| Weekly Newsletter for August 20, 2026 |
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| “A Kind of Dream” by Thomas W. Schaller |
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Whatever … whatever you bind on earth is bound in heaven. Whatever you loose on earth is loosed in heaven.
This is what Jesus says to Peter, and via him to us, the whole church. It’s a staggering sharing of power between the Ruler of the Universe and a bunch of hairless primates on a random planet: You now get to make the moral law.
Why, for heaven’s sake, would God give us such enormous power?
Without an answer to that, church folks are liable to deny we have this power. We say things like: “We have to do that because the bible says so.” Or: “We’re just doing God’s will.” Or: “That’s what’s written into nature.”
This Sunday, let’s take a good, long, appreciative look at our species — what did Jesus see in Peter — and God see in us — to give us the phenomenal cosmic power to decide.
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| | Join us for Sunday morning worship online at 9:30am
Meeting ID: 842 861 148 Passcode: 414299 |
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| | Sunday bulletins are posted online every Saturday morning. |
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| Thank you to all who joined us in welcoming the Wilmot Elementary families back to school bright and early on Monday morning! It’s always a delight to welcome those nervous kiddos and their (somewhat relieved!) parents with a smile and a treat, and remind them that their StGs neighbors support them. What a joyful ministry to connect with and radiate God’s grace to the larger Deerfield community! |
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| | | | August 30 is RISE AND SHINE* Morning Prayer, Broadway Flair, Brunch to Share!
*formerly known as Mass on the Grass :)
Here’s what you need to know! We’ll worship outside (unless there’s rain!) in the garden by the entrance closest to Wilmot Rd. Look for the shade canopies! Bring: your camp chairs (if you have them, otherwise we’ll provide regular chairs!), sunscreen, sunglasses, an umbrella for shade if needed, your good humor, and your adventurous spirit! We’ll have a delicious brunch picnic following the service! Please don’t forget to bring whatever food items you may have signed up for, and leave them in the kitchen before the service. Remember that we are NOT streaming the service online... so if you’d like to attend but need a ride, please contact Kathryn ASAP.
We still need the following... let Kathryn know if
you can help out with any of these! Help moving chairs/set up canopies BEFORE the service from 8:30-9:15am Help taking down chairs/tables/canopies AFTER the brunch around 11:30am At least one more 10x10’ pop-up canopy without walls (like the ones we use in the pumpkin patch)... do you have one we can borrow? :)
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| | St. Gregory’s Day & Ministry Fair: Explore, Engage, Enroll!
Where will you find your joy in our community this year? Join us in Founder’s Hall on September 13th right after church for our Ministry Fair as we gather to celebrate St. Gregory’s Day. Talk with ministry representatives, check time commitments, and celebrate our shared mission by finding a way to serve that feeds your soul while lifting up our Deerfield and surrounding communities.
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| | Call for Prayground Shepherds!
We could use a few more Prayground Shepherds to add into the rotation, so if you’re interested in hanging out with the kiddos in the Prayground during the service, helping gently nudge them into the gospel procession, and generally being an aid to the families as needed during the service (pointing them to the cry room/downstairs bathroom, etc), please reach out to Dan! |
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| | Coming Sept 20: Sunday Morning Spiritual Growth Classes Begin Again!
Based on your Big Questions and the common themes that emerged, we collected this summer, here are the series you can look forward to this next Program Year! (This schedule is subject to change. Children’s topics coming soon.) Sept 20 & 27: How Do I Invite People to Church? Getting clear on our purpose at StGs, and how we can use our own stories to empower us for personal invitations
Oct 11,18,25: When Loving Thy Neighbor is Driving You Nuts Faith-based skills for transcending tired debates and grudges, and transforming relationships and public spaces
Nov 8,15,22: It’s the End of the World As We Know It! (and we feel fine?) Exploring the idea of the end of the world in the Bible and Christian theology... and using this framework to avoid disaster.
Jan 10,17,24,31: Do I Have Enough _______? ... Time... Money... Energy... Faith...
Feb 21,28, Mar 7,14: Fighting Evil: Just Tell the Story This Lent, we intentionally develop skills for storytelling, which we will then practice at the Easter Vigil. Storytelling is the Church’s first and most effective tool in fighting evil and navigating a conflicted world.
Apr 4,11,18,25, May 2,9: O Death, Where Is Thy Sting? In the season of Resurrection, we explore dying, death, and the afterlife through theology, the Bible, and practical planning tools for your own final days
May 23, 30, June 13,20: What Does it Mean to be Human? Many hot-button issues these days – artificial intelligence, sexuality, race – might come down to this most basic and perhaps biggest question of all.
