From the Rector
Fr. Len Giacolone
Two special Services this Month
Tuesday, November 1, is the Feast of All Saints, a day of obligation in our liturgical calendar. We will celebrate the Holy Communion service at 12:00 noon on that day. On this day we honor all of those gone before us marked with the sign of faith, but especially those who do not have a special feast day of their own.
Thursday, November 24, is Thanksgiving Day. While a national holiday, it is not a feast day of the church. I was once stationed at a parish where Thanksgiving Day was celebrated in such a big way that the church was full (about 600 people) and a collection was taken up for the St. Vincent DePaul Society in the parish that supplied the needs of the poor in the parish for the entire year. It was the sentiment in that parish that Thanksgiving Day should have been recognized as a Holy Day rather than just a holiday. It has always reminded me of the great need we have to give thanks to God for our blessings. We will have a Holy Communion service at 10:00 am on Thanksgiving Day and you are certainly encouraged to attend.
Pledge Drive/Capital Campaign
If you have not already received a letter from me concerning this year's pledge drive and capital campaign, you will be receiving it shortly. It is my hope that you will respond as generously as you always have done. Please return each of the pledge cards as soon as possible. We have big things ahead of us. But we are up to the task.
New Church
Of course, everyone wants to know when we will be moving to our new church building. The precise answer is, I don't know. But for the first time we may have a target in sight. We are being told that mid-December looks good for the move. As you may know, we cannot legally occupy the building without a Certificate of Occupancy from the City of Austin. There is both an up-side and a down-side to that. I have been assured by our Senior Warden, Grady Collins, who has some expertise in this area that the city is so meticulous about these things that the City of Austin inspectors will not sign off on the building until everything is perfect. That can cause a little anxiety if we are waiting for final approval. We can be assured, however, that when we receive the Certificate of Occupancy, everything has been done exactly as it should have been done. When we do move, we will have building that we can be proud of.
Bishop Iker's 2017 Visit
As I mentioned last month, Bishop Iker will come to St. Francis on Sunday, April 2, for his annual visitation. At that time he will consecrate the new church and will celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation. I am aware of one and perhaps two young ladies in our parish who wish to be confirmed. If there are any adults in the congregation who have not been confirmed and wish to be, I need to know that as soon as possible. Likewise, if you have been confirmed in another jurisdiction and wish to be received into the Anglican Church, or if you wish to renew your commitment to your Anglican faith, I need to know that as well. Please contact me directly if any of the above applies to you.
Diocesan Convention
The annual Diocesan Convention for the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth will take place November 18 and 19 in Granbury, Texas. I don't know of anything monumental on the agenda other than the usual diocesan business. But please pray for the blessing of God on the convention, on our bishop, as well as for the safety of those traveling to and from the convention site.
Sunday School News
Missy Bernard
Denise Gentsch and I have been enjoying working with the younger class. Denise is teaching lessons based on weekly lectionary readings, and also challenging the children with a board game based on Jesus's ministry. I am focusing on Genesis, specifically Abraham and Sarah. The children are as always very excited to pack the Operation Christmas Child boxes on November 20th! This is a great highlight of the Sunday School year. Children of all ages are welcome to help fill the boxes.
Doug Cooper continues to work with the older class on a confirmation-based curriculum.
Operation Christmas Child
Since 2002, the St. Francis youth have packed shoe boxes for the Operation Christmas Child ministry. Filled with toys, school supplies, clothing, hygiene items and a Gospel message in the child's native language, these boxes go out to needy children all around the world. Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan's Purse, an international Christian relief and evangelism organization headed by Franklin Graham. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected more than 135 million gift-filled shoeboxes for children in more than 150 countries and territories. In 2016, Operation Christmas Child hopes to reach another 12 million children. More information is available at https://www.samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/.
Last year we filled 91 boxes thanks to your generous support, and we hope to do so again this year!
It is easy to contribute. At the back of the worship space and on the OCC donation table, you will find a list of suggested items. You can also find this information here:
https://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/what-goes-in-my-shoebox-suggestions/.
