December 4, 2025 Newsletter
Second Sunday of Advent
Sunday, December 7, 2025
You are welcome to the
8:00 a.m. Service of Holy Eucharist Rite I & Healing Prayer
the Rev. E. Weston Mathews, Celebrant
the Rev. Joy Y. Warburton, Assisting Priest
Ms. Sandra Loucks, Preacher
the Rev. Dr. Nancy Searby, Deacon
10:00 a.m. Service of Holy Eucharist Rite II & Healing Prayer
with the St. Francis Choir
the Rev. E. Weston Mathews, Celebrant
the Rev. Joy Y. Warburton, Assisting Priest
Ms. Sandra Loucks, Preacher
the Rev. Dr. Nancy Searby, Deacon
The 10:00 am Service is also Livestreamed on YouTube.
View this Sunday's 10:00 a.m. Worship Bulletin
The Liturgy of the Word
The First Reading | Isaiah 11:1-10
The Response | Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19
The Second Reading | Romans 15:4-13
The Gospel Reading | Matthew 3:1-12
Parish Prayer List
We pray especially for Leon, James, Jon, Katie, Jackie, Cammie, John, Francesca, Lee, Luke, Terry, Amelia, Cindy, Alessandro, Carl, Debra, Anne, Rachel, Pete, Susan, Pepin, Barbara & Bill, Jennifer, Helen, Park, Andy, Jeff Sr., Jessica,
Clara Sue, and Dut.
We pray also for Franciscans who are preparing for Holy Baptism, including
Grace Czekaj, daughter of Katie Cjekaj;
Jaclyn Chappell, daughter of Alexandra & Scott Chappell.
We give thanks for the birth on November 26th of Ellie James Shafran, daughter of Lillie & Trevor Shafran, granddaughter of Lori & Jack Shafran.
Growing
Stronger Together
Pledging for 2026
As of December 1st, 87 Franciscan families have pledged a total of $519,467!
Hop on the bandwagon for the 2026 Adams’ Pledge Match and join these Franciscans who have already pledged for 2026.
End of Year Donations
As 2025 draws to a close, it is important to be aware that all pledge contributions and other donations to St. Francis must be processed within required deadlines. Cash/check contributions must be physically received in the church office or postmarked by December 31, 2025. Stock contributions must be in St. Francis’s investment account and sold by December 31, and therefore should be initiated at least two weeks before the month’s end to ensure timely processing. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact Molly Reynolds, Treasurer, treasurer@stfrancisgreatfalls.org
December 7th at the 10:00 am service is
Scout Thank You Sunday
Please join us on this special Sunday in Advent when we give thanks for St. Francis Scouts who have served St. Francis this year and have been an important part of our common life.
December 7th at 4:00pm
Great Falls Celebration of Lights
You are invited to support our Creche Singers as they open this year’s Christmas Tree Lighting at the Great Falls Celebration of Lights beginning at 4:00pm. For more information about this community event please visit Celebrate Greatfalls at www.celebrategreatfalls.org.
Sunday School Continues Every Sunday
10:00 - 10:30 am
Ages 3 - 10
Join us every Sunday during the 10:00 a.m. service for Sunday School!
Children are invited to gather for stories, prayer, and activities that help them grow in faith and friendship. Children will return to worship during the sharing of the Peace.
Classes meet in the Red classroom upstairs next to the Nursery.
For more information or to volunteer, please email Rev. Joy at familyministry@stfrancisgreatfalls.org.
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Dear Parents,
We are excited to start preparations for our Christmas Pageant! Rehearsals began on Sunday, November 30, during our usual Sunday School time, and will continue throughout the Advent season.
If your child would like to participate in this year’s pageant, which will be held at 3:00 PM on Christmas Eve, please be sure to bring them to the rehearsals as we prepare to share the joy of Christmas together.
I appreciate your support, and we look forward to a wonderful celebration!
Thanks, Joy
Living with Grief bereavement group meets next on
Tuesday, December 9th at 10:30 a.m. in the Sanctuary
For more information or to register contact Cate Riihimaki, LPC at cate@graymattersva.com
Greening The Church For Christmas: December 14th
This year we will be ‘greening’ the church immediately following the 10:00 am service on December 14th. The Altar Guild invites ALL interested parishioners to stay and help us prepare our worship space for a glorious celebration of Christ’s birth. The effort is a fun way to get involved! We especially need two or three individuals who are willing to help with hanging the large wreaths in the windows behind the altar.
