GOD'S WORK.  OUR HANDS

We invite you to worship, learn, share and serve with us in any of our five general areas of ministry.  Within the five general areas of ministry are numerous opportunities to offer your time and talent, all while getting to know others among the All Saints family.  Time and Talent cards are always available in the pew racks or you may call Lisa Rebula in the Church Office to obtain the contact information for a Ministry Area Leader.  Below is also a brief description of each ministry area and a few of the opportunities that are offered.  Also look for information about programs and events in our Sunday Parish Notes and our monthly newsletter, Saints & Sojourners.

Our Five General Areas of Ministry

Education

All Saints provides many opportunities for Christian growth. Sunday School is offered for all ages at 10:00 AM.  For adults, there are currently three classes: Biblical Studies (which follows the weekly lectionary readings), Faith & Life (which uses various book studies which relate our Lutheran theology with our ministries of daily life), and a class for our parents of young children.  This class also utilizes the weekly lectionary readings for study and discussion.  Other classes, such as for newcomers, are offered at special times throughout the year.

On Sunday mornings we also offer SPARK!, a new curriculum from our Augsburg Fortress, our Lutheran publishing House, for our children age 2 through grade 5. This exciting curriculum provides a fun and engaging opportunity for our younger children to learn more about God, His Word, and His presence in our world.

There are also classes for our Confirmands (grade 6-8) and High School youth (grades 9-12) each Sunday morning at 10:00 AM.  All children's classes run from mid-September through mid-June.  The Confirmation Ministry consists of a comprehensive three-year catechetical study, which is offered during the Sunday School hour, with occasional events and projects held on other days throughout the year. The class is taught by our team of four Confirmation teachers and Pastor Matt.

AWEsome Wednesdays is a program for our children age 3 through grade 5 and is held prior to Easter and Christmas to promote learning, sharing, and fellowship through worship, music and the arts. The weekly program begins at 5:00 PM and is followed by Altar time and a family dinner, from 6:15-7:00 PM.  Our young children also enjoy a fun-filled week of music, crafts, learning and fellowship at our Annual Vacation Bible School, held in mid-June.  This year's VBS will take place June 14-18, 9:00

Weekday Bible Study for adults is offered each Thursday morning at 10:00 AM (monthly in the summer months).  Our Thursday Morning Group also enjoys lunches and field trips on occasion, and serves as a model of authentic Christian community within our All Saints family.  Other educational opportunities for adults are also offered throughout the year, such as newcomers classes and inquirer's classes taught by Pastor Matt. 

Service

As Christians we are called to serve the needs of others in our families, in our church, in our community, and in the world.  We are called to serve as Christians in all institutions and structures of society of which we are a part, and, individually and corporately, to foster justice, overcome oppression, alleviate suffering, and care for the earth.  As part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the South Carolina Synod, All Saints supports the mission and ministry of the Church through its benevolent giving.

Locally, All Saints and its members support numerous ministries through special offerings and volunteers hours.  Some of the organizations we support are Crisis Ministries (monthly preparing and serving meals to the homeless), Habitat for Humanity (annual house building project), Kairos Ministry (annual cookie drive for inmates), Respite Care Ministries (on-going support of the Time for You program held at All Saints for victims of Alzheimers and other memory loss disorders), Windwood Farms Home for Boys (annual Angel Tree Project), and Seafarer's Ministry (annual Christmas project).  We also support other organizations through quarterly financial gifts and our monthly Change for Change offerings.  These include Lowcountry Food Bank and East Cooper Community Outreach, in addition to Respite Care Ministries and Habitat for Humanity. 


Our Lutheran Men and Lutheran Women also work throughout the year preparing for our largest fundraiser for service - the Annual Barbecue and Bake Sale.  Each year, we combine our proceeds with a matching gift from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans to help support several local organizations.  Our Lutheran Men also meet monthly for dinner and a program on the third Tuesday at 7:00 PM.  Our Lutheran Women recently sponsored a successful cookbook drive, and continue to enjoy a number of fellowship outings and regional WELCA events throughout the year.

Witness

It is the mission of All Saints Lutheran Church to motivate its members to witness to their faith at every opportunity in daily life, try to restore those who have lapsed from active membership, bring new members into the fellowship of the church, and recruit, equip and support members of the congregation for these activities.

An active Shepherd Ministry offers "first friends" for newcomers - the first folks newcomers often get to know.  It is through the Shepherds that newcomers discover how they may use their gifts in service to the church and how they may become involved in the life of the parish.  After joining the church, all members become a part of one of our many Neighborhood Ministries, which offer personal support in times of need and fellowship at all times.

