Amy Bailey to Preach on December 26

Amy was born and raised in Manhattan, KS. She got her undergraduate degree from Kansas State University in Music Education and her M. Div. from Central Baptist Theological Seminary in 2001, and was ordained in the American Baptist Churches USA. Amy just finished 9 years of pastoral ministry in August. She has a 15-year old daughter, Elizabeth, who is a sophomore at Franklin Community High School. Amy is glad to be openly attending Episcopal worship at last!

Baked Goods & Toilet Paper

Today the Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention and Christ Church Cathedral hosted the annual memorial service for the homeless members of our community who died in 2010. This was part of the National Homeless Persons Memorial Service. All Saints parishioners provided desserts for the community meal that followed. Later in the day, All Saints helped out with a toilet paper shortage at the Damien Center. Patricia Griffin reports:

The service at the Cathedral was wonderful, as usual. Lance and I were both there, and we also saw Mary Roberts.

The pews were nearly filled, and two testimonials were of course heart-breaking, yet there is hope now for both of these individuals as they are getting on with their life and now off the street. There were 36 people that were honored today that died in 2010, which was down from about 50 in 2009. The service concluded with a moment of silence and 37 tolls of the church bells, one for each of those who had died, and one for those known only to God.

Prior to the service, we picked up the lemon pound cakes from Jane Billman, that she and Brendan baked at Jane's house on Saturday, for the event. Jane indicated they would feed 90 people. The organizers from CHIP were thrilled to get the home baked goods for the luncheon today.

On another note, Lance and I stopped by the Church this afternoon and picked up items for the Damien Center and delivered them. It must have been a premonition they might need what was in the contents, as there were several packages of toilet paper from AS, and they only had one left on the shelf.

News about other Episcopal observations of the National Homeless Persons Memorial Service can be found at the Episcopal Cafe.

The worship bulletin included a special prayer for those in need:

Love Your Neighbor As Yourself

O God
When I have food,
Help me to remember the hungry;
When I have work,
Help me to remember the jobless;
When I have a warm home,
Help me to remember the homeless;
When I am without pain,
Help me to remember those who suffer;
And remembering,
Helm me to destroy my complacency,
And bestir my compassion,
Make me concerned enough to help
By word and deed, those who cry out
For what we take for granted. Amen.

Anonymous,
Prayers for the Common Good

Celebrate Christmas at All Saints

Start a new tradition or rekindle an old one by celebrating Christmas at the Episcopal Church of All Saints. Combining the traditional worship of the ancient church with a welcoming worldview, All Saints invites true believers, curious doubters, and faithful skeptics to share the mystery and wonder of Christmas.

In Christ's birth God enters creation, sharing the joy and suffering of every person. Following Christ's example, we welcome you to our church home: rich or poor; single, married, partnered, divorced, or widowed; gay or straight; religious or not. Our doors are open to you.

Christmas Eve - refreshments at 10:15pm. Carols at 10:30. Midnight mass starts at 11:00pm. Fr. Gordon Chastain preaching.

Christmas Day - mass with carols at 9:30am.

Sunday, December 26 - mass at 10am. Amy Bailey preaching

1559 N Central Ave. Indianapolis, IN

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Commemorative Christmas Ornament

In commemoration of the 100th Centennial Anniversary of our building the Flower Committee will be offering a 3.25 inch genuine acrylic ornament with our official name highlighting our anniversary dates.

We are suggesting a minimum donation of $5.00 be given to offset the cost of the endeavor and to raise money for the Flower Fund.

The ornaments will be blessed by the clergy so that your holidays may be blessed as well.

The ornaments will be available after the service this Sunday and supplies are limited.

Stewardship Report -- an Update...and a Challenge

The All Saints Stewardship campaign wrapped up last month. The Stewardship Committee (Scott Howard, Rose Lane, Brendan O'Sullivan-Hale) thanks everyone who pledged! Through your generosity, members of the parish have committed approximately $154,000 to church operations for 2011.

We can keep the lights on with this amount. But one of our goals for 2011, particularly as we engage in the search process, is to be able to expand our mission and outreach ministries. Our health ministries, outreach committee, education committee, Sunday school, and others, have been doing amazing good work on a budget of $0. Imagine what they could do with funding! Not to mention the activities we're planning for our centennial...