Donations for Christmas Music and Altar Flowers
Each year St. Francis is beautifully decorated for Christmas with poinsettias and greens. We also have special music during the Christmas services. It is a custom at St Francis for parishioners to make Christmas donations to the Altar Guild and to the Music Program to support these groups’ efforts at Christmas and throughout the year. Donations may be given in memory of loved ones or in thanksgiving for someone or something special.
If you would like to give to either or both of these funds, please fill out the envelope enclosed in your Sunday bulletin and put it in the offering basket. You can also send a donation directly to the church office – 9220 Georgetown Pike Great Falls, VA 22066. To have your memorials or thanksgivings listed in the Christmas service bulletins, the church needs to receive your donation by the third Sunday of Advent, December 14th, 2025.
To contribute electronically, you may click on the “Give” button on the website www.stfrancisgreatfalls.org.
At the drop-down menu, you may choose to direct your gift to the Altar Guild or to Music. (If you wish to split your contribution, you will need to complete two transactions, one indicating Altar and the other indicating Music.) If you do donate via the website, please email the parish administrator at admin@stfrancisgreatfalls.org to let her know how to designate your gift in the Christmas Bulletin.
Thanking you in advance for your support.
The Deacon's Corner with
Deacon Nancy Searby
Sharing the Good News of God's Love at the intersection of community and church
Wish List for Artemis House
Help bring joy to 13 individuals and families living in a domestic-violence shelter this season by supporting Artemis House.
Artemis House is one of four shelters under the umbrella organization Shelter House. It is a 24-hour emergency shelter serving individuals and families who are in danger due to domestic or sexual violence, stalking, or human trafficking.
Please consider adopting a family by December 17, 2025 by signing up at the Sign Up Genius link https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080C4EA9AB2D6-60826900-wish. Please wrap the gifts, label with the family number and if for parent or child as designated in the family sign up, and provide gift receipts in an envelope. Gifts will be collected and blessed on Sunday, December 21, 2025.
If you have questions, please reach out to Melanie Sisson (melanie.sisson@icloud.com) and Elaine Warburton (elaine.warburton@shelterhouse.org).
FACETS Hypothermia Shelter Program at St. Francis: December 21 - 27
St. Francis Church, in conjunction with Fairfax Area Christian Emergency and Transitional Services (FACETS), will host a hypothermia shelter for 40 of our unhoused neighbors during Christmas week. This is part of FACETS's yearly Hypothermia Prevention and Shelter Program, which ensures that no person loses their life to hypothermia during the winter season. Guests will arrive at St. Francis at 5pm each day and will leave by 7am the following morning, except for Christmas Day.
Your help is needed to support this effort. Please sign up on one or both Sign Up Genius sign up pages. One is for volunteers (greeters, dinner teams, hospitality teams, breakfast teams, plus other support positions) and one is for donations of perishable and non-perishable foods and supplies. You can also support monetarily by clicking the Give button on St. Francis's website; PayPal has an option for FACETS in the drop down menu.
Sign Up for VOLUNTEERS
Sign up for DONATIONS of FOOD/SUPPLIES
We are excited to have a number of coalition partners joining us to support the shelter. These partners include the Young Men's Service League, and other Episcopal churches in our North Fairfax region. Additionally, Temple Rodef Shalom and Congregation Beth Emeth have generously offered their support on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, when our guests will be with us for the whole day. We look forward to working with our partners to provide a safe, warm, and festive shelter for the most vulnerable among us. We welcome additional coalition partners, so please share this information with anyone you know who would like to contribute in some way. Thank you for joining this important work of loving our neighbors in Fairfax County.