Alternately, you may donate funds toward the purchase of gift items, or toward shipping costs for the boxes (OCC suggests a donation of $7 per box).
Items and funds are needed by our packing day, Sunday November 20th.
If you have any questions, or if you'd like make a donation by cash or check, please feel free to contact me at 512-585-2890. Thank you!
Anglicans for Life
Steve McCown
In the early years after Roe v Wade, decided in 1973, it was common to hear discussions about “when life begins” or “when a fetus becomes person.” I always thought these questions were disingenuous and irrelevant. Regardless of the answer, nobody disputed the end result of conception: a baby. I thought that this in itself compelled us to have respect for the developmental process and let it take its natural course. In recent years, knowledge of conception and fetal development has increased tremendously. We now know remarkable details that were unavailable in 1973 that make it clear an individual human life begins at the moment of conception. Here is a timeline of what occurs in a mother's womb:
- Day 1: Conception. The zygote, a human life with a single cell and a unique genetic blueprint is created. The information in this blueprint would take 1.5 million pages to write out.
- Day 4-12: The embryo implants in the mother's womb. Special proteins are released to prevent an immunological defense from the mother. Placenta forms, allowing nutrients from the mother's blood to nourish the embryo.
- Day 21: Only 10 days after implantation a heart begins to beat!
- Week 4-5: The embryo is now only ¼ inch long, but there is a lot going on. The respiratory system develops, the liver produces blood, the pituitary gland emerges and skin is now intact.
- Week 6-7: Although less than an inch long, brain waves are detectable, limbs are formed and the embryo reacts to touch.
- Week 8: The baby now has a functioning digestive system. She can squint and move her jaw.
- Week 9-10: At 1 ½ inches long, the baby can grasp, sigh and stretch and may sometimes have hiccups.
- Week 11-14: The baby's anatomy is now clearly male or female. Thumb-sucking may begin.
- Week 16-18: The baby now has the same bio-chemical responses to pain as an adult. The larynx is formed and speech movements are being exercised.
- Week 20-22: The baby responds to sound.
- Week 23: The baby can learn and remember. For example, a piece of music heard often in the womb may immediately calm a baby after she's been born. She prefers her mother's voice, and may tend to like certain foods later in life based on mom's diet now, which can be tasted in the amniotic fluid.
- Week 24-27: Eyes are open. Her respiration and other systems have matured just enough that she would have a fighting chance if she were born this early. This marks the end of the second trimester. Most of the fetus' major developments have finished.
- Third Trimester: From now on, the baby will continue to mature and gain weight, adding layers of fat in preparation for birth. If the baby is born at 34 weeks or later and is relatively healthy, although far from full-term, she's likely to recover well.
- Birthday: Birth comes, on average, 38 weeks after fertilization and is initiated by the baby. At birth, the placenta's role in the supply of oxygen is suddenly replaced by air breathing and, often, a loud cry.
Source: https://www.lifesitenews.com/resources/abortion/fetal-development
November Readings
11/6 24 after Trinity
- Job 19:23-27a
- Psalm 17:1-8
- 2 Thess. 2:13-3:5
- Luke 20:27-38
11/13 25 after Trinity
- Malachi 3:13-4:2a, 5-6
- Psalm 98
- 2 Thess. 3:6-13
- Luke 21:5-19
11/20 Christ the King
- Jeremiah 23:1-6
- Psalm 46
- Colossians 1:11-20
- Luke 23:35-43
11/24 Thanksgiving Day
- Deuteronomy 8:1-3, 6-10, 17-20
- Psalm 65:9-14
- James 1:17-27
- Matthew 6:25-33
11/27 1 Advent
- Isaiah 2:1-5
- Psalm 122
- Romans 13:8-14
- Matthew 24:37-44
Church Calendar
Sundays
- 9:30 AM Said Holy Communion
- 9:30 AM Sunday School
- 10:00 AM Choir Practice
- 11 AM, Holy Communion On the first Sunday, this service is sung Morning Prayer with Holy Communion.
