Lectionary Readings

Episcopal News

Coming events

Monday, Dec. 30 and Tuesday, Dec. 31 — Church office closed

Wednesday, Jan. 1 — Church office closed

10:00 am Healing & Reconciliation Holy Eucharist

6:00 pm Nurture Support Group

Thursday, Jan. 2 – 1:00 pm Quilting and Knitting Group

Sunday, Jan. 5

8:00 am Holy Eucharist Rite I in the Chapel

9:10 am Spiritual Formation Class: “Who is Jesus?”

10:00 am Holy Eucharist Rite II

Monday, Jan. 6 – Choir Rehearsal

Wednesday, Jan. 8

10:00 am Holy Eucharist in the Chapel

11:00 am Good Grief Meeting

6:00 pm Men’s Corner Meeting

6:00 pm Nurture Group

Thursday, Jan. 9 – 1:00 pm Quilting and Knitting Group

Friday, Jan. 10 – 9:00 am Beaders Group

For more events, visit our calendar.

Ministry Leaders, your Annual Report contributions are due soon.

The St. Francis Annual Meeting and Luncheon will be on January 26 following the 10:00 am worship service. All ministry leaders should submit a draft of their annual reports to Shelly Zak and Father Jason by January 12 for inclusion in the report.

Military Outreach call for donations

You may bring items to the church office on January 29 and January 5. Or bring items to the Zimmerman home by Friday, January 10. Please contact Susie Zimmerman for more information. Leave a message, (310) 316-5941.

Now it is time to mark your calendars for January 11. We will be collecting items for Camp Pendleton, Fort MacArthur, Soles4Souls, The Westchester Rotary Club, Home Again LA, and The Laptop Elf Project.

Camp Pendleton and Fort MacArthur need:

Lots of diapers
Clothing for newborn to 13 years old
Sheets and towels and blankets
Pillows (no stains)
Sets of dishes, glasses, and flatware
Pots and pans with lids
Cooking tools
Strollers, cribs, highchairs
Pack n play
Bicycles
Nonperishable food
Gift cards from Target or Walmart in $25 increments

They can not accept electronics, stuffed animals, car seats, or lamps.

Home Again LA is an organization that helps unhoused families get permanent housing and job placement.

They need:

Men’s and women’s clothing suitable for job interviews and work.
Pants, shirts, skirts, blouses, blazers, jackets, ties, belts, dress shoes, work-appropriate earrings and necklaces.

We all have so much to be thankful for, let’s help those in need.

David Henseler

South Bay Sunrise Rotary Club

Camp Pendleton Committee Co-Chair

310-753-0929

Download this flyer as a printable PDF

Christmas Recap and Thank You

Thank you to everyone who made Christmas Eve such a wonderful night!

The Altar Guild made sure that everything was beautiful, Jennifer and Alex Sams, together with numerous other people who helped wrangle the shepherds, sheep, cows, and angels; thank you to all the ushers, acolytes, and eucharistic ministers.

And to the A.V. squad who made sure we were audible and recorded.

A HUGE thank you to the choir, who gave an incredible concert, followed by a wonderful performance at the 9 pm service.

If I missed anyone I sincerely apologize. There are a TON of moving parts in these big services, and their success is made possible by the efforts of multiple people, from the people folding bulletins to the soloists.

Merry Christmas to all, and God bless us everyone.

—Fr. Jason

For more photos from Christmas Eve, visit our Facebook Page here.

Fr. Jason's Week in Review

December 20: Wrote for newsletter; met HVAC person at the rectory; sermon prep.

December 21: Day off; sermon prep.

December 22: Sunday services; began working on sermons for Christmas Eve and Day; worked on getting final details in place for Christmas Eve.

December 23: Prepared for Christmas Eve; sermon prep; pastoral visit.

December 24: Christmas Eve! We had 271 at the 4pm service, 94 at the concert, and 124 at the 9pm service. Last year we had 188 for the 4pm service and 124 for the 9pm (which makes it an official tradition in the Episcopal Church); I couldn’t find the number of attendees for last year’s concert by time of publication.

December 25: Christmas Day! We woke the kids up so we could open presents before church. We had 30 people at the 9am service, and it was as holy in its quiet simplicity as the previous night was in its jubilant majesty. After the service we went home, packed up the CRV and traveled to San Diego for family Christmas.

