December 4, 2025 Edition

Update on Our Rector Search and Transition Process | This past Sunday, the Rev. Canon Marion Sprott from the Diocesan Transition Ministry Office joined All Saints’ for worship. She also led a Q&A session to address our questions about the interim period we are in now and what comes next. She shared a general timeline for the search process and offered helpful insight into what we can expect in the months ahead.

Rev. Marion emphasized that the diocese views All Saints’ as a healthy and vibrant congregation, well-positioned to build on its strengths during this transition. She also reminded parishioners that there will be a call for new Vestry members next month at our Annual Meeting. The Vestry elected for 2026 will play a key role in the search for our next rector. Click to continue reading Beth's article.

Starting this Sunday, December 7, we welcome The Rev. Joan Kilian to All Saints'! Rev. Joan will serve as supply clergy through the end of the year. She will also lead our Adult Formation at the 10 AM hour as we explore "Advent in Poetry, Art & Music."

The Rev. Joan Kilian is recently retired after 28 years of ordained ministry. Much of that was spent serving in the Diocese of Georgia. More recently, she served six and a half years at Christ Church in Charlotte. Joan is also a retired Commander, USNR, having served as an Aircraft Maintenance Officer in the Navy. She is passionate about caring for those who are underserved and about stewarding our environment. We look forward to spending this Advent and Christmas season with Rev. Joan Kilian!

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 month’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.

An All Saints' holiday tradition is providing personal care item Holiday bags for our Nursing Home Neighbors at Curis Concord Nursing and Rehab Center. You can provide bags for men, women, or unisex bags. Simply label the bags for the gender they are provided for. Bags can be left at the church from now through Sunday, December 21. Let’s make Christmas a little brighter for our neighbors! See Deacon Vern for further details. Here are some suggested items to include in a Holiday Gift Bag:

Brush or Comb

Shampoo/Conditioner

Deodorant

Toothbrush

Toothpaste

Hand Sanitizer

Hand Cream/Body Lotion

Lip Balm/Chapstick

Emory Board

Word Search Book

Kleenex

Holiday Greeting Card, with your personal greeting

Notepads

Adult Coloring Book

Colored Pencils/Crayons

This Advent season calls us into a time of preparation, as we ready our hearts and lives for Christ’s coming. It is a season of anticipation, waiting with hope for God’s promises to be fulfilled. It is also a season of joy, rejoicing in the light that grows brighter even in the midst of darkness. And it is a season of renewal, as God makes all things new and invites us to share in that new creation. Guided by God's presence, our community is sustained by faith, fellowship, and generosity.

In this spirit, your Estimate of Giving is not simply a financial transaction, but a sacred act of preparation and renewal. Just as Advent calls us to ready our hearts, your Estimate of Giving helps ready All Saints’ for the ministry and mission that lie ahead. It transforms anticipation into action, joy into shared blessing, and renewal into tangible support for worship, outreach, and fellowship. Returning your estimate promptly allows us to plan wisely and move forward with confidence, ensuring that the light of Christ shines through our common life. You can do so online, by mail, or by placing your card in the offering plate on Sundays.

Gracious God, in this season of waiting and hope, teach us to prepare with generosity, to anticipate with courage, to rejoice with thankful hearts, and to embrace renewal through faithful stewardship. As you once declared through your prophet, 'Behold, I am doing a new thing – now it springs forth,' grant us grace to see and join in that new creation, offering our gifts so that your name may be glorified and your work continued through this parish.

I would like to say a heartfelt "Thank You" for all the prayers, calls, cards and visits I received during my two recent health issues. These expressions of love lifted my heart. I’m grateful to be a part of the All Saints' family. God’s Peace be with you. – Fannie Dillard

We publish the Banns of Marriage between Anna Caroline Rice and Evan Christopher Coia of this parish. If any of you know just cause why they may not be joined together in Holy Matrimony, you are bidden to declare it. This is the first time of asking. The parish is cordially invited to attend the wedding on Monday, December 29 at 3 PM at All Saints'.

On the side table in the Parish Hall, there is a big children’s Bible give away for anyone who would like to take one for themselves or for a friend. Some are gently used, but all carry the good news of the Gospel! Any left over after Sunday will be donated to the MAC House and/or Tucker Center of Hope.

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. If you or someone you know would be interested in the position, here is the job listing.

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 Church of Bangladesh. This week from the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer we pray for: The Episcopal Church. This week from the Parish Cycle of Prayer we pray for: Buddy & Teka King, Gwen King, and the Kovar Family. This week prayers have also been requested for: Scott, Fannie, Robert, Rachel, a daughter and brother with medical issues.