St. Francis Bulletin
June 2015, Volume 22, Issue 6
From the Rector
Fr. Len Giacolone
This will be the last newsletter until September. We usually take a break during the summer months and so shall we this year.
UPDATE ON AFFILIATION
You are all aware that there has been a glitch in the process of our attempting to affiliate with the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth. There are not now, nor have there ever been, any “issues between the Episcopal Missionary Church and St. Francis.” The issue has been the money that I held in two bank accounts as treasurer of the Diocese of the Western States. That has been transferred to the EMC. The delay in the transfer was due to the fact that the Episcopal Missionary Church had no tax exempt status. Therefore, according to Texas State Law, I was unable to transfer the money until such a time as they achieved that status.
On Wednesday, May 27, I met with Bishop Jack Iker and Father Ryan Reed, Chairman of the Standing Committee for the diocese at Bishop Iker's office. We had a very nice conversation and he suggested a two pronged approach. Since he is going on sabbatical for the summer, he is sending Father Tom Hightower down to Austin on Sunday, June 21, to preach at our 11:00 am service and to answer whatever questions we might have. Father Hightower is a senior priest of the diocese who is very knowledgeable about the bishop, the diocese and ACNA. Bishop Iker himself will visit with us on Wednesday, October 21 in the evening for a meet and greet. Barring any unforeseen problems, it is his intention to welcome us into the diocese at the Diocesan Convention in November. More details on that as we get closer.
NURSERY POLICY
With the growing number of children using the nursery at church the Vestry has thought it best that the parish have a policy to safeguard the health of all the children of our parish. The policy includes guidelines for immunization and general overall health that we believe will be protective of our children. If it is not there already, the policy will be posted on our website and in the nursery itself. If you have any questions please contact a member of the Vestry and thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Now that Sunday School is over for this school year I want to thank Missy Nelson and Doug Cooper for their outstanding work with our children over the past year. I also want to thank anyone who substituted for Missy and Doug when they were not able to be there to teach. This is an extraordinary commitment on the part of our teachers who must prepare and execute these lessons every week for the benefit of our children. Of course, parents are always the first teachers of their children in all things and especially with regard to matters of transferring the “faith once delivered” to their children. But our Sunday School is such an important supplement to that teaching. We have always had a Sunday School because of dedicated people like Missy and Doug and with your help, we always will. If you are inclined to help out with this ministry in some way, please contact Missy.
Also, by way of thanks, I want to single out Jim Crandell for maintaining the website for our parish. This is something that goes on behind the scenes, but in this age of technology is absolutely necessary to our attracting new members and providing information on what we do here. As some of you may know, Google has recently put out an edict that all websites had to be user friendly for phones or they will punish offenders in some way. (Believe me when I tell you that I don't understand any of this). Jim has been working diligently to comply with this demand and is continuing to update our website to make it even more informative. I am grateful to Jim for all of this, not to mention his taking care of posting my sermons to the website every week and sometimes more often. Thanks, Jim.
One final Thank You! As I announced in church on Pentecost, we have discontinued the Anglican Rosary on Tuesdays at noon. For years now Becky Hunt has done this alone. I always regret it when we have to cancel something (especially prayer) due to lack of interest. But I want to thank Becky for her steadfastness in keeping this ministry going for as long as she did.
See you in September!
Summer of Life
Every summer for the months of June, July & August, the Central Texas Coalition for Life has an online sign-up form for volunteers to pray on the sidewalks in front of the two local abortion facilities - Planned Parenthood on Ben White and the Austin Women's Clinic on South IH-35. This is on a week-by-week basis to accommodate for those who have inconsistent schedules during summer time. It has been proven that when there are volunteers on a regular basis, more lives are saved and hearts are changed!
Go to http://centraltexascoalition.com for more information.
Anglicans for Life
Phoebe Hughes
Anglicans for Life received a lovely letter of thanks from Lori DeVillez for the $400.00 and diapers AFL took to them.
Doug Cooper braved the rain to walk for Texas Alliance for Life's "Walk for Life" and raised $475.00 for TAL.
We are going to be on vacation until September, but hope everyone will continue to bring diapers, sizes 3, 4 and 5 as the babies will not be on vacation.
