We are now in the pre-Lenten season sometimes called Shrovetide. In the older Christian Calendar, this was the 17 days leading up to Ash Wednesday and it is commonly associated with celebrations known by different names such as Mardi Gras, Fasching, and Carnival. You likely connect the word “shrove” to Shrove Tuesday when many people eat pancakes, but the term refers to the practice of confession and absolution. Shrovetide is a time consider how we will live out our Lenten discipline.

I will confess that I am not thinking about giving things up for Lent. I want to ADD things. I want to see a return of Lenten suppers, fellowship activities, Sunday School, choir, and more people in the pews. Of course I will observe some fast days, but I also want to feast on the richness of the Word of God, celebrate Holy Communion, and fellowship with my brothers and sisters in Christ.

We will, of course, do this as safely as we can. For the time being we are still in masks. Evidence shows that wearing medical or KN95 masks is more effective than cloth masks. We will continue to require higher quality masks and they are available at the door of the church. LA County is trending in a good direction so we may be able to lift mask requirements in the near future. Additionally, we highly recommend that everyone get vaccinated and boosted which is one of the best ways to protect yourself and others.

Let us make this Lenten season a time to renew “holy habits” at St Francis. Come back to church if you feel comfortable but know that we will continue to host our service online.

Join us for a Pancake Breakfast on Shrove Sunday, the 27th. Begin your Lenten discipline with one of our Ash Wednesday services. Bring your children to youth group or Sunday School. Join our Tuesday Zoom Bible study focused on Christ’s Passion or our Wednesday evening Lenten suppers. Listen to (or join) our choir, volunteer to help with one of our programs, or simply pray for your St Francis parish. During these last days of Shrovetide, consider what the Lord wants you to add that we may love God, love others, and serve the world.

With great sorrow, we announce that Barbara Anzivino and David Harper, both long-time members of St Francis, died recently. May their souls and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

During Lent, as we prepare for Easter, we will be holding a 5-week online Bible Study course that will dive into the stories of the final week of Jesus’s earthly life.

To supplement our studies, we plan to use a book by Amy-Jill Levine called "Entering the Passion of Jesus, A Beginner’s Guide to Holy Week."

Anyone is welcome to join. Feel free to invite others you feel would be interested in participating. Simply email Jack Hailwood or Suellen Eslinger if you plan to attend so we can email you class handouts in advance of each session as well as the Zoom link.

More details to follow. See you all then!

We're so happy to announce that coffee hour will re-start this Sunday - February 13. Meet under the Arches outside the Sanctuary after 10:00 a.m. worship for tea, coffee and light refreshments.

Please see the sign-up sheet on Sunday morning if you would like to take a turn to help.

With the decline in COVID cases the last few weeks, Youth Group has received the green light to return to in-person sessions. This coming Sunday, Feb. 20, we'll meet in the Youth Room in the St. Francis Parish Hall from 4:00 to 6:00 pm.

Youth Group begins Lent a little early this Sunday by diving into the theme of Noticing God More. Teens will be invited to notice the way God is actively at work in and around us each day, the way God speaks through Scripture and through our community, the whispers in the silence, and the shouts from the dramatic sunset. Merely paying attention can make all the difference. You can read more here: https://fulleryouthinstitute.org/blog/lent

As part of our observance of Lent, the youth of St. Francis prepare a pancake breakfast for the parish. For the teens, this is a wonderful opportunity for service to others. For the parish, it is an equally wonderful time of fellowship and fun. Ash Wednesday is March 2 so we'll be holding our Shrovetide Breakfast on Sunday, Feb. 27, immediately following the 10:00 am worship service. We'll need all hands on deck to arrive early for setup and to prepare pancakes, sausage, and all the fixins.

Note: There will be no afternoon Youth Group session on Sunday, Feb. 27.

We want Youth Group to be a fun and meaningful experience. But I need to hear from you. If you have a teen in your household, please take a few minutes to reflect on what you want from your St. Francis Youth Group. Click the link below to share your thoughts by taking this very short survey:

As always, please call me if you want to chat about the future of Youth Group. Or if you prefer, I would be happy to set up a Zoom session for us to talk face to face.

Youth Group Director

901-219-6564

Sunday School is temporarily suspended due to the Omicron Covid variant. We'll let you know when we're back!

8:00 a.m. - temporarily on hiatus. Rite I in-person worship in the Chapel, with two hymns (for those fully vaccinated). This service is not live-streamed.

10:00 a.m. - Rite II in-person worship in the main church with music. Live-streamed on Facebook and YouTube, and available for watching later.

Please contact Kristina Pelá to arrange for a Lay Eucharistic Minister to safely bring you communion.

A spiritual mind and body practice!

Parish Hall (masks must still be worn). No set fees - classes are free-will offering. Questions? Jill Fenske

Meditation - we're back!

Meditation, followed by a quiet time of conversation.

Excited to start again!!!

Susie Zimmerman hopes many people feel welcome to join.

Contact - Susie Zimmerman

Need someone's email, or even map directions to their home?

Go to https://servantkeeper.com/directory/sfc/login

The password is Romans12:4-5

Bookmark the link on your phone or computer and let your browser save the password and you will always be up to date with information!

We are here to do our best to help you with whatever you may need. We know circumstances can be difficult at any time. For help of any kind, or just for a Zoom or Facetime or phone call, please email or call Jerry+ .

310-594-7984

Enews is sent weekly on Thursday afternoons: email Susan with your requests.

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Office main line - 310 375 4617

The Rev. Jerry Sather 310-594-7984

Mark Bennett 310-594-7416

Susan Marshall 310-594-8427

Elaine Mistele 310-594-8268