November 27, 2025 Edition

This Sunday, November 30, we welcome The Rev. Canon Marion Sprott, Transition Ministry Officer for the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina. She will celebrate at both the 9 and 11:10 AM services and will host a Q&A session during the Adult Formation hour between services. Canon Sprott will offer insight into the transition process, current trends in clergy movement/deployment, and what congregations can expect during seasons of change. This session is also an opportunity for the parish to share what is on their minds during this time of transition. We hope you will join us for this important and informative conversation, which will also be live-streamed.

Church Office Hours | In celebration of the Thanksgiving holiday, the church office will close at Noon on Wednesday, November 26 and reopen on Monday, December 1.

All ages are invited! For adults, the annual, and hilarious, All Saints’ Tacky Gift Exchange will be held in the Welcome Center. For children there will be a Saint Nick party. Please include any children that are attending when registering for this evening. There will be games, snacks, prizes, and also fun!

For the Tacky Gift Exchange, bring your favorite hors d’oeuvre or dessert and one wrapped TACKY gift per person. Tacky attire is encouraged. You will leave with an empty dish, a smile on your face, and another TACKY gift. Remember one person’s tacky is another’s treasure. Clean out your closets, re-gift, support your local CVAN store or Habitat re-store for fun gifts. 

Registration for adults is $3 to help defray the cost of paper products and beverages. There is no fee for children. Click to register!

The 80-voice Piedmont Choral Society will present its free annual Christmas concerts, with orchestra, on Friday, December 5 at 7 PM and Sunday, December 7 at 3 PM at First Baptist Church, 200 Branchview Drive SE, Concord. All are welcome. Click for details.

Community Service of Prayer and Healing | In response to last week’s shooting in downtown Concord, faith leaders in our community will be holding a Service of Prayer and Healing at First Presbyterian Church on Monday, December 8 at 7 PM. All are welcome to come together for comfort, support, and reflection.

All Saints' Red Cross Blood Drive will take place at the church on Wednesday, December 10, from 2:30 until 7 PM. Donations are lower during the holidays, but the need does not decrease. Click this link to make an appointment (use the keyword "allsaints" in the Find a Blood Drive search box). If you have questions, contact Martin Ericson.

We are sad to announce that our church administrator, Amanda Crawley, will be leaving All Saints' in December. She is taking a part-time position at her children's school in order to have the same schedule they do and to prepare her family for an upcoming move to Kentucky. Amanda will continue working at All Saints' full time through Friday, December 5. Then, her schedule will shift to afternoons through Thursday, December 18. We are thankful for Amanda's excellent work and will miss her. We pray for God's blessings on her and her family.

Looking ahead, we welcome the Rev. Joan Kilian as All Saints' Supply Rector, from Sunday, December 7 through the end of the year. Rev. Joan will also lead our Adult Formation at the 10 AM hour as we explore "Advent in Poetry, Art & Music."

The Rev. John Johanssen will be joining All Saints' as the Interim Rector beginning January 1, 2025. His first Sunday will be January 4. Click for more details from our Senior Warden.

Stepping Forward Together | This year’s season of gratitude is unique as it comes with mixed emotions, uncertainty, sorrow, and even fear, but also hope and anticipation. These feelings remind us that while endings matter, God is already preparing new beginnings. Through change, our community continues to be sustained by faith, fellowship, and generosity.

Your Estimate of Giving is essential for shaping the ministry and mission of All Saints’ in the year ahead. Returning it promptly allows us to plan wisely and move forward with confidence.

Each estimate is more than financial support, it is a sign of trust in God’s future and a

shared vision of discipleship. Please prayerfully submit your Estimate of Giving today,

whether online, by mail, or by placing your card in the offering plate. Together, let us embrace this new chapter with courage and expectation, trusting that God’s faithfulness will guide us.

Feeding our Neighbors Updates | We are so thankful to report that every night from November 30 through December 6 has been filled by All Saints' folks! Thank you! You can still support this ministry by writing a reminder on your calendar to pray for our unhoused or hungry neighbors each evening that week. Also, thank you to everyone that brought in non-perishable food for the Thanksgiving Food Drive over the past two weeks. We collected over 1100 pounds of food!

Vestry Nominations | Interested in a Leadership Role at All Saints'? The Nominating Committee of the Vestry is considering individuals for election to the Vestry, the governing board of All Saints'. The Vestry is composed of the Rector plus 12 parishioners who serve a rotating 3-year term. Four individuals will be elected at the Annual Meeting on January 25, 2026. To be eligible for nomination, candidates must be a "communicant in good standing" of All Saints’. A communicant in good standing is defined as one who is:

• a baptized Christian 16 years of age or older,
• receives the sacrament of the Eucharist with regularity, and
• is known to the Treasurer (has submitted an Estimate of Giving and financially supports the congregation)

If you would like to be considered for a term on the Vestry, please contact Melissa Goodwin, who can be found in Realm. (Add "Vestry Nomination" to your email subject line). A list of Vestry duties and desired nominee characteristics is available upon request. This is an excellent opportunity to serve All Saints' in a far-reaching capacity!

Columbarium Plaque Pricing Update | Effective January 1, 2026, Matthews Cemetery Products will implement a 6.4% average increase across their bronze product line. If anyone is interested in pre-purchasing their niche plaque, please reach out to Rebecca Bahn, Columbarium Coordinator. There are pre-purchased plaques in the Columbarium if you wish to see them. Rebecca's information is in Realm.

It's Annual Report Time! All committee/ministry leaders are asked to provide a report of their ministry in 2025. The information you provide will be used in the 2025 Annual Report, which will give the parish a detailed summary of the work of the church. This report also becomes part of the history of our church for future generations. If it's helpful, you can find past Annual Reports here, then click the "Annual Report" tab.

In order to prepare the annual report in time for the Annual Meeting on Sunday, January 25, please send your reports to  Ruth Brown by Wednesday, January 7, 2026.

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 and 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.

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.  

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 Anglican Church of Australia. This week from the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer we pray for: The Anglican Communion. This week from the Parish Cycle of Prayer we pray for: Teri & Tom Jones, Melinda Katz, Ragan & Sharon Kearns. This week prayers have also been requested for: Fannie, Robert, Rachel, a daughter and brother with medical issues, Henri, Zach, and Gina.