First, a huge thank you to Lori Gee, Fran Holliday, and Liz Embler and the 130 other All Saints' volunteers who did such an awesome job ensuring that our 16th Annual Ravenswood Run went off perfectly last week.  And of course a big shout out to God for the great weather!

Sam Wischnewsky, All Saints Youth Group member and student at Whitney Young, was the first All Saints' person to cross the finish line! Dan Acosta from the 9:00 was a close second to Sam, with lots and lots of other All Saints' people running as individuals and as families!

Sophie Reese-Wirpsa, future All Saints' Youth Group member and current fabulous acolyte attained her first degree black belt in Seido Karate last Saturday. In the process of passing her test Sophie broke three boards. One with a "spinning hook kick" another with a punch and the last with a "roundhouse kick." When you congratulate her, check to see if her hand is scraped or bruised.

Moving away from the physical to the pastoral, please congratulate Staycie Flint for graduating from Illinois Masonic's Clinical Pastoral Education program.  A portion of Staycie's time during the program was spent meeting with and developing relationships with our neighbors on Tuesday night.

This Sunday I'll be offering a reflection on God, Nature, Spirituality and Kayaking at 10:00 during coffee hour in the parish hall.  Dave Howe will gathering with people in the reading room talking about an opportunity for people from All Saints' to travel to Mexico this August to visit our friends at our partner congregation, St. Mary the Virgin in Xalapa. 

And I'll be preaching on the Ethiopian Eunuch, which if nothing else should be slightly exotic, and Andrew will be directing our music.  What's not to love about church on the first Sunday of May!  

I'm looking forward to seeing all of you.

Blessings,

Bonnie

PS  - Youth Sunday is next week featuring Logan Means AKA Angel Gabriel/Obama  as  our guest preacher.  Mark your calendars!

RESCHEDULED: 

Sunday, MAY 6, 10-11, Parish Hall. 

Celebrate (a belated) Earth Day by joining our rector, Rev. Bonnie Perry, as she reflects on the "thin" places in nature and our lives where the Holy breaks through.

"What Really Matters?"

Evolutionary biologist, Edward O. Wilson says, "For the Naturalist, every entrance into a wild environment rekindles an excitement that is childlike in spontaneity [and] often tinged with apprehension..." He goes on to say that every such experience reminds us of "the way life ought to be lived all the time."

The ancient Celts had a similar belief-there are places in this world that are so "thin" we can readily see through them and experience the Holy.  I believe that paddling is one such wild environment that brings us face to face with what really matters in this world-call it sacred, call it Holy, call it God-whatever we choose to call it-it really matters. 

When Bonnie isn't at church she is coaching, guiding and leading people in the world of sea kayaking.  She holds certification in the American Canoe Association, the British Canoe Union,  and Paddle Canada.  She guides and coaches regularly for Naturally Superior Adventures in Wawa, Ontario, Sea Kayaking Cornwall in Falmouth, UK, Rutabaga, WI, Riverside Kayak Connection in MI and several other companies throughout the country. 

Here's the link to a paddling retreat Bonnie will be co-leading in Baja with Ginnie Callahan one of the top kayaking coaches in the country: http://www.seakayakbajamexico.com/womens.html. 

This Sunday, May 6, 2012, 4 p.m.

St. Simon's Episcopal Church

717 Kirchoff Road

Arlington Heights, Illinois

On May 9, the All Saints EfM group will host an "open house" for anyone interested in learning more about this exciting program. Come join the committed group that meets on Wednesday evenings for rich conversation and theological reflection on our lives and the world around us.  The new program year begins in September. 

For more information or to sign up to participate in the open house, please contact Lionel Edes (l_edes_bks@hotmail.com) Ruth Frey (ruthefrey@gmail.com) or send an email to efm@allsaintschicago.org.

Your Building and Grounds Committee invites you and your family to "dress up" the All Saints' grounds for the season. We have cleaned up the grounds and mulched all the planting beds. New grass in coming up in bare areas disturbed by our winter construction. All is now ready FOR YOU!

Bring your garden gloves, trowels, watering cans and, if you want, plants from your own gardens as well. Your B&G gang will also provide an array of beautiful flowers to install as well. We'll show you how and where to plant. Plenty of free garden advice is an extra treat too. Bring a sample of any "mystery plant" you have for identification. And finally, kids as always are welcome!

So come on out and welcome spring to All Saints'!

The All Saints' Cafe is here again.! On Sunday  May 13  from  5-7 p.m. we will be serving a restaurant-style meal complete with beverage service, and menus for our neighbors in need.

Many volunteers are needed to make this happen.  We need help on Saturday May 12 doing food preparation.  Many volunteers are needed on Sunday for set up, cooking, serving, bussing tables and clean up.

To sign up to help for some or all of the cafe weekend please go to our link HERE on the Ravenswood Community Services Website.

You may contact Liz Embler our Volunteer coordinator if you have more questions.   Liz@ravenswoodcommunityservices.org Don't miss this exciting event!

Are you a newer All Saints' member who would like to become part of our ministry or a long time participant who has wondered about joining our group but just hasn't known how to join?  We are presently seeking new folks to bring diversity to our group, contribute to a comfortable environment in which to worship and perhaps most vitally right now, to increase our ranks so that our very devoted group members don't have to serve quite so often!

