Dear Friends

Last Saturday, I took my own advice, given in last week’s Dear Friends letter, to take some time away from the busyness treadmill, and Tracey and I explored places on the Open House Chicago Tour. We spent time downtown and in Humboldt Park, returning to All Saints in the afternoon. We knew we were home when we heard our church bell ringing, but I was shocked when we got out of the car to see just how many people were thronging into our sanctuary—many more than were at the other tour sites we visited.

When we walked into the church, people were everywhere, examining the details of the sanctuary, talking to our volunteer docents, and lined up to ring the bell. Many of these folks are our neighbors who have admired our church from the outside for years and were thrilled to come inside. Others were excited to be allowed a “behind the scenes” look in a church—from walking up to the high altar, to poking around the sacristy. The energy and joy was palpable, and I swear I could still feel those good vibes on Sunday morning as we sang together (you all sounded great chanting the psalm!), the choir offered a fabulous anthem, children caromed about the space, and we all filled out Madlibs as we kicked off this year’s Pledge Campaign. 

A few weeks ago, at the consecration of Bishop Paula Clark, the preacher, Bishop Budde said that when Paula was on her staff in the Episcopal Diocese of Washington they would often touch base after Sunday visitations and reflect on “the joy quotient" at the churches they had visited. They learned that joy in worship (or its lack) revealed much about was possible (or not) in a parish, more important than church size or budget or types of programs. One of the aspects of life at All Saints that I noticed nearly 20 years ago is how joyful this place is; I said on my first Sunday here that All Saints gets that we Chrisians have got GOOD NEWS—the literal meaning of “Gospel”—and we ought to act like it!

Well, our joy quotient was through the roof this weekend, Beloved. With that joy and with God’s help, well, we can do anything!

Faithfully, Suzanne+

Last week, you helped tell the story of All Saints through your awesome Mad Libs! Your stories were funny, serious, and heartfelt, but above all, they were about an engaged and resilient faith community. To keep writing the history that stretches back to 1883 and to be resilient and engaged in 2023, we need your help.

We need your financial pledge to All Saints for 2023 to keep Writing our History.

Thank you to everyone who has already committed to supporting All Saints with a 2023 Pledge. If you have not yet pledged, you may submit it here. We're calling on all of you to keep writing our history through a financial pledge to All Saints for 2023. We want 100% participation.

You matter. Your contribution, no matter the size, matters.

If you have questions about the impact of your support, or would like to discuss your pledge further, please reach out to our stewardship co-chairs Jack Garland and Katrina Kasten.

This Sunday, we're going to do something really cool again! Whether you're at the 8, 9, or 11, you can participate in connecting our stories together in a very literal way! See you there!

On Sunday, November 6, as part of our annual celebration of the Feast of All Saints, we 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 4 for a time of prayer, hanging of flags, and pizza.

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.

We hope you’re planning to join us in support of RCS’ food pantry and community kitchen at the upcoming Spirits of Ravenswood TONIGHT! If you haven’t already, you should register here.

Come sample local craft libations, spin the prize wheel, eat some delicious food, go for a virtual drive with Redline VR, get a tarot card reading, try your hand at The SKEE League’s SKEE Ball/bags hybrid, and spend some time on the dance floor in a really cool neighborhood space. We promise you’ll have fun, all while helping RCS programs feed people.

Please note: This event is for guests 21+.

Festive Fourth Sunday!

Come Sparkle after the 11am service this Sunday

We’re used to Sparkling on the Second Sunday of the month after our 11am service—sharing sparkling beverages and snacks in the sanctuary as we get to know one another better. (Think of it as “coffee hour” for the late-morning set.) This has been so popular that we’ve decided to gather after the 11am service another Sunday each month—the fourth Sunday—with a seasonally appropriate beverage. Join us this Sunday after 11am for cider and conversation, sponsored by our music ministry!

Resumption of the Common Cup

The Diocese of Chicago recently lifted its restriction on sharing of the common cup during the Eucharist. You can read Bishop Clark’s letter here.

We will begin using the common cup again on All Saints Day, November 6. Please know that if you choose to receive only the consecrated bread, you are still participating fully in the sacrament. While we will have champagne on All Saints Day as is our custom, we'll use port wine after that which has a higher alcohol content than regular red wine. 

Chalice bearers will wear face masks during the sharing of the cup. We ask that you do not intinct (dip) your bread into the chalice so that we might limit infection of any kind. If you have any questions, please speak with Suzanne or Courtney. 

Pumpkin Carving Party

Come join All Saints' Youth Group as they celebrate the season of spooks and spirits with their annual Pumpkin Carving Party this Sunday, Oct 23 at 3:30pm in the courtyard. Festivities culminate with an exciting game of Werewolves! This event is open to all Youth Group eligible teens (12+).

If you'd like to RSVP (or if you have any questions), contact Liz Bartels.

Thank you!

Wow! We had 1,234 people come through our sanctuary on Saturday and Sunday for Open House Chicago. The vibe was joyful, people—many from the neighborhood—loved touring our beautiful church, and the bell was rung throughout both days. Huge thanks to Ann McKenzie for organizing us, Tracey Lemon for creating all of the promotional materials, and all of our volunteers, including (though probably not limited to) Jack Garland, Iris Jones, Ken Jones who brought his friend Chester, Chet Kelly, Annie Logue, Margaret McCamant, Mike Mattson, Michelle Mayes, Lori Mueller, Helen Poot, Jane Schaefer, Gina Shropshire, Patrick Tucker, Nina Wilfred, and John Wischnewsky.

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.

10/23: Intro to Mental Health & Police Reform

      with special guests Yvonne Smith and Ed Manning

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.

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.

AV Club: Volunteers Needed

Each week during the 11:00am service, we stream our service to Facebook so that those who are sick, traveling, live outside Chicago, or just want to check us out can participate online. This is an important ministry and it relies on three volunteers each week to make it happen.

We need two more volunteers for the AV team so that we have four weekly teams. Join the AV Club and learn how to work the cameras and wrangle the audio feed for our live Facebook stream. No advanced experience needed, just a willingness to learn and the ability to serve at one 11:00am Sunday service per month. 

Interested? Contact Eileen Krause at [email protected].

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.

In addition, we are now supporting the book sanctuary initiative. We'll include at least one banned book each year in our reading plan starting in 2023.  

Our current schedule moving forward is:

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 (At this meeting, we will select books for 2023.)

January 12, 2023:

The Christmas Wedding by James Patterson

Photography as a Spiritual Practice is Back!

How cannot we not be amazed by the colors of Autumn? For many of us, our natural instinct is to share whatever glories of God’s Creation we see around us.

If you're feeling that instinct, join our Photography as a Spiritual Practice group. From Monday to Friday, members can post photos to an online weekly web album that feature the diverse, vibrant colors of Autumn - along with any other subject where color dominates, inspires, and begs to be shared.

Then, over the weekend, all can enjoy viewing and commenting on the photos. To participate, please email Eileen Crowley at [email protected].