The
Good News
December 2004
Newsletter Index:
Christmas Eve Schedule St.
Francis
Christmas Eve Schedule St.John’s
Things you may not hear in Church
Christmas Eve Schedule St.Francis
Dec. 24, 5:30 PM Family
Eucharist
Dec. 24, 10:30 PM Solemn
Eucharist
Special NOTE: This year at
our 5:30 Mass we’ll have some special events for the young people including
observance of the traditional English “Christingle.” Plan to join us!
Dec. 25 [NO service]
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Dec. 24, 10:30 PM Sung Eucharist
Dec. 25 9:00 AM
If you’re not completely
familiar with St. Francis yet, our regular weekly schedule is as follows.
Sundays, St. Francis
8:00AM Holy Eucharist
9:00 AM Church School
10:00 AM Sung Eucharist
11:00 AM Refreshments
5:30 PM Contemporary Eucharist
6:30 PM Family Supper
Wednesdays, St. Francis
5:30 PM Evening Prayer
6:00 PM Eucharist
6:30 PM Bible (or Book) Study
Sundays, St. John’s
9:00 AM Holy Eucharist
10:00 AM Refreshments
Weekdays, St. John’s
Monday—Friday
7:30 AM Morning Prayer
Wednesdays
12:15 PM Holy Eucharist
Thursdays
6:00 PM Adult
Education (unless otherwise announced).
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Debbie Welch, our Parish Communicator, is normally in the office
Tuesday and Wednesdays from 9:00 AM—4:00 PM.
If we don’t have your current email address, address, or phone, please
let Debbie know.
And a special
thanks to Debbie for the great work she does, all the help she provides
over and above her “job description”!
Thanks to Debbie for coordinating and setting up for all our Teen Alpha
meals during the Fall!
As we grow, it’s important that we have correct
information on all our families. If
your family has not completed a Member Data form, please get one from the
office
Our regular Church
School classes for all ages at St. Francis are at 9:00 AM each Sunday. Since Teen Alpha is over, the
teens class will once again meet in the morning too.
We still seek a few more souls to assist with the ongoing duties of
the Altar Guild. Both men and women
may apply! We will offer refresher
training in January. Call the office to
sign up.
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Beginning in mid-January, we plan to begin reading the Daily Office
again at St. Francis on a regular basis.
Obviously no one is expected to take part every day, but by joining
forces in corporate prayer we will become more faithful in one of the principal
“occupations” of God’s Church.
If you’re currently a Lay Reader, or are interested in training and becoming licensed, please contact Debbie at the office. By having as many Lay Readers lead as possible, we will be able to carry on regularly without it becoming a burden to any one person.
The much-anticipated report of the Lambeth Commission, titled the
“Windsor Report,” was given to each Primate (Archbishop) of the Anglican
Communion in early October, then released to the public. In January during the Sunday adult education
hour at St. Francis we’ll discuss the report, its findings, and it’s
recommendations in detail. The Primates
will take action on the report at their meeting in Ireland in February.
The document is 93 pages long, but Fr. Spencer will provide a
4-page “summary” version during our discussion times.
If you’d like to
read the entire document, you can download it (free) at the Network website,
www.anglicancommunionnetwork.org, or the Anglican Communion
Website, www.anglicancommunion.org
Our combined St. Francis—St. John’s Annual Meeting is set for
Sunday, January 16, 11:30 AM at St. Francis, Alta.
Please mark your calendars
now. All members who are communicants in good standing over the age of 16 may
vote.
If you wish to
nominate someone for Bishop’s Committee,
Contact Nominating Committee Chairwoman Jean Mitchell at364-3299.
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Youthquake is an epic youth conference for junior and high school
students, which will be held at Ridgecrest Conference Center, near Ashville, NC.
on January 14 - 16. The cost is $109.00
which includes all accommodations, meals, and a T-shirt.
The bus will leave St.
Paul’s Cathedral in Peoria at 6am ,
Friday, Jan. 14th, and
return on Sunday Jan. 16 at midnight.
Registrations are to be sent
to the Diocesan Office, as well as a bus seat reservation and parental
permission form, and must be in by Dec. 15.
