, think differently or act differently in our private and public lives. We ask where God might be found in this story and learn to name our lament as well as our hope. Email Clark Lemons (clemons@emory.edu) if you have questions!
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The Welcome Table: Sunday Evening Worship Service and Dinner
Sundays at 5:00 p.m., In the Chapel and Ellis Hall
Before your busy week begins, the Welcome Table is a place to join with others and find rest and refreshment. Come to the Welcome Table: a service with a jazz trio, singing, communion and prayer (together and in ways that speak to us individually). A community dinner for all participants follows the service.
| | This past week has flown by! Our weekend was kickstarted by our Friday evening concert with the Matthew Kaminski Quartet. With that, our first and very successful season of our Jazz at All Saints Series has come to an end. Stay tuned for the announcement about next year's plans! | | All Saints' Refugee Ministries was once again featured, this time on WABE's Closer Look with Rose Scott. Louisa, our Director of Refugee Ministries, does a great job in the interview describing our volunteer opportunities and how you can be transformed by being in relationship with refugee families. Listen to the segment here, cued up to start at just before the 13-minute mark. Pictured below: Louisa at the WABE studios; Our refugee agency partners from Inspiritus, Rev. John Moeller Jr and Aimee Zangandou, the host Rose Scott, and our very own Louisa Merchant. | | It's apparently the week of radio interviews! Our very own Jenny McBride was recently featured on The Rise of Bonhoeffer podcast speaking on, Christ, Community, Change and the Lasting Impact of German Theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer. As a past president of the International Bonhoeffer Society in North America, Jenny shares how Bonhoeffer's theology has profoundly influenced her life and work. Here's the link to listen. | | Are you already signed up for Realm? Realm gives you quick access to our online member directory and Realm mobile app, allowing you to give and find contact info directly on your phone. Also, on Realm you can easily manage your pledge payments, gifts, and recurring gifts, from credit cards or a bank account, and even easily view your contribution history. To sign up, please contact Betsey Gibbs at bgibbs@allsaintsatlanta.org. | | |
All Saints' offers easy ways to pay your pledge or to make a gift:
Online at allsaintsatlanta.org/give
Mail a check to All Saints’ Church, 634 W. Peachtree St., Atlanta, GA 30308
Put a check or cash into the offering plate during the services
Text to Give: text AllSaintsAtlanta to 73256
| | If you haven’t yet made your pledge for 2025, there is still time! | | |
Music Notes This Week:
The short text of God so loved the world is so well-known because it explains the whole Easter story, encapsulating the essence of the Christian Gospel in under 30 words. John Stainer’s choral setting of the text is a standard of the choral repertoire, and part of a larger work, The Crucifixion, that was written as a meditation to aid in the understanding of the passion and death of Christ. The work is still performed annually at St. Marylebone in London, which commissioned it in 1887. Stainer was born in Southwark, London, in 1840, the son of a schoolmaster. He became a chorister at St Paul's Cathedral when aged ten and was appointed to the position of organist at St Michael's College, Tenbury, at the age of sixteen. He later became organist at Magdalen College, Oxford, and subsequently organist at St Paul's Cathedral. His work as choir trainer and organist set standards for Anglican church music that are still influential.Do you follow Music at All Saints on Facebook & Instagram?
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Ray Chenault Organ Recital
Sunday, March 30, 3:15 p.m., Cathedral of Saint Philip
Our organist emeritus, Ray Chenault, is performing next Sunday as part of the organ recital series at the Cathedral of St. Philip. This free recital will be followed at 4:00 p.m. by a Choral Evensong with the Cathedral Schola.
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A Meditation by Parishioner Clifton Askew
There’s a part of me that wants immediate results, wants to see the fruits of my labor right away. Yet, I hear the gardener’s plea for patience, offering grace and a second chance: “Let it alone for one more year.” This voice reminds me that growth is not always instant, and that grace allows room for mistakes, growth, and transformation over time. In a world that often values quick fixes and immediate results, this parable calls me to slow down and embrace the space for grace. It teaches me that growth, whether spiritual, emotional, or relational, takes time. Like the fig tree, I sometimes feel stagnant or unproductive, but God's grace is always there, urging me to be patient, to keep trying, to keep nurturing, and to trust that growth may happen in ways I may not fully understand. Sometimes, that quiet, slow growth is the most beautiful kind. Read Clifton's full mediation and more parishioner meditations here.
| | Throughout Lent, read mediations from All Saints' parishioners in preparation for the Sunday Gospel. Visit this link to read on the website. Next week, read reflections on the following Sunday's Gospel from Brian Sheperdson, Audrey Dobranski, Judy Fritz, Briley Brisendine, Barbara Thompson, and an archived reflection from Priscilia Tomlinson (1940 - 2024). Though they are labeled for each day, all of meditations from the week reflect upon the same scripture, so they do not need to be read daily. Be sure to bookmark the above link as the meditations get updated every Friday! | | |
School of the Spirit: The Meaning of Worship
Wednesday, March 26, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., Church
Explore the signs, symbols, and sounds of Anglican worship in All Saints’ historic church as we learn about the stained glass, altar, instruments, vestments, and sacraments. Ultimately, we’ll unpack the ways Anglican liturgy gathers, calls, centers, and sends God’s people to do God’s work in the world. Contact: Andy Barnett abarnett@allsaintsatlanta.org
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The Journey Bible Study - Prophets & Kings
Weekly on Mondays, from 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., on Zoom
First the history and then the prophetic response will be our format for Bible study through May. The history of the two kingdoms, Israel and Judah, will be read including the stories of the prophets Elijah, Elisha and Amos. For more information or to sign up for the class, please contact The Rev. Karen Evans kevans@allsaintsatlanta.org.
