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This Week
"At A Glance" | |
Friday, September 3
9:30am Lectionary small group
Saturday, September 4
4:00pm Service Cmte.
5:00pm Eucharist
Want to add an event to the calendar? Contact Jessica (314.918.2766). |
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General Info | |
The Parish Council meets on the third Wednesday of the month. Members: Anne Knight, Frank Krebs, George von Stamwitz, Jessica Rowley, Nancy Wamser, Sheila Leander, Steve Campbell, Sue Stolze.
We frequently have community gatherings called Convocations where we discuss the
vision of the community. Dates and times are announced in this newsletter.
The Parish 0ffice is located at Eden Theological Seminary, 475 E. Lockwood, Saint Louis, MO 63119. Frank and Jessica are available for appointments 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Tuesday through Friday.
Jessica: 314.918.2766,
Frank: 314.918.2767.
We have an initiative to connect people to small faith sharing groups. If you are interested in joining a small group, please contact Jessica Rowley (314.918.2766 or email).
Do you have friends who would like to know more about Sts. Clare & Francis?
Would you be willing to invite them to your house for an hour or so to hear about us? Frank is willing to come to your home to share the story of SCF with your friends.
We Tithe as a parish and we need your recommendations
We have committed to tithing as a parish. We donate 10% of all that we collect in our offerings to worthy causes. We do this as an act of faith, trusting that, in doing this, we will still be able to meet our financial needs. We have received a number of wonderful suggestions. Please continue to let the Parish Council know about worthy organizations that you would like us as a community to contribute to. Information needed: your name, name of organization you are suggesting, to whom check should be made payable, where to send check and to whose attention. Please send your suggestions to Marilyn Tenholder.
Matthew 25
The Matthew 25 Fund helps members in our community who need financial assistance. All information concerning the people with whom we work is held in the strictest confidence. If you would like to contribute to this fund, make your check payable to Matthew 25, and place it in the collection basket. If you would like to donate cash, put it in an envelope labeled "Matthew 25" and place it in the collection basket. If you need assistance from the fund, you can contact
We have a SafeChurch Policy to protect our children and other vulnerable populations. |
| Fundraising |
Do you shop at Schnucks?
Please keep our Schnucks E-Scrip fund raiser in mind when you shop. If you don't already have an E-Scrip card, please call Marilyn Tenholder (314.323.1467) and she will get one to you. There is no charge and all you have to do is activate it by either a phone call or by going online. Simply show the card when you check out and a percentage of your purchase cost will be rebated back to Sts. Clare & Francis. Thank you! SCF Online Booksale Please consider donating books to the Sts. Clare & Francis Online Book sale Fundraiser. All proceeds, net of fees, will go to Sts. Clare & Francis. We are looking for good quality new or used books on religion, spirituality, self-  help, business, textbooks, cookbooks, psychology, books signed by the author and children's books. We will accept books from other categories, too, but fiction (especially paperback) doesn't sell very well. You can bring your books to the weekly Mass on Saturdays at 5:00 pm or you can arrange for pickup by calling Art Maines at 314.518.1973. If you have questions about the sale or books you'd like to donate, you can call Art at the same number. 
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COMMUNITY CORNER...our family news
(It is good for us to know what's happening in each other's lives. If you have any news you'd like to share with the community, please email Steve ). |
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The Weekly News
September 2, 2010 |
The 23rd Week of Ordinary Time
Saturday, September 4, 2010 5:00 p.m.
Readings: Wis 9:13-18b; Phmn 9-10, 12-17; Lk 14:25-33
Discuss this week's texts at our lectionary forum.
Presider: Jessica Rowley
Homilist: George von Stamwitz
Lectors: Art Maines, Carol Ogier
Eucharistic Ministers: Mary Hart, Barb Winkler
Children's Liturgy of the Word will resume September 25.
If you are unable to serve in your scheduled ministry, please let Jessica know when you get a substitute so that we can publish the correct names in the newsletter. Thanks so much. Jessica Rowley (314.918.2766).
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Service Committee
 The Service Committee will meet Saturday, September 4, in the Fireside Room at 4:00 pm. Everyone is welcome.
For information, call Bob McMullen at 314.989.0997. |
BBQ
Our next BBQ will be at Doris and Jim Schneider's house on Sunday, September 12. Join us between noon and 4:00 p.m. for lunch at their country home.
We'll eat around 1:00 p.m. Bring a side dish or drink to share. Their address is 292 Ashland Drive in Robertsville, MO, but many GPS devices will take you the wrong way, so detailed directions will be made available at Mass and by e-mail in the coming weeks. Please RSVP to Linda Bennet wbennett301@sbcglobal.net (and let us know if you're a vegetarian!). |
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From the Pastor...
Forming a Region in the Midwest...
We promised to keep everyone informed about the discussions we are having with other ECC communities about the possibility of forming a region (the traditional word used by a variety of Christian bodies is "diocese") in the Midwest.
We promised to keep everyone informed about the discussions we are having with other ECC communities about the possibility of forming a region (the traditional word used by a variety of Christian bodies is "diocese") in the Midwest.
At present there are three active communities in the Midwest: San Damiano in Little Rock, Arkansas, Emmaus in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and Sts. Clare & Francis. There are two reps from each community, one lay and one ordained, forming a provisional council. Peggy Montgomery and I are the SCF reps.
The council decided to open up the dialogue with other communities since there are only three of us. So we are now talking with St. Ambrose in Tulsa, OK, Holy Family in Los Cruces, NM, and the Rocky Mountain Council of 4 communities. It is too early to tell which of these communities might end up wanting to walk together with us in the future. But we are talking.
