This Sunday is Youth Sunday at All Saints'.  I am excited about all of what our young people have been preparing for us.  Logan Means, will be our guest preacher and I believe his words to us will have a powerful, elegant simplicity that may touch our hearts and feed our souls.  

The younger children will be singing, the teenagers will be reading and offering the chalice.  This is one of my most favorite Sundays of the year.  I invite you to join us as we  sit for a moment and see what faith looks  like through younger eyes.

Enjoy the fabulous weather!!

Blessings,

Bonnie

Our relationship with the Anglican 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.

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, on August 19.  They are anxious to get to get to know more people from All Saints' and to share our common faith and vision.  Padre Byron and his congregation are planning many special events and activities for us, including the opportunity to stay with a Mexican family, see the sights of the area and have some Spanish lessons.

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.  We are tentatively planning to leave Chicago on August 15 and to return on the 21st.

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

We will be available in the reading room this Sunday after both the 9:00 and 11:00 services, or you can contact us for more information or if you have questions.

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

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!

That time of the year is approaching... Pride Month is almost here, and with it comes one of the largest street parades in the world: The 43rd Annual Chicago Gay Pride Parade! 

Chicago's annual Pride Parade provides an excellent opportunity to approach such mission. With last year's attendance at over 750,000, this is an amazing opportunity to deliver our message of hope in Christ, of complete love and acceptance in God, and of changing the world through the Holy Spirit to a massive audience. While the world hears many stories of religion on the side of exclusion, we purport to show our Church on the affirming side of inclusive love. 

...and we need YOUR help!

Join us for a planning meeting for the Diocese of Chicago entry in the Pride Parade:

Wendesday, May 23, 2012

6 p.m. - 8 p.m.-ish

All Saints' Parish Hall

We need your creative mind! We need your construction skills! We need your help gathering food and water! And we need you to march with us at the parade! 

RSVP to Matty Zaradich at matthewzaradich@gmail.com

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.