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Dear saints,
What does it mean to be a church in the city, for the city?
The answer is, of course, an ever unfolding thing. Take the latest installment from in front of the reception desk at church, just this week. I was walking back to my office having had lunch with a group of parishioners across Midtown, when a young man looking thoroughly distraught approached me speaking Spanish all in a rush. My feeble grasp of the language, Google translate, and numerous mimes were just about enough to get the message across: his scooter had just been stolen. I called for back up - two staff who have a working knowledge of Spanish, but neither could take the call - so I invited the man inside. Tracey got ready for action, Marie-Louise offered one of her radiant smiles, and I searched the horseshoe room for a staff member to come to the rescue. Kathy and Emma were there, and before I knew it, Luke, Kathy's son, was on the phone, speaking and listening in the man’s native tongue helping us work out with the man if he wanted us to call the police, or perhaps not. His whole family are back in Colombia and relied on his earnings as a DoorDash driver. Over time, Nancy Dodson and Randy Miller joined the procession of All Saints' folks involved, until eventually I was able to offer an early Christmas gift from my discretionary fund to the young man to help him work toward replacing his scooter. I told him via Google, using my best spoken Spanish, that in spite of appearances, "This is a good country, today was just a bad day, things will get better." And off he went, hugging us all, his cheeks stained with tears, but smiling just a little. Perhaps he believed me. I'd like to think he did. It was after all, what we could do to be God's conspiracy of goodness in that particular time and place. And it wasn't lost on me, that we could be generous in spirit and deed that day only because many of you have chosen to be generous in giving to this church over such a long time. A church in the city, for the city, however that city decides to pay a visit on any given day. Thanks be to God.
Wednesday's events are just one story among a myriad that Ellen Hayes’ years at All Saints’ have witnessed, celebrated, and I believe inspired over the time she has served God in this place. This Sunday, following the 9:00 a.m. service, we will gather in Ellis Hall to express our heartfelt gratitude for her. Giving thanks is a powerful thing. When a staff member departs All Saints' I invite the other staff to offer words of thanksgiving that are specific, that name the precise ways by which the person leaving has inspired a spirit of gratitude in them. I do so because we need help seeing ourselves. Hearing what others really see and feel is a gift we can take with us.
We need people and churches in our lives, sufficiently trusting in the gospel, that they are willing to talk with us about what we value most. This includes our money, especially with how much money dominates our daily living. I invite you this Sunday to share what you see in and have received from Ellen in that regard. If you can't be there Sunday morning, offer up a prayer of thanksgiving for Ellen and her ministry among us. We are all so much richer for it.
Peace,
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Fouth Sunday of Advent
Sunday, December 22, Church
Weekly Service Times
- 8:00 a.m. (Traditional Language, No Music)
- 9:00 a.m. (Contemporary Language, Choral Music)
- 11:15 a.m. (Contemporary Language, Choral Music)
- 5:00 p.m. The Welcome Table (Contemporary Language, Jazz Music)
| | PARKING: Overflow parking is available at the Bank of America—please enter on North Ave. Please request an additional validation ticket from an usher in the church narthex upon arrival or exit. Use both validation tickets upon exiting the Bank of America parking deck to park free of charge. Be aware, also, that on Sundays in Midtown Atlanta, street parking is free. | | |
ATTENTION: Beware Email Scammers this Holiday Season
Please remain vigilant against email scammers pretending to be Simon or another member of the clergy or staff, including those who might appear to use a legitimate All Saints' email address. We will never ask you to buy gift cards, send us money individually, or fulfill any task for us on a personal basis. If you have any suspicion about an email you receive from someone who looks like they could be from All Saints', please call or text the staff member in question to double check.
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Tuesday, December 24: Christmas Eve
- 1:00 p.m.: A Service of Nine Lessons and Carols with Adult Choir (No Communion)
- 3:00 p.m.: Christmas Eve Worship with Communion and Children's Choirs
- 5:00 p.m.: Christmas Eve Worship with Communion and Youth Choirs
- 7:00 p.m.: Christmas Eve Worship with Communion and Adult Choir and string ensemble
- 10:00 p.m.: Christmas Eve Worship with Communion and Adult Choir and string ensemble
*Nursery is open 2:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
*The 3:00 p.m., 5:00p.m., and 7:00 p.m. services will be livestreamed.
Christmas Eve Parking: Overflow parking will be available at the Bank of America building on Christmas Eve until 12:30 a.m. Please be sure to get a ticket upon entry to the parking deck and then ask an usher in The Church Narthex for a validation ticket from All Saints'. Using both your original ticket from the parking deck, and the validation ticket from the All Saints' Usher, your parking should be free of charge.
Wednesday, December 25: Christmas Day
• 10:00 a.m.: Christmas Day: Holy Communion with music
*There is no nursery care offered on Wednesday, December 25.
