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FATHER MARK’S ANNOUNCEMENTS 1) Daughters of the King is an Episcopal women’s group devoted to the study and practice of prayer within a local small group setting. Call Beth McKibbin at (308) 641-3993 for more information or to join. The time commitment is minimal but the rewards for individuals and for the parish are immense. I am strongly encouraging the women of this parish to take a look at this. It is life- changing and parish-changing. I know this for a fact. 2) WE DID IT! After a year of COVID restrictions and online-only worship, we had an extremely successful and moving Holy Week and Easter gathering both online and in-person, and it was spectacular to be back together with you again! Thank you so much to everyone who made these services so special — our administrative staff, assisting clergy, musicians, acolytes, readers/intercessors, eucharistic ministers, ushers, A/V techs, cleaning crew, and, of course, those who attended and participated at home or her at the church. It’s been a long, long season of isolation and disappointment, but we are moving toward a new and glorious future that is only now becoming clear. I am excited for this parish! 3) Recent 7-day moving average number of local cases is at 5 — the lowest I have seen since tracking it. Let’s hope this trend continues. Get your vaccines, keep masking and distancing. We are finding a new normal, and it seems pretty good. 4) For the past year we haven’t had any in-person programs, but that’s about to change. In a few weeks I plan to return to in-person bible study with one or more groups, while keeping at least one online zoom study that has included some from outside our region. I think this new hybrid model will be important in programs as well as worship. More announcements on this later in April. 5) If you or your child volunteers in any role on Sundays for worship, we will continue to manually schedule these roles through April, but later in the month will go back to sending electronic requests for availability and scheduling volunteers through our online Ministry Scheduler Plus (MSP) program. So watch for that email somewhere around the April 15th and be sure to put in your availability for May. Just one more way things are returning to normal in this parish. 6) The Bishops’s Visitation is Wednesday, May 19th and we will celebrate Holy Eucharist that evening at 6:00 P.M. If you or your youth are planning to be Confirmed or Received this year, please make sure Gina or I have your name on our list of candidates. Right now I have Beth M., Gary and Karen L., and Linda R. as adults, and Max M., Nate K., Victoria S., and Elliot S., as youth. Am I missing anyone?  Happy Birthday!! Ann Peterson April 8 Hadlee McKeehan April 10 Barb Manasek April 14 LOST AND FOUND Found – A case for glasses was found after the Maundy Thursday Service. Lost – A single key on a keychain with silver decoration. Prayer Requests ** Please make sure your request is received by Wednesday of each week. You may call (308)632-4626 (leave a message), email stfrancis@allophone.com or mail to: St. Francis Episcopal Church P.O. Box 1201 Scottsbluff, NE 69361 Forward Day by Day Booklets We still have some of the Forward Day by Day’s for February, March & April in regular and large print. We just received the Forward Day by Day’s for May, June and July in regular and large print. If you would like any of these mailed to you, please email or call the church. NATIONAL ALL IS OURS DAY – APRIL 8 Observed each year on April 8th, National All Is Ours Day takes us along three views of appreciation. Either celebrate both approaches to the day or pick the one that best suits you. The first approach to the day can be looked at as a time to reflect on all of the beauty of nature and all the wonderful things in life. Rarely do we have the time to explore all that nature offers us. Something as simple as the variety of birds that inhabit a local park or backyard can surprise us. Venturing further out, we can discover our National Parks or trail system. Whether we look up to the skies or closer at the new spring blooms, taking in our surroundings is a spectacular gift to enjoy. The second way to celebrate the day is by appreciating everything we have. Even when we don’t have much, what we do have is a blessing. This approach encourages counting those blessings and avoiding thinking about the things we do not have. A third way to view the day is by sharing all that we have. Regardless of what we have, sharing it seems to make tough times easier when we all work together. The greatest times and the greatest things in life are those that are shared. No matter which approach you take to celebrating the day, it’s an excellent way to refocus negative energy into a positive purpose. Enjoy the beauty that belongs to everyone, count those blessings or share all you have to make tough times easier.  FATHER MARK’S ANNOUNCEMENTS 1) Tonight we begin our 3-day service marking the last night, final day, and first morning of the Passion of the Christ. All of us growing up came to know and anticipate the joy of Easter Morning in our homes. It would be years before I understood that as meaningful and joyous it was to celebrate the day with eggs and baskets and candy, there was a deeper spiritual joy that comes from the memory and the mystery of the empty tomb. Again, it was many more years later that I first entered into that mystery through the church celebration of the Triduum — Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Great Vigil of Easter — where I heard the stories read and felt the great impact of taking them seriously. If you want to join me in this moving annual event, come to church tonight at 6:00 P.M., and come back tomorrow at noon or 6:00 and then Saturday night or Sunday morning. You will be amazed at how differently you see and experience Easter. 