July-August 2017 Pax et Bonum A NEWSLETTER FOR ST. FRANCIS EPISCOPAL CHURCH We had an Outreach Committee meeting this week, and because we have three new members on the committee, and it has been a while since the group has met, I asked participants to go around the circle and share the various outreach ministries each is involved in. Some ministries, many knew about already-others were new to the group. After a day in which Keith and I dealt with our physical plant- the dead thermostat in the parish hall, a failing office computer, ponderings around redoing church floors and having church carpet re-laid, trying to coordinate the St. George office to be gussied up for the new tenants, and arranging for a new outdoor church sign-it was a relief to hear about acts of service done in the name of God s love. It was so moving listening to people s stories, and their significant commitment to justice and kindness in God s name. When I went home after this meeting, I thought-this is why I am a priest! What I heard that night was ongoing engagement and a heartfelt concern for people who are hungry, young people who are caught in the tangle of the foster care system, and people who live on our city streets. What I heard that night was what a priority it is for our parishioners to share what they have with others. To make a difference in the lives of others. What I heard was deep compassion and expansive love. What we decided (thank you Carol Thollander) was that, on St. Francis day this fall, we will devote our celebration, in addition to the blessing of animals, to the lifting up of the many different places we are committed to, in service. Places such as: BRAID mission, our food pantry, the Bay Area Women s and Children s Center, the Bayview Mission, Safe Harbor Shelter, Next Door Shelter, Sanctuary Shelter, and St. Martin de Porres Community Center. Somehow, this seems like an especially fitting thing to do on St. Francis day, as we celebrate the life of our patron saint. Francis lived simply and shared God s love audaciously. We are meant to do likewise. St. Francis feast day is a few months off. In the meantime, please remember these amazing ministries in your prayers-their staff and the people they serve, and our own volunteers who help support this compassionate work. Beth+ ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 9am Coffee Hour Volunteers: Ken Quandt, Norma Young, Sr. Ruth Hall, Morag Hall, Daniel Rosenberry 11am Coffee Hour Volunteers: Melinda Lee, Alice and John Gates, Carol Thollander, Carol Fine, Gregg and Lisa Napoli, Beverly Popek and Pat Ho-a-Yun, Susan Reamy, Sally Oh, Debbie Jasso, Christina Stephen, the Dick family, Meighan Merono, Carol Fine Laguna Honda Volunteers: Bill and Fran Rounds, Christina Stephen, and Paul Pearson Office Volunteers: Ed Splichal, Anita Jackson, Sally Young, Richard Young, Bob Powell, Buffy (c), Willow, Tinkerbell
Welcome to the INTO Church St. George moved out of their parish office and INTO Korean Church will be moving into the office later in July. Right now, John Gates has been getting it cleaned up and ready. The aim is for INTO Church to begin worshipping at St. Francis in August, depending on St. George, floor refinishing, and the like. We look forward to welcoming The Rev. Yonggee Cho and his parishioners to their new home. GARDENING The Rector and John Duus did some gardening on the courtyard on a recent Saturday. Buffy, Willow, and Tinkerbell helped! 2
Redoing the Church Floors Ed Splichal testing the church floor. It looks like we will be having the church floors refinished in August. This means that two Sundays in August-the13th and the 20thwe will be worshiping in the Parish Hall. Stay tuned for further details. 3
Isa (Jesus) bringing food for his disciples (John 6:1-14) College Bible Class Begins this Fall Have you ever wanted to take a real college Bible class? Now s your chance! City College of San Francisco is offering this fall semester a survey class called The Bible as Literature. Community and church members are encouraged to join the class. It will meet at 6:30pm on Wednesday nights beginning August 23 at the main CCSF campus on Ocean Avenue at Phelen. The course will briefly cover all of the Hebrew and Christian scriptures, studying them using historical-critical and academic methods. The instructor is Erwin Barron, PhD, a Presbyterian minister who is also a City College English professor. For city residents, beginning this fall, all City College classes are FREE! If you re interested or want to find out more information, brochures are available in the church office, or you can search for English 48K at the website, www.ccsf.edu. New Organist We are thrilled to welcome Charles Rus and his beautiful dog Pointer into the St. Francis family. Charles began his work as our permanent organist on Sunday July 1 st. On that day, he not only played our organ, but also played his harpsichord, and his small pump organ. Charles sings, composes, plays a variety of instruments, and has directed choirs, as well. We are very fortunate to have him on staff. Charles and Pointer 4
