121 North Main Street, Attleboro, MA May Dear Friends, Happy Easter!

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1 Saints Alive! All Saints Episcopal Church 121 North Main Street, Attleboro, MA May 2014 Mission Statement We are one with the Spirit, We are one with the Lord, We are a renewed community of Faith A nurturing family called to share the Lord s message of Love, Compassion, and Peace All Saints Leadership Co-Wardens Marian Cote & Lyn Darling Clerk Martha Lingard Treasurer Evelyn Sanford Vestry Members Judy Little Richard DeCusati Barbara Boynton Table of Contents From Our Priest-in-Charge 1 Co-Wardens Report 2 Honoring Bishop Tom 3 One Family Ingathering 3 One Family Event 4 Prayer List 4 Confirmation 5 May & June Birthdays 5 Random Prayers 6 Christian Education 6 Spring Fair 7 Scout Breakfast 7 Parish Cookout 7 Family Camp 8 Contact Information 8 Vestry Minutes 9 Ministry Opportunities 11 Calendar 12 Dear Friends, Happy Easter! 1 From Our Priest-In-Charge Alleluia! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! Because we can never say it enough Alleluia! The Lord is risen! The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia! Alleluia is the Greek version of Hallelujah, which comes from the Hebrew. Hallal means to praise, and Yah refers to YHWH or the LORD. When we exclaim Alleluia or Hallelujah, we are praising God! Because it s a joy-filled word, the church doesn t use it during Lent, a season of penitence. Now that we re in Easter, we can Alleluia! Hallelujah! all we want. One of my favorite psalms is Psalm 150: 1 Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty firmament! 2 Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his surpassing greatness! 3 Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! 4 Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! 5 Praise him with clanging cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! 6 Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! In his musical rendering of this psalm, the English composer George S. Talbot enhances the Praise the Lords in verse 1 and 6 with Alleluias (have a listen here: and if you don t have access to the internet, ask me about it in continued on page 2

2 continued from page 1 church). It s a beautiful musical setting whose harmonies can resonate deeply within a person. And I think that s the point: that everything that breathes, that everything in and every aspect of creation, ought to praise the Lord! In this Easter season in which we celebrate Jesus triumph over death and God s promise that love will win over hate, that justice will win over injustice, that joy will win over suffering, that sharing will win over greed, that life and what s life-giving will win over death and what s deathdealing in this season of Easter, what is your Easter song? What is your Alleluia? Hallelujah? Praise the Lord? Alleluia! The Lord is risen! The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia! In peace, Meghan+ Co-Wardens Report April has been a busy month for us at All Saints! Marian and Steve Coté replaced the worn parts of our entry doors and added new black kick plates. Along the same note, our All Saints Boy Scout troop under the guidance of Michael Smith, Kevin Beagan and our own Judy Little spent Easter Monday trimming our shrubs and adding colorful flowers to the front and side of our building. Thank you all. The flowers are colorful and make a wonderful addition to our landscaping. Just a reminder, if you are splitting some of your perennials and have no place to put them, please let us know here at church. We may be able to use them, especially anything drought hardy. The front of our building would look better with a little color. The Creation Care grant was delivered to the Diocese on April 22nd. The grant this year is focusing on repair of our lower windows where the frames and sills have rotted away due to the constant splash back of rain. We are also asking for money for gutters along the side and back of the parish hall. The grant request is for the maximum amount of $10,000. We will be notified by the first of June as to the level of our award. Marian & Lyn 2