2) Speaking of Easter Morning — since seating in the sanctuary is still limited to 50 or so, it might be best to consider taking advantage of the Saturday night Vigil or the early 8:00 A.M. service, both of which will not be full to capacity. If you plan to come at 10:00 A.M. Sunday, I would advise arriving a little earlier than usual. There will be overflow seating in the parish hall in any event. 3) As we start to think about further re-openings in our church, the first areas on our minds are those which can be done safely by small groups in large areas. Bible Studies and discussion groups will start to regather soon, probably in the parish hall, as will other meetings of groups, teams, and guilds. Obviously zoom meetings will continue to be an option for any groups who find that best. At this point, we are thinking Youth Group, Godly Play, and Nursery will not regather until Fall. 4) While we plan which groups and meetings to restart, we are also committing to a number of new ideas and projects focused on the community and outreach. Watch for more information on those things in the weeks and months to come. Overall, it feels like we are in a good place and should rest here for a bit before moving forward. This is what progress feels like, and I am deeply grateful for it. 5) Our Wednesday Sandwich Ministry is growing — in the past several months we have seen more and more demand and we are now running out of sandwiches in fifteen minutes. So we have decided to up our number to 50 bag lunches every other week. Thanks so much to our great volunteers who shop, make the lunches, and distribute them every other week. If you’d like to help, call Gina and she’ll get you connected. 6) The Bishop will be here and we will celebrate Holy Eucharist in the church Wednesday evening, May 19th, at 6:00 P.M. He will be Confirming and Receiving candidates at that time, so if you would like to be Confirmed (or Received if you were Confirmed in another tradition) please let Gina or myself know ASAP. There is still time to get you on the list. 7) Many thanks to Rick Anderson and Steve Shaw, who built our new flower tables in the sanctuary. You’ll be able to enjoy them this Sunday as they will be holding beautiful Easter Lillies.  GINA’S ANNOUNCEMENTS
Happy Birthday!! Dan Dickinson April 1 Dante Anderson-Saenz April 3 Scott Harvey April 4 Prayer Requests ** Please make sure your request is received by Wednesday of each week. You may call (308)632-4626 (leave a message), email stfrancis@allophone.com or mail to: St. Francis Episcopal Church P.O. Box 1201 Scottsbluff, NE 69361 Forward Day by Day Booklets We still have some of the Forward Day by Day’s for February, March & April in regular and large print. We just received the Forward Day by Day’s for May, June and July in regular and large print. If you would like any of these mailed to you, please email or call the church. DAUGHTERS OF THE KING This is a National Group of Episcopal Women who commit to pray and work regularly for the mission and ministries of their local parish and the wider church. I have personally seen the fruits of having a DOK Chapter – both for the parish and for the women involved – and so am very happy to announce a diocesan discernment/training to be offered via Zoom by Omaha members Sandra Squires and Carol Ott. Our own Beth McKibbon. Beth leads our small but growing DOK group and will be your local contact. Here is the information about the meetings: “Discernment classes will meet 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Monday mornings starting April 5. Sandra will start promptly at 10 a.m. If someone needs assistance with joining Zoom, Sandra or Carol Ott will practice with them before April 5th. The meeting dates are: April 5, 19, 26, May 3,17, 24, June 7, 21 (Note that there will not be sessions on April 12 and May 10, and May 31 which is Memorial Day.)” For more information you can email Beth at bethmckibbin@yahoo.com APRIL FOOLS’ DAY HISTORY We would be fools to think we knew precisely when April Fools’ Day was originally celebrated. However, April Fools' Day shares similarities with other days full of fools, tricks, and merry-making. Some believe the day is celebrated in honor of the trickery Mother Nature plays on us this time of year with her unpredictable weather. Another possible connection is the Indian tradition of Holi. The day is celebrated on March 31st and practices the same foolery as April Fools’ Day. So does the Roman festival of Hilaria which was celebrated on March 25th. The earliest known reference to April Fools’ Day is in Chaucer’s 1392 Nun’s Priest’s Tale. Even so, the reference is so vague, and possibly not even occurring on the first of April, leaving doubt as to whether it is the first reference. Other scholars point to the reformation of the calendar by Pope Gregory and the Gregorian calendar we used today in the 1500s in France. The new year would take place in April, not January as it does now. The theory is that those who continued to celebrate the new year on April 1st were called Poisson d’Avril (April fish) and pranks would be played on them. In 1582, France accepted the Gregorian calendar, but reforms had already been taking place. In Britain in 1776, there is a clear and reliable reference to April foolishness in an article in Gentlemans Magazine. Reference to a custom in the kingdom of making fools of people on the first day of April. It addresses the day being the culmination of an eight-day feast and the beginning of a new year. Noted Foolery Newspapers, television, radio and social media have had their fun on April Fools’ Day. Check out all this April 1 foolishness:
early soon realized who the donkeys on display really were.
