Dear Friends, 

This Sunday is one of our “signature Sundays” at All Saints: the Pet Blessing! 

On this Sunday, we remember and honor St. Francis of Assisi, that holy one who sought to follow Jesus by embracing poverty and the way of humility. Along the way, he became the patron saints of animals and the environment because he saw God’s glory shining through all creation and couldn’t separate himself from “Brother Sun and Sister Moon” or from his friends the birds of the air and the wolves of the fields. 

But St. Francis was no harmless cartoon saint, which is how we often portray him—an innocent with birds on his shoulder, cement statue in a garden. No, born into a “one percent family,” St. Francis was changed by an encounter with a poor leper, which led him to renounce his father’s wealth by stripping naked before the bishop and taking on the rough clothes of the poor. He inspired others to live simply and to follow in a literal fashion our Lord’s commands to trust God completely, forgive without limit, and love one’s neighbor, especially one’s poor neighbor.

St. Francis did preach to the animals and was seen surrounded by all of God’s creatures and, so, this Sunday we will follow him by honoring God in our beloved creatures—dogs and cats, iguanas and hamsters—as we bless them and pray for all of creation. 

But in this time of climate crisis, species collapse, and “the Great Pacific Garbage Patch,” as we watch the devastation of Hurricane Ian and grapple with how care for creation intersects with care for all people, let us also follow St. Francis in a way of humility and simplicity, in becoming instruments of God’s peace here on earth.

Faithfully, Suzanne+

This Sunday, October 2:

Feast of St. Francis Pet Blessing!

In-service pet blessings return to All Saints at both the 9:00am and 11:00am services on Sunday, October 2! After each service, a pet procession will take us out to the lawn for refreshments (both human and pet varieties) and an "Ask a Vet" session with our own Dr. Steve Larson.

Have a pet, but can't bring them? No worries! Bring your favorite pet picture and receive a blessing that way. Don't have a pet? Come and enjoy the fun anyway!

And if you're one of those fine folks who'd prefer to remember St. Francis without God's furry, winged, scaly creatures (if it's one thing we understand at All Saints, it's allergies), you're welcome to join our pet-free service that morning at 8:00am.

Church School New Atrium I Orientation: Saturday, October 1

If your child has recently turned 3 years old, or up through kindergarten age, and is new to Atrium I this year, an Atrium I orientation will be held on Saturday, October 1 from 9:30–11:00am

If you have an older child starting church school for the first time at All Saints, feel free to reach out Polly Tangora ([email protected]) or Andrea Garland ([email protected]) with any questions.

All Saints Baptism Preparation

Baptism will be offered on our celebration of The Feast of All Saints, Sunday, November 6, at both the 9:00am 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.

Becoming Beloved Community:

Deepening our commitment to becoming an anti-racist church

Save the date and join us on Wednesday, October 19 from 7:00-8:30pm to discuss and discern next steps in deepening our commitment to becoming an anti-racist church. We'll meet in person at All Saints. If you're interested in this conversation but are unable to meet in person, please contact Courtney at [email protected].

HIRING: Church Nursery Care on Sunday Mornings

As church school begins this fall All Saints is looking for an additional nurery-childcare person to be in the nursery every Sunday from 8:45 to 12:15 starting as soon as October 9, 2022.  

On any Sunday morning there are usually 4 to 8 children, ages ranging from 6 months to 4 years old, in our nursery. We are looking for someone at least 18 years old preferably with some college experience, reliable in arriving on time, able to commit to work every Sunday morning all year, and willing to work as one of two paid staff, supervised by a member of the Youth and Children’s Formation Committee.  

This position requires someone who is enthusiastic about working with young children; who interacts in a warm and playful way with toddlers, and who is comfortable communicating with parents and other adults. We will also be considering references and evidence of basic knowledge of child development and experience in providing a safe and consistent structure that meets the needs of this age group. 

If you know someone you would recommend for this position, Polly Tangora would be delighted to talk with you or hear from you by email [email protected].  We hope to have hired someone by October 9^th.

The Spirits of Ravenswood: Friday, October 21

The Spirits of Ravenswood is coming up on Friday, October 21st, and you can register for the event TODAY! This will be the first in-person Spirits in two years, and we hope you're as excited to celebrate together as we are. For those who have never attended a Spirits party before, let us paint a picture…

Local breweries and distilleries pour samples of their craft libations which pair deliciously with food prepared by the Ravenswood Event Center. Games, music, open bar, prizes, and fun abound in a room decked out with vintage cars and classic Chicago neon. On top of all of that, you're helping raise money to help RCS program feed people.

Early Bird pricing is available through September 30, so register today!

Mark Your Calendars! Upcoming United Power Events

United Power works to transform the world and our communities in multiple ways. Please join us during Coffee Hours at 10:00am for informative discussions of the different issues United Power is working on.

10/16: Intro to Gun Safety with special guest: Diane Boese (Oak Park)

10/23: Intro to Mental Health & Police Reform

November TBD: Year-end Update on Reclaim Communities

There are also Zoom events happening with the broader United Power community. The Issue Briefings will expand what is discussed at All Saints.

Thursday, 10/20, 7:00-8:30pm via Zoom

Issue Briefing: Gun Safety

Click here to register

Tuesday, 10/25, 7-8:30pm via Zoom

Issue Briefing: Mental Health & Criminal Justice Reform

Click here to register

Questions? Contact Barbara Manley by emailing [email protected] or phoning 312-953-8802.

Hosting Coffee Hour

Coffee Hour is gaining steam as we settle into our fall schedules and the children return to church school this Sunday. Thank you to all who signed up to host coffee hour this past Sunday (Jonah was so effective)! We have a few spots left for people to sign up, so please take a look HERE to see if you are able to help out by hosting. But most importantly, please come enjoy coffee hour between services each Sunday.  

Reach out to Chad Kruse with questions. 

Lost and Found

Cold weather is closing in and it's time to make our coatracks available for everyone to use. The items pictured below have been "hanging around" for quite a while. If any of these things belong to you, please claim them by Sunday, October 9. After that date, we'll donate all things in good condition and discard the rest. Thanks!

All Saints Book Club

The All Saints Book Club continues to meet on the second Thursday of the month at 7:30 PM on Zoom. If you are not a regular attendee, email Mike Burke at [email protected] for a meeting invite.

Our current schedule moving forward is:

October 13, 2022: 

Boy: Tales of Childhood by Roald Dahl

November 10, 2022: 

Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin

December 8, 2022: 

Why Fish Don't Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life by Lulu Miller