Thanks to all of you who have helped with our mission to support the sanctity of life and we count on your support in the future.
For Life.
Intercessory Prayer Group
St. Francis has an active intercessory prayer group. If you would like to submit a prayer request, place your written request in the prayer box on the right side of our worship area. You may also e-mail your request to giacolone@grandecom.net.
Hymn for the Persecuted Church
Metre: 8787D Tune: Austria (“Glorious things of thee are spoken”)
Father, in the name of Jesus,
hear our prayer for those in pain:
Scattered through the hostile nations
many suffer for Your name.
You have promised to Your people
opposition from the world.
Now sustain them, yes, protect them
by the truth found in Your Word.
Satan uses persecution
to instil a frightening fear,
threatening to destroy the body,
telling them that death is near.
Give them courage, noble courage,
never to deny Your name.
In the footsteps of the martyrs
may they spread abroad Your fame.
Be with those in Muslim nations
where to choose You is to die.
May the motives of fanatics
be exposed as Satan's lie.
Where the Hindu is intolerant
of the faithful Christian few,
may their loving witness conquer,
showing Christian attitude.
Raise up leaders in Your Church, Lord,
people of integrity,
who will lead by their example
as You, Lord, want us to be.
May Your people in each nation
work in loving harmony.
Change the hearts of the oppressors,
break the yoke of tyranny.
Words: Hugh G Wetmore (c) 1999 (written for the annual International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church)
Calendar
9:30 am, Holy Communion (said service)
10 am, Choir Practice (some vacation time in June and July)
11 am, Holy Communion with music. On the first Sunday, this service is sung Morning Prayer with Holy Communion.
7 pm, Evening Prayer
7 - 9 pm, Games Night
9 am, Prayer Walk
5:30 pm, Vestry Meeting
12 pm, Noon, Mothers' Prayer Group
12:15 pm, 5th Sunday Potluck
3:30 pm, Hymn sing at the Retirement and Nursing Center
Readings for Services
June - August 2015
6/7 1st after Trinity
Genesis 3:1-21
Psalm 130
2 Cor. 4:13-18
Mark 3:20-35
6/14 2nd after Trinity
Ezekiel 31:1-6, 10-14
Psalm 92
2 Cor. 5:1-10
Mark 4:26-34
6/21 3rd after Trinity
Job 38:1-11, 16-18
Psalm 107:1-3, 23-32
2 Cor. 5:14-21
Mark 4:35-41
6/28 4th after Trinity
Deuteronomy 15:7-11
Psalm 112
2 Cor. 8:1-9, 13-15
Mark 5:22-24, 35b-43
7/5 5th after Trinity
Ezekiel 2:1-7
Psalm 123
2 Cor. 12:2-10
Mark 6:1-6
7/12 6th after Trinity
Amos 7:7-15
Psalm 85
Ephesians 1:1-14
Mark 6:7-13
7/19 7th after Trinity
Isaiah 57:14b-21
Psalm 22:22-30
Ephesians 2:11-22
Mark 6:30-44
7/26 8th after Trinity
2 Kings 2:1-15
Psalm 114
Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-16
Mark 6:45-52
8/2 9th after Trinity
Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15
Psalm 78:13-25
Ephesians 4:17-25
John 6:24-35
8/9 10th after Trinity
Deuteronomy 8:1-10
Psalm 34
Ephesians 4:25-5:2
John 6:37-51
8/16 11th after Trinity
Proverbs 9:1-6
Psalm 147
Ephesians 5:15-20
John 6:53-59
8/23 12th after Trinity
Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-25
Psalm 16
Ephesians 5:21-33
John 6:60-69
8/30 13th after Trinity
Deuteronomy 4:1-9
Psalm 15
Ephesians 6:10-20
Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
June
5 Fr. Len Giacolone
9 Fielder Dowding
12 Anne Idsal
15 Charlotte Ready
18 Nancy Jones, RobinRuth Alexander, Robert Motl
20 Brendle Glomb
21 Amelia Davis, Elizabeth Davis
25 Wade Noelke
July
2 Claude Bernard
7 Roy Jones
8 Julia Adams, Sue Orr
11 Carol Parker
12 Christina Hatley
14 Susan Rambin
25 Robert Pigg
26 Lucy Ross
27 Harriet Bernard
28 Teresa Glomb
30 Claire Ducker
August
3 Larry Cole
10 Leanne Read
11 Liberty Smith
18 Sally Looke, Phoebe Hughes
20 Nancy Giacolone, Clif Drummond
23 Greg Smith
28 Keith Harrell
June
1 Jace & Cindy Phillips
9 Mike & Charlotte Ready
July
2 Kevin & Patricia Burnette
17 David & Kimberly Norris
August
5 Jim & Amy Crandell
16 David & Jane Williams
19 Andy & Shannon Adkins, Robert & Burt Pigg
St. Francis Activities
Our parish has many groups to carry out our mission. Here are more details on a few of them:
Nursery
St. Francis is blessed to have children who love to play in the nursery during the Sunday services. When we moved to this location, Junior Warden Keith Harrell made sure the nursery was well furnished and supplied. Nursery coordinator Missy Bernard makes sure that there is always an attendant to watch the children. For the past three years, Grace Rowse has served as the attendant - another blessing to us!
