Dear Friends,

I am writing this before Thanksgiving and am loving all the connection I’m seeing at All Saints. We welcomed a bunch of “old timers” back to All Saints on Sunday, folks returning to Chicago for the holidays who worshiped with us, gathering from as close as the Chicago suburbs and from as far as Montana and Ireland. We also got to welcome many of your family members who were in town to visit. 

After the 11:00am service, over 40 of you gathered for “It’s Just Lunch,” a casual lunch in the parish hall with no agenda other than gathering with folks to get to know them better. A HUGE thanks to Mark Piroch and Megan Turnquist for thinking of this and organizing it; I hope we’ll see more lunches in the future!

On Monday night, a dozen of you gathered at the Caregivers group for great conversation and much wisdom and guidance from parishioner Christina Kapteyn who is also a nurse specializing in the care of geriatric patients in their own homes. In this email, you’ll see below that Joe Wernette-Hernden is seeing to gather educators for a similar group of support and comradery. 

One of the ways we know God best is by seeing the face of Christ in those around us, and one of the best ways to “practice” Christian virtues like humility, compassion, and care is to practice with folks in our church community. Seems like we’re getting lots of opportunity here these days!

And for that I give thanks. Hope you all have had some good days of rest and connection and giving thanks wherever you are.

See you in church!

Faithfully, Suzanne+

Worship and Service at All Saints

This Advent, what can we learn

from a Black Bear?

As winter approached, a Black Bear “dug a den rounded to the curl of her body… For weeks before she lay herself down, her whole self had been shifting, making ready for new life.”

Thus begins Gayle Boss’s meditation for the First Week of Advent in her book All Creation Waits: The Advent Mystery of New Beginnings (Paraclete Press, 2016). How might we make ourselves ready this Advent for whatever new life awaits us? Members of the Green Team and the Worship Committee invite you to listen to a parish storyteller read aloud her short meditation on how the Black Bear prepares for new life in the growing darkness and cold during which we celebrate Advent.

We'll offer four evenings of prayer and communal reflection on select meditations from this book. And everyone is invited to join in this first — and every — conversation! We'll gather on Zoom this coming Wednesday, November 29 at 7:00pm.

If you wish to use this book throughout Advent as your daily Advent devotional practice, you can buy the book in print (new and used) or as an e-book. A children’s edition for ages 3-8 is also available.

Join us on Zoom:   

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85784654039?pwd=UkdRdmdrNXdJMzNhdEN0dmVYWW5jUT09

Meeting ID: 857 8465 4039

Passcode: 886459

For additional creation-themed Advent resources—both devotional and practical—for you and your family, download this PDF with links.

Advent clean-up day: Saturday, December 2!

We'll provide the cleaning supplies, lists of tasks, and lunch. All we need is YOU! Join us on Saturday, December 2 at 9:00am in the church. We'll clean until about 11:30am and then have a quick lunch.

Please RSVP to Courtney if you plan to attend so we have enough sandwiches.

Singers needed for Advent Lessons and Carols

If you're looking for a way to give back to the community, meet some wonderful people, and have a great time doing it, please consider joining the All Saints choir for Advent Lessons and Carols on Sunday, December 17.

The choir rehearses every Thursday evening at 7:00pm in the church or, if you can't make that time, it also rehearses for 45 minutes before Sunday services (8:15am in the parish hall for the 9:00am service, 10:15am in the church for the 11:00am). No audition required; just an open heart and a joyful spirit!

For more information, you can either write our Music Director Colin Collette or talk to him after a service on Sunday.

Christmas pageant casting call!

The search has begun for the 2023 ALL SAINTS’ CHRISTMAS PAGEANT cast. Be part of our annual theatrical Christmas event that’s been called “inspiring,” “incredible,” and “somewhat… well… nontraditional.” This year’s theme is BARBIE. Because the day of Jesus’s birth is the best day ever! Performances take place Sunday, December 17 during the 9:00am and 11:00am services.

Interested? You can contact Polly for more information at [email protected].

Click on this link for more info about auditions and rehearsal times.

Formation and Fellowship

Beer and Carols: the return of an All Saints holiday tradition!

On Sunday, December 10 at 6:30pm, members of the All Saints community will descend upon O'Shaughnessy's Public House at 4557 N. Ravenswood (the corner of N. Ravenswood and W. Wilson) to belt out Christmas carols while drinking beer or other yummy beverages! Invite your friends!

All Saints Youth Group: Upcoming plans

All Saints Youth Group meets from 3:30-5:30pm on Sundays. We welcome youth ages 12 and older, and you can email [email protected] with any questions. On Sunday, December 10, we'll be decorating cookies!

Hope to see you at our next meeting! 

Ravenswood Light Up Nights: Starting December 15, 5:00pm

All Saints will be hosting the official kick-off event for the beloved neighborhood tradition: Ravenswood Light Up Nights. There will be a fun craft activity, a tree lighting, Dave Wernette-Harnden will be playing carols with his brass quintet, and more! All Saints will be providing homemade hot cocoa packets as a way to advertise and (gasp!) evangelize. 

A small team is needed to help make the packets. This will happen right after the 11:00am service on Sunday, December 10. It should only be an hour or two of work. Please let Joe Wernette-Harnden ([email protected]) know if you'd be interested in helping. 

