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FIELDNOTES
May 2020  
 
The Monthly Newsletter of 
St. Francis-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church
 
689 Sugartown Road, Malvern, PA 19355
The Rev. Kevin Dellaria, Rector
610-647-0130
stfrancisfields@stfrancisfields.org
stfrancisfields.org
Like us on Facebook 
 
Our Vision:  
We aspire to be a growing community, worshiping together, celebrating our diversity & lay ministries, and offering God's healing love to all people.

Our Mission: 
We seek to foster spiritual growth & renewal while spreading God's message of love, healing and peace.

** Worship at St. Francis during COVID-19**

Please note: In compliance with state restrictions, and under the guidance of the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania, all public gatherings for  worship, administration, service and fellowship at St. Francis are currently suspended. During this time, however, we are using a number of available technologies to continue our worship, mission and ministry as a parish.
Virtual Community, Real Community
 
Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world. (John 16:32-33, NAS)
 
Day after day, throughout these long, strange weeks, I continue to consider that important word we have chosen as our focus for 2020: "Community". Admittedly, it's not ideal to be apart from one another. The Church has always emphasized the importance of physically gathering as much as we can. And yet this challenge of physical distancing during COVID-19 has brought new opportunity to assess and recall what Christian community IS . . . and what it's not. 
 
Throughout the Gospel of John, chapters 14 - 17, Jesus tells his disciples again and again, in different ways, that things are about to change. He is going away. He is going to the cross, yes, but he is also going to the Father; going to be with God. The one thing that has bound this little community together - Jesus himself - is stepping aside. In his place, Jesus says, someone new is coming - the Holy Spirit - and he will be all that the Disciples knew in Jesus, and much more.
 
This same person, this Holy Spirit from God, binds us together as well. Like the Disciples, it binds us in Community, even when we are separated. One might say, in fact, that the Christian Church has always been a "virtual" community first. We are connected, not because we share a building, or a common space, but because we are joined - wherever we may be - in the living Spirit of God. 
 
The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. (John 17:22-23, NAS)
 
So, as we begin another month apart from the physical gathering of worship, we also begin another month of spiritual unity in God. This is the truth of St. Francis-in-the-Fields, and of all the Church, first and foremost. When we join in worship through Facebook or Mixlr, or by watching recorded worship later - or even when we can't gather or see one another at all - we are still "together". Virtual Community, in Jesus Christ, is and always will be, real community.
 
Fr. Kevin
Safety and Security

Beginning Monday, May 4, the parking lot entrance key will be kept in a lock box. You will need a combination to access the key.  For more information on this new security at St. Francis, please call the church office at 610-647-0130.

New Email Address!

The parish office at St. Francis-in-the-Fields now has a new email address.  Please start using this email when contacting the church office.  The old one will be phased out.

New email address:    stfrancisfields@stfrancisfields.org
"Virtual" Bible Study 
 
Lectionary Bible Study meets on Wednesdays mornings at 10:00 to pray and discuss the readings for the following Sunday. Anyone may attend.  
 
Currently, the Bible Study is meeting remotely, using the parish GoToMeeting account (akin to Zoom). Information to connect is listed below:

St Francis Lectionary Bible Study

Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/359125301

You can also dial in using your phone.
United States: (224) 501-3412

Access Code: 359-125-301

New to GoToMeeting? Get the app now and be ready when your first meeting starts:
https://global.gotomeeting.com/install/359125301


Forward Day by Day

T he  Forward Day by Day  devotionals for May, June and July are available.  To avoid unnecessary viral exposure, we are offering to mail copies to you.  Forward Day by Day is available in regular or large print and there is a limited supply.   Please email the church office at the new parish email address if you would like to have one mailed to you, and please specify what size you need.