In the meantime we have suspended our monthly meetings until after the synod so that we can focus on that event. However if you are planning to attend the synod, please pay special attention to representatives from these communities so that we especially can get to know each other a little better. And please pray for the synod; this is a major event in the history we are building together with 30+ communities from all over the US. Thanks.
Pastoral Observations
I want to thank Sue & Paul and Therese & Judy for putting together two great picnic experiences for us. They were each so much fun. What a great way to get to know each other better-spending time having fun!
And on another note I spent three evenings with a new small group that was starting up this summer. Once again I was impressed by the simple magic of small groups. Cardinal Newman said, "So much holiness is lost for the lack of speaking heart to heart." Well, no holiness was lost in this small group! How encouraging it was to watch this growing plant thrive! They jumped right in and shared themselves with each other in ways that allow each person to speak in an atmosphere of trust and each person to be supported, encouraged, and challenged in the real circumstances of their lives. This is a major way many of us are able to live out the community "leg of the stool" (the three legs being again spirituality, community, and compassionate service/justice). I am so privileged to be serving SCF and to witness this kind of encouraging, life-giving activity.
Speaking of serving the community, thanks to all who participated in my annual evaluation process. It was so helpful to get this feedback from you. Our structures tell the story of the type of church we are building: the pastor is called forth by the community and is accountable to that community for his/her service. How beautiful is that!
-Frank |
The MDA Telethon is in need of people to answer phones on Monday September 6th (Labor Day) from about
10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Grants Farm. The phones will be in the carriage house, which is air conditioned. If you can help please call Sue at 314.962.0023 or email sream@mdausa.org. Also needed are people to work in the commissary area feeding our volunteers. The commissary is outside under tents, so it will be warm. If you can help please call Erin at 314.962.0023 or email her at esnider@mdausa.org. |
Trivia Night
We will be hosting our second annual Sts. Clare & Francis Trivia Night on Friday, October 8, 2010 from 7:00-10:00 p.m. at The Heights Community Center.
For a printable Trivia Night flyer/registration form click here. There are many possible ways to assist with the success of this event. To help you help us, please contact the following individuals (click on the link) for this fantastic opportunity:
Volunteers: Mary Ellen Kruger mek002@hotmail.com Silent Auction Baskets: Nancy Wamser walksoftly6@yahoo.com
Silent Auction Donations/Gifts: Jacqueline Gregerson jgregerson@aol.com
Registration: Marilyn Tenholder marilyn@tenholder.net
Corporate/Round Sponsors: Marc Montgomery mmontgomery@jcmorganassociates.com
Thank you in advance for your generous help and support.
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SCF Pastoral Plan
Your Input Requested
In the summer and fall of 2008, members of Sts. Clare & Francis held a series of meetings to develop a Pastoral Plan for the parish. The Plan was published in the winter of 2008. The plan is divided into four sections: 1. Decision Making Structures; 2. Community Designs; 3. Worship and Spiritual Development; and 4. Service Channels (Works of Justice and Compassion).
Over the next four months, the parish council will be reviewing our progress in implementing the plan, considering one section each month.
We invite your input. Does the plan need updating? Should anything be added, or removed from the plan? What are we doing well, and where are there opportunities for us to do better?
The first section, Decision Making Structures, is now in the Forum section of the Sts. Clare & Francis website. To see it, go to: http://www.stsclareandfrancis.org/site/forum/. (The Forum portion of the website requires you to log in. If you haven't registered yet, click the "Register" button and follow the instructions.)
Once you've logged in, scroll down and click on "Pastoral Plan 2010" to see the first section. You can then give your input by clicking "post reply" at the bottom, or send your input to any member of the parish council. Thanks! |
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 Sign Up for the Synod!
We have a great opportunity to attend the ECC Synod in the convenience of our own home town! Come and get to know representatives from other parishes in the Ecumenical Catholic Communion.
Registration information for Synod 2010 can be found online at the ECC website: http://www.ecumenical-catholic-communion.org/synod2010/reginfo.html.
The Synod will be held from Tuesday evening,
October 26 through Saturday morning, October 30, at the Doubletree Westport Hotel.
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Volunteer Opportunities for the 2010 ECC Synod in STL  We are looking for people who would like to help out with publicity, hospitality, and liturgy for the synod. Let us know too if you are willing to offer a spare bedroom for one or two of the delegates. If you would like to be an active part of this event that will shape the future of the ECC, and SCF in the process, please let us know. We would love to include you; and we need your talent! Please contact Therese and Judy to sign up at synod.team@stsclareandfrancis.org. |
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Events Sponsored by Friends of SCF
Guided Prayer
September 19 - Week of Guided Prayer at Seven Holy Founders Parish in Affton.
October 17 - Month of Guided Prayer co-hosted by St. Charles Borromeo Parish and Trinity Episcopal Church in St. Charles. Weekly meetings are Monday mornings and afternoons at Trinity Episcopal and Tuesday afternoons and evenings at St. Charles Borromeo.
November 28 (first week of Advent) - Week of Guided Prayer at St. John's Episcopal Church in the Tower Grove area of the City.
More details about these retreats, as well as well as additional information such as an overview of the retreat program, frequently asked questions, AND upcoming retreats is available at www.weekofguidedprayer.org.
To register for any of these retreats, contact Clarence Heller via phone (636.256.6516) or email (marclar123@aol.com).
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