Friday Newsletter

May 5, 2023

This Sunday

Worship Service: 10 am

No Sunday School; nursery care available

Coffee Hour: following service with Emily from SFR

New Members' Class: following service

Youth Geranium Sale: 9:00-11:30 am

Crown Day: wear a hat or come early to make a crown

Worship Notes


Sunday Music Spotlight

Also known as "Shine, Jesus, Shine", this week’s hymn "Lord, the Light of Your Love is Shining" is undoubtedly one of the more well-known contemporary hymns in the latter 20th century. In fact, Graham Kendrick’s (b. 1950) hymn has gained so much exposure that it was voted as one of the favorite hymns of the United Kingdom’s BBC. Feel free to explore further the composer's structure and inspiration in this interview/article.


Salem For Refugees Sunday

We welcome guest speaker Emily Boatwright, who will give us background on Salem For Refugees and will share how our Winola House partnership makes a difference in the community. Emily was born and raised in Salem. She currently attends Reach Training Institute, a ministry training school here in Salem, and will graduate this June with a Bachelor of Science degree in Christian Ministries. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors in the sunshine with her loved ones. She will welcome questions after the service during coffee hour.

Participate


Needed for Vacation Bible Camp: two large cardboard boxes (refrigerator-sized). Contact the church office or Teri Mohney if you can help!


If you have a favorite food to share that originated in another country, please bring samples to the coffee hour this Sunday in honor of Salem For Refugees.


This Sunday is also Crown Day, the Sunday to celebrate that we live in a nation where we are all royalty. So... wear that tiara, top hat, crown, fascinator, hat, fancy jewels, morning coat, tails, or whatever finery you might have worn if your coronation invitation hadn't been lost in the mail (British Mail). After digging in the Westminster vault, a few crowns and jewels will be available for those folks who can't find Great Aunt Ethel's stash. Come early if you want to make a crown.


Women's Night Out is Monday, May 8, at 6 pm at Olive Garden (1302 Lancaster Dr NE). Please RSVP by May 7 to Chris Duval (971-218-0361 or duval15@comcast.net).


It's the time of year to send notes of encouragement to our college age students! Please take a moment to sign the cards in the narthex. We are also accepting gift cards for Starbucks, Dutch Bros, McDonalds, Taco Bell (or any fast food chain) to include with the cards to our students. Please leave gift cards in Vik's box in the main office. Cards will be available to sign through mid-May! Thank you for your support of our youth! 


RSVP to Families Lunch on May 21, 11:30-1:00 (office@salemwestpres.org). Lunch served to all, then kids' activities and infant care available during adult program time. Youth are invited to go roller-skating (RSVP separately here.)


Sunday's Tech Crew Needs You! Do you want to learn more about how our service runs “behind the veil?” Can you give us a hand sometimes if we offer training? Learning new things is good for brain development, and we need help, so who will answer this call? Our tech team needs more hands to help make things run as smoothly as we’d like on Sunday mornings. Contact the church office (503-364-3327 or office@salemwestpres.org), or Jeffrey (music@salemwestpres.org), or Lucy if you want to explore whether this is something you might help with. WE NEED YOU!!!!

Thank you, The Worship Committee 


Save the Date


Red Cross Blood Drive: May 22, 1-6 pm (more details below!)


Vacation Bible Camp: 6/26-6/30 for current Kindergarteners-5th graders. Register here or pick up a form in the narthex.

FYI


Pre-ordered geraniums will be available for pick up this Sunday (9:00-11:30). Only 30 additional plants will be available for purchase, so come early for best choice! All proceeds benefit West Pres youth missions!


The PCUSA's Matthew 25 Initiative will be featured in a short segment on PBS this month called "Viewpoint". Check out the 30-second version below:

30 second short form

The Scripture text for Sunday worship (and Pastor's Bible Study) is departing from the narrative lectionary for the next several weeks. We will be staying in Acts as we continue to "draw the circle wide. Texts are as follows:

4/30: Acts 13:1-3; 14:8-18

5/7: Acts 3:1-10

5/14: Acts 19:23-41

5/21: Acts 16:16-40

Access the full church calendar here.  


Deadline for placing info in the Friday Newsletter is every Thursday at 9 am!

