St. Francis E-Blast, September 7, 2023

St. Francis subscribes to a weekly service called Preparing for Sunday, which provides some brief commentary on the bible readings for the upcoming weeks. It can be found on the Sermons & Services page on the St. Francis website (https://tinyurl.com/sermonspage). I encourage all of you to consider looking at it prior to Sunday, particularly if you are a lector for the week.

Father Brendan

Participants in this Week's Services

Serving at 8 am

LEM: Peggy Danford

Intercessor: Dale Rushton

Lector: Marilyn Morgan

Lector: Jean Atwell

Ushers/Greeters: Ron and Sue Coleman

Altar Guild: Gay Kuykendall and Paul Morgan

Serving at 10:30 am

LEMs: Susy Mekarski and John Wisecaver

Intercessor: Gaby Vaught

Lector: Ann Frazier

Lector: Gaby Vaught

Ushers: Bob Sharp and Bruce Hamlin

Usher/Videographer: Richard Martens

Welcome Table: Rich and Phyllis Clark

Altar Guild: Bob and Kay Sharp

Flower Guild: Carolynne Fairweather

Coffee Hour Hosts: The Clark and Hamlin Families

Click here for the Full Church Calendar

This Week at St. Francis

Thursday, September 7

7:00 pm - AA Men’s Group

Sunday, September 10

8:00 am - Spoken Eucharist

9:00 am - Adult Formation

10:30 am - Eucharist, Live Eucharist on YouTube/Facebook

12:30 pm - Misa

Monday, September 11

7:30 pm - AA

Wednesday, September 13

1:30 pm - Finance Committee Meeting

7:00 pm - Choir Rehearsal

7:30 pm - AA

Thursday, September 14

10:00 am - Book Group

1:00 pm - Threads of Love

5:30 pm - Guys and Gals Nite Out

7:00 pm - AA Men’s Group

Saturday, September 16

9:00 am - Outreach Committee Meeting

1:00 pm - Joy Event with Anne-Louise Sterry

Sunday, September 17

8:00 am - Spoken Eucharist

9:00 am - Adult Formation

10:30 am - Eucharist, Live Eucharist on YouTube/Facebook

12:30 pm - Misa

5:00 pm - Dinner Church

Parish Activities

If you would like your announcements to be included in this newsletter, or in the Sunday bulletin, please email them to the office at saintfranciswilsonville@gmail.com by Tuesday evening (7:30 pm). Please include a contact person within the announcement in case there are questions. Announcements will run for two weeks or until the event takes place.

Let Your Heart Be Heard

Inspiring strategies for living life with more Audacious Joy

Outcomes: Empowerment, Motivation, Vision/Purpose

People have experienced a lot in recent years, and as we are starting to rebuild, some are finding it challenging to find that sense of community again.

This keynote concert delivers entertainment, inspiration, and motivation all in one invigorating package. With a mixture of songs, stories, and interactive performances, Anne-Louise Sterry will reveal the secrets to living life with more audacious joy.

After attending this program, guests will feel empowered in their current role and confident applying the concepts shared to living life with more audacious joy.

Core Themes: Personal Development, Motivation, Empowerment, Self-Esteem, Image, Vision/Purpose

Perfect For:

Fundraising event planners, Government associations, Public Events, Motivational Events, and General Industry Conferences

For more information, click here.

Adult Formation: "There is a Time"

This month, the Adult formation hour will feature "There is a Time," a series of discussions to help prepare and support us amid some of the very challenging experiences and decisions we face in our adult lives. Together, we'll explore living with grief, caring for aging loved ones, facing difficult health care decisions near the end of life, and conveying to our loved ones our own wishes for such care. Discussion leader will be the Rev. Norman Shrumm, a former Presbyterian pastor who recently retired after many years in hospital and hospice chaplaincy.

Calling all gardeners!

Please join us to clean up the memorial gardens for fall. We will meet on Saturday September 9, from 9am until 11am. Come when you can, bring what tools you can, stay as you can! Questions? Contact Terri Hoffmann.

Choir Update

The Saint Francis Choir and the Saint Francis Ringers (bell choir) will be starting their new seasons in September. Both groups are open to any interested people and are not auditioned. The choir meets for rehearsal on Wednesday evenings (7:00-9:00), and the bell choir meets for rehearsals on Monday evenings (7:00-8:00). The ability to read music is desirable but not absolutely necessary. If you are interested, please speak with Director of Music, Jon Holland, after the service, or send a message to drjonbholland@gmail.com.

Calling All Knitters

The weather is turning cooler, and a ball of yarn will feel good in your hands! It is time to begin knitting baby hats for Salud Medical Clinic in Woodburn. These will be paired with little blankets made by Threads of Love Ministry and collected during our celebration on Epiphany Sunday on January 7th. We will need a lot of little hats to keep up with the busy people in this ministry, so we welcome all knitters. Any pattern and any color would be wonderful! Some yarn and patterns are available in the Information Center.

Jane Domagalski

Sunday School

Sunday school will be starting again on September 10th at 10:30 am. We will continue with the curriculum from Augsburg Press, which combines Bible stories and fun activities. We look forward to a year of learning with our St. Francis young people. If anyone would like to help with the program, please let us know.

