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VOLUNTEER AT ST. CHRYSOSTOM’S! If you'd like to volunteer at St. Chrysostom’s there are many opportunities to get involved! Starting on a Sunday as an usher, Altar Guild, Flower Guild, Hospitality Guild, lector, acolyte, lay eucharistic minister, Sunday School teacher, nursery worker, just contact the parish office or go online: www.saintc.org/ministries to learn more about volunteer service. We are always looking for new volunteers!
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SEPTEMBER 10TH FALL KICK-OFF COMMISSIONING – VOLUNTEER BRUNCH – BLESSING OF THE BACKPACKS Come on back y’all! All members of the congregation are encouraged to gather September 10th as we mark a new year of programming for our church community. We will celebrate the new beginnings in our church and our world, by commissioning our ministry leaders, blessing backpacks, and gathering all volunteers for an appreciation brunch at 9:00 am!
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MINISTRY PHOTOGRAPHY GALLERY & RECEPTION WED. 9/13 5 - 7:00 PM
Come and celebrate the many ministries of St Chrysostom's, Church as seen through the eyes of parishioner and photo-documentarian Del Hall. Reflecting the resilient life of the parish post-pandemic, this curation of over 30 photos showcases the fullness of our community in images: our worship, outreach, and fellowship. An opening reception to celebrate this gift will be Wednesday Sept 13th, 5-7. Food and Drink will be served and children can enjoy games and free play in the gym. The photos will remain in the Harding Room for several weeks for all to enjoy. Kindly RSVP for the reception by Sept 6th - [email protected] or (312) 944-1083.
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FALL CHRISTIAN FORMATION BEGINS SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
Children’s Formation (Sunday School) takes place during the 10:15 service. Children will follow the cross to their classrooms during our opening hymn and return for Holy Communion. We will continue to use our wonderful Montessori based curriculum, Godly Play, with wonderful teachers from the parish. With enough support from volunteers, we hope to operate two age-appropriate classrooms each Sunday (Age 3- K & 1st -2nd Grade). Please consider volunteering to make this ministry possible. Formation for older kids to become worship leaders (acolytes, readers, etc.) will take place at 9:30am.
Stay tuned for more details about our upcoming Adult Formation offerings, including Sunday morning programs as well as the Rector’s Weekly Bible Study, seasonal formation series, and more!
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NEW GROUP FORMING FOR THOSE DEALING WITH GRIEF
St. Chrysostom’s will be offering a new Grief Support Circle that provides a deep level of care for the grieving person who is interested in dealing with the emotions of life stresses following the death of a loved one. Our goal will be to support and pray for one other as we move forward through the loneliness and isolation of grief. We will meet at 9:00 AM the 4th Sunday of each month beginning June 25th. Please contact Mike Sammon ([email protected]).
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ST. CHRYSOSTOM’S BOOK CLUB The St. Chrysostom’s Book Club will be resuming in September, meeting both in-person at the church and via Zoom. We meet on the 2nd Wednesday of each month and have lively, interesting discussions led by a different member each month, usually accompanied by mid-afternoon treats! We would love to have new members join us this fall. The books selected for the next few months and the discussion leader for each are:
Sept. 13: Master Slave Husband Wife by Ilyon Woo, (Anne Brinsmade)
Oct. 11: The Marriage Portrait - by Maggie O’Farrell, (Caroline Cracraft)
Nov. 8: SAVED: A War Reporter’s Mission To Make It Home by B. Hall (Pat White)
Dec. 13 - The Barbizon -The Hotel That Set Women Free by Paulina Bren, (Eleanor Tippens)
Please contact Dee Jarrett Dow ([email protected]) with any questions.
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ST. CHRYS’S CLOSET NOW IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CHURCH OF THE ASCENSION! We’re excited to share that, thanks to the enthusiastic support of Church of the Ascension in Chicago, the physical location of St. Chrys’s Closet has now moved to their facilities at 1133 N. LaSalle! This was a massive effort that required the combined efforts of a great many people, including the ongoing generosity of our volunteers. We’re so pleased to have our friends at Ascension as partners in this ministry, and we thought we’d show you some photos to celebrate the occasion! If you’re looking to make a donation, please call the Parish Office; since the location of the store has now changed, we no longer accept donations at 1424 N. Dearborn.
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SEARCH COMMITTEE UPDATE St Chrysostom’s began its Rector Search almost one year ago, when the Vestry approved a Search Committee. We are very pleased to announce the position is officially posted as of August 4 and will be open for 60 days. We anticipate reviewing applications in October with interviews of the best candidates to follow.
We thought it might be helpful to recount where the Committee has been since our commissioning. In the Fall of 2022 the committee issued an independent Parish-wide survey (officially the Congregational Assessment Tool), adapting the survey questions to our needs, keeping it open longer than anticipated to capture a larger response, then analyzing the results. This process over-lapped with a series of small group meetings (no larger than 10-12 people) that ran into 2023 and were designed to gather opinions from different segments of our Parish community. Pulling all this information together was a considerable task but the results valuable. All along we have had excellent guidance and assistance from the Reverend Sierra Reyes, our Diocesan liaison. The Search Committee has met monthly, usually over dinner, often in one another’s homes, building a strong rapport and trust. We have kept the Vestry apprised of progress and they in turn have encouraged us in our efforts.
Writing the Parish Profile was a Herculean effort. Our first draft went to the Bishop for review in June; her content revisions were most helpful as well as the suggestion that we consider professional design assistance. This latter came in the form of parishioner Alex Helfers, to whom we owe a great debt. It’s hard to understand how many revisions, proof-readings and re-revisions a committee can produce! The Diocese approved the final draft in late July and, as previously mentioned, posted on August 4. (View the Parish Profile) The application opportunity will remain open until September 29, 2023, at which point, our work of applicant review and selection will begin.
As we continue the work we will endeavor to be better, more regular communicators. Our thanks go to all in our parish community for their patience, the thoughts and suggestions that they have passed along, and for the many prayers for this effort.
Judith Stockdale & Geoff Euston, co-chairs
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ST. CHRYS’S CLOSET UPDATE Response to our newest outreach initiative, St. Chrys’s Closet, has continued to be nothing short of remarkable, both in terms of the great need that exists in the refugee community, as well as the wonderful spirit of generosity that has risen to meet it! We’re excited to share that our friends at Church of the Ascension are joining in this work, and that the physical location of this ministry will now be on their premises at 1133 N. LaSalle Drive in Chicago. We at St. Chrysostom’s will continue to support this work with both our time and resources as we have done so far during this ongoing crisis.
Please note: Donations for St. Chrys’s Closet will no longer be accepted at 1424 N. Dearborn. If you have items you’d like to donate, please contact the Parish Office (312.944.1083) Your generosity continues to be most appreciated!
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THE CHIAPAS PROJECT The Chiapas Project, a lay-led part of the Diocese of Chicago’s Companionship with the Diocese of Southwest Mexico, is an ongoing collaborative effort between four parishes: St. Chrysostom’s, Atonement, Our Savior, and Holy Comforter. Our link is with two churches in Chiapas, at San Cristobal (San Benito) and a mission church in the Mayan Highlands at Yochib (San Mateo). Our major projects now include funding a biweekly food pantry for 45 families facing food insecurity in San Cristobal, scholarships for the children, and a weekly healthcare worker who visits Yochib each Saturday.
Read the most current issue of the Chiapas Project Newsletter here!
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