August 29, 2024 Edition

It was evident that extensive planning had gone into preparing for the parish’s annual Tour de Saints’ event. The invitation had gone out to bikers. Business sponsors had been approached to pledge their support. Tee shirts and specialized biker’s shirts had been designed and were ready. The intricacies of the route with attention to safety and refreshment had been addressed. The welcoming lunchtime menu with all its varied choices had been prepared and was ready to serve.

On Saturday, August 24, 2024, our All Saints’ community – those present, surrounded by the prayers and well wishes of those otherwise engaged – was together in person and in spirit to welcome and serve members of our wider community. Members of the wider community, – uniformed security personnel, members of a community men’s group, boy scouts from a neighboring church, volunteers who drove the route with signs alerting other drivers to the presence of bikers, the availability of ice baths, the DJ who provided music to enliven the day, friends and family, all became a part of the All Saints’ community. Click to read more.

Schedule Changes | Worship will be held Sunday, September 1 at 9 and 11:10 AM, as usual! However, due to the holiday weekend, Christian Formation classes at 10 AM and Sunday afternoon EYC activities will take a Labor Day break and resume next Sunday, September 8. Also, the Church Office will be closed on Monday, September 2, for Labor Day, re-opening on Tuesday, September 3.

Year 6 of Energy Saving Trees starts next week! One of the best things we can do to Care for Creation is to plant a tree. Starting this coming Wednesday, September 4, homeowners in Concord zip codes 28025 and 28026 will be able to order one free tree from the Arbor Day Foundation. You may choose from 7 different species of native trees that are ready to plant. Order your tree here! (Note: the website goes live on September 4.) All 300 trees are typically reserved within 2-3 weeks, so don’t delay! Pre-ordered trees are picked up on October 19, 2024, at All Saints’. Contact Mark Robinson for more information or to volunteer.

Rabbi Barbara will be back with us at 10 AM on Sunday, September 8! As she promised, we will pray and sing as she does with her congregation. We will walk through prayers of Jewish services that teach us about caring for strangers who want to join us and about our responsibility to act to heal the world. You won't want to miss this fun! There's something for everyone! See you on Sunday!

Costa Rica Mission Trip Interest Meeting will be held Sunday, September 8 at 4:30-6:30 in the Parish Hall for EYC families, chaperones, and any other interested adults. Questions? Contact Tiffany Fulton.

You are invited to a new Bible study is that starts Friday, September 13 at 10 AM in the church parlor. We will explore the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-26) and how to cultivate these qualities in our lives. Please reach out to Lynda Waller with any questions. All are welcome!

Fellowship Dinner with Grace Lutheran will be Thursday, September 19 at 5:30 PM at Grace Lutheran. All Saints' will bring side dishes and dessert. They will provide the entrees. We are excited to resume these fellowship gatherings!

Adult Christian Formation | Understanding Christian Nationalism: What it is. What it is not. Why it matters. With Rev. Sally Johnston | “It’s not conservative Christianity. Obviously, it’s not liberal Christianity either. What we’re actually describing is an ideology that’s not really a religion, but…invokes language and symbols that have religious traffic. [But] as an ideology, you lay it alongside Jesus of Nazareth and we’re not even talking about the same thing.” – Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, excerpted from Episcopal News Service, posted Oct 27, 2022

September 22 – What is Christian Nationalism? We’ll look at a brief history of the development of this movement and what threats it poses both to democracy in the United States and to Christianity in the 21st century. The class will include a presentation with time for questions and discussion and a resource guide to books, films and webinars for further education.

September 29 – Responding to Christian Nationalism. This follow-up class will focus on the intersection of faith and advocacy: how being a Christian and a patriot are not mutually exclusive, but can become problematic when merged. We’ll discuss helpful and fruitful responses to this ideology as well as those things that are either counter-productive or of little value. 

The Reverend Sally Johnston is an Episcopal priest affiliated with St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Charlotte. Although retired, she continues her ministry with a focus on social justice, formation and pastoral care, especially related to grief and loss. She is also a Camino-walker and always ready for the next pilgrimage adventure. 

It's official! Emily Badgett has accepted a call to Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, in Lexington, KY. She will be serving as Assistant to the Rector, focusing on Newcomers and Pastoral Care. She plans to start in September. We are so proud of Emily and are excited for this next step in her journey! We know she will be a blessing and encouragement to her new parish. Read more about Emily's new position here.

We offer condolences and prayers for the family and friends of Clark Cook, former member of All Saints' and past Senior Warden, who entered the Resurrection on August 21, 2024. We send love and pray that God be close to those who mourn. His obituary can be found here.

On Tuesday, we said goodbye to a stately willow oak tree that was likely close to 200 years old. Trees like humans have a limited life span. Some live longer than others. Like humans, trees can die suddenly from disease which is what happened to this tree. In retrospect, I suspect this tree has been chronically ill for some time, as it dropped dead limbs constantly over the last few years. Then, suddenly over about a week in July it just died. All the leaves turned brown. The arborist found signs of a chronic fungal infection, which weakened the tree. Then it was attacked by boring insects followed by the heat and lack of rain in June. In its later years this tree was dedicated to Fr. Roger Butler, a beloved priest to so many of us. The tree and all its wood were taken down and removed from the property by a local tree company all in one day. – Mark Robinson

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 Monica, Sutton, Mother Mary, Regina, Darryl, Joshua, Catherine, George, Beau, and Caroline.