FIELDNOTES

October 2023

 The Monthly Newsletter of 

St. Francis-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church

Malvern, Pennsylvania

“Messy Church”

My grandparents' house was never immaculate. I remember especially, when I was a kid, being there on the two “high holy days” of family gatherings: Thanksgiving and Christmas. The house would be filled with aunts and uncles and cousins. Football would be on TV. (The Cowboys. Please don’t hold it against me…) The table would be covered with food. And the house . . . well the house would be a mess. Thanksgiving and Christmas in that house were always big and robust and full of food and laughter. But they weren’t fancy or pretentious. The kids played anywhere we could find. The adults came and went and came again. Pillows were thrown and beds ruffled. Heads nodded sleepily in the easy chairs until it was time to feast again.

Some years ago, a pastor named Mike Yaconelli penned a book entitled, Messy Spirituality. At a time when “spiritual discipline” was all the rage in Episcopal circles, Yaconelli’s book offered a simple and hopeful counter-messaging; a bit of wisdom both holy and worldly for those of us who couldn’t “pray the hours”, or quiet our minds for centering prayer, or find time for a daily devotion, or even attend church regularly. Yaconelli reminded his readers that while we Christians may bemoan the fact that life gets in the way of piety sometimes, God does not. And our spiritual “fixations” - all that clamoring to climb the spiritual ladder - can lead us to miss the blessing of God’s grace.

I believe the Church of the future - and the “churches” of the future - will be more akin to my grandparents house than the hallowed halls we’re familiar with now. Where Christianity thrives, it will be both diverse and full of life. It will look different in different settings and among different people. It will be open to differing expressions and ideas of spirituality. It will be focused on the stories and experiences that people bring from their lives, and it will celebrate how God is moving in those stories, not if God is moving. And grace will be abundant, pouring out in ways that are scandalously shocking. And church will be messy, because it really will be a home and place of healing for all.

That’s what I hope - who I hope - the Church will become. Maybe in my lifetime. Maybe not. “To be that gritty and messy Church,” as Bishop Gutierrez recently said. “Not afraid to take risks. Not afraid to fail. Not afraid to open our hearts. Not afraid to love. Where everyone finds the freedom to be themselves and to truly find a place of belonging.”

If there is one spiritual discipline I would wish upon the church, and one that I would most wish for myself as well, it would be that we learn to be a “messy Church”. Opening our hearts - and our doors - wider and wider, until the full breeze of humanity feels comfortable blowing in. Because God doesn’t need protection from sinners, but a house full up with laughter and feasting, “sinners” included. 

Blessed Autumn,

Fr. Kevin+

Deacon Collection

St. Francis-in-the-Fields has been very generous in supporting the Deacons of this Diocese through our efforts to collect items for those in need. We’ve collected jeans, underwear, laundry supplies, and are still collecting for Thistle Hills House and West Chester Food Cupboard. 

Each year at Convention time (10/20-10/21), the deacons of the diocese organize an outreach effort.

This year's effort of creating and distributing First Aid Kits focuses equally on engaging in community, both in our parish, as well as those in need. The goal is to get First Aid Kits into the hands of people who will not seek medical treatment for simple cuts and are at risk of infection.

The First Aid Kits will be assembled into a gallon freezer bag. 

Supplies needed:

(4) Gauze Pads 3”x3”

(4) Gauze Roll 3’wide

(1) Surgical tape 1” wide

(4) Saline 5 ml unit dose

(4) Triple Antibiotic Ointment, 9 gram individual packets

(1) Lip Balm

(10) Band-Aids (regular size)

(1) Personal size Hand Sanitizer

(4) Individually Wrapped Alcohol Wipes

(3) Ibuprofen-Packets of two

(2) Nitrile Gloves-XL

One pair of Socks

October 1: St. Francis’ Day & Blessing of the Animals

The Feast of St. Francis will be celebrated on Sunday, October 1 with indoor Eucharist at 8:00am, and outdoor Eucharist with the Blessing of the Animals at 10:00am. If weather is bad, the service and pet blessings will be in the Parish Hall. Bring your pets to worship with you at 10am! Dogs, cats, horses, guinea pigs, tarantulas (in a cage, please…) – All are welcome. Invite your friends and their pets, too!

After Eucharist: All pets in attendance are invited to receive a blessing. If the pet is unable to come, a stuffed animal is welcome to be blessed in its placed.

We will also collect items for the animals at the Brandywine SPCA. Below is a list. 

This service will be live-streamed on Facebook and YouTube.

Helpers will be needed for both setup and cleanup.

October 7: Men’s Breakfast Fellowship

The next Men’s Fellowship Breakfast will be held on Saturday, October 7, 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.