Linda Tasker and Jane Domagalski

Guys and Gals Nite Out

GALS NITE OUT - inviting all St. Francis Women

GUYS NITE OUT - inviting all St. Francis Men.

Thursday, Sept. 14, Langdon Farms.

We'll start gathering at 5:00 or so for Happy Hour.

We'll order food around 5:30 or so.

Arrive when you can.

Agenda: Get to know one another better. Go home happy having had a good time.

Facilitators: Doug Horton & Gary Thompson.

Co-Sponsors: Don Nash & John Wisecaver

Dinner Church

This summer, we are experimenting with Dinner Church. Our next gathering will be on Sunday, September 17, at 5:00 pm in the Parish Hall. We will have dinner, break bread, and celebrate the Eucharist.

Ladies Lunch

Ladies Lunch will resume our monthly lunches after taking a break over summer. We will meet on the third Tuesday of each month at 11:45 am at selected restaurants. In September, please join us at Backstop Grill in Canby on Tuesday, September 19. A sign up sheet will be in the Information Center. Questions? Contact Peggy Danford or Sandi Thompson.

St. Francis Day

On October 8, St. Francis will be celebrating the feast day of our patron saint, St. Francis of Assisi. St. Francis saw in all creation - animals, plants, stars, people - the evidence of God's handiwork. We are honored to share in the name of this beloved saint, and we continually strive to be worthy of his name. On this day, people are invited to bring their animals to church for a personal blessing. Our pets will be welcomed and blessed at both the 8 am and the 10:30 am services. It is a sweet moment, and a moving experience, to have our dog, cat, turtle, canary, etc. blessed and honored.

Pictures will be taken, and after a time on the bulletin board, they will be yours to keep. Animals also receive treats during the coffee hour. Enjoy this day with all its spirit and joy. We hope to see you and your 4-legged and 2-legged friends!

Flower Guild

The Flower Guild at St. Francis has the fun of offering bouquets of flowers to parishioners after the 10:30 service on Sundays. Each team works once a month (no work in Advent or Lent!). We are currently in need of volunteers to join our team on the second and third Sundays of each month. If you would like to share in the fun, please contact Debbi Kapp to volunteer!

Thursday Morning Book Group

The book group meets on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month, from 9:45 to 11 am. We read a chapter aloud - no homework needed. The coffee/tea is always on!

On September 14, we will meet in the Parish Hall Conference Room and begin reading Falling Upwards: A Spiritualty for the Two Halves of Life by Richard Rohr. You are welcome to get a copy of the book and join us.

Each chapter in this book stands alone, making this book a good book to join in at any time. Come when you can, read with us, discuss the chapter, and leave with ways to deepen your spiritual life during the coming week(s).

If you have any questions, contact Sandi Thompson.

Did You Know? – Missal Stand

The Altar service book stand, or Missal Stand, can be made of metal or wood and is sometimes a pillow. The stand holds the Altar Service Book in a position so that the celebrant can easily read the Liturgy of the Holy Eucharist.

The wooden stand at St. Francis was made by Father William McIlmoyl, a good friend of Father Tony Petrotta. He is a gifted woodworker who designed and crafted this stand to match the wood of the Altar. This stand was the request of Dorothy Gray and family in memory of Claire, Dorothy's husband. Claire was a long-time member of St. Francis.

Parish Outreach

Outreach Update

The Outreach Committee is pleased to share that with your generous auction funds, we have purchased 10 kitchen restart kits for the Refugee Care Collective. Refugee Care Collective mobilizes the city of Portland to serve diverse populations of refugees being resettled in the Portland Metro area, in order to empower refugees to rebuild their lives and step more fully into self-sustainability. The following are the families we helped: a family of 10 from Somalia, a family of 8 from Afghanistan, a family of 6 from Syria, a family of 5 from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and another family of 5 from Afghanistan.

Through restart kits and relational programs, partnership with resettlement agencies, and namely, the thousands of people who have given of their time and resources, Refugee Care Collective plays an active role in Portland refugee resettlement, bridging the gap between what is and what could be. St. Francis is making a difference globally thanks to you!

It’s Time to Bring Your Donations for St. Timothy’s!

During all of September, the Outreach Ministry is collecting clothing and other items to help the folks at St Timothy’s Episcopal Church in Brookings serve the homeless population in their area. This year, not only are they helping the homeless, but also many people who have been displaced by the huge wildfires burning to the southeast of the town.

At this time, they are in need of the following (new or gently used):

Towels (for their hot shower program)

Warm and waterproof winter clothing

Blue jeans (any sizes)

Tarps (smaller for ground sheets and larger for tents)

Shoes and boots

Please bring your donations and leave them in the hallway outside Fr. Brendan’s office. We will be transporting everything to Brookings in early October. Donations of money are also very welcome; it will be used to buy needed items. If you have questions, please contact Ann Frazier at 503-657-0739 or annfrazier41@comcast.net.

Wilsonville Food Bank

The food bank is in need of CEREAL AND PEANUT BUTTER. They normally do not need cereal, but at this time they do. They also need storable fresh fruit – apples and oranges only. Any other fruit is hard to keep fresh long enough. They do not want the giant size containers of peanut butter, and please only non-stir varieties. They also do not need rice or pasta. Please put any donations in the cart in the Narthex. A volunteer takes the food to the Food Bank every Tuesday.