3 A SEASON OF SERVICE & CELEBRATION HONORING THE RT. REV. M. THOMAS SHAW, S.S.J.E APRIL 9TH JUNE 21ST As Bishop Tom Shaw prepares to retire later this year, the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts has set April 9th through June 21st as a Season of Service & Celebration in honor of Bishop Tom s nearly twenty years of Episcopal ministry, characterized by his prophetic witness and activism for social justice and equality for all; a commitment to the full inclusion of children, youth and young adults into the life of the church, and a conviction that God s presence is realized in community. All congregations and organizations in the Diocese are invited to plan a service event during this season in his honor or to participate in one already established such as the Mother s Day Walk for Peace, the Walk for Hunger, a community clean-up day, food pantry collection, etc.). The dream is to honor Bishop Tom by turning out thousands of people during these weeks to do public service for God s glory. As part of the Taunton River Deanery and as a One Family partner, All Saints will participate in and host an ingathering of donations for One Family on Friday, May 23rd (see related article below). Everyone can collaborate and share stories and photos of their service activities via the Season of Service & Celebration Facebook page at You are also invited to share memories, photos, prayers and thanksgivings for Bishop Tom s ministry in a Remembrance Book available during Coffee Hour in Parish Hall. As part of the Season of Service & Celebrations, the Diocese of Massachusetts invites everyone to gather for a Eucharistic Celebration and Family Picnic on Saturday, June 21st. Location and details forthcoming. ONE FAMILY INGATHERING & SUPPER In conjunction with A Season of Service & Celebration honoring Bishop Tom, the Taunton River Deanery (All Saints is a member!) has chosen to dedicate the upcoming One Family Saturday morning gathering on May 24th to him. All Saints is hosting an Ingathering of One Family Partners on Friday, May 23rd at 6PM in our Undercroft. Dinner will be at 6PM, followed by prayer and song; and we ll pack gift bags and set up the space in preparation of the Saturday morning event. Please R.S.V.P. here for dinner: Or if you don t have internet access, contact Robin in the Church Office to let her know you plan to attend. Even if you haven t been involved in One Family, you are welcome to this event to honor Bishop Tom and his ministry. 3

4 We re excited! One Family is now a once a month event, and we re anticipating a greater need for supplies for the gift bags. You can help us keep the bags full! Below is a list of items needed for the May 24th One Family morning: Toilet paper- 4 roll packages would be great Paper Towels- 2 packs are awesome but any amount per pack works well 50 oz. Laundry detergent Bar soaps- 3 packs work well Toothpaste- 6 oz. Dish Liquid- 13/14 oz. Disinfectant wipes- or packages of baby safe wipes are a big hit. Upcoming One Family Event Saturday, May 24th, 9AM 11AM in the Undercroft Dedicated to Bishop Tom and His Ministry Please circulate this list with family and friends, explain the need, and enlist their aid. Also, remember that we are compiling a list of things we need for the breakfast and will be asking you for help to feed our guests. Thanks so much for all you do. Ron In your prayers, please remember: Ellen & Bill, Charles, Jr. & Richard, Brian & Cathi, Cindy, Judith, Alec, Phillip, Terry, the Juaire family, Norma & Bill, Jim, Aaron, Bishop Tom, Bishop Gayle, Matthew, Pat & Tom, Amber & Mary, Peter, Jane, Phillip Lyons, Jane-Ann & Lisa, Carol, Madeline, Debbie, Billy, Ruth, Marion, Bob, Norma, Mary, Gail, Frieda, Martha & Kevin, Catherine, Nellie, the Holbert family, Robert, Deborah, Amanda, Anne, Richard, Robert, Georgette, Gail, Joshua, Beverly, Anne & her family, Tom & Diane, Carla, Leslie, Erik, Matthew, Andrew, Thomas, Natalie, Irene, Wilma, Candy, Wayne, Maura, Barbara E., and Anonymous. We also remember and pray for all our men and women in the military and for those who strive for justice and peace throughout the world. If you would like to add someone to the Prayer List, please contact the Church Office at or secretaryallsaints@gmail.com. 4