October 8: New Christian Discipleship Class!

“I Will, With God’s Help”

A Study in the Baptismal Covenant



The Baptismal Covenant in our Book of Common Prayer (see pg. 304) is at the heart of the vision for discipleship in the Episcopal Church.

This fall, join Fr. Kevin on a multi-week exploration of faith and practice as we look more closely at the Baptismal Covenant, including how belief unfolds into practice.

This will be a wonderful and worthwhile journey for anyone, but especially those seeking Confirmation in the Episcopal Church. 9am each Sunday in the library.

Digital format TBD.

October 13: Fellowship Event

Our next Francis and Friends Fellowship event will take place on October 13th at the home of Jane and David Brooks.

Please join us from 6:00 till 9:00 for a fun filled evening! Bring a beverage of your choice and an appetizer to share.

Soft drinks and water will be provided.

Rise Against Hunger - (save the date)

St Matthew’s Lutheran Church in Chester Springs invites you to a meal packaging event to be held there on Sunday, October 15.

The goal is to recruit 300 volunteers to package 60,000 meals. Volunteers will work 2 hour shifts (11, 1, and 3). 

Donations welcomed but not required. This will be an Ecumenical and Interfaith event, with Baha’i, Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Unitarian participants coming together. 

Registration HERE

BROWN BAG LUNCH – OCTOBER 17, 2023



We welcome The Rev. Sherry Deets, Rector of Episcopal Church of the Trinity and Thistle Hills to the Brown Bag Lunch on Tuesday, October 17^th Noon-1PM.

Thistle Hills is a relatively new non-profit organization, officially established in 2020, and modeled after a highly successful program based in Nashville, Tennessee (Thistle Farms). Thistle Hills has a mission to provide long-term residential programming that has the capacity to create lasting change for our participants/survivors. We offer holistic healing and empowerment to assist survivors of trafficking, prostitution and addiction transform their lives in a safe, supportive, loving residential environment. The two-year program model addresses the physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual needs of each resident. Our staff and volunteers assist the women on their journey by providing ongoing treatments, educational tools and case management to successfully matriculate through a four-phased process.   www.thistlehills.org

The Rev. Sherry Deets serves as the Rector of Episcopal Church of the Trinity, Coatesville, where she has been for over two decades. She, with the support of Trinity, is the Founder and President of the Board of Thistle Hills. 



Next Brown Bag Lunch is scheduled for Tuesday, November 21. Our presenter will be Stephen Skoufalos, President, Great Valley School District Education Foundation. Please mark your calendars and join us to learn more about this program.

Book Group - October 20

On October 20 the book group will meet to discuss A Place Called Freedom by Ken Follett. 

The novel takes place in Scotland in 1776. Sentenced to a life of misery in the coal mines, Mack McAsh hungers to escape. His only ally : the beautiful, highborn Lizzie Hallim, who is trapped in her own kind of hell. Though separated by politics and position, these two restless young people are bound by their passionate search for a place called freedom.

2024 Pledge Drive

September 17 – October 29

Dear Fellow Parishioner:



In his July 23 sermon, Father John Whitnah spoke of the disappointment, anxiety and loneliness of this post-pandemic era.

“A lot of people feel that life has let them down. Physical pain – bodies that don’t work like they used to … emotional pain of grief or loneliness, fractured relationships, anxiety … conflict in our political context … violence among nations … natural disasters … global warming … disappointment with God, that God hasn’t come through in the way that we wanted or had hoped.”

Do you know people who feel this way? I know I do.

One of our fellow members, Anne Crowley, believes that our IWC initiative (Invite, Welcome, Connect) should be reversed to CWI (Connect!, Welcome, Invite) to help address this disappointment, anxiety and loneliness. She believes that what the world needs – what St. Francis needs – is more real “Connection” with one another. I do too.

“Serve One Another” is the theme of the 2024 Pledge Drive. This year I challenge members of St. Francis to not only meet our Pledge Drive goal of $345,000, but to “connect” with 52 members of our St. Francis community or our broader geographical community in 2024. One person per week – in person, by phone, email or text message. The more personal, the better. Find out how they’re doing in this difficult time. Is there anything you can do to help them – that St. Francis can do to “serve” them? Are there opportunities for them to serve others through St Francis?

Please return your pledge cards to the church office by Sunday, October 29. If you have not received a pledge card, contact me and I’ll get one to you promptly.

And then – start connecting!

Sincerely,

David Culver

2024 Pledge Drive Committee Chair

November 1 - All Saints Day Service of Remembrance

St. Francis Churchyard Cemetery

A service of prayer and remembrance for our friends and loved ones buried in the St. Francis Churchyard Cemetery will be held on Wednesday, November 1^st at 11:30 am.

