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CHURCH SCHOOL NEWSA New Year's Spiritual Resolution As we begin the new year, here's a resolution your household might want to keep. This is from the Youth & Family Institute - a Lutheran organization seeking to strengthen and mature faith and positive values among children and youth being convinced that families are the primary unit of faith and values formation. For more information, check their website at www.youthandfamilyinstitute.org. Faith formation is where we start our spiritual journeys no matter our age. When we find time for study, introspection, reevaluation, and caring conversations with friends and family, we are reflecting the priorities developed when our faith was new. Living faithful lives is an ongoing process. It often begins when we are very young, but the journey takes a lifetime - we are all constantly growing. Each day and every change in our life circumstances present opportunities that can lead us to a renewed relationship with God, others, and creation. Consider these "things to do" :
Epiphany Dinner and Celebration Thursday, January 6, 5:30 to 7:00 pm
$5.00 per person ($15.00 per household) donation is suggested, however everyone is welcome! (The party will need to end promptly in order for Adult Choir rehearsal to proceed on time.) ìGiftsî of canned goods and non-perishable foods for the Brookline Food Pantry will also be gratefully accepted this evening. Your reservation is important! Please contact Stefani Schatz (617-738-1810 x13) or sign up at Church. Rite 13 Ceremony 2005 On Sunday, January 23, several of our young people will participate in our annual Rite 13 here at All Saints during the 10:30 am Holy Eucharist. These young people will first take part in a retreat with their leaders Mary Longer and Peter Stringham filled with activities and meditations to help them imagine the joys, challenges, and responsibilities that will come their way as adolescents. On Saturday evening, January 22, their family and friends will gather for a marvelous banquet. At that time these "celebrities" will be toasted and prayed for as they begin their journey into adulthood. As members of their congregation, it is important that you join with them to recognize their transition from childhood to adolescence. This is a brief but moving ritual where they will symbolically separate from their parents in order to join their peers who have preceded them. Please mark Sunday, January 23, on your calendars. - Stefani Schatz, Director of
Report on the Diocesan Convetion 2004The 219th Diocesan Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts was held November 5-6, 2004, at the Four Points Sheraton in Hyannis. Approximately 700 members of the Diocese attended. All Saints was represented by delegates Adeline Faturoti and Mary Dunlap, alternate delegate Hugh Dunlap, the Rev. David Killian and the Rev. Leslie Sterling. This year delegates and clergy were joined by newcomers to the church and representatives of congregations' welcoming and evangelism ministries. Representing All Saints in this capacity were David Pfarrer and Chuck McVinney. Actions taken by Convention included approving the $6.9 million budget for 2005 (balanced and reflecting a 3.1 per cent increase from last year) and approving 2 resolutions from the Jubilee Committee and AIDS in Africa task force. One resolution asks for a 3 year renewal of the diocese's annual commitment of 0.7 percent of its operating budget for efforts to combat AIDS in Africa (the contribution for 2005 would be $49,000). The other resolution asks for endorsement of the UN Millenium Development Goals and encourages diocesan congregations to contribute 0.7 percent of their annual budgets to fund international development programs. In response to issues raised by Bishop Shaw's address on Friday, resolutions were passed encouraging delegates and clergy to increase their 2005 pledges to their parishes by 6 percent, and asked every congregation to make available "welcome packets" for newcomers. These very attractive packet folders were available for each congregation to take home. In keeping with the convention's evangelism theme, "Speak Your Joy", the convention was treated to an exhilarating slide illustrated talk by the Rev. Bonnie Perry, Rector of All Saints Church in Chicago, who talked about congregational development based on her church's rejuvenation experiences. The convention honored Bishop Thomas Shaw who is in his 10th year as Bishop of Massachusetts. It was announced that in keeping with our mission strategy goals, $270,000 has been raised to date, in his honor, to begin placing clergy assistants in urban congregations. Please speak to any one of us if you have questions or comments regarding the convention. You may also refer to the Diocesan website--www.diomass.org. -Mary Dunlap Note from Our SeminarianGreetings! My name is Jennifer Allred, and I am your seminarian at All Saints Parish for the year. First of all, let me say what a pleasure it is to serve at All Saints this year! This is such a vibrant parish community. I have enjoyed the opportunity to meet and talk with many of you already, and I hope to get to know more of you as the year progresses. Your warmth and openness in welcoming me into your parish have been a wonderful part of my experience already this Fall. I am originally from Jackson, Mississippi, where I was raised in the Episcopal Church, and where I attended an Episcopal school for thirteen years. I completed my undergraduate degree at Pomona College in Claremont, California, where I was a Religious Studies major. After college, I worked as a law school admissions officer in Manhattan, and then as a high school teacher in San Diego during the three years following college. I came to Boston in the Fall of '03 to begin the Master of Divinity degree program at Harvard Divinity School. This is my second year of a three-year program. This past summer, I worked as a Camp Director in Mississippi for the Diocese there. During that time, I also formally entered the early stages of the Ordination process in the Diocese of Mississippi. During my time at ASP, I hope to learn more about the intricacies of parish life and administration. My duties at the parish include assisting with the Explorations in Faith and Journeys in Faith classes, assisting with development and running of the Beacon Street Fellowship, the occasional opportunity to preach at services, participation in a Reflection Committee with six All Saints parishioners, regular reflection with David and other members of the ASP staff, and other liturgical responsibilities as needed. I wish you all a wonderful Christmas season! I am very excited to be part of the All Saints community this year, and I look forward to more opportunities to get to know you individually during the new year. From the Rector | Liturgy | Good News & Opportunities
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