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Worship Bulletins

Lectionary Readings

Episcopal News

Sunday, Jan. 12

• 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. 13 – Choir Rehearsal

Tuesday, Jan. 14

• 6:00 pm Finance meeting

• 7:00 pm Vestry meeting

Wednesday, Jan. 15

• 10:00 am Healing & Reconciliation Holy Eucharist

• 10:00 am Blue Bin Sorting

• 5:00 pm Good Grief meeting

Thursday, Jan. 16 – 1:00 pm Quilting and Knitting Group

Sunday, Jan. 19

• 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

• 11:30 am Antique Show 2025 meeting

Monday, Jan. 20

• Church office closed (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)

• 7:00 pm Choir Rehearsal

Tuesday, Jan. 21 – 7:00 pm C.S. Lewis on Joy, Suffering, and Inbetween

For more events, visit our calendar.

We want to help the people who have lost their homes to the most recent round of fires. Yesterday after a brief consultation with the lay leadership of the congregation, I let the diocese know that we are willing and able to house people who have lost their homes. The diocese has received dozens of similar offers from churches throughout the diocese, and they are working to put a list of resources together. I see the pictures on the news of the fire and hear about the complete loss of St. Mark’s Episcopal School and Church in Altadena. And I want to do something to help right now. 

Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to wait to help. All of the shelters are overrun with supplies and money is pouring in from all over the country. But in two weeks there will still be people without homes who need a place to stay, food to eat, and toiletries to keep clean. Fires will still be burning and new ones will keep cropping up. 

There is never an end to the help we can offer our siblings in Christ. If the Spirit compels you to help now, remember that families at Camp Pendleton still need diapers, formula, and basic kitchen supplies; St. Luke’s ministry to the unhoused still needs socks, underwear, and basic toiletries. All of these things can be brought to the church and we will get them to where they are needed. 

Finally, we can pray for all those in need. Prayer is never an empty or futile gesture; it is some of the most important work we can do. Remember that Jesus continually turned to the Father in prayer, and it’s the one thing the disciples asked him to teach them. We can pray, and in turn, put legs to our prayers and provide help where it is needed most.  

—Fr. Jason

Bishop John Taylor has said that assistance to those displaced is underway, noting that contributions to the diocesan “One Body, One Spirit Annual Appeal” have been earmarked for fire relief and will be supplemented through aid from Episcopal Relief and Development, The Episcopal Church’s disaster relief agency.

St. Francis will be preparing and serving breakfast to the homeless at St. Luke's in February and March this spring, not January. If you wish to help, please keep these dates in mind:

Feb. 14 and 15 (prep at St. Francis, serve at St. Luke's)

March 14 and 15 (prep at St. Francis, serve at St. Luke's)

Contact Gayle Taylor (gaylentaylor@gmail.com) if you wish to help.

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.

Celebrate the start of the Lunar New Year with us at St. Francis. We'll have food and fun for the whole family, plus live and chance auction to benefit the mission and ministry of our St. Teresa's guild.

Saturday, February 1

6:00pm in the Parish Hall

Tickets:

$10 advance purchase

$13 at the door

To purchase tickets, contact the church office (310-375-4617) or Robin Pano (310-779-0486).

Study Series:

C.S. Lewis on Joy and Suffering and Inbetween

This discussion-based class explores C.S. Lewis's insights on joy, suffering, and the human experience. we will look at works such as, Surprised by Joy, The Problem of Pain, Mere Christianity, and other essays and talks. We will explore questions of why we suffer, what joy truly is and how we can find meaning in both. We will engage with Lewis's reflections, consider our own perspectives, and explore how joy and suffering shape our lives.

RSVP: dswestervelt@gmail.com or 310-977-3014

When: Tuesdays beginning on January 21

7:00pm - 8:15pm

Where: Board Room

Leader: Dale Westervelt

Fr. Jason's Week in Review

January 3: Day off.

January 4: Sermon prep; pastoral visit.

January 5: Celebration of the Epiphany; there were 29 people at the 8am service and 91 at the 10am; we had several new attendees at the 10am service.  

January 6: Met with Senior Warden; two separate pastoral meetings; several pastoral phone calls.

January 7: Admin tasks; rearranged office; pastoral phone call; took Archie to his first karate lesson at Ancient Ways Karate. His biggest question: “When can I fight with sticks?” The Palisades Fire is spreading.

January 8: Learned of fire in Altadena, getting word in the mid-morning that St. Mark’s School and Church had been completely destroyed; several meetings in the morning;healing service; admin tasks; men’s group at 6pm at Corner Bakery.

January 9: Worked on ways to quickly get help to those in need; admin tasks; lunch with Bishop Ed Little; Zoom meeting with Diocesan leadership and diocesan clergy re: the fires.

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

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.

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.

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

Pastoral Care

In need of prayer? Send prayer requests to Fr. Jason.

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

Parish Directory

Our directory is available online. If you need the password, contact the church office or email Jessica Salazar.

Calendar of Events

All of our worship services, events, and small groups are listed on our church calendar.

Communications

and Notices

Please send all notices you wish to be included in the enews or bulletins to Father Jason and Wayne Hastings.

Coffee Hour

Ministry

To volunteer to help one week after the 10am worship service, see the sign-up sheet at Sunday coffee hour.

Yoga with Jill

A spiritual mind and body practice led by Jill Lynch in the St. Francis Parish Hall.

Mondays 11:00-12:30 pm – Level 1/2 Hatha for Strength and Mobility

Wednesdays 9:00-10:30 am – Level 1 Gentle Yoga for Vital Mobility and Balance

Phone: 310-375-4617

The Rev. Jason Shelby, Rector: 310-594-7984

The Rev. Celeste Stump, Deacon, Chaplain at The Canterbury: 310-265-5146

Mark Bennett, Director of Music: 617-217-1601

David Knight, Organist: 310-375-4617

Elaine Mistele, Business Manager: 310-594-8268

Gina McQueen, Receptionist and Office Administrator, (310) 375 4617

Joel Miranda, Sexton

Wayne Hastings, Communications: 901-219-6564

Church Office hours are:

Monday through Thursday

9:00 am to 3:00 pm