ALL SAINTS` EPISCOPAL CHURCH • 2015 ANNUAL REPORT

ALL S AINTS’ EPIS COPA L C H U R C H • 2 015 A N N UA L R E P O RT
Table of Contents
Annual Meeting Agenda
Rector’s Address
Associate Rector’s Report
2014 Meeting Minutes
Ministry Reports
Candidates for Vestry
Candidates for Diocesan Representative
Financials
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Agenda
All Saints’ Episcopal Church 2016 Annual Meeting
Sunday, January 31, 2016
10:15 Call to Order
10:40
Not the Last Supper
Suppers invitation—
Barb Giloth &
Nancy Lischer
11:40
Lifetime Achievement
Awards—
Bonnie Perry
Annual report
designed, edited,
collected and produced by MaryAnne
Newman, Margaret
McCamant, Emily
Williams Guffey &
Andrew Freeman
10:45
The 1883 Project—
Ann McKenzie &
Jack Quigley
11:50
Herod is replaced
10:50
Who knew we could
look this good?!
11:55
Rector’s Address—
Bonnie Perry
– video clip
12:10
Election Results
(if needed)
Appoint the Scribe—
Patrick Tucker
10:55
Congregational
Assessment Tool
(C.A.T.)—
Scottie Caldwell
12:11
Fabulous Slide Show—
thanks to Charlie
Simokaitis for almost
all of the photos
“Most Seconds” prize
11:10
Vestry Thank You’s—
Bonnie Perry
12:15
Voting Instructions
and Candidate Bios
Reports—
11: 25 Financial
Margaret Ferguson
Awarding of the most
“seconds” prize &
Adjournment
Opening Prayer &
Eating (not necessarily
in that order)
10:25
Approve the 2015
Annual Meeting
minutes
10:30
Vote
10:35
Gabriel & Mary discuss
important business
2015 Financials
2016 Proposed Budget
Vote
– Christmas Pageant
2015 video clip
•3•
– Christmas Pageant
2015 video clip
Rector’s Address
The Rev. Bonnie A . Perry, D.MIN
Create in me a clean heart , O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Give me the joy of your saving help again
and sustain me with your bountiful spirit
Psalm 51: 11-13
Dear Friends,
“I’m gonna go clean the poop.”
“What poop?”
“The pigeon poop.”
“What pigeon poop?”
“The pigeon poop in the bell tower attic.”
“The bell tower has an attic?”
Thus was a portion of a conversation between me
and our most amazing contractor, Ron Young.
Apparently, we have a bell tower, which I was well
aware, and our bell tower has an attic, about
which I was a lot more clueless. Our bell tower has
an attic that, until four weeks ago, was filled with
130 years of guano from pigeons, crows, and
ravens. Guano: dotted and spiced with the skeletons of squirrels, birds and mice. Who knew?
Ron cleaned our bell tower attic for two weeks.
Working midnight to 8:00am shifts, in a protective
suit with a special mask, he emptied the attic, preventing anyone but himself from being exposed to
the incredibly toxic waste. We rented a special
dumpster, and before dawn, from the day after
Christmas on, in big, black, plastic trash bags, up
and down the ladders, Ron carried out load after
load of avian excrement.
this money to restore and fortify the base of the
bell, but ignoring the attic? We would have spent
hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars repairing the bell base, but still the beams above, hidden
in the attic, would’ve eventually split through, and
the next strong wind would have taken it over. All
because of a massive pile of poop, of which we
were unaware; clueless even.
Turns out there was more than a ton of pigeon
poop, lodged in a portion of our building I didn’t
even know existed. Ron tells me that if we had not
cleaned out the poop, the sheer weight of it would
have, in five years or so, caused the top of the bell
tower to fall over. Can you imagine? Spending all
Which brings me to white privilege. I liken white
privilege to a ton of guano, lodged in the attic of
the psyches of those of us whofind ourselves
•4•
and presume that it happens for everyone. It
doesn’t occur to many of us that people with different skin tones and hues are frequently treated
differently. That’s the thing. Like the guano in the
attic that we didn’t know was there. It exists, and
it’s weighing and swaying on our psyches and
souls. And if we let that privilege continue to
remain untouched, unexamined, then it too, like
that aforementioned guano, will split the timbers
of our psyches and souls with far reaching consequences.
described as white. It’s up there, stinky and toxic,
littered with irrational skeletons of events and
activities. For example,
Susan and I were coming home from our trip back
east after Christmas. While on Lake Shore Drive, I
was pulled over because my car registration had
expired in December. I knew it—I just hadn’t realized
it until I was in Maryland and it was January. The
officer pointed out my infraction, I acknowledged
my error, blamed the state for not sending me a
notice, and the policeman left to run my license. I
complained to Susan about the governor. Then the
officer returned and told me to drive safe. No ticket.
No warning. Just an injunction to get it sorted soon.
All of which has led me to believe that the guano
has got to go.
Who here is as brave and conscientious as Ron
Young? Who here is willing to find, examine,
shovel, pack, and carry out the toxic poop of
privilege accorded people who happened to be
described as white in these United States of
America? Who? You? Me?
White privilege. Middle-aged, white, female privilege. If I had been black and male and 22, is that
how the interaction would have gone? Maybe.
But I think not.
I was mad at myself, annoyed I’d been pulled over,
but never did I fear the policeman. White Privilege.
Unlike the pigeon excrement in our bell tower attic,
we cannot let one person, or even a few people do
this hard work, nor can this work happen under the
cover of darkness. Instead, I envision all of us working together in broad daylight, during the very
In my experience, white privilege is not something
that many of us who happen to be identified as
white have given much thought. Because we are
just accustomed to being treated fairly and politely
•5•
heart of our community time together, examining,
wrestling, acknowledging, repenting, and disposing
of this plaque upon our souls, this blight in our city,
and this cancer across our country.
My hope, and the committee’s hope, is that we will
spend 30 minutes at the 8 o’clock Sunday worship
service, 70 minutes at the 9 o’clock service and 50
minutes at the 11 o’clock service in conversation.
Asking ourselves and one another where and how
we see ourselves in this statement and what
actions it may be calling us to take in our personal
lives, our communal life as a congregation of faith,
as well as the actions we need to take to tear down
and rebuild the structures and rubrics (spoken and
unspoken) of our civil society. There is much that
needs to be examined and a great deal that needs
to be excavated.
So I invite you to join me and the members of our
“Race Matters” Committee: Staycie Flint, Michelle
Mayes, Keith Fisher, Karen Schrage, Kathy Flint,
and staff members Emily Guffey and Scott Weidler,
for a Sunday morning conversation next week,
February 7, to begin this work.
At each of our three worship services we will forego
our Sunday sermon and instead spend time
reflecting on a draft theological statement on the
sins of racism that came out of our September
Congregational day-long retreat.
I’ll give a fuller, more detailed description of our
process for next Sunday early this coming week by
way of our newsletter and Facebook page.
Here’s the statement that Christopher Nelson,
Susan Burgess, Courtney Reid, Staycie Flint, Kathy
Flint and I created. It reads:
In addition to this conversation, we hope to have
a one church, one book conversation on Ta-Nehisi
Coates book, Between the World and Me. We will
also continue to build upon, deepen and explore
what it means to be in relationship with the people
of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Bronzeville.
What else? Tell us what else we need to be doing.
The blood of the dead is calling us to repent for our
sins of racism.
We confess that when we do nothing, we permit the
neglect, abuse, and murder of our black and brown
sisters and brothers.
God yearns for us to care, to act, for all to be set free.
Longing for justice, learning from history, listening to
voices of truth, we vow, with God’s help, to claim
our responsibilities to overturn, step-by-step, systems
of racial inequality.
And so we build the beloved community of God.
So that all may live.
It took 130 years for all of that guano to accumulate in our bell tower, likewise the sin of white
privilege has been around for centuries. We will
not carry out all of our poop in one day. But if we
delay in beginning, or fail to complete this essential, life-giving, soul-searing work, then we have
no business being a Christian community. Come
with me on this journey and let’s put ourselves in a
place where our hearts will be cleaned and our
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make. Thank you. You are amazing, your children
stunning. I am so honored to be your priest in this
place at this time. Thank you for loving me and
teaching me about Jesus.
souls made whole. We cannot do this without
each other.
This is my 24th year addressing all of you at this
meeting. If my ancestors had come from a place
other than Ireland, I might now tell you that never
before in 133 years has this church been in such
a remarkable, blessed position. But the other
last names besides Perry in my family are Fahey,
Flanagan and Clancy, so I will not tempt the Irish
fates. Instead, all I will say is thank you. I am in
awe of what you give to this place, how much
you care, the challenges you offer, talents you
bring, the hurts you reveal, and the laughter you
In Christ,
The Rev. Bonnie A. Perry, D. Min.
XII Rector
P.S. All Saints’ is largely run by volunteers who
give more time than is imaginable to make this
congregation be the quirky, vital place of faith
that it is. I am so thankful for all that you do.
What follows is my somewhat inept attempt to
recognize the many people who share their gifts
and talents.
tive to the structures and systems we have in place
and she is asking great questions that enable us to
look at them with new perspectives.
Our co-wardens do a great job. In particular, this
year I am indebted to Lynda Hazen, Anne Cadigan, and Karen Schrage. Lynda Hazen stayed on
for an additional six-month transition period so
that Karen Schrage could spend as much time as
possible with her daughter Michelle before she left
for college. Lynda always asks the hard questions
and listens carefully to the answers. She has been
a wonderful support as we were in the search for a
new associate rector (Yay, Emily!) and continuing
with our 1883 project. Thank you for everything,
Lynda.
Scottie Caldwell is rotating off of the vestry after
three very strong years of leadership. She’s always
willing to put on an outfit to bring a sense of fun or
history to any event. But better than that, Scottie is
a leader and a doer. She gets things done and she
makes them fun!
Chris Schilling is also ending his term on the vestry. Again this is someone who will take a project
and run with it. Need a welcome video for a neighborhood open house? Chris is on it. Need a drumming circle for the All Saints’ Youth Group, Chris is
there being utterly dependable and attending to
all of the necessary details.
Anne Cadigan came on last year as warden and
she has jumped in completely. She gets things
done, is able to organize, and loves a good spreadsheet. Her decorating skills have been out and
about with great success! Please thank Anne for
just how pretty and respectable our Reading
Room is now. Heck, I even find myself going in
there to read!
MaryAnne Newman, for the second year, has
taken on the task of designing and creating this
year’s annual report. She has brought the document you have in your hands to a whole new
level of graphic beauty. She has used Charlie
Simokaitis’ photos and so many people’s good
words to make a remarkable compendium of our
ministries. This report conveys both what we do
and how we do it. Thank you for raising the bar,
Karen Schrage has been warden for less than
three months but in that time she has been atten-
•7•
visitors. Thank you Jim, for your vision of what a
website can be and can do. You have invested an
inordinate amount of energy and time in making
our website such a vital part of our community.
Not to mention the day he spent several hours
explaining e-mail and the Internet to me. Thank
you so very much for everything you do and have
done over the years.
MaryAnne, I so appreciate the amount of time you
have given to this project.
Margaret McCamant has risen to the challenge of
editing and proofreading this epic! Thank you.
For the ninth year in a row Alison Mankowski has
edited my Rector’s Address. I write regularly for
the ear, so my erratic punctuation is not always
noticed. I very much appreciate the time it takes to
turn this address into a piece that makes as much
sense in the reading as it does in the hearing.
Thank you, Alison.
Hilary Waldron, Beth Lee, Dave Maher, Lauren
Erbach, Chris Schilling, and Paul Goodenough
have all helped in one way or another with the All
Saints’ Youth Group this past year. I am enormously grateful to all of these fine leaders for giving so
much of themselves to our young people and devoting at least two Sunday afternoon and evenings
a month to the teenagers of this congregation. The
prayer and reflection that takes place at our high
altar on Sunday evenings is really quite something.
