FIELDNOTES

November 2024

 The Monthly Newsletter of 

St. Francis-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church

Malvern, Pennsylvania

November 3: DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME ENDS

Remember to “fall back”! Set your clocks BACK one hour at bedtime.

“Communion in the Meantime”

This coming Sunday, November 3rd - the observance of the Feast of All Saints’ - is an exciting and special day. On the one hand, in keeping with both the Book of Common Prayer and our local practice, we will celebrate not just one but four baptisms! Four blessed moments of welcoming children into the community of our faith, of witnessing the moment of their new life in Christ, and of promising to stand by them and help them as they grow in Christ. We will join with them as they start their journey on The Way of Jesus Christ, and we will make their lives part of our lives.

On the same morning, we will also celebrate and remember the Saints who have gone before us, and the Communion of the Saints that surrounds us on all sides. In our prayers and readings we may recall the “Saints of old,” all those wonderful men and women of God whose lives have shaped our faith through prayer, or preaching, or writing, or serving. But we’ll also remember many of the “saints” who are closer to our heart: mothers and fathers and sisters and brothers and children and cousins and friends, and any number of other people who are special to us, and who have gone on into eternity before us.

But between those two moments - between baptism and death - there lies that brief time interlude that is ours to walk this Earth in the image of Christ. It’s our baptism that places our feet on that path; our baptism that directs us toward eternity with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit even while we make our pilgrimage here. The life of Christ that we embody during our time here, between our baptism and our death, is our “Communion in the Meantime”. We are a people of God’s Spirit, incarnating Christ for the world around us. We are “the body of Christ”, Paul proclaims (1 Cor. 12:27). So then, while we are here, he says elsewhere, “we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ” (Eph. 2:15).

As we enter November, with an election coming in just a few days, I’m abundantly aware of the current “tone” of our nation, even our local community. The stress and anxiety of our political climate is all around us. The attitudes that many fellow Christians hold and express seem at odds with the example and teachings of Jesus. I worry at times, quite frankly, that much of the larger Church has wandered from The Way of Love and it distresses me. But then I remember that I am called to embody that “Communion in the Meantime”.

In the few, short years I have on this Earth, as a person baptized into Jesus Christ, it’s my job to set the table and invite others to the feast. It’s not my job to ridicule or diminish others. It’s not my job to determine who’s worthy of heaven. It’s not my job to protect God from the realities of human life. If Christ is any model for me at all, it is my job to love - love myself and love my neighbor, and let God sort out the rest.

On this Feast of All Saints’, I am particularly grateful for the Community of the Saints; that sea of witnesses that goes before us, follows behind us, and always and eternally surrounds us and dwells with us. We are not alone. No matter the era, we walk the path of Christ that thousands upon thousands have walked before us, and will walk after us. But our time - our “Communion in the Meantime” - is now. Now, in our time, may we “walk in love as Christ loved us and gave himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God.” (Eph. 5:2)

Fr. Kevin +

2025 PLEDGE DRIVE



If you have not yet sent your 2025 Pledge Drive pledge card to the church office, please do so ASAP! The Finance Committee and Vestry are already working on the 2025 budget, and we need to know what pledges we anticipate in order to craft a reasonable and responsible budget for next year.

If you've lost your pledge card and need another, please contact me at 610.724.0954 or dculver0203@gmail.com.

Remember - "It's Time to Grow!".

David Culver

Pledge Drive Chair

ALL Meetings, Events, and Repairs



PLEASE call (610-647-0130) or email (stfrancisfields@stfrancisfields.org) Diane Faison in the church office to schedule ANY events at the church!

Doing this helps prevent scheduling conflicts.

November 1: All Saints’ Cemetery Memorial Service

12:00pm. Join us for our annual prayer service commemorating those who are buried in our Churchyard Cemetery.

Weather permitting, the service will be held at the cemetery Altar near the gazebo.

For inclement weather, the service will meet in the north transept in the nave.

November 2: Men’s Breakfast Fellowship

The next Men’s Fellowship Breakfast will be held on Saturday, November 2 at 9:00am, at the West Chester Diner (1147 West Chester Pike). This is BYOB (“Bring Your Own Bucks”).

All men of St. Francis are welcome to attend.