Small Group for Educators

Are you an educator? Being an educator hasn't been easy lately, and it can often feel like you're living on an island.

A number of your fellow educators at All Saints have expressed an interest in getting together for a little social time with someone else who "gets it." The holidays are always super busy, but a social event before returning from winter break might just be a great way to start this group off. This could be an opportunity to commiserate, debrief, and mentally prepare yourself for the months ahead.

All educators are welcome to join, including school leaders, teachers, tutors, support aides, psychologists, speech therapists, etc. - essentially anyone who works in the PK-12 realm.

Please share your interest by contacting Joe Wernette-Harnden at [email protected]. 

All Saints Book Club

Autumn 2023 - Winter 2024

The All Saints Book Club meets on the second Thursday of the month at 7:30pm on Zoom. If you're not a regular attendee, email Mike Burke at [email protected] for a meeting invite.

This year, the club continues to support the book sanctuary initiative by including at least one banned book in its reading plan. Our next meeting will be on December 14 to discuss Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey Cep.

Outreach and Justice

Revive Christmas Baskets:

Gift wrapping party, November 25

Baskets due November 26

Thanks again for your enthusiastic response to our call for basket volunteers. We'll be hosting a wrapping party in the Parish Hall on Saturday, November 25 from 3:00-5:00pm.

All boxes are due at the church on Sunday, November 26 before the 11:00am service.

Helpers are always very welcome! To RSVP for the party or if you have any questions, feel free to email Katy Kelsey Morgan.

All Saints volunteers for the RCS Mobile Pantry:

Saturday, December 9

On Saturday, December 9 from 8:00-11:00am, All Saints is volunteering at the Ravenswood Community Services Mobile Pantry at Ravenswood Elementary School (corner of Montrose and Paulina). We'll need 10 volunteers to help set up and distribute groceries from the school parking lot. 

The Mobile Pantry provides a selection of fresh fruits, vegetables, and non-perishable food items in a farmer’s market-style atmosphere at no charge to families in need of food assistance. It’s a great chance to hang out with All Saints folks and serve others. Families are welcome. The pantry is outdoors and we won’t have access to the school building, so please dress accordingly. 

You can sign up here and contact Courtney with any questions.

Volunteers Needed: RCS After School Pantry 

RCS' After School Pantry is back for the 2023-24 school year and we are looking for additional volunteer help! Partnering with Brennemann, Goudy, and McCutcheon elementary schools in Uptown, these Thursday afternoon pantries are designed to provide families with kid-friendly staples over the weekend when school meals are not available. So far this school year, we've seen an overwhelming increase in participation, which means we need more help! If you have a flexible schedule and can be available for 60-90 minutes on a Thursday afternoon, sign up here for one or more of the available volunteer spots. Thank you!

Chicago refugees could use your help

For the last year and a half, All Saints has been working with refugees in Chicago. There are three distinct groups.

The first are refugees from Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. In many cases, these people worked with the US Defense and State Departments and must flee their homes or face persecution. They participate in organized refugee programs that rely on volunteers to supplement government resources.

The second group are people fleeing the war in Ukraine. They've benefited from a strong Ukrainian community in Chicago and the support of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese, which had an existing relationship with the diocese in Kiev.

The third group is political and economic refugees from Venezuela who have been bussed to Chicago from their port of entry in Texas. While these people are in the US legally and qualify for work permits, there are no other government resources to support them, and they have no natural constituency here. 

So far, we've provided the furnishings needed to help a family from Afghanistan establish a household, purchased items for programs that serve all refugees regardless of their home country, and collected coats for Venezuelan migrants who are learning about cold weather for the first time. We've also connected All Saints volunteers to organizations that could use their legal or language expertise. 

This work is rooted in justice, not charity. Anyone who wants to help, or who has a coat or sleeping bag to donate, should contact Annie Logue.

Church Business

Mystery table

The disassembled table pictured below was recently discovered in the church boiler room. Does it belong to you? If so, would you like it back? Let Edward know either way. If no one claims it, we will be disposing of it by the end of the year. Speak now or forever hold your peace!

Vestry: a call to serve

If you're interested in serving All Saints as a member of our vestry or a diocesan representative, please apply online by January 8, 2024!

As a member of the All Saints Vestry, you'll participate in the oversight of the financial and spiritual health of the church. Fiscal responsibilities include reviewing and approving financial statements as prepared by the Treasurer; approving and institutionalizing recommendations from the Finance Committee concerning budget, loan, and investment activities; and managing our physical plant resources. You'll engage in the spiritual health of the church by supporting our mission and our ministries, offering time and energy to members of the congregation through both group and one-on-one interactions. Each Vestry member is expected to attend monthly meetings and to participate in the preparation and realization of the Annual Meeting at which Vestry and Warden elections are held. Any pledge-paying member of the church sixteen years or older is eligible. 

If you'd like to find out more about how the Vestry works, we'll be hosting a Vestry Information Coffee Hour at some point in the near future. Stay tuned for further details!

Upcoming vestry meeting schedule

Our next Vestry meeting will take place on Tuesday, December 12 to avoid colliding with any Christmas festivities. 

Did you know you can listen to All Saints sermons on Apple Podcasts?

www.allsaintschicago.org

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