Childcare for children in 3rd grade and under is provided for the Annual Meeting on Sunday, January 28, after the 10 a.m. service. The meeting will be approximately one hour, and all families with children are encouraged to attend! Register by Thursday, January 26. Snacks will be provided for adults, and children will receive a sack lunch of a deli sandwich, chips, fruit, and cookies. Please register your child for a sack lunch here.
January Food Giveaway
Inclement Weather Notification
With winter weather upon us (and a potential storm headed our way this weekend) we would like to remind you of our inclement weather process. If the church services are cancelled on Sundays we will notify the congregation in the following ways by 6 a.m. Sunday morning:
An email blast
A pop-up on the church website
A change to the voicemail message on the church phones. If you call the church phone number, the voicemail message will indicate if we are closed.
Upcoming Protecting God's Children Training and Nursery Needs
With a growing church, the nursery has rising needs for support. Nursery Attendants are only asked to serve once a month, or as you are able. Can you help fill one of these needs?
Sunday mornings, 945am (Sunday School Hour)
Sunday eves, 4-6pm (Foundations Bible Study)
Monday mornings,The MomCo, 945-1145am (The MomCo)
Wednesday Evenings, 6-730pm (Membership/Confirmation Class coming this Spring)
Volunteer nursery attendants enjoy our comfortable nurseries! A child protection class is required (known as 'Protecting God's Children'), and is offered this coming Tuesday, January 9, 7-9 pm, or can be renewed in one hour online. Serving in this way ministers to our next generation of Christian families. Contact Tara at tpedersen@allsaintswoodbridge.org, or call Tara at the church office.
Moms in Prayer Resuming in January
Moms in Prayer continues once a month, and welcomes all moms and grandmoms! This is a wonderful way to have other moms pray for your kids and schools, and to receive prayer for yourself! Join in anytime! Moms of all ages and stages are welcome.
The first Moms in Prayer meetup will be Monday, January 8, 7-8pm, in the prayer room! Optional fellowship is 8-830 p.m.; this month, bring a favorite recipe to share. Email Tara for more info at tpedersen@allsaintswoodbridge.org
MOPS is Now The MomCo
MOPS has officially changed its name to "The MomCo," which is short for 'Mom Community!' In the new year, we will use the new name, The MomCo, when referring to MOPS. There are a handful of reasons why MOPS International changed the name to MomCo. One reason is that in the digital age, young moms google everything on their iPhones, to find out more information, and when searching 'MOPS,' the message of MOPS was gargled with confusion. Even more so, the organization outgrew the name and has expanded. You can read about the new name here and why the change: https://www.mops.org/themomco/
The first MomCo Meeting in the new year is Monday, January 8th, 945-1145am! Email Natalie to RSVP for free childcare, or to receive more information at asacmops@gmail.com .
Adult Education Opportunities in January
Adult Sunday School Hour 9:45-10:45 a.m.: Small Group Studies continue during the Sunday School hour. Please enjoy a cup of coffee or tea and fellowship with fellow parishioners in one of the following offerings:
“Acts” – A study of The Holy Spirit moving in dramatic ways in the early church will continue on January 7 and is open to all who are interested or curious. A study guide by John Stott plus selected video segments guides this study. Study guides are available for $12 each (Kindle version is $10.49 if you choose to order on your own). Meets in the Children’s Wing in the Creation Room. Please contact Jim Morrison (571.338.5774) if you have questions.
Lectio Divina: Divine Reading in the Christian Tradition
Starting January 7 in the Bishop’s Conference Room (second floor of the Administrative Wing), please join us for the next 5 weeks as we prepare for Lent by learning how to engage in this ancient practice of scriptural reading, meditation and prayer. This course was produced by Nashotah House with teaching by The Rev. Hans Boersma, PhD.
Starting January 4 on Thursdays at 7 – 8.30 p.m. via Zoom.
New opportunity for study and fellowship for those of you who haven’t had a chance to gather in person: Zoom is the answer. Deacon Julie and Kat Zwingle are hosting a group on Thursday evenings between 7:00-8:30. On January 4, the group will begin studying “Women of the Bible” - not all of them, but some chosen to represent the breadth of experiences of women in the Bible.
If you are homebound and want to join, all you need is a computer or a smart phone, and internet service. If you don’t know how to use Zoom, we can help you. Please contact Deacon Julie Tilton at jtilton@allsaintswoodbridge.org.
Children's Ministry Breakfast & Presentation
Children's Ministry invites anyone interested in serving special needs children to a potluck breakfast and presentation on Saturday, January 27, 9:30 -11 a.m.! All are invited, including parents, employees or volunteers who serve children, or those interested in better serving all children at All Saints' Church. Our own Claire Gallahger Moore (Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Licensed Behavior Analyst, and as an Early Intervention Professional/Specialist) will lead us in how to incorporate inclusive strategies to support ALL of our children and especially to connect with those who may need special supports as they engage with and come to Christ. We will discuss a brief overview of some of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders such as Autism, ADHD, and Sensory Processing Disorder. Then we’ll dive into proactive strategies that can set us up for success to support the inclusion of these children in our ministry programming efforts. RSVP to Tara at tpedersen@allsaintswoodbridge.org by January 20.
Following the breakfast and presentation, the Children's Ministry team, or anyone interested in volunteering (on occasion, or on a rotating schedule) will meet 11-11:30 a.m.
The March for Life & Life Summit!
