Dear Friends, 

This Sunday our children return for church school and now it feels like all the puzzle pieces for a great program year at church are falling into place! I have high hopes of a noisy 9 am service with crying babies, toddlers breaking loose, and toy cars and crayons being deployed in the pews followed by the great stampede at the end of service as our kids head to the best Sunday school in the city.

To go with this great return, we have a great Gospel: The Rich Man and Lazarus (not THAT Lazarus, but the poor man at the rich man’s gate, covered in sores). Like last week’s Gospel with the Dishonest Manager, there are many ways to interpret this Gospel, but none of us can escape some simple truths: we ARE our siblings’ keeper, those most in need and near to us demand our closest attention and care, and we don’t need a miraculous messenger to tell us the right thing to do, for it is woven throughout all of scripture. So, a stiff but important message for all of us! 

And also the way in which we hope to bring up our children: well formed in the faith, compassionate, connected to those around us not just those like us. That’s the kind of place All Saints is, too, and I’m looking forward to a fabulous year.

See you in church!

Faithfully, Suzanne+

Feast of St. Francis Pet Blessing: Sunday, October 2!

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 Begins THIS Sunday, September 25

New Atrium I Orientation on Saturday, October 1

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

• Church school begins Sunday, September 25—a slightly later start than usual that will allow church school leaders to prepare fully for the year.
• Church school starts at 10:00am (or when children are dismissed from the 9:00am service) and ends at 11:00am.
• Children ages 3-6, in Atrium I, are welcome to come to the atria at 9:00am.
• Atrium II and III children should either attend the 9:00am service or arrive at church at 10:00am for church school.
• Church school will follow the COVID protocols in place for the entire church community.

For children who are recently turned 3 years old, through kindergarten age, who will be new to Atrium I this year, an Atrium I orientation will be held on Saturday, October 1, 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. Or 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. 

Fall Finance Fun!

Stewards of 4550

If you missed Jack Garland's coffee hour presentation on All Saints' history, finances, and funding - not to mention how we arrived at 2022 - you can catch his September 11 PowerPoint here and the follow-up September 14 Zoom meeting here on your own time!

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.

Worship Meeting:

THIS Sunday, September 25

Reading Room at 12:30pm

Learn more about how we plan worship, the importance of ritual and rite, and how to get involved in worship at All Saints!

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.

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. 

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!

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. 

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