Led by Charlotte Ready, this group of men and women work to knit or croquet shawls. Prayers are said while the shawl is being created and then are blessed by the Priest before being given out to anyone who is sick. The recipients are astounded at the power from the shawl when it is wrapped around the shoulders.
At each of the services, a member of the congregation reads the first lesson and the Epistle. Mark Rambin schedules the readers who take turns reading at the 11:00 service.
St. Claire's Guild
While we all hope that life goes smoothly, St. Clare's Guild is a group of women whose ministry is dedicated to serving our parish family in times of celebration, need, illness or loss. Eileen Cole leads the group.
Mission Statement
- We the People of God as Saint Francis Anglican Church are a community of believers in the Gospel of Jesus Christ whose mission it is to spread that Gospel in what we preach and in the way we live.
- We are called to know the Word of God, to act on it in our lives and to share it with our brothers and sisters in the world.
- We are determined to hold the ancient faith of our ancestors in the Anglican tradition, to uphold traditional Christian values based on the Holy Word of God and to be faithful witnesses to the person of Jesus in the Austin Community.
- St. Francis parish is dedicated to the presence of Christ in the lives of the poor, the needy, the sick, to each other and to all those to whom Jesus comes to minister in His life on earth.
- As a community of believers, we intend to entrust our growth in love, in faith and in resources to the generosity of God.
Staff
Rector - The Rev. Canon Len Giacolone
Music Director and Organist - Paula Blaha
Church Groups
Vestry Members - Senior Warden, Mark Rambin; Junior Warden, Keith Harrell; Treasurer, Michael Ready; Secretary, Jim Crandell; Grady Collins, John Hatley, Anne Idsal, Ed Sandlin, Fr. Len Giacolone
Acolytes - Fr. Len Giacolone
Altar Guild - Becky Hunt
Anglicans for Life - Phoebe Hughes
Austin City Prayer Walk - Amy Crandell, Claire Ducker
Choir - Amy Crandell
Christian Education for Youth - Missy Bernard, Doug Cooper
Christian Education for Adults - Fr. Len Giacolone
Evening Prayer - Jim Crandell
Home Group Hosts - Claire Ducker, Anne Idsal, Kim & David Norris
Hospitality - Kim and David Norris
Intercessory Prayer Group - Fr. Len and Nancy Giacolone
Mothers' Prayer Group - Charlotte Ready
Newsletter & Pew Sheet - Amy Crandell
Nursery - Missy Bernard & Grace Rowse
Prayer Shawl Ministry - Charlotte Ready
Readers - Mark Rambin
St. Claire's Guild - Eileen Cole
St. Polycarp's Guild - Jim Crandell
Ushers - Al Parker
Webmaster - Jim Crandell
Women's Bible Study - Becky Hunt
Women of the Church - Leanne Read
5th Sunday Nursing Home Service - Amy & Jim Crandell
Newsletter Submissions
Newsletter articles are gladly accepted for inclusion in the next month's newsletter. E-mail to amytcrandell@gmail.com by the 20th of the month.
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