If you haven't pledged before, or have pledged in prior years but haven't yet pledged for 2011, now is the time.

An anonymous parishioner has committed to increase his or her pledge by matching $100 for every new pledge submitted between now and our celebration of the Baptism of Our Lord (January 9, 2011), up to a maximum of $2,000.

We don't want to leave this offer on the table. Please submit your pledge today!

Sunday Marks the 40th Anniversary of Fr. Tom's Ordination

There may not be any special pomp and circumstance this Sunday, but this 4th Sunday of Advent marks the 40th anniversary of Father Tom Honderich's ordination to the priesthood. Tom has served All Saints as affiliate clergy for many years, and has been a big part of the life of the church for the last three decades. Tom will preach and preside at this Sunday's mass.

Lasagna Dinner Raises $300 to Buy Food for Needy Families

Special thanks to all those who donated their time and resources to make the 2nd Annual Lasagna Dinner a big success. Thanks to your generosity, the Sunday School netted $300 to purchase food for those in need this holiday season. The Sunday School will go shopping after church this Sunday.

Christmas Cards for Veterans

In celebration of our Centennial, we're all trying to think 100 -- so tomorrow (12/12), we'll thank 100 of our veterans by filling out Christmas cards for 100 patients at Roudebush VA Medical Center in Indianapolis. We'll have cards and pens ready at the service -- all we need are your thoughtful, kind words.

Look who else is 100...

Indiana Landmarks, our new neighbor down the street, is hosting its 2010 Indianapolis Holiday open house at the Alfred Glossbrenner Mansion at 3202 N. Meridian St. on Thursday, December 16 from 5:30-7:30. All Saints shares an architect and a birthday with this building. Both were built by Indiana architect Alfred Grindle, and both buildings celebrate their centennial this year.

For more information about the event, contact the Indiana Landmarks Central Regional Office.

Christmas Poinsettia Memorials & Thanksgivings

We are accepting contributions for poinsettias to be placed on the altar for Christmas Eve services. Make your memorial and thanksgivings known by placing them in the offering plate or contacting the office. Remembrances will be printed in the Christmas bulletins.

World AIDS Day

Today is World AIDS day, a day we remember our brothers and sisters who live with HIV/AIDS, those who care for them, and those we love who have lost the fight.


The rotating display of the AIDS Memorial Quilt at the AIDS Interfaith Chapel of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco reminds us of the deep imprint AIDS has made on our own parish. This panel of the quilt remembers the Rev. Wayne Hanson, rector of All Saints.

What can we do today to honor the memory of those who have died, and provide help to those living with AIDS today?

1. Pray. For those infected with HIV/AIDS. For doctors, nurses, social workers, and other caregivers. For educators who help with HIV prevention. For the repose of the souls of those who have died. Give thanks for scientists and researchers whose work has enabled people living with AIDS to live longer, healthier lives. Pray that policymakers find ways to distribute lifesaving medications to all those who need them.
2. Attend the Memorial Service of Worship sponsored by the Circle City HIV/AIDS Coalition this evening at 6:30 at the Church Within.
3. Give generously to the Damien Center's Coby Palmer Food Pantry. Collection boxes are in the church. For the month of December, a suggested grocery bag includes 1 canned ham, apple sauce, scalloped potatoes, 2 canned vegetables, and Christmas candy. Or select other needed items from this list.

Establishing Poverty on the Church Agenda

Sunday marks the beginning of Advent, the start of the church year -- and we have a New Year's resolution of sorts. At this year's diocesan convention in Terre Haute in October, representatives of All Saints and the other churches in the diocese voted to thoughtfully and deliberately consider how our actions together as a church impact those most in need.

The resolution, titled "Establishing Poverty on the Church Agenda", calls us to connect all of the things we as a church do to the experiences of those living in poverty, asking that "all meetings...no matter what their purpose...include intentional reflection time to connect the purpose of the meeting with the experiences and needs of people who are living in or near poverty". This discipline will begin Sunday, and last through March 24, the feast day of Oscar Romero and the Martyrs of El Salvador.

There's a temptation to think of this kind of thing as a nuisance agenda item, but ministry to the poor is a core part of what we do when we "go in peace to love and serve the Lord". I'm hopeful that we will approach this call as an opportunity to reflect creatively on our vision to build on our church's wonderful history as a beacon for social concerns.

