Cross Training will celebrate the conclusion of a successful and exciting school year with an open-house party. All are welcome. No prior attendance or special shoes are required.
What: Enjoy fun, food, fellowship and a few surprises with the All Saints family.
When: 9 to 10:30 a.m. May 18. (Stop in any time.)
Where: All Saints Parish Hall.
A successful first year
As Cross Training heads into its “summer vacation,” our facilitators and instructors want to thank all of those who participated in making the courses such a success.
Between September and May, All Saints offered 24 classes in adult education, and an average of 90 people participated on a weekly basis.
Summer school
Want to stay in spiritual shape during swimsuit season? All Saints will offer four special summer sessions.
When: 9:30 a.m. July 13, 20 and 27 and Aug. 3.
Where: Parish Hall.
What: A different facilitator will lead each stand-alone session. Drop in when you can.
Photos wanted
All Saints High School Ministries asks graduating seniors and their parents to bring photos to contribute to a picture collage and video picture book. These special memories are an important way the church marks a milestone in the life of our youth.
Drop off photos at church or e-mail them to Dave Kivimaki, director of high school ministries.
All Saints popular Moms’ Day Out program is accepting registrations for openings in groups during the summer and fall.
What: Moms’ Day Out is a parent co-op child care program. Parents stay to care for children approximately every four weeks.
When: Groups are available from 9:30 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday. Parents will be assigned to a group one morning per week.
Who: Children must be walking and be between 15 months and 5 years old.
For more information: Contact All Saints to be put in touch with coordinator Jodi Wilson.
During May, we remember our mothers, and at All Saints, we also recall new mothers who struggle to provide the basic necessities for their infants.
This year, we will collect cash donations for the purchase of infant layettes, baby supplies and maternity clothes. These funds will be directed to the Pregnancy Decision Health Centers, which provide support for women through their pregnancies, deliveries and early parenting. All Saints member Chris Holmberg is a nurse at the organization.
Pick up a baby bottle in the Gathering Area and fill it with your loose change during the month of May. You’ll make a difference for a mother and her baby.
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:17
As All Saints looks to the future, several key themes have emerged from a vibrant and ongoing conversation among many members of varying backgrounds and interests. These themes include the following:
- Building community
- Developing spiritually
- Enhancing worship
- Involving youth
- Increasing participation in all aspects of church life
Participants in All Saints’ All Ministry Night initially raised these core ideas from lively discussion both in small groups and as a large group of all those in attendance. Members of the Congregation Council and the Visioning and Strategic Planning Committee echoed them during a May 3 retreat, as they looked toward developing congregational goals for 2009/10.
The many participants in this process have generated many wonderful ideas and offered insights into what our congregation can and should do to make progress on these ideas that will help us to grow and flourish.
During the energizing, if challenging, process, participants identified priorities that the Visioning and Strategic Planning Committee has drafted into concrete goals for consideration at the June meeting of Congregation Council.
Once Council adopts specific goals, the process will continue, as those goals are sent to our many ministry teams, which will be charged with developing appropriate strategies to meet them.
If you have questions or ideas about the goals, process or implementation, please contact All Saints to be put in touch with Pastor Bonnie Gerber; Council President Connie Pierce; or Peg Margello, chair of the Vision and Strategic Planning Committee.
What: All Saints Red Cross Blood Drive.
When: 1-7 p.m. June 3.
To participate: Make an appointment by signing up on the Community Services Board in the Gathering area. Walk-ins also are accepted.
For more information or to help: Contact Kay Labosky. Volunteers are needed during the drive and to provide refreshments for donors.
All Saints women are invited to come enjoy an evening of tapas, music and opportunities to spend time with friends from the congregation.
When: 7 p.m. June 4.
Where: Maca, 5 S. Liberty St., Powell.
What: Women will enjoy an evening at one of “Columbus Monthly’s” Top Ten New Restaurants and music by Colin John, who will play an acoustic blend of jazz, blues, funk, soul and rock.
For more information: E-mail All Saints to be put in touch with coordinator Robyn Ramsay.