Petits Pas Summer Camp Virginie Personne and her family From June 5 through July 7, we have been fortunate enough to be the host site for a Summer Camp of the Petits Pas Yoga and Dance Studio, owned and operated by Virginie Personne. We look forward to a long-term continuing relationship. Their website is petitspasstudio.com 5
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Although the final numbers are not yet in, it appears that we made about $1200 at our recent Rummage Sale. Many thanks to Melinda Lee, Debbie Jasso, and Wendy Dwyer for organizing this event. Happy Birthday, Norma! 8
AT HOME WITH GROWING OLDER FREE Aging 360 Community Workshop In conjunction with the St. Francis Healthy Aging Group Can My Home Grow Older With Me? Yes! Most homes can adapt to personal needs as one ages. Even small adjustments can have a profound impact in helping a person live longer term in their home safely, healthily and comfortably. At Home With Growing Older (AHWGO) developed Aging 360 Community Workshops to unlock the potential of one s home as a resource for healthy aging. People learn about age-friendly living at home and how to tap into their personal experience to create solutions for their own, unique circumstances. Creative Workshop Structured over three session with 12-15 participants and three facilitators. Aging 360 looks beyond safety to consider functionality and beauty. We believe one s home should be an ally, and a continued source of delight and wellbeing. 1ST SESSION: INTRODUCTION TO EXPERIENCE OF HOME GOAL: Participants become aware of the potential of their home as a partner in their wellbeing. They are introduced to a broader/holistic view of age-friendly design that is about creating a personalized space that can adapt to their needs. 2ND SESSION: CREATIVE WORK GROUP GOAL: Participants work in groups to explore and access their own creativity in finding solutions to challenges unique to them. 3RD SESSION: GROUP DISCUSSION AND ACTION PLAN GOAL: Participants will leave with an executable plan and a resource package to make changes and adaptations to their home. They are encouraged to follow up periodically with their peers about their progress and share resources and ideas. Our Aging 360 Community Workshop Team: Susanne Stadler, Architect Donna Schempp, LCSW Rachael Friedman, Psychologist Tasneem Babul, Industrial Designer Thursdays October 5, 12 and 19 from 10am to noon in the Guild Hall Limited Space Available! Call (415) 334-1590 to sign up by August 13 th 9
Dear Fellow Parishioners: AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to your favorite charitable organization. You can choose from nearly one million organizations to support, but of course what we hope is that you will choose St Francis Episcopal Church and look for the one in San Francisco when prompted. How do I shop at AmazonSmile? To shop at AmazonSmile simply go to smile.amazon.com from the web browser on your computer or mobile device. You may also want to add a bookmark to smile.amazon.com to make it even easier to return and start your shopping at AmazonSmile. Which products on AmazonSmile are eligible for charitable donations? Tens of millions of products on AmazonSmile are eligible for donations. You will see eligible products marked Eligible for AmazonSmile donation on their product detail pages. Recurring Subscribe-and-Save purchases and subscription renewals are not currently eligible. On your first visit to AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com), you need to select a charitable organization to receive donations from eligible purchases before you begin shopping. Amazon will remember your selection, and then every eligible purchase you make at smile.amazon.com will result in a donation. Please keep in mind that when you choose the charity to benefit it is REALLY IMPORTANT that you type in "St Francis Episcopal Church and please click on the one in San Francisco, CA! How much of my purchase does Amazon donate? The AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price from your eligible AmazonSmile purchases. The purchase price is the amount paid for the item minus any rebates and excluding shipping & handling, gift-wrapping fees, taxes, or service charges. From time to time, we may offer special, limited time promotions that increase the donation amount on one or more products or services or provide for additional donations to charitable organizations. Special terms and restrictions may apply. Please see the relevant promotion for complete details. Can I receive a tax deduction for amounts donated from my purchases on AmazonSmile? Donations are made by the AmazonSmile Foundation and are not tax deductible by you. Lisa Napoli 10
Two Portuguese Jesuit priests travel to a country hostile to their religion, where feudal lords force the faithful to publicly renounce their beliefs. Eventually captured and forced to watch their Japanese Christian brothers lay down their lives for their faith, the priests bear witness to unimaginable cruelties that test their own beliefs. 11