February 2014
As we enter into the Discernment Phase of exploring a possible Capital Campaign, we want to invite
you to join us in the “Dreamcatching” process. This is our time to dream – to dream about these most
basic questions: What is God calling St. Francis to do? How can St. Francis’ mission and ministries be
supported more fully by our facilities or budget — if money were no object?
The Dreamcatching process is designed to give each and every member of our church family the op-
portunity to share their own ideas, needs, desires and dreams about utilizing our facilities and our re-
sources to support our mission. The purpose of Dreamcatching IS NOT planning, building, making
decisions, solving problems or worrying about costs. The purpose IS speaking, listening, brainstorm-
ing, sharing, and “catching” dreams, wishes, and ideas. I hope you will have the opportunity to have a
Dreamcatching discussion at your next group or committee meeting.
If you are not part of a ministry, or if you would like to be more involved in the Dreamcatching proc-
ess, we have several other ways for you to participate.
There will be two parish Dreamcatching sessions. Our first meeting will be on February 16th after
church in the Parish Hall. The next meeting will be on March 2nd at 4:30 pm in the Parish Hall.
We have created an on-line survey. We will send this out to all parishioners on Email Express.
(Please contact the church office if your e-mail address needs to be updated.)
The ushers will be passing out surveys with the service order on Sunday mornings during the month
of February.
Individuals are also encouraged to submit their ideas by email to Midge Spong
([email protected]) or by mailing them to, or dropping them off at, the church office.
Once the ministry group meetings are completed, the Dreamcatcher Committee will begin a
“distilling” process -sorting and organizing all the gathered ideas for presentation to the congregation.
We cannot promise that all ideas can be achieved or that everyone will get what they wish for, but we
can promise that all will be heard and considered, and will help us see the big picture. There will be
plenty of opportunity for everyone to discuss, question and respond to the results and any proposed
solutions or projects.
Right now though, it’s time to start dreaming! Please help us by participating.
Warmly, Midge Spong, Dreamcatcher Committee
2
F R O M R E V . R O B E R T B L A C K
V E S T R Y U P D A T E /
D R E A M C A T C H I N G S E S S I O N S
I grew up in the Episcopal Church- St. Joseph’s in Boynton Beach, Florida,
to be exact. And as many children do, I served as an acolyte. This particu-
lar parish was a bit more towards the “high church” side of the spectrum,
using some extra liturgical flourish on most Sundays. And because of the
nature of this style of worship, acolytes played an integral role and their
ministry was truly valued. They even had “levels” of acolytes based on
training and years of service. It was in that experience as in serving God as
an acolyte that I first began to discern a call to be ordained.
People would ask me what I wanted to do when I grew up, and I would say
“I’d like to be a professional acolyte.” Well, as it turns out, I haven’t yet
found a church that is hiring for such a position. It was the sense that
through liturgy, we do something that truly matters that drew me in. The
ministry around the Sacraments of the Church spoke to me, as did the sym-
bols that we use in worship. Sunday mornings, you could find me in the acolyte room, just hoping
that someone would be absent so that I could serve that day, even if my name wasn’t on the sched-
ule. Being an acolyte was the first time in my life that I truly knew and felt connected to God. As a
child, I felt that serving God as an acolyte was my way of giving. I didn’t have much money to put
in the plate, and I wasn’t aware of many opportunities to volunteer, so I dedicated myself to being
an acolyte.
This is just a small part of my story, and I share it here as an example of the sort of thing that you
might hear in one of our Listening Groups. The stories of our lives are great gifts to each other as
we hear them and listen for the Spirit’s movement. If you haven’t yet signed up for a Listening
Group, it’s not too late. February 9 after the 10:30 service, there will be an orientation session.
All are welcome.
Blessings,
The Rev. Robert Black
ROBERT BLACK ASSISTANT RECTOR
The St. Francis Vestry would like to invite you to a Vestry Update/Dreamcatching Session. We
will update you on where we are in our discernment phase of the Capital Campaign and where we
are headed this year. Then we will do some Dreamcatching, where we would like you to help us
brainstorm ideas to make St. Francis all it can be. We will hold two meetings in hopes that one of
them will fit your schedule. Our first meeting will be on February 16th after church in the Par-
ish Hall. The next meeting will be on March 2nd at 4:30 pm in the Parish Hall. We hope you
can join us to share in this exciting process.
3
T R E A S U R E R ’ S Y E A R E N D R E P O R T
V E S T R Y H I G H L I G H T S
Vestry Highlights for January 2014
Vestry approved amendments to the 2014 Budget
Donation of $2,500 from Outreach approved for Alight Foundation
Fellowship Committee working on several social activities for the Parish
Day School having a Luncheon/Gift Basket Raffle on Match 9th; Donations from Parish-
ioners for the Gift Baskets would be greatly appreciated. Gift Cards are welcome (goods,
services, tickets, etc...)