November 2:

Investiture of Sean Rowe as Presiding Bishop

On Saturday, November 2^nd, at 11am, the Rt. Rev. Sean Rowe will be installed as the 28^th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church at a simple service from the national headquarters of The Episcopal Church in NYC.

The service will be streamed live on TEC’s Facebook page. For anyone interested,

Fr. Kevin will be hosting a “watch party” at St. Francis on the big screen in the Parish Hall.

November 3: All Saints’ Sunday & Ingathering Potluck Feast!

Make plans to attend a very special All Saints’ Sunday at St. Francis. In addition to Holy Baptisms, we will remember by name, at the Altar, the names of those who have died in the last five years.

We also welcome all members to place pictures on and around the Altar of any loved one who has died at any time.

After the service, we will share in a Potluck All Saints’ Sunday Feast in the Parish Hall.

Three Election Prayer Service Options

Sunday, Nov. 3, 4pm at St. Francis, sponsored by the Interfaith Alliance of the Upper Main Line (St. Francis is a member).

Monday, Nov. 4, 6:30pm at Mt. Carmel Church of God in Christ, West Chester, sponsored by the Ministerial Alliance of West Chester.

Monday, Nov. 4, 6:30pm at St. Francis, Election-Eve Holy Eucharist.

Enneagram Growth Group

The Enneagram Growth Group meets on the 1^st Tuesdays of each month, from 6pm to 8pm, at the Dellaria residence in Paoli. The next meeting is Tuesday, November 5.

For more information, contact Fr. Kevin or Donna Dellaria (donnadellaria@gmail.com)

November 7: Christmas Decorating Committee Meeting

The Christmas Decorating Committee is holding its first meeting on Thursday, November 7th. 6:15pm, in the undercroft.

This is a design and planning meeting to look over all the supplies we have and to create a schedule to adorn the Church during the holiday season.

If you are interested, please contact Sarah McGovern at sarah.mcgovern6@gmail.com.  

November 7 - Thistle Hills - Annual Dinner and Silent Auction

Join us for a celebration of the journey of Thistle Hills residents on Thursday, November 7 beginning at 5:30 p.m. to 8 pm at Getman Hall, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1105 E. Lincoln Highway, Exton, PA 19341. 

Dinner, Conversation, Silent Auction and Thistle Hills pottery available for purchase. You will also hear from a resident who will be graduating soon.

RSVP and Ticket Purchases available online. $100 a person, $175 a couple.

You may also call 610-384-4771 to reserve and mail checks to Thistle Hills, 323 East Lincoln Highway, Coatesville, PA 19320.

Book Group: November 15

 On November15 at 7:30 p.m. our book group will be discussing Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. 

Although this historical novel takes place in the early 1960s many of chemist Elizabeth Zott’s colleagues at the Hastings Research Institute do not believe in equality.

A few years later, Elizabeth, a single mother, finds herself a star of an unusual cooking show.

Dates for Book Group: January 17, 2025, February 21, 2025, March 21, 2025, April 18, 2025, May 16, 2025.

November 16: HEADstrong Fundraiser

All day Saturday, November 16th the Main Line Tavern in Paoli, which opened last May, is generously donating 10% of all dining bills and all bar tips to the HEADstrong Foundation! 

The Quinn Family is working with the Main Line Tavern to make the day a huge success! If you are around that weekend, come have lunch, dinner, or just drinks while benefitting the HEADstrong Foundation and the families facing cancer it supports. There will be live music that evening as well. Hope to see you there!  

Reservations are highly recommended especially for dinner. We are so thankful for the generosity of the owners. Contact Jill Quinn for more information.

Main Line Tavern | Tavern in Paoli, PA

November 19: Red Cross Blood Drive

In this season of Thanksgiving you are invited to give of yourself, (your blood) at our last 2024 American Red Cross Blood Drive on Tuesday, November 19th, 2:00-7:00 PM. 

With all the recent natural disasters the need to replenish the blood supply is URGENT. I appeal to you to make an appointment today at redcrossblood.org. 

Please feel free to reach out to me, Nancy Orlando if you have any questions or concerns. I am also happy to schedule an appointment for you. Email, call, text—nancyo112@comcast.net or mobile 484-757-4040.

With much gratitude…Together we can make a meaningful difference.

