What's Happening at St. Francis this week

 Thursday Announcements August 10, 2023

ERIN’S EPISTLETTES

• The Blessing of the Backpacks is this upcoming Sunday! 
  • Students are encouraged to bring their backpacks. 
  • Teachers and staff are also encouraged to attend. 
  • We'll have special, school-themed treats at coffee hour!
• We'll resume a midweek worship option beginning August 23, a week from Wednesday. 
  • The format will be Evening Prayer, Rite II. 
  • This service will be held at 7:00 p.m. Wednesdays. 
  • Outside of the season of Lent, it will only be available virtually. 
  • To encourage continued interaction, we'll host using Zoom rather than Facebook livestream. 
    • Though Zoom offers the option to record sessions, for pastoral reasons this service will not be. 
    • You can access Zoom free of charge and do not need a login to access this gathering. 
  • To participate, you'll need the meeting ID and passcode. For security reasons, this information won't be published electronically. There are two ways to get it: 
    • If you register here, the ID and password will be emailed to you. You'll receive an email containing the meeting day, time and access codes. 
    • Business-size cards listing the ID and password will be available in the narthex Sundays. 

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From the office—Ann’s Announcements

Birthdays
Cory Foster                             August 16
Donald Graham                       August 19
 
Anniversaries
Jim & Donetta Petitt                August 18

​​The ECW will be hosting an Ice Cream Social Fund Raiser for Sam Selzer on Sunday,
August 28th from 3-5pm, in the Parish Hall.                 
All donations go to the Selzer Family to help with expenses
​in the Treatment of Sam’s leukemia.                             

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
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We have the Forward Day by Day’s for August- October are here in regular and large print.  If you’d like one of these mailed to you, please email or call the church.­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­​

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​DioNeb Youth at EYE 2023
DioNeb youth and chaperones arrived safely on the 4th of July to this year's EYE (Episcopal Youth Event) at the University of Maryland. The Episcopal Church Office of Public Affairs shared a summary of their first day: Participants heard from Bishop Deon K. Johnson of the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri. He challenged them from the book of Esther to “get up, dress up, and show up ‘for such a time as this’ … Don’t get tripped up on what has been,” Johnson said. “Look forward to what God is calling you to.”
 
Our group has shared a collection of selfies, pictured below, that they took with Bishops at EYE (and our own Bishop - virtually!), and some pictures at the National Cathedral. Updates from the DioNeb group will be shared on the DioNeb Facebook page, and if you'd like to keep up with the whole event, you can follow the EYE Facebook page.

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Clockwise from top left: Picture with a selfie sent to us by Bishop Barker who couldn’t make it to EYE this year, one with newly consecrated Bishop Anne Jolly of Ohio, one with our first speaker, Bishop Dean of Missouri, and one with Bishop Loya of Minnesota who we all love for his Nebraska roots. - from Dean Katie Hargis

Bread & Prayer: The Future of Church Leadership
​in Western Nebraska
 
Sixteen of DioNeb's fifty parishes are planted west of North Platte. These congregations reflect the diversity of western Nebraska and our Episcopal way – celebrating the beauty of God’s creation through word and sacrament in largely rural and small-town contexts. Critically, our Episcopal churches serve their communities through impactful outreach ministries and provide safe spaces for Christians who seek a spiritual home that is open-minded and accepting.
 
As church and population demographics change, it is essential that our parishes continue to proclaim the Good News by blooming where they're planted. Join Bishop Barker on Saturday, August 5, from 11 am – 3 pm MT, at St. Francis, Scottsbluff to explore ways that the Diocese of Nebraska can continue to ensure a healthy and bright future for the Episcopal Church in Western Nebraska. RSVP to Lachisha Baskin to attend. Lunch will be provided.

Share Our Flyer 

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EfM Zoom Group Seeking New People
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Need something challenging that furthers your knowledge of the Bible and the church? You might be a candidate for Education for Ministry (EfM)! EfM is the oldest adult formation program in the Episcopal Church, started in the 1970’s at the University of the South in Sewanee, TN. It is designed to prepare lay people for ministry in their parishes and communities, and answer questions along the way. EfM is a 4-year study: Year 1 - Old Testament; Year 2 - New Testament; Year 3 - History of Christianity; and Year 4 - Theology. We encourage you to commit one year at a time.
 
EfM groups have 6-12 people, and the DioNeb Zoom group is seeking new members for Year One. The group meets at 1:30-3:30 pm CT each Sunday afternoon from Sept. through May with time off for Christmas, New Year’s, and Easter. There is a fee of about $10/week. The group is co-mentored by Dr. Sandra Squires and Tammy Lassen. Contact Sandra to register. See Rev. Erin for scholarship information. For more information, please visit the diocesan EfM page. 
 

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