Update from Childcare Task Force



The Childcare Taskforce has been making steady progress on bringing a full-time care provider into Westminster. Recent developments are as follows: 

 

  1. Session approved a letter of intent which we have presented to a potential childcare provider. The next steps will include a lease. 
  2. Session will not be renewing the lease with Creative Discoveries Preschool in the 2023-2024 year in order to make space for a larger program which will serve more families full-time. Creative Discoveries Board of Directors has been informed and they will be vacating the space by June 24, 2023. 
  3. The Presbytery of the Cascades New Ministries team has approved our application for funding to procure the necessary conditional use permits. The total costs for these is about $7100. We will begin this process with the city planning team very soon. Part of this process will include making our neighbors aware of our intent to bring in a new childcare provider. We encourage Westminster members and friends to be ambassadors for this and cheerleaders of the project. 
  4. State-provided grant funds may re-open on May 15th. If this happens, we will be submitting an application for funding for capital improvements, classroom supplies, and staff support. At this time, no capital improvements are planned.

 

Thank you for your support and flexibility as we work to provide affordable and accessible childcare to families in South Salem! Questions? Contact vik@salemwestpres.org 

 

Vik Schaaf on behalf of the Childcare Task Force 


Prayers


Ron Hanna and family at the passing of Trish last week. Mary Snethen writes:


Trish served Westminster as an elder, on the pastoral nominating committee which chose John Moody, as a church clown and in many, many other ways. She was an artist. The current Alpha and Omega banners in the sanctuary are examples of the banners she helped design and sew. Trish visited other churches to hear bell choirs before recommending that Westminster acquire bells. She actively participated behind the scenes in the Art Festival. One of her greatest gifts was the love and respect she shared for all humans. She was a devoted Christian and lived her life accordingly.


People wishing to send cards to the Hanna family may do so at: Ron Hanna c/o Jodi Hanna Casebier, 13580 Sunrise Lane, Monmouth, Oregon 97361.


Sally Berg has moved to Medford and is doing fairly well. Her daughter says that she would appreciate cards. Her new address is: 2530 E McAndrews Rd Apt 338, Medford, OR 97504.


**If you would like a written prayer included in Sunday's worship bulletin, please email or call the church office (krisha@salemwestpres.org; 503-364-3327) or fill out the prayer request form on the website by Thursday at 10 am each week.


Give

Greetings Westminster Friends! Once again the American Red Cross is hosting a blood donation drive at Westminster on May 22, 2023. Thank you so much for your life-affirming donations in the past. Please join with other Westminster members and the Salem community by rolling up your sleeves and pitching in! You can be as altruistic as you have always wanted to be! There are still many appointment spots available between 1:15pm and 5:15pm, so please give us a call soon to pick your spot. We also need folks to give the "Power Red" or "Double Red" where one gives two units of red cells and gets BACK ALL your plasma and platelets (plus some saline solution)! You will feel more hydrated and often less tired after that donation. To get scheduled you can use the Red Cross blood donor app or email or call Bill Nelson at bnelson@pacificomm.net or (503) 576-1278, or Pam Garland at (503) 551-2998. Thank you, and let's keep Westminster the premier church blood donation site in Salem!! All the best to you, Bill Nelson

Fabric Donations needed


Are you a collector of fabric? Do you see beautiful fabric and buy it to use in a future project? Do I have the project for you!

Here is the story:

In August of 2021, at just a month shy of 4-years old, Olivia was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) on a Tuesday night in the Emergency Room at OHSU. At around 1 am, they transferred us to the 10th floor of Doernbecher to the Hematology-Oncology In-Patient Unit. On her bed was a hand made Frozen-themed pillowcase, a homemade fleece blanket, and a stuffed animal. In a very terrifying time for all of us, it was a comfort for her to see something friendly and welcoming. Most of our in-patient visits, Olivia is welcomed with a new pillowcase on the bed when she gets admitted and she brings them home to use and share with her sister. Sometimes there aren't enough to go around and she brings one from home from a previous visit. Small joys like these make her stays at Doernbecher a little easier on her and a lot easier on us when she starts them with a smile. While she continues her treatment through the end of this year, we are happy to share our love and appreciation for Doernbecher by encouraging the sewing community to make pillowcases to bring smiles to kids' faces on the hardest of days.


Olivia is the granddaughter of my friend, Sheri Bond. Sheri taught Home Economics at Sprague. It is Sheri's goal to make 100 pillowcases for Doernbecher to celebrate Olivia becoming cancer free next December. I thought Westminster could help her out.


Here is the plan:

1. Bring your cotton or flannel fabric in one yard (or more) lengths or 1/3 to ½ yard trim fabric to church and drop them in the designated box in the Narthex.

2. After the fabric is collected and sorted there will be an after church event where the fabric is cut and organized into projects. The pillowcases may be sewn at church or taken home.


Each pillowcase will have an extra amount of love added to it to promote healing.


All donated fabric will find a home.

Thank you for your donations and future sewing! And, prayers for Olivia.



Mary Snethen 

Westminster Presbyterian Church

YouTube

3737 Liberty Rd. S 

Salem, OR 97302

PHONE: 503-364-3327

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