Dear Family of St. Francis

Yes, oh yes, we are half way through our Advent season and I hope you have had moments of awareness that “Jesus is the reason for the season.” And then what?  Take a deep breath and let that unbelievable reality go deeper still.  Be still and know that God is with you!

Let us be blessed by the graces of coming together: through prayer, worship, “drive-through” Holy Communion and this Sunday’s Toy and Food Drive for Harbor Interfaith. On the 20th at noon we can come together for a “Christmas Cookie Zoom”. Please see below for details of all we get to enter in to more fully experience this Advent and Christmas season.

NOTE: When you drive down Via Rosa, AT 11:15 drive through Holy Communion will be on your right side with Jude+ at the first station and me at the next to give you the Body of Christ. Please text - 310-995-6519 - or email me so we know who might be coming! Then continue down and turn around and drive back up and at the curb of the church patio, please drop off your toy and food donations and any gift cards for Target and Walmart for our families in need.
Thank you to all who responded to the survey of last Friday! It helps us appreciate and analyze your experience of church during this pandemic of restrictions. Let us be a people of love and not of fear!

Advent blessings of hope, peace and joy,
Advent Quiet Day Opportunities
“While it is Still Dark”: An Advent Quiet Morning
Friday, December 11: 6:00 am – 9:00 am
Led by Dr Kathleen Staudt
Poetry, Journaling and Guided Prayer
Cost: 0 - $30 (choose your donation)
Cultivating Silence, Stillness and Solitude During the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Saturday, December 12: 9:00 am – 2:00 pm 
Offered by Stillpoint
Led by Peter Traben Haas, Spiritual Leader in Contemplative and Centering Prayer
Two parts with ‘screen’ break in between
Cost: $60 (will receive a $60 discount code to invite a friend for free)
‘Tis the Season of Giving
Food and Toy Drive for Harbor Interfaith
Sunday, December 13th drive by and drop off
11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Drive down to the parking lot, turn around, come back up curbside in front of the church. Youth volunteers will unload your car! Adult volunteers will thank you with a little gift!!! Contact - Gayle Taylor
For Thanksgiving we gave 45 bags of food; 9 turkeys, $400 in food gift cards!!!
THANK YOU to all who donated, to Trace, Ethan, and Jacob who unloaded cars, to Mary Deely and Kathy Compton for the bright orange fellowship tables, to Gayle Taylor and Kathy Compton for driving the donations to Harbor Interfaith, and to Gayle Taylor for spearheading the whole thing!!!
Christmas Worship 2020
Let us celebrate the gift of Jesus, God becoming one of us…unbelievable!
December 24 – Christmas Eve, 5pm, recorded. Stream our special family Christmas service, full of special moments, through our St Francis Facebook Page.  Please print the bulletin and join in singing Christmas carols in your home. We'll also be offering drive-through Eucharist on Christmas Eve after the service - more details to come.
December 25 – Christmas Day, 10am - "Christmas Around the Creche"
Bishop Diane M. Jardine Bruce and Canon Stephen Bruce invite the diocesan community to join them for a multilingual celebration of the Nativity featuring readers and musicians from congregations throughout the diocese. “We’ll have all the languages in which services are conducted in the diocese,” says Bruce, including English, Korean, Spanish, Mandarin and more. Tune in via the Diocese’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.

St Francis will not be offering online services at 10am on Dec. 27 and Jan. 3 because our awesome producers/editors/camera and sound operators, Susan and Peter Marshall are finally taking time off.
December 27 – 10am - "Festival of Lessons and Carols for Christmas"
On the first Sunday after Christmas, Bishop John H. Taylor will officiate at an online service featuring multilingual readings and carols from all ten deaneries in the diocese. The service will include a meditation by Bishop Taylor and a virtual celebration of Holy Eucharist via the diocese’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.
January 3, 2021, 11:15am ET / 8:15am PT
Join the National Cathedral in Washington DC online for the celebration of the Holy Eucharist on the Second Sunday after Christmas Day. The Rev. Canon Dana Colley Corsello preaches and the Rev. Patrick Keyser presides.

Streamed on the Cathedral website, and their YouTube and Facebook pages. It will also be available to watch at any time after the broadcast.
Donate and Offer a Tribute for Christmas Flowers

Our church will still be decorated for Christmas for our online worship. Remember, thank or honor a loved one by making a donation to the Altar Guild.
Email the following details to Mary Sanchez, no later than Sunday December 13.
Name of Donor; message for bulletin eg. "Given in loving memory of... or in Thanksgiving for... "etc.
The minimum suggested donation is $30. Checks should be made payable to 'St. Francis Altar Chapter' and marked 'Christmas Memorial Flowers'. Mail it to St. Francis Church, 2200 via Rosa, PVE, CA 90274.
You're Invited -
Please pray about being one of the four new Vestry members. This coming season is one of transition with my forthcoming retirement at the end of January 2021. The Bishop asked me to especially invite members of the parish to consider being on Vestry who have been members for many years or have gone through previous transitions with the calling of a new Rector.