As Liturgical Ministers, we serve in a variety of roles, including Ushers, Scripture Readers, leaders of the Prayers of the People and Chalice Bearers. We are in pretty desperate need of ushers right now, at both the 9 and 11 services.

Training is provided. If you are interested in helping with this important ministry to our parish, please contact Kathy O'Donoghue, Liturgical Minister Coordinator at liturgicalministers@allsaintschicago.org

Do you LOVE to go to WORK every day? Do you know how to turn your STRENGTHS and PASSIONS into a CAREER? If you are unemployed or underemployed or just want to spend some time thinking about what you want to be when you grow up, please come to the Jobbing America "Interview to Win" boot camp hosted at All Saints, including a WORKPLACE STYLE assessment, iPOWER personal brand building steps, five personal VIDEOS, and a terrific opportunity to learn how to GET THE JOB you want. All for just $139 for the May session (regularly $279). Only 10 spots left, REGISTER NOW by calling or emailing Laura Youngberg at (773)-816-3606 Laura@jobbingAmerica.org.

May 17th Thurs (evening 6-9pm) and continues May 18th Fri (day 8-5pm)

Do you relish the thought of teaching 7th and 8th graders about the financial realities of life?  Pilgrim Lutheran School is hosting its second annual Reality Fair and needs your help!  Come  help kids learn about the value of a paycheck and prepare them for the future.  Thursday, May 24th, 9:30 -11:30 am at Pilgrim Lutheran School, 4300 N. Winchester, Chicago, IL  60613.  We could use brand-new as well as seasoned volunteers to help with this event.   Please contact Debby Maddox to sign up:  dcmaddoxes@yahoo.com.

On Saturday, June 9th, this year Gumbo Stomp means gumbo! Well, maybe jambalaya! For our 4th annual benefit to rebuild New Orleans and the Louisiana coastal wetlands, we're tickled to announce the return of traditional Cajun foods, and here's the lagniappe: friends from our partner organization, Bayou Grace, will be on hand to stir the pot! Last year for the first time we allocated some of the Gumbo Stomp proceeds to help the bayou area south of New Orleans, which has suffered not only hurricane devastation, but also extensive unnatural land loss and the havoc of the BP oil spill. And for the first time, on our work trip last fall, we went down to that area to see first-hand what a bayou is and get our hands in the mud, planting stabilizing wetlands grasses way down in Bayou Lafourche. Bien sûr, the food is only one reason to come to Gumbo Stomp. 

Our terrific band, the Midway Ramblers Cajun Band, will again provide the music  - and there'll be dance instruction for those who'd like. Come dance or just keep time to the music, right here in the Parish Hall from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. $25 gets you all this and the chance to help. Tickets available for purchase on the All Saints' website, or click the "buy now" button below! For info or to volunteer, please see Barbara Dufford, Joey Sylvester, or Lucy Jenkins, or write to gumbostomp@allsaintschicago.org. MERCI! 

                      Tickets: $25   

Would you like to assist All Saints' in getting our message out and about in the community?  

We are looking for someone who'd be interested in reconstituting and leading a communication's committee. 

Let Bonnie know if you might be interested.

OUR GOAL

We want to promote inter-cultural, inter-religious understanding between the people of Santa Maria Virgen and All Saints´ Episcopal Church.  We want to form relationships based on direct, person-to-person contact, if possible, with delegates living in each others' homes and sharing each others' realities.   We would like to raise consciousness to transform the world by sharing each other´s experiences, through the experience of living each others' reality. We want to promote mutual respect and dignity. We want to promote solidarity between us.

WHAT WE WANT TO OFFER YOU:

1. You can stay with a Mexican family if you like, to live their culture, their way of believing in God from the Anglican perspective.
2. We want to share with you our dreams, as Anglicans. We want to share with you the faith that we live. We want you to feel like part of our Congregation.  Also we are ready to hear you, share your faith with us, as well as your vision of the church and the world.
3. You will have the opportunity to learn and speak Spanish during the time you will stay with us.
4. You will have time to explore the tourist sights and important places here in Jalapa Veracruz.  The parishioners are motivated to join with you.
5. If you wish, you can help us learn English.
6. Finally we want to share our celebration of Santa Maria Virgen.  We will celebrate the 19th of August. Come with us. It will be a new experience and new way of living the faith in the God of Jesus Christ.  

Our relationship with the church of Santa María Virgen in Xalapa, Mexico, has been slowly developing for the past four years. With the appointment of Padre Byron Chanchavac as the new vicar earlier this year, we begin a period of exciting new possibilities for our relationship.

We have been to Xalapa three times, have made many friends there and want so much to have others from All Saints' experience the love and fellowship we feel every time we visit.  Padre Byron has extended a heartfelt invitation to the people of All Saints' to visit this summer during their annual celebration of their patron, Santa María Virgen, August 19, 2012.  We will be travelling to Xalapa in August and would love to have you join us.

Xalapa is a lovely colonial city in the temperate mountains of Veracruz State, far away from the dangers of the border regions. 

Join us in the reading room during Coffee Hour this Sunday or contact us for more information or if you have questions.

Dave and Karen Howe,  773-539-1124, howe_dv@sbcglobal.net