Celebrating our Connections

 

On the Friday evening before Holy Week, the Vestry of St. Francis gathered for a few hours of conversation and reflection. (Be sure and read Cindy Claffey's excellent summary of our retreat in her article below!) For part of our time, we looked at the topic of church leadership through the lens of the Scriptures. One of those readings, which Cindy cites, comes from the first few verses of Acts 6, during those very earliest weeks after the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. 

 

It's a rather simple story, really. The various demands of ministry in the fledgling Church were growing. The Apostles needed help. They turned to the members of the Church, on the basis that the Holy Spirit had been given to all believers, not just the Apostles. Just like that, the office of Deacon was born; but also, I think we can easily say, so was the vital role of lay ministry in the Christian Church. While in the Episcopal Church our Deacons are formally ordained for ministry, they are also the model of Christian service for the rest of us - Priests and Bishops included! Once baptized, we are all part of the living body of Christ, and God calls us all as ministers and servants of the Gospel.

 

But this little article of mine is not so much a call to service for our parish, as much as an enormous "Thank You!" for the works of service you have already done. As we enter May and head toward the summer months, I'm reflecting back on all that has happened at St. Francis since last June, and all the people who have been involved. In our own way, and based on the needs and dreams of our parish, we have been living out Acts 6. We may not always realize it, but the Holy Spirit moves among us and within us, working through us all to create inspiring worship, lively fellowship, loving service . . . even faithful and effective administration! All this is because YOU heed God's call and put your life in service.

 

So this month, I hope you'll take a moment to celebrate not just your connection to St. Francis, but your connections. Give thanks to God for the Spirit working through you in ways seen and unseen; both in your various ministries, and the in the people you work alongside. From singing in the choir to pulling a weed. From serving on Vestry to cleaning out a closet. From planting seeds in the vegetable garden to paying your pledge on time. From reading a lesson at a service to putting food in the donation basket. Growing in Christian service means recognizing that God works through each of us in big ways and small ways, but with all ways working together to bring the love of the Gospel.

 

Thank you again! Let's celebrate our connections and continue to strive to be all that God calls us to be.

 

Yours Faithfully,

 

Fr. Kevin

 

 

By Cindy Claffey, Clerk of the Vestry

 

In an effort to keep the Parish informed of the Vestry's ministry, we will be publishing brief periodic reports in Fieldnotes to highlight discernments and discussions.

 

 

On the evening of April 11, Vestry members gathered in the Undercroft for a retreat entitled "From Management to Ministry: Becoming a Mission-Oriented Vestry." The above verses from Acts helped to focus our attention on the Vestry's responsibilities as church leaders charged with the responsibility of carrying out the Vision and Mission of St. Francis-in-the-Fields. After sharing a meal and spiritual conversation, Fr. Kevin led us in deep conversations about our collective and individual roles as leaders and liaisons.

 

Over the next several hours, we examined the following goals:

 

In small groups and as a full Vestry, we carried on critical conversations about effectively structuring our work, continuing to focus on the big picture, and maintaining a spiritual foundation as the basis of our mission.

 

Fr. Kevin reminded us to continually seek "ways to love boldly."

 

On this Friday before the start of Holy Week, the Vestry left our retreat refreshed and renewed in our work as parish leaders.

Sunday, April 28 @ 11:30 a.m.

St. Francis Parish Hall

 

The Rector's Study returns this Sunday, at a new time, with an exciting new, 4-part series presented by Fr. Kevin:

 

Made for this World: 

Creation, Humanity, and the God-Centered Life

 

In John 18:36, Jesus tells Pilate, "My kingdom is not of this world," a statement that is often understood to mean his kingdom is "in heaven". But is this what Jesus meant? To grasp the true intent of Jesus' claim, we first need to understand God's desire for all of creation, including the role human beings. Only by knowing what it means to be "of this world" can we fully understand what it means to be "not of this world". Join Fr. Kevin for these four weeks as we explore the mystery of our creation and God's purpose of humanity.

 

April 28 - Part I: Light, Life and Creation

May 5 - Part II: Made in the Image of God

May 12 - Part III: Good Works and Good Work

May 19 - Part IV: Made for this World

 

Each session of the study will be about 45 minutes long. For those who cannot be in attendance, these will be recorded and placed online.

 

 

And in case you missed it Fr. Kevin's previous series is online now!

 

Stages on the Journey: 

The Three-Fold Path and the Spiritual Life

 

Recorded in fall 2018, in this four-part teaching series Fr. Kevin explains "spirituality" as the fulfillment of a person's divine potential. Human Beings were created to share in the life of God, a reality demonstrated fully in the life of Jesus Christ, and the spiritual journey is our learning to embrace the truth of God's unconditional love.

 

To begin listening to this series, or download to your phone or device, go to: click   HERE.

Grow Together in Faith and Hope... 
$500,000+ Capital Campaign Goal

Refresh              Renew           Rejoice

Our facilities                        Our Faith                           In God's plan  

                                                                                      for our future 

 

St. Francis's Capital Campaign is underway. The Capital Campaign Committee distributed campaign bookmarks on Easter Sunday which featured the campaign's theme - "Grow Together in Faith, Hope and Love" - and a prayer for the successful completion of the campaign.

 

The Capital Campaign Committee will host two receptions in coming weeks to describe the campaign's goals and to answer your questions about how campaign funds will be invested. We urge EVERY member of St. Francis to attend one of these receptions - Friday, May 31 from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. OR Sunday, June 9 from 11:10 a.m. - 12:40 p.m. You will receive an invitation to attend one of the receptions with an RSVP request in a few weeks. Please RSVP to the invitation as soon as you can to let us know which reception you'll attend. Child care will be provided for both receptions.