publications of the first-ever published picture of a real flying saucer.
Gina’s Office Hours Tuesday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Wednesday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.  FATHER MARK’S ANNOUNCEMENTS 1) UTO Boxes – It’s time to gather in our blue UTO boxes! Please bring them to church on Easter Sunday or any Sunday in April and we will get those donations to the National Church United Thank Offering office. Thank you so much in advance to everyone who has faithfully donated to this charity once again this year. This is a ministry that has a great impact on the church over the years and continues to build and support local ministries across The Episcopal Church. 2) Bereavement Group — Beginning April 22, Linda Rock will lead a 4- week bereavement group open to anyone who has lost a loved on in the past two years. Click here https://saintf.breezechms.com/form/d28198 or go to our website for more information and to sign-up. I cannot recommend this highly enough. Linda is truly an expert in this field, and this will be a world-class seminar and group. 3) Speaking of World-Class, Rae Whitney was the subject of a recent Episcopal Church Women presentation by Marty Burnett titled Hope, Joy, and Wonder: The Hymns of Rae E. Whitney. If you missed it, you can watch the full program here: https://youtu.be/yyiIDYe0Owk 4) This Sunday we resume our 8:00A.M. Worship Service! This is Palm Sunday, and I am so happy to announce that we're adding back our 8:00 service! One note — we will begin in the Sanctuary and not the Parish Hall, and you will pick up your palms on the way in. Come back to church and celebrate together as we begin our Holy Week Services. 5) Once again our Holy Week Schedule will be: Palm Sunday 8:00 & 10:00 A.M. Maundy Thursday 6:00 P.M. Good Friday 12:00 & 6:00 P.M. Great Vigil (Sat) 8:00 P.M. Easter Sunday 8:00 & 10:00 A.M. 6) Don’t forget to sign up for the Diocesan Program “Sacred Ground” by going to the Diocese of Nebraska website https://www.episcopal-ne.org and using the “Registration” link. I haven’t said enough about this program yet, but I absolutely want everyone in the parish to participate. Racial issues have been a part of all of our lives for the entirety of our lives. This program won’t solve these issues for you or me or our country, but it is a beginning of a new conversation that may lead us in a new direction toward new understandings. I urge you in the strongest terms to sign-up and participate.  GINA’S ANNOUNCEMENTS Happy Birthday!! Patty Clown Horse March 25 Eain Peterson March 26 Melissa Moreno March 28 Gretchen Traw March 30 Prayer Requests ** Please make sure your request is received by Wednesday of each week. You may call (308)632-4626 (leave a message), email stfrancis@allophone.com or mail to: St. Francis Episcopal Church P.O. Box 1201 Scottsbluff, NE 69361 It’s time to sign-up for Easter Lilies. If you would like to donate this year, you can do so by calling the office and letting Gina know, or you can use this online form. The cost is $25. https://saintf.breezechms.com/form/49ab43 DAUGHTERS OF THE KING This is a National Group of Episcopal Women who commit to pray and work regularly for the mission and ministries of their local parish and the wider church. I have personally seen the fruits of having a DOK Chapter – both for the parish and for the women involved – and so am very happy to announce a diocesan discernment/training to be offered via Zoom by Omaha members Sandra Squires and Carol Ott. Our own Beth McKibbon Beth leads our small but growing DOK group and will be your local contact. Here is the information about the meetings: “Discernment classes will meet 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Monday mornings starting April 5. Sandra will start promptly at 10 a.m. If someone needs assistance with joining Zoom, Sandra or Carol Ott will practice with them before April 5th. The meeting dates are: April 5, 19, 26, May 3,17, 24, June 7, 21 (Note that there will not be sessions on April 12 and May 10, and May 31 which is Memorial Day.)” For more information you can email Beth at bethmckibbin@yahoo.com  NATIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR DAY – MARCH 25TH National Medal of Honor Day on March 25th recognizes all Medal of Honor recipients. On March 25, 1863, Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton presented the first Medals of Honor (Army) to six members of “Andrews Raiders” for their volunteering and participation during an American Civil War raid in April of 1862. Created in 1861, the Medal of Honor is the United States of America’s highest military honor. It is awarded only to US military personnel by the President of the United States in the name of Congress for personal acts of valor above and beyond the call of duty. There are