December 5, 2024 Edition

The young person before me began, “Some people say Jesus was born on December 25th, but I heard that’s not true. When was Jesus really born?” You can trust teens to ask the questions adults have forgotten (or are afraid) to raise. 

We have one reference to the time of Jesus’ birth from the gospels. In the gospel of Luke, the “shepherds were living in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night.” (Luke 2:8) This would point to Jesus’ birthday happening in the spring during lambing season. In winter, the sheep would have been in a sheepfold, and the shepherds indoors. However, the gospels were written primarily for theological, not historical reasons.

Well, then, how did we get to December 25th? Click to read more.

Adult Christian Formation starting THIS Sunday | The Nativity (A Musical?) 

Come join the conversation on the first two chapters of the Gospel of Luke, led by Rev. Nancy. How did we get here? Who is involved? What are they singing about? Sundays at 10 AM, December 8, 15 and 22.

December 8: The Backstory – What happened between the end of the Hebrew Scriptures and the beginning of the Gospel of Luke? What has God been up to with the people of Israel? What is the Apocrypha and why is included in the Bible Episcopalians use?

December 15: The Cast – Who are all these folks anyway? Introducing Zechariah, Joseph, Elizabeth, Mary, John and Jesus. What is God up to with these folks?

December 22: The Lyrics – Take a closer look at the Magnificat and the Song of Zechariah? What can we learn about what God is doing in Jesus from these ancient songs?

The Red Cross will be at All Saints' for a Blood Drive on Wednesday, December 11, from 2:30 to 7:30 PM. Donations are usually scant during the holidays. Give the gift of life! Schedule an appointment at redcrossblood.org and search for allsaints (one word) in the Find a Blood Drive box.

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 22. 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

We offer joyful congratulations to Mary Beth Ringgenberg and Zach Bowman, who were married on Saturday, November 30. May God's love abundantly bless you.

Update from Year 6 of Energy Saving Trees | I wanted to thank the leadership of All Saints' for your support of Year 6 of Energy Saving Trees. I am always pleased to share these two infographics each year. One shows the 20 year totals for the 300 trees given out this year and the other is cumulative for the over 1500 trees we have given out since 2019.  

This year's impact report

Cumulative impact report

I am very proud to tell you that the City of Concord is currently the only city in North Carolina offering this program, and that All Saints’ Episcopal Church is the only faith community in the entire United States to co-sponsor this program. A team of 36 volunteers from All Saints', the Cabarrus County Extension master gardeners, and the city of Concord gave away the trees to Concord homeowners and provided hands-on demonstration stations on how to plant, mulch, and water trees. We added a stormwater education station this year that Juliann Chavez staffed. The leftover trees were given to the volunteers who worked the event and to our church members and their friends, family, and neighbors who will plant and enjoy them.  I look forward to continuing this program next year with your continued support. – Mark Robinson

Our Columbarium has a new walkway, beautiful green sod and seven teak benches available for naming opportunities. A bench with brass plaque is $1,000 payable to All Saints’ with “Columbarium bench” in the memo line. This is on a “first come first serve” basis. If you are interested in purchasing a bench with a plaque, please call or email Rebecca Bahn. Her contact information is in Realm.

Sacred Space Garden Tending Needed | The beds in the Columbarium, currently being reworked, will soon need some regular tending – once a month – ish. Weeding, trimming, mulching, etc. If you would like to help, please call or text Jeanne McCarthy. Her information is in Realm.

We offer joyful congratulations to Jack Simpson, son of Bob and Beth Simpson, and Maggie Hamilton of Raleigh, who were married on Saturday, November 23. May God's love abundantly bless you.

Wanna feed some hungry youths?! Sign Up to Provide EYC Meals! Our youth programs are growing and we need your help to feed everyone on Sunday nights. If this is an area you (or your ministry team) are interested in helping with, we have plenty of grateful bellies you can fill! Click to sign up! Questions? Contact Tiffany Fulton.

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 Maria, Mary, Jan, Pat, John, Fred and Cyn.