No Volunteers!

 

Have you seen the display in the foyer designed by our Invite Welcome Connect team? "We are St. Francis!" it says. "How do you connect?"

 

As we draw closer to the Paschal Feast (i.e., "Easter"), what a wonderful, colorful way to think about our life together at St. Francis. How do we connect with each other? Where, in the work of this parish, do our gifts and talents cross paths with someone else? And how do those gifts and talents help us reach out, touching the lives of those around us - in our schools, in our jobs, in our communities? After all, what we do together is not just for St. Francis, but is also from St. Francis. In other words, we aren't here just to care for our private Christian club, but to live out, together, what it means to be a truly "Christian" community. Jesus put it this way: "If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hid you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand!" (Mt. 5:15, The Message)

 

And that brings me to my main point: All those names written on that display - hopefully yours included - those aren't "volunteers". They are ministers. Every greeter, every reader, every choir member, every coffee hour host - every person who labors in this parish to help us spread "God's message of love, healing and peace" - is a minister. Don't get me wrong: they do volunteer! And many volunteer in more than one way. But Jesus didn't stroll through Galilee asking for volunteers. Jesus said, "Follow me!"  And in our Epistle reading for this Sunday, St. Paul explains exactly what it means to "follow": If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!  All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation . . . entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. (2 Cor. 5:17-19, NRS)

 

Are you a Minister? Take a moment, over the next few weeks, to look at that display. Ponder the branches of our parish; the diversity of gifts, talents and ministry. Is your name there? Could it be? Like the Corinthians, we are one body with many parts (1 Cor. 12:12ff). A wise old mentor of mine used to say, "Everybody in the Body is somebody, and everybody in the Body has a body ministry." And when you have that "body ministry" - that place (or places) of labor for the Gospel - you aren't just a volunteer, but a Minister. A diakonos, it says in Greek, using the same word from which we get our word "Deacon". 

 

One gift of Easter, among others, is that we are all connected; bound to one another in love, and entrusted with the ministry of the Gospel. It is more than just our hope. It is the reality of our work. Let us go on, then, and celebrate the Paschal Feast together, knowing how fully and completely God has called us, blessed us, and entrusted us. As I say almost every Sunday as we lift the bread and wine, "These are the gifts of God . . . and YOU are the resurrected people of God!" 

"Stages on the Journey":

The Three-Fold Path and the Spiritual Life

Fr. Kevin's 4-part teaching on the stages of spiritual growth is now available online at no charge for streaming or download. Recorded in fall 2018 as part of the Rector's Study, this series looks at the natural ebb and flow of spirituality that has been observed for centuries.  

 

Consider including this series as part of your practice during the upcoming Lenten season. Go to Rector's Study to play or download.  

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 

 

The Capital Campaign Committee and our consultant, Kirby-Smith Associates, have completed a Campaign Feasibility Study - including a parish-wide survey and interviews of a representative sample of parishioners. Eighty six parishioners responded to the survey (59% of the parish), and more than 30 personal interviews were conducted (over 20% of parishioners). Both percentages are considered to be statistically significant and are higher than Kirby-Smith's typical experience in parish engagement. Thank you for your generous participation!   

 

Survey results? I will be sharing key highlights of the survey at both the 8:00 and 10:00 services this Sunday, March 31. And, I'll talk a bit about the campaign's next steps.

 

See you in church.

David Culver

 

We welcome Marie Frey, Vice President of Operations, from Community Volunteers in Medicine (CVIM) on Tuesday, April 2 Noon-1PM.

 

Chester County is the healthiest county in the Commonwealth. This is according to the 2017 County Health Rankings report issued by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. Chester County placed first statewide in health outcomes, and second in both quality of life, social, and economic factors - pushing it to the top ranking for Pennsylvania.  

 

CVIM's commitment has remained steadfast as the free safety-net provider and healthcare home for thousands in the Chester County region for high-quality free healthcare.

 

Their mission is providing compassionate medical and dental care and health education to people who live or work in the Chester County region who lack access to insurance, in order to support their goals to lead productive, healthy, and hopeful lives.

 

The organization is supported 100% through philanthropy and with the generosity of donors and community partners, like St. Francis Church, they have been able to respond to the growing community needs over the last 21 years. During the last fiscal year, CVIM provided care for over 4,000 patients and had 43,000 patient visits.

 

A dedicated Board of Directors governs the organization with the help of over 450 volunteers who work tirelessly to fulfill its mission.

 

Please join us on Tuesday, April 2 Noon-1 PM to learn more about CVIM and the impact this organization has made (and continues to make) to thousands of lives in the Chester County region. Thank you!

 

 

Last year we grew, harvested and delivered 358.50 pounds of organic produce to the West Chester Food Cupboard.  For people to purchase this food in supermarkets the cost would be over $1200.00.  It is a gift of work and devotion to help others in our community.

 

April is the time we will plant seeds and some seedlings.  Before we do that this year we have a couple of important things to do and need assistance.  We need to fix the wooden raised beds.  We need people with strength to fix the wooden sides as some are falling apart.   We also need to add mushroom soil and to turn over the soil so is aerated.  We need at 6 men to fix beds and turn over the soil so we can plant.