If you have any questions, please contact Jessica Maxson jessica.c.maxson@gmail.com or Scott Perkins ohio4csp@hotmail.com
St. Francis Women’s Group Christmas Get-Together
All the women of St. Francis are invited to a casual get-together on Friday, December 12, 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the home of Leslie Siegmund. Arrive when you can, and please bring a small plate of sweet or savory treats to share. We’ll take a break from the Christmas bustle to enjoy some fellowship and holiday goodies. Please let us know if you plan to come so we have enough eggnog! R.S.V.P. to lesiegmund@aol.com or call or text 703-282-2878. The address is 11308 South Shore Road, Reston. Bring a newcomer or friend! Sponsored by the St. Francis Women’s Group.
St. Francis Scout Troop #55 Camp-out & Cooking Competition at St. Francis DEC 12-13
Beginning at 4:00pm on Friday, December 12th, Troop #55 Scouts will be camping out on the St. Francis churchyard and using their cooking skills, set out on a friendly Cooking Competition that will culminate on Saturday, December 13th with the judging of the different cuisines in Millen Hall; ending at 4:00pm.
December 13th at 1:00 pm Great Falls Area Ministry Blue Christmas service at BrightView in Great Falls
Interested in bringing a loving presence to members of our community in a continuing care facility? Please join the clergy and members of Great Falls Area Ministry churches for this special service where we acknowledge grief, sadness, hope, and healing.
Music Notes from Director of Music, Larry Vote
St. Francis Episcopal Church
Community Messiah Sing
Saturday, December 13 at 5:00pm
If you are a lover of G.F. Handel’s Messiah, as a listener or singer, plan to come to the Community Messiah Sing at St. Francis on Saturday, December 13, at 5 pm. At that time Larry Vote, Director of Music, will lead the St. Francis Choir, soloists, players from the Paragon Philharmonic, organist, Sasha Beresovsky and members of the community in Part One, the Christmas Portion, of Handel’s immortal work. Bring your own score or pick up a score at the event itself. Bring a friend to join in mounting a large chorus in the grand style of Messiah readings taking place concurrently around the world. The Messiah Sing is free and open to the public. However, free will donations will be gladly accepted to help defray the cost of this event.
Second Sunday Contemplative Worship Series
Sunday, December 14th, 5:00 p.m.
in the Sanctuary
Celebrant: The Rev. E. Weston Mathews
Through candlelit prayer, contemplative silence, poetry, beautiful music, and Holy Communion from the Iona Celtic tradition, this service is different from what we offer on Sunday morning. A brief reflection on spiritual journey will also be offered by a member of St. Francis.
This worship series will be held on the second Sunday night of each month (except for August.) If you are looking for a new or different way to worship and a space to find your sacred center in the midst of a busy, distracted life, this may be the service for you.
We are Seeking Two New Members for the St. Francis 2026 Vestry Committee
With two of our current members rotating off the Vestry early next year, please consider praying about and running for Vestry in 2026 for a 3-year term. Elections will take place at the Annual Meeting on Sunday, January 25th, 2026. If interested, please contact either our
Senior Warden, Lynda Davis lyndacdavis@aol.com,
Junior Warden, Pepin Tuma pepintuma@gmail.com, or
Priest-in-Charge, Weston Mathews rector@stfrancisgreatfalls.org
Thank you for your consideration.
Also Seeking New Members for our 2026 Endowment Committee
Elections will take place at our Annual Congregational Meeting on January 25, 2026. Stay tuned for more information. Finance experience preferred.
FOR THE COMMUNITY
DC Theater Arts Reviews our Community Arts Partner, Dark Horse Theatre in their recent performance of
“God of Carnage” at St. Francis
Dark Horse Theatre’s performance of “God of Carnage” ran on weekends in November at St. Francis and earned a great review from DC Theater Arts.
Read the DC Theater Arts review here.
Although their run of this show is over at St. Francis, you can still catch a “God of Carnage” performance at Arts Herndon on Friday and Saturday, December 5th & 6th at 8:00pm and on Sunday December 8th at a 2:00pm matinee.
ONGOING WEEKLY ACTIVITIES
AT ST. FRANCIS
Morning Prayer offered MON-FRI, at 8:00 a.m. via Zoom
All are invited to immerse themselves in this supportive offering from St. Francis Church where we regularly pray for one another and our mission in the world. We pray using the Forward Day by Day daily prayer link of the Book of Common Prayer that automatically updates for each day's readings (link: https://prayer.forwardmovement.org/pray). On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, we pray Rite I, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays, we pray Rite II.
