​What's Happening at St. Francis This Week – From the Vestry

 1) Thanks to all of you who are attending church both in-person and on-line.  Our collective voices on Sunday morning were magical.  How blessed we are to have such a faithful congregation.  See you all at 9:00 am on Sunday!!!
 
2) Office Hours – Ann will be in the office between 9:00AM and 1:00PM on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Father Bob will be in the office on Wednesday, May 18 from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.  The office phone will be manned outside of these hours when the office is closed.
 
3) Please continue to offer prayers for our search committee and those who have been called as a possible rector for our church.  We can never have too many prayers!!! 
 
4) Some levity to share (because who couldn't use a good laugh these days?):  A Kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom as the children drew pictures. The teacher would occasionally walk around and see each child’s artwork. As she approached one little girl who was working especially hard, she asked what the drawing was. The little girl told her: “I’m drawing God!” “But sweety,” the teacher replied, “no one knows what God looks like. ”Automatically, the little girl continued drawing and said: “Well, they certainly will in a minute!” 

​Sending love to all the families in Uvalde, Texas!!

Birthdays
Ashley Haack                                   June 5
Mary Bowman                                  June 7
Kristi Weiss                                      June 9
Elliot Selzer                                      June 11
Carolyn Pevey                                  June 12
  
Anniversaries
Stan & Diane Eskam                       June 7
Glen Amateis                                   June 9
Don & Nancy Kepler                       June 10
Brett & Demuri Parrish                    June 11
 
The ECW (Episcopal Church Women) will be hosting a “Ladies Salad Luncheon”
is tomorrow, Saturday, June 4th, at 11:30am, in the Parish Hall.  We'll share delicious salads and fellowship and be entertained by vocalist Stephanie Coley from the Arts Center.  She will be performing at the beginning of our luncheon, so please arrive on time.

Thank you to the green thumb team, who planted our courtyard and entry planters and made the area look so pretty!   It's a beautiful place to enjoy!
 
Sunday School, Pre-Teen Bible Study, and Godly Play will not meet until next September. We will keep you posted when these services resume.

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 have the Forward Day by Day’s for May-July in regular and large print. If you would like any of these mailed to you, please email or call the church.

1).  A HUGE THANK YOU to all who helped clean up our parish last Saturday…flowers will be added to the pots after Memorial Day and we believe it will not freeze any more.  Any time any of you have the chance to pull a weed around the building feel free to do so…With our parish on a major street we want to keep it looking as beautiful as ever!!!
2) Thanks to all of you who are attending church both in-person and on-line.  Our collective voices on Sunday morning were magical.  How blessed we are to have such a faithful congregation.  See you all at 9:00 am on Sunday!!!
3) Office Hours – Ann will be in the office between 9:00AM and 1:00 PM on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Father Bob will be in the office on Wednesday, June 1 from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.  The office phone will be manned outside of these hours when the office is closed.
4).  Please have a blessed Memorial Day.  Our thoughts and prayers are with those and their families who have given their lives for our freedom.
5) Please continue to offer prayers for our search committee and those who have been called as a possible rector for our church.  We can never have too many prayers!!! 
6) Some levity to share (because who couldn't use a good laugh these days?):  What did Daniel tell his real estate agent? “I’d prefer a house with no den.”

Birthdays
Stan Eskam                        May 29
Jon Meyer                           May 30
Brooklyn Mills                      May 30
Clark Wisniewski                 May 30
Julie Fancher                       May 31
Jim Petitt                             June 4

Anniversaries
Brad and Jana Bode           May 28
Scott and Alyssa Harvey     June 2
 
 The ECW (Episcopal Church Women) will be hosting a “Ladies Salad Luncheon”
on Saturday, June 4th, at 11:30am, in the Parish Hall.  We will share delicious salads and fellowship and be entertained by vocalist Stephanie Coley from the Arts Center.  She will be performing at the beginning of our luncheon, so please arrive on time.
We are requesting an RSVP by Friday, May 27th and the number coming to the luncheon with you.  Please call Nancy Kepler at 635-0734, or Barb Manasek at 436-7767, to RSVP.
 
Sunday School, Pre-Teen Bible Study, and Godly Play will not meet until next September.
We will keep you posted when these services resume.

