I was filled with gratitude upon seeing 45+ people on the screen attending the Annual Meeting on Zoom last week….. even without the enticement of our usual incredible food offerings!!!
We accomplished our elections: (Officers: Gail Arnold, Warden; Susan Spencer, Warden; Lisa Palmer, Treasurer; Erika Bianchi, Clerk. Vestry members at large: Jan Briggs, Bruce Manning, Paula Gates, Jim Gordon, Michele Winkler-Gettings and Chuck Orphanos. Delegates to the Diocesan Convention: Leslie Blake and Lisa Palmer (Alternate: Carol Bouffard), and appointments (Deanery representatives: Jan Briggs, Diane Manning, Ginna Coulson, Deb Lemieux and Paula Gates; Delegate to Episcopal City Mission – John Gettings.) Congratulations to everyone who will begin and continue their ministry of leadership with our beloved community. I look forward to working with you all!
We also passed our budget for 2021. (Please see link below) .The written reports were offered to share with everyone - all our parts which, of course, are all the parts of Christ’s body. Those of us who read the reports before the annual meeting may have sensed and experienced the innovation, transparency and gratitude described. If you have not yet read the reports, please take some time to read how we were able to accomplish the most marvelous adaptations and growth, because we used the authority of our love together by being strong, resilient, faithful, supportive, flexible and generous during this chaotic year. You can download the 2020 Annual Report here.
God has assured us of our belovedness, and has equipped us to offer the love given to us, in a new chapter of God’s story at All Saints Church. In this unusual time of COVID, we are called to ask God to change us so that God’s love might change the world through us, as we grasp the joy of what is to come.
Marya+
Annual Report/Financial Report Correction
A $2,000 error was found in our Annual Report prior to the Annual meeting. It was reported correctly at the Annual Meeting. If anyone would like a corrected copy via email, please contact the office.
ASH WEDNESDAY - FEBRUARY 17, 2021
8:30 - All Saints Spoken Great Litany (Book of Common Prayer p. 148) https://us04web.zoom.us/j/2602258398?pwd=NnJ6ZUdwZEFkSmJEbkZYVUlPN2M0dz09
Meeting ID: 260 225 8398. Passcode: ASNS
This litany is an intercessory prayer, including petitions said by the leader, with responses by the congregation (Voice of the People). Nearly every general area of prayer is addressed, including prayers for the church, the world, the government, and the poor. These petitions are prefaced by asking God to deliver us from affliction: evil, sin, heresy, schism, natural disasters, political disasters, violence and death, It is used in Anglican worship, probably most frequently during the season of Lent, because of its penitential nature. It was first published in the Book of Common Prayer in 1544, and prepared by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer.
12:00 p.m. The Cathedral Church of St. Paul's livestream of the Ash Wednesday Worship Service
A bulletin for the service will be available on the Cathedral's website Worship page.
7:00 p.m. All Saints' Ash Wednesday Worship Service
Zoom https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81059627291 Meeting ID: 810 5962 7291 Phone 929-205-6099
This year, in accordance with current safety protocols, those participating from home are invited to impose ashes upon themselves. You can create your own ashes, use the visual of ashes, or request that individually packaged ashes be sent to you by emailing your name and address to allstoffice@gmail.com by February 10.
All are invited to send the names of friends, loved ones and parishioners who are struggling with Covid or who have died of Covid to be read aloud during the service. Please send names to allstoffice@gmail.com
Sung Great Litany available throughout Lent
Brett Johnson, our seminarian and professional musician, and Allen Hill, new parishioner and the director of the Protestant Choir at Brooksby Village, have partnered to offer us a way to pray, by singing us through the Great Litany, which is the first prayer composed in the English language for use in public worship. In many churches, it is chanted in procession around the perimeter of the worship space. Brett and Allen will be singing without procession! The link for this Litany will be provided next week.
There is an opening for the sanctuary lamp on February 28. Contact Barbara Hooper.
Floor Waxing
The floors will be waxed in the preschool bathrooms, Parish Hall and the kitchen February 19-21. Please avoid walking in or through those areas for that time period.
Birthday Request
If you're new, or if you didn't show up in our weekly birthday prayers this year, please email the office and provide BIRTH DATES for you (and your household). We will add you to our birthday prayers the week of your birthday!
Important Worship Update Our vestry voted to change in-person worship to 8:30 am going forward, which began on January 17th.
The church office is open on Thursdays; other weekdays, the Parish Administrator works remotely.
All COVID safety guidelines will be enforced, including registration of visitors for contact tracing; masks and social distancing will be required.
Please note that all Zoom links are also available on our website!
Danvers Interfaith Partnership Youth Program
Dear Youth and Families,
This time last year, we were making final plans for our Youth Overnight with City Reach, Boston. Cars were overloaded with food and clothing donations, and we joined eleven other youth groups for a great experience with the City Reach Team. We certainly have all been through a lot since then and so have those in Boston suffering from isolation, housing insecurity and homelessness. Common Cathedral and the City Reach Team have found creative ways to meet the needs of so many through ongoing donations and care packages. While we will not be able to travel in for an overnight at St. Paul's this winter, we can show our support by sending a care package from Danvers.
I hope you'll participate and share details with your family, friends and church. Click on the link for my message or see the attached flyer. https://vimeo.com/505799526
Thinking of you all, and looking forward to spring, when we can meet in person again.
peace this day,
Pastor Pam
Maple Street Congregational Church
for the Danvers Interfaith Partnership Youth Group
revpammsd@gmail.com
This Lent, the annual preaching series at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Boston aims to lift up the voices of leaders who are fairly new to the greater Boston area, or who have come to see the area anew.
The series takes place online via Zoom on Thursdays, February 18-March 25, at 12 p.m., featuring a brief service of noonday prayer with guest sermon, followed by conversation with the preacher and other attendees.
All are welcome and registration is required here.
Feb. 18: The Rev. Morgan S. Allen--Rector, Trinity Episcopal Church, Boston
Feb. 25: The Rev. Gregory G. Perez--Priest-in-Charge, St. Stephen's Memorial Episcopal Church, Lynn
March 4: Ms. Omalara Fatiregun-Cheng--Fellow and doctoral student, Harvard Graduate School of Education (invited)
March 11: Mr. James Rutenbeck--Filmmaker, Lost Nation Pictures, "A Reckoning in Boston"
March 18: The Rev. Kate Bast--Rector, Trinity Episcopal Parish, Melrose
March 25: Dr. Sujin Pak--Dean of the Boston University School of Theology
This online retreat is co-sponsored by the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts and the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts, and open to the people of both.