Travetta and David Johnson

As we come to the close of the All Souls budget year, our revenue is currently projected to be about $30,000 less than what is needed to cover our operating budget. As you prepare your year-end contributions, please prayerfully consider this situation and your gifts to All Souls. Remember you may make a donation online by clicking here.

At the December Shepherding Team meeting earlier this week, the 10 to the City committee presented the following recommendations to the Team based on the congregational vote in November. The Shepherding Team approved the 10 to the City tithe funds to go to the following organizations/programs annually through 2017. (Percentages are based on number of votes.)

1.     Emerald Youth Foundation -- $6,438 (17.4% of budget) with at least half designated for                use with the EYF swim team

2.     Amachi Mentoring Program (KLF) -- $5,772 (15.6% of budget)

3.     Restoration House -- $5,180 (14% of budget)

4.     Global SEEDS -- $4,810 (13% of budget)

5.     Overcoming Believers Church - Youth Pastor -- $4,070 (11% of budget)

6.     River & Rail Theatre Company -- $3,848 (10.4% budget)

7.     InterFaith Health Clinic -- $3,441 (9.3% of budget)

8.     Holy Paths -- $3,441 (9.3% of budget)

Member of Emerald Youth Foundation Swim Team

 

The Great Donut Outreach - Please join in the fun and thank those who work in our city during the Christmas holidays with a gift of a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts! We will blitz the 55 downtown businesses that are open on Sunday, December 20 immediately following our service. You can reach out as a single, family, couple, or small group. We ask small groups to take several dozen donuts and make numerous visits. A list of businesses and services that are open after church will be provided along with some tips on what you might wish to say. This can take as little or as much time as you'd like so even if you have another commitment after church, please consider participating; it's another way to show God's love in a practical way. if you have a van or large SUV and can help with donut transport on Sunday afternoon December 20 (pick up at Krispy Kreme on Kingston Pike at 3 pm)  please contact Ginger at kfam502@comcast.net.
Join us in the chapel after Sunday evening services (around 6:45) for a Compline service. Compline is the final church service (or office) of the day in the Christian tradition of praying the hours. The chapel is located on the third floor of 4MS.

In 2015, Doug preached a 21-week series on consensual orthodoxy. The big idea of the series was: All Souls wants to be a church where Christians who disagree about important questions of biblical interpretation can live together in loving unity. We strive towards this vision by affirming the Nicene Creed while respecting, challenging and learning from our brothers and sisters who interpret the Bible differently on non-creedal issues. As we exited this sermon series, the Shepherding Team began asking questions about how we, as a church body, put into practice our consensual life together. The Team started asking questions like: "How do we apply consensual orthodoxy in our body?" and "How are we doing facilitating difficult conversations that lead to spiritual formation?" "If we believe that our body's diversity is valuable, how do we grow and develop this aspect of who we are?" Often, unfortunately, when members of the faith discuss issues or doctrine surrounding the faith, the conversation ends in distance, hurt, and disappointment. But, does it have to be this way? Is it possible for us, being a diverse body of believers, to put into corporate practice a way that allows us to talk about issues of faith and Bible while still loving and respecting one another? Our Shepherding Team believes that we can, and often times we actually do this already, primarily within our small groups and personal relationships. However, corporately, it was felt the body could be, and perhaps needed to be, better equipped with practical skills for how to have these kinds of conversations, and for how to listen and love one another. At the request of the Shepherding Team, Lisa Murray and her colleague, Ferlin McGaskey, led the Team in a retreat focused on using the tools of Collaborative Communication. As a result of that retreat, Lisa and Ferlin have been contracted to offer this training for our body in 2016. Participants must have participated in Pilgrimage at All Souls; be able to commit to an out-of-town weekend retreat January 15-17; be able to participate in a 10-week small group meeting January 21 - March 26, either on Saturday, 10 am-noon, or Thursday, 6:30-8:30 pm; be willing to do some outside required reading and a follow-up survey. For a more information about Collaborative Communication and how to sign up, click here.