Weekly News: January 9, 2025

Sunday Worship

• 8:00 AM - Worship at St. Francis In-The-Fields Episcopal Church.
• 10:00 AM - Worship at St. Francis or online at St. Francis In-The-Fields Episcopal Church Facebook Live.
• Please find a copy of the Sunday Bulletin for both services for viewing or downloading on our website.

Mark Your Calendars for the Annual Meeting!

Our Annual Meeting will take place on Sunday, February 9th at 11:30 am in the Nave. We will have coffee and donuts available for this year’s meeting.

It's Not Too Late to Make a 2025 Pledge!

Pledges to our 2025 Annual Fund Campaign can still be made by submitting a Pledge Card. You can mail them to us (1525 Mulberry Street, Zionsville, IN 46077) or place them in the plate on Sundays. You can also enter your pledge online through Realm. Head to https://onrealm.org/StFrancisZville and sign in. If you do not have a Realm account, or if you need assistance completing your pledge card, please contact the office -info@stfranciszionsville.org or 317-873-4377.

So far, we have received 81 pledges for a total of $356,981. Our goal is to receive 90 pledge cards for $402,834.

January 8, 2025

Recently, you may have heard me talking about the potential reunification of the Episcopal Dioceses in Indiana. There are currently two dioceses: North Indiana (Bishop Doug Sparks), which encompasses the top third of Indiana; and, Indianapolis (Bishop Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows), which includes the lower two-thirds of the state. How our diocese got the name of the capital city takes some explaining. The state was one diocese until about 100 years ago then decided to divide into two dioceses (rather than three!).

Every Episcopal congregation in the state has been asked to host a couple of community conversations about the potential reunification of our dioceses. This will include some history about the diocese; it will also answer the question: why are we talking about this now? 

I was asked by Bishop Jennifer to serve on one of the sub-committees examining reunification. All the members of all the committees from both dioceses met for an overnight retreat in December (because nobody had much else going on!). It was a very positive experience which I’ll share more about when we meet.

I have scheduled two opportunities for you to join me in conversation to learn and to share your thoughts about a potential reunification of our dioceses. I expect the meetings to last about an hour. 

Those dates will be:

Sunday, Jan. 19th – 11:45 AM (Following the 10:00 AM Mass)

Wednesday, Jan 22nd - 10:00 AM

Both meetings will take place in the hybrid room. No RSVP is necessary, just bring yourself (and if you would like a beverage, please bring it).

I look forward to sharing details about this exciting potential adventure for our denomination in Indiana.

In peace,

Fr. Davies+

The Dinner Table

Join us on Saturday, January 25th from 4:45 to 6:00 pm at Cobblestone in downtown Zionsville. This ongoing ministry of fellowship and faith with those experiencing loss or grief is a chance to break bread and share with others going through similar experiences. This ministry also offers the opportunity for parishioners to support their grieving siblings. Please RSVP to the Church Office at info@stfranciszionsville.org by Tuesday, January 21st.

Ladies' Book Club

The Ladies' Book Club will begin their weekly meetings on Thursday, January 23rd. The group meets at 10 am in the Hybrid Room. This session, Pam Wampler will lead a discussion on Richard Rohr's The Universal Christ.

Copies of the book are available in the church office. The suggested donation is $15.

Theology on Tap

Theology on Tap will meet at North High Brewing on Wednesday, January 29th at 7 pm. For details, reach out to Steve Doyle or JT Noble. More information to follow!

Youth Announcements

Sunday School Updates

The first Sunday School of 2025 will be on Sunday, January 26th. A calendar for January through May will be released in the coming weeks.

Nursery Updates

As we begin the next construction phase of our Vision-in-Action construction project, Nursery will be held in the Parish Hall (look for signs on how to enter the Parish Hall). We ask that children use the bathroom before being dropped off (as the bathroom facilities are quite a distance away!). If you’d like for your child to have some water during snack time, please bring a water bottle at drop-off. In case of any accidents, if you would like to leave a change of clothes in the Nursery, please put everything in a Ziplock bag with your child’s name. As always, there will be diapers and pull-ups available in case of emergencies. 

