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From the Rector
Extra Services
Friday, November 1, is the Feast of All Saints, a day of obligation in our church. I will celebrate the Holy Communion at 12:00 noon on that day and you are, of course, invited and encouraged to attend. Honoring the champions of our faith is nothing new in the church. Scripture tells us that “we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses.” One of the Eucharistic prayers in another denomination speaks of those “who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith.” This feast day reminds us that we are not, and have never been alone in our earthly journey. We honor certain of these individuals by calling them our patrons (St. Francis) and for those who do not have a particular feast day in the church’s liturgical calendar, we honor all of them on this day.
At the end of the month comes Thanksgiving Day. This, of course, is not a feast of the church but a day of public thanksgiving for the blessings that God has bestowed on us individually and as a nation. It is a reminder that all that we have and are comes from God. That should never escape our thoughts but I know it does mine from time to time and I am grateful for the opportunity to have a special day of thanksgiving to give praise and glory to God. This Holy Communion service will be a 10:00 am. In the past I have blessed the bread you have brought to the service to be used at your Thanksgiving meal. I will do that again should anyone wish to bring that or another part of their Thanksgiving table to church with them. Just another way of giving thanks on a day meant specifically for that.
Pledge Drive
Our annual pledge drive will begin on Sunday, November 3 and continue through Sunday, December 1. On November 3 I will talk at both services about giving and our needs and hand out pledge cards to those in attendance. There will be a follow up letter which will also include a pledge card for your convenience. Those of you who have been around for a while know that I rarely speak about finances. Once a year, however, it is necessary, as you all know.
Building
We are still awaiting final approval from the City of Austin and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. We expect that permission in the very near future in order to proceed with our building plans. Keep praying that the Lord will bless this endeavor and that all the approvals and the building process itself will go smoothly.
Shoe Boxes for Christmas
I encourage all of you to participate in our Christmas Shoe Box drive. You have received a letter in the mail and there was an insert n the pew sheet on October 13 listing the items needed for filling the shoe boxes. As you know, these Christmas boxes are sent to countries all over the world, to those who would otherwise not have a Christmas. This is not only a gesture of good will but also an evangelization tool. It is another means of spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ. It is simple and relatively inexpensive to be a part of this campaign, sponsored by Samaritan’s Purse. Please help us out as you have in the past.
Christian Education News
The younger Sunday School children are beginning Unit Two of the One Room Sunday School curriculum, entitled David The King. The Scriptural inspiration for this unit is Psalm 23:6: "I will dwell in the Lord's house as long as I live." The four stories in the unit are Saul Anoints David, David and Goliath, David Dances, and David's Son Builds the Temple. The children are really settling into the new space and enjoying the lessons, activities, and fellowship together.
The older class finished the Explore God series and began the Teach Deep curriculum on October 27th.
Thanks so much to Claire Carter and Al Parker for assistance with teaching, and to Carol Jacobs for helping with supplies!
- Missy Bernard
Operation Christmas Child
By the time you are reading this newsletter, you should have received a letter from the youth in the Sunday School classes at St. Francis about donating items or cash for the annual shoe box collection for Operation Christmas Child. Since 2002, we have packed shoe boxes for this program sponsored by Good Samaritan. Your help is needed to provide the contents for the boxes or to make a donation toward the organizer's recommended donation of $7 per box to fund shipping.
If you have donated items or money in the past, please continue to help us out again. If you are new to St. Francis, please consider helping out. It is easy to do! At the back of the worship space (and at the online link above) you will find a list of suggested items needed for the 50 boxes we hope to pack. Items for the boxes are needed by November 17th, as the youth are packing boxes on November 24
- Missy Bernard
Home Group @ Claire Ducker's House
How do you make a darkly? I don't know much about them, except that apparently, they're typically made of glass, and they're extremely common. Everybody, without exception, has one, and if you would see God, you are compelled to peer at Him through it. This affliction, however, is temporary and local to this Vale of Tears. (So, at least, maintained the Apostle, and I'm convinced he was right.)
Why home group? Well, no, it has not demolished my own Glass Darkly. But sometimes when vision is obscured, another can see what one cannot quite make out. As Christians, we have the duty (and privilege!) to come to know God more and more, and for that we need one another's help. We begin each meeting by using the collect for the 2nd Sunday in Advent, entreating God to speak to us through His written word. Next comes the most distinctive exercise of the evening: each participant is invited to describe specific evidence of the Holy Spirit's work in his or her own experience since the previous meeting. Then we consider each of the lessons and the psalm for the coming Sunday, with some member reading the lesson aloud, after which we discuss the passage we've just heard: what it means, how it meshes with the day's other readings, what is the central point. These discussions are always lively and, even if they occasionally veer slightly and briefly off topic, usually edifying. We close with free prayer voicing concerns of the members of the group, including intercession for friends and loved ones.
The group normally meets at Claire Ducker's house on the 2nd and 4th Fridays at 7:30. Care to join us?
- Jim Crandell
Anglicans for Life
Anglicans for Life was first started in 1966 as Episcopalians for Life (N.O.E.L) because of concern for the sanctity of life. It later broadened its outreach and became Anglicans for Life . In 1998 Georgette Forney was appointed as the Executive Director, a position she still holds. Under her direction, AFL uses the Chapter model to support life ministry in parishes. Currently, there are 79 Life Coordinators/Chapters in 24 states as well as 3 in Uganda and Kenya. The Anglicans for Life Prayer Team , each member of which prays daily for some specific need, currently has over 275 members. Materials and resources developed by AFL include a monthly news brief, brochures highlighting the effects of abortion on men and women, booklets on teen abstinence and women's health and a comprehensive website filled with helpful information. As one of the 79 Chapters of AFL, Saint Francis has worked to uphold the sanctity of life and is always looking for new ways to expand our mission. We meet on the third Sunday of each month (except December) after the 11:00 service. Every-one is invited to join us.
- Phoebe Hughes
Women's Meeting
The Women of the Church will have its fall meeting on November 9, at 10:00am at the Church. Since this will be our first gathering in the new facility, it's important for everyone to attend and learn about plans, events, and projects for the future. There will be short reports from the commit-tee chairwomen, a brief bible lesson and refreshments. See you there!
- Leanne Read
Newsletter Submissions
Any parishioner that has news of any kind to share is welcome to send it in writing to Tricia McLean at 640 Lakeside Dr., Wimberley, TX 78676 or to her e-mail address (triciadenslow@yahoo.com). If received by the 20th, it will appear in next month’s newsletter.
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