December 26: I slept in until 7:30! I woke up to several texts letting me know that we made the front page of the Daily Breeze.

Spiritual Formation: Who is Jesus?

Each Sunday, Dec. 1 to Mar. 30 at 9:10 AM | St. Francis Library

Have you ever wondered about Jesus? Are you questioning and inquiring, curious, or perhaps, doubtful of Jesus and what he is saying? Ever wonder what Jesus may really be saying to us? Where did Jesus come from?

Inquirers, seekers, those wondering about baptism or confirmation, and those seeking a deeper connection to something beyond ourselves: all are invited to conversations about Jesus on Sundays between services in the St. Francis Library.

Conversations will be based on our Sunday readings and we will meet Sundays at 9:10-ish to 9:45am. We will begin on the first Sunday of Advent and continue through the Sunday before Holy Week.

Please contact me, Deacon Celeste, at 310-913-1069 or email at cstump@thecanterbury.org. to RSVP or to answer any questions. I look for to speaking and meeting with you.

Peace, Deacon Celeste

Get Involved at St. Francis

Good Grief Loss Support Group: Alternating Wednesday mornings (11 am to noon) and evenings (5 pm to 6 pm) in the St. Francis Library. For people suffering loss of any kind including death, divorce, loss of health due to an illness or accident, etc.

Men’s Corner: Monthly for dinner at Corner Bakery. Contact Ed Hinz (kn6jn@yahoo.com).

Nurture Group meets on the first Wednesday of the month to have a simple dinner and discuss a spiritual topic in a non-judgmental and open way. Next meeting is December 4 at 6 p.m. at the home of Blair Hinz. Please contact Susan Egan if you wish to attend.

Quilting and Knitting Group: Thursdays at 1 pm in the Board Room. Contact: Anna Eakins (annatkozaki@gmail.com).

SAGES (Senior Adult Group of Episcopalians): Group outings, social gatherings, guest speakers, and more. Contact: Kristina Pela (krab3@yahoo.com).

St. Anne’s Guild: Meets on the 4th Monday of Sept-June at 6pm. Join us for fellowship, plan church events (like the Rummage Sale and Antiques Show), potluck dinners, and our Christmas charity event! Contact Anna Eakins.

St. Teresa’s Guild: Meet a few times a year to raise money for charities that support women and children through dues and our famous Chinese New Year event. Contact: Robin Pano.

Friars: Meets as needed to cook meals for Parish events (e.g. Lenten Suppers). Contact: Dick Briggs.

Yoga: All Levels Hatha Yoga for Strength and Mobility: Mondays, 11 am to 12:30 pm. All Levels Gentle Yoga for Vital Mobility and Balance: Wednesdays, 9am to 10:30 am. Contact: Jill Lynch (jillfenskelynch@gmail.com).

Download our 2024 Get Connected booklet (PDF) for a list of all our ministries and small groups.

Flowers for the altar

Consider making a donation of altar flowers in honor of a special occasion or in memory

of someone you love. (The suggested donation is $50.) Contact Jessica Salazar in the church office at 310-375-4617 or by email.

Call for Photos

Each week we change the photo in the header of this weekly email newsletter. But we need more up-to-date photos... Get your photo featured! You can submit your photos of the St. Francis campus, events, and people to us at social@stfrancispalosverdes.org for consideration. We'll even run your name as a photo credit. So get snapping—we can't wait to see what you create!

Liturgy and Worship

Sundays at 8:00 am

Holy Eucharist Rite I with hymns in the Chapel.

Sundays at 10:00 am

Holy Eucharist Rite II with choir and music in the main church.

Wednesdays at 10:00 am

Healing & Reconciliation Holy Eucharist Rite II with hymns in the Chapel.

Taizé: Last Tuesday of the month at 7:00 pm

A meditative service of music and prayer in the Chapel. (No communion.)

For other worship services and parish events, visit our calendar.

Livestream Worship and Sermons Online

We livestream Sunday 10am worship on Facebook and YouTube. You can view past sermons or entire livestreams on our YouTube channel.

Nursery School and Sunday School

Sunday school for children in kindergarten through fifth grade will be held in the Parish Hall from 9:50 am to 10:40 am (ish ... the kids typically come in at the Peace). There is a nursery for children 6 months to 5 years old.

Contact: Kristina Pelá