This past year has been a time when we have
begun wrestling with issues of race. As we have
watched more and more young men and women
of color being killed by government authorities, we
have become more and more aware of the pervasive and systemic racism that is present in our
culture. I am deeply indebted to Staycie Flint, who
first broached this topic with me, and to Kathy
Flint, Michelle Mayes, Keith Fischer, and Karen
Schrage who have offered hours and hours of their
time to facilitate more than 40 small group discussions on systemic racism and then have created
and facilitated movie discussions, book groups,
and theological reflection days on racism. As I said
earlier in this letter, we have much more to do.
But I am so grateful for all we have accomplished
through their leadership, wisdom and tenacity.
Charlie Simokaitis continues to be our primary visual archivist: photographing much of what we do.
His art is our history and we are beyond blessed
with his generosity, passion, and love for this faith
community. Most of the photographs you see of All
Saints’—be they on our website, in our slide shows
or framed and presented to people—are Charlie’s
doing and work. We are blessed with his talents!
We have many significant ministries here at All
Saints’, but none so far-reaching and ever-expanding as our church school program, directed by
Polly Tangora. The amount of time, energy, prayer,
and vision that Polly offers our children and fellow
teachers is stunning. Much of what All Saints’
offers our community is through the care and
love Polly and our teachers give to our children.
I am profoundly grateful for their gift of time and
energy, goldfish crackers and apple juice, and
steadfast love.
The 1883 Project: (christened such by Alison
Mankowski,) is co-chaired by Ann McKenzie and
Jack Quigley. With the aid of Stephen Christy,
the talent and dedication of Ron Young, and the
amazing generosity of all of you, we are two-thirds
of the way through completely remaking the “oldest wood-frame church in the city of Chicago.” At
long last, the exterior or our building is reflecting
the beauty of our spirit.
Our teachers offer our children three to five hours
or more each week. They have the ability to continuously communicate the wonder, mystery, and
love that God has for each and every one of us. Our
teachers are amazing. All you have to do is watch
our children bound out of the sanctuary happily
skipping to their Sunday school classrooms to
understand how gifted and blessed we are by such
teachers in the Nursery including: Clyde Propst,
Sara Peterson, Liza Meyer, Betsy Tangora, Michelle Henderson (until she left us for college!),
and Ella Wischnewski. In Level I Atrium (3 to 6
Our new logo is now launched thanks to the
incredibly dedicated work of our Communications
Committee. Thank you to Jim Crandall, Clare
Kunkel, MaryAnne Newman, Barb Dufford, Gillian
Rosheuvel, and Matty Zaradich. Please be sure
to “like” us on Facebook and follow us on twitter:
@allsaintschgo, @The1883, @CROSSwalkChi, @
RCSChicago and @BonnieAPerry.
Jim Crandall is our webmaster and internet guru.
He is the primary architect of our website, thus his
work is responsible for almost all of our first-time
•8•
chocolate chip cookies. Frequently I am unsure
of the quality and go back for a second taste to
ensure the highest of standards!
year olds)– Ann McKenzie, Jennifer Boyle-Tucker,
Charisse Antonopoulos and Anna Jones. In Level
II Atrium (6 to 9 year olds)– Polly Tangora, Andrea
Garland and Liz Bartels. In Level III Atrium (9 to
12 year olds) – Ahn Gallagher and Caty NormanBurke. And pinch hitting when we need substitutes: Jim Hanna, Sandhya Mathew, Courtney
Reid, and Laura Youngberg readily pitch in.
We’ve been trying to decrease our impact on the
trees of the world and have been using more and
more dishes and cups that can be washed and
re-used. Nancy Lischer, Ron Shaw, Alice Wozniak,
Barb Dufford, Rudy Faust, Dianne Duggard, Sara
Kobs, Annalee ??, Mary Chiquet, Laura Sova,
Joey Sylvester, John Helfrich, Joe Harnden,
Mark Ortlieb, Mike Burke, and Caty Burke have
all been amazing dishwashers! I hear that there is
always room for a few more people who want to
have an incredibly tangible ministry.
I also want to thank Ken Jones, Linnea Jones,
and Sarah Palmentera-Reid for so ably coordinating and training our acolytes!
This was another big year for our Buildings and
Grounds Committee so ably led by Stephen Christy! Thanks also to Nancy Lischer, Mark Ortlieb,
Jim Hanna, and Lionel Eedes for taking care of
this old building of ours. Their ministry of putting
plastic up over the church school windows, the
parish office windows, and the not-yet-repaired
stained glass windows, has saved the church
countless dollars in fuel costs.
In addition to our dishwashers and cooks, we
have any number of regular volunteers making
our Tuesday night and Saturday morning pantry
happen. Thank you to Rob Book, Lynn Bower,
Betty Douglas, Julie Donalek, Jori Reigle, Eileen
Krause, Sylvester Miller, Lalo Vellono, Tony
Swain, David Lefly, Michael Mattson, Jim Hanna,
Nina Wilfred, Dan Morgan, and Dan Acosta.
I want to thank Angie Schlater, who has so ably
coordinated our communion bread ministry.
Angie is retiring from this ministry. All I know, as a
person who blesses this bread every week, is that
each baked loaf is an outward visible sign of God’s
inward spiritual grace. I so appreciate everyone
who bakes.
John Sattlemaier has been our long-time lay
chaplain. This year he is joined by Lynn Bowers
and Andrea Garland. John, Andrea, and Lynn
each do a tremendous job of visiting people who
are unable to get to church on Sunday. They
A few words of thanks are just small tokens of
my deep and abiding appreciation and awe.
bring communion and good cheer to friends and
parishioners who are homebound, in the hospital,
or in nursing homes. Their presence has been particularly valuable to me this year as we have had
several months without an associate rector. Thank
you John, Lynn, and Andrea!
Every Tuesday we serve an amazing home cooked
meal for our neighbors in need. The people who
offer us their time are unsung heroes. Steve Pike,
Mike Burke, Caty Burke, Gayle Grindley, Kristen
Romans Teasdale, Kelly Hewitt, Sabrina ??, John
Leonard, Barb Giloth, Allan Bolchazy, Sally Pollack, Steve Holt, Victor Kelly, Anton Pulung ,and
Sarah ?? lead the weekly cooking teams that create the meals for which Ravenswood Community
Services and All Saints’ are known throughout the
community! The love, care, and fun that goes into
each of those meals is quite remarkable. Thanks
also to Margaret McCamant and Lucy Jenkins,
who create a homemade dessert for 125 people
once a month. One of my most favorite jobs is
acting as “taste tester” and “quality control” for
their Texas sheet cakes, bread pudding, and
Margaret McCamant does a wonderful job
coordinating our care ministry. It is one of those
behind-the-scenes activities that make such a difference in people’s lives. Life is hard, surgery has
happened, a loved one has died, a new baby has
arrived, during those times we need a little extra
help. Margaret posts these needs and makes sure
that dinners and care appear at people’s doors.
Thank you Margaret and thank you to everyone
who helps out!
•9•
and General Contractor for our building renovation. I never ever worry about the quality of any
job Ron oversees. He and the people on his crews
are simply wonderful. Ron knows our buildings
better than anyone and cares about them as
much as anyone (except maybe Stephen Christy!). Our church is Ron’s Sistine Chapel and we are
blessed by his diligence and skill!
Eileen Krause continues to do amazing things
with microphones here at All Saints’. She has
assured me, even though the Christmas Pageant
continues to become more and more elaborate,
she is happy to help out, as long as Tina Tchen
continues to attend and fill the sanctuary with her
delightful, non-stop laugh.
Andrew Freeman has now finished his fourth
year with us as our Director of Operations. He is
amazing. He makes Excel spread sheets dance, his
piano playing is legendary in our diocese, he creates special liturgies that touch our souls, and he
designs worship booklets that are works of art. We
are blessed to have someone with his theological
education and passion directing the operations of
our community.
Parker Callahan has joined the RCS staff as our
first full-time employee! I am so happy he is now
with us full-time. He is a wonderful colleague who
completely understands how to care for all of the
very many volunteers who make Ravenswood
Community Services an amazing partner in our
ministry.
In June Emily Williams Guffey came on board
as our new associate rector. She has a beautiful
voice, an attention to detail, a love for liturgy and
scripture that is palpable. Your ordination to the
priest- hood, a service you designed, was by all accounts one of the prettiest services ever prayed in
our sanctuary. We are so glad you are here with us!
Beau Surratt departed us in May, leaving a large
hole in our staff, yet Scott Weidler has done an
amazing job joining us midstream. Your love of
music, your tremendous musical skills, and your
ability to go with and add to the whimsical nature
of this place have been an enormous blessing to
me and to our entire congregation.
Our choirs are amazing! I’m so grateful for the inordinate amount of time that people offer to make
our worship meaningful. Thank you to all of our
amazing singers and gifted instrumentalists who
offer their talents quite regularly­­—all of whom
who give of their time so freely to add so very
much to our Sunday morning worship experience!
Lori Gee is finishing her fourth year with us as
theExecutive Director of Ravenswood Community
Services. Our community kitchen and food pantry
is flourishing with her leadership, our annual run
had a record profit, and our fall benefit has taken
on a whole new life! In addition to other duties,
Lori was also knee deep with me in our search for
a new associate rector. I so appreciate her insight,
humor, and ability to organize everything.
Ron Young: The Best Contractor in the City of
Chicago continues on as our building manager
Finally, I’d like to thank everyone else who makes
Sunday mornings happen, particularly our altar
guild. Many, many thanks to Ruth Nagaro for her
more than half century of service, and to Nick
Hatzis, Pam Palmentera-Reid, Rob Book,
Johann Juan, Laura Molzahn, Barb Dufford,
Connie Wilson, and Alice Wozniak.
Thanks to Lynn Bowers for taking on coordinating readers, acolytes, chalice bearers and ushers!
Thank you also to Everyone Who Reads, Ushers, Offers the Chalice, and Counts the Money! You all are
incredibly vital to our Sunday mornings. In fact,
without you we would be hard pressed to worship,
so thank you very very much!
Our coffee hour coordinators Karen and Dave
Howe have been tirelessly doing this ministry for
more than 12 years!!! (A new record).
And of course, thanks to all of you who venture
through our doors each week. Our worship is
enlivened and enriched by your care, your prayer,
your passion, and your dedication. My deepest
thanks.
Thus I come to the close of many paragraphs ending in exclamation points. I know it seems as if this
entire section should be read a bit breathlessly.
But all I can say is that the people who offer their
talents and gifts in the midst of this community
give so much that an exclamation point and a few
words of thanks are just small tokens of my deep
and abiding appreciation and awe for all that
people give to make All Saints’ such a compelling
congregation. Thank you!
• 10 •
Associate Rector’s Report
The Rev. Emily Williams Guffey
It all started with an interview – with a jam-packed,
five-day interview in late February and early March
during which I met many of you in Sunday worship, at the Tuesday night pantry and community
kitchen, and in many conversations in between.
When this interview, which had been billed to me
as “The Associate Rector Candidates’ Most Amazing Weekend Ever.” actually was truly amazing,
I knew I had to come and join you in your life and
ministry.
So, at the end of May, I graduated from Virginia
Theological Seminary. At the beginning of June,
I was ordained to the transitional diaconate by the
Bishop of Virginia, and the very next day, my family
and I began our move to Chicago.
I started by taking a community organizing training
at St. James Commons from June 15-19, and my
first Sunday here at All Saints’ was June 21. On
summer Sundays when Bonnie was away and I
(not yet a priest) could not yet celebrate the
Eucharist, I had the joy of serving alongside my
husband Andy, who, conveniently, was already a
priest. Andy and I both are so grateful for the warm
welcome you have given to us and our children,
Owen and Ezra.