Our monthly Coffee House is the perfect opportunity to make new friends and enjoy live music.  Coffee House is held on the 2nd Friday of each month from 7:00-10:00 PM in the Parish Life Center.  It features music by Wood & Steel, a blue grass and country band made up of members of All Saints and occasional guest musicians and friends. The Coffee House is a casual and fun evening of affordable fellowship.

The Lay Eucharistic Ministry takes Holy Communion to the infirmed and homebound on the first Sunday of each month, and on other occasions as requested.  This lay extension of Pastoral Care offers our homebound and infirmed the opportunity for a visit and fellowship, in addition to the Sacrament.  If you would like to receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion through our Lay Eucharistic Ministry, please contact the church office.

Our Witness Ministry Area offers many opportunities to serve.  Some of our volunteer needs include Greeters for our Worship Services (8:30 & 11:00), Shepherds, Neighborhood Zone Leaders, Small Group Leaders and Facilitators, Congregational Meal Team Leaders and Volunteers, Newsletter Editors and Production Members, and Coffee House Set-up Volunteers.

Worship, Music & The Arts

Worship is at the heart of the Lutheran Church.  It is based on the liturgical year, an orderly arrangement celebrating the life and work of Christ in our world.  Services of Holy Communion at All Saints are held each Sunday at 8:30 and 11:00 AM (10:00 AM in the summer months).  The Sanctuary and the Prayer Garden are available for private prayer and devotion at all times.




Special worship opportunities are offered throughout the year, especially during Lent and on Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Thanksgiving Eve, and Christmas Eve.  There are other services for special festival days.

A strong music program is an integral part of our church.  The Liturgical Choir sings at the 11:00 AM service.  Our Praise Choir and Instrumentalists lead worship at the 8:30 AM service.  Choral opportunities for children ages 3-5th grade are offered through our AWEsome Wednesday program.  Middle and High School singers and musicians are invited to participate in "Praise Choir" and other special youth offerings.  We have an on-going Handbell Choir for adults and High School students. 


Opportunities to assist include service in one of our Choirs, service as Cantor, Lector, Assisting Minister, Altar Guild, Acolyte, Crucifer, Greeter, and Usher.

One of our most beautiful of sacred spaces is our Prayer Garden, now the location of our Columbarium. The Columbarium Ministry was officially established in May of 2009, and niches are now available to be purchased.  Brochures, fact sheets, and policies regarding our Columbarium are available in the Prayer Garden corridor inside the church, as well as in the Church Office.  The Columbarium is a self-sustaining endeavor, funded and maintained through niche purchases and donations.  The first phase of construction is now complete and the first 40 niches installed.

Support

(Includes Finance, Stewardship and Property) 

The overall financial health of the church is carefully monitored by the Finance Ministry Team, who in turn provides accurate and comprehensive reports to Council.  The Finance Ministry Team is comprised of five or more members plus the Treasurer and Financial Secretary.  The Treasurer is responsible for entries to the General Ledger, payment of financial obligations of the church, and reconciliation of church bank accounts.  The Treasurer provides monthly reports to Council and Ministry Area Leaders.  The Financial Secretary is responsible for counting and recording all income, as well as maintaining accurate and confidential pledge records. The Finance Ministry Team also prepares the Annual Ministry Expense Plan, conducts financial compliance reviews, monitors insurance, investments, and financial policies. 

We define "Stewardship" as everything we do after we say "We believe." The Stewardship Ministry Team provides education, encouragement, and support for the members of the congregation in utilizing their personal spiritual gifts and material resources in grateful response to Christ's redeeming love.  To this end, the Team is dedicated to developing and implementing year-round stewardship emphasis, with a specific every member campaign during the fall months.  The Stewardship Team also coordinates special financial appeals, such as our recent Mission Freedom Appeal, which generated over $400,000 toward our debt reduction.

Our physical plant and grounds are another of God's wonderful gifts to us, and our Property Ministry Team is dedicated to the diligent care and maintenance of this valuable asset.  Specifically, the Team is responsible for the planning, administration, maintenance, repair, inventory, replacement, protection, and use of all church property for the congregation.  This is accomplished through congregational workdays, coordination of repair and contract work in conjunction with the Parish Administrator, monitoring of property related costs such as utilities, maintenance and replacement of equipment.  Volunteers are needed for routine grounds maintenance, such a grass cutting and landscape care, routine repairs, and semi-annual workdays.