Besides keeping poverty on the agenda of the church, there are concrete ways you can help on the horizon...coming up on December 21 is the Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention's annual memorial service for homeless persons who have died over the past year. The All Saints outreach committee has agreed to help provide desserts for the event. Watch this space for details on how you can get involved.

Giving Thanks

Dear Friends,

There is much to be grateful for this thanksgiving and I want to especially show thanks to all of those who participated in the celebration of Mary Campbell's life.

If I began to list all the people who assisted in that week before and on the day of the funeral, it would take the whole email to do so!

Everything that was done that day was done with love, hard work and commitment.

I had two friends from out of town staying with me this weekend and I brought them down because I wanted them to see All Saints. One friend is totally blind and it's hard to explain to her where she is and the environment she is in. That was not the case at All Saints. She asked to touch the various parts of the nave and altar. She remarked on the absolute beauty of the eagle. And tenderly touched Mary and the baby Jesus. We sat down down for what I thought was was going to be a brief moment but lasted a long time.

Both she and her partner Jennifer have been associated with the church and have s mall group that does ministry work in North Carolina. Both told me that this was a very special evening for them.

My friend Gerry told me you can feel the presence in this place. There's something happening here. Of course, the presence of incense was still strong, and the quiet of that evening after the moving liturgy and all the community of the believers of the day says what All Saints is really about.

I got a copy of the Vision Statement and read it to them and, as it says, something does happen in that space—and all of your commitment and love empower that and make it happen with God.

I wish you all a blessed Thanksgiving and look forward to Sunday.


Peace,

Tanya†

Medicine Cabinet: 100 Days for 100 Years Program

As you contemplate your New Year Resolutions, consider the All Saints Medicine Cabinet’s  “100 Days for 100 Years” Program. 


This self-directed walking program is open to individuals of all fitness levels. Participants will first assess their current activity and set their own fitness goal for the 100 Days leading up to Easter. Sign up between November 28th and December 12th and receive a pedometer to help monitor you progress. Pedometers will be distributed at a kickoff meeting after Mass on January 8th. 


Monitor you activity level over the week then set you walking goals for the next 100 days (January 14th through April 24th). We’ll meet on January 15th to share our goals and participants will have the option of plotting their progress during a short meeting following the Sunday Service. 


Celebrate the 100 year anniversary of All Saints Church in a program that promotes physical and spiritual health. Hopefully you too may enjoy 100 years! 

Calendar added to website

As we continue with our "Under Construction" status, a calendar has been added to the website.

Go to allsaintsindy.org and click on Mark Your Calendars.

The first time you load it may take a few moments, so please be patient.

Contagious Generosity

I’d like to tell you a story. Because it took me completely by surprise and just goes to show you what kind of effect All Saints can have in the lives of others.

For the last week, All Saints has been assisting a man, his wife, and young son at Dayspring. He knocked on our back door last week and asked for someone to go into the church and pray with him before he boarded the bus to go to a job interview.

He had been looking for assistance in finding a place to live. A few of his children had to be housed in separate shelters around the city and he was trying to get them under one roof. We took one daughter and her young son to the Greyhound station one afternoon so that she could stay with her aunt outside of Chicago.

He found a place to live but had absolutely nothing: blankets, beds, furniture, or food. The utilities had to be turned on. He went through several assistance agencies and managed to get everything but the gas turned on. And we were able to help him pay for that through the rector’s discretionary fund.

The tuckpointing crew noticed this gentleman’s frequent visits to the church. They watched from the scaffolding as he and his four-year old son went back and forth between the church and Dayspring. They saw how we hustled everyone into a car to get them to the Greyhound station twenty minutes before the bus was to leave. They commented on how we took the man and his son to McDonald’s because they had missed lunch at the shelter while he was looking for a place to live.

But here’s the best part of the story.

Unbeknownst to us, one of the men on the crew drove this gentleman to the gas company. When I heard about that from the foreman, I went over to thank him. He said, “Well, I really wasn’t doing anything and you folks had been helping him out—he’s a nice guy who’s just going through a rough time.”

Another member of the crew brought in blankets, towels, pillows and some of his son’s old hats for the four-year old boy and asked me to get them to him. He said, “It looks like the church is really trying to help them out and we had these things just laying around the house.”