All Saints Women's Ministry Yoga is branching out with new classes, including a Pilates course. Classes begin the week of June 16.
The schedule
Yoga: 6 p.m. Mondays
5:45 p.m. Wednesdays
Pilates: 9:30 a.m. Wednesdays
Cost: $5 per class.
For more information : Contact Debbie Fisher.
Now I'm turning you over to God, our marvelous God whose gracious Word can make you into what he wants you to be and give you everything you could possibly need in this community of holy friends.
Acts 20:32, “The Message”
All Saints plans a special two-session series to help leaders grow in skills that will enliven and renew the congregation’s sense of community.
What: Sessions will focus on the question “What is community?” and offer leaders concrete lessons in how to increase the sense of belonging within our congregation and the greater community. Individual leaders will learn ways to develop and grow their spiritual gifts and apply them to building our congregation.
Why: Equipping leaders to handle the challenges of creating committed fellowship is among Congregation Council’s top priorities for the coming year.
When: 7 to 8:30 p.m. June 17 and 24.
Where: All Saints.
Cost: Free.
RSVP: E-mail All Saints.
LSS Auxiliary Meeting
Lutheran Social Services of Central Ohio Auxiliary invites everyone to a meeting and a special program on “Aging in Place,” presented by Carly Shugarman of the Franklin County Office on Aging.
What: Share fellowship, devotions and refreshments with members and
friends of Lutheran congregations throughout the region.
When: 1:30 p.m. June 25.
Where: St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church, 3220 Columbus Street, Grove City.
About the program: Shugarman will offer information on programs that are available to help senior citizens “age in place” and continue an independent lifestyle. Learn about the many options and services that are available for you or someone you love.
Monthly mission: LSS will collect lap robes, walker bags, bibs, socks and undershirts for residents of Lutheran Village of Columbus.
Wanted: Garage Sale help
All Saints Senior High Youth Group will raise funds for its activities with a garage sale July 26 at the church, and the teens need your help.
What: The youth will accept all household items except clothing for the sale.
To donate: If possible, we ask donators to store items in their homes until the week of July 19. Contact Dave Kivimaki, director of high school ministries, if you need to make arrangements to drop things off earlier or have items picked up.
Special needs
- Storage space (a spare garage or shed close to church).
- Volunteers to help price and sort items.
- Pick-ups or trailers to help collect items.
If you can help with these items, contact Dave.
All Saints is seeking green thumbs for its 2008 Pantry Patch, benefiting the Lutheran Social Services Food Pantry.
What: Volunteers care for All Saints’ vegetable garden in the planter boxes adjacent to the parking lot near the church office. Volunteers take on the following tasks:
- Purchase and plant seeds and plants according to provided plans.
- Share watering and weeding tasks over the growing season.
- Harvest crops.
- Put garden “to bed” for winter.
Benefits: Our garden provides a fresh alternative to low-income families served by the food pantry. Volunteers are gratified in using their love of gardening to give healthful choices to those in need.
Reimbursement: An ELCA grant received several years ago to establish the Pantry Patch program has funds remaining to reimburse gardeners’ expenses.
To volunteer: Contact All Saints to be put in touch with Pantry Patch coordinator Betsy Rechel.
All Saints is pleased to welcome the national men’s ministry “Letters from Dad” during 2008. This special ministry teaches men to open their hearts and put into written words their love for their wives, children and parents.
When: 7 p.m. June 2, June 30, July 21 and Aug. 11.
To participate: Registration materials will be available from the church office. Contact Pastor Mike Weaver.
About the program: “Letters from Dad” helps fathers to leave a legacy by saying things they wished to say but lacked the ability to express, such as how much they love and treasure their children and how they will always be there for them. Endorsed by such figures as Ken Canfield, National Center for Fathering; best-selling author Steve Farrar; H. Norman Wright, a renowned author of marriage and counseling books and videos; and former San Francisco Giants pitcher Dave Dravecky, “Letters from Dad” teaches men not only the value of writing such letters, but also helps them to learn the mechanics of writing them and preservation techniques that will create a special legacy for their families.