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 have the Forward Day by Day’s for May-July in regular and large print. If you would like any of these mailed to you, please email or call the church.

1) Thanks to all of you who are attending church both in-person and on-line.  Our collective voices on Sunday morning were magical.  How blessed we are to have such a faithful congregation.  See you all at 9:00 am on Sunday!!!
2) Office Hours – Ann will be in the office between 9:00AM and 1:00PM on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Father Bob will be in the office on Wednesday, May 18 from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.  The office phone will be manned outside of these hours when the office is closed.
3) This Saturday, May 21st, we will be doing spring cleaning for the building and need volunteers! There will be opportunities to help both inside and outside. We will begin at 9:00AM and plan to end around noon. There will be plenty of refreshments and plenty of good company.
4) We will have our 1st Vestry meeting of the summer on Sunday, May 22, starting at 10:15.  I promise to make our time together short and sweet!!!
5) Please continue to offer prayers for our search committee and those who have been called as a possible rector for our church.  We can never have too many prayers!!! 
6) Some levity to share (because who couldn't use a good laugh these days?):  During a Sunday school lesson, a child learned about how God created human beings. The child became especially focused when the teacher explained how Eve was created from Adam’s ribs. Later in the week, the boy’s mother saw him lying down on the floor, so she asked him what was wrong. His reply was priceless: “Mom, I have a pain in my side—I think I’m getting a wife.”

 
ANN’s ANNOUCEMENTS

Birthdays
Travis Ironshell                      May 25
Nancy Kepler                         May 26
Conlan Nielsen                      May 26
Jill Young                               May 26
Kira Bowhay                          May 27
Jayme Haag                          May 27
 
Anniversaries
Erik & Lori Peterson              May 22
Kenzy Hernandez                 May 23
Rick & Christy Anderson       May 24
Dan & Cindy Dickinson         May 24
Gary & Karen Larson            May 26
John A. & Ann Selzer            May 26

Congratulations Justin William Graham, DNAP, CRNA, BSN of Omaha has completed the Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (DNAP) program in The School of Graduate Studies at Bryan College of Health Sciences.    Dr. Graham graduated on May 6, 2022.  He is the son of Kathy and Don Graham.

The ECW (Episcopal Church Women) will be hosting a “Ladies Salad Luncheon” on Saturday, June 4th, at 11:30am, in the Parish Hall.  We will share delicious
salads and fellowship and be entertained by vocalist Stephanie Coley from the Arts Center.  She will be performing at the beginning of our luncheon, so please arrive on time.
We are requesting an RSVP by Friday, May 27th and the number coming to the luncheon with you.  Please call Nancy Kepler at 635-0734, or Barb Manasek at 436-7767, to RSVP.
 
Sunday School, Pre-Teen Bible Study, and Godly Play will not meet until next September.
We will keep you posted when these services resume.

​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 have the Forward Day by Day’s for May-July in regular and large print. If you would like any of these mailed to you, please email or call the church.

​1) Our one service at 9:00 AM on Sundays continues to go well. We know we have had some issues with live streaming.  Please know we continue to work to make this option happen every Sunday.  Don’t forget to join us for coffee hour immediately following the service – What a great way to connect with members of our church!!!
2) Office Hours – Ann will be in the office between 9:00AM and 1:00PM on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Father Bob will be in the office on Wednesday, May 18 from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.  The office phone will be manned outside of these hours when the office is closed.
3 This Sunday, during our service and during coffee hour we will be honoring the following individuals and their families as they fulfill one milestone and move onto the next:
Julieanna Anderson-Saenz:  Gering High School graduate, Parents: Michelle & Amy Anderson-Saenz
Noah Moreno:  Gering High School graduate, Parents: Melissa and Ralph Moreno
Alena Kennedy: Life-Link graduate, Parents:  Gloria & Charlie Kennedy
Melissa Moreno:  Chadron State College - Teaching degree
Tayen Feather Earring: Scottsbluff Middle School (8th grade), Parents: Jamie & Melissa Feather Earring
4) Next Saturday, May 21st, we will be doing spring cleaning for the building and need volunteers! There will be opportunities to help both inside and outside. We will begin at 9:00AM and plan to end around noon. There will be plenty of refreshments and plenty of good company. Please bring any tools that would help us do the job!
5) Over the summer, Vestry meetings will move from Wednesday evenings to Sunday mornings at 10:20AM. The dates for Vestry meetings during the summer are:  May 22th (note change), June 26th, July 24th, and August 28th.
6) Please continue to offer prayers for our search committee as they prepare for next steps in the process of finding St. Francis’s new Rector. 
7) Some levity to share (because who couldn't use a good laugh these days?):  A minister told his congregation:  "Next week I plan to preach about the sin of lying. To help you understand my sermon, I want you all to read Mark 17." The following Sunday, as he prepared to deliver his sermon, the minister asked for a show of hands. He wanted to know how many had read Mark 17. Nearly every hand went up. The minister smiled and said, "Mark has only sixteen chapters. I will now proceed with my sermon on the sin of lying."

