All Saints Episcopal Church (and South Sudanese Congregation)

About 15 years ago, many "Lost Boys and Girls of the Sudan" came to All Saints Church.  In order to support them in education, we began yearly fund-raising to build a pot of money for education.  At the beginning the men were able to draw from the fund, but now it is important to offer funds to the women, as their lives change and they need to seek employment.  To date All Saints has raised more than $100,000 through events.  One member of the Sudanese congregation has been ordained a priest and other members are part of the Vestry.

During the annual Parade in downtown Salt Lake City All Saints clergy and parishioners participate in the Parade.  We offer a Eucharist early in the morning at a venue along the Parade route.  Other Episcopal churches are now joining us.

Adult formation opportunities include Adult Forum, All Saints Guild, Inquirers, Baptism and Confirmation classes, Lenten Bible Study, workshops for Eucharistic Ministers and Eucharistic Visitors, library, Centering Prayer, All Saints Guild programs.  Youth are formed by Sunday School, J2A, Acolyting, learning about social justice through outreach.  Many of the programs are coordinated by the Parish Coordinator.

The premier Sunday music event is the All Saints Choir.  In addition, Taizé music is offered at Vespers once a month.  Sine Nomine, an early music group with both parishioner and outside participants performs several times a year.  Occasional outside groups are the One Voice Community Choir and the Sacred Harp Singers.

In addition to Sunday Eucharistic services, there are other opportunities, such as the Men's Prayer and Breakfast group, All Saints Guild, Sudanese service, Women's Retreat, Centering Prayer, Book Club.  During Lent additional services are offered, ie, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Stations of the Cross. There is a Pastoral aspect as well, with clergy crisis care, Stephen Ministers, Eucharistic Visitors, the email prayer list, healing prayers after the Sunday Eucharist and the Memorial Garden and Columbarium.  Supporting Eucharistic opportunities is the Altar Guild.  Members make altar bread, provide us with beautiful linens and prepare us for worship.

All Saints Church has a history of welcoming support groups to our church, ie, AA, Overeaters Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous.  When a local school's classrooms were flooded, we were happy to share our Parish Hall with them.

Social opportunities at All Saints happen at Family Sunday potlucks, youth fundraisers, All Saints Guild programs, coffee hour gatherings after principal services.  The Welcome Committee and Caring Connections, as well as the ushers are a strong force to help people welcome one another. Others are Beer and Hymns group, Grounds Maintenance ministry, Shrove Tuesday supper.

Local outreach includes youth volunteering at Food Banks, "Souper Bowl" ingathering of food, the Mitten Tree project offering gloves, hats and scarfs to the homeless, Volunteers of America, advocacy at the Utah Legislature, Coalition of Religious Communities, Utahns for Religious Scholarship.  On a broader scale, we donate to the Episcopal Relief and Development Fund, diocesan causes, Society of St. Andrew; members participate in diocesan commissions, committees and councils, Parish History Project.  In 2015 All Saints members volunteered at General Convention in Salt Lake City, and in 2017 we will celebrate our 150th year of ministry in the State of Utah.

Sacred Ground is dialogue series on race, grounded in faith. Small groups are invited to walk through chapters of America’s history of race, racism, and whiteness while weaving in threads of family story, economic class, and political and regional identity. The 10-part series is built around a powerful online curriculum of documentary films and readings that focus on Indigenous, Black, Latino, and Asian/Pacific American histories as they intersect with European American histories.

Sacred Ground is a resource coming out of Becoming Beloved Community, The Episcopal Church’s long-term commitment to racial healing, reconciliation, and justice in our personal lives, our ministries, and our society. This series is especially designed to help white people talk with other white people, while being open to all racial/ethnic groups. Participants are invited to peel away the layers that have contributed to the challenges and divides of the present day – all while grounded in our call to faith, hope and love.