April 11, 2024 Edition

I commend to you the Gospel reading from this past Sunday. It is the finale to John’s beautiful, mystical, poetic Gospel. Over the centuries the Church has deemed this passage so extraordinary, so important, that it is read on the Second Sunday of Easter every year whether it is Year A, B or C. John packs these concluding paragraphs of his Gospel with a staggering amount of mind-blowing theology. 

The text begins on the evening of the first Easter Sunday. Jesus appears to the Disciples. He makes a point of showing them the wounds he suffered during the crucifixion. By doing so, Jesus demonstrates to the Disciples two things: 

1. It really is him. 
2. He really died on the cross. 

He then breathes on them, and they receive His Spirit. On this first day of this new week, a new Creation comes into being. Humankind infused with the Holy Spirit of God. This is the very same Spirit that descended on Jesus as a dove at Christ’s Baptism, the Spirit that was in the second member of the Trinitarian community, the Christ of God, enters the Disciples and enters all of us. The Spirit that lived in Jesus becomes part of the fiber of our being at our Baptism. The potential to love others as Christ loved us, lies within us all. Click to read Deacon Vern's article.

Please note: The church office will be closed on Monday, April 15 and Tuesday, April 16 for the Spring staff retreat.

UPDATE: Rain delayed the start of work on the parking lot this week. Progress on resurfacing the parking areas is very dependent on the weather.

According to current plans, the church entrance will now be CLOSED on Monday, April 15 and Tuesday, April 16 to begin the first phase of the project. You will not be able to access the church property through the main driveway on Lake Concord Rd. Please adjust your plans accordingly.

For those who must access the church property, please enter through the Community Room parking entrance at 290 Country Club Drive. There is very limited parking available in this lot. Then, walk along the sidewalk next to Country Club Drive, around the building to the front of the Welcome Center. You will not be able to cut through the Education Wing. For additional information, contact Stephanie Trosper, church administrator, at 704-782-2024. Thank you for your patience and flexibility while we improve access to our church.

Please note: There are NO construction impacts on Sunday, April 14, 2024. Sunday services and events will proceed as scheduled.

EYC will gather Sunday, April 14 at 4:30 PM in the FRONT parking lot to carpool to the house of a parishioner to do service work and yard clean up. Please bring gloves and any tools you think will be of use. We may plant some flowers, so you're encouraged to bring any flowers you'd like to donate. EYC will return to All Saints' for their meal, which will be provided by Ms. Hoadley & Ms. Osborne. THANK YOU! Questions? Contact Tiffany Fulton.

Each month, a member of the vestry serves as the "go-to" point person for church services. In this new section, we'll be introducing your vestry members with a photo, brief biography, and some fun interview questions. Let's get to know them better!

Jennifer Cook is the April Vestry Person of the Month. Jennifer began attending All Saints' in 2010 after being invited by several people she knew who were already members. She was immediately drawn to the warm, welcoming environment and the authenticity of the members. Jennifer was confirmed at All Saints' in 2012 and married her husband, Chris, here in 2014. She now enjoys singing in the choir, coordinating the annual Chili Cook-off, and assisting with Tour de Saints. Jennifer teaches chorus and music appreciation at Cox Mill High School and enjoys camping, hiking, and spending quality time with family and friends. Click to read more.

Men for Change | Each spring, men and men's groups contribute $100 each to support the Cabarrus Victims Assistance Network (CVAN). Anyone can contribute $100 in honor or memory of a man. The funds collectively support CVAN's services for battered women and their children. Names are listed in a full-page newspaper ad, taking a public stand against domestic violence. For more information and to donate, click here. If you have questions, contact Joe Hunter or David Baxter.

Upcoming Community Opportunities | Fundraiser for Academic Learning Center on Thursday, May 2, 5-7:30 PM at Southern Strain Brewing. Drop in or support by buying tickets. For more information, contact Anne Jaeger. Piedmont Choral Society presents free community concerts on Friday, May 3 at 7 PM and Sunday, May 5 at 3 PM at Calvary Lutheran Church, 950 Bradley Street, Concord. Program will be "To Music: Celebrating the Powerful Gift of Music."

Volunteer Opportunity | The Teller/Counter Team provides an important function in gathering, counting, and preparing funds received from each Sunday’s services for processing by our Finance Administration Team during the following week. The Teller/Counter Team ensures that collected funds are safeguarded until the funds are processed. We are looking for a volunteer to serve as an alternate Teller, which would entail performing such duties on the 5th Sunday of each month (4 times per year) and to substitute when a regularly scheduled Teller is not available. The process has been streamlined considerably over the past year and typically does not take more than 30 minutes, immediately after the conclusion of the 11:10 AM service. Complete training will be provided. The volunteer will assist with the count of cash and will enter information into a basic online form. Please contact Bob Black, if you are interested in serving on this important ministry and/or if you have any questions.

A new Presiding Bishop will be chosen at the General Convention in June. The slate of nominees has been announced. You can learn about the process of selecting a new Presiding Bishop and more about the four nominees by clicking here.

Buddy Hilbish is turning 100 years old on April 20! Let's celebrate this amazing milestone by sending him lots of love and well wishes! Everyone is invited to send birthday cards to Buddy's address, which is listed in Realm, or drop off a card at the church office and we'll send it for you.

An exciting and festive Easter Egg hunt was enjoyed by all at the parish celebration on Sunday, April 7, 2024!

Be aware of potential scams! There are several going around right now. It is important to use caution when anyone reaches out to you, asking for private information or some sort of money. Neither financial institutions or your church will ask for these things via call, email, or text. Please remember that All Saints' staff or volunteers will never call, email, or text parishioners asking for gift cards or money.

Questionable emails often have misspellings and glaring grammar and punctuation mistakes. Always check the sender's email address, and if is not what you expected, you can be assured that it is spam. Remember: emails from All Saints' will end in @allsaintsconcord.org. Bad actors can text or even call you asking for gift cards or money. If this happens on your cell phone, then you can easily block them. Please be alert and careful!

We offer condolences and prayers for the family and friends of Jessie Pearl Hord Collins, grandmother of Emily Badgett, who entered the resurrection on April 9. Emily shares that she died peacefully at 97 years of age. The memorial service will be held Saturday, April 13 at 11 AM at Harris Funeral Home in Kings Mountain, NC. Here is the obituary. We offer comfort and love to this precious family.

We offer praise and thanks for the birth of Josephine Eliza Black, child of Kat and Joey Black, born on March 15, 2024. Grandparents Ragan and Sharon Kearns are delighted to welcome Josie into their growing family. We rejoice and share in their joy.

The Phillips family experienced a house fire on March 10, 2024. The family was able to evacuate in time, but the house is a near total loss. The immediate need is not for physical goods, but for prayers and support in the form of gift cards to restaurants or unspecified gift cards. Assistance can also be given via this GoFundMe fundraiser. All Saints' is responding and will continue to during the family's long process of recovering and rebuilding. When the time comes for accepting physical items (which may be some time), Fran Burkett is agreed to coordinate the ingathering.

Please note: All Saints' responds to special needs through our Assistance Fund, an auditable fund of the vestry, and we are aware of the needs of the parish. However, gifts that are directed to be given to a specific person are not considered a "donation" for tax purposes by the IRS. Donors can be assured that gifts to the Assistance Fund will be distributed to those with pressing needs.

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 Paul, Lynn, Elena, the Ukrainian people and their friends, Barry, Joyce, Thomas, Lynda, Princess Kate, King Charles, Logan, and Jessica and the family. We continue to keep Presiding Bishop Michael Curry in our prayers.