Deanery of Appalachia
Weekly News & Commentary
26 November 2008
Dear Members of the Deanery,
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you and your families!
St. Timothy's, Swannanoa
"I was in prison and you came to visit me." (Matt. 25:36) St. Timothy's has been working with the women inmates at the nearby State Correctional Center for Women. Twenty-one of the prisoners there have been in a weekly ALPHA Anglican Bible Study program led by St. Timothy members Evelyn Prigg and Susan Garland. Last Sunday, those prisoners were served a special Thanksgiving dinner by members of St. Timothy's then prayed with and sang songs with the team from St. Timothy's (Mary Brasington organist at St. Timothy's played the keyboard). The twenty-one inmates also graduated from the three month Alpha program with a special Holy Spirit Day service. St. Timothy's, the smallest of our six Deanery congregations, is to be congratulated on this work of Christian charity and outreach.
All Saints, Mills River/Arden
All Saints had an excellent Annual Parish Meeting last Sunday under their new Rector, Fr. William Martin with strong attendance. Fr. Martin has begun a very interesting Tuesday evening program that includes Evensong, Eucharist coupled with the study of Dante's "Divine Comedy." Sounds wonderful.
St. Matthew's, Weaverville
We had an exciting Sunday with our first two Baptisms, record Sunday attendance of 73, and a delicious Parish Thanksgiving Dinner following the Eucharist. We are having a Sunday dinner following Church once a month that has been well received by our congregation.
It is hard to believe but next Sunday is the First Sunday in Advent.
God keep you all,
Fr. John Lathrop, Dean