All Saints' Day, Nov 1
Thursdays
1st Friday, November 4
1st Saturday, November 5
- 9 AM, Prayer Service for our Nation
2nd Monday, November 14
3rd Sunday, November 20
- 12:30 PM, Anglicans for Life Meeting
3rd Friday, November 21
- 12 PM, Mothers' Prayer Group
Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 24
|
|
Diocesan Calendar of Events
Anno Domine 2016 |
Bold Purple Print indicates the Bishop's scheduled visitations.
All meetings are held at the Diocesan Center for Ministry unless otherwise specified.
| November |
| 5 |
 |
Daylight Saving Time ends overnight; turn clocks back one hour |
| 6 |
|
The 25th Sunday after Pentecost |
| |
|
ST. ALBAN'S, Arlington |
| 8 |
 |
Election Day |
| 11-13 |
|
Happening Weekend for grades 10-12 |
| 13 |
|
The 26th Sunday after Pentecost |
| |
|
ST. MARK'S, Arlington |
| 18-19 |
|
34th Annual Diocesan Convention |
| 20 |
|
The Last Sunday after Pentecost: Christ the King |
| |
|
ST. ANNE'S, (Bishop Iker)
CHRIST THE KING and ALL SAINTS' (Bishop Wantland) |
| 21 |
|
Diocesan offices closed |
| 24 |
|
Thanksgiving Day |
| 25 |
|
Diocesan offices closed |
| 27 |
|
The First Sunday of Advent |
| |
|
Discretion |
The 34rd Annual Diocesan Convention
Granbury Convention Center
November 18 & 19, 2016
Visit the Diocese of Fort Worth's website: www.fwepiscopal.org for additional information on these events.
The Bishop posts on his page from time to time: www.fwepiscopal.org/bishop/bishop.html
|
Birthdays and Anniversaries
Birthdays
3 Mark Rambin
8 Rory Motl
10 Jimmy Parker
11 Katya Kristo-Reinking
12 Michael Adams
14 Bev Scheer
15 Donald St.Martin
17 Kerry Manning Adams
25 Steve McCown, Mary Boswell
27 Rebecca Hunt
Anniversaries
22 David and Adriane Kristo-Reinking
30 Glenn and Rebecca Hunt
St. Francis Anglican Church of Austin
A parish of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth
Diocese Office: 2900 Alemeda St.
Fort Worth, TX 76108
Bishop: The Rt. Rev'd Jack L. Iker, D.D
Rector: The Rev. Canon Len Giacolone
Music Director and Organist: Paula Blaha
Parish Administrator: Mark Rambin
Vestry Members: Senior Warden, Grady Collins; Junior Warden, David Norris; Treasurer, Michael Ready; Secretary, Kevin Burnette; Brendle Glomb, John Hatley, Don St.Martin, Ed Sandlin
Church Group Leaders
Acolytes: Fr. Len Giacolone
Altar Guild: Becky Hunt
Anglicans for Life: Rory Motl
Christian Education for Youth: Missy Bernard, Denise Gentsch, Doug Cooper
Christian Education for Adults: Fr. Len Giacolone
Evening Prayer: Jim Crandell
Home Group Hosts: Claire Ducker, Doug Cooper
Hospitality: Kim and David Norris
Intercessory Prayer Group: Fr. Len and Nancy Giacolone
Mothers' Prayer Group: Charlotte Ready
Newsletter & Pew Sheet: Amy Crandell
Nursery: Missy Bernard & Grace Rowse
Prayer Service for Nation: Amy & Jim Crandell
Prayer Shawl Ministry: Charlotte Ready
Readers: Mark Rambin
St. Claire's Guild: Eileen Cole
St. Polycarp's Guild: Jim Crandell
Ushers: Al Parker
Webmaster: Jim Crandell
Women's Bible Study: Becky Hunt
Women of the Church: Leanne Read
5th Sunday Nursing Home Service: Amy & Jim Crandell
This editor is not much of a tweeter.
|