At All Saints’, I have begun to contribute to the leadership of communications, adult education, liturgy,
and pastoral care. In the fall, I led an eight-week
Thursday evening Bible Study, in which sixteen of
us learned a lot about the Bible as a whole, formed
solid friendships, and look forward to continuing in
some way in 2016. I also was honored to collaborate with Paul Goodenough and Jeanne Wirpsa,
both parishioners and health care chaplains, on a
well-attended Sunday morning series in the weeks
before and after All Saints’ Day called “The End Is
Where We Start”, with rich discussions about endof-life values and decision-making. I helped to
coordinate the Newcomers’ Social on September
27 as well as other developments in social media
and internal communications. In December, I
• 11 •
organized the Wednesday Advent Evening Prayers,
which moved up to 6:00pm this year in order to
include time for some lovely post-prayer dinners
and conversations at O’Shaughnessy’s and Fin.
Throughout, I have been delighted to serve along-
Ravenswood School for our outdoor Market
Pantry, along with Parker Callahan, Dan Morgan,
Jim Hanna, and others. Throughout the week, I
help receive food deliveries, contribute to social
media communications, write grants, and build
relationships with churches and other religious
organizations.
By far, the highlight of my year (okay, maybe even
my life!) was my ordination to the priesthood here
at All Saints’ on December 12. The support I felt
from you that day was overwhelming and tangible,
from your presence and participation in the gorgeous liturgy, to the magnificent reception, to your
generous gifts of a signed Bible, a stole to be
crafted by Connie Wilson, and an entire set of
side Margaret McCamant (care ministry coordinator) and Lynn Bowers, Andrea Garland, and John
Sattelmeier (lay chaplains) to help meet pastoral
needs as they arise.
As you may know, that’s only about half of my job.
The rest of the time, you’ll find me engaged at
Ravenswood Community Services, where, as program director, I have been learning the “well-oiled
machine” of Tuesday Night Food Pantry and Community Kitchen operations and getting to know
our many neighbors and volunteers. On Tuesday
nights I particularly like to sit down and talk with
our neighbors as they eat dinner or wait for groceries. It is a privilege to know and serve them, just
as it is a privilege to work alongside so many of
you, as together we seek to show our respect and
support through food, warmth, health care, and
authentic conversation. On the second Saturday
morning of every month, I hang out at
preaching commentaries! I am privileged to serve
among you, and I hope that you will continue to
teach me what it means to be a priest.
Speaking of teaching me what it means to be a
priest: I am indebted to Bonnie for hiring me and
for guiding and mentoring me on a daily basis, and
to Lori for hiring me as well and showing me the
many ropes of non-profit administration. I am
indebted to Andrew for his wisdom and for making
everything happen, to Parker for his unparalleled
wit and for making my job a whole lot easier, and
to Scott for being a soulful, playful, and skilled collaborator in all things liturgical. My colleagues are
the most awesome ones imaginable. Every day
brings both laughter and challenge – the perfect
mix. I look forward to all that 2016 may bring.
• 12 •
Minutes
All Saints’ Episcopal Church 2015 Annual Meeting
Sunday, January 25, 2015
The meeting was called to order at 10:15 am
by co-warden Rick Lumsden as he requested
review of the minutes from the 2014 Annual Meeting. A motion was made to accept the minutes,
seconded and was unanimously passed.
Everyone was urged to begin eating before grace
was said. Bonnie led that opening prayer.
Mark Ballard was appointed scribe for today.
Thanks to Joe Harnden for taking minutes in 2014.
Vestry Vote: Co-warden Lynda Hazen gave voting
instructions. In order to vote or run for an office, a
person must be 16 years or older, must be a financial contributor to the parish, and must have been
attending worship services regularly for six months
or more.
Candidates for Warden, Vestry, and Diocesan
Representatives were introduced. Everyone was
referred to candidate profiles and statements in
annual report booklet.
“Seconds” prize was described. By achieving the
largest number of seconds during the meeting, the
winner could win back his or her own travel mug
from the collection of them left at church forever.
Co-wardens (Pick 2)- Anne Cadigan,
Lynda Hazen
Vestry (Pick 3)- Margaret Ferguson,
Joe Harnden, Bill Olsen
Rick Lumsden thanked the following for their
support in the planning and preparation of the
Annual Meeting:
Eileen Krause for sound
Charlie Simokaitis for many of the pictures
used.
MaryAnne Newman, Margaret McCamant, and
Andrew Freeman for assembling and compiling
our 2014 annual report.
Diocesan Representative (one-year term,
pick 3)- Brendan Diamond, Lynda Hazen,
Michael Mattson
There were no additional nominations from
the floor, so a motion was made to vote by
acclamation for the slated candidates. Seconded
and approved.
It’s a Wonderful Pledge videos
Sarah Mitchell, Diane Doran, and vestry members for coordinating the meal
Episode 1: George Doubts His Worth
Episode 2: It’s Cold and the Reading
Room Is Ugly
Paul Mallatt and Allan Bolchazy for beautiful
table decorations
• 13 •
The 1883 Project: Jack Quigley, Anne McKenzie,
Stephen Christy
Rector’s Address: “Today, this morning, and for
the foreseeable future I’m talking about race. Race.
Mexico Project Update: Dave and Karen Howe
Love is not enough. Being good, well-intentioned
people isn’t enough. Lamenting, mourning, regretting, shaking our heads in dismay after yet another
black or brown skinned person has been shot,
profiled, or disrespected is not enough. Caring
and loving are not enough.
Presentation of All Saints’ new logo: MaryAnne
Newman, Barb Dufford, Matty Zaradich
One Lifetime Achievement Award:
Jim Crandall: The only person who has ever
asked to be a warden. Architect of our earliest
logo, warden, vestry, finance committee, stewardship committee, grant writer, website, data
base, photo directory. And he sings in our choir
In order to create a country free of racial bias and
stereotype, we need first to uncover, name and
then plow under the institutional I-beams of privilege and power typically accorded Anglos in our
culture.
Financial Reports: Motion to approve the 2014
Financial Reports made, seconded and accepted
by the membership.
Come what may, neither we nor the issue of race is
going to go way. Instead we will be immersed in
this work for the long haul; this is my promise, this
is my solemn vow.”
Review of 2015 Budget: Motion to accept budget
was made, seconded and approved by the membership.
Thank you to Mike Mattson, Ken Jones, Margaret
Ferguson, Lynda Hazen, Rick Lumsden, Andrew
Freeman, Anne Cadigan and the rest of the
finance committee for their hard work and passion for counting.
Staff Thank Yous:
Andrew Freeman: Second year as Director of
Operations. He makes spread sheets dance.
Rev. Fran Holliday: Five years as our associate.
Her absence has left a very large hole.
Beau Surratt: Finished his second first year with
us and our music program is soaring.
It’s a Wonderful Pledge videos
Lori Gee: Second year as Executive Director of
RCS. It is flourishing with her leadership.
Episode 3: Bonnie Leads the Choir
Episode 4: George Comes to His Senses
Douglas Collins: Seminarian
Lenten suppers announced, people urged to fill
out forms, which could be collected or placed in a
box in the front of stage.
Parker Callahan: Julian intern serving as
Volunteer Coordinator for RCS.
Ron Young: Building manager and General
Contractor. Bonnie never ever worries about the
quality of any job that Ron oversees.
Vestry Thank Yous:
Rick Lumsden: Warden extrordinaire—who was
completely unflappable. Will be remembered
describing himself as a radical moderate!
Polly Tangora: Director of Christian Education,
Sunday school.
Stephen Christy: Retiring after three years.
Never was there a vestry member more invested
in the buildings of this community.
Lifetime Achievement Awards:
Dave and Karen Howe: Coffee hour for the last
10 years, fiesta & Mexico ministry.
Beau Surratt: Music director, administrator,
organist, pianist, wonderful person.
Year in Review Slide Show: Thanks to Charlie
Simokaitis for his many many photos and for the
people of All Saints’ for being so photogenic!
Motion made to adjourn at 12:38 pm. Motion
Seconded. Vote: Unanimous
Meeting adjourned.
Repectfully submitted, Mark Ballard, scribe
Clyde Propstr: Parish nursery since the 1970’s,
hired Bonnie.
• 14 •
Ministry Reports
1883 Project
Ann McKenzie &
Jack Quigley
Acolyte Ministry
Ken Jones
Altar Guild
Nick Hatzis
ASYG
Hilary Waldron
Bread Baking
Emily Williams Guffey
Buildings and Grounds
Stephen Christy
Care Ministry
Margaret McCamant &
Emily Williams Guffey
Christmas Baskets
Lynn Bowers
Communications
Barb Dufford
Friends of Sudan/
Africa Bake Auction
Ahn Gallagher &
Abigail Sylvester
Lay Chaplains Ministry
John Sattelmaier,
Andrea Garland &
Lyn Bowers
Liturgical Ministers Report
Lynn Bowers
Mexico Outreach
Dave & Karen Howe
“Not the Last Supper”
Lenten Gatherings
Nancy Lischer &
Barb Giloth
Nursing/RCS Nursing Clinic
Julie Donalek
Race Matters
Staycie Flint, Karen
Schrage, Michelle Mayes,
Kathy Flint
Ravenswood
Community Service
Lori Gee &
Parker Callahan
Refugee Ministry
Music
Scott Weidler
New Orleans and Coastal
Louisiana Rebuild
Laura Youngberg
Worship Commitee
Paula Stevens
Youth and Children’s
Formation
Rob Book
Coffee Hour
Polly Tangora &
Andrea Garland
Dave & Karen Howe
• 15 •
The 1883 Project—
Listen for the Ringing of the Old Bell!
Ann McKenzie and Jack Quigley, Co-Chairs
We are now
finishing Year
Two of the
three-year
1883 Project,
thanks to all
your help. Here’s what we’ve
done so far with your generous
support:
Completely rebuilt the basement: new concrete floors
throughout, replacing dirt ones;
updated wiring and heating;
tuck-pointed and repaired basement walls; fireproofed boiler
room
Repaired and replaced failing
structural beams and foundations beneath the choir loft and
sacristy
Restored the north façade of
the church, our first (and easiest!) job
Stabilized and restored the
east façade, using new structural steel support beams —
a massive job!
• 16 •
We have expended
$1.12 Million toward
the rehabilitation.
Rebuilt the church entryway,
returning it to its original design
Stabilized and strengthened
the bell tower roof, also restoring the roof support columns to
their original appearance
Cleaned, re-leaded and
restored all the stained glass
windows on the north and east
sides of the church
Ron Young and his
crew go well beyond
the call of duty,
recently working 24/7
in our bell tower.
Ed Torrez of Bauer/Latoza
Studio, our architect of record
Sharon Bladholm of Opal
Glass, our windows expert
Stephen Christy, our general
factotum
Thank You For You Pledges
And Donations.
Your pledges (and the pledges
of some alums and neighbors)
totaled in excess of $1,200,000.
Through December 31, 2015,
you have contributed $937,000.
What Did We Spend So Far?
As of December 31, 2015, we
have expended $1.12 million
toward the rehabilitation. As we
look toward the final payments
due to Ron Young Construction
and additional structural engineering work, less than $200,000
remains to be paid for the east
wall and bell tower—most of it
for structural engineering and
Our Outstanding Team
All this has been done under the
careful watch and work of our
outstanding team:
Ron Young and his crew,
going well beyond the call of
duty at all times and, recently,
working 24/7 in the bell tower
Larry Dieckmann, our inhouse architect and “clerk of the
works”
Tim Crowe of Wiss Jenney, our
consulting structural engineer
• 17 •
work to make sure that the bell
tower lasts another 150 years.
That means we have been able
to limit our draws on the line of
credit.
