From the Pastor's Desk

The chairs are set.

The sanctuary prepared.

The rehearsals finished.

The programs are printed.

The 2023 Christmas Cantata is here! 

Just between you and me, I had a chance to eavesdrop on the choir and the musicians at their final practice, and they are sounding great. Their energy is high, and the program is bound to lift your spirits this Christmas. We anticipate a full house, so please come early. I’ll see you there.

“Let loose and sing! Strike up the band! Round up an orchestra to play for God. Add on a hundred-voice choir. Feature trumpets and big trombones, Let the ocean breakers call out, “Encore!” And mountains harmonize the finale.” (Psalm 98)

Ever onward,

Pastor Kelly

Looking Ahead

12/17 @ 10 am: Christmas Cantata with Chancel Choir & Strings

12/17 @ 12:30 pm: Salem Youth Collective Christmas Party

12/18 @ 1 pm: Red Cross Blood Drive

12/19 @ 6 pm: Men's Night Out at The Ram

12/24 @ 10 am: Fourth Sunday of Advent Service

12/24 @ 5 pm: Children's Christmas Eve Service

12/24 @ 9 pm: Candlelight Christmas Eve Service

12/25 - 12/29: Church Office Holiday Hours

12/31 @ 10 am: New Year's Eve Service

Happy New Year



12/29-1/1; 1/5-7: Scout Tree Recycling

1/1: Church Office Closed

1/6 @ 10 am: Un-Deck the Halls

1/7 @ 11:30 am: The Land is Not Empty Follow-Up

1/8 @ 6 pm: Women's Night Out

1/16 @ 6 pm: Men's Night Out

1/21 & 1/28 @ 11:30 am: New Members' Class

2/10 @ 10 am: Memorial Service for JoEve Netz

2/12 @ 6 pm: Women's Night Out

2/14: Ash Wednesday

2/11-2/15 Labyrinth Available

2/20 @ 6 pm: Men's Night Out

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

Participate

Attention all cookie bakers! We need to have cookies for the Christmas Eve services. Can you bring cookies and mark them FOR CHRISTMAS? We could also use a few volunteers to set up the treats, as well as people who will help monitor the treats during the 30 minutes after the 5 pm service and then some to monitor them the 30 minutes before the 9 pm service, and then to clean up as well. If you can help that evening, please contact Lucy Foster (lucyannf@comcast.net or 503-508-3417).

Men's Night Out is Tuesday, December 19, at 6 pm at The Ram. Please RSVP to John Dalen (john.m.dalen@gmail.com or 503-364-8095).

Considering becoming a member at Westminster or interested in learning more about being Presbyterian? Join the new members' class meeting January 21 and 28, 11:30-1:00. RSVP to the church office (office@salemwestpres.org) or talk to Pastor Kelly or Katie Nelson, Elder for Outreach.

Do you enjoy Westminster’s annual Christmas cantata, but waiting another twelve months is too long? 

You are invited to join the Westminster Chancel Choir and String Ensemble as we present a Palm Sunday Concert! Members of Westminster and the Salem community are invited to take part in this powerful musical experience. Rehearsals will begin in January 2024, with a concert on the afternoon of Palm Sunday (March 24). All are encouraged to participate, regardless of skill level! Please contact Jeffrey Larkin [music@salemwestpres.org] for additional information and to acquire music.

Resources

We would like to call your attention to the new bulletin board display in Boulder Hall, to your left just as you enter. It will feature a changing display during the year, highlighting areas of mental health that may be of interest to our congregation members, as well as to visitors who use our facility. This is a new collaborative project between Stephen Ministry and the Mission Peace Eco-Justice (MPEJ) Mental Health Working Group. Our first theme is Grief & Depression because these are often emotions that surface during the holidays. Advent and Christmas are usually considered seasons of hope, love, joy, and peace. Yet for some, they can also be a time of depression, sadness, and grief. We hope these resources will be helpful for any who find this time of year difficult. There are resources you can take and read on the board, please return these when you are finished. There are also packets of information you can take home just underneath the bulletin board. We hope to have some other resources as well, so keep checking back.

November has come to a close. We were enlightened by our forum on The Land is Not Empty, but please continue to celebrate the contributions and accomplishments of our Native communities. The door of awareness is now open to you, so please continue your exploration of Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery and appreciation of indigenous peoples across the globe. Explore these articles: 1. While Native women were excluded from much of the women's suffrage movement, they played a critical role in its inspiration. See the blog on Native American women and their influence on the women's suffrage movement at www.lwv.org (disclaimer--it includes an ad about League of Women Voters and membership). 2. US touts new era of collaboration with Native American tribes to manage public lands and water 3. Secretary Haaland Delivers Remarks at White House Tribal Nations Summit

Discover or reacquaint yourself with the rich meaning behind the colors of the Advent wreath here.

Presbyterians for Earth Care have compiled a daily Advent devotional around the theme of earth care, which you can access here.

PC(USA)'s Global Language Resources has made available a daily Advent devotional that showcases the multicultural richness in the PC(USA). Access it here.

FYI

The church staff will be on holiday hours from Dec 25-Jan 1 to rest and spend time with their families. They will return on Jan 2. The church office will also be closed during this time. Thanks for your support!

The next regular newsletter will be published on January 5. Items to be included in the newsletter are due the Thursday prior at 9 am.

Thanks

A big thanks to all who helped decorate the sanctuary and other parts of the church for our Advent/Christmas season. The results of your work truly add to the wonder of this time of year!

A HUGE Thank You to all who so generously donated items for the patients at Oregon State Hospital through our Caring Tree. All the tags flew off the tree, and so many wonderful gifts were returned. The OSH volunteers were thrilled by the carload of gift bags. Thank you for your willingness to share some holiday joy! 

Thanks to everyone who helped make Christmas Journeys a success! It took the faithful work of many organizers, actors, musicians, costumers, props managers, spotlight operators, groundskeepers, tech gurus, dancers, food preparers, a pastor, and an engaged audience to make our pageant come to life. For those who weren't able to attend on Sunday evening, a video is being prepared and should be available before Christmas. Also, if anyone would like to take home one of our straw bales for their own use, please contact me ASAP. --Terri Crall (tcrall71@gmail.com)

Thanks to the Westminster community for stepping up to the plate to hit our blood donation goal out of the ballpark! All blood drive appointments have been filled for the December 18 blood drive. A few walk-ins can still be accepted, especially if you fill out the Rapid-Pass questionnaire beforehand. Thank you, Westminster, and our hard-working blood drive volunteers!

Give

The PC(USA) Christmas Joy Offering is an opportunity to support leadership development for communities of color and Presbyterian church workers in their time of need. Find out more info here or give here.

Sign up for a monthly rotation of delivering food for Family Building Blocks. Contact Nancy MacMorris-Adix for more information or to sign up (nancymac93@gmail.com).

The holidays are fast approaching, which means more folks will be visiting Table of Plenty food bank, so put a couple extra cans of food in your shopping basket and deposit them in the Table of Plenty boxes in the narthex to share your feast with some others that otherwise might not have enough to eat.

Westminster Presbyterian Church