Dear Friends,

At this time of year, I feel a bit like a broken record (kids, ask your parents what this means), repeating how much is happening at All Saints, but it’s true! 

This weekend, we have Open House Chicago on Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon; a wedding on Saturday (Congratulations, Jacky and Kevin!); and our kitchen being used by two groups to feed people—our usual RCS Saturday Sandwich-making crew in the morning and now our Migrant Breakfast-making crew in the afternoon; and, of course, we continue our pledge campaign on Sunday with an activity during each service AND a coffee hour conversation about our dreams for the 2024 budget.

Next Friday, I hope you will join a bunch of us from All Saints and Ravenswood Community Services at Spirits of Ravenswood for a great party and a great cause—supporting our food pantry! We’re feeding over 300 people every Tuesday night with hot meals and great groceries as well as every Thursday taking food to where people already are: schools! This is the last day for Early Bird registration, so please buy your ticket now. You can read more below. 

Finally, Beloved, not only do I feel like a broken record, but I am heartbroken by the war in Israel and Gaza. The history and current reality in the Holy Land are so complicated. In church we recently heard the story in Exodus of God saving the Israelites by allowing them to cross the Red Sea unharmed while drowning the Egyptians; there is a Rabbinic teaching that says the angels began to celebrate in heaven but God stopped them, saying “They are my children, too.”

That is a truth we know: there is no one who is not God’s child. No one in the world who is not also our sibling. Though we are far away from the war geographically, it is in our hearts and in our prayers. So, please pray for the end of violence and pray that we might see one another as God’s children.

Faithfully, Suzanne+

2024 Pledge Campaign

"We mothers stand still so our daughters can look back to see how far they have come." - Ruth Handler, the creator of Barbie

Tomorrow, Saturday October 13, Chicago Open House weekend begins and All Saints is once again a featured stop on the weekend. 

As we admire the physical space of All Saints as a Chicago Historical Landmark together with many of our neighbors (Did you know that we worship each week in a rare surviving example of Stick Style in the city?), it’s hard not to think about the generations of people who have been gathering here for over 140 years. 

Part of the message of Barbie is that generations and generations of women have paved the way for younger generations to follow their dreams. Though Ruth Handler’s quote says mother and “stand still,” maybe we can more accurately rephrase and state that each and every one of us stand on the shoulders of the giants who preceded us, taking their torch and continuing the work they have started.

At All Saints, we only exist as a church because of our spiritual ancestors who came before us and whose lives of generosity and service made it possible for us to call this church our spiritual home. Through the pledge drive we have the opportunity to invest in those who come after us at All Saints. Even as we have captured the places, things, and people we love at All Saints in the present with colorful Polaroids, we can imagine and dream about all that might come next for our beloved community.

As we heard from Jenni so vividly at the 11:00am service on Sunday about why she gives, we are a church very much alive and moving (with more barks and meows than usual last week!), a community joyfully putting our faith into action for the good of the world. This Sunday, we will continue by hearing some ideas from some of our fellow congregants about how we can best “sell” this church in a fun improvisational exercise. 

Your 2024 pledges make it possible for us to live in the now while investing in the future. Thank you to everyone who has already committed to supporting All Saints. If you have not yet made a pledge, you may submit it here on the Pledge page on the All Saints website.

Come to coffee hour this Sunday to hear more about our dreams for the 2024 budget!

THIS WEEKEND!

Open House Chicago 2023: October 14 & 15

Once again, All Saints has been invited to participate in the Chicago Architecture Center's Open House Chicago.

Our hours will be: Saturday, October 14th from 10:00am to noon and Sunday, October 15h from 12:30 to 5:00pm.

If you'd like to volunteer your time as a greeter or guide, please contact Ann McKenzie by emailing [email protected] or calling 312-952-1470.

All Saints named to Geoffrey Baer’s Open House Chicago Picks for 2023! Read HERE. 

Worship and Service at All Saints

Feast of All Saints

On Sunday, November 5, as part of our annual celebration of the Feast of All Saints, we'll remember loved ones who have died. We invite you to make prayer flags for your beloved dead. Colored paper is available at the back of the church. You may also email names to [email protected].