 

 

Mahala Renkey and Lynd Meyer

 

Do you love to help others in the community? Please join me in the library on Sunday April 7 immediately after service for 30 minutes to brainstorm about our Outreach Ministry. The committee will meet 3 times a year and communicate by email/phone to continue our planning between in person meetings.  

 

Questions - Contact Anne Crowley, Vestry Liaison for Outreach.

Tuesday, April 9, 2019 at 7 PM

 

Fellowship Dinner is a great way to get to know new and existing members of St. Francis, while having dinner in a small, friendly setting at someone's home. Last fall we tried a new format for the dinners, and it was a success!  We have set a SINGLE DATE of Saturday, April 27 for ALL the dinners.   

 

Parishioners can sign up as a guest or to host a dinner.  Once the groups have been assigned, the Host will coordinate the specifics for the dinner. A sign-up sheet will be in the Narthex in mid-March.   

 

If you need further information on the Fellowship Dinner, contact Sharon Fernandes.

 

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, 7:10 pm first pitch. Tickets will be $10. A sign-up sheet will be posted soon. 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!!!

 

Zac and Lisa D'Annunzio Jones

It All Started at the Parade

 

By Cindy Claffey

Invite-Welcome-Connect

 

In this season of March Madness, it's easy to recall the excitement of the 2016 Villanova Basketball Cinderella Story. For Lisa D'Annunzio and Zac Jones, that Cinderella Story truly has a "happily ever after" ending. The two, who were married by Fr. Kevin this past November, met for the first time at the Villanova Victory Parade in April 2016. They had met and chatted online, but decided to connect face-to-face at the parade. Lisa, a Villanova alum, was attending with her parents, and Zac lived in Philadelphia at the time and took a day off for the celebration.

 

The couple hit it off, and three years later they are happily married and preparing to purchase their first home in nearby Broomall. The D'Annunzio family (parents Carole and Vince, sister Christine and brother Vincent) are long-time members of St. Francis. Lisa, Christine and Vincent grew up in the church, where they were involved in Youth Group, Church School, and the annual Christmas pageant. Lisa even narrated the pageant throughout her high school years. Perhaps with memories of the former Christmas performances fresh in her mind, Lisa invited Zac to join her family for Christmas liturgy during their second holiday season together. At the service, they met Fr. Kevin for the first time.

 

"He was very open and transparent," Lisa recalled. They returned the next week, and again for another "show" the following week.

 

Their attendance at St. Francis-in-the-Fields continued as they began preparing for their wedding, which was held at the Barn on Bridge in Collegeville on November 9, 2018. Fr. Kevin was very instrumental in helping them clear hurdles during the planning, ultimately bringing them closer during the process. Fr. Kevin officiated at the wedding, celebrated outdoors under a beautifully decorated tent.

 

"We grew in our faith as a result," Lisa said. Although Lisa grew up in the parish, she and Zac have felt warmly welcomed as newlyweds who are now becoming part of the St. Francis family together.

 

"It's very low-pressure. People genuinely want to say hi and welcome us. It's very relaxed," Lisa said.

 

Zac grew up in Bethlehem, PA and was raised Catholic, but appreciates the acceptance he feels in the Episcopal Church.

 

"It's twice the liturgy and half the guilt," he explained. "This is more on the forgiveness side. They accept you for who you are, and it's more Gospel-focused than dogma-focused."

 

By far, Lisa and Zac's favorite event at St. Francis is the outdoor St. Francis Day liturgy and Blessing of the Animals. Even as a child, Lisa recalled that was the highlight of her church experience every year. They were thrilled to bring their Maltese-Coton mix, Rigatony Danza, for a blessing this year. They have also participated fellowship events and regularly attend Sunday worship.

 

In addition to a great sense of humor, Zac and Lisa share a tremendous spirit of creativity. Professionally, Zac works for a distribution company in Trenton, NJ, but in his free time he is a writer. He writes screen plays, focusing on pulp and horror genres. For their first Christmas, he wrote Lisa a play entitled "A Whole Lot of Mistletoe." Lisa, on the other hand, is an English-as-a-second-language teacher through an online educational platform. In her words, "I commute to China everyday through the internet." Her creative outlets are drama and painting. She performs with the Footlighters Theater in Berwyn, and she also does watercolor paintings, which she turns into greeting cards.

 

Together Lisa and Zac are in the process of purchasing their first home, and getting ready for the next steps of married life.

 

Lisa commented, "We are just catching our breath and enjoying our time together as husband and wife."

The Altar flowers are given every Sunday to people who may be sick, need a lift or to those celebrating special occasions.  Please bring your leftover vases and leave them in the Narthex or the Sacristy (the room behind the Altar).  We need vases that are not too big but ones that could fit on a tray table or bedside table in the hospital.

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.

 

 

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!  

 

 

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

Sunday Lessons  

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

Tuesday, April 23, 2019!

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

St. Francis-in-the-Fields Calendar