The following is a brief summary of the 2013 year-end financial reports for St. Francis Episcopal
Church:
December ANNUAL YTD YTD
ACTUAL BUDGET ACTUAL VARIANCE
Revenues $148,519 $647,200 $643,750 ($3,449)
Expenses 52,250 660,894 621,406 ($39,488)
Net Margin $96,269 ($13,694) $22,344 $36,038
The month of December was a record month with about $148,000 in overall revenue. We contin-
ued our trend of spending less than budgeted and for the month we spent only $52,250 resulting
in a very healthy margin of $96K for December.
At year-end, we took in $643,750 in revenue and spent only $621,406 yielding a positive margin
of $22,344…………well ahead of our budget for 2013. Thank you to all who participated in
making 2013 a superb financial year. We also spent $143K on Capital Projects during the year,
which was partially offset with $34K in donations. Therefore, we have about $109K in out-
standing capital liability which we continue to finance internally through cash management.
The Day School financial report showed a net margin of a negative ($5,086) through the first 6
months of the school year. The revenues were $80,905 and the expenses were $85,992. We hope
this negative position will be overcome during the next 6 months of the school year. Currently,
the school has 64 students, but the annual budget was built on an assumption of 72 students,
which is the core reason for the shortfall in revenue.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns ([email protected].)
Dennis
4
F R O M A M A N D A H A R M O N
AMANDA HARMON DIRECTOR OF
CHILDREN'S AND
YOUTH MINISTRY
The High School students had a great
time on their Ski Trip to Winterplace
Ski Resort in West Virginia. We had
fantastic weather for the trip, with
fresh snow coming down all day
long! After a great day on the slopes,
we also got to go tubing.
5
Y O U T H G R O U P
A L T A R G U I L D N E W S -
E X P E R I E N C E I S N O T R E Q U I R E D !
The Altar Guild will be offering a training Class on Saturday, February
15th from 10:00 until 11:30. Please consider joining our committee, The
commitment is 1 Saturday / month for 1 hour and the next day- Sunday- after
one of the services.
The ministry of the Altar Guild is often described as a behind the scenes
ministry. We prepare all things that are necessary for the celebration of the
Eucharist, or any of the other Sacraments and Offices of the Church – the
flowers, the hangings, the candles, the linens, the bread and the wine. Please
call Kitty Baker at 336.676.2458 or email at [email protected] to join us.
6
Friends from St. Francis is a ministry active at the time of a death in a parishioner's family to
help ease the grieving process for the family.
Please consider joining us in this gratifying ministry. We would like to expand our group to share
the duties with a wider number of parishioners. There is usually just a few days’ notice and re-
quires a couple hours of your time, only if you are available.
1. We provide ushers and house sitters at the home of the deceased during the funeral
and reception
2. We can initiate and provide a visitation usually the night before for the family
3. We implement a simple reception after the funeral for the family
4. We relay a request from the family to the shepherd's staff for a meal at the shepherd's
staff discretion
5. We write a personal letter to the family immediately after the death.
6. We deliver a "We Care Basket" to the family if they would like to have one. The
basket contains paper products, prayer book, hymnal, St. Francis note cards, and
other useful items.
If you would like to be a part of this meaningful ministry, there is a place for you. Contact Ellen
Lyon at 288-8018 [email protected] or Beth Bramhall at 282-1032 [email protected].
F R I E N D S F R O M S T . F R A N C I S
F E L L O W S H I P C O M M I T T E E
Let’s Have Some Fun!
The Fellowship Committee is getting ready to kick off another season of social gatherings for our
community. Some of the highlights to watch for over the next few months, with details to follow:
Dinner Clubs – A chance for small groups of all walks of life to
get together sharing food, fun and fellowship. We will host a
kick off event on February 23rd for those that are interested in
participating.
Parents Night Out – A series of evenings for those with children
to gather at St. Mike’s and share some adult time, childcare
provided.
Coffee Break – Our coffee hour will be starting back up in April
with a kick off after the Easter Sunday service.
If you have any suggestions or questions, we can always be reached at
7
We continue our mission to serve our community in need, and the following opportunities are now
available for anyone in the parish who may be interested in participating in helping to meet some
of these needs.
Backpack Beginnings headquarters suffered severe loss of food and other goods during some
recent extreme weather when pipes froze and flooded their facilities. Anyone interested in
assisting them can check out their website at http://backpackbeginnings.org/ or call them at
(336)709-9649.