And if you'd like to help out, we'll gather at 6:30pm on Friday, November 3 for a time of prayer, hanging of flags, and pizza.

November 2023 Baptism Preparation

Baptism will be offered on our celebration of All Saints' Day, Sunday, November 5, at both the 9:00 and 11:00am services. If you're interested in baptism for yourself or your child, please let us know by visiting this page and filling out a Pre-Baptismal Form.

Preparation sessions are also offered and little ones are absolutely welcome! If you have any questions, please email Suzanne.

Formation and Fellowship

The hills are alive with the sound of…

What's better than a Sunday in the park with George than a Wednesday in the All Saints courtyard with our music director Colin? Join us for the social event of the season: a show tune sing-along and open mic with live musical accompaniment. The fun starts Wednesday, October 25 at 7:00pm with beverages and mingling.

Got a favorite song you can't wait to belt out? Just let Colin know!

Are you new to All Saints in the past six months?

Please join us at our next newcomers lunch on Sunday, October 29 from 12:45- 2:00pm at All Saints. We hope you'll join us for a light lunch and conversation about All Saints, upcoming events, and ways to connect with others. It'll be a great chance to meet other newcomers as well as members of our vestry (elected leaders).

Sign up here.

Episcopal 101 & 102:

Belonging, Becoming, and Believing

Are you new here at All Saints? Been coming for a while, but still have lots of questions about what this “Episcopal” church is all about? Would you like a deeper understanding of our worship and why we do what we do? If so, then Episcopal 101 is for you! If you've already participated in Episcopal 101 but want to go deeper, please join Episcopal 102; if you want a review, then take 101 again!

Our next Episcopal 101 and 102 will meet on Wednesday, November 8 from 7:00-9:00 pm. Both groups will start in the parish hall and will center their conversation on the topic of belonging. How do we experience belonging in our lives and at church? When we say, we belong to a faith community, what does that mean for us? The 101 group will begin with our own backgrounds of church (or no church), take a broad look at the Christian church, and then explore in more detail how the Episcopal church understands its mission and the ways it is organized to fulfill that mission. The 102 group will take a deeper dive into the polity and structure of the Episcopal Church. We will end our time with prayer. 

Sign up here. The sign-up form includes a place to note topics or questions you want to make sure we cover in the class. 

All Saints Youth Group: Fall Plans

All Saints Youth Group meets from 3:30-5:30pm on the Sundays below. We welcome youth ages 12 and older, and you can email [email protected] with any questions.

• October 22: Pumpkin Carving
• November 12: History of the Bible
• December 10: Cookie Decorating

Hope to see you at our next meeting! 

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 November 9 to discuss The Good Nurse by Charles Graeber.

Outreach and Justice

Friday, October 20, 7:00-11:00pm

Ravenswood Event Center, 4025 N. Ravenswood

Great party, great cause! Come join us at this year’s Spirits of Ravenswood as we raise money for the food pantry and community kitchen that operate out of All Saints.

This party features samples from local breweries and Koval, great food, games, tarot card readings, a prize wheel, music, dancing, an open bar, and great company in a cool neighborhood spot surrounded by vintage cars and classic Chicago neon. Don’t miss it!

Early Bird pricing is good through October 13th. Get your tickets today!

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!

Two Plays, Two Directors, Two All Saints’ Parishioners!

Two of our parishioners—Lou Contey and Chad Eric Bergman—are directing plays this fall. Please support theater and our fellow All Sainters!

Lou directed A View from the Bridge by Arthur Miller, a Shattered Globe Theatre production. Performances are at Theatre Wit (1229 W Belmont) through October 21. Go HERE for more information. It’s getting great reviews! 

Chad directed Peter Malmö by Raúl Dorantes and Mark Litwicki, a Colectivo El Polo and Akvavit Theatre Production. Performances are at Raven Theatre (6157 N Clark) through October 29. Go HERE for more information.

Making Good Trouble:

All Saints’ United Power

and Social Justice Ministry

All Saints has been working with other institutions for social justice through United Power since 2019.  Much of this work is done through public actions with our elected officials to keep pressure on them to support our work.  

