Our Vision: A Beacon of Light for Justice in the World and a vital Church of the local community.
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Weekly News from St. Francis Lutheran Church for January 11, 2009
BAPTISM OF JESUS
| WORSHIP PARTICPANT | TODAY | NEXT SUNDAY |
| Preacher | Pr. .Robert Goldstein | Pr. Robert Goldstein |
| Presiding Minister | Pr.Dawn Roginski | Pr. Dawn Roginski |
| Assisting Minister | Bruce Jervis | Paul Johnson |
| Healing Minister | Pr. Robert Goldstein | Pr. Robert Goldstein |
| Sacristan | Samuel Aller | Open |
| Crucifer | Stephen Lawson | Open |
| Lector | Gabriel Proo | Bob James |
| Organist | Dr. David Schofield | Dr. David Schofield |
| Ushers / Greeters | 2nd Sunday Usher Team
| 3rd Sunday Usher Team |
| Sunday School Teacher | Open | Open |
| Coffee Hour Host | Wei Haur Lau & Leona Lee | Friends of St. Francis Childcare Center |
| Counters | Brad Hubert & Steve Lawson | Jim Kowalski & Susan Tucceri |
| Flowers | Today’s altar flowers are given to the glory of God from Janet Thuesen with wishes for a good 2009 for our congregation, friends, the church and nation.
| Open |
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The usher duties are available on the website under “Worship & Spirituality” and from Dave.
We appreciate all the help that individuals give for our Worship Services.
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First Reading: Genesis 1:1-5
Second Reading Acts 19:1-7
Holy Gospel: Mark 1:4-11
Psalmody: Psalm 29
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WE REMEMBER IN PRAYER: |
- Damaris Copperud, hospitalized; ex-wife of Richard Copoperud
- the father of Ted Hyrons
- Ron Merk
- Bruce Jervis
- Evan Ardley
- Bill Hunter
- Bob Douglas
- Sophie Barron, mother of James Barron
- Lisa's daughter Amber, with addiction problems, and son Aaron serving in Iraq
- Humberto Valle, friend of Dale Leininger, diagnosed with lymphoma
- Mary, cousin of Michael Petrelis
- our shut-ins
- Robert Gardiner, friend of Pastor Robert
- Those who use our facilities, especially our Seniors, and those attending the 12-step programs that meet here. We pray for their continued health, happiness and success.
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 Hope Alive Project in Uganda.
- The congregation of Holy Cross Lutheran, Newmarket, Canada, and their Pastors Hutchings and Ketola, recently suspended by their synod of the Evangelical Lutheran of Canada for installing Pastor Lionel Ketola who is openly gay
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Word has reached us Friday morning that Lee McCormick, one of our dear elderly members known for his superb readings of Scripture at worship, is in a coma and is not expected to live. Our prayers are for him, his partner and his family.
DIACONAL CANDIDATES RECEIVED SUNDAY, JANUARY 11, 2009
The diaconate program is part of the vision plan for St. Francis dated September 12, 2004. The deacons will be trained and commissioned to assist with pastoral care, programs, worship, and education.
During the preparation period, job descriptions for three different types of deacons were developed and include a liturgical deacon, visitation deacon and community outreach deacon. In a special ritual on January 11 Grant Burger and Bruce Jervis will be received into training for the liturgical deacon and Marsha White will be received into training for the visitation deacon. After the training process they will be commissioned as deacons.
If you have an interest in joining this exciting new program or have other questions, please contact Pr. Dawn.
ARE YOU INTERESTED IN BECOMING A MEMBER OF ST. FRANCIS?
We invite you to attend three membership inquiry classes that will take place on Saturdays January 24, February 7, and February 22 in the Saint Clare’s room from 10:30 A.M. to 11:30 A.M. The new members will be received on Transfiguration Sunday January 25th. For questions contact Pastor Robert or Pastor Dawn.
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Please note that on Sunday, February 8th after worship St. Francis Lutheran Church will hold its Annual Meeting in the Parish Hall.
All committee reports are due by Sunday, January 18. Please have your report in by then so that the office can produce copies to mailed in advance to members or emailed as a PDF for those who so request.
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A PERSONAL NOTE TO START THE NEW YEAR
As the year 2008 comes to a close, I want to express my personal thanks to all of you. You welcomed me in as your pastor and have given me support in the time I have been at St. Francis. As I continue to develop my ministry here, I look forward to a deepening relationship with you and uncovering the direction God would have us take as a congregation. I wish all of you many blessings in the upcoming year.
Pastor Dawn

