Stewardship Focus

Our annual Fall Pledge Drive kicks off on Sunday, October 22. This year’s theme is “Working Toward the Harvest” and is based on the parable of the workers hired to work in the vineyard (Mathew 20:1-7). After all, the definition of Stewardship is “taking care of something”, and what better image of good stewards is there than a group of workers in the field preparing for harvest? So get ready to put on your best gardening apparel and join us as we symbolically work toward the harvest through our pledge commitments to support the work of Westminster Presbyterian Church.

This year we want to personally extend the invitation to the harvest. Beginning on Sunday (October 15) route captains will begin calling members and friends on their neighborhood routes to arrange delivery of their pledge packets and to invite them to the Swedish Pancake breakfast prior to the service on October 22 (you can’t go to work in the field on an empty stomach!). If you plan to come to breakfast and attend worship on the 22nd, they will give you your pledge packet at that time. If not, they will schedule a time to deliver it to your home (the West Pres version of UPS), or you can request that your packet be mailed to you. Then prayerfully consider how you might support the work of our church in 2024. And of course, you will want to be there for a good old-fashioned Hoedown following the service on pledge dedication Sunday (November 12).

It's time to roll up our sleeves and work toward the harvest as we make our commitments to support our church in 2024!

Participate

Church @ the Park representatives DJ Vincent, John Marshall, and Monica Fiedler will be here this Sunday. The hunger/shelter team of MPEJ are hosting them to discuss ways Westminster can be a part of their ministry. All are welcome to join for the hour starting at 11:30 in Eastminster Room.

Men's Night Out is Tuesday, October 17, at 6 pm at The Ram. RSVP to John Dalen at john.m.dalen@gmail.com.

It's that time again for everyone young and not so young to get out their bowling balls and shoes. Come to the All-Westminster Bowling Party on Saturday, November 11, at 1 pm at AMF Firebird Lanes (4303 Center St NE). RSVP to Michele by October 29 at 408-402-2396.

We need nursery volunteers who can help welcome our youngest children and provide care during Sunday morning worship services. We would like a team of ten to twelve people who can rotate in this important role. We’re planning to hire a person who would be the primary caregiver, and this volunteer team would support that person. Please send your name to Lucy Foster, chair of the Worship Committee, at lucyannf@comcast.net or 503-508-3417.

Our annual Trunk or Treat event would love your donations of individually wrapped candy or snacks to hand out to our trick or treating visitors! Donations can be dropped off at the main office or given to Vik anytime before October 25. Feel free to invite your neighbors and friends to the event as well! Thank you! 

Save the Date

October 22: Stewardship Pancake Breakfast

October 25: Trunk or Treat

November 12: Stewardship Hoedown Luncheon

November 19: Open Debrief with Elders: Budget & Scouts

In the Community

Help save a life! First Pres Salem in partnership with ARCHES needs volunteers to help open their building as a warming shelter on the coldest nights of the year. Their building can host 80-90 people, but they need help. Shifts are four hours at a time overnight. To sign up or learn more, email engage@salemfpc.org or plan to attend a training on October 17 at 6 pm at the YMCA.

Salem's 34th Annual Peace Lecture is Wednesday, October 18, at 7:30 pm. The lecture will be delivered by the Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, an ordained Presbyterian minister who teaches at Union Theological Seminary in New York, directs the Kairos Center for Religions, Rights and Social Justice, and is co-chair of the Poor People's Campaign. The title of her lecture, "Peace, Peace When There Is No Peace: Addressing Poverty, Racism, and Militarism from the Bottom Up" includes areas which she is eminently equipped to address and are also the issues the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was dealing with at the time of his assassination in 1968. The lecture will be held in the Mary Hudson Hall at Willamette University. There is no charge, but donations are accepted. Westminster has been a long-time supporter of the Peace Lecture through our local missions budget.

