Preparing for Holy Week      

Our Lenten journey is nearing its end – Jerusalem and Holy Week are just over the horizon.

We still have two more opportunities for you to experience Lenten studies. Our Zoom bible study on the Passion of Jesus will conclude on Tuesday, 5 April at 7:00. Then on Wednesday, 6 April at 6:00 p.m., we will wrap up our Lenten Supper series with a focus on our witness to the world. Please join us for one or both enriching studies.

Then we start Holy Week. Please note that things will look a bit different from previous years. I decided to move the services a little closer to the Book of Common Prayer pattern and since we are still coming out of COVID, I have simplified some things.

Here is the schedule as of today:

Sadly, we are unable to offer the Easter Vigil this year, but we hope you will attend the excellent services we have planned. We are also excited to announce that on Palm Sunday we will resume offering communion in both kinds (both the bread and the wine). This will be by intinction. The communion minister will intinct (dip) the bread in the wine and place it in your hand. As always, you are free to receive communion in one kind (bread only) if you so desire.

I hope you will join us as we celebrate the great mystery of salvation, the wondrous love God grants us in Jesus Christ. Keep walking in the way of the cross to the grave and the resurrection life.

This Sunday we sadly say farewell to our Youth Leader and Media Manager - Wayne Hastings. Wayne's husband Brooks has accepted new employment in Arizona and they are relocating to Phoenix with many new plans. We wish them well, and will be sending Wayne on his way with our sincere thanks, and a blessing during the service.

We are delighted to welcome Claire Erbeznik as our new Office Administrator and Receptionist. She lives in Long Beach and is working toward a career as a High School Social Science teacher. She previously taught art to children and enjoys painting in her spare time. Claire will be working 9:30 - 1:30 Mon-Thur. Please drop by the office any time to say hello and welcome her! Her St. Francis email address is claire.erbeznik@stfrancispalosverdes.org

6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Parish Hall. Supper ($8 pp/$20 per family)

Enjoy fellowship and a delicious meal cooked by our Friars (Men's group). Then Jerry+ continues his presentation on a four-part series based on 'The Wheel'. A model for Christian living based on a balanced Christian life centered in Jesus Christ. The four dimensions are the Word, Prayer, Witness, and Fellowship.

Join us!

During Lent, as we continue to prepare for Easter, our online Bible Study continues - delving into the stories of the final week of Jesus’s earthly life.

To supplement our studies, we are using Amy-Jill Levine's book - "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.

At our Easter and Christmas services we share our joy and celebration by way of extra-special music and decorations of our chapel and church. These extraordinary offerings require resources above and beyond our allotted funds, and so we invite those who would like to be part of this festive glory to please download and complete either or both of the forms here, and place them in the collection plate, or return them to the church office. Your dedication will be printed in our Easter bulletins - the deadline for submission is Sunday April 10. Thank you!

Episcopal Relief & Development is mobilizing with Anglican agencies and other partners in order to provide humanitarian assistance to people fleeing the violence in Ukraine.

“Ecumenical and orthodox faith networks are on the ground in the border areas of Poland and Hungary,” said Abagail Nelson, Executive Vice President, Episcopal Relief & Development. “We will continue to coordinate with these networks, in order to meet the needs of people who have been displaced.”

Please pray for all those affected and if you can, click here to donate to Episcopal Relief & Development’s International Disaster Response Fund.

Note - be very careful of scams relating to Ukraine support. Even if it looks as though someone you know has contacted you by email or text message asking directly for money/gift cards etc., DO NOT send anything until you have spoken directly to them on the phone or in person to confirm they are not being impersonated by a scammer.

Ready for a fun day at an mostly outdoor event? The St.Francis Outreach Scholarship Fund (SFOSF) has a very fun day planned at Lynn Chichi’s lovely home in San Clemente overlooking the Pacific.

The event will include a Table Talk show by Chichi, a gourmet box lunch, beverages, and shopping at Lynn’s boutiques (Lynn will donate 20% of all sales to (SFOSF). Net proceeds from the ticket cost will also benefit SFOSF. Tickets are $40 for the day’s events - 48 seating max - so act now - don't miss out!

This fall we assisted 8 new freshmen, who are attending California universities and colleges. We can’t do our work without you.

To purchase a ticket, you can either send your check made out to St. Francis Outreach Scholarship Fund, to St. Francis Episcopal Church, 2200 Via Rosa, Palos Verdes Estates, CA 90274, or give it to Janet Laudeman at church, or place in the Scholarship Fund box in the church office. Questions? Please call Janet at (310) 316-7493.

We offer free childcare in the nursery on the Parish Hall stage, during 10am worship; pre-K thru 5th grade—Meet in classrooms at 9:55 a.m. Children re-join their families in Church in time for Communion. Contact: Kristina Pelá.

Teens (6th-12th grades)—Meet Sundays 4:00—6:00 p.m. Contact: Wayne —901-219-6564.

8:00 a.m. - Rite I in-person worship in the Chapel, with hymns. 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, followed by a quiet time of conversation.

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.

Click here for The Episcopal News Update

Office main line - 310 375 4617

The Rev. Jerry Sather 310-594-7984

Mark Bennett 310-594-7416

Claire Erbeznik 310 375-4617

Susan Marshall 310-594-8427

Elaine Mistele 310-594-8268