St Francis Times Our Vision: A Beacon of Light for Justice in the World and a vital Church of the local community. Weekly News from St. Francis Lutheran Church for December 27, 2009 CHRISTMAS WORSHIP PARTICPANTS DEC 27 NEXT SUNDAY Preacher Pr. Anita Hill Pr. Dawn Roginski Presiding Minister Pr. Robert Goldstein Pr. Robert Goldstein Assisting Minister Grant Burger Paul Johnson Healing Minister Pr. Dawn Roginski Pr. Dawn Roginski Sacristan Samuel Aller Samuel Aller Crucifer Jim Kowalski Sarah Wells Torchbearer Robert James & Keith Skelly Lector Adam Maass Janet Thuesen Organist Dr. David Schofield Dr. David Schofield Ushers / Greeters 4th Sunday Usher Team 1st Sunday Usher Team Coffee Hour Host Leona Lee & Carl Tebell Open Counters Jim Kowalski & Nancy Loewe Grant Burger & Brandee Marckmann Flowers Today's flowers are given to the glory of God from Leona Lee Open

View the full Worship Participant Schedule here. You can view the worship particpant schedule on-line for the upcoming months. See who has signed up for future Sundays, and check your calendar from home. Sunday's Readings 1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26 Colossians 3:12-17 Luke 2:41-52 Psalm 148 WE REMEMBER IN PRAYER: To improve our ministry to those members of the congregation remembered in prayer, we are indicating those who would be open to a visit (v) phone call (p) and/or card (c). Contact the church office for further information. Richard Copperud (c) Glenda Lisk (v,p,c) Susan Tucceri Bill Hunter (p,v) Bob Douglas (v,c) Angie Tedder, aunt of Russ Morgan Phyllis Frohmuth, great aunt of Russ Morgan Les, father of Richard Peterson The father of Rob Zampetti Sylvia Beckerley, stepmother of Scott Beckerley, Sophie Barron, mother of James Barron Mary, cousin of Michael Petrelis Debby Schert, friend of Paster Paul Grace, mother of Dan Jones our shut-ins 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. DURING THIS FLU SEASON, hand sanitizer is available on the table in the Narthex as a precaution to prevent the spread of germs. Please feel free to use it. However, if you do become sick, please stay home so that others attending here do not become infected. Thanks.

PR. ANITA HILL TO PREACH SUNDAY DEC 27

The Reverend Anita Hill, pastor of St. Paul-Reformation Lutheran Church, St. Paul, MN is our preacher Sunday morning for the Feast of Hope, which celebrates the anniversary of the expulsion of St. Francis from the roster of congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). From Expulsion to Hope. Last August the ELCA met as a Churchwide Assembly and voted to welcome into ministry and into the life of its congregations gay and lesbian persons in committed relationships or, as in some states, married. St. Francis has worked since 1990 for this just goal, and while it is not complete, there is now good reason to turn our focus from celebrating our expulsion from the ELCA to looking with hopefulness for reconciliation.

2010 Offering Envelopes will be available during coffee hour on Sunday.

For information about our choir, go to www.stfrancischoir.org or contact David Schofield

At the Tuesday, Dec. 15, Council meeting: (1) The Council agreed with the Worship Committee's suggestion of renaming the "Feast of the Expulsion" to the "Feast of Hope;" (2) Good progress was made on preparing a 2010 budget to recommend to the congregation at the annual meeting on Sunday, Feb. 7, 2010; and (3) Funding for a re-design of the St. Francis Website is being planned as part of next year's budget.

Sunday, January 24, 2010 12:30-2:00 PM Lee’s 70th Birthday celebration in the Parish Hall, with lunch and party games hosted by the Lydia Circle. All members and friends of St. Francis are welcome!

CHINA’S FIRST OFFICIAL GAY BAR OPENS

The Age, Melbourne, Australia

China's first government-backed gay bar has opened, a charity said Sunday, in a nation where homosexuality is still a sensitive subject. The bar opened Saturday in a low-key fashion in the tourist town of Dali in the southwestern province of Yunnan.

The Dali HIV/AIDS prevention and health association, was the organization behind the initiative. The venue aims to provide a place where homosexuals can meet in a relaxed atmosphere and get information about HIV/AIDS prevention.

Homosexuality in China -- where it was officially considered a mental illness until 2001 -- is still an extremely sensitive issue. Gay men and women find it difficult to come out to their friends and family. One of the reasons lies in the nation's one-child policy, which makes parents rely on their only child to marry and produce grandchildren.

China's health ministry warned earlier this month that homosexual transmission of HIV/AIDS was gaining pace.

Zhang, a doctor at a hospital in Dali, said in an earlier interview that raising awareness of the disease among the gay community was "extremely important". The official China Daily newspaper said in 2005 that the number of homosexuals in China came to around 30 million, although it conceded few were willing to acknowledge their sexuality. Statements from government departments and academic reports have put the figure at approximately 15 million, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency.

USHER TEAMS Click here

• December 28 Cary Bass
• December 30 Keith Skelly
• December 31 Chris Wogaman

Lectionary for next Sunday

• Jeremiah 31:7-14
• Ephesians 1:3-14
• John 1:1-18
• Psalm 147:12-20

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
Senior Center Coordinator: Ext 12
Dave Walda, Senior Parish Administrator: Ext 10
Clifton King, Sexton
Brandee Marckmann, Congregation President
Janet Thuesen, Treasurer

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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