​HAPPY GRADUATION AND BEST WISHES FOR THE FUTURE!!!

Happy Birthday!!!
Janet Craven                        May 15
Cooper Feltes                       May 19
Lola Parrish                          May 19
Jeff Weiss                             May 19
Donetta Petitt                        May 21
Rae Whitney                         May 21
 
Anniversaries
Jeff & Kristi Weiss                May 19
Greg & Ann Peterson           May 20
  
Graduation 2022
 
On Sunday, May 15th, we will be honoring our 2022 Graduates, following the 9:00 am Service.   They include, Alena Kennedy, Noah Moreno, Julieanna Anderson-Saenz, and Melissa Moreno.  Please join us in the Parish Hall for refreshments.
 
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 have the Forward Day by Day’s for May-July in regular and large print. If you would like any of these mailed to you, please email or call the church.

​ 
1) A reminder that we will continue having one service at 9:00 AM on Sundays through August. Please join us for coffee hour immediately following the service – rest assured that the love, the laughter, and of course, the coffee will be there the same as always. We truly appreciate your grace and flexibility as we continue this transition period.
2) Office Hours – Ann will be in the office between 9:00AM and 1:00PM on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. This week, Fr. Bob will be in the office from 9:00AM to 1:00PM on Wednesday May 4th. The office phone will be manned outside of these hours when the office is closed.
3) Please note that May 8th is St. Monica's Sunday in the diocese. May 8th is a day to pray for and contribute to a longstanding Episcopal ministry in Lincoln that serves women in need. From the Bishop: "St. Monica's provides a safe place for women to come and get well -- to make positive changes, gain new skills and discover strengths. St. Monica's offers a wide range of personalized services to women who are diagnosed with substance abuse and/or co-existing health issues, including residential treatment, outpatient therapy, community support and vocational training." Please consider contributing to this valuable ministry.
4) On Saturday May 21st, we will be doing spring cleaning for the building and need volunteers! There will be opportunities to help both inside and outside. We will begin at 9:00AM and plan to end around noon. There will be plenty of refreshments and plenty of good company.
5) Over the summer, Vestry meetings will move from Wednesday evenings to Sunday mornings at 10:20AM. The dates for Vestry meetings during the summer are: May 27th, June 26th, July 24th, and August 28th.
6) As the school year draws to a close and summer approaches, thank you to all teachers and educators who support our students and congratulations to all students and families who are celebrating graduations or other academic successes.
7) Some levity to share (because who couldn't use a good laugh these days?): A pastor was speaking to a group of second-graders about the resurrection of Jesus when one student asked, “What did Jesus say right after He came out of the grave?” The pastor explained that the Gospels do not tell us what He said. The hand of one little girl shot up. “I know what He said. He said, 'Tah-dah'!”

Birthdays
 
William Croft                         May 8
Lisa Brenner                         May 12
Cindy Dickinson                    May 12
Karen Larson                        May 14
Cheri Witko                           May 14

 
Graduation 2022
On Sunday, May 15th, we will be honoring our 2022 Graduates, following the 9:00 am Service.   They include, Alena Kennedy, Noah Moreno, Julieanna Anderson-Saenz, and Melissa Moreno.  Please join us in the Parish Hall for refreshments.
 
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 have the Forward Day by Day’s for May-July in regular and large print. If you would like any of these mailed to you, please email or call the church.