Sunday, December 29
- 8:00 a.m.: First Sunday of Christmas: Communion, traditional language, no music
- 10:00 a.m.: First Sunday of Christmas: Communion, contemporary language, Adult choir
*There is no Welcome Table on Sunday, December 29.
*There is no nursery care offered on Sunday, December 29.
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Sunday Morning Breakfast
Sundays, from 7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m., Ellis Hall
This Sunday is our last breakfast of the year! Join us for a delicious breakfast and fellowship with the saints before Sunday services in Ellis Hall. The cost is $10 for adults and $8 for kids.
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Christmas Pageant Sunday
December 22, 9:00 a.m., Church
Come hear the Christmas Story as told and imagined by the Children of All Saints’. This non-anxious, unpracticed storytelling will be led by 4th and 5th graders who will invite all the children into the story as shepherds, angels, animals, and wise people. Costumes will be available on the 2nd floor of the Pritchett Building from 8:00 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.
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The Welcome Table: Sunday Evening Worship Service and Dinner
Sundays at 5:00 p.m., In the Chapel and Ellis Hall
Before your busy week begins, the Welcome Table is a place to join with others and find rest and refreshment. Come to the Welcome Table: a service with a jazz trio, singing, communion and prayer (together and in ways that speak to us individually). A community dinner for all participants follows the service.
| | Our Advent journey continued Sunday, December 15 at All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Midtown Atlanta. From Rev. Natosha Reid Rice's sermon to packing gifts for Refugee Ministries to adult formation, this was another day packed with worship, service and community.
| | As we journey into our final Sunday of Advent, let’s hold fast to the spirit of hope, joy and community. We look forward to continuing this sacred season together. | | |
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Novel Theology >> Meets one Wednesday a month on Zoom from 7:00-8:00 p.m.. Click the link above to learn more and register.
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Be In That Number!
Thank you so much to those who have pledged.
These dollars coming in celebrate the deep generosity
you feel towards All Saints'.
This campaign is not the same without you.
Please share your gifts with a commitment / pledge here now:
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All Saints' offers easy ways to pay your pledge or to make a gift:
Online at allsaintsatlanta.org/give
Mail a check to All Saints’ Church, 634 W. Peachtree St., Atlanta, GA 30308 Put a check or cash into the offering plate during the services
Text to Give: text AllSaintsAtlanta to 73256
Gift stocks or securities
Our Charles Schwab account is:
“All Saints’ Episcopal Church”
Account #: 1084-6679 • DTC #: 0164 Code: 40
Stock gifts do NOT come with the donor’s name included so remember to contact Betsey Gibbs at bgibbs@allsaintsatlanta.org, and let her know the stock gift is coming.
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Year End Giving:
There is still time to make a gift, pledge payment or stock transfer. To be counted as a 2024 gift for tax purposes, we must have your gift by noon on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024 or postmarked by Dec. 31, 2024. The office will be open Monday, December 30, 10:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m., and Tuesday, December 31, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Thanks for your support All Saints'!
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Baby Grand Piano in the chapel, on loan from the Cornerstone Jazz Collective
We give thanks to the leadership of the Cornerstone Jazz Collective, especially saxophonist Will Scruggs and bassist Kevin Smith, for loaning us a Yamaha baby grand piano for the next year. The piano will support the Welcome Table service in the chapel, where Kevin and Will help lead worship through music. Cornerstone Jazz Collective will build out their performance and teaching space in Decatur, and when it’s ready, the piano will return to their space, supporting jazz education in Atlanta.
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Epiphany Ministry Fair
Sunday, January 5, 10:20 a.m. – 11:05 a.m., Ellis Hall
With New Year’s resolutions in mind, you are invited to be a light in this place by volunteering to join a ministry of action. Join us in Ellis Hall to learn how you can be involved with worship, pastoral care, Faith and Justice Collective, and Children and Youth Formation.
Contact: the Rev. Dr. Andrew K. Barnett: abarnett@allsaintsatlanta.org.
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Epiphany Service for All Ages
Wednesday, January 8, 5:00 p.m., Chapel
The evening begins at 5:00 p.m. in the chapel with a procession of the Bethlehem star and the
three magi bearing gifts for the Christ child in the manger. We will bring our own gifts of baby clothes for the children that come to shop at Threads as we learn to keep following and reflecting that light of Christ today.
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Jesus on the Front Page
Sundays, 10:20 a.m. - 11:05 a.m., Parish Hall 307
In this weekly Sunday morning discussion of a current news story, participants reflect on how we are called to live as faithful people. In a nonpartisan reflection, we explore how we might be called to pray differently, think differently or act differently in our private and public lives. We ask where God might be found in this story and learn to name our lament as well as our hope. Email Clark Lemons (clemons@emory.edu) if you have questions!
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The Journey Bible Study
Weekly on Mondays, from 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., on Zoom
The Journey (Bible Study) continues, led by The Rev. Karen Evans, Parish Priest Associate. We will resume our journey through the Book of Revelation. The only requirements are a Bible and a willingness to learn. Email The Rev. Karen Evans at kevans@allsaintsatlanta.org for additional class information.