Where Are We Going?
In 2016, we hope to stretch to
the finish. After our successes to
date, we have momentum to
reach our $300,000 goal to finish
the south and west walls. If you
can pay your pledge on a faster
schedule than planned and
even add another year — paying
into 2017—we should make it.
We look forward to your ideas
and help in reaching our goal to
complete the whole church
building and keep our old bell
ringing for decades to come.
Your generosity and enthusiasm
for The 1883 Project have been
extraordinary!
Acolyte Ministry
Ken Jones
and (hopefully) providing a
stately order to our services.
The All Saints’ acolyte ministry
is a wonderful way for our young
people to participate constructively in our weekly worship
services. This year, we had a
group of over 20 acolytes participate in carrying the cross, setting the table at communion,
The highlight of being an
acolyte is our annual our summer training and retreat to Great
America. We welcomed new
acolytes, showed them proper
technique, and practiced processing with a full entourage.
The church construction
required re-routing of our normal flow, so we made some
adjustments. We visited the
amusement park, the weather
was great, and we had a good
time. It was totally awesome.
Nick Hatzis
It has been another great year
for Altar Guild, and by great, I
mean a year almost exactly like
the last. Serving in the Altar
Guild is all about being steady,
because someone in this ministry is participating in every 9
am or 11 am service.
It is a small, simple act that is
very much appreciated by our
Next year, we hope to grow our
ranks even more. If your son or
daughter would like a fun way to
participate in All Saints' worship, please contact us.
[email protected]
that is a modified toilet plunger.
Anybody interested in seeing
this small miracle may always
seek out an Altar Guild member.
I am also willing to bet that this
device is the only one of its kind
to be found in the Episcopal
Diocese of Chicago, a landmark
device in a landmark church.
Altar Guild
In case you are wondering what
the Altar Guild does, we take
care of getting the chalices, the
wine, and the host ready prior to
the service beginning and we
clean up everything after the
service is over. Often times, you
do not see us, but we have
come in a little before church
and then stay a little bit after
church to take care of all this.
And our scheduling system
seems to be working. Right now,
we have lots of acolytes for the
9 am service. Not so many for
the 11 am service. I would like to
thank the kids and parents for
helping out so diligently over
the course of the year.
priests. Taking care of this frees
them to think about other
tasks– like last minute sermon
revisions, pageant scripts, and
stump the staff questions for
other staff members.
And sometimes, we also get to
make the sure the Eternal Light
in the church remains eternal.
And by that, I mean we get to
replace a candle using a device
• 18 •
There is a 9 am and an 11 am
Altar Guild. As head of the 9 am
Altar Guild, I very much appreciate another great year with Lynn
Bowers, Rob Book, Johann
Juan, and Pam Palmentera. And
this year, Barbara Dufford
became head of the 11 am,
working with Laura Molzahn,
Alice Wozniak, Gina Shropshire,
Elizabeth Vann, and Kate Leeman. Thanks go out to Laura for
doing this previously. And big
thanks as always to Ruth
Nagaro who takes care of the
linens week in and week out.
All Saints’ Youth Group
Hilary Waldron
2015 has been an exciting year
for ASYG. In the spring, we had
our bowling kick off and we
partnered with St. Mary's Park
Ridge to see who the better
bowlers were (we were). We also
worked the Cafe, attended a
School of Rock show, and ate
lots of snacks! Three of our
members graduated high school
and went on to colleges around
the country—we're so proud of
all of them!
Fall 2015 has been an especially
busy time with ASYG. We've
seen our group grow in size
quite a bit and that has added a
lot of energy and excitement to
our days. We're trying some new
stuff—hello, Instagram (sorry,
it's only for ASYG members!) and
we've been cooking dinner
together more consistently than
we did last year. We've continued the tradition of the Oreo
and Bonnie's Brownie Games (if
you want to know, ask an ASYG
We've seen the ASYG
grow in size quite a bit
which has added a lot
of energy & excitement
to our days.
member!) and we made sure to
be a solid presence at the most
recent Cafe in November. In our
high altar time, we're tackling
some serious issues, including
privilege and how things like
• 19 •
race, gender, etc., shape our
lives and faith. We're learning
from voices that we might not
hear otherwise and are taking
special care to focus on men
and women of color as people
whose lives might inspire us.
We're closing out the year with
an ice skating trip and our second annual Christmas party that
involves ninjabread cookies and
Christmas sweaters. I know we
are all looking forward to what
2016 holds for the group!
Many thanks to Beth Lee, Bonnie Perry, Dave Maher, Lauren
Erbach, Paul Goodenough and
Chris Schilling for all of your
hard work this year and last!
Bread Baking for Communion
Emily Williams Guffey
It is no secret that the Communion bread at All Saints’ tastes
delicious. This is because volunteers continually bake it fresh at
home and bring it in for us to
enjoy. In an average month, All
Saints’ requires about sixteen
large loaves and eight small
loaves – or 264 loaves in an
average year.
In an average month,
All Saints’ requires
about sixteen large
loaves and eight small
loaves of bread.
St. Gregory’s Abbey Altar Bread
⁄ cup lukewarm water
4 tbsp. honey
2 tbsp. olive oil
7
8
Baking bread may happen
behind the scenes, but it is central to our liturgy. Many thanks
to all who baked this year:
⁄ tsp. salt
2 1⁄2 cups whole wheat flour
1 pkg. active quick rising yeast
1
4
1. Measure the water into a mixing bowl and add yeast, stirring
until the yeast is dissolved.
Beverley Becker, Annie Brady,
Caty Norman-Burke, Peggy
Cushing, Anne Ellis, Jack and
Andrea Garland, Judy Huppert,
Annie Logue, Heather McKnight,
Katy Kelsey-Morgan, Courtney
Reid, Virginia Reising, Jane
Schaefer, Aubrey Scheffy, Angie
Schlater, Jennifer Simokaitis,
Nina Wilfred
2. Stir in the honey, oil and salt.
Additional thanks to Angie
Schlater, who not only baked
but also scheduled and coordinated the bakers throughout
most of the year.
7. Transfer to a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees
for 10–12 minutes.
3. Stir in the unsifted flour.
4. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured board and knead for
5 minutes until elastic.
5. Replace the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a damp towel
and let it rise for 1 1⁄2 hours until double.
6. Roll out the dough to 1⁄4 –1⁄2 inch thick and cut into rounds with a
biscuit cutter, a tin can or a glass.
Make a cross in each loaf with a serrated knife.
The recipe is simple, and kids
love to help and taste-test. If
you or your family would like to
bake bread in 2016, please
contact Emily.
• 20 •
Taste and see that
the Lord is good.
Psalm 34:8
Buildings and Grounds & 1883 Project Additions
Stephen Christy, Chairperson
Young and his great crew still
labor — up to four men in a
space only ten feet square!
They’ve been there a while too
because our church continues
to surprise us as we labor on. In
this case we found the eight
support columns holding up the
tower roof to be feeling rather
feeble after over 130 years, and
needing strengthening. You
could rock the roof back and
forth at its top—not a good sign!
As everyone can see, we are
making tremendous progress
with the renovation of our
church exterior under The 1883
Project.
Earlier we found a now-abandoned “termite hotel” in the
southeast building corner, too,
needing major surgery. Straightening up the east wall was a
major effort as well, requiring
the use of steel I-beams
because the internal wall structure was so frail.
We are making
tremendous progress
with our renovation.
Our first effort with the north
wall was completed in 2014.
As I write this in mid-December,
the east wall and bell tower are
nearing completion, too.
Final work is being done in the
belfry, currently encased in our
“flying circus”: a big blue tent for
weather protection where Ron
• 21 •
The 1883 Project will continue in
the spring of 2016 as we address
the south and west walls. Meanwhile, of course, our exterior
grounds are a mess due to all
the construction. This will also
be addressed in the spring.
Care Ministry
Margaret McCamant & Emily Williams Guffey
The Care Ministry at All Saints’ is
a quiet one, depending on volunteers and requiring no
fundraising. It consists of care
given to members of the parish
by members of the parish.
Sometimes called “love on a
plate” or “love on wheels,” this
ministry might mean providing
meals for a family with a new
baby, driving someone to an
appointment or to church,
babysitting for a few hours,
shoveling snow, picking up groceries or taking someone shopping, etc. These are usually
short-term needs, limited to a
few weeks’ duration.
When a need is identified, usually by one of the clergy, volunteers are contacted and invited
to participate. Each person can
decide what fits his or her
schedule. In many cases, a care
calendar is set up that specifies
what service is needed, alerts
the volunteers to special conditions like dietary restrictions,
and provides schedules, locations, and driving directions.
Information for accessing the
care calendar is shared with
members of the volunteer team,
not the whole parish, and is
never made public.
meal (or ordered one delivered—an easy option if you’re
too busy to cook), offered a ride,
or visited someone this year.
Your loving gifts bind this parish
community together in a very
meaningful way.
If you would like to join this
group of volunteers, please send
your contact information (name,
street address, phone numbers
[home, work, cell], email
address) to [email protected]. Please indicate
what you are able to do: meals
only, driving, childcare, any special skills you have, etc.
Thank you to every volunteer
who cooked and delivered a
Christmas Basket Program
Lynn Bowers
This Christmas we again participated with ReVive: Center for
Housing and Healing (formerly
Cathedral Shelter) in their
Christmas Basket Program. All
Saints’ members signed up to
“adopt” individuals or families
to provide them wrapped presents and grocery gift cards to
help create a wonderful Christmas dinner.
27 individuals and families
adopted 34 households. This
was a total of 109 recipients,
including 73 children. 81 boxes
were loaded and transported.
Numbers, statistics, boxes.
Sorry, it’s the accountant in me.
The bottom line is MANY people
who may have had little or nothing for the holidays were able to
enjoy a little something special
All Saints’ sent 81
boxes of wrapped
Christmas gifts to 34
households.
that came from the heart - a
Christmas that was a bit more
merry and bright.
Big thanks and HOORAY! to the
All Saints’ children who helped
stuff the personalized stockings
• 22 •
for the kids in the program,
which were provided by Clyde
Propst and Polly Tangora. These
were packed in the gift boxes
with much help from Polly and
Andrea Garland.
Special thanks to Jim Hanna for
additional package pick-up
help. Also to Grant Krenger and
his friends, and Caty and Mike
Burke, who came on pick up day
to help the driver load up all of
the boxes…and keep them all
in order!
What a wonderful gift to give
others, and ourselves! It’s never
too early to start thinking about
next Christmas!
Coffee Hour
Dave and Karen Howe
Due to family vacations, it has
been difficult to recruit volunteers for the summer months.
Hosting Coffee Hour after the
9:00 service is a little-recognized
but much appreciated ministry.
Each Sunday someone takes
responsibility for providing a
snack, making coffee, setting up
and cleaning up. It’s fast and
easy!
27 people hosted
Sunday Coffee Hour.
Twenty-seven different people
volunteered during 2015, some
of them more than once. Thanks
to everyone! If you were not one
of them, please consider helping out this year.
We may want to consider putting Coffee Hour on hold for July
and August. Let us know what
you think.
Communications
Barb Dufford
In late 2013 the Communications
Committee was tasked with
developing a branding scheme
for All Saints’. Our goal was a
new visual identity that was
clear, fresh, and assertive, while
maintaining connection to
tradition.
2015 saw our new brand's
expanding implementation in
our print materials and website,
as well as a stunning new All
Saints’mug. (Thank you to
MaryAnne Newman and Jim
Crandall, and Andrew Freeman,
too.)
After much study and many,
many steps in refining our
developing logo, the logomark
was unveiled in January 2015 at
the annual meeting. Our new
visual identity offers flexibility
and the capability of showing
who we are with joy, solemnity, and celebration.
