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The Spirit Blows Where It Will
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by The Rev. Dr. Jason L. Parkin, Rector
Every three years, the General Convention of the Episcopal Church meets for approximately 10 days to ponder the life and ministries of the Church.What is Convention like? I cannot say, personally, never having attended. But friends and colleagues have, over the years, described the gathering with colorful, evocative words, words such as "noisy," "chaotic," "lively," "spirited," fractious," "joyful," "conflicted," "ambiguous," and the like. Sounds rather like normal, everyday life, doesn't it?
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Emanuel AME Church and the Paschal Mystery
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by Chris Hardman
Charleston and Emanuel AME Church have become signs of hope in an otherwise distressing world. Racism and sexism are still pervasive. Political stalemate still dominates our Congress. Violence still reigns in the lives of many throughout the world. And yet, God is speaking loudly in Charleston. I am still thinking about Charleston, because a miraculous thing is happening there. Read more here...
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| by Pastor Heath Howe, Family Ministries "They love you no matter what, always," shared Sidney Taylor when I asked a group of children what they thought was the best part about having grandparents. What a lovely response, and so true. Sidney's insight is yet one more reason why we are thrilled about our new ministry, Caring Across the Generations. Read more here... |
| Summer Worship Schedule 8:00am: Holy Eucharist 9:00am: Holy Eucharist in the Cloister
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child care provided
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10:15am: Holy Eucharist
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| Stephen Ministry Caring and Confidential Care |
| Confidentiality is a cornerstone of Stephen Ministry. Stephen Ministers don't reveal anything their care receiver says-and don't even tell anyone who their care receiver is. Whatever is said during a meeting between care receiver and the Stephen Minister, you can be assured whatever is shared with your Stephen Minister will keep private. Contact Fr. Jason Parkin at (847)251-6120, or Jean Britt at (84)/835-5150 for further information. |
Our hearts and our prayers go out to Hal Stewart on the death last Monday evening of his sister-in-law, Kathy Stewart. Kathy and her late husband, Jef, were connected to Holy Comforter for many years, and their deaths, coming so close together, are a source of great sorrow and loss. There will be a private family memorial service next week in the columbarium cloister. May God welcome Kathy into her eternal home in the heavenly realms, and envelop Hal with comfort, strength, and peace, this day and always.
In more joyful news, congratulations to John Dell and Mary Adams on the birth of their grandchild, Matias Finn Krech, born to John's daughter Siri and her husband Daniel. Matias was born on June 7 in Washington, D.C., and weighed in at 6 lbs, 6 oz. God's blessings be upon all three generations! Welcome, Matias.
Congratulations to Cindy Mancillas, who on Sunday, June 21, was commissioned as a Stephen Leader following her week-long intensive training in Orlando. Please keep Cindy and all Stephen Leaders and Ministers in your prayers as they continue to develop and strengthen this growing and vital ministry in our midst.
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| by The Rev. Dr. Jason L. Parkin, Rector
There are 127 churches in the Diocese of Chicago. The Diocese encompasses approximately the northern third of the state of Illinois and, as a result, comprises a wide variety of congregations. Among all of this variety, Holy Comforter stands unique in at least one aspect: we are one of only three churches in the entire Diocese-and the only non-urban parish-that celebrate the Eucharist every single day. Think about that for a moment. Every single morning, whatever the season, whatever the weather, whatever the feast, whatever the pressures of life, whatever the attendance, whatever the news of the day, whatever the mood of the world, this church begins its day in the preeminent act of worshipping and giving thanks to God.
Read more here...
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| Brief Parish Survey Coming |
| The Vestry will soon distribute to the entire parish a very brief survey asking for input on a variety of issues and questions. This survey is not anywhere near as extensive as some previous exercises have been, and will only take a few minutes to fill out. The purpose of the questionnaire is to provide the Vestry and staff with as wide a sampling as possible of parishioners' thoughts and reflections on our current worship, fellowship, formation, and outreach ministries. As one Vestry member put it, we are primarily "checking the pulse" of the parish as we seek to enhance existing programs and offerings and possibly initiate new opportunities for growth and the deepening of faith. The survey will arrive in most email inboxes very shortly, and hard copies will be mailed to those for whom we do not have an email on file. In addition, copies will be available in the parlor for the coming several weeks, and there will be a box in which completed surveys may be dropped off. All replies will be completely anonymous, whether you use the electronic version or the paper copy. Thank you in advance for your participation, honesty, and insights as together we seek to strengthen our common life! |
It's Summer and the Givin's Easy!
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| by Marc Franson, Canvass and Stewardship Chair It's summer! For some, it means vacation, relaxation, a break from the routine. The days are long and we enjoy outdoor venues for concerts, dining and even our worship. Holy Comforter remains vibrant and active during the summer. The outdoor Eucharists bring us close to nature and to our Lord. The work of the church goes on. Our doors remain open all the time. Unfortunately, during the summer months, pledge payments usually take a vacation too, a break from the routine. Read more here... |
| by Mary Johnson, Director of Children's Ministries & All Things Bright & Beautiful This year our Vacation Bible Camp is all about Heroes! While our classrooms at ATB&B have an array of Superhero costumes including Batman and Superman, it will be a little more challenging to find the costumes to represent the Heroes of the Bible that we will learn about. Noah and David and Moses will come alive for the children in the stories that are told. But if you don't have the t-shirt or the cape, can you really relate to them? Read more here... |
ASP Service Trip to Virginia
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| by Charlotte Long, Youth Ministries After many weeks of planning, scheduling, scanning, praying and phone calls... we finally have gone and returned from our Service Trip to Wise County, VA with Appalachian Service Project (ASP). On the last night of the week, ASP staff always have everyone share a "God moment" with the rest of the group. From what they shared, these seem to be the most memorable moments from the trip.. Read more here... |
Our Littlest ATB&B Lambs Present:
"Church of the Holy Comforter"
A painting made with matchbox car tracks.
The perfect way to commemorate the
20th Birthday of All Things Bright & Beautiful.
Purchase information here...
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