​Dear Friends, 
 
It's been a whirlwind but wonderful first week at Saint Francis! Thank you to everyone who's taken the time to introduce yourselves and the many offers to help orient me to your parish and the wider community. I look forward to serving with you and hearing more about your journey. 
 
Several weeks ago, a wise friend asked what I was most excited about as I prepared to move west. After a little thought, I said it was getting to know the people of Saint Francis. As a general rule, I'll be in the office Monday through Thursdays, though I can meet any time or place that is convenient for you. I'm happy to meet you anywhere -- your home, a park, an ice cream or coffee shop, even at the Bluffs! I encourage you to reach out any time. If there's a pastoral emergency, particularly outside regular business hours, please call rather than text. (I've learned through experience it's too easy to miss a text.) That number is xxx-xxx-xxxx (please reach out to the front office for my contact information). If you have an upcoming surgery or friend in the parish who is ill or in the hospital, please let me or Annie in the front office know so timely pastoral care can be offered.  
 
Finally, a bit of church business. Fall is upon us, which means it will soon be time for Annual Council. This year, we'll gather in Kearney from October 27-29. More information is available here. If you have any questions or are interested in serving as a delegate, please let me know. 
 
Many Thanks,
Erin+
 

Birthdays
Elsi Nielsen                                      September 6
Madi Collins                                     September 8
Ann Salomon                                   September 8
Christy Anderson                             September 10

Anniversaries
Clark & Amy Wisniewski                 September 4
John & Peggy Wymore                   September 5

Sunday School, Pre-Teen Bible Study, and Godly Play 
Sunday school classes will begin next Sunday, September 11th, at 9:00am.
Children ages 5-10 will meet in the Godly Play room next to the nursery and children 11-12
will meet in the Parish Hall.

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 August-September in regular and large print. 
​ If you’d like one of these mailed to you, please email or call the church. 

Thursday Announcements-From the Vestry
 August 25, 2022 

 1). What a wonderful service last Sunday with Canon Easton presiding.  I thought her message to our parish was a great reminder to take things slow with Mother Erin and each other as we move into this new phase. Mother Erin deserves to see the best in all of us.  Mother Erin will start at St. Francis this coming Tuesday, August 30th.  Please pray for Mother Erin and our congregation as we move forward:
 
Lord, please encourage Rev. Erin Rath and our St. Francis congregation by the power of your Holy Spirit. Let our souls be refreshed with the love of Christ. Let all of us have faith for the future. Help us to keep pressing forward even when the way is not so clearly defined. Let us be refreshed by the fact that your grace is sufficient for all of us.  In Christ’s name we pray.  AMEN
 
2).  I believe Mother Erin will be in church on Sunday.  Please welcome her with open arms!!!
 
3).  Please take care of yourselves…COVID has hit our church families and the communities of Western Nebraska pretty hard.  Feel free to wear a mask at service or watch on Facebook.
 
4).  CAPstone Child Advocacy Center and CASA will be showing the movie REWIND at the Midwest Theatre on Wednesday, August 31, at 7:00 pm, FREE of charge.  Please join the Director Sasha Neulinger as we watch his directorial debut about the abuse he suffered at the hands of family members who were pillars in the Jewish faith community.   
 
In his candid personal memoir, Sasha Joseph Neulinger revisits his childhood and the events that tore apart his seemingly perfect world. For as long as Neulinger can remember, his father was constantly filming— from birthday parties to hockey games, to holidays. But his camera, trained on the frequent gatherings of a tight-knit family, was also documenting a hidden secret, the revelation of which would lead to a media firestorm, a high-stakes court battle, and a generational reckoning.
Drawing upon an incredibly revealing home video archive, Neulinger revisits these events 20 years later to piece together an unflinching story of the cycles and consequences of abuse, to examine what it means to heal, and to use those experiences to effect positive change in the world. REWIND probes the gap between image and reality and proves just how little, and how much, a camera can capture.
 
5).  From Parishioner Carolyn Pevey:  Do you want a life changing experience?  Consider becoming a part of Education for Ministry (EfM).  This program was started in 1975 at University of the South, School of Theology.  It is designed for those who want to delve deeper into life as a Christian.   Since its founding, this international program has assisted more than 120,000 participants in discovering and nurturing their call to Christian service.
Education for Ministry (EfM) is a four-year study of scripture—Old and New Testament, church history, and theology.  We build community in small groups of 6-12 people, some in-person and some via Zoom.  The Nebraska Zoom-based group is co-mentored by Tammy Lassen of Columbus and Sandra Squires of Omaha.
This program charges tuition meets weekly from mid-September to mid-June and requires a commitment of time for reading and meeting.  It is a life changing experience.  If you have questions, please contact mentor Sandra Squires at sksquires@cox.net or talk to Carolyn Pevey at St. Francis who is an EfM participant.
 
6) Office Hours – Ann will be in the office between 9:00AM and 1:00PM on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
 
7) Some levity to share (because who couldn't use a good laugh these days?):  

Birthdays
Karen Anderson          September 1
Kathy Tabor                 September 2

Anniversaries
Carolyn Pevey             September 2
​
Sunday School, Pre-Teen Bible Study, and Godly Play will not meet until 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 August-September in regular and large print.  If you’d like one of these mailed to you, please email or call the church.

​1). Canon Easton will be coming to St. Francis for our service on August 21st.  On this date the vestry will recognize Father Bob and Mother Karen for all their work in keeping St. Francis alive and well and the search committee will be recognized for their work.  Please put this date on your calendar as we will celebrate with cake and fruit after the 9:00 am service.  What a great way to celebrate with all our church family. 
 
2). Rev. Erin Rath begins her journey to Scottsbluff on August 15th.  Please continue to offer prayers for our new rector as she prepares to make the move from South Dakota to the GOOD LIFE of Nebraska, and our St. Francis parish.  Mother Erin will start at St. Francis on Tuesday, August 30th. 
 
Lord, please encourage Rev. Erin Rath by the power of your Holy Spirit. Let her soul be refreshed with the love of Christ. Let her have faith for the future. Help her to keep pressing forward even when the way is not so clearly defined. Let her be refreshed by the fact that your grace is sufficient for her.  In Christ’s name we pray.  AMEN
 
3).  Please take care of yourselves…COVID has hit our church families and the communities of Western Nebraska pretty hard.  Feel free to wear a mask at service or watch on Facebook.
 
4).  100 years of services at our church, St. Francis, will be celebrated later this year.  You can look forward to information and photos being shared in the coming months.  December 24, 1922, was the first church service at our current location.  The church has lots of memories to share!!!
 
5) 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, August 17 from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. The office phone will be manned outside of these hours when the office is closed.
 
6) Some levity to share (because who couldn't use a good laugh these days?):  
 
At St. Peter's Catholic Church in Toronto, they have weekly husband's marriage seminars.
At the session last week, the priest asked Giuseppe, who said he was approaching his 50th wedding anniversary, to take a few minutes and share some insight into how he had managed to stay married to the same woman all these years.
Giuseppe replied to the assembled husbands, "Wella, I'va tried to treat her nicea, spenda da money on her, but besta of all is, I tooka her to Italy for the 25th anniversary!"

From the office--Ann’s Announcements 

Birthdays
Joe Leach                             August 14
Cory Foster                           August 16
Don Graham                         August 19
Ann Selzer                            August 20
 
Anniversaries
Jim & Donetta Petitt             August 18
 
Sunday School, Pre-Teen Bible Study, and Godly Play will not meet until 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 August-September in regular and large print.  If you’d like one of these mailed to you, please email or call the church.