Our Voice
Our social media presence
expanded, thanks to Matty
Zaradich, and our voice became
more consistent and defined.
• 23 •
The committee also supported
various ASEC initiatives, including the Backpack Blessing, A
Ton of Paper, Fiesta Mexico, and
the Ravenswood Run.
Friends of Sudan/Africa Bake Auction
Ahn Gallagher & Abigail Sylvester
All Saints’ partnerships with
churches, dioceses and communities in South Sudan, Uganda
and elsewhere in Africa are
stronger than ever. These longstanding partnerships represent
our commitment to serve and
identify with those beyond our
borders.
In the fall of 2004, All Saints’
became an official partner
church with St. Peter Parish in
North Geiger, located along the
White Nile near the border
between South Sudan and
Sudan. We continue to partner
closely with Bishop Joseph
Garang Atem from the Diocese
of Renk in the Upper Nile State,
which includes St. Peter’s. Renk
is one of two companion dioceses supported by the Diocese of
Chicago. Bishop Joseph visited
All Saints’in September 2015
and spoke with Atrium III,
preached at Sunday services,
and provided updates about
South Sudan during coffee hour.
Bishop Joseph went on to
Washington, D.C. to meet with
policy makers in the State
Department and elected officials to discuss the role of the
U.S. in the ongoing conflict in
South Sudan. Bishop Joseph
traveled to Rwanda with other
church leaders in June 2015 to
learn about the peace and
reconciliation process that
occurred after the genocide and
to learn what type of strategies
may be applied in South Sudan.
We continue to support St.
Peter’s of Geiger, Father Isaac
Chol, and humanitarian efforts
with a $5,280 donation from our
annual budget. Renk continues
to receive internally displaced
people from neighboring areas
who are fleeing conflict.
Our 16th annual Africa Bake
Auction, organized and hosted
by children in Atrium III, raised
over $22,000 – an amazing feat!
Atrium III continues to support
and partner closely with our
friends in South Sudan and
Uganda, and the children’s
effort paid off.
• 24 •
2015 Bake Auction funds
supported the following
$7,000: Agriculture Project
Friends in Renk purchased
sorghum and sesame seeds and
hired community members to
plant and harvest the food. They
harvested sorghum in early
December.
$6,500: Renk Medical Care
salaries for Dr. Paul & the midwife
$5,000: Nile High School
Scripture Union Club, Uganda
Tuition costs about $375 per year
per student, for students who
have lost their parents or come
from families who are unable to
pay for secondary school.
$2,000: LGBT Rights,
Mote Magomba
Our friend Mote spoke out about
LGBT rights at general convention
and as a result lost his job. He is
now pursuing a PhD, and our
funds help cover the cost of his
tuition.
$1,000: Pharmacist Tuition
Thon Piok is a South Sudanese
refugee studying to be a pharmacist at Mt. Kenya University.
• 25 •
Lay Chaplain Visitors
John Sattelmaier, Andrea Garland & Lynn Bowers
In addition to our clergy, All
Saints’ has three Lay Chaplains
who provide visits to individuals
who are homebound or in hospitals, rehab centers, or nursing
home facilities. Lynn Bowers,
Andrea Garland, and John Sat-
Lay Chaplains
conducted 51 visits
and administered
communion 42 times
this past year.
make pastoral visits and to bring
people communion. You may
contact John ([email protected]), Lynn
[email protected], or
Andrea ([email protected]) directly if you
are in need of this type of assistance.
On Sunday, May 30, 1999, All
Saints’ established its volunteer
Lay Chaplain program with the
commission of John Sattelmaier. For the last 16 years, the
telmaier are all graduates of
Bishop Anderson House, an
Episcopal Lay Chaplaincy Program. They are available to
• 26 •
Lay Chaplains have assisted the
clergy by providing additional
pastoral visits to the All Saints’
community. This past year,
the Lay Chaplains conducted
51 visits and administered communion 42 times. Over the life of
the program, the Lay Chaplains
have completed 396 pastoral
visits and provided communion
450 times.
Detailed information about the
Lay Chaplain training at Bishop
Anderson House can be found
on the website: http://bishopandersonhouse.org/education/vol
unteer-chaplain-training/
Liturgical Ministers
Lynn Bowers
The Liturgical Ministers of All
Saints’ are a warm and welcoming group of volunteers who
enhance the liturgies and parish
life in many ways. They offer
their time and talents as Ushers,
readers, leaders of the Prayers
of the People, and as chalice
bearers.
Over the past year,
more than 51 people
have assisted in over
120 liturgies.
Ushers share their gift of hospitality and organization by greeting parishioners and guests,
collecting the offering, and guiding people during the Holy
Eucharist with a welcoming
presence. The Readers and the
Leader of Prayers of the People
share in spreading the Word and
by leading the congregation in
offering prayers for individuals,
the community, and the world.
Chalice Bearers assist the
Presider in the distribution of
the sacraments by administering the chalice during the
Eucharist.
We’ve added 8 new people to
the ranks and they’ve fit in
nicely. Despite losing a few who
recently left All Saints’ we are 51
strong at current count. These
individuals have assisted in over
120 Sunday and special liturgies. There are so many who
have been willing to lend a hand
at the last minute as well,
including some who are unable
to commit to the regular schedule. Thank you! My heartfelt
appreciation goes to all who
have enriched our worship and
our relationship with each other
and with God. The schedule for
February and March is beginning to take shape so hurry and
join the team! If you are interested in serving in any of these
valuable roles or want to learn
more, please contact Lynn Bowers at the following address.
• 27 •
liturgicalministers
@allsaintschicago.org
As each has received a gift,
employ it for one another,
as good stewards of God’s
varied grace: whoever speaks,
as one who utters oracles of God;
whoever renders service,
as one who renders it by the
strength which God supplies;
in order that in everything God
may be glorified through Jesus
Christ.
~ 1 Peter 4:10-11
Mexico Outreach and Companionship
Dave and Karen Howe
Santa María Virgen, our companion parish in the Diocese of
Southeast Mexico, continues to
develop and grow as Padre Bayron and its talented lay leaders
guide it in its Godly mission.
One highlight of the year was
the initiation of a Community
Kitchen to serve some of the
needy people of the neighborhood and for families of patients
in the nearby cancer hospital.
After only four months, volunteers are serving 70 hungry people in the parish hall twice a
month.
New Mission
In May, a new mission, La
Sagrada Familia (Holy Family),
was initiated in Alchichica, a
town about an hour’s drive from
Xalapa. These people had
become alienated from the
Santa María Virgen
volunteers are serving
70 hungry people in
their parish hall twice
a month.
Roman Catholic Church, but
were hungry for a relationship
with God. Padre Bayron celebrates the Eucharist on Sunday
afternoons, and although they
• 28 •
are currently meeting in a borrowed warehouse (their third
location in six months), services
regularly attract 60-70 people.
Their enthusiasm, spirit, and
hopes for the future bode well.
Building Upgrades
2015 has also seen upgrades to
the Santa María church building;
floors have been repaired and
polished and pews and other
woodwork have been varnished.
The church is beautiful.
Lay education and development
have been a focus as a number
of young people received
acolyte training in order to be
integrated into worship services.
Five church leaders attended a
Cursillo retreat in Mexico City
and two people spent a youth
retreat weekend in Veracruz to
learn how these activities can be
implemented at Santa María Virgin. Adult formation classes are
Save the date: Our
2016 Mexican Fiesta
will be on Saturday,
May 14, 2016.
being offered to help members
better understand the Anglican
Church, and bible study and
prayer groups meet on a regular
basis.
First communions and confirmations were celebrated in
conjunction with the Fiesta of
the Virgin Mary in August, pets
were blessed on October 4, and
the Fiesta of the Virgin Mary was
celebrated with liturgy, food,
dancing in August.
Our annual Mexican Fiesta to
raise funds for Santa María Virgen was held in May. This year
we were fortunate to be able to
bring Padre Bayron to Chicago,
although, sadly, we were not
able to get visas for his wife and
son in spite of a lot of effort,
expenses, and a letter of support from Congressman Quigley.
The Fiesta was a great success,
with fabulous food, music,
Margaritas and auction. We
raised over $8,500 for our
friends in Mexico. The 2016
Fiesta will be on Saturday, May
14. Please save the date!
Dia de los Muertos
Six people from All Saints’
(Dave and Karen Howe, Steve
Pike, Jim Hanna, Alice Wozniak,
and Stephanie Evans) traveled
to Mexico to experience a traditional Día de los Muertos (Day of
the Dead) with our friends there.
The experience was indescribable: worship, fellowship, food
and fun with the Holy Spirit
clearly underlying all. For more
information and to find out a
possible trip again next year talk
with any of those listed above.
Financial Support for Santa María Virgen & La Sagrada Familia
2015 Fiesta
Money:
Special
Offerings:
General
Fund
$428
$855
$1,256
$1,000
Pickup truck:
Pay off small
loan
44 prayer books
for Alchichica
plus shipping
Bayroncito’s
medical
expenses:
$241
$400
$444
(All Saints’
line-item in
annual
budget)
Registration
and insurance
Portable sound
system for
Alchichica and
two microphones for SMV
(from Eileen
Krause)
50% of medical
insurance for a
year for Padre
Bayron and his
family: (the
other 50% is
being covered
by a friend of
SMV in Texas)
$876
Repairs
$400
Gas and tolls for
weekly trips to
Alchichica
$374
Cooking equipment for Community Kitchen
$448
Expenses for
Cursillo and
Youth retreat
$631
60 folding chairs
for Alchichica
The Diocese of Southeast Mexico is essentially broke. Santa
María Virgen has received no
financial support from the diocese for the past several years. It
is surviving and thriving on its
own with financial assistance
from All Saints’.
From Santa María Virgen and
Holy Family:
Barber shop rental, parish hall
rental, plate offering, pledges,
food sales after church, in-kind
donations, raffles.
$1,700 Total
$1,169
Bayron’s trip to
Chicago and expenses related
to applying for
visas for Lupita
and Bayroncito
$5,822 Total
• 29 •
Music
Scott C Weidler, Interim Director of Music
It’s a bit daunting to write for an
Annual Report when I arrived at
All Saints’ halfway through the
year, initially expecting to be
with you for only a few months.
When that got extended to the
end of the year, the Annual
Report deadline fell within my
time!
I arrived in June, just as the
choir had begun its welldeserved summer hiatus. That
meant I never had the opportunity to meet the parish singers
as a group. I needed to arrange
summer soloists via e-mail, not
knowing skills, styles, or personalities. The first thank you I want
to make it to all those singers
who so patiently accepted the
invitation from a stranger to provide music in worship during the
summer.
When choir season neared, I did
my best to understand how the
two adult choirs, with very different rehearsal schedules, functioned and how best to plan for
them. This is a mystery that is
still being worked out in my
mind and in many of my decisions. What I have discovered is
an amazingly talented group of
singers with gregarious and
With each Sunday,
I grew increasingly
impressed with the
congregation. You all
will sing anything!
And sing with gusto!
I love that. Thank you.
cooperative spirits. My second
thank you is to all the singers in
the choirs who regularly show
up to make music together for
the sake of the people and worship life of All Saints.
With each Sunday that I was
making music with you, I grew
increasingly impressed with
what, for me, is the most impor-
• 30 •
tant musical ensemble in any
worshiping community: the congregation. You all will sing anything! And sing with gusto! I love
that. It is fun to lead an assembly of worshipers who seem to
actually want to be present and
get involved. Thank you.
It wasn’t until All Saints’ Sunday
– a day that, as many of you
know, cannot be fully explained,
but only experienced – that I
truly began to understand All
Saints. The way the liturgy and
music worked together on that
day was truly transformative for
me. Thank you to all involved in
making that morning extraordinary.
