Dear Friends, 

What a gorgeous Celebration of Ministry / Renewal of Ministry with Welcoming of a New Rector we had last week! The music was fabulous, the gifts touching, and the dance party afterwards was off the hook (yes, there WAS dancing in the streets)! I wondered if we needed such a thing after a year together and, then, no surprise, liturgy and ritual and symbol worked their magic. Somehow, I feel we belong together and to one another in a deeper way now than I did before. I hope you feel the same. What a joy to be here, with you; we are now "installed" in one another's lives, and I take that commitment, that love, seriously and, oh, how grateful I am to each one of you and to all of All Saints!

We have another big celebration this weekend: the consecration of the Rev'd Paula Clark as our next bishop! She is the XIII bishop of Chicago, and there will be great rejoicing after our long waiting--through Covid, through Paula's illness and recovery, and during the illness and mourning of the death of Andrew, Paula's husband, last summer. Please join me in praying for our new Bishop and, if you can, join the livestream of the service on Saturday at 10:30 when the procession begins (keep a sharp eye out for our own beloved Bishop Bonnie!).

I hope to see you in church on Sunday, too, our last before church school begins; there is a WILD Gospel, one of the most complex passages in any of the Gospels. Jesus commends a "dishonest manager," and I'm wondering if that manager might be a Jesus figure, someone who subverts our human-made economy, willing to "slash prices" and make deals on our behalf, even if that means cheating his boss. He's a tricky one, that Jesus, much wilier than most of us give him credit for. Come hear more of the story on Sunday!

Faithfully, Suzanne+

Brush up your Shakespeare and get ready to "Sing out, Louise!" Join us for the last third Wednesday social event of the summer: a show tune sing-along and open mic with live musical accompaniment provided by music director Colin Collette.

The fun starts in the courtyard at 7:00pm with beverages and mingling. Got a favorite song you can't wait to belt out? Just let Colin know!

The Consecration of the 13th Bishop of Chicago

The ordination and consecration of the Rev. Paula E. Clark as the Thirteenth Bishop of Chicago will take place the morning of Saturday, September 17 at the Westin Hotel in Lombard, IL.

All are welcome to watch the service live on the diocesan website here. The procession begins at 10:30 am with the service following at 11 am CST.

No Livestream of the 11 am Service on Sunday, September 18 

In order to accommodate scheduled AV system upgrades, maintenance, and Tech Team vacations, there will be no live stream of the 11:00 am service on Sunday, September 18.

The Livestream will return on September 25.

Fall Finance Fun!

Stewards of 4550: Missed the live presentation? Review the presentation on your own time!

This past week at coffee hour and during a Zoom meeting on Wednesday, we shared some church history and how we got to 2022 at All Saints. Go through the presentation for more information about our history, finances, and funding.

From 1883-2083: What's next for All Saints?

The 1883 Capital Campaign helped repair our church and revive the spirit of those who laid its first cornerstone. But would we like to celebrate our 200th anniversary in 2083? You'll hear some ideas for our campus and what future financial stewardship will look like. Time to dream big!

September 25, 10:00am Coffee Hour in the Parish Hall

September 28, 7:00pm on Zoom

If you have any questions: contact Jack Garland or Katrina Kasten.

Church School Begins Sunday, September 25

All Saints looks forward to welcoming children back into the atria this fall with some small changes and some return to "old" practices.

• Church school begins Sunday, September 25!
• Church school will take place from 10:00-11:00am (or beginning with dismissal from the 9:00am service).
• Atrium I will be open at 9:00am for children ages 3-6.
• It is expected that Atrium II and III children attend church or arrive at 10:00am for church school.
• Church school will follow the COVID protocols in place for the entire church community.

An Atrium orientation will be held on October 1st for children who will be new to Atrium I. This includes children who have recently turned 3 years old up to kindergarten age. More information to come!

If you have an older child who'll be starting church school for the first time at All Saints, feel free to reach out Polly Tangora ([email protected]) or Andrea Garland ([email protected]) so we can answer your questions. However, you can also just show up on September 25 at 10:00am, and a church school leader will be happy to welcome you and your child. 

Some key dates to keep in mind:

• October 2: Pet Blessing
• November 13: Parent Information Meeting for Solemn Communion at 10:15am
• November 27: THANKSGIVING Weekend (Outreach Project Stocking Stuffing–all ages)
• December 18: Christmas Pageant 

If you are interested in learning more about the church school and how you can support this ministry, please contact Polly or Andrea.

Starts October 9!  Becoming Beloved Community:

Racial Reconciliation and Anti-Racism

As part of our congregation's commitment to identify, declare, and commit to share life within God’s Beloved Community, we'd like to alert you to an online training opportunity offered by Bexley-Seabury, “Becoming Beloved Community: Racial Reconciliation and Anti-Racism,” beginning in October. Visit this link for more info.

The 6-week class includes opportunities for personal reflection, asynchronous group reflection and interaction, and synchronous group interaction led by facilitators from the Kaleidoscope Institute.

Registration is $200; however All Saints has five $100 scholarships available to subsidize the cost. Please email Courtney if you're interested in the training and would like a scholarship. 

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.

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.

Save the Date: The Spirits of Ravenswood

The Spirits of Ravenswood, a party to raise money to support our food pantry and community kitchen, returns this year on October 21st! You don't want to miss this fun evening featuring samples from some of our outstanding local breweries and KOVAL distillery. Tickets sales will open soon, but for now, save the date!

Hosting Coffee Hour

As summer begins to fade and we settle into our more regular schedules, let us also look forward to returning to coffee hour between the 9:00 and 11:00 services. Coffee hour is a great opportunity to reconnect with fellow parishioners that we have missed or welcome new visitors to All Saints with coffee hour hospitality.  

We've worked to make hosting coffee hour a light lift by moving the supplies into the parish hall, and all but eliminating the need to take garbage out afterwards. Please consider signing up. You may be surprised by the amount of gratitude you get in response to your effort!

You may sign up here, but the clipboard method that Dave and Karen Howe made famous is destined to return in the coming weeks as we try to identify hosts through the end of the year. If you have questions, please see Chad Kruse or send him an email at  [email protected].

Feast of St. Francis Pet Blessing: October 2!

We are returning to in-service pet blessings at both the 9:00am and 11:00am services on October 2, 2022!

After each service, we'll have a pet procession out to the lawn where there will be refreshments and "Ask a Vet" with our own Dr. Steve Larson.

Have a pet, but can't bring them?! No worries! Bring a picture of your pet and have your pet blessed that way.

Don't have a pet? Come and enjoy the fun!

Prefer a fur-free service? At 8 am we will remember St. Francis without God's furry, winged, scaly creatures.

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