St Francis Bulletin
November 2015, Volume 22, Issue 9
From the Rector
Fr. Len Giacolone
First of all, a very genuine thank you to everyone who participated in the planning and execution of Bishop Iker's visit to St. Francis on October 21. The Bishop was quite pleased with the reception he received and from all of the comments I heard, you seemed to be pleased with him. That's good. Now we can go on to the next step which is that we will be seated among the parishes of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth at their 33rd Annual Diocesan Convention at St. Peter and St. Paul Church in Arlington, Texas on Saturday, November 14. Several members of the parish plan to attend as this in an important event in the life of the parish. It is my hope that our association with the diocese will be a long and fruitful one.
Since we will belong to Bishop Iker, there are a few things that will have to be done in accordance with the policies of the diocese. Our by-laws will have to be tweaked and there might be a few things that the Vestry will have to do differently in order to satisfy the bishop's requirements. Nothing drastic will be happening and I anticipate that any changes that have to be made will be made over time and will not cause any real consternation.
One of those gradual changes will be with regard to how we select Vestry members at St. Francis. They will still be elected at the annual parish meeting (which will be moved to sometime in January). But the Bishop's Customary suggests certain qualifications for Vestry members that are utterly reasonable and should present no problem for someone who wishes to hold a leadership position in the church. The potential Vestry member should be a communicant in good standing, defined in the Customary as one who has been confirmed or received by a Bishop of this Church, who receives Holy Communion regularly and has been faithful in corporate worship, and in working, praying and giving for the spread of the Kingdom of God. The Customary also states that “it is foolhardy to expect that being elected a member of the vestry will necessarily activate what has been a nominal churchman. Likewise, it stands to reason that any nominee not personally convinced and practicing Christian stewardship can hardly be expected to bring concern for stewardship and fiscal needs of the parish if elected.”
Persons wishing to be considered for a position on the Vestry, (there are three positions available this coming year) should be mindful of these qualifications before nominating himself or herself and before nominating someone else. Nominations for the Vestry should be submitted to the Vestry by December 8 and will be considered by the Vestry at its December meeting according to the qualifications listed above. If you intend to nominate someone other than yourself, please obtain their permission first.
Sunday, November 1 is All Saints Day. This is a major feast of the church and before the 11:00 am service we will rehearse a new Agnus Dei for use at our sung services. Since we have used the same commons at least for the last twenty-three years, it might be time for a change. Likewise, Thursday, November 26, is Thanksgiving Day. There will be a Holy Communion service at 10:00 am. Please try to attend before your family festivities to give thanks to God for all His blessings.
Steve McCown
The St. Francis chapter of Anglicans for Life met on Sunday, October 18th. A variety of topics and activities were discussed, among them the YouTube channel Anglicans for Life. This channel features Anglican bishops and members of the clergy speaking about the sacredness of life, special presentations and sermons by guest lecturers and important messages from Georgette Forney, President of Anglicans for Life. These videos are not only informative for ourselves but can also be linked in internet posts or email messages to give them further visibility.
The next meeting of the St. Francis chapter will be on Sunday, November 15th following the 11:00 service. Please take a few minutes after the coffee hour to meet with us and learn ways you can help stand up for those most vulnerable in society: the unborn, the infirm and the elderly.
Missy Bernard
The younger class has been exploring the life of Moses. We began with Moses in the bulrushes and continued through the burning bush, the Ten Plagues of Egypt, the crossing of the Red Sea, and Moses' sister Miriam. This study continues into November with the Israelites in the wilderness and the Ten Commandments. The children are learning what it means to be called by God to do His will, and to understand that God is with us always, in times of hardship and in times of plenty.
Doug Cooper continues to work with the older class.
Since 2002, the St. Francis youth have packed shoe boxes for the Operation Christmas Child program sponsored by Samaritan's Purse. Filled with toys, school supplies, hygiene items and a Gospel message in the child's native language, these boxes go out to needy children all around the world. Since 1993, Samaritan's Purse has sent 69 million boxes to children in more than 130 countries! More information is available here.
Last year we filled 75 boxes thanks to your generous support, and we hope to do so again this year! It is easy to contribute. At the back of the worship space and on the OCC donation table, you will find a list of suggested items. You can also find this information here.
Alternately, you may donate funds toward the purchase of gift items, or toward shipping costs for the boxes (OCC suggests a donation of $7 per box).
Items and funds are needed by November 15th, as we will be packing the boxes on November 22nd.
If you have any questions, or if you'd like make a donation by cash or check, please feel free to contact me. Thank you!
On September 25, we received notification from the City of Austin that our building permit was approved. We can now move forward to the next step which is to obtain a new bid on the construction cost and to secure the funding. Thanks to senior warden Mark Rambin for his patience and endurance.
Daylight Saving time ends on November 1st. Remember to set your clocks back one hour before you go to sleep Saturday night, or you will be quite early to church.
Election Day is Nov. 3
There are 7 state constitutional amendments on the ballot, plus numerous other propositions that affect you and your pocketbook. Educate yourself on what is on the ballot and VOTE!! Not everyone in this world can vote.
- 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.
3 Mark Rambin
8 Rory Motl
10 Jimmy Parker
11 Katya Kristo-Reinking
12 Michael Adams
14 Bev Scheer
15 Donald St. Martin
17 Kerry Manning Adams
25 Steve McCown, Anna Noelke, Mary Boswell
27 Rebecca Hunt
9 Austin and Liz Lamb
22 David and Adriane Kristo-Reinking
30 Glenn and Rebecca Hunt
Readings for November
12/6 2 Advent (v)
Baruch 5:1-9
Psalm 126
Philippians 1:1-11
Luke 3:1-6
12/13 3 Advent (rose)
Zephaniah 3:14-20
Psalm 85:7-13
Philippians 4:4-9
Luke 3:7-18
12/20 4 Advent (v)
Micah 5:2-4
Psalm 80:1-7
Hebrews 10:5-10
Luke 1:39-56
12/25 Christmas Day (w)
Isaiah 9:2-7
Psalm 96
Titus 2:11-14
Luke 2:1-20
12/27 St. John (w)
Exodus 33:18-23
Psalm 92
1 John 1:1-9
John 21:19b-24
November Calendar
Staff
Rector: The Rev. Canon Len Giacolone
Music Director and Organist: Paula Blaha
Church Group Leadership
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 & Jim Crandell
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 StFrancisAustin@gmail.com by the 20th of the month.
|