Then Advent began – immediately. The willingness to try
something different, to be a bit
out of step with most of the
Western Church, to say “yes, we
can try it” before anyone uttered
anything about the way it’s
always been, was another new
experience for me. Thank you.
An extra blessing that I never
could have imagined was being
involved in the planning and
leading of music for Emily’s ordination. Thank you to Emily and
all those musician friends of
hers who joined the All Saints’
Choirs to create another extraordinary musical and liturgical
experience!
As I write this, I await my first
Pageant Sunday (I think I’m prepared), my first Lessons and Carols, Beers and Carols, and all the
Christmas liturgies. I know that I
am not fully prepared for everything that will happen, but I’ve
learned that, at All Saints’,
you’re never fully prepared
because anything can and
might happen. I believe that is
the Spirit and she blows in this
parish in ways that I have never
experienced before.
It’s looking like I’ll be with you as
Interim Director for Music
through next summer, so now I
get to look forward to the
Annual Meeting, Lent, Holy
I know that I am not
fully prepared for
everything, but I’ve
learned that, at All
Saints, you’re never
fully prepared
because anything can
and might happen.
• 31 •
Week, the Easter Vigil, Easter,
Pentecost and more. I imagine
that a host of surprises still
await me and that is a joy!
I want to thank Bonnie for having faith in me to step in and just
figure it all out; to Emily for arriving a week after me so I wasn’t
the newest staff person and
being an amazing colleague;
and to Andrew for his incredibly
calm presence and the skillful
way he does so much, especially
creating all the worship folders.
To all singers and instrumentalists and others who do things
that I don’t even know about,
thank you! This has been an
extraordinary (half) year.
New Orleans and Coastal Louisiana Rebuild
Rob Book
This past August marked the
tenth anniversary of Hurricane
Katrina. Since Katrina hit, All
Saints' has sent 14 teams to
Louisiana to help in recovery
and rebuilding efforts. We've
raised over $90,000 to help in
these efforts. The first few years,
teams spent all of their time in
New Orleans gutting and
rebuilding homes. About 5 years
ago, we heard a presentation on
the importance of the wetlands
in protecting New Orleans by
acting as buffer during storm
surges. This also brought to our
attention the rapid loss of wetlands due to many man-made
factors. Since then we've spent
part of our trips volunteering to
help restore the wetlands.
This past April, we sent our 14th
group to Louisiana. The group
traveled down April 12 -18 and
consisted of Johann Juan, Matt
Sorokac Juan, Kevin Goodman,
Anton Pulung-Hartanto, Linda
Toelke, Sarah Kobs, Joey
Sylvester, Larry Dieckmann, Dan
Acosta, Lynn Bowers, and Rob
Book. We started our week on
Sunday worshiping with our sister parish St Luke’s. Then we
took in the local music and flavors of New Orleans.
The first half of the week we
worked in New Orleans with
Jericho Road Episcopal Housing
Initiative. We were scheduled to
work cleaning up blighted properties. Unfortunately, due to
heavy rains, we were unable to
follow our original schedule.
However, we were able to clean
up one lot and put down mulch
to keep weeds from growing
back. The second day the heavy
rain prevented us from working
outside. Thankfully our coordinator at Jericho Road found
their local food bank was in
need of help for an upcoming
audit and inspection. They
needed shelves and floors
cleaned. We were back to Jericho Road on Wednesday, but
due to the previous rain, the
empty lots were too wet and
All Saints' has sent 14
teams to Louisiana
Since Katrina. We've
raised over $90,000 to
help in these efforts.
muddy to work. Instead, they
had us canvas the neighborhood taking inventory of the
conditions of homes and businesses. We found this to be very
interesting. Comparing the prior
year’s reports, we assessed the
properties to determine
changes for good or bad. They
used this report to determine
properties they want to focus
their efforts on for future
improvements in the neighborhood. It was good to see a lot of
the properties have shown
improvements over the last couple of years, but also sad to see
many of the properties have had
no change since Katrina.
Although the first half of the trip
did not go as planned we still
were able to give back to the
community.
• 32 •
While down in the bayou, we
volunteered with the BaratariaTerrebonne National Estuary
Program (BTNEP). We spent one
day working on their farm separating and re-potting thousands
of seedling plants. These plants
will be used in future planting
projects to help shore up the
coast line. On the second day
we returned to Grand Isle and
were delighted to see the bitter
panicum we planted on a prior
trip was growing strong. We also
did some cleanup of land they
are trying to reforest. We
removed grass that was growing
near the base of the trees and
then put down fertilizer. Unfortunately, there were fire ant
nests that a couple of group
members stepped on (they did
not have a pleasant evening). As
an added bonus we were able
to make a quick stop by The
Grand Isle Migratory Bird Fest to
watch researchers net, tag, and
then release birds.
This year we've made donations
to both Jericho Road and All
Souls Episcopal Church and
Community Center. All Souls is
a mission church in the Lower
Ninth Ward that was started
after Katrina.
The group is now discerning
future trips. Any future trips will
be announced in the All Saints'
newsletters. If you have questions or interested in learning
more please contact Rob Book
or Lynn Bowers.
“ Not the Last Supper” Lenten Suppers
Nancy Lischer & Barb Giloth
During Lent 2015, nearly 60 All
Saints’ parishioners shared
food, drink and conversation at
five weekly “Not the Last Supper” Lenten suppers. One participating family is the host for the
dinner the first week and the
group then organizes a schedule
of locations for the remaining
potluck dinners during the five
week period. These suppers
offer a a wonderful opportunity
to meet more people from the
All Saints’ community in an intimate setting. Discussion topics
are varied and depend on the
interests of the individuals at
each dinner. There is no
required reading! Parishioners
get to know other parishioners,
and “nine-o’clockers” get to
know “eleven-o’clockers.” Delicious recipes are shared.
Nursing Clinic at RCS
Julie Donalek
This has been an exciting year for
our nursing clinic. In the past, Ann
Johnson, the wonderful other
clinic nurse, and I have seen one
to four guests each week. We are
now seeing between six and nine!
Jo Piazza, another retired nurse,
joins us at times. The range in
guest needs is amazing. Some
are dealing with major health
problems, but most combine
health troubles with a simple
wish for affirmation. People come
to have their blood pressure,
blood sugar, weight or other sim-
ple issue checked, to be referred
for treatment, to have questions
answered, or given simple supplies, but just as much to have us
take some time to talk with them.
In previous years we have had
three DePaul University School
of Nursing students for their
service experience. This year we
have five students. Students
have the chance to take vital
signs, do simple dressings, do
teaching like diabetic foot care,
etc. Additionally, we have long
• 33 •
had information for our guests
on food pantries and meal programs, housing and employment. Students are now
researching: free/low cost haircuts, clothes and shoes, cellphones, and local mental health
services for veterans. In the
coming months, the students
will be pinning down exactly
how Medicare, Medicaid, Obamacare, private insurance, and
free care impact our guests.
Wow! The clinic is a very special
place for all of us.
Race Matters
Staycie Flint, Karen Schrage, Michelle Mayes & Kathy Flint
"Okay, is that all?" asked the
committee.
Saints’ community gathered in
small groups to view and discuss the documentary “Cracking
the Codes” published by
WorldTrust. This documentary
articulates the systemic nature
of racial inequity, which is
embedded in our collective history, culture, and identity.
The Race Matters committee
convened regularly throughout
2015 to pray, think, and listen
together about how All Saints’
wants to acknowledge that race
matters—particularly how those
of All Saints’ respond to antiblack racism and institutionalized white supremacy.
When we do nothing,
we permit the neglect,
abuse, and murder of
our black and brown
sisters and brothers.
From last year's annual report:
"...uncover, name and then
plow under the institutional
I-beams of privilege and power
typically accorded Anglos in our
culture," said Bonnie, last year.
Good Friday was identified as
the launching point for gathering together as a congregation
committed to repentance,
restoration, change, and lots
and lots of mirrors.
Though still in its infancy, our
intentional relationship with St
Thomas Episcopal Church was
bolstered in 2015 by several
events, including an organized
morning of focused one-on-one
conversations between parishioners and a full weekend of
anti-racism learning and training spearheaded by Rory Smith
from St. Thomas.
We also realized that as a congregation we had work to do in
developing a shared language
and understanding of what it
means to work together to resist
systems of inequity while working to build the Divine's Beloved
Community. Throughout the
summer, 133 folks in the All
Our work all summer reached
fruition with our Theology of
Change conversation on September 20th. In a fast-paced,
facilitated format, we spent a
morning together answering
two core questions:
One of these initiatives took the
gathered information from our
Saturday Theology of Change
and crafted a declaration of our
intention and action in response
to racial inequity. Going forward
into the new year this statement
will be brought forward and the
congregation will be invited to
respond. This declaration will
become one of the living and
working documents, establishing our identity and practices as
a congregation:
The blood of the dead is calling
us to repent for our sins of
racism.
We confess that when we do
nothing, we permit the neglect,
abuse, and murder of our black
and brown sisters and brothers.
God yearns for us to care, to act,
for all to be set free.
1. As this church, why are we
called to respond to systems of
racial inequity?
Longing for justice, learning from
history, listening to voices of
truth, we vow, with God’s help, to
claim our responsibilities to overturn, step-by-step, systems of
racial inequality.
2. How will we respond to systems of racial inequity?
And so we build the beloved
community of God.
Now the Race Matters committee is delighted to support the
work of several initiatives
around interpersonal and institutional racism, including a
book study with St. Thomas.
The communicating about and
the supporting of these initiatives is something the Race Matters committee will be
solidifying and clarifying as the
year ahead unfolds.
So that all may live.
• 34 •
Theory and Theology of Change: Identifying Potential Partners Committee
Caty Norman-Burke, Mike Burke, Betty Douglas, Norm Douglas, Tom Heaney, Sarah Kobs,
Kate Leeman, and Alice Wozniak
Task:
To identify other groups working
on issues of racial justice with
whom All Saints’ might partner.
Process:
When we first met in October,
committee members decided to
begin by gathering more information about Chicago groups
actively addressing these issues,
using a combination of web
research and discussions with
people we knew who were
already involved. A shared
Google doc spreadsheet was
set-up to prevent duplication of
effort and to gather basic information about each group,
including their name, the type of
work they do, some sense of
their level of accomplishment/
effectiveness, what they need,
and how to contact them. This
spread sheet can be viewed on
the All Saints’ website.
When reviewing the chart at a
second meeting, committee
members expressed their support for this effort and their conviction that All Saints’ could
contribute meaningfully to the
cause of racial justice in
Chicago. Given that most members of the congregation have
little or no experience doing this
type of work, committee members also suggested it would
likely be most effective if All
continued...
• 35 •
Theory and Theology of Change: Identifying Potential Partners Committee, continued
Saints’ partnered with an organization experienced in providing
training and guidance to
churches on racial justice
activism. To this end, committee
members volunteered to reach
out to three groups and attempt
to set up a meeting to obtain
further information: the Community Renewal Society, the
Antiracism Commission of the
Episcopal Diocese of Chicago,
and the Southern Poverty Law
Center.
Unfortunately, the Southern
Poverty Law Center no longer
maintains an office in Chicago
and the Community Renewal
Society did not respond to
requests for a meeting. However, the Episcopal Diocese of
Chicago proved more responsive. Caty Norman-Burke and
Mike Burke met with Jennifer
Baskerville-Burrows in early
January, and she provided a list
of resources and upcoming
activities related to the issue of
racial justice. In addition to recommending the Interfaith Coalition Against Racism as a
potential partner (see below),
she offered several suggestions
of upcoming events (including
the Trinity Institute workshop,
January 21–23, and a discussion
on racial reconciliation led by
Heidi J. Kim on January 28).
