  FATHER MARK’S ANNOUNCEMENTS 1) Sunday September 5th we will kick-off our programming for the year. This is always an exciting day when the air is fresh and families and kids are back full-force and the church comes more alive again after a lazy summer. Last fall was so different with COVID-19 precautions that it hardly felt like we came “back” in any real sense. This year, even though the Delta variant is keeping us vigilant, we are moving forward with our schedule to include in-person youth programming on Sundays, as follows: What Who When Where Leader(s) Nursery* up to age 5 10:00 A.M. Upstairs Monica Lehr Godly Play* Elementary ages 6-10 10:00 A.M. Upstairs Barb Manasek & Pre-Teen ages 11-12 10:00 A.M. Parish Hall Peggy Wymore Youth Group** MS ages 13-15 4:30 P.M. 1st Presby Trudy Schnell & HS ages 16-18 6:00 P.M. 1st Presby Amy Meyer * starting date for Nursery and Godly Play is Sunday, September 5th ** starting date for youth group tba 2) Adult Programming — some has already begun, more will begin in September. Here’s a list of what is happening: What Who When Where Leader(s) Men’s Bible Study* fellers Fri 8:00 A.M. Library Fr. Mark Lectionary Study* all Sun 9:00 A.M. Library Rae Whitney Discipleship Group** all Thurs 12:00 P.M. Library Fr. Mark Zoom Book Study** all Thurs 6:00 P.M Online Fr. Mark * has begun, come and join in ** starting date tba 3) COVID-19 Update: As announced, we are requiring masks for in-person worship and Godly Play now through the end of September as both a response to the marked increase in local COVID cases and also as a precaution as schools reopen. This obviously isn’t what we had had hoped but what is driving my decision is the health and safety of our children and youth who are not able to be vaccinated at this time. If one of our little ones were to become sick from attending church or Godly Play, it would break my heart. It really is as simple as that. 4) As noted above, I will begin a Zoom online book study reading and discussing the book “Waking Up White — and Finding Myself in the Story of Race,” by Debbie Irving. I recently read this book as a part of the diocesan study “Sacred Ground,” and found it both thought-provoking and very relevant to my own experience and would like to read it together with anyone interested. The book has short chapters grouped into 9 themes, and so I would expect we can read and discuss in 10 meetings. We’ll start Thursday September 16 and meet Thursdays at 6:00 P.M. via Zoom. Here is the link to sign-up https://saintf.breezechms.com/form/c6ee0331 ANN’S ADDITIONS  Happy Birthday!!
Alan Johnson August 30 Karen Anderson September 1 Kathy Tabor September 2 Happy Anniversary!! Clark & Amy Wisniewski September 4 Thomas Jones & Carolyn Pevey September 2 Please join the Search Committee for Holy Conversations to help us collect information that will help us find the next priest for our parish. YOUR ideas matter! These meetings will last between 1 hour - 1.5 hours. Wednesday, September 1 at 6:30 p.m. in the Parish Hall Sunday, September 5 at 9:00 a.m. in the Parish Hall after the 8:00 service (Grab your coffee and join in the conversation) Sunday, September 12, at 11:00 a.m. in the Parish Hall after the 10:00 service (Grab your coffee and join the conversation) Wednesday, September 15 at 6:30 p.m. via zoom Prayer Requests ** Please make sure your request is received by Wednesday of each week. You may call (308) 632-4626 (leave a message), email [email protected] 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 August-October in regular and large print. If you would like any of these mailed to you, please email or call the church.   1) According to data published on the Mayo Clinic website (mayoclinic.org -- search for “Nebraska Coronavirus”) Scotts Bluff County is averaging 11 cases/day with an average per 100k population of 31 cases/day. As such we are a hot spot in the state and given that and our hospital is experiencing a surge in COVID patients and that our children are about to go back to school and are not able to be vaccinated at this time, I am making the decision that for the next 6 Sundays we will require masks for those attending worship or Sunday programs in-person. Those at higher risk and anyone who is unvaccinated are encouraged to participate on-line. Communion will continue to be offered during worship by intinction (dipping) at the altar rail, simply remove your mask while taking communion. Singing will be allowed with masks. We will continue to monitor our local situation and will make changes to our policy as safe and appropriate. 2) Remember September 5th is our Back to Church Sunday – when Nursery and Godly Play will resume at the 10:00 A.M. service, upstairs in the classrooms above the parish hall. Children ages 3-5 are welcome in the Nursery, and ages 6-10 in Godly Play. We are still hopeful that we can offer a Pre-Teen program and are working out the final details of our first Youth Group meeting. More information on both of those soon. 3) Once again we see a tragedy of unimaginable magnitude unfolding in Haiti. If you would like to contribute to assisting those in need there, the Episcopal Relief and Development Fund is a very efficient way to help. Here is a link: https://support.episcopalrelief.org/haiti-relief?ID=210816DWADS0100&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=fy21haitiearthquake&utm_source=210816DWADS0100 ANN’S ADDITIONS  Happy Birthday!!