At All Saints’ Church, we believe that all life is sacred. Every year, Anglicans For Life hosts an annual Life SUMMIT event. This year’s event is set for January 18-20 in Falls Church, VA. While many people thought the overturning of Roe would put an end to abortion, the Dobbs decision simply returned the power to legislate over abortion related matters to the states.
The March for Life will take place on Friday, January 19 with the prayer gathering at The Falls Church Anglican at 9:30 a.m. before boarding the buses to the march in D.C.
As the Church, it’s our duty to equip members of our community with the tools they need to advocate for life. This year’s Life SUMMIT is focused on providing resources and tactics for individuals to utilize, alongside their god-given gifts, to protect the Sanctity of life. We encourage every member of our diocese to attend this year’s event. If you cannot attend in-person, there is a virtual attendance option.
January Birthdays & Anniversaries
Readings and Collect Sunday, January 7 (Epiphany Transferred)
Read ahead, follow along, and pray with the Saints using the “lectionary insert” for this Sunday.
Mount Vernon High School Honors Walt DeHoust
Mount Vernon High School will name its Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Wing in honor of All Saints' parishioner Walt DeHoust.
Walt will share the honor with Willie Medley. Walt was the MCJROTC’s first senior marine instructor, and Medley, the MCJROTC’s first Marine instructor, when the program started at Mount Vernon in the fall of 1995. Walt is a retired Marine Corps colonel. Medley is a retired Marine Corps 1st sergeant.
Besides his involvement with the MCJROTC program, Walt also served as an assistant football coach for 15 years at Mount Vernon and coached the girls junior varsity lacrosse team for two seasons.
Walt retired from the MCJROTC program in 2012.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place Jan. 31, 2024.
Advent Children's Church- This Sunday at 10 a.m.
There is only one service at 10 a.m. this Sunday, and there is a special Advent Children’s Church for children 3-6th grade. This is the final Sunday in “The Light Before Christmas” Advent series. There is also nursery care during this service. There is also nursery care in the 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. evening services.
The Light Before Christmas guides Pre-K and Elementary children in learning about the reason we celebrate Christmas. Each lesson points to Christ, the Light of the World who came to save us from the darkness of sin. Through a Bible study of light and darkness, children will discover how the theme of light weaves its way through the Christmas story and God’s plan of salvation. Scripture readings, dramas, object lessons, discussions, activity pages, crafts, and songs will engage our children in preparing their hearts for the true meaning of Christmas.
January PGC Class
Protecting God's Children at All Saints’ Church is a required workshop for all those 14 and older who volunteer with youth and children (Sunday School Leaders/Assistants, Nursery attendants, Youth Ministry, etc). The next class offered will be Tuesday, January 9, 7-9 p.m.
Nursery and childcare for children in third grade and younger will be made available upon request at least one week prior to the class. Please RSVP to Tara with any childcare needs. Everyone who plans to attend the workshop is asked to register by emailing Tara at tpedersen@allsaintswoodbridge.org
No Morning Prayer & Compline Week of December 25
Please note that there will be no Wednesday Morning Prayer via Zoom (December 27) and no Friday evening Compline (December 29) next week. Have a safe and blessed Christmas week!
Readings and Collect Sunday, December 24 (Advent IV)
Read ahead, follow along, and pray with the Saints using the “lectionary insert” for this Sunday.
Readings and Collect Sunday, December 17 (Advent III)
Read ahead, follow along, and pray with the Saints using the “lectionary insert” for this Sunday.
A Note on End of Year Giving
As the End of the Year Approaches...There are several things to keep in mind. All check requests (for reimbursement, payment of invoices, etc.) must be submitted to the church office by Monday, December 18. Any requests submitted after that time will be issued the first week of January.
Next...Pledges for 2023! If you need a reminder about the status of your 2023 pledge payments, please contact Contributions Administrator, Margie DeHoust, contributions@allsaintswoodbridge.org, for an updated statement. It is important to have any 2023 pledge contributions to All Saints’ turned into the church by year-end to have your final gifts posted to your 2023 end-of-the-year pledge statement. This can be done in four ways:
Drop off contributions at the church office by Thursday, December 21.
Place final contributions in the Sunday, December 31 offering.
Mail your final contributions which MUST be postmarked by Saturday, December 30.
Contribute online via the church website or PayPal before December 31.
Finally...Pledges for 2024! Thank you to all those who have completed their pledge cards indicating their commitment to God through their offerings for 2024. To those who have not yet made a pledge concerning your giving for the coming year, please do so as soon as possible. As the Vestry works on the budget for 2024, parishioners “not yet heard from” are extraordinarily important. Pledge cards are available at the back of the church or by calling the church office. You can also pledge online. Thank you!
Acolyte Training in January
There will be acolyte training for all new and current acolytes after the 11 a.m. service on Sunday, January 21. We will begin at 12:30 in the Administrative Conference Room with lunch provided.
We need to know how many will be attending so we can be prepared with food. Please respond by to Katherine Monroe by January 14 if you are planning to attend.
In case you are asking, “who may be an Acolyte?”
1. A baptized & committed Christian and active follower of Christ.
2. Be 9 years old or older.
3. Commit to faithfully serving at the worship service to which you have been assigned.
4. Faithfully attend Sunday worship services.
5. Commit to treating fellow Acolytes and other Worship Team members with respect and a spirit of mutual support and encouragement.
“If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.” John 12:26
Synod Talks and Audio Recordings
Did you miss any of the speakers or workshops from the diocesan Synod last month? You can listen to each talk including The Pre-Synod Workshop (The Art of Neighboring), sermons, reports, and break-out sessions!