Join The Cascades Presbytery Committee On Representation's discussion with author Sarah Augustine via Zoom on Saturday, October 28, 9:30am-11:30am. The discussion will focus on her prophetic and highly-recommended book, The Land is Not Empty, which unpacks the harms of the Doctrine of Discovery. More info and registration here.

FYI

Our new photo directory project is well underway. Thank you to all who have gotten their photo taken or have submitted a photo. The plan is to have the directory available, both a printed and an online version, by mid December. If you have not yet had a photo taken or submitted, there are three ways in which to do so: 1. Stay after worship service on October 15 and join the queue to have our photographer snap your photo. It only takes a minute or so, and you can enjoy coffee hour in Boulder Hall while you wait. Photos will be taken right outside of Russell Hall, by the Mission, Peace, Eco-Justice bulletin board. These will be the last opportunities for this option. 2. Submit your photo via the provided email: westpresphotos@gmail.com. Put the name(s) of who is in the photo in the subject line. Include any updated information, as well. 3. If you are unable to submit a photo via the #1 or #2 options—you may request a photographer come to YOU. Please contact Katie Nelson, nelsonkatieallstar@gmail.com, 503-580-5631, or Ellen Chambers, ellcha@comcast.net, 503-364-5767. The deadline for submitting photos will be November 26 in order to give the committee time to produce the directory and get it published by mid December.

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

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

Pray

For Carol Huber and family as they hold a memorial service for Bert on Sunday, October 15, at 2 pm at Dallas Retirement Chapel.

For Sally Neely, whose health is suffering and who is undergoing testing.

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

Give

Table of Plenty Needs YOU! Tuesday, October 16, is World Food Day. Right now we have many people who are hungry and would like a bite to eat. Some of those folks live in our neighborhood! And how can we help those who are hungry in our area? We can bring our canned and packaged foods and deposit them in our Table of Plenty boxes in the narthex by the drinking fountain. What is Table of Plenty, or TOP, as we sometimes call it? Table of Plenty is a local food pantry in our area that is a satellite of Marion Polk Food Share. It is housed at Queen of Peace Church. TOP had its debut in 2003, and Westminster became a partner in 2006. We donate food, funds from our Local Mission budget, and members of our congregation who donate time in various functions of running a food pantry. At present, TOP is averaging around 55 families per week, which takes quite bit of food. And here is where we can help: what is needed?  

• Canned beans (NOT GREEN BEANS or CORN): kidney, navy, black, garbanzo, refried, etc.
• Pork and Beans
• Other canned veggies: carrots, spinach, beets, peas, mixed, tomatoes, tomato sauces, potatoes
• Canned fruit of any variety, baking supplies, soups, rice, pastas, and of course, Peanut Butter!

Be sure to watch those expiration dates. Over a year on canned foods is out. Let's keep those boxes full--TOP needs our help in feeding those in need of some vittles, and it can be our way of helping some hungry folks on World Food Day.

As violence escalates in and around Israel/Palestine, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) is providing humanitarian assistance through partners on the ground and through ACT Alliance. 

PDA has approved a solidarity grant for a hospital in Gaza and will continue supporting our partners providing humanitarian assistance. PDA's response efforts will encompass a wide array of vital humanitarian interventions including delivering crucial psychosocial support to individuals wrestling with the emotional aftermath of the warfare. Give online here.

Leadership Corner

For Elders, Deacons, Committee Chairs & Staff

10/18 @ 6pm Session

10/22 @ 11:30am Showing of What’s Really Causing Church Decline and What We Can Do About It - Faith+Lead in Russell Hall

10/25 @ 6:15pm Deacons

11/8 @ 6:30-7:45pm Leadership Lab (Winter). Coordinating & sharing programs for Dec/Jan/Feb.

11/19 @ 10am Elder-led worship service

11/19 @ 11:30am Open debrief with Elders. Topics: Budget & Scouts.

Deacon Retreat TBD

Book: The Agile Church. Deacons, pick up a copy in the church office.

Westminster Presbyterian Church