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Wednesday Night Supper
Wednesdays, 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m., Ellis Hall
Join us for Wednesdays @ All Saints'. Grab a friend to come enjoy a meal while connecting with the community. For more information, contact Marcia Mayfield, mmayfield@allsaintsatlanta.org.
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Hydrangea Delivery
Sunday, April 6, after 9:00. and 11:15 a.m. services, Chapel
Sunday Callers need volunteers to help deliver hydrangeas to homebound parishioners on Sunday, April 6. You will be able to pick them up in the chapel after either the10:00 a.m. or 11:15 a.m. services. Contact Pat Robinson at probinson999@gmail.com with questions or to volunteer.
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2027-2028 Vestry Nominations
We welcome nominations for 2027-2028 Vestry leadership from all eligible parish members who are confirmed and over eighteen, who regularly attend worship and who have made a financial pledge to the church. Between Friday, February 14 and Sunday, March 23, Vestry nominations may be submitted either by email or written notice to the Rector’s Executive Assistant, Tracey Sage: tsage@allsaintsatlanta.org. Please include all your church involvement in your submission. Vestry members will be elected during the Annual Parish Meeting on Sunday, April 27.
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Weekly Children & Youth Formation (Sundays)
Nursery/Little Saints: Birth-Pre-K, 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., 1st floor of the Pritchett Center
Children’s Church: K-5th Grade, 8:40 a.m. - 9:30 a.m., 2nd floor of the Pritchett Center
Children Formation: K-5th grade, 10:20 a.m. - 11:05 a.m., 2nd floor of the Pritchett Center
Youth Formation: 6th-12th grade, 10:20 a.m. - 11:05 a.m., The Attic (3rd floor of the Pritchett Center)
SNL (6th-8th grade) and Y’all Saints’ (9th-12th grade): 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m., The Attic (3rd floor of the Pritchett Center)
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Weekly Children's Choirs Rehearsals (Wednesdays)
Cherub Choir: PK-K, 4:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Primary Choir: 1st-2nd grade, 4:35 p.m. - 5:10 p.m.
Junior Choir: 3rd-6th grade, 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Junior Handbells: 4th - 6th grade, 6:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
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Weekly Youth Choirs Rehearsals (Sundays)
Youth Handbells: 7th-12th grade, 4:15 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Youth Choir: 7th-12th grade, 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Come sing, grow, and make a joyful noise with us this year! For more information, contact Emily Rebecca Halbert, Director of Youth & Children’s Choirs, at ehalbert@allsaintsatlanta.org.
| | Please Note: Kathy Roberts, our Director of Children's Ministries, is on sabbatical and will return to work on April 8. In the meantime, all questions about children's ministries should be directed to Emily Halbert, ehalbert@allsaintsatlanta.org, and Luke Nolfa, lnolfa@allsaintsatlanta.org. | | |
Young Adult Fellowship Online!
Are you in your 20s or 30s and interested in fellowship, discipleship and service? Reach out to Tasia Blair at youngadults@allsaintsatlanta.org to receive our monthly newsletter, get added to the WhatsApp group chat and find out what events we have coming up!
| | SERVICE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE | | |
Become a Volunteer Receptionist at All Saints'
Our volunteers work on a biweekly schedule from 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Monday through Thursday. If interested, please contact Marie-Louise Muhumuza at mlmuhumuza@llsaintsatlanta.org or Tracey Sage at tsage@allsaintsatlanta.org.
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Threads Welcomes Families for Shopping
Threads welcomes families for in-store shopping Thursdays and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Interested in volunteering? Contact Marcia Mayfield. Threads needs you! Contact Marcia Mayfield at threads@allsaintsatlanta.org.
You may purchase items please via the Threads Amazon Wishlist:
bit.ly/ASECThreadDecember2024
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March Faith & Justice Newsletter
- Lerita Coleman Brown
- Spotlight on the Church of the Common Ground
- Georgia Assembly Update
- Grady's Food as Medicine Program
- F & J Luncheon Features New Out of Hand Play
- and more!
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Novel Theology >> Meets one Wednesday a month on Zoom from 7:00-8:00 p.m.. Click the link above to learn more and register.
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Share Your Photos! Share Your Expertise!
Did you know that you can submit photographs of All Saints’ events to share with the Communications Team? If you want to make a habit of it, join the Photography Guild! Contact Kathy Powell at communications@allsaintsatlanta.org.
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Connect with us on Realm!
Learn more >> Don't forget to join Realm, our new platform for online giving, directory, and event registration.
Questions? Please contact Betsey Gibbs at bgibbs@allsaintsatlanta.org.
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