5 Confirmation is almost here! Saturday, May 17th, 10:30AM, at Church of the Holy Spirit in Orleans. On Sunday, May 18th, we ll celebrate our wonderful young adults during our morning liturgy followed by a collation in Parish Hall. 5/5 Shirley Leahy 5/12 William Darling 5/23 Cindy Akers 5/25 Ruth Gower 5/25 Linda Paquin 5/29 Becky Dailey 5/31 Maura Dowling 6/3 Audrey Kull 6/7 Ben Akers 6/8 Sylvia DeRiso 6/26 Kathy Doller Last month we celebrated Earth Day, a time to think about how we re treating this spinning orb we call home. Some of us turn our compost, plant a tree. Some really intrepid folks clean a river of trash and junk. At All Saints, our Boy Scout troop put down mulch, planted annuals, trimmed hedges and cleaned up the grounds of debris both man-made and nature-made. We pledge to recycle more, to stop buying over packaged products, to drive less and walk instead. To be a better citizen of the earth. To make a difference for future generations. But for many of us, Earth Day isn t just one day. It s part of who we are and how we live, a central part of our faith. We believe that all we have, including the Earth, is a gift from a loving God who has charged us to care for it and for each other. And we ve learned taking care can become a joy, a celebration and a prayer, and ultimately, an acceptance of and a returning of God s love. We can call it Stewardship or we can call it Earth Day. Let every day be Earth Day. 5

6 RANDOM PRAYERS Thank you, Gracious Lord, for the green of the new leaves and the bright yellow of the forsythia Are you sure that chaos is part of your plan for me? Is this supposed to teach me something? Because I m not getting it. You re going to have to be more obvious There really are good people in the world. Please help me to be one of them... Christian Education Our Christian Education program continues Sunday mornings at 10AM. Nursery care is available for young children. Please contact Marian Cote if you would like to teach or if you have any questions (508) or mar2cole@yahoo.com. Marian Cote Sunday School Coordinator Good morning God, What do you mean, This ATM is temporarily unavailable!?! It was bad enough I had to unload the dishwasher this morning. Now I can t use the ATM!?!. It s 8:45 in the morning and I need chocolate. I m going to Dunkin Donuts Lord, am I m trying to do too much? So often I feel that I don t accomplish anything... Another day. Let me do it well... Teach me to listen deeply, to hear more than may actually be spoken... FUEL FUND Please contribute! There is a large plastic water bottle on the table as you enter the Sanctuary from Parish Hall. The heating season is almost over but we have a balance to pay on our monthly budget statement from Columbia Gas. All Saints' Episcopal Church is a community of people who strive with joy and gratitude to love and serve God and each other within the parish, the larger Attleboro community, and the world. We are a down-to-earth, spiritually-grounded, and prayer-filled community diverse in age, income, ability, family structure, sexuality, and educational and work background. God loves you. Come and see. 6

7 SPRING FAIR NEWS All Saints Spring Fair was Saturday, April 26th. It was a rainy day but the sun was shining inside our church building. And best of all, we had a great day of fun. It was a wonderful experience having our building and parking lot (thank you, Rev. Meghan, you have skills we never suspected!) full all our usual Fair events plus One Family made for a busy, exciting day. Be sure to mark your calendars for our Christmas Fair Saturday, November 9th! Looking ahead: Our Christmas Fair is Saturday, November 9th. All Saints is celebrating the 50th anniversary of our charter with Cub and Boy Scout Troop 25. On Sunday morning, June 1st at 8:30AM, the Scouts are preparing breakfast for All Saints and the Scout community. Our Eucharist during morning liturgy will offer thanksgiving for this ongoing relationship. PARISH COOKOUT & POOL PARTY!!! SUNDAY, JUNE 22ND AFTER CHURCH AT THE HOME OF LYN & BILL DARLING MORE DETAILS FORTHCOMING 7