Contact the church office if you need forms or go to the homepage to access them.
Your pledge helps us plan the 2009 budget.

LEFTOVERS BENEFIT ST FRANCIS
Good news from St. Vincent DePaul of St. Francis Lutheran:
Just as we were noticing that the San Francisco Food Bank was swamped with demands for food, we became a client of Food Runners. Susan Tucceri alerted Gabriel Proo to the program and Gabriel made the contact. For the last three Saturdays Food Runners has delivered bags and bags of food and flowers from a recently-opened Trader Joes to our church. The food is unloaded on the sidewalk and SVDP volunteers transport it into our Parish Hall where they sort and unpack the delivery. This food has been a major asset not just for the Sunday morning Hospitality Hour, but also for our Senior Program weekly lunch and Sunday coffee hour after service.
But here’s the deal—the same people who show up early Sunday mornings between 7 and & 7:30 AM have been working on the sorting on Saturdays too. Lots of you support our work but can’t handle an early Sunday morning gig. >Well, now you can help us on Saturday midday.
We’re setting up a schedule similar to our Usher list. We’re looking for folks who will volunteer one Saturday a month, from 11:15 A.M.to 1:30 P.M. Can you help us? If so, consult the list below and let Dave Walda (621-2635) or Max Kirkeberg (282-6022) know which Saturday you can work.
Max will phone you to remind you that your Saturday is coming up. We’re hoping to get at least five folks signed up for each Saturday. (Hint—the 5th Saturday will have the least work!)
SVDP Saturday Schedule
11:15 A.M.—1:30 P.M.
1st Saturday
1. Carl Tebell
2. Grant Burger
3. Max Kirkeberg
4. Nancy Record
5_____________
2nd Saturday
1. Carl Tebell
2. Chuck Hancock
3. Dave Walda
4. Paul Johnson
5. Anthony Mansa
3rd Saturday
1. Carl Tebell
2. Gene Clark
3. _____________
4. _____________
5. _____________
4th Saturday
1. Carl Tebell
2. Barbara Kling
3. Dave Somers
4. _____________
5. _____________
5th Saturday
1. Carl Tebell
2. _____________
3. _____________
4. _____________
5. _____________
St. Francis is grateful to Food Runners, a local 20 year nonprofit that picks up perishable food from restaurants, stores, bakeries and other businesses that deal in food, and delivers it to shelters and programs that feed the hungry. This program delivers on average 10 tons of food a week.
THE ALBS ARE NOW ORGANIZED
Assisting Ministers, and Crucifers
Dividers for the albs have been set up in the Sacristy closet, and the albs segregated according to size. Please take a few minutes to find which albs fit you and put your name on the sign-up sheet according to the number on the alb’s tag. This will make things easier on Sunday morning! Thanks to Susan Tucceri for bringing in the dividers and Pastor Dawn for setting up the closet and organizing the albs.
Can You Give a Ride?
Bob Douglas is now living at Grove Street Extended Care at 1477 Grove Street in San Francisco. Both pastors have been visiting him. Bob would like to hear from others too. His room number is 310, bed A and the phone number is 415-563-0565.
Bob would like to attend service at St Francis but needs a ride. Can you help? If you are willing to pick up Bob and take him to church and back, please contact one of the pastors.

