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St. Francis Times

February 17, 2008
SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT

First Reading:      Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7
Second Reading  Romans 5:12-19
Holy Gospel:        Matthew 5:1-11
Psalmody:           Psalm 32

WE REMEMBER IN PRAYER:

• Phil Horne, home from the hospital
• the family of Johanne Mehrtens, who passed away recently
• Diane Reyneker, teacher at Friends of St. Francis Childcare Center, who had surgery recently
• Shana Reznek, friend of Janet Thuesen
• Mary, cousin of Michael Petrelis
• our shut-ins and Devin Grant who has moved to assisted living in Ashland Oregon
• Dorothy Smith, of the childcare center
• Pastor Bradley Schmeling and St. John's Lutheran Church, Atlanta, Georgia, as they ponder their future with the ELCA

Those serving in the world:

• The Rev. Megan Rohrer, Missionary to the Homeless of SF through The Welcome Ministry;
• The Rev. Pieter Oberholzer and his partner, Fanie Zondagh, and the staff at Inclusive and Affirming Ministries (IAM) in South Africa, serving LGBT people and allies;
• Catharine Coon and the Children of Hope Project in Uganda.

ANNUAL MEETING RESULTS

The annual meeting was held last week at which the congregation approved the budget for 2008, renewed the term calls of Pastors Pieter Oberholzer and Megan Rohrer, and elected new committee and council members.

Nominating Committee: Paul Johnson and Diane DeLange

Audit Committee: Karen Custer

Congregation Council:
Susan Tucceri (President)- re-elected
Jim Asp - new term
Brandee Marckmann - new term
Ken Hedrick - re-elected
Stephen Lawson - new term

members
Scott Beckerly (Vice President)
Jim Kowalski (Secretary)
Rob Byrne
Nancy Loewe

Thanks to all members retiring from their council and committee terms.

	FOUNDATION STONED SEALED
Last Wednesday the sealed copper box containing documents from our parish life and documents from the 100 year old lead box was placed in the foundation stone which was then bricked in place on the southeast side of the church building. Many other items of historical interest will be placed in the archives of the San Francisco Public Library. Our thanks go especially to Pastor James Delange for his leadership on this project.
	Before the bricks were set
	Foundation stone with bricks in place

YOUR LENTEN DEVOTION

Our annual journey through Lent to Holy Week has begun. You will receive from the ushers a nail to take along your Lenten journey as a reminder of Jesus’ love and to give to it any sadness, any pain, it can represent in your life. You will be invited to place that nail with all its gathered significance at the foot of the cross on Good Friday.

To help you on your Lenten journey members of the Stewardship committee are sponsoring small group meals and discussions. (See below) May God bless us as we grow in grace during Lent.

TAKE A LENTEN JOURNEY!

The two Lenten gatherings that started last week are still open to anyone that wishes to attend the remaining sessions. Please contact Grant Burger for the remaining two dates, February. 20 and 28 at the church in the St. Clare's room; or Bruce Jervis and Jim Kowalski February. 18 and 25 at their home in Bernal Heights.

Groups are also being planned for March and April, so those opportunities to meet, discuss and host will be announced later.

During the Sundays in Lent the Pastors will focus their sermons on Catechism and its meaning for today. This Sunday we will focus on the Sacrament of Baptism.

SAVE THE DATE! Sunday, April 13: This Brunch will take the place of coffee hour following worship to formally introduce the fall 2007 and spring 2008 new members to the congregation! This festive, annual gathering is for every member and all visitors attending worship that Sunday. Please mark your calendar now!

THE HOMELESS AND ST. FRANCIS

Members have raised concerns regarding homeless persons and access of members and visitors to St. Francis on Sunday mornings. We pastors encourage the St. Francis community to consider prayerfully the complex situation we are all trying to address and we recommend to Church Council that the next Fifth Sunday Forum on March 30th be devoted to a congregational discussion towards a faithful response of these matters.

