Dear Members and Friends of St. Francis In-The-Fields,
As we have moved from conceiving a capital campaign to finalizing our plans, it has been heartening to see our congregational mission statement and values at the heart of our work. As followers of the Risen Christ, we strive to be instruments of God's Peace. In our meetings, in worship, and in conversations we hear one another echoing that we are an Open, Caring and Compassionate Community which is Service Oriented and Faithful. Most recently, we have heard your faithful voices share those values in terms of our building.
A wise person I know likes to say that a church can squeeze more out of a dollar than any other organization he knows of. And that is a true statement. At St. Francis we have been squeezing every bit of life we can from our building since our last capital campaign in 1996. After 27 years St. Francis is in need of expansion, renovation, and refurbishment. (a) We are larger than our narthex / gathering space can accommodate. (b) Our youth wing needs to be reconfigured and refurbished. (c) Our parking lot has lived its useful life. (d) And, it is time to expand our Columbarium for the future.
After a whirlwind of focus meetings, listening to your good ideas, and reordering our list of priorities, the Vestry has voted to embark on a capital campaign to address each of the priorities listed above.
As you go through the material about our goals for the capital campaign and consider making a contribution, I hope as you pray over the matter, you will remember that this is an opportunity to leave a faith-filled legacy for future generations here in Zionsville – even as we have benefited from what others bequeathed to us. Thank you for your generosity and love for St. Francis In-The-Fields Episcopal Church. It is a blessing to be a part of a worshipping community whose future is so bright and reflective of God’s light in the world.
Many Blessings,
The Rev. C. Davies Reed
Campaign Steering Committee
C. Davies Reed, Rector
Owen & Dorothy Hitchins, Campaign Co-Chairs
Warren & Lesley MacKellar, Campaign Co-Chairs
Scott Sanders, Leadership Gifts Co-Chair
Luke Mitchel, General Visitation Co-Chair
Laura Hardy Noel, General Visitation Co-Chair
Megan Olson, General Visitation Co-Chair
The Rev. Dr. Joél Muñoz, Spiritual Emphasis Chair
Mark Wyatt, Building Project Liaison
Carol Rogers Reed, Campaign Kickoff Chair
Priscilla Holder, Campaign Kickoff Assistant
Deb Hall, Memorials Chair
John Lanie, Campaign Treasurer
A Brief History
1964 – St. Francis founded with mission status
1969 – Present nave dedicated
1974 – Youth wing added
1982 – Narthex, offices, kitchen, and dining room (old parish hall) added
1986 – Steeple installed
1989 – Parking area expanded
1994 – Parish status achieved
1996 – Expansion following successful capital campaign; transept added to worship space, altar space expanded to today’s footprint; parish hall added; columbarium built
2020 – Audiovisual equipment added for livestreaming services and holding church meetings in hybrid format
Learn More
Priorities by Project
Narthex/Building Core
Youth Wing Renovations
Parking Lot & Lighting
Office/Administration Upgrades
Columbarium Expansion & Gardens