We will also be assisting them during February with “Love in Action”, a joint project with
the EYC, to prepare Comfort Backpacks for local teens in crisis.
In addition, they are trying to recruit volunteers to serve in several positions: Marketing
volunteer; Clothing Pantry chair, Food Backpack Program chair, and Event chair. If any-
one is interested in a volunteer opportunity please contact Backpack Beginnings at (336)
709-9649.
“Change-ing Lives” initiative will take place this year during
Lent. This baby bottle program was so successful last year it was
decided to be renewed as our special Lenten offering. This will
begin on March 9th and continue to Palm Sunday in place of the
mite boxes.
There will be more to come on these projects throughout the month, so
stay tuned.
In addition, please check out the Ministries>Action Ministries>Mission>Outreach link in the St.
Francis website to see links to the many organizations we have supported who also welcome vol-
unteers from St. Francis.
Please continue to remember the food shortage needs in our community by supporting the Greens-
boro Urban Ministry Food Bank with donations of food at the church office or on Sundays.
Betty Barry, Chair
O U T R E A C H
C H A P T E R S I N O U R L I V E S
DEATHS:
Jim Allen, parishioner
Mary Jane Moring Montgomery, parishioner
Annette Cahalan, grandmother of Lee Cahalan and great-grandmother of Lauren and Reid Cahalan
8
D A Y S C H O O L
DAY SCHOOL REGISTRATION
Priority registration for the 2014/2015 school year is open for parishioners and currently enrolled
students. The general public may register beginning February 4th. Children who will be ages of 18
months—5 years old by August 31, 2014 are welcome to enroll. Parishioners are eligible for a 10%
tuition discount. Please contact Rae or Kit at (336)288-4740 or [email protected]
if you have questions about the process or would like to schedule a tour.
Child’s full name: _____________________________________________________
Child’s birthday: _____________________ (Must be class age by August 31, 2014.)
Check one: _____ male _____ female
Indicate your first and second choice:
_____ Twos M/W/F ($220) or _____ T/Th ($185)
_____ Threes M/W/F ($220) or _____ T/Th ($185)
_____ Fours M-Th ($245)
_____ Pre-K (ages 4 & 5) M- F ($285) Placement in the Pre-K class is subject to director approval.
Parent names: ________________________________________________________
Street address: ________________________________________________________
City: ___________________________________ Zip code: ____________________
Email address: ________________________________________________________
Home phone: ____________________ Cell phone: __________________________
The registration fee of $65 is due in full at the time of registration. This completed form and the
registration fee will hold your child’s place for the 2014/2015 school year. Please note that teacher
and class placements are based upon enrollment. The registration fee is non-refundable. Checks
should be made payable to St. Francis Day School and our mailing address is 3506 Lawndale Dr.,
Greensboro, NC 27408. If your child has an IEP or IFSP, please attach a copy with this form.
In early April, you will receive the SFDS Enrollment Packet and a statement for September
2014 tuition. The completed forms and tuition are due May 1, 2014.
Registration Form
2014/2015
9
Y O U T H G R O U P
BACKPACK BEGINNINGS - LOVE IN ACTION The EYC, in partnership with the Outreach Committee, will assemble 50 COMFORT BACK-
PACKS for local teens in crisis on February 23rd. Our “Comfort Backpacks” will be distributed
through the Backpack Beginnings organization to girls and boys ages 12 – 17 who are abused, ne-
glected, homeless, refugee, and living in foster homes.
All St. Francis parishioners are invited to share in this project by donating these needed items (new
or gently used, in good condition):
• Backpacks OR
• Duffle Bags OR
• Small Blankets or Throws.
In order to fill the backpacks and duffle bags, the items listed below are needed in compassionate
quantities. Parishioners are invited to donate items according to the first letter of your last name.
A–C Books for reading, grade levels 6 through 9; see below:
D–G Activity books, crossword puzzle books, and/or Sudoku puzzle books for ages 12 – 17;
H–K Personal Needs: Socks (4- or 6-pack), deodorants, lip balms, individual tissue packs;
L–N School Supplies: Folders with pockets, full-size spiral notebooks, pens, pencils, blank
journals;
O–R Hygiene Needs: Full-size bottles of body wash, full-size bars of bath soap, new wash-
cloths or loofahs;
S–T Hygiene Needs: Hairbrushes / combs, full-size bottles of shampoo;
U–Z Dental Hygiene Needs: Individually-packaged toothbrushes, full-size tubes of toothpaste.
Donations will be collected at each Sunday
worship service and in the church office on
weekdays between January 27th and February
23rd. Cash and checks are also appreciated,
with “EYC Backpacks” written on memo line.
