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Friday Newsletter

July 26, 2024

This Sunday


10 am: Worship Service in Boulder Hall with guest preacher Rev. Deb Patterson

11:15 am: Coffee Hour


Nursery care available.

From the Pastor's Desk


Fifteen days until Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow arrives at Westminster! Please mark your calendars for Saturday, Aug 10 and plan to attend this special event. Bruce will be kicking off an important discussion about who we want to be during these times of social upheaval and political friction, a conversation Westminster will continue into the fall.


Register for Saturday's event here.

Looking Ahead


June 25-August 20: Tuesday Bible Study (10:30 am)

July 7-August 25: Sunday Morning Worship in Boulder Hall 

July 27-August 9: Youth Puerto Rico Mission Trip

August 10: Weekend event with Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow

August 11 & 18 @ 11:30 am: All Family Gatherings

August 14 @ 6:30 pm: Leadership Lab (for all elders, deacons, chairs, & staff) via Zoom

August 26-August 30: Vacation Bible Camp

September 8 @ 11:30: Church Picnic & Fall Festival for teams and committees to share what they are working on and invite new volunteers


Access the full church calendar here. To add or correct something, please email office@salemwestpres.org.

FYI


Pastor Kelly is out of the office July 26-August 9.


We have some exciting news: We now have a Facebook page dedicated just to Events at Westminster! Have a Facebook account and want to help us get the word out about our fabulous space? Click here to find the page, "follow" the page, and "share" the page. That way any of your contacts could see that you've shared it, and it helps us gain traction so more and more people see it. The more people who see it, the more people will be inspired to host their special events at our beautiful venue. Thanks for your help!


Deadline for the Fall 2024 Special Edition newsletter is Aug 23 (due to office@salemwestpres.org).

HELLO WESTMINSTER FAMILIES! 

Thank you to all the families who gathered for the ALL-FAMILY INFORMATIONAL CALL on July 22. The slides that were presented are now available here. Some structural changes for Infant-Children-Youth ministry are being discerned and Westminster’s families are key to this decision-making process. Beginning Sept 1, 2024 two important things will happen:
  1. Infant-Children-Youth will move to a unified steering committee model. This team will support the ministry initiatives in each of the age groups – infants, children & youth. Please consider serving in one of these roles. They are critical to the success of this ministry. 

a. Chair/co-chair

b. Volunteer coordinator

c. 3-4 age group representatives

d. Elder(s)

e. Staff

f. CYPP rep (Children-Youth Protection Policy)

2. Westminster will try out a new model for infant-children-youth ministry. 

Which model? Well, that depends on what the parents & families want to try! 

3 possibilities include:

             i.      First Sunday Family Worship – Focusing the service on the faith formation of children (i.e. children’s sermon, play/pray area, songs, age-appropriate liturgy, worship mentors, etc). There would not necessarily be traditional Sunday school (b/c faith formation would occur on First Sunday) the other weeks of the month although families could still get together for social/fellowship gatherings. Nursery would be available all weeks.
              ii.      Sunday Morning Model – This is closest to what is happening now; includes a redistribution of resources, funds & volunteers to streamline efforts.
              iii.      Evening Children’s Church – A dedicated service just for children, nursery included, at another time during the week that aligns with the schedules of busy families.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS:
Parents – Please attend an in-person session on Aug 11 or Aug 18 @ 11:30am.
Volunteers/grandparents/staff – Another Zoom session will be planned for you, time TBD 
Questions? Contact Rachelle Hughes (wsbandmom@comcast.net), Susan Tanabe (malarkeyt5@comcast.net), or Luanne Barnes (luannebarnes91@gmail.com). 

Opportunities


Women's Night Out is Monday, August 12, at 6 pm at McMenamins Thompson. Please RSVP to Linda Miller at 503-363-8939 or joelindamiller@comcast.net.


Tuesday morning Bible studies continue (10:30 at the church) this summer. Michele Hare will lead on July 30 a viewing of A Man Called Jon (being different is when God uses you the most) with discussion to follow. Anyone is welcome to join!

Give


As our new childcare center, Blue Bells Academy, continues to grow and thrive here at Westminster, we are looking for a few people to step in and serve as a liaison team between the childcare and the congregation. This would mean being a point of contact for Blue Bells leadership to communicate with us if a need arises or there is a way we can help them out! We are experiencing a really exciting time at Westminster as we become a leader in transforming church education wings into hybrid childcare/Sunday school spaces. Currently Blue Bells is providing care for 30 children and expects to continue to enroll families through the summer into the fall. If this sounds like something you have some energy to contribute to, please contact Vik Schaaf (vik@salemwestpres.org) or Jill Whitney (jaredandjill34@msn.com). Thank you so much for prayerfully considering this way to help Westminster as we move into the future! 


The School Supply Drive is on! During the months of July and August, we are collecting basic school supplies for needy students in the community. Collection boxes have been set up in the Narthex for the following schools: Lee Elementary, McKinley Elementary, Miller Elementary, Scott Elementary, Wright Elementary, Leslie Middle School, and South Salem High School. All donations appreciated … paper, pencils, pens, markers, crayons, binders, calculators, etc. Thank you in advance for helping make this school supply drive a success.


Vacation Bible Camp is approaching and many kids are already signed up! For those who would like to help during the week of August 26-30, please let Terri Crall (tcrall71@gmail.com) know you are willing to volunteer. Together, we can create a fun and educational experience for our kids!

In the Community


Friday Nights for the Future: a Summer Heatwave Film Festival


Everyone is invited - 7 pm on Fridays


1st Congregational UC 

700 Marion St. NE

Parking lot and entrance are south of the church.

Refreshments and discussion follows the film viewing.


No registration required.


Sponsored by Salem Environmental Faith Network, for which WPC is on the steering committee.

Westminster Presbyterian Church

YouTube

3737 Liberty Rd. S 

Salem, OR 97302

PHONE: 503-364-3327

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