St. Francis Episcopal Church
Little Portion
Week of July 21, 2014
 
   We seek to be instruments of God's peace, 
   bearing witness to the love of God in Jesus Christ 
   for all people.

                  

Prayer of Thanksgiving for St. Francis
"This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it".
 
The Holy Spirit has accomplished the work of ministry for the sake of St. Francis. We celebrate the coming of our new Rector, Rev. Patrick R. Perkins, his wife Carol, their two children, Ryan and Meagan, and their two loveable dogs. We are especially thankful for the faithful work of our Search Committee and their openness to the leading of the Spirit. God has blessed Patrick and he comes to serve our congregation and community with an open heart. May the years ahead prove to be the fulfillment of our hopes and dreams for St. Francis. Prayers Ascending as we transition into this new beginning.

 
Outdoor Worship this weekend!

Saturday, July 26 at 5:00 p.m. and Sunday, July 27 at 9:00 a.m., we will worship outdoors at the Labyrinth in Tanglewood style. Bring your lawn chairs.  We will have special music and of course a homily about the Labyrinth and Eucharist. This will be a good worship service for visitors; if you know someone who is not attending a church, this service might be a good experience for them. You never know, it might be the door they are looking for to enter into our faith community.

Prayers Ascending for our congregation as we share Word and Sacrament.

Peace,  Randy

Summer at St. Francis
Summer Worship through the weekend of August 30/31 (Labor Day weekend)
Saturdays at 5:00 p.m. and Sundays at 9:00 a.m.

S'more Wednesday Worship During July and August we will gather by the labyrinth behind St. Clare House at 7:00 p.m. for Night Prayer (compline) from A New Zealand Prayer Book followed by s'mores and fellowship around the fire bowl.  Be sure to bring your lawn chair and your appetite!

Summer Office Hours through Labor Day. Monday-Wednesday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Thursday 8:00 a.m. to Noon.
Summer Vacation The office will be closed from August 1st through August 10th.

It's Lemonade Time! Please consider signing up to host one of the "Lemonade" hours following the 9:00 a.m. service.  It's easy (all supplies are in the kitchen, instructions posted on the refrigerator) and fun! The sign-up sheet is on the table in the narthex.  Questions? Contact Dawn Rooke at 508-829-7124 or dtrooke@gmail.com.

If you find yourself at church and are able to serve lemonade and no one is signed up, please feel free to do so!

Church Softball League Sundays through August 24th at Davis Hill School-5:00 p.m.
As they did last year, the teams will be East Side vs. West Side pick-up teams. No need to sign-up to play, however players should be 16 years of age or older.
Youth WorkCamp Prayers
Please pray for our youth and adults as they travel to San Diego, California on Saturday, July 26th, make their way to camp on Sunday, July 27, work until Friday, August 1, have built in time at the end to rest and decompress and enjoy California and then fly home Sunday, August 3.  Thank you all for your prayers and support. 
 
Lori, Andrew and Kati Churchill; Gino, Isabel and Sofia Polletta; Sydney and Alexis McKeon; Erynn and Katie Sheehan; Kyle Deane, Ellie Wright, Lucy Evangelidis, Erin Chisholm, DJ Hutchins, Sara (Rayworth) Allegretti and Heidi Kuchenbaur 
Mission
Clothing drive for Nu Day Syria Relief. Many thanks for your generous donations of clothing. We will be accepting donations through the summer and into the fall. Please don't hesitate to bring any linens such as sheets, towels or otherwise.
 
Hope for Housing Cards We will be selling cards in the narthex after the 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. services the weekend August 23-24. We have them for The Big Y, Shaws, Stop & Shop, CVS and now Panera. Stock up and buy a bunch. We all shop and this is a great way to give back to a wonderful cause.  
Transition Committee

Weed really appreciate your help!

Please join the Transition Committee in preparing the rectory grounds and gardens for the arrival of the Perkins family. There are two ways you can help: Join us on Wednesday, August 27th at 10:00 a.m., or, stop by at your convenience during July and August for a "Drop-in" session to do any light weeding, pruning, or clean up that you notice needs doing. Please bring your own gardening tools. Questions? Our gardening contact is Marge Tremblay: mbtremb@verizon.net or 508-829-2414. We ask that "Drop-in" volunteers contact Marge prior to visiting.

