July 18, 2024 Edition

Monday I will begin my sabbatical. The word sabbatical finds its root in the word for rest, sabbath. Sabbaticals can be rich opportunities of growth for both the priest and congregations. I look forward to deepening my spirituality through silence, prayer, and pilgrimage as well as learning more about those who have shaped the practice of Christian faith in the Middle Ages and in the Reformation. I will be on an eight-day silent retreat, three pilgrimages (the Way of St. Hildegard, a portion of the Way of St. Francis, and the Camino Ingles), and a time of icon painting. My time will include visits to the churches and cities of the Reformation in Germany and multiple different centuries in Italy and Spain, as well as simple downtime for reading, reflecting, and recreating.

Click to read more.

You are invited to serve at the Night Shelter, July 28-August 3! We only have one night still open – Monday, July 29. If you've been on the fence about serving, chat with Gary Kovar. His contact info is in Realm. This is a great chance to feed our neighbors!

Get ready to ride, sponsor, volunteer! Tour de Saints is on Saturday, August 24, 2024! The Tour de Saints charity bike ride is an annual outreach event hosted by All Saints’ Episcopal Church. This community event supports local charities in Cabarrus County. Our objectives are to raise awareness about the work these charities do in our community, collect non-perishable food items the day of the ride, and generate funds to directly support these charities. Click for details about how YOU can get involved!

Summer Planning | Looking ahead, here are a couple events to place on your summer calendar. Details will be coming soon!

• Blessing of the Backpacks, Rally Day & EYC Kick-off – August 11
• Rabbi Barbara Thiede – August 18 & August 25 at 10 AM
• Pride Night at Cannon Ballers – August 29 – Sign up in Realm coming soon

We continue to lift up Samantha Hornung on her achievements – both The Girl Scout Gold Award as well as being named as the 2024 Marie McLucas Scholarship winner! Samantha designed a curriculum on organ donation, focusing on educating youth and preparing others to become educators. Starting with school presentations, she developed a training program and created materials, posters, and a video for global distribution. Surpassing her goals, she trained 20 people to continue this education. Inspired by a seminar at a HOSA competition, Samantha embarked on this project, driven by the critical need for organ donors, especially in North Carolina where 3,000 people await transplants. Her Gold Award aimed to address this shortage by providing essential information for potential donors.

We offer condolences and prayers for the family and friends of Dean and Peggy Johnson, former members of All Saints', who both passed away last week, just three days apart. Dean was a former Senior Warden of All Saints' and both Dean and Peggy were very active at the church and in the wider community. Prayers are requested for their children, Stacey Johnson Zenoski and her three daughters and Dean Johnson III. Peggy and Dean’s joint service will be held Saturday, July 20 at 11 AM at Salem United Methodist Church, Denver, NC.

We offer condolences and prayers for the family and friends of The Rev. Gayanne Silver, who entered the Resurrection on July 10, 2024. Gay was ordained to the diaconate on June 21, 1997 and to the priesthood on June 20, 1998 by Bishop Bob Johnson. After serving in the Diocese of New York and the Diocese of Florida, Gay returned to the Diocese of NC, and was the Assistant Vicar at St. Patrick's, Mooresville, from 1997-2000 and spent several years at All Saints', Concord. In more recent years, Gay attended Church of the Holy Comforter in Charlotte. We give heartfelt thanks for Gay's faithful life and ministry.

"Bearing Witness": A Diocesan-wide Course Offering | Tuesdays, August 6-September 3, 12-1:30 PM via Zoom

In June, the Chartered Committee of Global Mission offered an informational session about "Bearing Witness," 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.

Would you like to experience Bearing Witness before offering or facilitating the course at your church? If so, we invite you to join the five-week diocesan-wide class to experience the course. The course will meet on Tuesdays, August 6-September 3, 12-1:30 PM. Click to register.

Are you subscribed to the Disciple? Once upon a time, parishioners were automatically subscribed to the Disciple, the quarterly magazine of the Diocese of North Carolina, by their churches. With changes during the pandemic and ever-stricter data privacy protection, that is no longer the case. So if you've been missing the stories from across the diocese that inspire, educate, entertain and connect us all, subscribe to the Disciple today! Subscriptions are available in two forms: digital and print. Digital subscriptions are available at no cost. Click for details.

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 Eero, Fred, Madison, and Jacob.