8 DIOCESAN FAMILY CAMP This year s theme for Diocesan Family Camp at the Barbara C. Harris Camp & Conference Center is Jump in, the Water is Fine; An Invitation to the Baptismal Life. Family camp is a great way to learn how to live out our faith in and with our families. There s something for all ages along with plenty of time for families to become acquainted. Learn holy habits or practices to take home, learn about caring for God s Creation; and enjoy time together with your family. Family camp fills up quickly. Register at For more information contact Amy Cook at the Diocese, , ext. 645 or acook@diomass.org. Do You Need a Nametag? Please contact Robin in the Church Office at or via at secretaryallsaints@gmail.com It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad. C. S. Lewis MPORTANT CONTACT INFORMATION Priest- in-charge: The Rev. Meghan Sweeney (857) cell meghantsweeney@gmail.com Pastoral Associate: The Rev. Billie Mae Gordon (617) cell (508) home Biliegordon@verizon.net Deacon: The Rev. Ron Tibbetts (774) cell (508) home rontibbetts@yahoo.com Co-Wardens: Lyn Darling (508) l.darling@comcast.net Marian Cote (508) mar2cole@yahoo.com Secretary: Robin Miller (508) New Address! secretaryallsaints@gmail.com 8

9 All Saints Episcopal Church Vestry Meeting Minutes March 18, 2014 Present: Rev. Meghan Sweeney, Rev. Ron Tibbetts, Barbara Boynton, Marian Coté, Lyn Darling, Richard DeCusati, Judy Little, Martha Lingard, Evelyn Sanford. The meeting began at 7:00 with opening prayer led by Rev. Ron. Minutes: Lyn moved and Barbara 2nd to accept the minutes of the February 20, The motion carried. Financial Reports: Evelyn read a note from Kat Wright from the Attleboro Council of Churches thanking us for our $ donation towards the hospital Chaplaincy program. Evelyn asked if we should renew our membership with Interfaith Power & Light. The discussion revealed that this organization was very supportive with our efforts towards updating the heating system and the Creation Care Grant. Marian moved to pay the $50.00 annual membership for one year. Barbara 2 nd and the motion carried. The contract from C&C Property Maintenance was also discussed and Judy moved to pay C&C $50.00 for lawn mowing, every other week. Fall clean up will be addressed at that time. Lyn 2 nd and the motion carried. Evelyn distributed and reviewed the Treasurer s Report, Profit & Loss statements for February. It was noted that $10,000 was moved from the checking account to the money market account, however none of this money has been used to date. Evelyn also noted that the Stokes Loan and the Diocesan Assessment are both paid to date. Barbara moved and Lyn 2 nd to accept the Treasurer s Reports. The Treasurer s Report for One Family was also distributed. Lyn moved and Marian 2 nd to accept the One Family report. Both motions carried. Building and Facilities Report: Lyn reported that during the annual walk through with Home & Commercial they noted the battery was old and cracked. This was thought to be the cause of erroneous reports from the system. The battery was replaced. Lyn reported that Cobbs Lock & Key has replaced the lock on the garage. All keys will be held in the church office. Champion Youth Programs will begin April 7, Marian is looking at options to block the top of the spiral staircase while they are in the building. Marian reported that one of the vestibule doors is done and back up and the other one will be done shortly. Judy met with Michael Smith regarding the Scouts landscaping project. He suggested flowerbeds and we discussed flowers vs. shrubs, planting bulbs along the fence and ground covering, including euonymus. Rich suggested a tiered terrace on the slope at the back door. It was also noted that weeding needs to be done on the Peck Street side. Judy will follow up with Michael and the work will be done over April school vacation week. 9