 

Good-bye and Thank You Randy and Karin!
Please join the Transition Committee in saying "good-bye" and "thank you" to Randy and Karin for their service to St. Francis this past year. This interim time has passed quickly and successfully with many thanks going to Randy and "all of the ministers of St. Francis Church." Receptions will be held after the Saturday and Sunday services on the weekend of August 23-24, 2014.  

 

SAVE THE DATE!!

The annual St. Francis picnic will be held, rain or shine, on Sunday, September 14, from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Please join us for food, fellowship, and fun while reconnecting with each other and welcoming The Perkins family. Fall weekends fill up quickly, so mark your calendars now!  Suggested donations of $5.00 per person/$10.00 per family will be accepted. Please sign-up in the Narthax or by contacting Melanie Amaral at 508-981-7421 or smamaral@charter.net, or Dawn Rooke at 508-829-7124 or dtrooke@gmail.com.

Education for Ministry
Come Think With Us!
Interested in deepening your knowledge of Scripture and church history? Wondering how it all applies to your daily life? Trying to determine what your "ministry" is? Come and explore the Education for Ministry program at St. Francis Episcopal Church in Holden.
 

Every baptized person is called to ministry. The Education for Ministry (EfM) program provides people from all walks of life with the education "to be" Christians and to carry out their ministry. EfM is designed to support adults as they seek to live out their faith at home, at work and in the world.

 

The course covers the basics of theological education in the Old and New Testaments, church history, liturgy, and theology. The St. Francis class, which will begin its 12th year in the fall, meets weekly on Thursday evenings from September to May. There is a possibility of establishing a 2nd group that will meet on Wednesday mornings.

 

If would like to learn more about the program, contact Robin Carlo at rcarlo5@mac.com or 508-341-1698 or check out the EfM website at ww.sewanee.edu/EfM.  You can also sign up in the narthex. 
Stewardship
"The Lord loves a cheerful giver".

Well, depends on the giver and how cheerful one can be. Your stewardship team has been meeting together to pray, reflect, learn, and plan. Ten people have given and continue to give of their time and skills to support the ministry of St. Francis. The other day, a man strolled into my office and asked if he could make a pledge for half the year. He lives elsewhere but when he is here at St. Francis, he is vested and wants to participate. Of course I said, "Yes, and Thank You". Then I thought, that's it! We say "yes" to God and "thank you". That is our act of worship and an expression of our stewardship. Remember St. Francis as you enjoy your summer, here or away. And of course, "Yes, and Thank You" to you.

Prayers Ascending, 

Randy

Seniors
Birthdays in August
04 Dick Henderson
19 Deborah Harris
20 Jane Williams
24 Pamela Hanson
28 Suzanne Dupuis
30 Mark Stewart
Servers

July 26/27, 2014: Outdoor Worship at the Labyrinth

Altar Guild: Loretta Haynes, Donna Lasher, Marje Sullivan, Marge Tremblay

Saturday, July 26 - 5:00 p.m.

Ushers: Al and Helen VanDeMark

LEMs: Sam Davenport and Jan Moran

Sunday, July 20 - 9:00 a.m.

Nursing Home: Sam Davenport

Ushers: John and Luann Westerling

LEMs: Kathy Diehl and Linda Letourneau

Lectors: Kyle Deane, Mason Deane, Kathy Diehl

Quick Links

St. Francis Webpage 

Sermon Archives 
Directories
We plan to do a reprint in late September or early October, once our new rector is on board.  If you didn't get your family picture in this time please consider it for the fall issue.  It will greatly help our new rector to learn names and faces.  If you're on vacation this summer and get a family photo you can email it to the office, stfran@verizon.net to be included.

St. Francis Episcopal Church

70 Highland Street, Holden, MA 01520

  

Office Phone: 508-829-3344      Fax: 508-829-6211

Email: stfran@verizon.net         Web page: www.stfrancisholden.org

 

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Summer Worship Schedule

Saturdays at 5:00 p.m.  |   Sundays at 9:00 a.m.  |   Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m.