three versions of the Medal of Honor; one for the Army, one for the Navy and one for the Air Force, with personnel of the Marine Corps and the Coast Guard receiving the Navy version. Since its creation, there have been 3,468 Medals of Honor awarded to the country’s soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and coastguardsmen. Gina’s Office Hours Tuesday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Wednesday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Bereavement Support Group to Begin Meeting in Scottsbluff Linda Rock, BA in sociology and psychology from Central Michigan University will be hosting a 4-week bereavement support group on consecutive Thursday evenings beginning April 22nd 6:30 – 7:30 P.M. at St. Francis Episcopal Church in Scottsbluff. Linda has over 34 years experience developing, leading and sustaining Hospice and Palliative Care programs and providing bereavement support. If you have experienced the death of a loved one in the past 2 years we welcome your participation. Participants will use various resources mixed with teaching and conversation to cover areas of grief and loss. Group size is limited to 15. Masks and distancing encouraged. Register now by calling St. Francis Episcopal Church at 308-632-4626 or by clicking on this link. https://saintf.breezechms.com/form/d28198 There is no fee for these group sessions. What: Bereavement Support Group When: Begins Thursday, April 22nd 6:30 P.M. and runs four consecutive Thursdays. Where: St. Francis Episcopal Church 14 E. 20th St. Scottsbluff, NE Parking in back or front of church. Who: The group is open to any one who has experienced the death of a loved one in the past 2 years. Contact: St. Francis (308) 632-4626 Tues-Wed-Thurs 9a-1p Cost: Free FATHER MARK’S ANNOUNCEMENTS 1) The Bishop is Coming! Great news this week that the Bishop and Canon are resuming annual visitations where possible, and are coming to the Panhandle in May! Our Visitation will be Wednesday evening, May 19th, and we will plan to have a celebration of Holy Eucharist with Confirmations. I will be reaching out to the parents of youth who are prepared for Confirmation, and invite any adults who would like to be Baptized, Confirmed, or Received (if confirmed in another tradition) to call or email me and we can get it set-up for that evening. 2) More good news from the Diocese — it looks like Camp Canterbury will go forward this year in some form, and possibly in-person. Right now I know the week will be July 19-23, so put that on your calendars for sure. Next step is the Camp Director will be reaching out to families to gauge their comfort with in- person vs virtual camp. This year Camp Canterbury is open to grades 6-12, including graduating seniors. Watch for more news soon on this. 3) Palm Sunday is March 28th, and on this day we will return to two Sunday services — 8:00 & 10:00 A.M. Keeping our safety precautions in place, we will begin with the Liturgy of the Palms in the sanctuary, and not the parish hall. Palms will be in the pews and/or available as you enter and take your seat, and we won’t process. This is not perfect, but it is good and I am thankful we are able to do this much. It’s progress! 4) Our Holy Week Worship Schedule will be the same as years past, even while the services will look slightly different. We will gather together for the three day service (Triduum) at these times: 1) Maundy Thursday 6:00 PM 2) Good Friday 12:00 & 6:00 PM 3) Great Vigil (Sat) 8:00 PM -or- Easter Sunday 8:00 & 10:00 AM 5) A family in the church is looking to buy a dependable used vehicle and have $1,200 to spend. If you or anyone you know has a car or van that meets those criteria, can you let the office know and we will put this family in contact with the seller? 6) Next week I should have more news about programs and activities we are starting to put back in place. Things will look different here for some time yet, but with vaccinations increasing and cases holding steady, we are seeing some rebuilding opportunities. Your favorite thing may not be among the first to return, but you may find something new to try. We are open to new ideas for sure!  GINA’S ANNOUNCEMENTS Happy Birthday!! Colleen Kelly March 23 It’s time to sign-up for Easter Lilies.If you would like to donate this year, you can do so by calling the office and letting Gina know, or you can use this online form. The cost is $25. https://saintf.breezechms.com/form/49ab43  Prayer Requests ** Please make sure your request is received by