Book suggestions for ages 12 – 17:
Wonder, by R.J. Palacio
Because of Mr. Terupt, by Rob Buyea
Turtle in Paradise, by Jennifer L. Holm
The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman
Stardust, by Neil Gaiman
See You at Harry’s, by Jo Knowles
Almost Home, by Joan Bauer
Dragonrider, by Cornelia Funke
Castle Waiting, by Linda Medley
My So-Called Digital Life, by Bob Pletka
The Fast and the Furriest, by Andy Behrens
Private Peaceful, by Michael Morpurgo
Black Hawk Down, by Mark Bowden
Weeping Under the Same Moon, by Jana Laiz
Ultimate Spy Book, by H. Keith Melton
10
Charlie Hutchison and scouts from troop 216 begin work on
the MLK holiday on a welcome garden at St. Francis.
E A G L E S C O U T P R O J E C T
Charlie Hutchison has started his
Eagle Scout project landscaping
and revitalizing the area immedi-
ately adjacent to the parking lot
here at St. Francis. Charlie is re-
cruiting scouts from his troop 216
to complete the work. Anyone in-
terested in contributing to the mate-
rial cost involved please mail a
check to Charlie Hutchison at 5532
North Church Street, Greensboro,
NC 27455. He has estimated the
cost of the project to be between
$500 and $700. Any money left
over will go the St. Francis land-
scaping fund.
The Day School's "Lucky to Have You!" lunch and
basket raffle is coming a little earlier this year! Mark
your calendars for Sunday, March 9th. (This move was
made to accommodate our rabid basketball fans!) We
will still have our St. Pat's theme and dine on baked
potatoes and soups.
If you have any goods, services or experiences to do-
nate, please turn them into the front office by Friday,
February 28th. Of course, a tax donation letter will be
provided to you.
L U C K Y T O H A V E Y O U !
L U N C H A N D B A S K E T R A F F L E
11
K I L L I N G J E S U S , A B O O K S T U D Y
If you're interested in a plot in the Community
Garden, please let Linda Allgood know
([email protected]) by February
23rd. $15 will hold you a spot and you may drop
your check in the offering plate or return it to the
Church office. Please be sure and designate its for
the Community Garden. If you're a returning gar-
dener for 2013, please give us your plot number as
well. The garden is resting and absorbing nutri-
ents at the moment, but it should be ready to plant
by no later than mid-March. We'll send complete
details as soon as we have them in hand, but in the
meantime check the Greensboro Beautiful website for free gardening classes and the Guilford
County Extension Center website for great tips. Looking forward to seeing you in the garden!
C O M M U N I T Y G A R D E N
A L T A R F L O W E R M I N I S T R Y - J O I N U S
Following the last service of the morning on Sunday, the flower com-
mittee members prepare floral arrangements from the Altar Flowers to
deliver to parishioners' homes for their birthday, anniversary, illness,
bereavement, etc. If you have just a few minutes a month to be a part
of this vital ministry , Contact Nancy Stiefel at 288-6064 or just drop
by the Sacristy after church on Sunday morning to find out more.
Come and join your friends in a Book Study on the popular Bill O’Reilly
book Killing Jesus, in the Parish Hall, 6 PM to 7 PM, on Wednesdays, Febru-
ary 19th through April 9th. The Rev. Dr. Paul Crowell will hold discussions
on this work described by the author as “not a religious book. We do not
address Jesus as Messiah, only as a man who galvanized a remote area of the
Roman Empire and made very powerful enemies while preaching a philoso-
phy of peace and love…. We are historical investigators interested primarily
in telling the truth about important people.” Delve more deeply into the death
of Jesus as Lenten preparation for Holy Week and Easter. Purchase your own
copy, bring drinks and food as needed and plan on lively discussion.
S T . F R A N C I S E P I S C O P A L C H U R C H A Parish of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina
The Rt. Rev. Michael B. Curry, Bishop
The Rt. Rev. Ann Hodges-Copple, Bishop Suffragan
P A R I S H S T A F F
ST. FRANCIS EPISCOPAL CHURCH 3506 Lawndale Drive
Greensboro, NC 27408
The Rev. Michael Moulden, Rector
The Rev. Robert Black, Assistant Rector
Amanda Harmon, Director of Children's and
Youth Ministry
Rae Augustin, Day School Director
Sam Doyle, Choir Director
Pat Copley, Organist
Jane Woody, Junior Choir Director
Linda Allgood, Parish Administrator
Bonnie Thyer, Communications Coordinator
Linda Lambe, Bookkeeper
Ken Cressman, Facilities Manager
Rigoberto Bautista, Custodian
On the web at: www.stfrancisgreensboro.org
Phone 336-288-4721 Fax 336-288-4760
St. Francis Day School 336-288-4740
Top Related