 

Our Campaign Prayer best sums up our hope and goal for St. Francis's most important initiative in years: "God of abundance, by your grace you have called our parish to be an instrument of your peace. In your wisdom, guide us to be faithful and generous, embracing a spirit of sacrifice for the healing and love of all your children."

 

David Culver

Campaign Chair

THE JOYS OF BIRDWATCHING

 

On Tuesday, May 7, St. Francis will welcome long-time parishioner Tony Fernandes to speak about birdwatching. Birdwatching is an increasingly popular hobby and the development of smartphone apps has attracted a younger group to an activity once enjoyed primarily by adults. Birdwatching, or birding as it is sometimes called, is a very flexible pastime that can be done with family or friends as well as being a solitary pursuit. Tony has been participating in and leading birdwatching activities with the Audubon Society and the West Chester Bird Club for more than 30-years. In this 60-minute presentation, Tony will give reasons why birding remains one of his favorite activities and why birding is so popular today. He will describe the many benefits of participating in this activity and show how anyone can begin enjoying this lifelong hobby. His presentation will include photos of some common birds in our area and provide the audience with some tips on bird identification.

 

For anyone who can remain after the 1-hour presentation has ended, Tony will offer a "show and tell" focusing on the primary tool used by birders: binoculars. He will display a wide array of optics of every size and price range, demonstrate their proper set up and use, and show the audience what to look for in choosing a pair of binoculars. Bring your binoculars to this Brown Bag Lunch and see how they stack up against Tony's collection . You can even join Tony for a brief walk outside into the churchyard in search of birds and/or to test some binoculars.

Tuesday, May 14, 2019 at 7 PM

 

Mark your calendar for Saturday, May 4 for a Day of Service.

 

St. Francis will join a dozen other churches from Chester County and the Main Line to serve together in the community. You'll be able to choose from service projects around our area. Among the opportunities already identified:

 

●        making hygiene kits and prepare meals for the homeless

●        cleaning the grounds of a school for the blind

●        engaging with seniors at assisted-living facilities.

 

We will publish a master list of projects closer to the date.  Mark your calendar!  Information about service opportunities and registration of located at gc-serve.  Early registration is suggested.  Each parishioner needs to register themselves. 

 

For more details talk to Anne Crowley, Vestry Liaison for Outreach. 

St. Francis has once again been invited to sing the National Anthem at FirstEnergy Stadium before the Fightin' Phils take the field. Our date this year is Friday, June 7th, 7:10pm first pitch. Tickets will be $10. A sign-up sheet is posted in the Narthex. This well-attended annual family event is a blast! Even if you don't sing, come enjoy the game and a night with your St. Francis friends.

 

February: we had a very successful Bake Sale to help fund our Mission Trip - thank you to all who came and bought up all our goodies!

 

March: the high school and middle school youth groups came together and celebrated St. Patty's Day with some fun games, activities and yummy food.

 

June 9: Mark your calendars for the Youth Group Service

 

June 23-28: Mission Trip is just around the corner!!!

Do you love to shop on Amazon? If so, please consider selecting the St. Francis smile account before you begin your shopping.   Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible purchases to the parish. The Vestry approved designating this money for Outreach during the coming year.

 

 

If you have an announcement to make during church services, please make your way to the front of the church during the Peace and use the podium and microphone. Thank you so much for your cooperation and we look forward to hearing you perfectly this way!

When submitting blurbs for the insert in the Sunday leaflet, please keep them short and to the point, preferably four lines or less. This helps make room for other announcements. Full-length announcements can be posted in the weekly Parish News that is emailed on Fridays, and the monthly newsletter.  Thank you for your cooperation with this request.

Get in on the fun on Sundays at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. by wearing your name tag during the service and coffee hour and placing it in one of the small buckets at each door on your way out.  Diane will draw a name on Monday and announce the winner in the Friday Parish News!  

 

 

"Winter in Summer" Now collecting excellent condition sweaters, hats, and gloves for the Church Farm School students to help prepare for their Fall/Winter. Please place in grey and green bins under the coats. The bins are labeled, CFS. Questions, please ask Caralee Crary, [email protected].  

 

Additionally, with special thanks for the continued support from Sheila Rees and Cathy Schilling as they volunteer at the Griffin Clothing Closet and help deliver items to the school.

Want to get personally involved?  If you are over the age of 18 and want to donate your time and talent to the 100% volunteer team at the West Chester Food Cupboard, please email Charlotte Cain at [email protected].

 

Money and food is welcome too, because no one should go hungry.

 

Thank you!

 

610-344-3175

 

431 S. Bolmar Street, West Chester, PA  19382

Did you know that you can dedicate the Sunday Altar Flowers in honor of a friend or family member, in remembrance of a loved one, or for some other special recognition? Altar Flower dedications are just $50.00, and helps provide a fresh arrangement each week. The form for dedicating Altar Flowers can be found on our parish website at: https://stfrancisfields.com/wp-content/uploads/Altar-Flowers-Dedication-form.jpg

Later this month, from May 20-23, Fr. Kevin will be away at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH, for a Continuing Education Conference entitled "Gathering 2019". This tri-annual, invitation-only meeting of Gen X and Millenial Clergy is designed to be time of networking, listening and conversation, bringing together Episcopal Clergy from around the country to build relationships and explore the practice of ministry. Please pray for Fr. Kevin and all who attend this important conference.

Sunday Lessons  

If you would like to read the lessons for Sunday, click on the link below. 

Monday, May 20, 2019!

For the calendar of events, please click the link below to the website.

St. Francis-in-the-Fields Calendar