This past year, members of All Saints participated in two city-wide actions focused on Mayor Johnson’s support for the Reclaiming Chicago campaign to build 2000 homes on the west (North Lawndale) and south sides of Chicago. All Saints also turned out to support a stabilization housing pilot at the Diplomat Hotel on Lincoln Ave. 

We've also begun the hard work of listening and discerning what issue we need to address for our community here at All Saints. During our first listening session in June, we heard about anger and concern for crime and safety, housing and homelessness, the rise in hatred/discrimination, and the climate. We'll continue this work in the months ahead. 

Read more here about how All Saints got started in this work, the progress and impact being made, what’s next, and how you too can help us change the world as it is.  

Contact: Barbara Manley, 312-953-8802, [email protected].

Did you know that last fall, a group of All Saints parishioner started a Creation Care Committee (a/k/a “Green Team”)? In keeping with the Episcopal Church’s Creation Care Pledge, we drafted a proposal for our community that outlined specific actions we could take to protect and renew God’s creation. We grouped these actions into four main categories: 

• Christian Formation;

• Buildings, Grounds, and Energy;

• Waste Reduction; and 

• Advocacy. 

Click HERE to read the proposal - a work-in progress. With the approval of our leadership and some budget help, we launched the waste reduction initiative at our 2023 annual parish meeting. 

Since then, all plates, cups, napkins, bowls and utensils we use at All Saints have been fully compostable. That's right! We're just about a year into our commitment to waste reduction and plastic elimination. By our count, we have sent more than 2,000 cups, plates, bowls and utensils to be composted instead of to a landfill! These will come back to us in our bucket from WasteNot in the coming weeks as finished compost for our garden. Well done and thank you, All Saints community! 

This is an ongoing effort, so let’s please remember to put our “waste” where it belongs: 

• Food waste, compostable plates, napkins, utensils go in the compost bucket.

• Paper, glass, and cans go in the blue recycling bins.

• Plastics (for now) and everything else goes in the trash bins. 

We can do more with your help to further develop and implement each part of the proposal. Join the All Saints Green Team. Help with working on particular initiatives. Offer your suggestions and feedback. We would love to hear from you!

Contact us or speak to one of our team members when you see us.Stay tuned for more news in the coming weeks! 

Spread the love and clean out your closet!

Imagine trekking all the way from Venezuela to Chicago. Imagine the strange and wonderful things you would see and do along the way. Then imagine facing a Chicago winter!

Thousands of new Chicagoans will be experiencing it for the first time and they'll need coats. Like most of us, you probably have perfectly good coats in your closet that you don't use. Maybe you have a pair of snowpants your kid grew out of, a ski jacket left behind by an old roommate who moved to California, or a parka that you're tired of. 

If so, bring them to All Saints and leave them in the waiting area outside Suzanne's office. We'll collect them October 8 and 15, then distribute them through Refugee Community Connection. New coats are welcome, too, preferably the puffy type. Costco often has good deals on them.

Also: has an Amazon delivery person abandoned a package carrier in your neighborhood? These are in demand by families moving from shelters to housing. Amazon doesn't want them back, so bring them here!

Questions? Contact Annie Logue.

Church Business

The All Saints Pollinator Garden is finished! 

You can see it on the south side of our next-door 3-flat at 4546 N. Hermitage. The garden was designed by our own Stephen Christy (Landscape Architect) and features native plants like liatris, coneflowers, butterfly weed and foxglove.

The new plants are very small now, but they'll take off next year and spread out a lot as they mature. We'll need help next spring to water, weed and nurture the garden as it grows and blossoms.

Anyone interested in helping out can contact Mark Ortlieb at [email protected]. 

Please consider hosting Coffee Hour!

Back to church school means back to hanging out with your All Saints friends in the parish hall after the 9:00am and before the 11:00am services. Please consider taking a Sunday over the next three months to host Coffee Hour. The sign-up for October, November and December can be found HERE.

The Coffee Hour crew works to make the effort minimal. And the gratitude of your fellow parishioners is an ample reward. Please reach out to Chad Kruse with questions or to review the guide to hosting.  

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

www.allsaintschicago.org

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