Coming Up: Advent Study - The Soul Felt Its Worth

The Sunday morning Adult Study during Advent will look at the meaning and power of Christmas Hymns using the Advent devotional, The Soul Felt Its Worth.

Books are available for sale for $10.00 in the Narthex.

Sundays, Dec. 1, 8, 15 & 22. In the coming weeks, class participants will be invited to vote on the hymns discussed during each session.

Baking Cookies for Cookie Walk

Our annual Cookie Walk will take place on Saturday, December 7, from 9am to 11am.

We need members of St. Francis to do two things.

1.) Start baking cookies! (Or at least make your plans to bake.) ANY cookies or other baked items should have known allergens clearly labeled.

2.) Start telling your friends and neighbors! We need more people from outside of St. Francis buying cookies.

Contact Michelle Samet for information on this important event at michellesamet@yahoo.com

All proceeds go to the HEADstrong Foundation.

Memorial to the Lost

St. Francis is currently hosting the “Memorial to the Lost,” a project of Heeding God’s Call to End Gun Violence.

The memorial “is a unique, visible education tool developed by Heeding to honor victims of gun violence and their surviving families.

Tee-shirts with names and dates of those murdered by gun violence during a previous year in a designated area are displayed in front of a congregation’s building or in a public space where community members can experience in a tangible way the loss of life and disruption of lives that gun violence creates.”

For more information, visit heedinggodscall.org.

6-week Study

Sundays @ 8:45am. St. Francis is currently hosting a 6-week discussion-based study on violence entitled “Each Other’s Keeper,” created by the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri.

Coming weeks include Bullying & Suicide, Domestic Abuse and Sexualized Violence, and Forgiveness and Reconciliation.

The study meets in the library. All are welcome.

Church School

Church School (a.k.a., Children’s Sunday School) classes will be held on Sunday November 10 and December 8. 

Have you seen the number of children we have? This is the most important and growing ministry in our church!

Please consider using your time and talent as Church School Teacher.

In the coming months, we want to expand Church School to at least two Sundays. For more information, contact Sherri Lewis.

Christmas Caroling

Halloween is barely over, and soon if not already, Christmas décor will be everywhere! So that must mean it’s time to start thinking about our December calendars.

If there is enough interest, we are looking to have an old-fashioned Caroling Party on Sunday, December 8th from 4:00 to 6:30 pm. This is meant to be a family event, so all ages are welcome.

The Quinns have offered to host, with caroling on Wistar Road in Paoli. Caroling would be about an hour, followed by some nice warm soup, hot cocoa, and cookies. 

More information to come, but if interested please save the date!

BROWN BAG LUNCH

END-OF-YEAR UPDATE

We concluded the 2024 BBL season with a presentation by Fr. Kevin on the “Quirks of the Road” – finding the “weird stuff” that can make every road trip an adventure. What a great way to end the season!

The BBL Ministry team has started planning for the 2025 season. We have already secured a few speakers, and work continues to secure more. If you or someone you know wants to be a presenter, please contact Shirley Warren, Cindy VanHefter, or Sheila Rees.

In the meantime, below are speakers already scheduled for 2025. Please mark your calendar and more details to follow before the New Year. Thank you for your continued support of the Ministry.



1. Tuesday, January 28: “The Road to Becoming a Deacon” – Deacon Diane

2. Tuesday, February 25: “Introduction to Ennergram” – Donna Dellaria

3. Tuesday, April 22: “Gun Violence” – Diocese of PA

4. Tuesday, May 27: “A Civil Rights Journey” – Stephen Godsall-Myers

Non-Profit Security Grant Program (NSGP)

November 2024

The report below was shared with parishioners in 2022 and is being sent again as a reminder.

Five years ago, St. Francis was awarded a $60,000 federal Nonprofit Security Grant to upgrade its security. These upgrades were implemented based on the Risk and Vulnerability Assessment Study conducted by the PA State Police Department. The upgrades are divided into three categories outlined below.



Phase One

• Installed thirteen cameras around the church's perimeter to monitor the property grounds, focusing on hidden and secluded areas.
• Installed a new intercom system operated and monitored from the Parish Office. This system allows for two-way communication with visitors and staff without the need to leave the Parish Office.
• Installed a new and upgraded burglar alarm system and keypads for the Parish Office and Sacristy. Enhanced security features allow us to personalize access to both areas as needed.
• Installed wireless silent alarm panic buttons.