Jennifer also recommended
several books (Harold Lewis, Yet,
with a Steady Beat; Margo Jefferson, Negro Land; Ta-Nehisi
Coates, Between the World and
In the fall of 2015
Interfaith Coalition
Against Racism began
to train its members
and others to host uncomfortable conversations about racism.
Me; and Carla Shedd, Unequal
City). A more detailed description of all the recommendations
offered during this meeting will
be on the All Saints’ website.
Recommendations:
Based on our research as well as
our knowledge of All Saints’ and
its members, we recommend
partnering with the Interfaith
Coalition Against Racism. In
2014, Chicago Sinai Congregation, Fourth Presbyterian
Church, La Salle Street Church,
St. Chrysostom’s Episcopal
Church, and St. James Episcopal Cathedral joined together to
seek justice for Michael Brown,
Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, and
countless other black boys,
men, and women. In the fall of
2015 the coalition began to train
its members and others to host
uncomfortable conversations
about racism. The Interfaith
Coalition Against Racism is
organizing one of these discussions, followed by dinner and a
worship service, on February 21
from 2:30-6 pm at Trinity UCC,
400 W. 95th Street. The event is
• 36 •
free, with suggested donation of
$10 for supper.
It is worth noting that while we
were gathering information, two
people currently working on
racial justice in Chicago also
suggested Community Renewal
Society might be a good partner
for All Saints’. Explicitly faithbased and focused on organizing congregations for social
justice, this group employs lobbying, public education, activist
training, and protest to fight for
a variety of issues, including violence prevention and prison
reform. However, the members
of our committee have mixed
opinions about recommending
this group because we sent at
least two emails expressing
interest in partnership and
requesting a meeting, neither of
which received a response.
One Parish One Book
Finally, although somewhat outside the task set for this committee, we would like to suggest
that All Saints’ organize a “One
Parish One Book” program to
encourage more conversation
among parishioners on the
topic of racial justice. Since the
All Saints’ Book Club is already
planning to read Ta-Nehisi
Coates’ Between the World and
Me for their March meeting, Caty
Norman-Burke has offered to
write a letter for the newsletter,
encouraging others to participate in a parish-wide reading
and discussion of this highly
regarded book.
Ravenswood Community Services
Lori Gee, Executive Director
Ravenswood Community Services (RCS) is a 501(c)3 non-profit
corporation founded in 1993 by
the congregation of All Saints’ to
bring neighbors of Uptown and
Ravenswood together to build
relationships, feed hungry people, and provide volunteer
opportunities.
Weekly Programs at All Saints
Every Tuesday, RCS operates a
Food Pantry out of the All
Saints’ sanctuary. RCS volunteers (All Saints’ parishioners,
folks from the neighborhood,
community and corporate
groups, students, and others
from across the city) set up
in need. Weekly visits to the
pantry vary, but average around
225 households per week.
shelves with canned goods,
fresh bread, milk and produce,
frozen meat and other supplies
for distribution to our neighbors
Meanwhile in the All Saints’
Parish Hall, the RCS Community
Kitchen hosts a hot meal which
is prepared in and served from
the basement kitchen. This
weekly gathering serves dinner
to an average of 100 people
each week, with volunteers
planning, prepping, cooking and
serving the food, brewing and
serving coffee, setting up tables,
chairs, and tableware and then
continued...
• 37 •
form the Parish Hall into a gourmet restaurant for our neighbors
and their guests. The menu features multiple entrée options
and diners are treated to a full
wait staff, live music, and beverage service. November 2015
marked the 35th All Saints’ Café.
Ravenswood School
In addition to programs held at
All Saints’, RCS also runs two
programs in partnership with
Ravenswood Elementary School
(Montrose and Paulina). On the
second Saturday of every
month, an outdoor “Mobile
Pantry” brings together food
from the Greater Chicago Food
Depository, volunteers from
RCS, and space provided by
Ravenswood School.
clearing and washing tables,
putting away chairs, vacuuming,
washing dishes, and cleaning
the kitchen.
During each Tuesday’s operations, RCS volunteers led by
Julie Donalek, also operate a
nursing clinic, staffed by volunteer nurses and nursing students
from the DePaul University
School of Nursing and the
Steans Center for CommunityBased Service Learning. Much of
the work in the nursing clinic
involves simple screenings and
referrals, as well as foot care.
Beyond the very important practical services that the nurses provide, they also provide a caring,
listening ear—an invaluable
service. See Julie Donalek’s full
report on the nursing clinic
(page 33) for more information.
All Saints’ Cafe
Twice each year (late spring and
late fall), RCS hosts the All
Saints’ Café. Volunteers trans-
2016 Calendar Highlights:
February:
Soup&Bread Fundraiser
at the Hideout (24th)
April:
Ravenswood Run (24th)
May:
Reality Fair (TBD)
June:
All Saints’ Café (5th)
Greater Chicago Food
Depository’s Hunger Walk
October:
Spirits of Ravenswood
Fundraiser (21st)
November:
Hat and Glove Drive
All Saints’ Café (TBD)
December:
Holiday Pantry
Other fundraising ideas? Send
them to us at [email protected].
• 38 •
Each spring, RCS volunteers led
by All Saints’ parishioners Helen
Poot and Jennifer Simokaitis
plan and execute a “Reality Fair”
for Ravenswood 7th and 8th
graders, providing a lesson in
financial literacy in the form of a
life-sized Game of Life.©
RCS Calendar
Throughout the year, RCS hosts
a number of program and fundraising events, some bigger than
others, all fun. For the latest
information, subscribe to the
RCS newsletter via the newlyredesigned www.ravenswoodcommunityservices.org website
(Thanks, Jim Crandall!) or by
emailing [email protected]. Also
follow RCS on Facebook and
Twitter!
Support for RCS
RCS’ funding comes from many
sources: philanthropic organizations, local companies and service groups, churches (led by All
Saints’!), individuals, and suc-
RCS Staff
(2 exciting additions in 2015!)
Executive Director
Lori Gee
[email protected]
Program Director
Emily Williams Guffey
(welcomed in June)
[email protected]
Operations Manager
Parker Callahan
(welcomed full-time in August)
[email protected]
Administrative Support
Andrew Freeman
[email protected]
Neighborhood Outreach Officers
Sue Higham and
Todd Schroeder
The RCS staff can be reached
at (773) 769-0282.
cessful fundraising events
(Ravenswood Run, the Hunger
Walk, and The Spirits of
Ravenswood). Added to the
countless hours of volunteer
energy that drive RCS’ work, the
collective generosity of All
Saints’ parishioners and the
wider community are what
make it all possible.
2015 also marked a funding first
for RCS when the agency was
blessed with a bequest from the
estate of Mr. Elwood Barce. The
gift is designated for a number
of projects, including capital
improvements, a programrelated staff position, and more
fresh produce for our neighbors.
In addition to financial support,
RCS’ 2015 programs were fueled
by the volunteer energy of more
than 1,200 volunteers who
logged more than 10,000 hours
• 39 •
RCS Board of Directors
Bonnie Perry, President
Jack Garland, Chairman
Darrell Hubbard, Treasurer
Nicole Spreen, Secretary
Dan Acosta
Kate Gallagher
Andrew Kalish
Brian Lynch
Margaret McCamant
Dan Morgan
Colleen Mulcahy
Mark Ortlieb
Lisa Patel
The Rt. Rev. Jeffrey D. Lee,
Ex Officio
making a difference in our community. RCS is managed by a
small staff of (mostly) part-time
employees and overseen by a
volunteer Board of Directors.
Refugee Ministry
©Mstyslav Chernov/Wikimedia Commons/CC-BY-SA-4.0
Laura Youngberg
In response to the Syrian
refugee crisis that unfolded over
the fall of 2015, several All
Saints’ parishioners began
meeting to discuss why and
how All Saints’ as a community
could expand our understanding of the refugee situation
around the world and in
Chicago, and develop ideas for
direct action in support of
Chicago area refugees.
processed, and go through
security screening by the United
Nations, the U.S. State Department, Homeland Security, and
other agencies before being
approved for resettlement in
the U.S.
The Ministry has learned more
about the refugee experience,
the political issues involved
in refugee resettlement, and
the immediate and long term
needs of refugees as they arrive
in the U.S.
When refugees arrive,
agencies assist with
housing, benefits and
basic skills, but this
is often not enough
to support them in
their first year.
Some facts about Refugees
Illinois is in the top ten states
receiving refugees in the United
States. Over 2000 were settled in
Illinois in the last federal fiscal
year, which ended September
30, 2015.
When they arrive in the US,
Resettlement Agencies assist
with housing, benefits, and
basic skills, but these resources
are often not enough to support
a family in their first year.
Refugees wait at least several
years for their applications to be
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The primary barriers for
refugees to adjust to life in the
US are English and Employment.
So far the Ministry has developed a section in the weekly
church email to update the All
Saints’ community about volunteer and donation activities, and
has prepared for an information
session between services and
Day of Service over MLK weekend in January 2016.
Future events will include a visit
to a photography project about
the refugee experience, outreach to political leadership to
express support for welcoming
refugees to Illinois, and additional volunteer opportunities.
Many thanks to Mike and Caty
Burke, Elizabeth Vann, Jamie
Taylor, Meg Coyne, Barbara
Giloth, Matty Zaradich, Sally Pollack, and Anya Leist.
Worship Commitee
Paula Stevens
This took us to Pentecost and
our welcoming of the talents of
Dent Davidson. Readings were
supplemented for Pentecost
with verse and music inspired
by Shakespeare and the Court
music of the Renaissance.
A simple Celtic liturgy took us
through summer.
The Worship Committee at All
Saints’ addresses the question
of how we, as a congregation,
desire to experience church. We
invite each other to offer new
and creative approaches to our
landmark services and seasons
that speak to who we are as a
thriving community as well as
expressing the continuity of
Anglican traditions.
How do we desire to
experience church?
We gathered in early 2015 to discuss Lent and Holy Week and
planned for the following:
We decided on using Holden
Evening Prayer, which took us
meditatively through Lent.
For Palm Sunday, we entertained the idea of Irish dancers
to lead the Carnival procession,
and now have more ideas for
Palm Sundays to come. The
service ends with a reading of
The Passion, which we decided
on approaching as an immersive experience.
Michelle Mayes led Holy Monday
with reflections on our Community Kitchen.
Holy Tuesday was marked as a
service of healing led by Jeanne
Wirpsa.
We decided we’d found our
groove with the organization of
Maundy Thursday, and called
upon the help of Polly Tangora
to organize the food and families.
Planning of Good Friday was
handed over to the committee
focused on racial justice. We
decided on the collection of stories for Easter Vigil and assigned
writers and actors.
• 41 •
Our most notable decision
involved a slight adjustment to
the liturgical year, an extension
of Advent. This was a decision a
year in the making and was
made collectively after reaching
out to the congregation with
thoughts and responses. With
this change, we celebrated All
Saints’ Day which focused on
endings, and followed the next
week with Advent which
focused on beginnings. We feel
as though this not only brings
completion to the liturgical year,
it allows for powerful personal
reflection. Please let us know
how you experienced this
change.
We also slightly changed Lessons and Carols this year with
selections by poet WH Auden
interspersed with scripture readings and with more focus on the
Grace of Mother Mary.
These were changes, large and
small, and creative expressions
that we hope reflect our communal hearts. We plan with an
intention of creating an environment that invites an open and
expansive spirit.
Youth & Children’s Formation/Church School
Polly Tangora & Andrea Garland
Our church school enrollment
continues at around 143 children from 87 families. On Sunday mornings, our average
attendance in the church school
is about 44 children with
another 8 to 10 toddlers in the
nursery and 8 to 12 youth meeting every other week for the All
Saints’ Youth Group on Sunday
afternoons.
The Catechesis of the Good
Shepherd (CGS) program is used
in our classrooms for children
ages 3 to 12 years old. This is a
non-traditional curriculum
based on Montessori principles.
