From the Interim

Dear Friends,

I hope you have had a chance to at least glance through the Fall Program Guide sent as a special email announcement Wednesday. It is impressive to see the number of opportunities we provide given our size and the amount of energy our various transitions demand of us.

As a community we are striving with some success to live according to the example of Jesus’ disciples and one of our baptismal promises. Following the gift of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, it is written of Jesus’ disciples, “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” (Acts 2:42)

While Sunday morning is the anchor of our communal life, there are a number of opportunities throughout the week for each of us to reconnect with God and be fed spiritually, whether that be through prayer, study, or fellowship. I encourage you to care for yourself by prioritizing engaging in at least one non-Sunday offering. Your schedule may not allow for weekly participation, and that is ok. Perhaps you could make it a goal to join in once or twice a month.

Next week I will have more to say about the two-service trial time we are going to experiment with Sept 8-Oct 13. What I invite you to start thinking about now is – given that Sunday is the primary time our congregation is together in person, what do we need to be doing then? How can we most faithfully structure our Sunday morning activities to provide our current members AND newcomers who we will welcome into our midst to be fed through our worship, education, and fellowship.

This fall promises to be a fruitful and joyful time. I am thankful for the staff and many lay leaders who offer their time and gifts to strengthen our ministries and enable us to grow into the potential God is offering for us.

Faithfully yours,

Fr. Alan

Building Project Update

We are starting a New Phase of our Building Project!

We have completed the ‘Demolition and Support’ (of the alter area) phase of the construction. Now it is time to move to the next phase of our construction: ‘Structure and Envelope.’ This phase starts with creating a wall of steel around what will be the foundation. It is called an Earth Retention System or ERS. What you will see during this process is a building slowly rising until finally the windows are installed. This should take most of the rest of the year.

The next major phase will be the ‘Interior Build-out.’ While there will be other concurrent activities this should take us to the end of June. Shortly thereafter, we will complete the process of closing out the construction. The last step is having the building turned over to us, planned for mid-July 2025! We will need lots of help to get ready for a September Program year.

Your support and generosity to make this happen is greatly appreciated, Thank you all!

Peace be with you,

Willie Cade, Junior Warden

Fall Sunday Service Schedule Begins September 8

Starting September 8, for six weeks, we will move to two Sunday services:

• 7:45am Spoken Eucharist in the Chapel
• 10:00am Eucharist with Music Ensemble at Salvatore's

• 9:00am Rector's Forum at Salvatore's
• 9:00am Sunday School at the Rectory

You can read all about the Fall Program Schedule in this recent special announcement email.

Sunday School and Youth Group Starts September 8

COS Families! September is just around the corner, and with it, the start of The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS), or, as we say more casually, Sunday School. Jr./Sr. High Youth Group will also reconvene. The first Sunday CGS and Youth Group meet will be September 8, 2024 from 9 AM - 10:30 AM, with breakfast provided at the start to kick off the new season. After Sunday School concludes, teachers will accompany their charges to Salvatore's to join in the service of Holy Eucharist, already in progress. Each student must be registered for Sunday School, so make sure to use this link to register. 

COS Sunday Experience Survey

The Sunday Experience Committee wants to hear from you! As we are preparing for a trial period of a combined 10:00 am Sunday service, we are also reflecting on the totality of our Sunday time together at COS. To help us with this reflection, we would love to have you fill out a short survey either on paper or online. Paper surveys will be available starting this Sunday, while the online survey will likewise be open for your responses here. We look forward to hearing your thoughts and hopes!

Education for Ministry (EfM)

EfM is a unique four-year small-group formation program that helps the faithful discover the Christian tradition, bringing it into conversation with their experiences of the world.

• EfM at COS will begin in the rectory on Thursday, September 12 at 7pm.
• There are still a couple of remaining slots for participant registration.
• If there are any questions, please contact one of the co-mentors: Joan Roberts or Mark Watson.
• Here is a link to the EfM website for more information: 

https://theology.sewanee.edu/education-for-ministry/

Save the Date: 20's-30's Brunch

Sunday in the Park with Lyric (and COS)

The COS social "Sunday in the Park with Lyric" was a great success. The summer heat was brutal, but the community spirit was stronger! Parishioners representing all three COS services gathered together to share appetizers, cheeses, and wines while the orchestra and soloists from Lyric Opera (including members of the Ryan Opera Center, which COS's own Salme Steinberg works tirelessly to support) serenaded us. As Lyric's season continues to change shape with contemporary trends, in addition to the standards from the operatic repertoire, emerging stars offered selections from the Great American Songbook, including a rendition of "My Kind of Town" which had the audience singing along.

Weekly Milestones at COS

Birthdays:

David Salyers, Barbara Harris, Bernie Allen, & Claire Williamson

Anniversaries:

Judy & Richard Gray

Need to update your information? Email us 

Weekly at COS

Sunday

Morning services – see top eNews

Monday

6:15pm Men's AA Group

(in the Rectory chapel)

Tuesday

10:00am Tuesday Morning Prayer

(in-person or on Zoom)

Morning Prayer Zoom Link

Morning Prayer Bulletin

September 5 at 6pm at The Arbory (2219 W. Grand Ave)

Join us at Power Hope on September 5th, a night to honor hardworking CFF volunteers and community members, while supporting the grocery delivery, healthcare, and hot meal programs that serve more than 12,000 Chicagoans every year.

Celebrate this year's Power Hope Award Winners, including COSers Mark Shields and Carol Blendowski as the The Second City’s The Rev. Jess Elfring-Roberts emcees.

VIP ticket holders will enjoy special perks like their own swag bag, whiskey tastings from Bardstown Bourbon, exclusive savory treats, and more!

Click here to buy tickets.

Jerusalem's patriarchs, heads of the churches call for urgent need to end the war

On Aug. 26, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem issued a statement calling for “the urgent need to conclude the present war, to turn from the pursuit of death and destruction towards the promotion of life and peace.”

Archbishop Hosam Naoum, primate of the Province of Jerusalem & the Middle East and bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, was among those issuing the statement.



Click here to read the full statement.

Power of Planning for the LGBT+ Community

September 5th at 12:30pm at Center on Addison (806 W. Addison St.)

We all need Advanced Planning documents -- just in case we are unable to make our own decisions. We can honor chosen family relationships and select our decision-makers instead of letting the State select one for us! Learn ways to make your wishes known, whether you have someone to appoint or not. Attend a presentation on Powers of Attorney and other advanced planning information from the Center for Disability and Elder Law (CDEL). (Meet with an experienced attorney for FREE at a future date if you qualify for services).

For questions, please contact Margaux Shields.

Save the Date: Episcopal Charities Autumn Soiree

September 27

Episcopal Charities invites members of the diocese to mark their calendars for their Autumn Soiree, an evening of spiritual inspiration and celebration, on September 27. The event will be held at Epiphany Center for the Arts in Chicago.Learn more and reserve tickets.