Please also consider running to represent our parish as a delegate to the Diocesan Convention next November. I look forward to hearing from you and I thank you for trusting the work of the Holy Spirit in your yeses!

With gratefulness for your spirit of generosity and leadership,
There's Still Time to Send in Your Pledge
We know that things are difficult for many of you at this time - but if you can - there is still time to make an annual pledge to help keep the Ministries of St. Francis serving not just our immediate community, but beyond.
Please download and complete the form, and mail it to: Elaine Mistele, St. Francis Church, 2200 Via Rosa, PVE, CA 90274. And see below for how to make it even easier to make regular donations automatically - no check writing every Sunday!
Simplify Your Giving!
Use automatic bill pay for your pledge to St. Francis. You choose the payment frequency and date that works for you.

Look for Bill Pay or similar when you’ve logged in to online banking. Then add St. Francis as a new payee. You don’t need the church bank details - only the address and phone number: St. Francis Episcopal Church, 2200 Via Rosa, Palos Verdes Estates, CA 90274. 310 375 4617. And thank you!!
Bible Study Returns
Tuesday evenings, January 5th - February 9th, 7:00-8:30 pm
Join Jude+ for a 6-week class
We will study Matthew 5-7, The Sermon on the Mount,

The plan is to read a short chapter a week along with Matthew 5-7. Levine invites us to “hear old songs in a new key.” She describes The Sermon on the Mount as Jesus’ theological pep talk that inspires us “not just to feel better but to do better … to find the resources needed for living the life to which God is calling us.”

This should be a wonderful deep dive into this famous scripture.

If you’re interested, go ahead and order the book and begin reading the Introduction and Chapter One for the first class! There is scholarship money available if help is needed buying the book. Be sure to email Jude+ if you need help. So, mark your calendars for the 6 Tuesday evenings Jan. 5 – Feb. 9!!!
Be together - 5 days a week, as well as Sundays.
Morning prayer twice-weekly, led by Paula+, and Compline three times per week, led by Jude+ and a team of lay leaders. Each service includes the traditional service, plus words from the leader, and explanations of the readings. They are prayerful and quiet, a far cry from the turmoil of the world, and medicine to help us heal and be comforted and inspired.
Watch Our Services Live via Facebook
You do not need to have a Facebook page to view our content. Just click here to view our page. If you don't have a facebook account, or have forgotten how to log into it, just ignore any prompts to log in etc. The page should be visible to anyone. Still having trouble? Email Susan Marshall, for help.

Weekly Worship - all via our Facebook page
  • Sunday Readings, Music, Sermon, words from Paula+, and Spiritual Communion – Sunday, 10:00 a.m. Worship bulletins are here.
  • Morning Prayer - Tuesdays and Thursdays 8:30 a.m.
  • Compline (prayer for the evening) - Monday, Wednesday and Friday Evenings, 7:00 p.m.
Livestreams are also saved to our Facebook page, so you can watch again at any time if you miss one. Plus our sermons are also available as separate audio recordings here.

Other Offerings and Meetings
Zoom groups -
Knitters and Crocheters!
Behold! An open invitation to any knitters or crocheters to call or text Anna Eakins...for an interesting Covid project. 310 297-0701.
The Bellringer
At the current time, our monthly newsletter is on hiatus, but we'd still love to hear from you. If you have any updates or items you would have submitted for publication in normal times, send them along to Susan and we will publish them in this enews instead!
Do you need help of any kind?
Physical, Spiritual, Psychological, Material?
We are here to do our best to help you with whatever you may need. We know circumstances are difficult for many at this time. For help of any kind, or just for a Zoom or Facetime or phone call, please email or call Paula+ or Jude+ at any time.

If you are in a position to do so, (only if - no guilt), you may also donate to Paula+'s Discretionary Fund to help those at St. Francis in financial need. Send checks to 2200 Via Rosa, PVE 90274, made out to St. Francis Church, with 'Rector's Discretionary Fund' in the memo line. Thank you!

Email Paula+, 310-995-6519
Email Jude+, 310-701-5966.
View or download our bulletins - bulletins will be posted in time for livestreaming.

Sunday's Sermon

Contacts:
Paula+, 310-375 4617 x223.
Jude+, 310-375 4617 x225.
You are not interrupting our work - you ARE our work!