10 Old & New Business: Evelyn reported that the spring fair is coming together. There will be 3 4 vendors and she is working on children s programs. Lyn announced that the By-Laws subcommittee will meet on March 26 th and will bring a draft document to the next Vestry meeting. It is time to put together our Creation Care Grant application. Possible projects discussed were windows on the front of the church, interior storm windows on the Peck Street vestibule, blowing insulation inside the back wall of the church and repairing the windows downstairs. There was discussion regarding the pros and cons of inside vs. outside storm windows. Both options will be priced out before moving forward. Additionally Lyn will ask the parish for suggestions for the grant. The has requested access to our WiFi. After discussion it was agreed that access would be provided to church leaders only. Also, parking on Thursday evenings has become difficult for the as the Boy Scouts are also using the building at the same time. Marian will speak with the Boy Scouts about other options for parking. Rev. Meghan has not heard back from the Scouts about a possible event on June1 st. Rev. Meghan announced that sadly Darrel Ashcraft passed away this week. Lyn moved and Barbara 2 nd to send a $50.00 donation to Bread for the World in lieu of flowers. The motion carried. Clergy Reports: Rev. Ron reviewed the One Family Board meeting held last week. Gatherings will now be held monthly and projects for the next three events have been planned. Rev. Ron mentioned that some of the metal rims on the old tables are coming loose, causing a safety hazard. He is also concerned about the safety of some chairs. After discussion about the size and number of tables and chairs needed, Lyn moved to authorize One Family to purchase 8 tables, if available, and 12 chairs to be used for One Family events. Rich 2 nd and the motion carried. Rev. Billie s recent report reflects that she continues regular home visits with parishioners. The election of the Bishop will take place on April 5 th. Judy and Yvonne will represent All Saints. The video of the recent walk abouts is available on-line and all are encouraged to view the video and offer feedback to Judy and Yvonne. Rev. Meghan announced that she has received a thank you note from the Martin Luther King committee and it will be posted on the bulletin board. Judy offered two versions of Our Acolytes Are Awesome signs to be posted in the vestibule when they robe. One was selected and Judy will hang it up. Closing Prayer: Evelyn closed the meeting by leading us in Compline. Respectfully submitted, Martha Lingard, Clerk 10

11 ONGOING ALL SAINTS MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES Acolytes We are thankful for our acolytes, including crucifiers, who assist at the altar on Sunday mornings. If you have a child in 6th grade or older, he/she is eligible to serve in this ministry. For more information, contact Rev. Meghan. Nursery A safe and caring environment is provided for children through the age of 3 during the 10AM service. Attleboro Area Council of Churches Boxes of cereal, juice boxes and nonperishable food items are being collected by the Attleboro Area Council of Churches. If you can donate to this on going project, please bring the items to church and leave them on the pew in the back of the church. Ushers & Greeters Ushers and Greeters welcome parishioners and guests and perform various functions during services. Volunteers are always needed. Contact Rev. Meghan. Sunday School Would you be interested in teaching a structured Sunday School program? Please speak with Marian Cote. Fellowship Coffee Hour is held after services on Sunday mornings in the Parish Hall. Please wear your name tag or see a Vestry member if you don t have one. Volunteers are needed see Lyn Darling or Marian Cote. Lay Eucharistic Ministers Lay Eucharistic Ministers are those that help our priest lead Sunday worship services. Duties include administering the chalice during the Holy Eucharist. If interested, see Rev. Meghan. Property and Grounds The Property and Grounds committee is responsible for the care of our Church building and grounds which include, but not limited to, maintenance, minor repairs, and grounds care. Contact Marian Cote. Lectors If you don t mind reading in front of others, this ministry is for you. Lectors read the appointed lessons and prayers during the Sunday Worship Service. If interested, speak with Rev. Meghan. Altar Guild & Altar Flowers Please speak with Elaine Blackburn and Becky Dailey if you are interested in ministering through the Altar Guild. For Altar Flowers, contact Judy Little at to discuss open Sundays. A $35 memorial donation for flowers is requested. 11

12 Calendar for May 2014 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday St. Philip & St. James, Apostles Boy Scouts Third Sunday of Easter 10am Morning Liturgy 7pm One Family Advisory Board Cub Scouts Al-Anon Boy Scouts Fourth Sunday of Easter 10am Morning Liturgy Cub Scouts Al-Anon Fifth Sunday of Easter 10am Morning Liturgy Collation to celebrate our Confirmands follows Morning Liturgy Cub Scouts Al-Anon Boy Scouts 6pm One Family Ingathering & Supper 9-11am One Family Sixth Sunday of Easter 10am Morning Liturgy Deadline for June newsletter Memorial Day 3pm Finance Committee 7pm Vestry Meeting Al-Anon Boy Scouts Every Sunday 2-5PM 12