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News
Advent Sunday Breakfast – Dec. 7, 2025
Come and celebrate the Advent season together with one of our favorite St. Francis traditions! On Sunday, December 7, following the 10am service, join us in the Parish Hall for our annual Advent Sunday Breakfast — a time to gather as a parish family, share a meal, and embrace the joy of the season.
The Friars will be serving up a delicious pancake breakfast, complete with hot cocoa, warm cider, and plenty of cheer. It’s the perfect way to slow down, reconnect, and prepare our hearts for the Advent journey ahead.
Something new this year! We’ll also be hosting a Nativity Set craft, where everyone is invited to create a one-of-a-kind Nativity scene. All the materials will be provided, so you can design and assemble your set, as a family or on your own, as a meaningful keepsake to bring the spirit of Advent into your home.
Come enjoy good food, great company, and the warmth of community as we begin this holy season together.
Contact: Mary Deley (mary_deley@yahoo.com)
Blue Christmas Service – Nov. 30, 2025
For many, the holidays can be a painful reminder of loss, grief, or loneliness. Our Blue Christmas Service offers a quiet, gentle space to acknowledge those feelings while holding on to the hope and light that Christ brings.
Join us for a reflective service of hymns, scripture, silence, candle lighting, and Communion in the St. Francis Chapel. A simple reception will follow in the Board Room for those who wish to stay and share in community.
Sunday, November 30 at 5:00 pm in the Chapel.
🕯️ Come as you are. You are not alone.
Christmas Gift Drive: Help a Young Man Start His New Chapter
This Christmas, St. Francis has the opportunity to support a young man who is aging out of the foster care system and preparing to live on his own for the first time. Together, we can help him begin this next chapter with dignity and care by providing the essentials of daily life — things like cutting boards, mugs, pots and pans, and other household basics.
He has very little and will appreciate anything that we can share. See the list of needed items below.
If you’d like more details, please email Shelley Reece at shelley.reece@stfrancispalosverdes.org
The official gift drive will launch December 7 at our Advent Family Event, and we look forward to making his Christmas truly special.
Kitchen
• 1 pot + 1 pan
• Cutting board
• Chef’s knife
• Spatula, spoon, tongs
• Measuring cup / spoons
• Can opener
• Dish soap + sponge
• Basic pantry items (salt, pepper, oil, etc.)
Bathroom
• Towels (2 bath, 2 hand)
• Shower curtain + rings
• Bath mat
• Toilet brush
• Plunger
• Toilet paper
• Hand soap
• Trash can
Basket of Cleaning supplies
• Broom + dustpan or handheld vacuum
• All-purpose cleaner
• Paper towels
• Glass cleaner
• Sponges / scrub brush
• Laundry detergent
• Mop or Swiffer
• Trash bags
Other Essentials
• Hangers
• Laundry basket / bag
• Power strip
• Light bulbs
• Extension cord
• Small toolkit (screwdriver, hammer, nails)
• First aid kit
• Flashlight
• Small speaker
Good Grief Loss Support Group
UPDATE: Good Grief will be meeting weekly through the holidays.
Are you walking through a season of loss? Whether you’re grieving the death of a loved one, a divorce, or the loss of health or stability, you don’t have to carry it alone.
Join us for Good Grief, a gentle and supportive discussion group that meets each Wednesday from 11:00 a.m. to noon in the St. Francis Library. Together, we share, listen, and find strength in community and faith.
🗓 Wednesdays at 11:00 am
📍 St. Francis Library
All are welcome. Come as you are—healing begins when we walk together. 💫
For details, call the church office at 310-375-4617.
Candlelight Christmas Concert – Dec. 3, 2025
Bask in the peaceful glow of the season at a candlelit evening of music, where cherished carols meet inspiring new choral pieces. In this serene and soulful setting, Catalyst Singers welcome you to a moment of stillness, wonder, and celebration of Christmas’s quiet beauty.
Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025 at 7:30pm
St. Francis Episcopal Church
2200 Vía Rosa
Palos Verdes Estates CA 90274
Tickets:
https://lbcamerata.ludus.com/index.php?show_id=200489182
Ask the Right Question
How do we make church relevant to people, especially to young people? I encounter this question weekly—sometimes daily—and it’s nonsense. How do we make church relevant? What are we asking when we say this? Are we speaking of the institution, building, or the Body of Christ? If we are speaking of anything other than Christ, we are missing the point. What we are actually saying is, how do we make Jesus relevant? If we are asking this, then how relevant is Jesus in our lives, and how much does our faith inform our lives?
My belief is that Jesus is relevant to everyone, and not only relevant, but also dwelling within all of us. This whole notion of relevance is not of God, because in speaking of relevance, we objectify one another and only see that which can benefit us. What makes me relevant: my family, vocation, or nationality? All those things can be taken away from me, rendering me irrelevant. But those are only aspects of who I am; they are not the totality of who I am. I am relevant because I am; my existence is what makes me relevant.