Jean Hilyard August 23 Mandi Sauer August 24 Robin Biltjinitis August 26 Sean McKeehan August 26 John Wymore August 26 Happy Anniversary!! Ben & Christie Shaver August 22 Prayer Requests ** Please make sure your request is received by Wednesday of each week. You may call (308)632-4626 (leave a message), email [email protected] 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 August-October in regular and large print. If you would like any of these mailed to you, please email or call the church. re: Back to School picture (above) The two kids in the middle are sporting your typical signs that read "First Day of Fifth Grade" and "First Day of Second Grade," but if you look at the sign the dad's holding, you'll see it says "My 6,287th Day of Work." The youngest daughter, who isn't enrolled in school yet, also has a hilarious message scribbled on her paper: "If I don't hold a sign too, I'm going to scream."   FATHER MARK’S ANNOUNCEMENTS 1) Thursdays Sept 9, 16, & 23 at 10:30 A.M. at the Carpenter Center, First Presbyterian Church, along with Panhandle Public Health District, are co-hosting a 3-session workshop series titled “Putting Life Together After COVID.” Two of our parishioners, Linda Rock and Ally Berggren, are presenters. Workshops are free, lunch will be available for $6.00. For more information and to RSVP, contact Kristin Wiebe at 308-672-3923 [email protected]. 2) This week one of our newest members, Madi Collins, presented us with a check (see pic below) for our Wednesday Sack Lunch Ministry. Madi raised the money by baking and selling treats and wanted to do something to help the needy in our community. I was so delighted to receive this check and witness the active faith of a young person who only a few months ago was baptized here. THANKS Madi for your gift, and for sharing your faith and ministry with us! 3) Two months ago I was so encouraged by the dropping numbers and re-opening of our stores, restaurants, and churches,that I imagined we would never be forced to go back to indoor masks and social distancing and other safety precautions. Today as I write this I am not at all certain this is the case. The diocese is sharing the statewide data they can find, but much of what we have available is piecemeal and anecdotal. However, all signs point to increased number of positive tests which will soon lead to increased number of infections and hospitalizations. Since this is a very fluid situation, I will be making a week-by-week decision about masking and singing in worship. THIS SUNDAY AUGUST 15TH WE WILL HAVE CONGREGATIONAL SINGING AT 10:00 AND MASKS OPTIONAL AT BOTH SERVICES. UNVACCINATED MEMBERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO PARTICIPATE ONLINE. Sadly, this current wave of infections was entirely preventable, and we have the means necessary to stop this pandemic; namely vaccinations. Yesterday a local county commissioner shared his story of moving from vaccine hesitancy to taking the vaccine. I encourage you to read it if you haven’t already, and prayerfully consider how best to protect yourself and those you love.  ANN’S ADDITIONS  Happy Birthday!! Cory Foster August 16 Donald Graham August 19 Ann Selzer August 20 Happy Anniversary!! Jim & Donetta Petitt August 18 Greg & Collette Suhr August 21 Prayer Requests ** Please make sure your request is received by Wednesday of each week. You may call (308)632-4626 (leave a message), email [email protected] 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 August-October in regular and large print. If you would like any of these mailed to you, please email or call the church. After the verb to LOVE, to HELP is the most beautiful verb in the world. Bertha Von Suttner    August 5, 2021
FATHER MARK’S ANNOUNCEMENTS 1) COVID-19 Delta Variant — this week we received guidance from the diocese about continuing safe worship practices as the virus cases rise in our state. Cn. Liz asks that the local situation dictate our policies and so at St. Francis for the foreseeable future we will remain open for in-person worship, encouraging online worship or mask-wearing for those who are unvaccinated or symptomatic. If everyone does their part, we expect to be able to remain open, maskless, with communion and hymns, with online option unless or until further developments warrant a change. The best thing you can to do protect yourself and those you love is to be vaccinated. I pray that you will. 2) Church Growth continues here at St. Francis! Lately we have been busy baptizing and adding new members and it feels great — like a real church again! Thank you to all who have worked diligently to provide meaningful worship during this difficult time, and especially to our worship volunteers, musicians and A/V staff! An attractive online presence is critically important now and this congregation has responded brilliantly to that challenge. And WELCOME to our newest members! You have a place and a voice here. 3) It’s time to publish a new Parish Directory. If we don’t have a picture for you and your family, we will be reaching out to you to get one. If you don’t like the picture we have for you that was in the last directory and would like to send a new one, please forward it to Ann in the office. Pictures are so helpful for everyone so that they can put names to faces as our parish grows. 4) Our local Special Olympics Bowling Team — the Scotts Bluff Co. Thunder — is starting up their bowling season and are looking for 4 volunteers (8 yrs old and up) to partner with a Special Olympics athlete on Saturday mornings at Classic Lanes. This is such a cool and fun opportunity to learn and love. Anyone interested can contact our own Charlie Kennedy at (402) 490-5886 or [email protected] to get involved. You all know Charlie and you all know Alena, and so you know that this will be amazing and super fun. It can also change your life. ANN’S ADDITIONS Happy Birthday!! Leticia Schnell August 8 Collette Suhr August 9 Ryan Hergenreder August 10 Jersey Joplin August 10 Shirley Mead August 10 Joe Leach August 14 Happy Anniversary!! Justin & Jenny Bohl August 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 [email protected] 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 August-October in regular and large print. If you would like any of these mailed to you, please email or call the church. Whatever you do today, do it with the confidence of a four-year-old in a Batman T-Shirt! |
Rev. Erin RathCheck in here for weekly announcements. 
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