Wednesday of each week. You may call (308)632-4626 (leave a message), email stfrancis@allophone.com or mail to: St. Francis Episcopal Church P.O. Box 1201 Scottsbluff, NE 69361 UNITED THANK OFFERING – OUR LEGACY Do you write thank you notes? It is a small gift of kindness, showing gratitude. It is important to practice kindness whenever you can. Kindness affects everything in its path. When we do something small, without hope of recognition, it is noticed. It is the small kindness we share with each other that acts as a connector in our broken and hurting world. A suggested thought would be to think about what gratitude means to you and how far will you extend yourself to connect with others in saying thank you. DAUGHTERS OF THE KING This is a National Group of Episcopal Women who commit to pray and work regularly for the mission and ministries of their local parish and the wider church. I have personally seen the fruits of having a DOK Chapter – both for the parish and for the women involved – and so am very happy to announce a diocesan discernment/training to be offered via Zoom by Omaha members Sandra Squires and Carol Ott. Our own Beth McKibbon Beth leads our small but growing DOK group and will be your local contact. Here is the information about the meetings: “Discernment classes will meet 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Monday mornings starting April 5. Sandra will start promptly at 10 a.m. If someone needs assistance with joining Zoom, Sandra or Carol Ott will practice with them before April 5th. The meeting dates are: April 5, 19, 26, May 3,17, 24, June 7, 21 (Note that there will not be sessions on April 12 and May 10, and May 31 which is Memorial Day.)” For more information you can email Beth at bethmckibbin@yahoo.com Gina’s Office Hours Tuesday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (In Office) Wednesday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (In Office) Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (In Office) FATHER MARK’S ANNOUNCEMENTS 1) Yes, there is a big storm a-brewin’ and it’s expected to hit us this Saturday and Sunday. They are talking about snowfall in terms of feet, not inches in some places, so…yikes? Here’s what we will do at St. Francis about Sunday worship: There WILL be an in-person service Sunday, March 14th at 10:00 A.M. This doesn’t mean you have to attend. In fact, I strongly suggest you not attend if the amount of snow is as big as predicted and the winds pick up. Please stay home and stay safe and stay warm and don’t take any unnecessary risks. However, I will be here and the doors will be open. In the likely event our A/V Coordinator is snowed in, I am learning today how to turn on and focus the equipment for a simplified online stream. Provided I can learn it and do it Sunday morning, there will be a livestreamed service as usual and you should be able to access it just as you have been. I suppose it’s possible that I won’t be able to get it to work on Sunday, and if that’s the case, we will just punt. No matter what you do, don’t forget that Daylight Savings Time begins this Sunday, so church will be at 10:00 but it is 9:00 if you forget to change your clocks. 2) The Diocese of Nebraska is committed to conversations and movement around race in America – that is, working toward understanding and growth and healing and action to make God’s love more fully present in all of our communities. The name of the program we are using is Sacred Ground – “a 10- part series 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. It is focused on the challenges that swirl around issues of race and racism, as well as the difficult but respectful and transformative dialogue we need to have with each other about them.” The local contact is our own Mai Lee Olsen who attends Church of the Good Shepherd in Harrisburg. You will be asked to be a part of a small group doing this work and study. Watch for more information soon. 3) It’s time to sign-up for Easter Lilies. If you would like to donate this year, you can do so by calling the office and letting Gina know, or you can use this online form. The cost is $25. https://saintf.breezechms.com/form/49ab43  GINA’S ANNOUNCEMENTS Happy Birthday!! Jennifer Schilke March 11 Charlie Selzer March 11 Cricket Simmons March 13 ***Don’t forget to change your clocks forward 1 hour and enjoy an extra hour of Sunshine!!***  It’s time to sign-up for Easter Lilies. If you would like to donate this year, you can do so by calling the office and letting Gina know, or you can use this online form. The cost is $25. https://saintf.breezechms.com/form/49ab43 Prayer Requests ** Please make sure your request is received by Wednesday of each week. You may call (308)632-4626 (leave a message), email stfrancis@allophone.com or mail to: St. Francis Episcopal Church P.O. Box 1201 Scottsbluff, NE 69361  UNITED THANK OFFERING – OUR LEGACY
