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FIELDNOTES
The Monthly Newsletter of
St. Francis-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church
689 Sugartown Road, Malvern, PA 19355
The Rev. Kevin Dellaria, Rector
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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.
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** 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.
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Holy Week Schedule at St. Francis
Holy Week is still happening at St. Francis! Each of the following services
will be available via
Facebook Live
. For those who don't use Facebook, s
ee Fr. Kevin's note below for other options.
Palm Sunday - April 5 @ 10 am
Read below how we can celebrate together!
Maundy Thursday - April 9 @ 8 pm
The Stripping of the Altar
Good Friday - April 10 @ 12 pm
Solemn Vigil on the day of the crucifixion
Holy Vigil - April 11 @ 8 pm
Readings, hymns and prayers from the Great Vigil
Easter Sunday - April 12 @ 10 am
A special Holy Eucharist that YOU can join! (To find out how, see below)
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Dear St. Francis Family,
Strange times indeed! As I write this, we are staring at another month, at least, of physical distancing, with perhaps more to come after that. No one could have imagined times like these, and we are all doing the best we can, given the circumstances. I pray that this not finds you safe, healthy, and home, as much as you possibly can be.
Over the last few weeks, both myself and our wonderful Vestry have been reaching out and checking in with our parish family. I have spoken to many of you myself, and I have received many reports (mostly good, thank our Lord). We will continue to do this work in the weeks to come. (If you haven't received a call, it may mean we need updated contact information.)
At the same time, as many of you know, we are using technology in ways we never have before at St. Francis. Like many clergy, I am learning along the way. There are many options available, but not all of them work with the "skeleton crew" we are running on Sunday mornings. Thank you for your patience as we work through the options to see what works best.
For now, all public services are being streamed live on our St. Francis Facebook page. Through this, we have been able to connect not only with many members, but also former members, members who have moved, and several non-members. I also realize, however, that not everyone uses Facebook. For that reason, I am in the process of setting up an audio-only feed that will be available through our website. I have also recently set up a YouTube channel, which we will be using increasingly as time goes on.
As you can see, the work of St. Francis continues. Joe Perry, Diane Faison and I, along with our Vestry, Wardens and other volunteers continue to work (safely and separately) to provide pastoral care, worship, and whatever outreach we can in whatever way possible. Just yesterday, we hosted a very successful Red Cross Blood Drive - the only public event held at St. Francis in nearly a month - in our Parish Hall. With that event in mind, I want to send out a special note of thanks to all of our members and associated friends and family who are on the front lines of this battle with coronavirus. We owe you a debt of gratitude for your bravery that we cannot possibly repay, and we will pray you through this battle.
There is so much more I can say, but already this is too long. I hope to communicate with you more soon by video. In the meantime, I ask you to read the rest of this newsletter, as there are things you can do to help keep our community of St. Francis together and flourishing.
Peace and love to all of you, and faith and hope in this battle we share.
Fr. Kevin+
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Celebrate Palm Sunday . . . Together!
No, we can't be together in person. But, we can be in spirit!
For this Sunday (4/5), cut a branches or leaves from something in your yard and hang them on your door throughout Palm Sunday. Then, take a picture and send it to Fr. Kevin ( [email protected]). He'll put them in a slide show so we can see how we were all celebrating as one!
Matthew 21:8 - "...and others cut branches from trees..."
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St. Francis Easter Video!
Miss your St. Francis family? Let's see how many of us can rise to an Easter challenge!
1.) Take a fun, Easter picture of you and/or your family. Even a very short video with a burst of "Happy Easter!" or something else will do.
We'll edit these together for a fun way to see each other at Eastertime!
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New Email Address!
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.
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"Virtual" Bible Study
Lectionary Bible Study meets on Wednesdays mornings at 10:00 to pray and discuss the readings for the following Sunday. Anyone is invited to attend.
Currently, the Bible Study is meeting remotely, using the parish GoToMeeting account (akin to Zoom). Information about connecting is sent to the parish a couple of days prior to the meeting. A GoToMeeting app is available for tablets and smartphones. Dial-in is also available for those who wish to join without video.
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 Vestry Update
Over the past several weeks, Vestry has been focused on a variety of leadership areas.
- The annual Vestry retreat was convened on the evening of March 6. In addition to fellowship, discussion centered on structuring our ministry to create belonging and community. The group also discussed actions and plans with respect to the developing COVID-19 outbreak, considering input from Bishop Gutiérrez and vestry member Brian Friedrich, M.D.
The regular monthly Vestry meeting was held on March 10. Key agenda items included:
- The approval of a pricing sheet for costs associated with funerals and burials
- Discussion of St. Francis livestreaming on Facebook
- Updates from Capital Campaign Phase II Committee
- Recognition of the successful Art Show weekend, which raised more than $8,000; proceeds are designated for the Darlington Arts Center and the West Chester Food Cupboard
- Vestry members have been in close consultation with Fr. Kevin as COVID-19 outbreak has impacted our parish community.
Next Vestry Meeting
Tuesday, April 14 @ 7 pm
Conference Call via GoToMeeting
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Capital Campaign - Phase 2 Renovations
Phase 2 Renovations Update
The Phase 2 committee of the Capital Campaign met several times in March to begin planning the focus of our renovations. During the IWC workshop in 2017, attendees walked through the church and discussed various upgrades that would make our space more inviting.
Using the IWC workshop idea bank and adding to it newer ideas suggested during our pre-campaign survey, we have we have outlined our key priorities. Our next step is to engage the expertise of an architect to guide us through designing a welcoming space geared to the future.
We plan to schedule our first meeting with an architect in April and we look forward to being able to present definitive plans to the parish at a Town Hall meeting. The scope of the project and finalization of plans ultimately depends on our continuing support of the Capital Campaign.
If you are able to continue making your pledge payments during these uncertain times, please do so in order to keep us moving forward in fulfilling the vision of the Capital Campaign.
We remain excited about our future and thank you for your ongoing support.
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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.com). Just look for the "Give" button toward the bottom of the page.
Thank you. Stay well.
Fr. Kevin, with the Wardens of the Parish
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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.
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Our Youth Group leaders are working closely with Youth Works coordinators regarding the upcoming mission trip. An update will be provided once more information becomes available.
The St. Francis Youth Group would like to thank you for your prayers and support.
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Book Club
A
s our March Discussion Group was postponed we will discuss these books on
April 16 and May 15
, or 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.
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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
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Have you heard of the Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD)?
The tax laws are confusing to most of us, but there is one rule that should definitely be understood by anyone age 70 ½ or older. The QCD rule allows an individual to make donations directly from their IRA accounts to the church, without having to pay tax on the distribution. When done properly this can save a considerable amount of federal tax, and this is especially true under the new tax laws.
To learn more please ask your investment advisor, or see Mike Quinn with any questions.
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Amazon Smile Supports Non-Profits
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.
To use Amazon Smile, sign in to smile.amazon.com on your desktop or mobile phone browser. From your desktop, go to Your Account from the navigation at the top of any page, and then select the option to Change your Charity. Or, from your mobile browser, select Change your Charity from the options at the bottom of the page.
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 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
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 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.
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Fieldnotes Deadline - May
The deadline for the May Fieldnotes is
Monday, April 27, 2020!
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Calendar 
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