He even gave me a blanket to give to another man at Dayspring and his toddler who he saw walking across the parking lot. He said the blanket had been his daughter’s when she was that age and maybe she could use it.

There has been a lot of talk about stewardship lately and the reasons that we should give.

But what a profound revelation to learn firsthand the effect that All Saints and its ministry can have on perfect strangers who are around for a few short weeks!

— Paul Greatbatch

Ingathering for the Damien Center Food Pantry November 21

All Saints is gathering food for a special Thanksgiving offering to the Coby Palmer Food Pantry at the Damien Center, Indiana's largest HIV/AIDS service center. We'll have a special food ingathering on Sunday, November 21, where we'll bring our offerings of food up to the altar for a special blessing before taking it to the Damien Center.

We encourage you to bring Thanksgiving-themed items. A suggested grocery bag would include stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, 2 canned vegetables, 2 canned fruits, and a dessert mix. Or check out the Damien Center's food pantry donation list for other ideas.

This is a great way to help our community for not very much money. The pile of food below was purchased for less than $50.

And check out what power-shopper Jane Billman did with a generous $100 contribution from an anonymous parishioner!

The shopping is finished. For the $100.00 we purchased:

20 cans corn

20 cans green beans

10 boxes instant potatos.....each contains 2 packets and can be divided

5 large cans sweet potatos

10 boxes stuffing

20 cans peaches

20 cans pears

20 boxes jello

10 cans evaporated milk

12 jars applesauce

5 bags noodles

The receipt says we saved $59.03. This should fill the holes in some dinners.

Best,

Jane

All Saints Donates $1,100 to St. Philip's Food Pantry

The Rev. Karen Sullivan & Millie McRae, with the All Saints Yard Sale Committee

Each year, the All Saints Yard Sale Committee selects a local organization to direct part of the proceeds from the sale to. This year, the committee selected the feeding ministry of St. Philip's Episcopal Church.

Today at coffee hour, the Rev. Karen Sullivan, deacon at St. Philip's, along with Millie McRae, of St. Philip's outreach committee, and Sean Sullivan joined us at All Saints for the presentation of a check for $1,100, representing 50% of yard sale receipts. Karen shared that these funds will be used as seed money to purchase milk to distribute as part of the church's food ministries.

All Saints parish is excited to support the vibrant missions of our fellow Episcopal churches. St. Philip's works with St. Bridget's Catholic church from 10am-12 noon on the second Saturday of each month for food delivery to elderly residents in the neighborhood around the church, near the IUPUI campus. On the third Thursday of each month, from 6pm-8pm, St. Philip's offers the only weeknight food pantry in the downtown Indianapolis area.

The Mittens are Up!

The All Saints Knitters have unveiled their project for our centennial year – 100 Hands from All Saints. Our goal is to knit 50 pair of mittens by November 1, 2011, all of which will be donated to an agency yet to be selected. The mittens will be displayed in the parish hall so you can watch our progress, and we hung the first batch up this week.

Are you an occasional knitter or someone who just can’t commit to joining this small group?! You are welcome to contribute to this project! We hope to have a variety of sizes and colors so that the recipient organization can provide handmade warmth to their clientele!

And remember, the knitting group meets in the parish hall at 5:30 on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month. Join us for a little food, a little drink, a little knitting, and a lot of great fellowship.

Remembering The Rev. Mary Campbell

The Rev. Mary Campbell died peacefully on Saturday, November 6, 2010. 

Mary was ordained Deacon in June 1980 and Priest in January 1981. Mary served as Associate Vicar at St. Timothy's, Indianapolis from 1980 - 1982 and she served as Vicar at St. Peter's, Lebanon from 1982 until 1994. She also served as Priest Affiliate at All Saints', Indianapolis and Interim Vicar at St. Mary's, Martinsville and St. John's, Speedway.

A service of Christian Burial with Bishop Cate Waynick presiding will be held on Saturday, November 20, at 11:00 am at All Saints' Episcopal Church, 1559 Central Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46202 with a reception to follow in the Parish Hall.

Notes of sympathy may be sent to Mary's nephew, Mr. John Collom, 5108 West 154 Avenue, Lowell, IN 46356.

May her soul and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.