Lastly, it is time to update Nursery records for 2025. Please be sure to take a form with you on Sunday and return it to one of our Nursery workers. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Megan Olson, our Nursery Coordinator (olsonms@gmail.com or (317) 439-6426). 

From Our Friends at

Good Samaritan, Brownsburg...

Join Fr. Davies in celebrating the dedication of Good Samaritan's new church building!

For those who don't know, the Rev. Jim Said, Vicar of Good Samaritan, is a former member of St. Francis In-The-Fields, and would love the support from the St. Francis community.

The above graphic was created by Good Samaritan for their newsletter on January 9th, 2025.

In Case You Missed It:

The Bishop's Christmas Message

Dear Ones,

I can still remember the first time I went to church on Christmas Eve. I was an adult and was preparing for baptism the following spring. Though I had begun attending the Episcopal Church during college, when I came home for Christmas breaks the holy days came and went without me attending church. Christmas Eve 1988 was the first time I experienced a hushed sanctuary, kneeling in prayer, as the first notes of “Silent Night” began to play; I could barely take it in. I remember thinking that I could hear the heart beats of everyone in my pew in the hush. I didn’t even know what was coming next, but I’ll never forget the collective waiting in the silence...

Click here to read the full message.

Click here to subscribe to the Diocese's newsletter.

Get the Word Out with the St. Francis Newsletter

Do you have an announcement to make to the community? We want to help you get the word out! To feature your "Good Word" in the newsletter, please send a detailed description of what you would like to announce to info@stfranciszionsville.org by 9:00 AM on Wednesday for consideration. All announcements will be reviewed by the staff. Any announcement submitted after the deadline will be considered for inclusion in the the following week's newsletter.

"Vision in Action" Capital Campaign Corner

Important Construction Updates

The rear sidewalk was poured on Monday, December 30th will be ready to use beginning on Sunday, January 12th. All groups may resume meeting in the Parish Hall beginning that week.

IMPORTANT

The Youth Wing is currently under renovations. As a result, the Nursery and Sunday School will be in the Parish Hall beginning January 12th.

Updates will be posted as they become available to stfranciszionsville.org/vision-in-action. You may also find the projected construction schedule there.

Church Calendar

What's coming up at church? Check out the St. Francis Calendar online. Are we missing an event or meeting? Please reach out to info@stfranciszionsville.org to include calendar events.

Church Office Hours

The Church Office normal hours of operation are Monday through Thursday in person from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, and Friday remotely from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. If you have an emergency please call 317-873-4377 and press 7 at the menu for pastoral care. A priest will be in touch with you shortly.

The office is closed on Tuesday mornings for the duration of the Vision-in-Action renovations.

Sunday Readings

• Isaiah 43:1-7
• Psalm 29
• Acts 8:14-17
• Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

Sunday Morning Ministry Team

If you are signed up to serve on a Sunday and can no longer do so for any reason, after you find your substitute, please contact the lay leader in your ministry and the parish administrator to let them know who your replacement is. This ensures that the bulletin is correct. For a full schedule of serving team members, please contact your lay leader.

Presider & Preacher: The Rev. C. Davies Reed, Rector

Altar Guild: Susie Kubley, Kenny Winget, Bounesaly Vongphrachanh, Sue Wyatt

Music: Robert Bolyard, Music Director; The St. Francis Choir

8am LEM & Lector: Mark Wyatt

10 am LEM: Kathy Cox

10 am Lectors: Iris & Eve Unroe

Acolytes:

Ushers: Deb Hall, Gordon Wishard

Greeter: Gigi Nicholas

Technical Director: James Dillon

Virtual Usher: Paulette Feltus

Counters: Deb Clark, Owen Hitchins