October 9, 2025 Edition

Most people know that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. From athletes donning pink gear to landmarks lit in soft rose hues, the message is hard to miss – and rightly so. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. While the journey is often harrowing, advances in early detection and treatment have given hope and healing to millions.

But October is also another kind of awareness month – one that is far less visible and rarely spoken of, even in the church.

October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month – a time to remember and honor babies who died far too soon. This includes losses from miscarriage, stillbirth, SIDS, ectopic pregnancy, and other causes. This observance was first proclaimed in 1988 by President Ronald Reagan, who recognized that for far too many parents, this heartbreak goes unspoken and unacknowledged. “When a child loses his parent, they are called an orphan. When a spouse loses their partner, they are called a widow or widower. When parents lose their child, there isn’t a word to describe them,” he said. “This month recognizes the loss so many parents experience.”

Click to continue reading Rev. Nancy's article.

As we reflect on the many blessings in our lives, we are reminded that gratitude is at the heart of Christian living. Everything we have – our time, our talents, our resources – is a gift from God. And when we live with thankful hearts, generosity becomes our natural response. 

Our parish has been richly blessed by the generosity of those who came before us – people who built the church where we now gather, began the programs that nurture each of us, and enabled the support of organizations that care for those in need. Today, we are called to continue that legacy of faith and stewardship. 

Each time we give, we participate in something larger than ourselves. Our contributions support the very life of our parish: the 300% growth of our youth and children's ministry, opportunities to worship and fellowship and outreach to strengthen our community. Click to continue reading about the Annual Giving Campaign.

Adult Christian Formation this Sunday | We are wrapping up our fall Adult Christian Formation Series on Foreign Missions this Sunday with a report about the Haiti Reforestation Mission from Susan Furr at 10:10 AM. For decades All Saints’ has supported planting trees in Haiti both financially and with our labors on the ground in the Haitian countryside. Come hear Susan share the impact this mission has and is having.

Sign-ups for the next wave of Community Gatherings are now LIVE! What's a Community Gathering? It's a chance to get together one afternoon or evening with about eight others from church to have a great time, share refreshments, meet people you might not know, and learn more about the transition period after Rev Nancy's retirement. The Senior and Junior Wardens will be there to talk about the process of bringing in an Interim Rector and, eventually, our next Rector.  A variety of dates and locations are available during October and early November so you can pick the one that works best for you. (In fact, there is an event Monday evening with a few spots left!) Any adult who has not yet participated in a Gathering is encouraged to sign up.

There are several ways to register: use this link, find the big QR code in the Welcome Center near the Community Gathering table, or ask the friendly person at the Gathering table to help you sign up. Don't miss the fun!

Diocesan Safe Church Trainings Resume in November | After a hiatus earlier this year, online diocesan Safe Church trainings will resume in November. The current Safe Church training schedule is:

• November 9, 1-3 PM – Register
• November 10, 6-8 PM – Register
• November 12, 12-2 PM – Register

All Saints' is planning to offer the Sunday, November 9 training from 1-3:30 PM. Tiffany Fulton will host, along with discussion prompts, Q&A, and snacks! This is essential training for all youth and family volunteers, Stephen Ministers, Lay Eucharist Ministers, and all ministry leaders. Please contact Amanda in the church office for details.

Please reach out! If you or people you love are ill or hospitalized, it is our pleasure to support you with prayer and presence. We just need to know. So, please reach out to Rev. Nancy (her info is in Realm) or contact the church office (or call us at 704-782-2024). Alternatively, you can use the online prayer request form to let clergy and the prayer team know what you need.

Sunday's Blessing of the Jennifer Cobb Memorial Labyrinth was a beautiful celebration of many years of inspiration and work. Thank you to all who made it possible. Click here to watch the video.

Congratulations to Julia and Paul Davison, who are celebrating their 30th Wedding Anniversary!

We offer joyful congratulations to Darren and Natalia Everhardt, who were married on September 7, 2025. Darren is the son of Kim & Phil Everhardt. We join the family in celebrating this happy news!

We offer prayers and condolences to the family and friends of Donna Sessum, wife of Bob Sessum, who entered the Resurrection on October 4, 2025. Donna's Celebration of Life will be held at All Saints' Episcopal Church on October 25 at 10 AM, with internment in the Columbarium. Members of Resurrection and Sr. Choir of All Saints' are invited to help lead congregational singing. Family will receive in the Welcome Center afterwards. Donna's obituary can be found here. Please keep Bob and the family in your prayers.

We offer love and congratulations to Alexis and Victor Olivares who celebrated their wedding at Disney World on September 28, 2025. We share in their joy and wish their family so much love.

We offer congratulations and praise for the birth of Jameson Pickrell, child of Lauren and Alex Pickrell, born on August 22, 2025. We join this precious family in giving thanks for their little blessing. Congratulations!

The Tuesdays-at-Three Zoom discussion group will study Amy-Jill Levine’s book “A Child is Born: A Beginner’s Guide to Nativity Stories” for Advent 2025. We will begin on Tuesday, November 4, skip Tuesday the 25 (Thanksgiving week), and end on December 16, the week before Christmas. Contact Charles McKinley, Brenda Trott, or Ruth Bratton, if you are interested in reading and discussing this book this Advent Season. Please contact Chuck Collier, if you are interested but the 3 PM time slot is not convenient for you. There will be other groups participating in this Advent study. 

Dr. Levine’s intro about the book and the first chapter's video presentation are available on YouTube. She will be discussing Old Testament passages in the light of the New Testament. We don't often compare the birth stories from the Hebrew Bible to the nativity of Jesus, so this should be interesting. Since many Old Testament passages are difficult to understand and hard to relate to, it can be a challenge to figure out what we are meant to learn from them. It will be useful to have them examined from a Jewish perspective. Amy-Jill Levine is a “leading voice in Jewish-Christian dialogue working to foster mutual understanding between the religions.” She is currently a professor of New Testament and Jewish studies at Hartford International University for Religion and Peace and is a Professor Emerita at Vanderbilt University. 

Parables of Jesus Bible study meets on Fridays, from 10-11 AM in the church parlor Bring your Bible! For questions, contact Lynda Waller or Barbara Lewis. Their information is in Realm.

Prayer is the foundation of the ministry of this parish. If you would like to request prayers, please share here. If you are hospitalized, please let the church know. If you are unable to make the call yourself, ask for the chaplain on call and they will make it for you. The church phone number is 704-782-2024.

This week from the Anglican Cycle of Prayer we pray for: Pray for The Church of the Province of Uganda. This week from the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer we pray for: Christ’s Beloved Community, Winston-Salem; St. Anne’s, Winston-Salem. This week from the Parish Cycle of Prayer we pray for: The Grill family, the Griswold family, and Charlotte Grossman. This week prayers have also been requested for: Noelle, Carlos, and Sandy.