It's more than the Little Blue Box of United Thank Offering. Did you stop to consider that blessings flow from the little UTO Box - including grants to expand the churches faithfulness to God's mission? We think we are only one person and we say "what can my small gift accomplish?" Daughters of the King has a motto "I am but one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. What I can do, I ought to do. What I ought to do, by the Grace of God I will do. Lord, what will you have me do" Follow your conscience. DAUGHTERS OF THE KING This is a National Group of Episcopal Women who commit to pray and work regularly for the mission and ministries of their local parish and the wider church. I have personally seen the fruits of having a DOK Chapter – both for the parish and for the women involved – and so am very happy to announce a diocesan discernment/training to be offered via Zoom by Omaha members Sandra Squires and Carol Ott. Our own Beth McKibbon Beth leads our small but growing DOK group and will be your local contact. Here is the information about the meetings: “Discernment classes will meet 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Monday mornings starting April 5. Sandra will start promptly at 10 a.m. If someone needs assistance with joining Zoom, Sandra or Carol Ott will practice with them before April 5th. The meeting dates are: April 5, 19, 26, May 3,17, 24, June 7, 21 (Note that there will not be sessions on April 12 and May 10, and May 31 which is Memorial Day.)” For more information you can email Beth at bethmckibbin@yahoo.com ANNOUNCING AN IMPORTANT DIOCESE-WIDE CONVERSATION Beginning in April of this year, the people of DioNeb are invited to join us for Sacred Ground, a film and reading based dialogue series on race, grounded in faith! Sacred Ground is a 10-part series 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. It is focused on the challenges that swirl around issues of race and racism, as well as the difficult but respectful and transformative dialogue we need to have with each other about them. Sacred Ground is part 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 open to all, as especially designed to help white people. 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. PLEASE NOTE: that while this study is designed for white people, we encourage people of color to join the study. Please monitor the Ministry Memo email for more announcements and when registration opens on March 12th, please sign up to participate and encourage others to do the same. For more information contact Lesley Dean lesleydean5403@gmail.com or Noelle Ptomey nptomey@yahoo.com or visit the Sacred Ground Webpage for an overview of the program. This study series has the power and potential to transform our communities. Please join us! Noelle Ptomey Gina’s Office Hours Tuesday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (In Office) Wednesday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (In Office) Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (In Office) FATHER MARK’S ANNOUNCEMENTS 1) So far so good on our local COVID-19 cases! The three counties we serve have a 7-day total average of 11, and so in-person worship continues! Last week we had 45 in attendance and were able to keep everyone safely distanced. This is about the right number for one service, so we will continue to track it and when enough folks are interested in attending in-person — and enough folks are willing to volunteer to usher, read, lead prayers, and acolyte — we will add back our 8:00 service. Won’t that be something?? 2) Speaking of volunteers — we are looking for some folks to work on a project we’re calling “Planning for our Post-Pandemic Parish” — a fancy title for a simple idea; “What should we be doing to get our feet back under us as things start to open back up?" What programs do we need to restart or create? What groups do we need to form or re-form? What events do we want to hold? How do we want to get back out into the community? How can we promote the church? How can we invite and engage new people? All these questions and more. This small group could meet anytime/anywhere/online or in-person, as many or as few times as needed, but it's definitely time to start this work. You can help. Volunteer to be a part of this group by calling or emailing the office and Fr. Mark will contact you to set up the first meeting. 3) UTO Boxes are here! “What’s a UTO box” you might ask? Well, they’re those little blue boxes that you put your change into during Lent and we then collect and send to the national Episcopal Church Women’s office to distribute in mission and ministry grants. If you are attending in-person this week, you can pick you box up in the narthex. “What’s a narthex" you might ask? Hahahah! It’s Episcopal for front entryway. Doesn’t “narthex” sound more churchy though? :) If you prefer, you can stop by and pick yours up in the office next week, or Gina can even mail one (or more) to you.  GINA’S ANNOUNCEMENTS