Along with formal presentation
of lessons, children spend time
working independently with
concrete materials to deepen
their understanding of liturgy,
scripture, and prayer.
Starting in June 2015, we began
hosting a CGS second level
training course to support ongoing leadership for our youth and
children’s programs. This twoyear course further extends and
Our church school
enrollment continues
at approximately 143
children from 87
families.
deepens understanding of the
CGS program and prepares
three members of our congregations along with six participants
from other congregations to
lead the 6 to 9 year-old group.
The exceptional training and for-
• 42 •
mation our church school leaders receive in this and other
courses allow us to continue
welcoming the ever-growing
number of children in the
church school program.
Sunday Mornings
Our nursery is open from 8:45
am to 12:15 pm every Sunday
morning for children ages 3 and
under. We employ two young
adults to assist Clyde Propst
with the care of the infants and
toddlers. The Level I atrium for
children ages 3 to 6 is open Sunday mornings from 8:50 am to
11:45 am. The Level II atrium for
children ages 6 to 9 and the
Level III atrium for children ages
9 to 12 meet from 10 am to 11
am each Sunday. During the 10
o’clock hour a light snack is
served in each atrium.
Other Events
This year’s Christmas Pageant
was enthusiastically supported
by 65 All Saints’ children. Adults
and members of our youth
group helped write the script
and create the staging and choreography.
Three “Saturday Camps” were
offered during the year for children ages 4 to 9 years old. The
camps provide an extension of
the CGS program offered on
Sunday mornings.
Our annual Solemn Communion group will begin on January 23rd. Solemn Communion,
offered to children around the
age of eight, provides the children an opportunity to consider
in a more serious way what it
means to receive the Eucharist.
The children meet for five twohour Saturday sessions and finish with a day-and-a-half-long
retreat ending with a celebratory Eucharist planned by the
children for their families.
Last summer the Children’s
Garden produced tomatoes,
cucumbers, 1 pumpkin, 4 small
watermelons, and many
radishes. Some of this we ate
but most was contributed to the
Community Kitchen for use on
Tuesday nights.
The Bake Auction continues
to be a major fund raising event
for our mission focused in Africa,
raising over $23,000 last year.
The auction is organized and
staffed by our level III children,
with support from the Youth
Group and Friends of Africa.
Allocation of the money raised
is decided by the level III children in considerarion of presentations about the needs in the
Sudan and reseach into other
charities. The Bake Auction
helps our children to realize that
their efforts matter and can
have a major impact in our
world.
“Back-Up” Help Needed
We are continually in need of
more helping hands to occassionally assist in classrooms on
Sunday mornings and to help
with special projects. If you are
interested in helping long or
short term, please contact Polly
Tangora who coordinates the
Youth and Children’s Formation
Programs (polly@all-
saintschicago.org). All adults
who work with our children
need to attend the half-day
“Keeping God’s People Safe”
workshop offered several times
a year by Jeanne Wirpsa here at
All Saints’.
• 43 •
Finally, thank you, thank you,
thank you to all our leaders
for the work you do with our
children:
Nursery– Clyde Propst, Sarah
Peterson, Sophie Newson,
Michelle Henderson, Sam and
Ella Wischnewski
Level I Atrium (3–6-year-olds)–
Charisse Antonopoulos, Ann
McKenzie, Jennifer BoyleTucker, Anna Jones, Polly
Tangora, Ahn Gallagher, and
Andrea Garland
Level II Atrium (6–9-year-olds)–
Polly Tangora, Andrea Garland,
and Liz Bartels
Level III Atrium (9–12-yearolds)– Ahn Gallagher, Caty
Norman-Burke
And to all the others who have
pitched in to help with classes
and special events.
Candidates for Vestry
Mo Caldwell
Vanessa Herman
Mo (full name Mowgli Elizabeth Caldwell, aka Mo
Money Mo Problems) received his degrees in
ornithology and entomology from the University of
Cat-olonia in Barcelona, where he distinguished
himself by pushing the bounds of reasonable
siesta hours even by Spanish standards. He resides
in Chicago and keeps his paw in the game through
careful study of his avian and insect subjects from
the comfort of the windowsill, and he loudly
reports his findings to his roommates. His interests
include sitting
in things.
God led me to All Saints’ after about two decades
of avoiding churches. When I made it to All Saints’
in the fall of 2013, I found my faith again. And a
community of faith. I spent the first few Sundays
here weeping tears of relief, sorrow, and joy.
Mo would
like to serve
on the vestry
for he believes
if we are
indeed going
to do a Congregational
Assessment
Tool (CAT),
then he
believes that it is only fair that a feline of his
species is represented in the leadership of the
congregation. Remember, a vote for Mo is a vote
against, mice, birds and bugs. Mo is agnostic
concerning dogs.
I love kids. I
love Chicago.
And I love
Chicago Public Schools. I
read about
and write
about CPS
often. I am an
advocate at
heart. A born
public
defender. All
Saints' commitment to Chicago, its children,
schools, and community is part of why this is my
church home.
The one comparable thing I've done to service on
a church vestry is serving two years as Treasurer
for Waters Elementary's "Friend of" group. That
was a tough job. It was an enormous responsibility
and an experience of great personal growth and
remarkable community. I think serving on All
• 44 •
Saints' vestry will have similar rewards and challenges. And lots of great prayer.
A bit more background on me; I grew up in
Evanston, both in Reba Place Fellowship and First
Presbyterian Church of Evanston. I am a lawyer, a
mom to three thriving boys, and a friend to many.
I'd be honored to serve the Lord by serving on All
Saints' vestry.
Michelle Mayes
When I first moved to Chicago I struggled to find a
church home. I had friends at many different congregations but couldn't find my place. Then a
friend mentioned he'd heard about this church, All
Saints’, that
wasn't too far
from me that
was doing
"cool stuff." As
it is now January, I have
been here 18
years. And
while I have
changed, and
this church
has changed,
we are still
doing cool stuff. And more importantly we are
doing stuff that matters. I have been privileged to
be your representative at the diocesan level and
have served on the vestry before. I hope to serve
on the vestry again to help continue the work we
are doing with our neighbors near and far, and our
own spiritual selves, and to ensure this church
remains that place that does the cool stuff into the
next 18 years and beyond. Thank you for your
time, and I hope you will consider me to represent
you on the vestry.
Matt Schuneman
Upon moving to Lincoln Square in fall 2012, Abigail
and I set out to find a neighborhood church that
inspired us through its messages as well as its
actions, and since finding All Saints' we have never
been disappointed. Now you'll see us at 11am
services doing readings or bearing the chalice, and
I've been known to play guitar in a service or two.
In the last
year, I've
watched
Abigail step up
and work on
filling the big
shoes left
behind by
Connie Wilson
in maintaining
our relationships with
Bishop Joseph
and Renk Diocese. Her contributions have moved
me to find a way to contribute more to All Saints',
and I believe a role on the vestry will provide the
avenues to give more back to place that blesses
me with so much inspiration.
Outside of church, I manage various market-based
economic development projects for a small downtown firm. Along with a spot on the vestry, I'm
hopeful that 2016 finally brings that elusive World
Series win to the North Side.
Candidate for
Vestry Co-Warden
The following parishioners are current members of
the vestry and are running for co-leader.
Karen Schrage
I have been attending All Saints’ with my daughter
Michelle for 16 years. I will forever be thankful to
Joyce and Lucas, who invited us here the first time,
when I was intent on finding community for my
daughter. I still laugh to
remember that, having no
idea what a loving community I would find for both of
us. This past year I have
enjoyed serving on the vestry
and working with the racial
justice steering committee. I
am continuously amazed by the energy that the
people of our church have in deeply caring for one
another, whether next to us in the pews or half a
world away. It would be an honor to serve as warden, and to support this congregation in all we do.
• 45 •
Candidates for Diocesan
Representative
Kevin Dekkinga
Mike Mattson
Kevin has been attending All Saints’ for over two
years, alongside his wife Christina. On All Saints’
Day 2014, their son Willem was baptized into the
church. Kevin
is a recovering
Calvinist,
growing up in
the Dutch
reformed
enclave of
Western Michigan; he's a
graduate of
Calvin College.
I am a long-standing member of All Saints’ where I
have served on the vestry and as chairman of the
church’s finance committee. Currently, I am a
member of the church’s finance committee and
am active in the Tuesday night ministry.
Kevin spends
his days
managing the individual fundraising operations of
Active Transportation Alliance, the local bike/walk/
transit advocacy group. He's a licenced bicycle
safety instructor and lover of communities, fine
dining, and urban farming. Kevin, Christina and
Willem live in the Avondale neighborhood with
their aging cat and four backyard chickens.
On the diocesan level, I serve on clergy compensation and healthcare committees and as a member
of the Bishop and Trustees. I previously served as a
delegate from
All Saints’ to
Diocesan Convention and
am passionate
in my commitment to All
Saints’, the
Diocese of
Chicago, and
the larger
Episcopal
Church.
On a personal note, my wife Helen Poot and I have
been married for over 30 years. We have a son,
James, who is 26 years old. We used to live around
the corner from the church and now live 31 stories
above Lake Michigan in Edgewater. I spend much
• 46 •
of my time as a business appraiser and have
worked in the business world for the last 37 years.
I hope to use the vision I have gained at All Saints’,
my understanding of the workings of the diocese,
and my practical business experience to help
make good policy choices for the diocese and
move it forward into the future.
Matty Zaradich
Matty Zaradich is entering his third year as a member of All Saints' vestry. Matty has a keen interest in
social justice matters and was previously chair of
the Peace and Justice Committee of the Episcopal
Diocese of Chicago. In his working life, Matty is
Assistant Director of Continuing Education at
Erikson Institute, a graduate school in
child development. Matty is
an avid runner
and will be
completing his
fifth marathon
in 2016 with
Team One
Step, a charity
that benefits
children in Chicago living with cancer. Matty and
his partner, Ben, live in Ravenswood.
After about two decades of avoiding
churches... I found... a community of faith [at
All Saints’]. I spent the first few Sundays here
weeping tears of relief, sorrow, and joy.
• 47 •
All Saints’ | Profit & Loss Budget vs. Actual
January through December 2015 • Cash Basis • Page 1 of 4
• 48 •
All Saints’ | Profit & Loss Budget vs. Actual
January through December 2015 • Cash Basis • Page 2 of 4
• 49 •
All Saints’ | Profit & Loss Budget vs. Actual
January through December 2015 • Cash Basis • Page 3 of 4
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All Saints’ | Profit & Loss Budget vs. Actual
January through December 2015 • Cash Basis • Page 4 of 4
• 51 •
The 1883 Project | Profit & Loss Statement
Through December 2015 • Cash Basis
thru Dec 15
Income
Gain/Loss on Stock
1883 Project Income
Int & Dividend Income
Total Income
Gross Profit
Expense
Construction Costs
Fundraising Costs
Transaction/PayPal fees
Project Expenses - Other
Line of Credit Interest
Total Expense
Net Income
-1,145.97
1,008,872.57
89.99
1,007,816.59
1,007,816.59
1,066,895.18
30,189.71
2,146.29
3,117.34
2,429.30
1,104,777.82
-96,961.23
*Current balance on Line of Credit: $161,500
• 52 •
RCS | Profit & Loss Budget vs. Actual
January through December 2015 • Cash Basis • Page 1 of 3
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RCS | Profit & Loss Budget vs. Actual
January through December 2015 • Cash Basis • Page 2 of 3
• 54 •
RCS | Profit & Loss Budget vs. Actual
January through December 2015 • Cash Basis • Page 3 of 3
• 55 •
Many, many thanks to Charlie Simokaitis for sharing his truly
expressive photographic talents. His art is our history
and we are beyond blessed with his love for this faith community.