Hello All Souls!
I hope you have all had some wonderful adventures this summer! Visiting our sister congregations throughout July, our Children’s and Youth Religious Education program’s Summer of Spiritual Practices at home (Knitting this week, and ice cream making on September 4th!), and our watch parties in the Reeb Lobby made for wonderful experiences all around! We have had many new faces visiting All Souls over the summer and I’m certainly looking forward to seeing them meet more of our longtime congregants!
As a staff, we’re heading into fall with good spirits and a lot of excitement! Rev. Bill’s arrival has been a very welcome and has helped us focus on an area we’ve all been waiting for: Regathering! Homecoming Sunday is going to be the start of a focused effort to bring our beloved community back together, both in-person and online. The COVID number have been looking good, and while we’re still keeping a close watch on them, we’re feeling confident that we can do more in the building. Check out our one-on-one conversations as a staff, talking about what we’re looking forward to most this fall. This is your chance to be a proverbial fly on the wall…
Some highlights you have to look forward to:
Joanne Blanco, our Office and Events Manager, and her team will be resuming in-person coffee hour on Homecoming Sunday (September 11th)! The first will be held on the terrace if the weather is good (Pierce Hall if it’s raining), and we invite you all to stay after service for fellowship!
If you plan to worship with us virtually, there’s still a Zoom option. Please stay on the same Zoom link after the service to participate in our virtual coffee hour! The program staff are also meeting soon to talk about how we can continue to nourish community among our Zoom Congregants. Keep an eye out for an update on this!
Also be sure to check our Facebook page each Sunday for that week’s #ASCProvocativeQuestion! This is a chance for you to reflect on the day’s sermon and converse with others as you share your answers in the comments.
Dolores Miller, our Director of Children’s and Youth Religious Education will be leading some of our young people during a Story For All Ages during the Homecoming Service. We hope to see lots of faces of all ages in the pews for it! If you just can’t wait, you can always visit the All Souls’ YouTube Channel and check out the SFAA playlist we have of previously recorded stories. September also brings the beginning of the CYRE program – be sure to register your children!
Our music programs are hard at work this week, as choir rehearsals are beginning again! For Homecoming, we can look forward to our Festival Choir (members of all our musical ensembles performing together) sharing beautiful music. Later in September, we will be premiering a piece of music written to honor our bicentennial. Tonight, is our Homecoming Concert on the Terrace and Happy Hour, so be sure to stop in! Happy hour starts at 6:00pm, and the concert at 7:30pm.
Our social justice ministries always have something going on, so keep an eye out this fall for updates! September 25th is going to be a big day at All Souls. The Reproductive Freedom Project (Formerly Reproductive Justice) will host compassionate community after worship, in the courtyard.
If you’re new to All Souls, and you’re just not sure where to start, check out our newly reorganized Find Your Ministry and Volunteerism webpage! You’ll be able to learn more about all of the amazing ministries, programs, and committees within the church, that are building community, promoting justice, carrying out spiritual practices, and leading and governing the church itself. On October 16th, we will hold an in-person Find Your Ministry Fair, which is when you will have an opportunity to talk to some of these lay leaders in person.
To quote the Kirk Franklin song, Today:
Today, I think I feel the wind to change
I felt my last drop of rain
I believe I’m gonna be ok
Today.
We’re coming out of the storm, All Souls. We’re going to be okay, and we’re going to be together. We can’t wait to see you.
Rose Eaton
Communications Manager