Click here to connect to Morning Prayer via Zoom.
Zoom ID: 968 1679 4908; Passcode: church
Contemplative Prayer: Mondays at 7:30-8:30 p.m.
We hope you can join us via Zoom videoconference.
For more information and any questions, please contact the coordinator for the program: Kathy Anderson, 703-476-9065 or kquinnanderson@gmail.com.
Click here to connect to Contemplative Prayer via Zoom.
Zoom ID: 998 1159 6134; Passcode: church
Men’s Group: Wednesdays 8:35 a.m.
Beginning a Bible Study next week on the first two chapters of the Gospel of Matthew
All are welcome. Questions? Contact Stu Edwards elchivogoat@cs.com
Click here to connect to the Men's Group via Zoom.
Zoom ID: 922 8116 0056; Passcode: church
St. Francis Social Hour meets on Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m.
Join us for casual conversation. Grab your favorite beverage and let's reconnect!
Click here to connect to the St. Francis Social Hour.
Zoom ID: 935 2210 0835; Passcode: church
Thursday Afternoon Bible Study at NEW TIME of 3:00 p.m.
Meetings take place via Zoom on Thursdays at 3:00 p.m. Everyone is invited to join and participate in interesting discussions.
This fall, we will be studying Lord, Teach Us to Pray by John C. Purdy, a Kerygma resource that offers meaningful insights into the power of prayer.
Our group meets weekly via Zoom, creating a welcoming space for learning, reflection, and fellowship. Whether you have joined us before or are new to the group, we would love to have you with us.
The resource book is available here:
https://kerygma.com/products/lord-teach?_pos=2&_sid=013c64283&_ss=r
For further information contact Amelia Logan at ameliavinteriors@gmail.com
Click here to connect to the Thursday Afternoon Bible Study.
Zoom ID: 836 1505 5434; Passcode: TABS24
Women's Group Coffee on Fridays from 10:30 a.m. to NOON at Starbucks in Great Falls
The St. Francis Women's Group has an open invitation to meet at the Starbucks in Great Falls every Friday morning. Please join us.
Second Story Dinners: Sundays at 5:15 p.m.
Needed: Volunteers to prepare and deliver Sunday dinners to the Second Story Teen Crisis Center on Gallows Road. Volunteers work solo or in pairs, according to their wishes.
Dinners are made on the first, third, fourth, and fifth Sundays of the month. The count for a meal typically ranges from five to eight persons. It has been as many as twelve. Volunteers receive reminders when their Sundays are coming up.
Please contact Jennifer Murphy at jenniferomurphy@gmail.com if you would like to volunteer for this ministry or if you have any questions.
Do you have a news item you would like to share through the Weekly Franciscan? Or do you have a photo from life at St. Francis you would like to submit? We welcome and rely on your participation.
admin@stfrancisgreatfalls.org
Clergy and Staff
The Rev. E. Weston Mathews, Priest-in-Charge
The Rev. Joy Y. Warburton, Associate for Family Ministry
The Rev. Dr. Nancy Searby, Deacon
Ms. Lynn Fallon, Parish Administrator
Mr. Larry Vote, Music Director
Mr. Sasha Beresovsky, Organist
Ms. Cristi Leslie, Creche Preschool Director
Ms. Wendy Filller, Bookkeeper
Mr. Dominic Pelegrin, Sexton
Ms. Rita Arteaga, Nursery Attendant
Ms. Julieta Bonafe, Nursery Attendant
Ms. Sandra Loucks, VTS Seminarian
2025 Vestry Members
Lynda Davis, Senior Warden
Pepin Tuma, Junior Warden, Christian Formation
Cathryn Lee, Register, Christian Fellowship
Molly Reynolds, Treasurer
Kathy Anderson, Worship & Spiritual Care
Chris Giragosian, Mission & Mission Partnerships
Elizabeth Kim, Evangelism & Communications
Jessica Maxson, St. Francis Music & Arts
Larry Pratt, Stewardship & Fundraising
Steve Riihimaki, Family Ministry & Creche Board
Brice Eldridge, Facilities Manager, Creche Board Chair
and Rise Against Hunger Chair
facilities@stfrancisgreatfalls.org
