12.08.2026
Saint Francis
St. Francis Weekly News
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Summer Worship in the Parish Hall August 16
The Worship Team invites you to join for Holy Communion in the Parish Hall this coming Sunday, August 16 (Festival of Mary, Mother of Jesus) at 11:00 AM. The liturgy will follow its familiar order. We hope you will enjoy this simple and meaningful way of gathering as God's people around Word and Sacrament at St. Francis.
Summer Adult Study: Honoring Our Neighbor’s Faith | Sundays, July 5 – August 30 at 9:30 AM Join us this summer for a thoughtful and engaging adult study series as we explore different faith traditions and how they understand God, worship, community, and the spiritual life. Together we will engage in conversation, curiosity, and deeper understanding of our neighbors and ourselves. Some of the traditions we may explore this summer include:
July 5 — Roman Catholic
July 12 — Lutheran
July 19 —Baptist
July 26 — Pentecostal
August 2 — Judaism
August 9 — Seventh-day Adventist
August 16 — Buddhism
August 23 — Jehovah's Witness
August 30 — Latter-Day-Saints (Mormon)
September 6 – Islam
Come for one session or join us for the entire journey—all are welcome. If you are unable to attend in person, you are invited to participate via Zoom using this link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84177959007?pwd=8VQLBLyqPbBbhj18qDc70Dax3hLEmJ.1
For those interested in membership at St. Francis, attendance of at least five sessions is encouraged. For more information, please contact Pr. Christian (pastor@sflcsf.org ).
Farewell to Ray Capiral On Sunday, August 16 we will give thanks for the ministry of our Music Director, Ray, as he concludes his role at St. Francis. We are grateful for the gifts he has shared in leading our worship and music ministry since joining us last November. Come and join us as we wish Ray God's abundant blessings and every joy in the next chapter of his journey.
Emergency Relief: 7.4 Magnitude Earthquake in Colombia On August 10, a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia. At least 132 people have been killed, hundreds injured, and many more remain displaced as rescue teams continue searching for survivors trapped beneath collapsed buildings. Significant damage has been reported, while tremors were felt across much of Colombia, as well as Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panama. Myriad USA is activating its DisasterLink network to support trusted local organizations delivering life-saving aid. Donations made through this campaign are directed to each organization’s dedicated fund and will help provide emergency assistance, disaster response, and long-term recovery support to affected communities.
Current response partners are:
Asociacion de Bancos de Alimentos de Colombia (ABACO) coordinates 24 food banks across the country to improve food and nutritional security for vulnerable communities. Support their efforts here.
Centro Para el Aprendizaje de Ingles is providing emergency support to students and families affected by the earthquake in Chocó, many of whom have lost their homes and belongings. The response will focus on distributing food, hygiene kits, clothing, school supplies, and educational materials, while also helping rebuild homes. Support their efforts here.
Corporacion Educatica y Cultural Motete is delivering urgent relief to earthquake-affected families in Afro-Colombian communities across Chocó. Support will provide emergency shelter, hygiene and first aid supplies, psychological care, and protection services for girls and other at-risk community members. Support their efforts here.
For more information on how to support disaster relief and recovery efforts in Colombia, please contact us at info@myriadusa.org or (212) 713-7660.
Good in the kitchen? The Senior Lunch program is looking for an additional Lead Chef on occasional Wednesdays to help prepare meals for seniors. (Actual participation would be for half a day.) If you or someone you know, enjoy cooking and would like to make a difference in our community, we'd love to hear from you! Please see Alice Ann if you are interested or know someone who may be a good fit. It will help keep the Senior Lunch program running smoothly!