Happy Birthday!! Tyne Jackson February 26 Jack Schaaf March 2 Aunna Taylor February 26 Mark Selvey March 2 Erin Cawiezel March 3 Prayer Requests ** Please make sure your request is received by Wednesday of each week. You may call (308)632-4626 (leave a message), email stfrancis@allophone.com or mail to: St. Francis Episcopal Church P.O. Box 1201 Scottsbluff, NE 69361 UNITED THANK OFFERING – OUR LEGACY Julia Chester Emery founded the United Thank Offering in 1889 and the legacy continues to this day. Julia was born September 24, 1852, the daughter of Captain Charles Emery, sea captain and devout Episcopalian. He and his wife, Susan, had 11 children, the majority of whom distinguished themselves in religious service. Julia died on January 9, 1922. She was canonized in 1997 and her Feast Day is celebrated on January 9. During the four decades as National Secretary of the Women’s Auxiliary, (now Episcopal Church Women), Julia visited every diocese in the United States coordinating and encouraging work in support of missions. She began the United Thank Offering to show the connection between giving thanks and giving money, united sharing and praying. Every woman was given a Blue Box in which to place coins with every thankful prayer. Julia was a visionary who dreamed what the Auxiliary could do in the foreign and domestic mission field by gathering these coins and presenting them to national headquarters to be used for mission work throughout the world. Today the Blue Box gives the opportunity for all members of the family to give thanks for their blessings each day. It is important to teach our children the discipline of saying a prayer of thanksgiving and making an offering. Did you know that some of that money was used for Beecher Hall in Mitchell? Your coins and mine are joined with those from all over the world - each coin important, each prayer remembered. The integrity of the United Thank Offering has not changed. The legacy continues. Gina’s Office Hours Tuesday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (In Office) Wednesday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (In Office) Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (In Office)  1. Today is Shrove Tuesday – the day the church has set aside to
prepare for Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. For reasons that are not entirely clear to 21st century American Christians, much of the Church has centered its remembrance this day around pancakes :) If you're interested, here's a link to a good article https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrove_Tuesday Like lots of other stuff, COVID keeps us from sharing pancakes together in the church this year, but nothing says you can't whip up a big old stack smothered in butter and syrup for yourself and go to town on those cakes, or whatever you feel is so decadent that it might not be appropriate for the season of Lent. Once a year the church encourages you to just go ahead and get it all out of your system (I'm thinking Perkins here, though, not Mardi Gras)! 2. Tomorrow Lent begins with Ash Wednesday services. We will hold two in-person services, at 12:00 & 6:00 P.M., both with Imposition of Ashes and Holy Communion, done as safely as we can imagine. Masks and distancing will be required. The 12:00 P.M. service will be livestreamed for those who prefer to attend that way, with drive-through ashes and communion immediately following in the back parking lot. 3. As promised, I will include in the Thursday announcements our recent COVID-19 case numbers, and in looks very much like we will be able to reopen for Sunday worship. Watch for the Thursday email for final word on that. 4. As we begin to regather in the church, our volunteer schedules will need to be restarted. Cory and Gina will be creating the February assignments by hand, but soon you will again receive notifications from our scheduling program (MSP) program and be asked to submit your availability as before. More to come on that. FATHER MARK’S ANNOUNCEMENTS 1) Ash Wednesday Services will be held in-person in the church, at 12:00 and 6:00 P.M., with Imposition of Ashes and Holy Communion, both done as safely as we can imagine. Masks and distancing will be required, but it is a great blessing to be able once again to gather with you in person and celebrate the great liturgy and sacrament of the church. 2) This Sunday tune in to our Facebook page or our website at 10:00 A.M. as usual, and you will be treated to a diocesan-wide Holy Eucharist with the Bishop presiding and preaching! This is a rare chance to be with Episcopalians across the diocese in worship, prayer, and celebration. There will not be drive-through communion, however, as the service will not be occurring here at the parish. 