Dearly Beloved,
What an amazing snowfall we had this past weekend! All of you remained safe during that time, although many were without power for a while. Some of you are still stuck in iced over streets but everything here at All Saints is back in full swing. We have had to re-schedule a few things, so please read on to see what is on tap for this week.
Advent Lessons & Carols
We had such high hopes for an excellent worship experience this past Sunday but, of course, Mother Nature didn’t cooperate. We have rescheduled Lessons & Carols for this coming Sunday, December 16, at 3:00 p.m. It will be followed by a “scaled down” version of our annual St. Nicholas Party. I encourage all of you to be here on Sunday afternoon. Brian and our choir put in a lot of hard work to prepare for this beautiful service and we should certainly support them. And best of all, when you attend you will hear the story of your salvation, from prophecy to fulfillment, in scripture and song. Please do join us!
Angel Tree Gifts
We will gather the Angel Tree Gifts this coming Sunday. The children we have “adopted” are counting on us and we must deliver those gifts on Monday morning, so don’t forget! The gifts should NOT be wrapped. Just put the ornament tag on the gift and bring it to the church.
News of Note
Bill Fishburne and Doug Hensley are both having medical procedures this week. Bill is having an endoscopic procedure to test a heart valve today to see if any additional medical intervention is necessary for him. Doug is having a new pacemaker lead positioned in his heart tomorrow morning. Please keep both of them in your prayers as they go through these necessary procedures.
Vestry Meeting
The vestry will make up their missed meeting this coming Monday night, December 17, at 6:30 p.m. They will meet in the large classroom in Simcox Hall, due to a Classical Scholars Show Choir performance that evening in the parish hall.
Adult Sunday School
We will have our last class for the year this coming Sunday, December 16, at 9:45 a.m. We will finish our discussion of Advent.
Tuesday Book Study
Tuesday Book Study will return for one more class before Christmas. This coming Tuesday, December 18, at 11:00 a.m., we will discuss the Lord’s Prayer as outlined in Chapter 15 of The Cost of Discipleship.
Wednesday Night Bible Study
We were back in full swing last night as we continued our discussion of Chapter 5 in St. Matthew’s Gospel. Next week, we will finish Chapter 5 before we take our Christmas break.
Christmas Preparation
In many ways, the snow we had last weekend seemed to have made time stop for a bit. But now it seems that, all of a sudden, Christmas is upon us. It is but a week and a half away. As always, we will set up our Christmas Tree the Saturday before Christmas, December 22, at 9:00 a.m. And the following day, Sunday, December 23, is the day we decorate the church for our Christmas worship, after the 11:00 a.m. Holy Communion. The more folks we have those 2 days, the quicker we can get out of here and complete our preparations at home. Also, on the 23rd, lunch will be a potluck, so please bring a dish to share to feed the hungry souls decorating the church!
Christmas
As is always the case, there are many opportunities to worship our new-born King at Christmas. On Christmas Eve, our Family Eucharist will begin at 7:00 p.m. and the Mass at Midnight begins at 11:00 p.m. On Christmas Day, we will celebrate the Holy Communion at 10:00 a.m. The full schedule for the entire Christmas season is at the bottom of this post.
Construction Update
Just before the snow arrived, all the flooring was completed in the office addition. The doors were installed and all the moldings and base boards were put in place! You can see pictures here on our website by clicking here. All the downlights were installed this week and the heating and air conditioning work continued this week. The electrician will be here tomorrow to see how quickly we might be able to “power up” the new building and the propane lines will be connected to the heating system on Saturday.
That is about it for this week. Just a few more announcements are below. God bless all of you and I look forward to seeing you in church this weekend…and don’t forget those Christmas gifts!
Fr. Erich
This Week in the Parish
Sunday, December 16, Third Sunday in Advent
· 8:30 a.m., Holy Communion
· 9:45 a.m., Sunday School
· 11:00 a.m., Holy Communion
· 12:15 p.m., Fellowship Lunch
· 3:00 p.m., Lessons & Carols
· 4:00 p.m., St. Nicholas Party
Monday, December 17
· 6:30 p.m., Vestry Meeting
Tuesday, December 18
· 11:00 a.m., Book Study
Wednesday, December 19
· 6:00 p.m., Holy Communion
· 6:30 p.m., Fellowship Meal
· 7:00 p.m., Bible Study
· 7:00 p.m., Choir Practice
Friday, December 21, St. Thomas, Apostle
· 12:00 p.m., Holy Communion
Saturday, December 22
· 9:00 a.m., Christmas tree set-up
Other Announcements
Christmas Flowers and Greenery
· Envelopes have been placed in the pews to help beautify All Saints this Christmas season. Please indicate if your gift is in memory or thanksgiving of the people listed. Names will be published in the Christmas bulletin. Please make your dedications this coming weekend.
The Trinitarian
· The latest edition of the Trinitarian newspaper is available to read, and All Saints made headlines with the arrival of our bell tower. Please read it to see what is happening in our traditional Anglican churches. We also encourage you to consider supporting this newspaper by subscribing for your own personal copy.
Youth Sunday School
· In our youth Sunday school, we will continue our Advent journey by preparing for the coming of our Lord as we slowly make our way to Bethlehem with an emphasis on finding peace in the chaos of the modern-day Christmas Season.
Food Bank
· Western Carolina Rescue Mission in Buncombe County is this month’s recipient of our in-gathering of food stuffs.
Christmas Schedule
Saturday, December 22
· 9:00 a.m., Christmas Tree Setup
Sunday, December 23, Fourth Sunday in Advent
· 8:30 a.m., Holy Communion
· 9:45 a.m., No Sunday School
· 11:00 a.m., Holy Communion
· 12:15 a.m. Potluck Fellowship Meal / Greening & Decorating of the Church
Monday, December 24, Christmas Eve
· 7:00 p.m., Family Eucharist of Christmas
· 11:00 p.m., Christmas Mass at Midnight
Tuesday, December 25, Christmas Day
· 10:00 a.m., Mass of Christmas Day
Wednesday, December 26, St. Stephen’s Day
· 6:00 p.m., Holy Communion
Thursday, December 27, St. John the Evangelist Day
· 12:00 p.m., Holy Communion
Friday, December 28, Holy Innocents Day
· 12:00 p.m., Holy Communion
Sunday, December 30, First Sunday after Christmas
· 8:30 a.m., Holy Communion
· 9:45 a.m., No Sunday School
· 11:00 a.m., Holy Communion
· 12:15 p.m., Fellowship Meal
Tuesday, January 1, Feast of the Circumcision
· 12:00 p.m., Holy Communion
Wednesday, January 2, Ninth Day of Christmas
· 6:00 p.m., Holy Communion
· 7:00 p.m., Choir Practice
Saturday, January 5, Twelfth Day of Christmas
· 6:00 p.m., Twelfth Night Party