Upcoming Neighborhood Move: The Karate Kid | August 28
Doors open at 6:00 PM, movie starts at 6:30PM
Daniel (Ralph Macchio) moves to Southern California with his mother, Lucille (Randee Heller), but quickly finds himself the target of a group of bullies who study karate at the Cobra Kai dojo. Fortunately, Daniel befriends Mr. Miyagi (Noriyuki "Pat" Morita), an unassuming repairman who just happens to be a martial arts master himself. Miyagi takes Daniel under his wing, training him in a more compassionate form of karate and preparing him to compete against the brutal Cobra Kai. Please RSVP here
Golden State Valkyries vs. Phoenix Fire Watch Party | August 30
Doors open at 3:45 PM, tip-off is at 4:00 PM in the St. Francis Parish Hall
Join your neighbors for an afternoon of WNBA basketball as the Golden State Valkyries take on the Phoenix Fire! We'll have the game up on the big screen, snacks, and good company. Whether you're a die-hard fan or just here for the community vibes, everyone's welcome to cheer the Valkyries on together. Please RSVP at: //bit.ly/4553Yyc
Memorial Service for Max Kirkeberg Please join us on Saturday, October 3, at 11:00 AM for the Memorial Service of our longtime member Max Kirkeberg at St. Francis Lutheran Church. Following the service, the interment of his ashes will take place in the St. Francis Memorial Terrace, with a reception to follow in the Parish Hall. All are welcome.
Membership Are you interested in becoming a member of St. Francis? Voting Members are baptized and confirmed adult (or youth) members. They can have their membership transferred from another congregation, or complete a New Member class. Associate Members hold membership in another congregation, but wish to have a more permanent relationship with St. Francis. For more information, please contact Pr. Christian at pastor@sflcsf.org.
Pr. Christian is available for prayer, spiritual care and conversation The best way to contact him is by email (pastor@sflcsf.org) or by calling the church office at (415) 621-2635. In an urgent situation or emergency, please call his cell phone at (510) 717-3221.
July 2026 Congregation Council Meeting Update
The Council met via Zoom on July 21, 2026, opening with a prayer by Pastor Christian and a devotion from Adam Maass featuring Taizé chants.
Supporting Global Refuge. Council asked the Endowment Committee to consider a $2,500 grant to ELCA Global Refuge, one of our Ministry Partners. Council also asked that a formal process be developed for handling requests from Ministry Partners going forward.
Finances and Investments. Sand Hill Global Advisors gave the quarterly update on our investment portfolios, reporting strong corporate earnings, GDP growth slower than expected, unemployment at 4.2%, and interest rates expected to hold. Council accepted the financial reports.
Revised Employee Handbook. Council ratified an email vote approving the revised Employee Handbook, which will be distributed to all employees.
Anti-Racism Training. Council’s anti-racism training led by Pr. Donna Allen of New Revelation Community Church in Oakland will be held Sunday, September 27, following worship. Participants are asked to read I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown.
120th Anniversary Planning. The Bishop will join us on December 6, and a planning meeting will be scheduled soon. Council also welcomed a possible event with the Synod’s Disaster Response Team on October 18, including a service paired with a giveaway of earthquake preparedness kits, tying in with Faith in the Neighborhood and falling near the anniversary of the Loma Prieta earthquake. Elaine will follow up.
Building Projects. Scheduling is underway for the chancel lighting replacement, and we expect a date for the brickwork pre-construction evaluation within two to three weeks.
Solar batteries. Elaine reported on an early look at battery storage that could reduce our reliance on PG&E, and asked the Property Committee to bring back a proposal with costs.
Other Good Work. The Call Committee continues its work. Sunday worship has been simplified for the summer, and we are having two services downstairs in the Fellowship Hall. Pastor Christian reported on a house blessing, ongoing contact with members, and a family visiting for a tour of the carillon.
Outreach Update. The Outreach Team has a full calendar planned for the second half of the year, and we welcomed five new members at Easter. As previously
communicated, the Outreach Committee will be regularly reporting on 5 metrics to assess the impact of our outreach program. The first two metrics, Worship Attendance and Outreach Event Attendance, will be measured quarterly. The other three, Number of St. Francis Members, Number of People Contributing Time & Talent and Number of People Contributing Financially, will be measured annually.
For Worship Attendance, we averaged 38 attendees (in person + live stream) in the first quarter (Jan-Mar) of this year, representing a 5% increase over our 36 average attendees in Q1 of 2025. In Q2 (April to June), we averaged 40 attendees, representing a 10% increase over our 36 average attendees in Q2 of 2025.
For Outreach Event Attendance, we had 54 total attendees at our events in Q1 of 2026 and 125 attendees at our events in Q2 of 2026. Given the outreach program didn’t formally begin until mid-2025, we will not have year-over-year attendance comparisons until Q3 has concluded.
The meeting closed at 8:14 pm with the Prayer of Jesus. The next Council meeting is Tuesday, August 18, at 6:30 pm via Zoom.