3) HOWEVER! The good news of the local COVID-19 trends is that as of yesterday we are two weeks under 20cases/100k population, which means if things hold we will be able to resume in-person worship on Sunday, Feb 21st. That is still a hope until we see next week’s results, but I am very optimistic. Here is a copy of the weekly trend graph we compile and use.  GINA’S ANNOUNCEMENTS Happy Birthday!! Happy Anniversary Devon Parrish February 12 Charlie & Gloria Kennedy February 11 Gina Swanson February 12 Larry Jackson February 13 Sarah Schaaf February 15 Stacy Bach February 17 Prayer Requests ** Please make sure your request is received by Wednesday of each week. You may call (308)632-4626 (leave a message), email stfrancis@allophone.com or mail to: St. Francis Episcopal Church P.O. Box 1201 Scottsbluff, NE 69361 *** I thought that I would continue the encouraging quotes this week. As it gets closer to the time that all will be able to able to come together, I find that it makes us anxious because we want it now. We don’t want to be patient, we want to see familiar faces and hear familiar voices, and we also want to make sure everyone we see and hear are safe and healthy. Such a confusing time emotionally. I believe all will be well and will happen in God’s time. So we must be patient and we must believe that God has a plan. ***   FATHER MARK’S ANNOUNCEMENTS 1) Last night our re-opening task force (Mo. Karen, Fr. Bob, Colleen Kelly, Cory Foster, and myself) met and developed a plan for handling the “open/closed” decisions as our COVID-19 cases fluctuate during the coming weeks and months. Not being able to gather together has been difficult and frustrating for all of us, but we know that our primary task for now is keeping everyone safe and our goal is to regather as soon as we possibly can do so safely. So here's our current plan:
2) I will be out of the office for the Annual Clergy Retreat (virtual) next week, but available by text, email, or phone if needed. GINA’S ANNOUNCEMENTS Happy Birthday!! Lily Croft February 4 Karen Mecklem February 6 Tiffany Mackrill February 4 Bob Manasek February 9 Will Schaaf February 4 Hadlee Peterson February 9 Jack Webb February 4 Diane Eskam February 10 Jane Kelley February 5 Barb Williams February 10 Prayer Requests ** Please make sure your request is received by Wednesday of each week. You may call (308)632-4626 (leave a message), email stfrancis@allophone.com or mail to: St. Francis Episcopal Church P.O. Box 1201 Scottsbluff, NE 69361 _______________________________________________________________ **Feel like you need something to lift your spirits? Whatever you’re struggling with, these encouraging quotes remind us that we all take knocks in life, but the best things in life come through persistence. Whether you’ve just had another setback chasing your dreams, been rejected by someone you care about, faced tragedy, or you’re just feeling drained from the ups and downs of this journey we call life, remember that things can turn around in an instant. All you have to do is keep moving forward, even when it feels like it would be easier to just lay down and give up. No matter what you’re going through in life, here are some encouraging quotes that will hopefully give you a boost when you need it. Many of these encouragement quotes come from individuals who have achieved incredible success in life, and just like you, they had low points where everything felt hopeless. So lift your spirits and turn things around today! “Everyone has inside them a piece of good news. The good news is you don’t know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is.” – Anne Frank  “When you get to your wits end, you will find, God lives there.” – Unknown “When written in Chinese the word ‘crisis’ is composed of two characters – one represents danger and the other represents opportunity.” – John F. Kennedy  “God brings men into deep waters, not to drown them, but to cleanse them.” – John Aughey “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.” – Corrie Boom  Last, but not least, I thought I would share a photo of my grandma, Grace, 96 yrs old, meeting my granddaughter and her great, great granddaughter, Lydia, 3 weeks old, for the first time.  When I look at this picture it reminds me of what is important in this life. I would have loved to have my “whole” family there but during these times only a select few could be there to witness this moment. These are the precious moments we need to hold on to because they only happen once in a lifetime no matter what is happening in this world. You must find the Joy that God is showing you. God provided unspeakable joy and love even when I never thought this moment was possible.
Gina’s Office Hours Tuesday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Wednesday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. |
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April 2021
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