When we sat down together to discuss what seems to
be special about this church we both agreed, at All
Saints there is no façade. The identity of the
church is rooted in the character of the people who
are gathered together to worship and serve the Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit. We are not a community of fixed
people who have arrived. We are a community of people
who have been and are being transformed by Christ. We
want to make God’s presence known as we worship,
serve, work, and live our lives in Chapel Hill and Durham.
This is who are, this is what we do, and this is the
God we worship.
Initially, we struggled with using the word ‘authenticity’
to describe this community for fear it would sound like
some trendy, cliché, buzz word. But we came back
to it because authenticity isn’t just talked about
here…it’s not a buzz word. All Saints’
authenticity arises from a communal posture of really
knowing who we are and really realizing our need for
God.
There are two ways authenticity is embodied practically
for us at All Saints. First it is in the way the church
has emphasized the importance of ministering holistically
to the body of Christ. This is a place where our entire
family can connect with the Gospel. We don’t want
our kids just to be entertained at church. We want them
to be in community with others – adults and peers
– who share their faith so they may grow into
mature believers.
Secondly, we have loved liturgical churches for many
years. There is a commitment here at All Saints to taking
liturgy seriously – permitting it to be living
and active worship of a living and active God. Liturgy
is about the community of faith praying what we believe
in order that we may also believe what we pray.
If you feel a desire to see what we’re all about,
we would say come. All Saints is a group of special
people and this is an exciting time in our lives. Come
and see what God is doing in our midst.