For those comfortable with an electronic copy, several options for receiving
Forward Day by Day directly via email, Facebook, etc., may be found by clicking HERE

The Daily Prayer and Meditation may also be read on-line by clicking HERE.
Vestry Update

Because of restrictions stemming from the COVID-19 outbreak, the Vestry held its regular monthly meeting on April 14 via GoToMeeting. The following topics were discussed.
  • The parish continues to be in a sound financial position. Annual pledges are being submitted, and on-line giving is encouraged at this time of social distancing. Capital Campaign pledges are also being received.
  • Vestry members are reaching out to parishioners to check on families' well-being at this difficult time, and the calls have been appreciated.
  • Planning work continues on the Phase II renovation projects. Committee members and Fr. Kevin have a scheduled meeting with an architect.
  • Vestry members lauded Fr. Kevin for successfully producing multiple on-line services for the weeks leading up to and including Holy Week and Easter. Participation in on-line services continues to be strong.
  • The American Red Cross Blood Drive on April 7, coordinated by Anne Crowley, was a success.
  • The Fellowship Committee organized a virtual happy hour, held on April 25.
  • Discussion continues among all committees and Vestry liaisons about best practices for navigating the impact of coronavirus and the economic downturn on the parish.

Next Vestry Meeting
Tuesday, May 12 - 7 pm
Conference Call via GoToMeeting

Capital Campaign - Phase 2 Renovations
 
Phase 2 Renovations Update
 
In our last update, we informed you we would be meeting with an architecture firm in April. On the 21 we did indeed meet with two individuals from the firm Bernadon. One of the architects oversaw our 2008 project, which included enlargement of the nave and addition of the sacristy. 

As it was not possible to meet in person, prior to the meeting, Father Kevin compiled a video walk through of our church space with a narrative outlining our Phase 2 renovation goals. The video was an excellent tool for an interactive dialogue regarding our vision and the expertise Bernadon can offer us.

After careful analysis, our working budget for renovations is $225,000. This may change as we continue to assess the impact of Covid-19 to the Capital Campaign. The next step is for Bernadon to submit a proposal of project scope, including their fee. Once we have received their proposal, the committee will meet to determine next steps.

On a related note, conversations are underway with the Safety and Security team to assess the best way to ensure the efforts of the two committees are in sync.

Lastly, as mentioned last month: If you are able to continue making your pledge payments during these uncertain times, please do so to keep us moving forward in fulfilling our vision.

Remote Giving

St. Francis continues to function during the pandemic, offering livestream worship, conference call meetings, online Bible studies and (physically distant) pastoral care. We continue to meet our financial commitments to our staff, our property and service providers, and the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania. Keeping our parish connected and building our community however we can is a top priority. However, we also know that, during this crisis, many are facing unexpected financial challenges. 
 
If you can continue your pledge or regular giving during this period, it is much appreciated. If financial constraints make giving or maintaining your pledge a hardship for you or your family, that is completely understandable.
 
For giving, personal checks and online bank transactions are still accepted. Also, for your convenience, an online giving option is now on the front page of our website (stfrancisfields.org). Just look for the "Give" button toward the bottom of the page.
Circle of Friends
 
Circle of Friends is a  pastoral ministry of card-writing and encouragement that  meets  every 1st Wednesday
of each month. All supplies are provided. Anyone is invited to participate. During this period of physical distancing, "The Circle" is meeting remotely, preparing notes from the safety of home. Thank you to everyone who shares in this ministry.

Hibernation Happy Half Hour

On Saturday, April 25, St. Francis held its first 4H (Hibernation Happy half hour)! Groups met via virtual meeting platforms for a half hour in place of Fellowship dinners. The response from those who participated was very positive! Therefore we're setting up a second 4H for those who were unable to participate the first time and those who would like to do it again with a different group of people.  
 
4H - Hibernation Happy Half Hour is Back - Saturday May 16!
With Fellowship Dinners on hold for now, the stay at home orders have us looking into alternatives to connect with our fellow parishioners.   The Hibernation Happy Half Hour- 4 H Club is something in which you can participate from the comfort of your own home. The first 4H Club was a success with 4 groups formed and 14 connections made.
 
We will coordinate another date for groups to 'gather' virtually, and the Host will send out the virtual invitation to the meeting platform, Zoom.
If you would like to participate in the 4H Club on Saturday, May 16 just do the following:
  • Email Sharon Fernandes at slf4961@gmail.com BY May 8!
  • Indicate if you would like to 'host' a virtual 4H Club Meeting or just participate
  • On the day of your 4H Club Meeting, grab a drink and appetizer, connect to the meeting and ENJOY!
You can set up Zoom ahead of time on your phone, iPad, or computer, or just click on the link that your Host sends you right before the 4H Club time. You will need a camera on your device to see the other people in the meeting. Otherwise you could just use the audio function.
 
