I am so very much looking forward to seeing all of you this Sunday! I had a wonderful time away and am delighted to be back and starting up a new program year.

 

It's backpack blessing this Sunday, so please invite all the young people and educators you know to come and join us for this special occasion.  As a possible teacher's strike looms I think it is even more important for our faith community to make very, very clear how much we care about education, students, and educators.  Bring your backpacks and bring a ream of paper for us to give to our friends at Ravenswood Elementary School.

 

In between services we'll have a panel discussing education options and opportunities in Chicago for our younger children and for our children approaching high school.  We'll also have a group gathering to discuss childcare options for the upcoming week if our public school teachers need to go on strike. 

 

Our preacher at our Sunday services will be Gary Norcross.  Gary is the assistant principle at Walt Disney Magnet Elementary School.  Gary is beloved and respected at Disney, he's a parishioner at Atonement Episcopal Church, and his life-partner John David van Dooren is the Rector of Atonement.

 

Next Sunday, the 16th at 4:00, as a follow up to CROSSwalk,   I invite all of you to join our bishop Jeff Lee, and the neighbors and people of St. Agatha's Catholic Church (3151 Douglas Blvd)  for West Side Alive: Blessing of our Children and Youth.  We'll have a short service followed by a neighborhood bar-b-que.  One of the ways that we can begin to end the violence in Chicago is for people from all different parts of the city to gather together and make a common cause of  creating safer communities for all of our city's young people. I hope as many of us as possible can participate in this gathering.  Talk with Jack Clark or click here to find out more details about this fun event. 

 

It has been an extremely busy summer here at All Saints' and I want to thank Fran, Andrew, Jack, Lori and everyone who did so much to create yet another awesome summer.  Thank you!

 

Can't wait to see you.  

 

All the best,

Bonnie

Backpack Blessing: This Sunday!
Sunday, September 9

Join us to kick off the school year by participating in our jam-packed fifth annual education celebration.  Bring your backpacks to be blessed at the 9 am and 11 am services.  

 

Support our awesome All Saints Youth Group's school supply drive for Ravenswood School by donating needed supplies, listed below:                                                                                     

 

Copy Paper 

Dry Erase Markers      

Sharpies              

Pencils

Pens

White Glue

Glue Sticks

Crayons

Markers

Fiskers Safety Scissors

Post-its

Post-its tabs

Ribbon retractable tape measures

All Saints' Choir!
Starting this Sunday

If you've always wanted to sing in the choir, but haven't had the time, now's your chance! Come Sunday morning before the 9 and 11 am services to learn simple music to help amplify our congregational singing. We'll gather at 8am in the Parish Hall and at 10am in the sanctuary. All are welcome to participate - no long-term commitment necessary! Email Andrew if you have questions: andrew@allsaintschicago.org

Panel Discussions on Education
Sunday morning, 10am

Come to a Panel Discussion during the 10 am Coffee Hour to learn about Chicago public and private school options from our very own panel of All Saints' parents and educators who have been through the process.  We will have two panels: one focusing on elementary school options and another focusing on high school options.   The panelists will share information with parents about the big task of locating, applying and choosing a school for their children and answer the parents' questions about the process. 

All Saints' Youth Group
First meeting this Sunday, 3:30-7:30pm

Do you like bowling for squid? Do you like watching Bonnie dance? We're back! The All Saints' Youth Group (ASYG) will have it's first meeting of the school year this Sunday, September 9, from 3:30 to 7:30 pm. ASYG is open to 7th-12th graders, and if you fit this description, we want you to join us!  

 

Enter through the Wilson Ave doors and come on up to the Parish Hall. We plan to open the year in style with good food and good fun... as always, it's not exactly something you want to miss! If you are a student, please bring yourself and a big appetite. If you are a parent, please bring all of your child's emergency contact information, including health insurance, and plan to stay for the first 15 minutes to fill out our 2012-2013 paperwork. If you have any questions, feel free to contact the ASYG leadership team at asyg@allsaintschicago.org. We can't wait to see you!

West Side Alive!
Sunday, September 16, 4m

We will come together for blessing and prayer that all may have fruitful lives without fear of violence. We will have a short church service-including music from a choir directed by Walt Whitman of The Soul Children of Chicago-followed by games and a fellowship meal. For more information or to participate in the choir, visit  www.crosswalkchicago.org or contact Jack Clark at jack@crosswalkchicago.org or 708-380-0056. 

You can also see our Facebook event page here for details AND to invite your friends to participate - we hope you can join us!

Level I Catechesis Course
Beginning in October

All Saints' Youth and Children's Formation Committee is pleased to announce that a course for the first level of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, focusing on the program for children 3 to 6 years old, will begin on October 5th.  This course is offered in collaboration with St Thomas the Apostle Roman Catholic Church in Hyde Park.   Course meetings will alternate between the two sites.  The course is open to anyone who is interested in learning more about the religious nature of young children and the methodology used by the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd to meet these needs.  

 

The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, grounded in scriptural and liturgical study, is framed by Maria Montessori's principles of education. Children hear the Gospel by working with simple, sensorial materials, keyed to scriptural and liturgical moments.

 

Beginning in 1954, Sofia Cavalletti, a Hebrew and scripture scholar and member of the Vatican commission for Jewish-Christian relations, and her colleague, Professor Gianna Gobbi, a Montessori trained educator, developed the Catechesis by observing and working with children at the Children's Centre in Rome, Italy.

 

To learn more about this program and the course being offered please contact Polly Tangora, polly@allsaintschicago.com, or Andrea Garland,  agarland@ameritech.net.

RCS Item of the Month
   ...is still diapers!

 
All Saints'

Episcopal Church

 

Parish Office Phone:

773-561-0111

 

Fax:

773-561-1998

 

Email Addresses:

firstname@

allsaintschicago.org

 

The Rev. Bonnie A. Perry,

Rector

 

The Rev. Fran Holliday,

Associate Rector

 

Andrew Freeman,

Director of Operations

 

Jack Clark,

Associate for Awesome/CROSSwalk Coordinator 

 

Ravenswood

Community Services

 

Office Phone:

773-769-0282

 

Email Addresses:

firstname@

ravenswood

communityservices.org

 

Lori Gee,

Executive Director:

 

The Rev. Fran Holliday,

Program Director:

 

Nick Currie,

Volunteer Coordinator/

Julian Year Intern