The short prayer service will take place at the outside Altar, near the Cross. In inclement weather, the service will move into the Church to the front of the Nave.

November 5: All Souls Remembrances

The Feast of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls Day) will be observed this year on Sunday, November 5. The Parish Office is collecting names of family members and friends who have died over the last two years to be read from the Altar at Eucharist.



To submit a name, please email the office: stfrancisfields@stfrancisfields.org. In addition, members are encouraged to bring photographs of any loved one who has died to be placed on the Altar during the service that Sunday morning.

These can be dropped off in advance of that Sunday (preferred), or brought to the service that day. All pictures will be returned.

Clothing Collections for Church Farm School

Church Farm School Requests Gently Used Clothing for Scholars Church Farm School is an independent boarding and day college preparatory school for bright, motivated young scholars in grades 9-12 looking for an extraordinary educational opportunity at a reasonable cost.

To help these terrific scholars with their wardrobes (they are required to wear coats and ties for Chapel, dress in business casual attire for school and keep their clothes in good condition), the school enthusiastically requests donations of gently used or new clothing, appropriate for teenage boys in sizes small, medium, large and extra-large. 

Greatly needed at this time are: Men’s sweaters (S, M and L), Men’s blazers (Size 34, 36, 38, 40), Belts (black and brown, size 32, 34, 36 and 38), warm jackets, hats, gloves, and ties.

Donated items can be put in the bin located in the narthex.

For more information about donating clothes please contact Cindy VanHefter.

Coffee Hour



Coffee Hour hosts needed. Please consider hosting a Sunday or two.

Contact Sue Kelly or sign up in the Narthex.

Youth Group



Youth Group meet now in collaboration with St. Peter's of the Great Valley and St. John's, Concord.

The next meetings are October 29 at St. Peter's in the Great Valley and November 26 at St. Francis-in-the-Fields. The December meeting TBD.

This will be for both High School and Middle School students!

If you need a ride, please call Diane Faison at 610-647-0130 or email at stfrancisfields@stfrancisfields.org.

Walking with St. Francis & Friends

This is no pressure, easy walking, approximately 45 minutes - no sign up required. 

Please join us at East Goshen Park (Paoli Pike entrance at traffic light) at 9 am during October. We’ll be in the first parking area.  This may be the perfect Monday morning activity to start your week. 

Come - walk with us. Hope to see you there.  

Garden News

We now have 8 raised garden beds growing vegetables for delivery to the West Chester Food Bank located at 431 S. Bolmar St. in West Chester. Donations may be made 6 days a week in the mornings from 8:30 to 11:30 am. 

Just in September we harvested and delivered 81 pounds of fresh produce from our raised beds. The intake person always says that our produce is so easy for them as it all wrapped ready to hand to someone that same day. We harvested lots of green beans on four separate days. We had green beans growing in almost every one of the 8 beds. In addition we grow about 7 kinds of peppers and they are very welcomed. Lettuces, zucchinis and three types of lettuce too. The goal is not weight but variety of fresh vegetables that the people who use the food bank want.

We will continue to harvest during October and wrap up the season. Peppers may continue based on the weather.  

Mahala J Renkey

Circle of Friends

Circle of Friends is a pastoral care ministry of note writing (birthday, get well, thank you, encouragement, etc.)

The Circle of Friends will meet in person, in the library, on Wednesday, October 25 at 5:30 pm. If you are unable to join us in person but would still like to participate, please contact Sue Lenkaitis. Packets can be prepared for pickup or delivery as needed.

Additionally, if you know someone who would benefit from a note of encouragement, well wishes or any other message from our ministry, please contact Sue and we will add them to our list. We want to ensure we're reaching those who need it most. 

Immigration Ministry

Refugee assistance update: the seventh furniture collection for refugees, in collaboration with Nationalities Service Center, will take place first week of October. 

To make a donation, please text photos of the items to John Groch. Include your address. John will give you detailed information about pickup date and time as soon as possible.

 Thanks!

Altar Flowers

With the holidays approaching there are many opportunities to donate flowers for the altar, which are given to parishioners who are not well or are homebound. The flower book has been updated with pages until December 2024. There are many opportunities to sign up for flowers in October, November, and December. Multiple entries can be made on one Sunday. 

With regards to next year, I copied any entry which was placed in ink from the previous year.  Please check your entries if you have entered a permanent request to be sure it is correct. The cost for the flowers is the same- $50 per Sunday.   

Thanks. If you have questions contact Pam Hudson.