From the Rector

My dear family in Christ,
 
We are gearing up for a most exciting Fall this year, my friends.  While our official kick-off date of 22 September might seem a tad late in the season to be beginning, things are already in motion “behind the scenes” that will make for a Fall program that should be not only interesting, uplifting, and meaningful, but also a whole lot of fun!
 
Up first, our ongoing Living Christianity: a How To program has already been up and running for many weeks now.  Currently, Karl Bjornerud is leading a wonderful exploration of meditation in the Christian tradition.  If you haven’t yet joined in to see what this program is all about, this series is a fantastic introduction and will run for two more sessions (on the 9th and 16th, as we’ll be closed for Labor Day).  And on 23 September, we’ll begin a new series:  Anglicanism 101, a class designed to be both an introduction to The Episcopal Church for newcomers and a refresher course in the basics of Anglican Christianity for all of us.  (The plan right now is to run this series twice a year going forward, once in Fall and once in Spring, since the same series will also serve as preparation for Confirmation.)  Make plans to join us, and bring ALL your questions!
 
Next, save the date of 11 October, when we will host a coffee-house style Artists’ Open Mic Night, the first of what we hope will be many more to come.  We’ll get the Palmer room all gussied up for the occasion, and artists both from the community and our congregation will be encouraged to sign up for a time slot to do your thing, whether that be singing an original song, reading or reciting of poem or short piece of prose, exhibiting your visual art, or even performing a dance.  Performances will run in five-minute time slots from 7 p.m. till 8, followed by a time for casual gathering and fellowship.  We’ve already got a couple of dedicated volunteers working hard to arrange the logistics for this event, but we could definitely use more help!  If you want to get involved, please contact Fr. Christopher asap!
 
Also in October is the annual Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service put on by the City Park area churches, and for which this year All Saints will be the host church!  It’s very exciting to have the opportunity to invite our brothers and sisters in Christ from the neighboring congregations into our parish home for an event that is always well-attended and deeply appreciated by the community.  More details will be published as the planning comes together for the event, so stay tuned!
 
Last thing ~ for now! ~ is a reminder of what our Senior Warden shared with us after the recent Vestry meeting:  we really want to celebrate our “namesake” feast of All Saints this year in a big way.  In fact, we’re working to put together a series of celebrations and services for All Hallow’s Eve, All Saints Day, and All Souls Day (and, of course, All Saints Sunday, as well) that will be rather like an Autumnal equivalent of Holy Week and the Triduum leading up to Easter in the Spring.  If you’ve got ideas for how we can make these celebrations truly special, please share your thoughts with the church office and/or with Fr. Christopher, because plans are being made even now.
 
Y’all.  Y’all!  This Fall is going to be a wonderful time to be part of this incredible faith community.  I can’t wait to celebrate our shared lives together in Christ with all of you.  Thank you for everything you all do to make All Saints what it is.
 
Peace & blessings,
Christopher+

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