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The Faith & Justice Collective Luncheon: Advocacy Opportunities for Refugees, Immigrants, and Asylum Seekers
Sunday, January 12, 2025 from 12:30 p.m. – 2:15 p.m., Ellis Hall
The Faith & Justice Collective luncheon series is an opportunity for justice-minded parishioners to get to know one another and hear about the work we do as a church-community and in our own lives. Join us in January for a conversation with Louisa Merchant, the Director of Refugee Ministries at All Saints', about the kind of advocacy that may be needed for refugees, immigrants, and asylum seekers. Louisa will lay out where things seem to stand with the newly inaugurated administration and will walk us through concrete actions we might take personally and as a church-community. The session will focus on navigating trauma and will primarily be conducted in pairs and small groups. Please register in advance at
https://bit.ly/FaithJusticeCollectiveLuncheon3 and contact Rev. Jenny McBride with any
questions, jmcbride@allsaintstalanta.org.
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Adult Inquirers Class - Winter Session
Wednesdays, January 15 - February 12, 2025 from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., via Zoom
Adult Inquirers Class is a five-part introduction to the life of faith at All Saints’. The first four meetings are on Zoom with the final session in person over dinner at the church. Participants are asked to commit to all five sessions. Additional adult inquirers classes will be held later in the spring and fall. Upon completion of classes, confirmation and membership will be available. For more details contact Simon Mainwaring at (smainwaring@allsaintsatlanta.org) or Tracey Sage (tsage@allsaintsatlanta.org).
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Poinsettia Delivery
This Sunday, December 22, Church
Help Sunday Callers deliver poinsettias to homebound parishioners this Sunday, December 22. You can pick them up after the 9:00 a.m. service, or after the 11:15 a.m. service. To volunteer, contact Pat Robinson, 404-395-5793, probinson999@gmail.com.
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Wednesday Night Supper Returns!
Wednesday January 8, 5:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m., Ellis Hall
Join us as we resume Wednesday Night Supper and celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany on Wednesday, January 8, 2025! There will be a festive Three Kings Cake and star cookies.
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Weekly Children & Youth Formation
Nursery/Little Saints: Birth-Pre-K, 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., 1st floor of the Pritchett Center
Children’s Church: Children's Church will Resume on January 5.
Children Formation: Children's Church will Resume on January 5.
Youth Formation: Youth Formation will Resume on January 5.
SNL (6th-8th grade) and Y’all Saints’ (9th-12th grade):
SNL takes a break be back for Christmas and will resume on January 5 for the Epiphany Bonfire. For more details and location, please email Luke Nolfa lnolfa@allsaintsatlanta.org.
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Young Adult Fellowship Online!
Are you in your 20s or 30s and interested in fellowship, discipleship and service? Reach out to Tasia Blair at youngadults@allsaintsatlanta.org to receive our monthly newsletter, get added to the WhatsApp group chat and find out what events we have coming up!
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Holiday Parties for Refugee Ministries and FOCUS
This Saturday, December 21, 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., The Attic and 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m., Ellis Hall
You have two opportunities to help with holiday welcome. Sign up to help with decorations, transportation or food for our Refugee Ministries party in the attic from 11:00 a.m. -1:00 p.m. on December 21 at bit.ly/AllSaintsGivingTree or sign up to provide welcome to FOCUS medically fragile families from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. in Ellis Hall on December 21 at bit.ly/FOCUSxmas.
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Threads Welcomes Families for Shopping
Threads welcomes families for in-store shopping Thursdays and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Interested in volunteering? Contact Marcia Mayfield if you are interested in volunteering; Threads needs you:
threads@allsaintsatlanta.org.
You may purchase items please via the Threads Amazon Wishlist:
bit.ly/ASECThreadDecember2024
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Read The Faith and Justice Collective's
December Newsletter
The December issue includes the following highlights:
- Voice Lifters: A Matter of Better Understanding
- All Saints’ Supports Female Seminarians in Tanganyika
- History Center Examines Forsyth County Race Expulsion
- Now’s the Time to Support the Giving Tree
- Gun Safety Events Scheduled This Month
Click here to sign up and receive the newsletter delivered to your inbox
| | | Click the image above to view our "thank yous" to parishioners from various staff members. We appreciate the ways you serve our parish community! | | |
Photo Sharing at All Saints’
The Communications Team invites you to submit photographs of All Saints’ events via e-mail for inclusion in forthcoming publications, newsletters, monitor feeds and on social media accounts. If you have content to share, please send photographs via e-mail to communications@allsaintsatlanta.org in .JPG or .PNG formats.
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Connect with us on Realm!
Learn more >> Don't forget to join Realm, our new platform for online giving, directory, and event registration.
Questions? Please contact Betsey Gibbs at bgibbs@allsaintsatlanta.org.
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