Dearly Beloved,
There was an important piece of news this week regarding the coronavirus pandemic we have all been struggling under for the past 14 months. The CDC issued new guidelines regarding individuals who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. On Thursday, May 13, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, said, “Anyone who is fully vaccinated can participate in indoor and outdoor activities, large or small, without wearing a mask or physical distancing.”
And then yesterday, May 14, in a somewhat surprising development, Governor Roy Cooper, removed all indoor capacity limits and dropped the indoor mask mandates in most settings here in North Carolina.
In consideration of these new developments, and the fact that many of our parishioners have been fully vaccinated, we also will remove the capacity limits we have been operating under here at All Saints Church. We will “drop the drapes” which have been blocking pews to ensure physical distancing, effective immediately. Also, if you wish to continue wearing masks while in the church buildings, please feel free to do so.
Now onto other news for this week.
Rest in Peace
I am sad to report to you that Fr. Richard Bakley, the first Rector of All Saints Church, died last Sunday, May 9. Fr. Rich arrived here in 1985 and was instrumental in procuring our present property and guided the parish through erecting its first building (our parish hall) and also the present church building. He left here in 1993 to shepherd St. Michael’s Church in Charlotte for 23 years before his retirement. He is survived by his wife of 52 years Patricia, son Thomas, daughter Ellen, son in law Andé, grandson Atticus, granddaughter Adelaide, and sister Helen. His funeral will be held at St. Michael’s Church in Charlotte this coming Monday, May 17, at 2:00 p.m. He will be interred here at All Saints Church at a later date. I will let you know when that is scheduled.
Welcome
We are very pleased to let you know that Nic Rutherford has joined this parish as we live the Gospel of our Savior Jesus Christ together. Nic is a life-long Anglican and he has “jumped right in” by volunteering for Pew Patrol! Welcome aboard Nic. We are blessed to have you with us!
Shakespeare in the House!
The annual Shakespeare production is all ready to begin! This year’s play is Twelfth Night. As is usual, one of the performances is scheduled specifically for our parish family and that is on Sunday, May 30, at 12:45 p.m., directly after our 11:00 a.m. Holy Communion. Seating, though, is limited so we ask that you please sign up this coming Sunday. See Dss. Cynthia to get your name on the list. Bag lunches will be provided that day.
Vacation Bible School
Vacation Bible School is scheduled for June 21-25, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Registration has been on-going. We are nearly at capacity and will likely close registration this coming week, so register now by clicking on this link! We also need adult volunteers to help us oversee this most important ministry to our children and community. Let Dss. Cynthia know of you can help.
Ministry Opportunities
We still have a couple of areas where we need help here in our parish. Won’t you please consider taking on one these responsibilities?
- Ushers—We always have a need for ushers at the 11:00 a.m. worship time each Sunday. This is a critical job, as ushers are usually the first contact for anyone visiting our parish.
- Kitchen Keeper—We are looking for someone who will keep a running inventory of supplies and keep the kitchen area organized. This job will be especially important once all of our parish activities fully return to normal in the near future.
St. Timothy’s Porch
Last Saturday, May 8, Paul Sewrey, our People’s Warden, gathered some men of the parish together to lay 7 tons of rock around St. Timothy’s Porch. As you know, the porch had 1 foot drop-offs around its sides. The new rock filled in those drop-offs, adding an additional element of safety to the porch. The new rock will also help with drainage.
Ladies Meeting
It has been well over a year since the ladies of the parish have gathered to plan their activities. They will meet on Saturday, June 12 at 10:30 a.m. in the parish hall. They will have a brief meeting to plan their upcoming events. A fellowship lunch will follow. Ladies, be sure to mark your calendars and come out that morning.
Office Closed, Monday, May 17
Dss. Cynthia and I will be away on Monday attending Fr. Rich’s Funeral in Charlotte, so the church office will be closed. If you have an emergency, please feel free to give us a call on our cell phones and we will call you back as soon as we can.
Blessings to all of you and I look forward to seeing you in church!
Fr. Erich
This Week in the Parish
Sunday, May 16, Sunday after Ascension
· 8:30 a.m., Holy Communion
· 9:45 a.m., Sunday School
· 11:00 a.m., Holy Communion
Monday, May 17
· Office Closed
Tuesday, May 18
· 11:00 a.m., Book Study
Wednesday, May 19
· 6:00 p.m., Holy Communion
· 6:30 p.m., Choir Practice
· 6:30 p.m., Dinner Break
· 7:00 p.m., Bible Study
Thursday, May 20
· 3:00 p.m., Twelfth Night Performance
· 7:00 p.m., Twelfth Night Performance
Friday, May 21
· 3:00 p.m., Twelfth Night Performance
· 7:00 p.m., Twelfth Night Performance
Saturday, May 22
· 1:00 p.m., Twelfth Night Performance
· 5:00 p.m., Twelfth Night Performance
· 7:00 p.m., Middle School Cast Party
