What's Happening at St. Francis this week

​Thursday Announcements-February 20, 2025­­­­
 
ERIN’S EPISTLETTES

A Message from Mary
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I am honored and humbled to be called and selected to serve you as your Senior Warden.  My commitment to you is that I will work collaboratively with my fellow vestry members and Reverend Erin to create a vision and plan of action that reflects God’s dream for our congregation.

As we discussed in the Annual Meeting, we face significant challenges relative to insuring our church’s continued viability in the future.  It will take all of us, moving forward in the same direction, to safeguard the legacy of St Francis Episcopal Church and make certain God’s mission and vision for her are sustainable.
To that end, at the Annual Meeting, we determined the need for a formal Stewardship Committee to focus on our financial resources and congregational engagement.  This will be a special committee under the Vestry.  Five people have already stepped forward to participate.  I extend my personal invitation to you to join us on this journey.

Consider Paul’s words to the church in Rome: “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.  We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.”  (Romans 12: 4 – 6) I ask you to prayerfully consider what gifts you have to offer to this important committee.  If you are able and willing to participate, please let me or Reverend Erin know.  (You can contact me at 303-514-2820.)  If you are unable to participate at this time, I ask you to lift up the work of this committee in your talks with God.

​God’s Peace, 
Mary
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Thank you to all who attended our Annual Meeting February 9. I appreciate your questions and ideas and remain open to continued conversation. 

• As we work together to reduce our deficit, I ask your focus be on improving processes rather than criticizing people. Our processes, especially those related to communication, need work. The involvement of the people of our parish will be critical in finding solutions to our challenges, financial and otherwise. Most importantly, relationships between people are foundational to our shared ministry work. It's important those relationships are positive and encouraging. 
• Hard copies of the Annual Meeting report packet are available in the narthex. Let the front office know if you'd like a copy mailed to you. 

 
Around the time of the Annual Meeting, there's often an increased interest in church administration. A few related reminders: 

• With the exception of executive session (which happens very rarely), Vestry meetings are open to members of the parish. 
• These meetings generally happen on the third Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m. Scheduling information, including exceptions to this pattern, will be communicated in the enews and the Sunday bulletin. It can also be found on the calendar on our website. 
• A binder of vestry related documents, including agendas, minutes and financial reports is available for check-out from the library. This information goes back to the beginning of my tenure and will continue to be updated after every meeting. I'm happy to print out or email any of this documentation on request. 

 
Here's the previously published information on Project Resource. If you're interested in participating in our newly formed stewardship committee or this program, please contact Senior Warden Mary Bowman or Rev. Erin.

• From their website: "Giving of oneself financially unlocks a part of our hearts where God can do incredible work, both in us and through us. As part of our baptismal covenant, we believe we are called to reconcile ourselves to one another and to God. Fundraising is not a means to an end. Rather, fundraising as ministry is a radical act of reconciliation; a process that can both draw the giver closer to God and repair an unjust world. Project Resource provides the tools to inspire radical generosity and engage faith communities in this life-changing work."
• The program is hosted by the (Episcopal) College for Bishops.
• Classes gather on-line for an hour and a half every Sunday over five weeks.
• Saint Francis will cover registration costs.
• For more information, please visit their website at https://project-resource.org/. 

 
Given we're well into the season of winter storms, this seems like as good a time as any to remind folks of how closure decisions are communicated, be it on Sunday or during the week. The information will be communicated in the following ways:

• Emailed to those on the list to receive the weekly enews.
• Texted to those who have a current cell number on file. As messages are sent through the system we use to schedule worship volunteers, it will not come from a number with a 308-area code. So you know it's legitimate, we'll sign off with a notation that the message was "sent via MSP."  For those with access to MSP, you'll see you're a part of the Weather Cancellation Notice group. 
• Posted on the home page of our website
• Posted on our Facebook page
• Posted to KNEB's website (Because we don't have control over how quickly our information is posted or how long it's left up, we encourage you to check our website or Facebook page first.)

 
Recent Worship Engagement Trends:
Sunday Worship...
November month-end average: 57
December month-end average: 61
January month-end average: 47
Christmas Eve Attendance (both services): 103
November-January Low & High* Sundays (Excludes Christmas): 33 & 69
 
Midweek Services in January...
Midday Eucharist, best attended: 0
Evening Eucharist: Not offered; Holiday & Diocesan Event
Zoom Evening Prayer, best attended: 3
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Ministry Teams, February 23, 9am
Musician                      Nancy Meier
Media Team                 Steve Trickler
Ushers                         Nancy Kepler, Judi Widmaier
Acolyte Master           Clark Wisniewski
Acolytes                      Erin Cawiezel, Allie Cawiezel
Lector/Intercessor     Jack Webb
Eucharistic Minister   Santana Tamarak
Altar Guild                 Collette Suhr, Ann Peterson, Jane Sayre
Coffee Hosts             Christie Shaver, Barb Manasek

Flowers:
Ron & Ann Salomon     In thankfulness for all of God’s blessings

Upcoming Events at St. Francis:
Lectionary Study and Compline, Tuesday 2pm, Library
Vestry Meeting,Tuesday, February 25 @ 6pm
Evening Prayer on Zoom, Wednesday @ 6pm
Men’s Bible Study Thursday, 8am
Discipleship Group. Thursday @ 12pm
Eucharist at Good Shepherd, Harrisburg, March 2 @ 11:30am
Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper, March 4
Ash Wednesday Services, March 5 @ 12:15pm and 6pm

Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper
             March 4 from 5-7pm.
 

​Pancakes, eggs and ham will be our menu.  
Freewill offering.
Come enjoy supper with us!
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From the Office—Ann’s Announcements
 
Birthdays
Jacklyn Cawiezel          February 24

​The Daughters of the King will be offering a prayer station in the Mary Chapel during Lent for private prayer and contemplation.  You can surrender the burdens you may be carrying to God by the act of physically moving stones from one basket to another with guidance offered in the handout provided at the prayer station.  We hope you will take this opportunity, as you are moved by the Holy Spirit, to participate in thoughtful and contemplative prayer during the Lenten season.  
 
Prayer Requests
Prayer requests need to be received by Tuesday, if you’d like them to be printed in the bulletin.You may call (308) 632-4626 (leave a message) or email [email protected].

​The Forward Day by Day’s for February-April are available in regular and large print.  If you’d like either of these mailed to you, please email us or call the church office.
 
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