From the founder: Greg Vaughn, author of the best-selling “Letters from Dad,” recalls how the project came about: “I was in my garage, cleaning up after the death of my father when I found his rusty tackle box. I realized that he died without leaving me a note or a signature, only this rusty tackle box.
“Then it dawned on me, ‘What if I were to die today, what would I leave for my life and children?’ I concluded that I would be leaving nothing but a rusty tackle box, too. That’s how ‘Letters from Dad’ was born.
“From there, I called 14 other fathers, and we started on a journey to leave a legacy to our families. That group birthed a group of 130 men that turned into a group of 350 men and then a group of 700 men. It is now in more than 700 churches, and nearly 13,000 men have participated.”
Stephen Ministry: Might you be called?
All Saints Stephen Ministry wishes to expand its leadership team.
Stephen Leaders participate in a week of training in ways to plan and administer the program. They go on to recruit and train Stephen Ministers, link Stephen Ministers with those in need of care and lead peer-supervision sessions. Potential Stephen Leaders have an aptitude for teaching, communication and administrative and organizational abilities. Potential Stephen Leaders should also show insight and empathy, be committed All Saints’ members and feel God’s call to this ministry.
If you want more information about how your gifts might match the needs of this important program, please contact All Saints.
Thrive with Thrivent career opportunities
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is a values-based, Fortune 500 organization that is currently expanding its team.
What: Careers at Thrivent offer employees the chance to make a difference in people’s lives while experiencing personal and financial rewards through an independently managed business.
Who: Thrivent seeks individuals motivated by opportunities to help Lutherans and their families meet their financial goals and improve their quality of life.
For more information: Visit the Thrivent Web site or contact local Thrivent recruiter Marcy Anderson.
The Cum Christo ministry brings Christians together in an ecumenical environment that allows participants to renew their relationships with Christ. They leave motivated to grow 
as disciples in their churches, day-to-day lives and wherever God may lead them.
Registrations are currently being accepted for the upcoming women's weekend May 15 to 18.
For more information: Contact Pastor Bonnie or visit the Cum Christo Web site.
New member events
Discipleship 101 is All Saints’ unique course that gives those wishing to join the church a better understanding of Lutheran belief, practice and tradition; opportunity to contemplate their own Christian walk; and a chance for fellowship with members new and old.
Discipleship 101 runs through through May 20.
Members will be welcomed into the community during 11 a.m. worship services May 25.
Help plan JAM (Jesus and Me)
All Saints is planning a youth group for third-, fourth- and fifth-graders, who will meet monthly for fun and fellowship outside of the regular Sunday School hour.
Volunteers are needed for the planning team for this fantastic new opportunity. Please contact Lisa Brooks if you are interested in joining the team.
Church camp!
Lutheran Outdoor Ministries in Ohio has a slate of camps for children, teens and families set for summer 2008, and registration is already under way.
What: There are camps relating to a number of special interests, but they all offer great ways to explore and develop relationships with God, nature and one another.
Where: Sites include Camp Mowana near Mansfield; Lutheran Memorial Camp, about 40 miles north of Columbus; and Camp Luther on the shores of Lake Erie.
Registration: Details on the camps and registration materials can be found by clicking here and also are available in All Saints church office.
Organ recital CDs for sale
Recordings of Brenna Wright’s Farewell Organ Recital on Oct. 28, the 11 a.m. organ dedication service on Oct. 14 and well-known organist Trudy Faber's Oct. 14 dedication recital are available for purchase. Wright served as All Saints assistant organist for the past two years and is now continuing her education in Germany. Faber is chair of the department of music at Wittenberg University.
Cost: $10 per CD. Checks should be made payable to Martin Williamson.
Benefiting: $5 from each purchase of Wright’s recital will be sent to her in support of her studies. $5 from each purchase of the organ dedication service will be forwarded to the All Saints Organ Fund and will be tax deductible. $5 from each purchase of Faber's recital will be given to the professor.
Contact: E-mail All Saints to be put in touch with Martin Williamson.
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