ANOTHER ELM ORDINATION

Steve Keiser (pictured) has been called by Holy Communion Lutheran Church in Philadelphia where he has worked as a pastoral associate. Steve is a graduate of Wheaton College and the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. Prior to entering seminary, he worked in branch management for fifteen years at Bell Savings Bank and Meridian Bank (now Wachovia). He has taught at Cabrini College and the Lutheran Seminary.
The ordination is scheduled for 4 P.M. Sunday January 25, 2009 at Holy Communion Lutheran.
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ELM INSTALLATION |
On Sunday, January 4, Pastor Robyn Hartwig (pictured above) was installed as associate pastor at St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Beaverton, Oregon.
St. Andrew is a large enough congregation that Pr. Hartwig had to be installed twice, once at 8:30 and again at 11:00, with Bishop David Brauer-Rieke preaching and presiding.
Robyn was installed twice and she is rostered with both the ELCA and Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries (ELM) even though that congregation is not affiliated with the Lutherans Concerned (LCNA) Reconciling in Christ program. Our congratulations to Pr. Robyn Hartwig, Bishop Brauer-Rieke and the congregation of St. Andrew Lutheran Church.
ELCA SEXUALITY STATEMENT AND ROSTERING OF CLERGY RECOMMENDATIONS DUE
from Lutheran True Confessions
On February 19, 1:00 p.m., EDT, the proposed Social Statement on Human Sexuality and Report on Rostering Recommendations will be released publicly. The Report on Rostering of Clergy, that is of LGBTQ clergy in committed relationships, was mandated by the last ELCA assembly.
Actually, according to the timeline, there are a couple of steps that need to happen before February 19. One of those is the final meeting (January 23-25) of the Task Force for ELCA Studies on Sexuality accompanied by the much hazier sign off by task force members on the proposed social statement as well as on any implementing resolutions or roster recommendations that the task force might deliver for broader consideration. ELCA rostered leaders. (ELCA clergy) will get a confidential preview of the proposed social statement and the report on rostering recommendations for LGBTQ clergy in committed relationships on February 18.
REACTION ALREADY...
from Shellfish blog
The organized opposition to LGBTQ rights in the ELCA, CORE, has issued a statement ahead of the February 19th release of rostering recommendations of LGBTQ clergy. The content of the following statement suggests that the Sexuality Task Force is perhaps going to suggest “synodical or local option” —that is, realizing that the Church is still quite divided on the issue, a progressive solution would allow synods and/or congregations in synods to decide whether to allow LGBTQ clergy to serve in their synods and congregations. Such an action by the Task Force would require 50% approval by the national Churchwide Assembly in 2009. Such a decision would directly impact part of the Vision of St. Francis. So we could be in for exciting days ahead in seeing our vision of the Lutheran Church come closer to reality. Here is the CORE press release:
Lutheran CORE opposes different standards in each synod
Leaders of Lutheran CORE have drafted an Open Letter calling on ELCA leaders to affirm and to maintain current standards for pastors and other rostered leaders limiting intimate sexual relations to the marriage relationship of one man and one woman.
The Open Letter - addressed to the Task Force for ELCA Studies on Sexuality, the ELCA Church Council, and the ELCA Conference of Bishops - specifically rejects changing ELCA structure to allow individual synods or congregations to have separate standards for clergy. Some consider this type of proposal - usually called "synodical option" - the most likely recommendation to come from the task force. (emphasis mine)
The task force issued a similar recommendation in 2005 which would have allowed a synod bishop to grant an exception to ELCA standards to permit a pastor to be in a committed same-sex relationship. That recommendation was rejected by the 2005 Churchwide Assembly.
The 2007 ELCA Churchwide Assembly voted "to direct the Task Force for ELCA Studies on Sexuality specifically to address and to make recommendations to the 2009 Churchwide Assembly on changes to any church policies that preclude practicing homosexual persons from the rosters of this church."
The task force is scheduled to release its recommendations on whether the ELCA should change its teaching and policy to allow pastors and other rostered leaders to be in same-sex sexual relationships on Thursday, Feb. 19. Its proposed text of an ELCA social statement on human sexuality will also be released that day.
The Open Letter is signed by the 11 members of the Lutheran CORE Steering Committee and the 18 members of the Lutheran CORE Advisory Council. These groups include ELCA pastors, prominent theologians, and retired bishops. ...The open letter with the list of signers is online at www.lutherancore.org.