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| | August 23 is next Community Meals!
A huge thanks to the 6 volunteers who stepped up to help this Sunday in Waukegan! Please consider volunteering at our next slot on September 27th. Please sign up in the Sign Up Center or… |
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| | Trinity Church Rummage Sale
Our friends at Trinity Church in Highland Park are getting ready to hold their annual Rummage Sale! If your spring cleaning has been lagging into summer cleaning, this is a great opportunity to help your too-good-to-throw items find new homes!
Item drop off: every Saturday from 9am-12pm Rummage sale: Fri, Aug 28 from 7am-5pm Rummage sale: Sat, Aug 29 from 8am-2pm |
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| | New Voices in the Choir!
Have you noticed some new faces on the choir risers lately? Please meet our new bass section leader, Ivo Suarez! While we’ll still see our friend Ryan Wolfe when possible, his opera engagements are pulling him all over the country year-round now... and we prefer having a full quartet as often as possible. So please give Ivo (pronounced EE-voh) a warm StGs welcome! :) He’s probably a familiar face at StGs by now, having sung many a service with us in the past, and he and Kathryn have been singing together in various gigs throughout Chicago for many years... but most recently in the exciting new group Chroma! And speaking of Chroma...
We’re sure you’ve been enjoying the lovely voice of LaRob K. Rafael, our primary bass sub this summer! You might know him better as the founder of Hearing in Color (a Chicago non-profit that amplifies historically excluded voices in classical music), or from Sounds Classical on WFMT. LaRob is the Founder and Artistic Director of Chroma, Hearing in Color’s new resident chamber vocal ensemble. LaRob, Ivo, and Kathryn all sing in that choir together, and we have several performances of our latest concert, We the People (a dynamic concert about belonging and justice) coming up this fall! If you’d like to attend, join us at any of the
following FREE performances: Wed, Sept 2 from 6-7:30pm at West Ridge Nature Park (An immersive outdoor experiences, with songs at different locations in the park along Illinois native plants and peaceful waterside views!) Sat, Sept 19 from 3-4:30pm at Dunbar Park (Bring your lawn chairs and picnic blankets!) Fri, Oct 16 from 6-7:30pm at Douglass Park’s Cultural & Community Center (An indoor concert with a special opening performance from Ravinia’s Lawndale Family Music School Adult Choir!)
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| | | | | Coffee with Dan on Mondays
Have something weighing on your heart, mind, or spirit? Want to connect more deeply with Dan? Not sure exactly what you want to talk about? It’s all good. No RSVP, no appointment needed. Drop-in to the Starbucks at Deerfield & Waukegan every Monday from 3-6pm. As always, he’s also available by appointment on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Sunday afternoons. Send him an email to schedule!
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| | Midweek Prayer Every Wednesday | 8:00am
Need a midweek spiritual boost? Join a lovely small group of folks who gather online every week for spiritual renewal and to pray intentionally for everyone in our community who is in need. |
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| | Meeting ID: 750 552 357
Password: 587299 |
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| | Common Threads Second Tuesday of the month | 7:00pm
Bring a new or ongoing craft project to work on while you enjoy fun and fellowship with other parishioners in the newly revamped Parker Room at StGs. Whatever your craft - whether your medium is knitting, embroidery, painting, calligraphy, etc - and whatever your skill level, all are welcome! Please reach out to Kathryn at kathryn@stgregoryschurch.org to get on the mailing list! |
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| | Book ClubWed, September 16 | 7:30pm *we’re moving it a half hour later due to some of our members doing EfM on Wednesdays as well!
September 16: Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
Hamnet is a 2020 historical fiction novel by Maggie O'Farrell that reimagines the life and death of William Shakespeare's son, Hamnet, who died at age 11 from the plague, and the profound grief it caused his family, particularly his mother, Agnes (Anne Hathaway). The book explores the marriage of William and Agnes, the bond between the twins Hamnet and Judith, and how the family's tragedy may have inspired Shakespeare's play Hamlet, focusing on the mother's perspective and the devastating impact of the plague.
Upcoming reads… October 21: Daughter of Egypt by Marie Benedict November 18: Brighter Than Her Fears by Lisa Ard |
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| | Meeting ID: 817 1184 3180
Passcode: 893734 |
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| | | | | For healing in mind, body, or spirit: Jill Bill Foltz
In thanksgiving for…
For the departed…
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| | | | | | | | | | Announcements are for church-related matters only. Deadline for announcements is Monday at noon. Please send announcements to Kathryn Kinjo Duncan. |
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