March 30, 2023 Edition

The season of Lent culminates in Holy Week, the week leading from Palm Sunday to Easter. Special prayer services during this week include:

Palm Sunday/Sunday of the Passion begins with the liturgy of the palms at the entrance sign and includes a celebratory procession reminiscent of Jesus’ entry procession into Jerusalem. The mood shifts radically with the reading of the passion narrative reminding us that there is no resurrection without crucifixion.

Eucharists on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday focus our attention on Jesus’ activities and teachings during the last week of his life.

On Maundy Thursday, we gather for a meal, remembering the last meal Jesus had with his disciples in which he washed their feet, the job of the lowest slave and charged them to serve one another. After we enjoy a meal together (sign up for meal here), which will also include Eucharist, we conclude with the stripping of the altar remembering that Jesus gave up everything, including being physically stripped of his garments as he was crucified. Click here for more.

Click graphic above to download All Saints' Schedule

Extended Road Closure will impact All Saints' | Beginning April 12, a portion of Country Club Drive NE will be closed to thru traffic between Branchview Drive NE and Concord Parkway N. The culvert under this section of the road is scheduled to be replaced. It is a major road works project and could last nine months. There will be two detours in place during the closure. For details, click here.

What a blessing the Bishop's visit was on Sunday! We had the joy of getting to know The Rt. Rev. Jennifer Brooke-Davidson, the new Assistant Bishop of North Carolina. We also celebrated the confirmation, reception, and reaffirmation of seven parishioners – Nate and Katy Ernst, Dominic and Melissa Mascari, Fran Burkett, Elizabeth Orr, and Megan Wease.

Thanks to everyone who donated food to the Lenten Food Drive. We collected 1,200 pounds of food for CCM’s food pantry! If you are interested in continuing to donate to CCM, click here for information.

We offer condolences and prayers for the family and friends of Steve Clark, dear friend of Brian and Shane Sapp-Moore, who entered into the Resurrection on Thursday, March 9, 2023. Steve's Celebration of Life service will be held Saturday, April 1, at 2 PM at Redeemer Episcopal Church, Midlothian, VA. Here is Steve's obituary. We cherish Steve's memory and find peace that he now sings with the eternal choir of saints.

It’s Okay to Be Human | An important theme of the Lenten season is the humanity of Christ. In Jesus, God became human and fully experienced the wide range of emotions we all encounter in life. Jesus experienced times of loneliness, sadness, hurt, anger, disappointment, grief, and abandonment. That is part of being human. Another part of being human is needing help from each other. God never intended us to be completely self-sufficient. Part of God’s plan is for each one of us to turn to others for help when we need it.

So when you are experiencing difficult times, don’t struggle alone. Our Stephen Ministers will walk with you, listen to you, encourage you, pray with you, and provide confidential one-to-one care to help you through tough times. Stephen Ministers can bring the love of Jesus back into your life. To learn more about Stephen Ministry, talk to one of our Stephen Leaders, Barbara Lewis, Rita Smith or Jim Williams.

Koinonia Update | As we continue our discernment process of choosing a community nonprofit organization, we are seeking to hear from parishioners who have not had an opportunity to share their thoughts. We invite you to complete a short and simple survey on the All Saints’ website. Click here for the survey. There will also be printed copies of this survey for you to complete after church services. Mark your calendar! You are invited to participate in a Koinonia Discernment Meeting on Saturday, April 11, at 6 PM via Zoom. (A link will be provided closer to the date). Once we receive all the feedback, ASEC then will begin the final process of choosing an organization to commit our time and talents. Our goal is to select a nonprofit that our community of All Saints’ can work together to support the larger community with our time and talents.

Church Life Update | The church office is in the process of transitioning from Church Life to REALM Connect. This will provide improved database functions and a better user experience. In the interim, you can still access your Church Life account; however, please do not make any changes to your personal information. If you need to update any information, please send your changes to Stephanie. Questions? Contact the church office at 704-782-2024.

Finance Report (February 2023 month-end, General Fund) | Good news! After a very successful appeal campaign, the Church reduced its 2023 budget deficit by $40,000 from $77,000 to a deficit of $36,925!

The budget for the first two months of the year carries a greater deficit than the later parts of 2023 as, generally, pledges are stronger in those later months. However, our expenses continue to run constantly throughout the year, so a continued and steady stream of pledged income is vital to maintain the expected deficit.

For the operations of the Church, at the end of February, we showed a deficit of $19,059 compared to a budgeted deficit of $20,290. This is better than the budget by a small amount. Income from Full year pledges and pre-paid pledges are ahead of budget by $1,140. Income from Plate offerings and unpledged amounts are ahead of budget by $2,787. However, income from monthly pledges is $8,620 below budget.

As these numbers show, your giving is vital. We are very thankful to you for helping to decrease the budget deficit; however, we are still operating in a deficit. Your generous and continued support of the Church is key to good financial stewardship.

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 Paulette, Tam, Meghan, Lynda, Jeff, Kim, all members of our church, Rev. Nancy, Brian, and Shane.