December 19, 2024 Edition

The first official All Saints’ Cookie Bake Sale has arrived! Let the Youth of All Saints’ help you cross off a few things on your Christmas to-do list. This Saturday, the Branch Club and the EYC will be busy making and baking (from scratch!) all your favorite holiday cookies in all sorts of holiday shapes and “flavors.” Nut-free and Gluten-free cookies will also be available and will be made in a separate place in the kitchen to help reduce any cross-contamination.

This is a great way to keep your kitchen clean and your to-do list short as you prepare to both enjoy eating holiday cookies, serving them while entertaining, or gifting them to neighbors or friends that might need a little extra holiday cheer in their lives.

Cookies will be sold before and after each service, Sunday December 22. There are no pre-orders this year, so first come, first receive!

We are suggesting a minimum donation of $25 per box (cash, check, and square/card are accepted). All proceeds this year will go to help fund both our Mission Trip to Costa Rica and our Youth Trip to Camp Nazareth.

The youth are so excited to prepare something for the holiday magic you enjoy in and outside of your homes! (And please note: all sanitation measures will be embraced, including gloves and hair nets). 

Merry Christmas and happy snacking, from your All Saint’s Youth!

THIS Sunday, there will be two opportunities to prepare for Christmas together, following the 11:10 AM service:

Hanging of the Greens | Immediately after worship concludes, anyone who would like to help hang the greens and decorate the church for Christmas is welcome to gather in the Welcome Center. Jobs and decorations will be distributed from there.

Youth Caroling Lunch & Rehearsal | The other opportunity is for All Saints' youth and their families. Youth will meet in the Parish Hall at 12:30 PM for a light lunch and to rehearse songs before we head to Concord Rehabilitation house for caroling around 1:45 PM. Sign up to bring something and eat with us here.

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 by Sunday, December 22. Let’s make Christmas a little brighter for our neighbors! See Deacon Vern for further details.

You are invited to bring a favorite holiday treat to share for Christmas Revels following the 9 PM service on Christmas Eve!

Church Office Holiday Schedule | The church office will be OPEN on Monday, December 23, but CLOSED on Tuesday, December 24 and CLOSED on Wednesday, December 25 for Christmas. We will be OPEN normal hours on Thursday, December 26, Friday, December 27, Monday, December 30, and Tuesday, December 31. The office will be closed on Wednesday, January 1, then open for the rest of the week.

Year-End Giving | Reminder that any end-of-year giving that you'd like recorded for 2024 needs to be received in or delivered to the church office by Tuesday, December 31 at NOON.

In the current Gratitude and Generosity campaign for 2025, we have been receiving Estimates of Giving so we can plan for our mission and ministry. The Vestry used estimates from last year to set our 2024 plan. The Vestry established a plan that included a gap that would be closed, if necessary, with our reserve savings. As we come to the end of the year, this is the season of giving. As you review your end-of-year gifts, please consider where you stand with fulfilling your 2024 estimate, if you are able. If you have questions as to your status, please send an email to finance@allsaintsconcord.org.

We need to end the year well. At the same time, we need to start the new year strong.

Your Vestry will be making plans shortly for 2025. If you have not submitted an estimate of giving for next year, please do so. Estimates can be entered through Realm or by filling out a card available at the church. Please contact Martin Ericson if you have any questions. His information is in Realm.

Did you know that All Saints’ has a brokerage account with Raymond James? Over the years, some parishioners have made gifts of stock to All Saints’. Some are to complete an estimate of giving, to prepay the next year’s estimate of giving, or to support a special project. The process is quite simple and starts with calling Stephanie Trosper, our Church Administrator at 704-782-2024! She can give you all the information you need for a smooth transfer!

You are are invited to join the study of "Luke: Jesus and the Outsiders, Outcasts, and Outlaws" starting Sunday, January 5 to February 9, during the 10 AM Adult Christian Formation hour. The Gospel of John is the most deeply spiritual of the four gospels. This writing is filled with rich images and profound truths, but John notes that his aim in writing the gospel is that readers will not only believe in Jesus Christ, but that they “may have life in his name.” 

During Epiphany,  let's experience a season of spiritual growth and life-changing renewal during a six-week study of Adam Hamilton’s Luke: Jesus and the Outsiders, Outcasts, and Outlaws, pastor and bestselling author Adam Hamilton explores the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus as told in the Gospel of Luke. Through Luke’s stories we find Jesus’ care and compassion for all as he welcomes sinners and outcasts. As we study Luke and see Jesus’ concern for those who were considered unimportant, we hear a hopeful and inspiring word for our lives today. Chuck Collier will lead the discussion following a short video at the start of each session. Please purchase the book, which is available from Amazon for $11.96 or on Kindle for $9.96. Questions? Contact Chuck Collier.

It's Annual Report Time! All committee/ministry leaders are asked to share the work that has been accomplished in 2024. The information you provide will be used in the 2024 Annual Report, which gives the parish a detailed summary of the work of the church. The report 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 26, please send Ruth Brown your reports by Wednesday, January 15, 2025.

"Bearing Witness: A Journey with Holy Land Christians" begins January 9, 2025 | "Bearing Witness" is a new free video-based study program from the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem (AFEDJ). "Bearing Witness" shares the stories of people living in Palestine and Israel and the remarkable ministries of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem that bring hope and healing in this volatile part of the world.

The five-week course will take place Mondays, 12-1:30 p.m. starting January 6 via Zoom. The facilitator training will follow the course’s conclusion with a one-time session on February 20. This is a particularly timely offering for those who want to have a deeper understanding and appreciation of the dynamics, gifts and challenges of belonging to a land that is shared by many faiths, ethnicities and nationalities. It is a way of first listening, praying and discerning how God might be calling us to be in solidarity with our sisters and brothers in Jerusalem, Gaza, the Galilee, the West Bank and the entire area where Jesus lived, taught, and gave himself up to the glory of God and for the sake of creating beloved community on earth. It models what it means to walk in love in one of the hardest regions on earth and recalibrates our hearts and our ministries in the process. Click for details.

We are excited to announce that Tom Lowe has been approved for ordination to the diaconate by our bishops. Tom has served twice at All Saints' as a deacon intern. His ordination is scheduled for Saturday, January 25, 2025 at 11 AM at St. John's Episcopal Church, Wake Forest, NC.

We offer condolences and prayers for the family and friends of Gayle Cooper Kearns, mother of Ragan Kearns, who entered the Resurrection on December 10, 2024. May Gayle and all the departed rest in Christ's peace and be raised with Him in glory.

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.

Prayers have been requested for Rosalie and Maria.