Go to Zoom to join.
  • You can see daily live demos: Live Demos
  • How to join a meeting: Join
  • The only challenge is that is does not work well with Windows 7 or earlier
  • Google Chrome is the best browser to use for Zoom
We hope this virtual meeting will allow you to experience some friendship and goodwill at this very unusual time!
 
  
Primary Election

Our Pennsylvania Primary election is
Tuesday, June 2. Details about deadlines and new rules for requesting an absentee ballot are found by following the info at this link:  Voting Information  

Update on Project SHIELDS

Last Wednesday a request went out for donations to provide food for Project SHIELDS, a non-profit group volunteering their time to build plastic face shields for medical personnel. We are pleased to report that, as of 5/3, nearly $2000 has been collected! Meals for the Project SHIELDS will be purchased and delivered through Philadelphia Catering. If you would like to donate, you may mail a check to the parish office, or use the online giving button at stfrancisfields.org, designating the gifts for "Project SHIELDS".

Youth Group Mission Trip
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Plan A:  The original mission trip to Eastern Shore, VA was officially cancelled due to Covid-19. 

Plan B:  We were able to reschedule a 3 day trip to Niagara Falls, NY July 30- August 2nd.  

We want to thank everyone who has made a donation towards the mission trip.  We are so very grateful to have such a supportive St. Francis family behind our youth programs.  In the event we have to look at a Plan C you will have the option of a refund or having your donation go towards next years trip.  Please stay safe!  

Thanks!
Noel
Book Club
 
A s our March Discussion Group was postponed we will discuss these books in June or September.
 
First: The Home for Unwanted Girls, Joanna Goodman
In 1950s Quebec, French and English tolerate each other with precarious civility. Maggie's English-speaking father has ambitions for his daughter that don't include marriage to the poor French boy on the next farm over. When she becomes pregnant at fifteen, her parents force her to give baby Elodie up for adoption.
Elodie is raised in Quebec's impoverished orphanage system. This takes a tragic turn when Elodie is declared mentally ill as the result of a new law that provides more funding to psychiatric hospitals than to orphanages. Bright and determined, Elodie withstands abysmal treatment until at seventeen she is thrust into an alien, often unnerving world.
Maggie cannot forget the daughter she was forced to abandon. The stories of Maggie and Elodie intertwine but never touch, until Maggie realizes she must take what she wants from life and go in search of her long-lost daughter.
 
Second: Holy Envy: Finding God in the Faith of Others, Barbara Brown Taylor
The author recounts her moving discoveries of finding the sacred in unexpected places while teaching the world's religions to undergraduates in rural Georgia.
In Holy Envy , she contemplates the ways other people and traditions encounter the Transcendent, both by digging deeper into those traditions herself and by seeing them through her students' eyes as she sets off with them on field trips to monasteries, temples, and mosques
Taylor returns to her own tradition for guidance, finding new meaning in old teachings that have too often been used to exclude religious strangers instead of embracing the divine challenges they present.
 
Celebration of Rick Huffman's Life

Dear St. Francis Family, 

Please accept my deepest gratitude for the many kindnesses shown to me and my family after the death of Rick Huffman on February 7, 2020.

Also, please note the tentative date for the Service of Christian Burial and Celebration of Rick's life on October 9, 2020 [his birthday] at 11am at St. Francis. More information to follow.

Sharyn Huffman
Red Cross Blood Drive

The next Red Cross Blood Drive is scheduled for Wednesday, October 28 from 2 PM to 7 pm. Typically regular donors can give every blood every 56 days. Power Red donors require more time between donations.

Consult with Red Cross for further information. An online registration link will be posted in Parish communications in the fall." 
Donations Needed!
 
The West Chester Food Cupboard has had to drastically reduce the amount of food they are able to give people.  They are in need of any and all food donations.  Monetary donations are probably the best right now so that they can reduce any contact.
 
Here is contact information for the West Chester Food Cupboard:
 
431 S. Bolmar St., West Chester, PA  19382
610-344-3175
wcfood@gmail.com 

Altar Flowers

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

Fieldnotes Deadline - June

The deadline for the June Fieldnotes is  
Tuesday, May 26, 2020!
Calendar

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

St. Francis-in-the-Fields Calendar