Relevance is a nice way of saying, “Why should I care about this? Why is this important?” How can we make church relevant? Why should we care about church? Lots of places have fellowship, music, and events. Fellowship can be found in little league, the country club, or on the pickleball court, and there’s no shortage of places offering programming and live music. It’s our faith in and love of Jesus that sets us apart from everyone else. Yes, our faith is incredibly personal and sometimes closely guarded, but we are not meant to keep our love of Christ to ourselves. Jesus tells us not to put a bucket over our light—we are meant to let it shine.
How could Jesus be any more relevant to our lives than He is now? He who loves us all because we are, who says to everyone, “You are worthy, loved, and forgiven.” I cannot imagine anything more relevant than that. The question we should be asking ourselves and one another is this: how are we presenting Jesus to the world around us, and how can we confidently tell people about our love of Christ? The latter answers will be different for all of us, but the former is something we do together. At St. Francis, we present Jesus as loving, forgiving, and welcoming, and so long as we keep doing that, our lights will shine bright.
—Fr. Jason
Thanksgiving Food Drive
Malaga Bank is partnering with St. Francis Episcopal Church to support local families in need. You can help make Thanksgiving brighter by donating non-perishable food items from October 20 through November 14.
📍 Drop off donations at any Malaga Bank location or at the St. Francis church office.
🛒 Donation Wish List:
- Canned Ravioli/Pasta
- Canned Fruits & Veggies
- Canned Meat (Chicken, Tuna, Spam, etc.)
- Chili (canned)
- Cup of Noodles & Ramen Noodles
- Granola Bars/ breakfast bars
- Mac & Cheese Cups or boxes
- Fruit cups, Apple Sauce
- Juice pouches/boxes (Capri-Sun/low sugar)
- Pasta and/or Pasta Sauce
- Oatmeal / grits / cereal
- Rice (1lb bags)
- Soup
- Snacks (raisins, nuts, dried fruit, chips, crackers, popcorn, etc.)
Share your abundance and give thanks by giving back. Thank you!
Welsh Choir of Southern California to perform Nov. 16
An Afternoon of Welsh Music at St. Francis!
Join us on Sunday, November 16 at 4:00 PM in the St. Francis Chapel for a special performance by The Welsh Choir of Southern California (Côr Cymraeg De Califfornia) — an inspiring celebration of Welsh hymns and folk songs directed by Luvi Avendano.
Experience the warmth, harmony, and joy of Welsh music — sung in both Welsh and English!
Admission is free and open to the public. (Donations gratefully accepted at the event.)
Come be part of this beautiful afternoon of song and community!
Teen Tuesdays: Study, Snack, Connect
New Youth Group Launches Nov. 18!
We’re thrilled to announce the launch of the St. Francis Youth Group, beginning Tuesday, November 18, from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall!
This weekly gathering is a relaxed “study hall” style hangout where teens (ages 13–18) can come after school to do homework, enjoy pizza and snacks, play games, and share in a short devotional. It’s a space to unwind, connect with friends, and grow in faith together.
The Youth Group is a joint ministry of St. Francis and Wayfarers Chapel, and all teens in the community are invited to join—so bring your friends!
Come for the pizza. Stay for the friendship and faith. We can’t wait to see you on Tuesday, November 18!
For details, call the church office at 310-375-4617 or email Shelley Reece, Missioner of Programming and Youth, at shelley.reece@stfrancispalosverdes.org
Trunk-or-Treat: Halloween Fun for the Whole Family!
Get ready for a night of spooky fun and community spirit! St. Francis and Ancient Ways Karate are joining forces to host a Halloween Party on Saturday, October 25, in the Parish Hall. The festivities kick off at 5:00 PM, and all of St. Francis’ kids and teens are invited to join in the fun!
Come dressed in your Hallowe’en costume and enjoy an evening filled with pizza and games, including the Ancient Ways Annual Mummy Contest! For the older crowd, a movie will be playing throughout the night in a supervised space. The children will be looked after by experienced members of the Ancient Ways Karate family, so parents can drop them off, knowing everyone’s in good hands.
At 8:00 PM, the fun moves outside to the lower parking lot for a Trunk-or-Treat! This is where we need your help – parents and parishioners, we’re asking for volunteers to decorate your trunks and hand out candy. It’s a great way to get creative, meet other families, and make the night extra memorable for our kids.
Please RSVP if your child or teen will be attending the party, and let us know as soon as possible if you’d like to participate in the trunk-and-treat.
It’s going to be a frightfully fun evening—we can’t wait to see your costumes and celebrate together!
Shelley Reece
Missioner for Programming and Youth
shelley.reece@stfrancispalosverdes.org
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St. Francis Episcopal Church
2200 Via Rosa, Palos Verdes Estates, CA 90274
Phone: 310-375-4617
Fax: 310-791-2740
St. Francis is part of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles.
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