Phase Two

Replaced the Main entrance and Narthex doors (#1 and #4) with metal doors that are harder and more secure. With enhanced security features, the Main entrance, Narthex, and Choir doors can now be unlocked using an access card integrated into the new card readers. The system also comes with an app that allows access and remote operation.

Phase Three

• Installed three new lamp posts with LED lights at driveway entrances.
• Replaced eight exterior front porch incandescent recessed lights with LED lights.
• Replaced the single pole light switch with a new electronic in-wall timer
• Installed four new GFCI-protected 120-volt receptacles on front porch posts, eliminating the need to use hazardous extension cords to hang wreaths.
• Replaced and re-located photocells to control the church sign and driveway entry lights.

The system is designed with great flexibility and ease of use. For example, all three doors (Main entrance, Narthex, and Choir) can be automatically scheduled to unlock and lock at a specific date and time. If you have a meeting or event and want to schedule the door(s), please contact the Parish Office in advance.

PLEASE NOTE: An access card is in the combination lock box for easy use with the card reader to open the Main entrance door (#1). If you do not have the code to open the combination lock box or don’t remember it, please call the Parish Office at 610-647-0130.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Shirley or Everett. Thanks again.

December 10 – 13:

Lection Divina/Centering Prayer Retreat

This December, prepare your heart for the joys of Christmas by participating with Fr. Kevin and others in a silent retreat at Holy Cross Monastery in West Park, NY.

Come for a few days of quiet and learn the ancient practices of Lectio Divina and Centering Prayer, walk the beautiful trails along the Hudson River, and worship with the Brothers in the rhythm of monastic life.

The cost of $420 covers room and board. Interested individuals should contact Fr. Kevin. Holy Cross is an Anglican Benedictine Monastery.

Church Farm School

"Dear parishioners of St. Francis of-the-Fields, thank you very much for your wonderful donations of clothing to the Griffin Clothes Closet! We offer our scholars a regular day and time when the Griffin Clothes Closet is open and are thrilled to have our adult volunteer to assist us in receiving new donations, sorting, and helping our scholars with clothing selections. None of this would happen if it were not for the donations to help fill the space!

Our scholars are young men of ability and promise who receive an excellent education. Having a clean, bright, and organized place for them to obtain clothing they need to maintain the school dress code helps them have one less thing to worry about.

The support of St Francis in-the-Fields Episcopal Church makes a difference to each and every member of our community. Please know that we recognize and deeply appreciate your gifts. Thank you!

Please visit our website for more insight into our school's success and to share this good news with others. Thank you!

Warmest regards, 

Tiffany Scott

Interim Head of School"

Wednesday Bible Study



This weekly study group meets both in-person and on Zoom Wednesdays at 10 am to discuss the readings for the upcoming Sunday.

Those who attend in-person gather after for a brief service of Holy Eucharist.

A weekly email link is sent out for those who desire to attend virtually.

Circle of Friends

The Circle of Friends will meet in person, in the library, on Wednesday, November 27 at 5:30 pm.

If you are unable to join us in person but would still like to participate, packets can be prepared for pickup or delivery as needed. 

Please contact Shelley Steel at 610-299-3963 or shelleybsteel@gmail.com.

Immigration Ministry

On September 27 and 30, 48 pieces of furniture were picked up, bringing the total collections from parishioners and friends to 289 since the beginning of the program three years ago. 

For future pickups, please send photos of items to John Groch at 610-547-3583. 

Also contributions to the Mykhalchuk family can still be made at https://gofund.me/3f258bbd.

Altar Flowers

Please sign up for altar flowers in the book in the back of the church. The donation for the flowers is $50. 

Thanks. If you have questions contact Pam Hudson, pchudson715@gmail.com.

St. Francis-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church

689 Sugartown Road

Malvern, PA 19355

610-647-0130

stfrancisfields@stfrancisfields.org

stfrancisfields.org

The Very Rev. Kevin Dellaria, Rector

 Diane Faison, Parish Administrator & Deacon

Joe Perry, Music Director