YouthQuake
has an excellent website that has all the information you need about the
conference. http://www.a29.com/youthevents/yq_2005/
There are many events going on through the month of December in our Diocese and surrounding area. Please take a minute to read through in case you are interested in attending. St. Paul’s Cathedral Dec. 4, will be the Ordination to the Deaconate. Our seminarian David Wagner will be ordained, at 2:00 pm followed by a reception. . St. Paul’s Cathedral Dec. 5, Deanery Dinner for “ Pals and Parents”. This is for grade 2 – 6, 2:00 to 4:00 pm. St. Andrew’s Dec. 11, Cookie Exchange 12:30 pm. Bring 6 dozen cookies and a small donation for lunch. St. Paul’s Cathedral Dec. 12, Messiah 2:30 pm, and Dec. 19, Lessons and Carols at 6:30 pm. All Saint’s Episcopal Church Dec. 19, 2:30 pm, A Festival of Lessons and Carols followed by an English Cream Tea reception Information for all of the above activities is posted on the bulletin board.
Yes, it’s almost that time of year again. It’s cookie time at St.
Francis! We need cookies for our kids,
for teachers, for neighbors, for parties, for gifts, for work, for church, for
Santa, and yes maybe even for us to eat one or two ourselves. Don’t want to
bake? Don’t worry, let St. Clare’s
Guild elves do the baking for you. All
you have to do is bring your money on December 12th and you can purchase
cookies by the pound to give as gifts, or to keep for yourself. If you want to participate in baking for the
Cookie Walk, the sign –up is on the bulletin board. We hope to have a generous assortment on each tray.
Do You Make Time In Your Day?
As you got up this morning, I watched you, and
hoped you would talk to me. Even if it was just a few words, asking my opinion
or thanking me for something good that happened in your life yesterday. But I noticed you were too busy, trying to
find the right outfit to wear. When you
ran around the house getting ready, I knew there would be a few minutes for you
to stop and say hello, but you were too busy.
At one point you had to wait, fifteen minutes with nothing to do except
sit in a chair. Then I saw you spring
to your feet. I thought you wanted to
talk to me, but you ran to the phone and called a friend to get the latest
gossip instead. I watched patiently all
day long. With all your activities I
guess you were too busy to say anything to me.
I noticed that before lunch you looked around, maybe you felt
embarrassed to talk to me, that’s why you didn’t bow your head. You glanced
three or four tables over and noticed some of your friends talking to me
briefly before they ate, but you didn’t.
That’s okay. There is still more
time left. And I hope that you will
talk to me, yet you went home and it seems as if you had lots of things to
do. After a few of them were done, you
turned on the TV. I don’t know if you
like TV or not, just about anything goes there, and you spend a lot of time
each day in front of it, not thinking about anything, just enjoying the show. I
waited patiently again as you watched the TV and ate your meal, but again you
didn’t talk to me. Bedtime I guess you
felt too tired. After you said
goodnight to your family you plopped into bed and fell asleep in no time. That’s okay because you may not realize that
I am always there for you. I’ve got patience, more than you will ever
know. To be patient with others as
well. I love you so much that I wait
everyday for a nod, prayer or thought, or a thankful part of your heart. It is hard to have a one-sided conversation. Well, you are
getting up once again, and once again I will wait, with nothing but love for
you hoping that today you will give me
some time. Have a nice day! Your friend, GOD
Things You Never Hear In Church
8.Nothing inspires me and
strengthens my commitment like our annual stewardship campaign
Rev.
Warren Keating, Pastor of the First Presbyterian church of Yuma, Arizona, says
that the best prayer he ever heard was:
“ Lord please make me the kind of person my dog thinks I am.”
My
wife invited some people to dinner. At
the table, she turned to our six year old and said, “Would you like to say the
blessing?” “I wouldn’t know what to
say,” she replied. “Just say what you
hear Mommy say,” my wife said. Our daughter
bowed her head and said: “Dear Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people
to dinner?”
A
woman went to the Post Office to buy stamps for her Christmas cards. “What denomination?” asked the clerk. “Oh good heavens! Have we come to this? Just
give me 50 Baptist and 50 Catholic ones!”
MERRY CHRISTMAS
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Snail
Mail:
Emergencies: 309-645-9949
Email: office@saintfrancischurch.net
St.
Francis Office: 309-243-2404
Fax: 309-243-2404
Fr. John Spencer: 309-274-3952
Fr.
Louis Mahue: 309-691-6125 Fr. Jim
Marshall: 309-364-3330