Pastors Robert Goldstein and Dawn Roginski

In the meantime, please bring any concerns you have to Council members & the Pastors so that we can assure they are appropriately addressed.

If you would like one of your pastors to listen to your concerns or pain, don't hesitate to ask us -make an appointment, or ask us to call you or mark the pew card. We can be distracted at times on Sundays, so it is best to set aside another time when we can really listen. Pastors Robert and Dawn

ADULT FORUM

Adult Forum is currently studying the Sunday lectionary. Join us on Sundays at 9:30 AM in the Conference Room.

THANKSGIVING FOOD BASKET

Food Banks are experiencing a 15% drop in donations from last year.
Consider purchasing extra cans of food, and bring them on Sunday to put in our basket. Food not used for Hospitality will be donated to the San Francisco Food Bank. Food that can be accepted include canned vegetables, canned fruit, tuna, canned meats, soups, stews and chili, peanut butter and cereal (no glass containers or perishable food, please).

My all Bach concert is coming up on Thursday, Feb. 21st at 7pm at St. Francis.. It's free. It'll last about one hour with no interval and there will be a reception following. I hope you can make it. Each year I give one of these programs of the organ works of Bach. Bach was arguably one of the greatest musical minds of any age in any culture. His instrument was the pipe organ and he wrote a prodigious repertory for it. These works are some of his most personal and expressive, but also austere and uncompromising both for performer and listener. They are played often enough but not heard by many, as the organ is not in the mainstream of classical concert life. However, the organ works of Bach are full of stunning musical gems which have fascinated me to the point where I have spent most of my adult life learning and relearning this music. This concert is my little musical party where I share them with you and anyone who cares to listen. I promise there will be something you will like, even if you're not a classical music initiate. I invite you to join me.

Pray for the church in Kenya, its leaders, for those who have lost loved ones to the violence, for those who are displaced, and for mission personnel who continue to serve in Kenya. ELCA missionaries include a husband and wife team with the Nairobi International Lutheran Congregation, and an Africa-wide health consultant and his family. Mission personnel continue to work in-country, even as Global Mission staff monitors the situation to ensure their safety.

The Lutheran World Federation has two member churches in Kenya. The ELCA has a companion church relationship with the Kenya Evangelical Lutheran Church (KELC). The ELCA responded immediately, sending a $10,000 grant to our companion church and a $15,000 grant to Church World Service, which helped coordinate the work of Action by Churches Together in the initial days of the crisis.

CLICK HERE FOR ONLINE CALENDAR

Lectionary for the Third Sunday in Lent

• First Reading: Exodus 17:1-7
• Second Reading Romans 5:1-11
• Gospel: John 4:5-42
• Psalmody: Psalm 95

  Safeway parking permits are available in the back of the church. The permits allow parking for Sunday services ONLY.

  St. Francis Lutheran Church

  A Place for Gathering: Memory, Presence and Promise
  152 Church Street, San Francisco, CA 94114-1111

  (415)621-2635, FAX (415)621-8819

  Contact us:

  Directions to St. Francis: Ext 21
  Worship Service schedule: Ext 20
  Pr. Robert Goldstein: Ext 11
  Pr. Dawn Roginksi Ext 12
  Dr. David Schofield, Music Director: Ext 23
  Senior Center Coordinator: Ext 22
  Dave Walda, Senior Parish Administrator: Ext 10
  Clifton King, Sexton
  Susan Tucceri, Congregation President
  Dale Leininger, Treasurer; Ext 14

  Office Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday - Friday

  General Email: St.FrancisSF@sbcglobal.net

  The Rev. Robert Goldstein: RevRGoldstein-at-sbcglobal.net
  The Rev. Dawn Roginski RevDRoginski-at-sbcglobal.net
  Dr. David Schofield StFrancischoir-at-sbcglobal.net
  David Walda, Senior Parish Administrator: St.FrancisSF-at-sbcglobal.net

  Deadline for Times material is Wednesday at 2 p.m. Every effort will be made to accommodate all submissions according to space availability.
   

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  Last updated Feb 19 2008 by DW