The Friends of St. Francis Childcare Center's Spring Fling will be held on the evening of May 2nd, 2009 at the Swedish American Hall. More information to follow.

Thursday, January 15, 2009
Martin Luther King Jr., renewer of society,
martyr, died 1968
An American prophet of justice among races and nations, King was an eloquent preacher, a leader of the nonviolent resistance to race-segregated society, and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. Born on this date, he was assassinated on April 4 1968.

San Francisco Interfaith Coouncil to Sponsor an Inauguration Eve Prayer Service at Grace Cathedral, January 19
What: The San Francisco Interfaith Council will sponsor a prayer service in preparation for the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States. Clergy and laity representing Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Buddhism will participate.
All are welcome to attend. The event will also recognize the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who would have celebrated his 79th birthday on January. 19.
Date: Monday., Jan. 19, 5 p.m. The service will last approximately one hour.
Where: Grace Cathedral, 1100 California St., at Taylor St., Nob Hill, San Francisco
Cost: Free, donation appreciated
Heidi K. Zuhl Manager of Public and Media Relations
415-749-6364 (office); 415-430-7109 (cell)
heidiz@gracecathedral.org / www.GraceCathedral.org
1100 California Street, San Francisco, CA 94108
More information: Call 415-749-6300
or visit www.gracecathedral.org
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USHER TEAMS |
| 1st Sunday |
Brian Border
William Brogan
Chris Buchanan
Steve Casavant
Lawrence Mortensen
Timur Muhrlin |
| 2nd Sunday |
Dave Walda
Leona Lee
Susan Tucceri
Rose Woodvine
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| 3rd Sunday |
Janet Thuesen Sarah Wells |
| 4th Sunday |
Max Kirkeberg
Gabriel Proo
Eric Shifler
Carl Tebell
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| 5th Sunday |
Scott Beckerley
Gene Clark
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The Sign-up list for January through March 2009 is on the Parish Hall bulletin board. Please take a moment to sign up and help at worship service. Thanks.
CHURCH OFFICE HOURS |
The church office is open from 8:30 am to 5 PM, It is highly recommended that appointments be made when visiting Dave Walda, the Senior Parish Administrator to insure that he will be available to assist you.
Thanks!
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EXTRAORDINARY LUTHERAN MINISTRIES GATHERING
Saturday, February 14, 2009 at St. Mark's Lutheran Church, San Francisco
9 A.M. - 5 P.M.
All Are Welcome!
A day of Fellowship, worship, Music, Workshops and Community Meal
This gathering will bring together members of the ELM roster, volunteers, donors, supporters, congregations and new friends. Our focus for the day will be learning more about the diverse ministry being done by Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries.
And we’re thrilled to announce special musical guests, Coyote Grace! (www.coyotegrace.com)
No charge for this event; donations accepted.
To stay up to date on the latest developments email: Rachael at operations@elm.org.

January 16 Jeannine Janson
January 18 Grant Burger
January 18 Paul Johnson
Lectionary for next Sunday
First Reading: 1 Samuel 3:1-20
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 6:12-20
Gospel: John 1:43-51
Psalmody: Psalm 139: 1-6, 13-18

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 12
Dave Walda, Senior Parish Administrator: Ext 10
Clifton King, Sexton
Susan Tucceri, Congregation President
Treasurer: Janet Thuesen
Office Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday - Friday
General Email: St.FrancisSF - at - 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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