Thursday Announcements for October 15, 2020

FATHER MARK’S ANNOUNCEMENTS
1) SCAM WARNING!! Many of us in the diocese have received a phishing email in the past 24 hours that purports to come from Bishop Barker, asking for a reply. THIS IS A SCAM! You can just ignore and trash/delete it and any other email or text with his name that looks like this. Bp. Barker will never send a request like this asking for a reply or asking for a donation or anything else. He will communicate via the Ministry Memo or some diocesan-wide publication, or he will call. Feel free to err on the side of ignoring. If the Bishop's office needs to speak with you, they will find you I promise.
 
2) Speaking of our Bishop, we were just notified that he is resuming parish visits, and we have set our Annual Visitation for Sunday, November 22, 2020 (five weeks from now.) Assuming we are still able to worship in-person, he will be here to celebrate and preach on that day, and during the service he will do Confirmations and Receptions. If you are new to the Episcopal Church and would like to be Confirmed (or Received if previously confirmed in another tradition) please contact me and we can make arrangements. Typically we would have many weeks to go through a more complete catechism with adults but this year and next everything is up in the air and I would hate to miss the chance to Confirm or Receive during this 2020 visit, so I’ll make arrangements to do my best to get a group ready via zoom if there is interest.

3) We are starting to look at Christmas Eve services, and will be posting more information soon about times for both in-person and online worship. How to handle music is a huge deal – Christmas Carols are about our favorite of all hymns – and I am working hard to see what we can do 
4) Tonight at 6:30 P.M. we start another zoom bible study, this time on the Book of Acts. It’s not too late to join us, just follow this link to sign-up and get the login info. All you need is a computer connection and a bible. https://saintf.breezechms.com/form/cb4222

GINA’S ANNOUNCEMENTS
 
                                 Happy Birthday!!
Jan Johnson             October 15           Danika Bohl                 October 21
Robert Brenner         October 18           Laura Lee Margheim   October 21
Santana Tamarak     October 18
 
Prayer Requests: The prayer request sheet is still just outside the office in the church and is updated weekly. Anyone may still email your prayer requests to me at stfrancis@allophone.com. If you do not have email, just call the church and leave a message. Since, I am back in the office, the requests must be received on by Wednesday at the latest, for them to be included in the Sunday Bulletin for that week. If the request is received after Wednesday, they will be added to the next Sunday Bulletin. We will follow the same process and keep the names on for two weeks. Once the prayer request is received, it is added to the prayer list and then I email the names to have them added to the Prayer Chain and to the Daughters of the King.

***Daily Devotion for Thursday October 15, 2020***
God’s Presence
The 5 Steps – Pause * Listen * Think * Pray * Go

Pause
Take a deep breath right now.
Notice one thing you see,
one thing you hear,
one thing your body is touching.
You are here in this place. God is here with you, too.

Listen
We always thank God for all of you when we mention you constantly in our
prayers. This is because we remember your work that comes from faith,
your effort that comes from love, and your perseverance that comes from
hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father.
1 Thessalonians 1:2-3

Think
Earlier this year, I took a pottery class — and I was terrible at “throwing” a
pot on the wheel! I spent several classes just trying to make something
that resembled a pot… and finally made one! Then another, and another.
They say that “practice makes perfect.” Whether you’re learning to play a
trombone, throw a baseball, do a pirouette, or make pottery, you’ll
definitely need practice.
In today’s scripture, Paul is commending the Thessalonians for working so
hard — for practicing — on becoming faithful, loving, and hopeful. He
recognizes that it takes work to be faithful, continual effort to be loving,
and perseverance to be hopeful. We also have to practice being faithful,
loving, and hopeful. We may never be perfect (spoiler alert: we won’t be),
but we know that God is present with us as we practice.
Erin Spengeman Hutchison

Pray
God, just when I think I can’t be more faithful, loving, or hopeful, help me
to keep practicing, relying on your Spirit for help. Amen.

Go
As you go, remember that God is with you and with those who do justice.
Dare to be with God, too.

***For those of you that would like to access these devotionals daily, you can go on this website: www.d365.org
 
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.