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Beloved,

The first part of this week I will be attending the annual Diocesan clergy conference in Silverton.

This gathering is an opportunity to see colleagues from all over the Diocese, and to think and pray for the life and ministry of all of the congregations that we serve. It’s both informative and community building. I always find it good to be able to connect with clergy colleagues. Being clergy is a peculiar business, and so being with others who just ‘get it’ is very affirming and grounding.

More importantly, this week is Rummage Sale week! Wednesday, through Saturday. Members of the church are invited to a pre-sale day on Wednesday. I am totally blown away at how the Steinberg Hall has been transformed from a gym to something more like a department store. You have to see for yourself! It is also a beautiful way to provide useful things to people in our community and raise money for important causes in our city. Bless all our volunteers!

Lastly, please put Sunday, May 19 th into your calendars. Bishop Akiyama will be celebrating and preaching at St. Paul’s. There will be a lunch following the 10.00am Eucharist, and the bishop has kindly agreed to host a bishop’s Q&A during lunch. Please remember and pray for all of our candidates who are preparing to be baptized, confirmed and received in the Episcopal Church. We will publish the names in a week or so.

Christ is our resurrection and our hope!

Simon+

___

This week at St. Paul’s

St. Paul’s Bi-annual Rummage Sale: Wednesday 1st through Saturday 4th – Steinberg Hall Pre-sale for St. Paul’s members: Wednesday 1st , between 4-6.00pm

Evensong Concert: Sunday, 5th at 4.00pm – main sanctuary, “Extraordinary Young Musicians, featuring Ellie Starr (South Salem HS)

St. Paul’s Spring Work Day: Saturday, May 11th – in and around church from 9.00am – 12noon, lunch is provided. Contact Julia Battle 337-280-4207

Walk in Love:

Thoughts from the Stewardship Committee

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! 2 CORINTHIANS 9:15



We are so grateful for the indescribable gifts you, as our congregation, give to St. Paul’s each day. The resources of time, talents, and dollars are too many to describe. Take a moment to look around you and see the presence of God’s gifts in our lives together and for the community.

Vestry Corner

2024 Vestry Members:

Johana St. Clair, Sr. Warden

Chuck Chamberlain, Jr. Warden

Jeanne Clark

Nancy Gordon

Hollie Groves

Barb Leque

Rob Owen

Liz Mills

Elaine Sanchez

Betsy Steinberg

Cott Thompson

Michelle Wardrip

Linda Gilbert, Clerk of the Vestry

Dick Rankin, Treasurer

______

Click here to view Vestry minutes, reports, and updates on our website!

Click here to view COVID-19 updates from the Oregon Health Authority.

Watch services online:

Parish Events and Information

St. Paul’s Spring Rummage Sale

HAPPENING NOW!

Thursday - 9am to 4pm

Friday - 9am to 4pm

Saturday Bag Sale! - 9am to 12pm

Men's breakfast

May 6th



Men's Breakfast will be at 7:30 AM, this coming Monday, May 6, at Shari's on South Commercial. All are welcome to join us for good food and fellowship.

St Paul’s Spring Work Day

May 11th

Mark your calendars! Saturday, May 11th from 9am-12pm we will be working inside and out to spiff up our church. Jobs for everyone … all ages and all abilities. Working in community for a common goal is great fun. We will provide lunch for a fun way to end our day. This is the weekend before the Bishop comes, so it will allow us to have everything top top for her visit. 

Suggestions and questions contact Julia Battle 337 280-4207 or Fr Simon. 

Join Us for lunch with Bishop Diana Akiyama

May 19th

The Parish Life group invites you to a luncheon and visit with Bishop Diana Akiyama on Sunday, May 19. The Bishop will be here with us for a special question and answer session during our luncheon. 

Parish Life will provide a main dish and dessert. You are asked to bring an appetizer, side dish or salad to share. Let’s bring our best for The Bishop! 

For more information or questions contact Robin Ellis at parishlife@stpaulsoregon.org

Join Us for Community Dinner

Join us for dinner, Connection, and Love Reminders, Wednesday nights at 5:15pm.

May 8 : Traditional Soup Supper (Register Here)

May 15 : Jamaican Jerk Chicken (Register Here)

May 22 : Rosemary-Peach Bruschetta Chicken (Register Here)

May 29: Hula Pork Sliders (Register Here)

Please register by the Monday before the dinner you will be attending.

Menus may be subject to change based on supply availability. You are welcome to RSVP or order for multiple weeks, please "register" for each week. Please contact Shauna at Shauna@stpaulsoregon.org if you need assistance. 

St. Paul’s offers this ministry and welcomes donations to help cover the expenses. If you would like to donate to support this effort, please click here.

Community Caring

Our great group of Acolytes wants you to join them! 

Being an Acolyte is one of the most important roles in our worship services. They lead processions, light the Word of God, and help at the altar in preparation for the Eucharist. Come find out what it is all about Wednesday, June 5^th at 4:30. We will have information for all experienced and new Acolytes, including parents. Then join us for the final Wednesday meal at 5:15. All invited 8 ½ years to 99! For more information, contact Mary Forner (Verger).

Move out Kits

SPARK along with Social Gospel Ministry would like to invite you, St. Paul’s, to participate in a joint ministry effort to offer aid to our neighbors. Family Promise, a local organization who provides temporary housing for unsheltered families, is working with local youth groups to create “Move out kits”. These kits will furnish the permanent homes the families eventually move into with the supplies needed. Next to the drinking fountain in the narthex will be a clothes hamper and framed poster on the wall displaying the supply need list. Please deposit your contributions in the hamper or set beside it. We will transport the supplies to the storage garage. Family Promise has a wish to have 15 of these kits (between other congregations along with us) in the near future. Thank you very much for your generosity and love for our neighbors!

Newcomer's Ministry

Do you enjoy meeting new people? Is hospitality your thing? If you feel called to welcome new folks into our community, then consider joining our Newcomer’s Ministry Team. Contact Hope Heusdens at newcomers@stpaulsoregon.com for more information.

Tutors Needed

The family from Afghanistan that lives in St Paul’s Walton house next to the church, is in need of tutoring help. We were asked by Salem for Refugees for assistance. There are two children ages 6 and 8 that are behind in reading and each need help. Also the father of the family is also in need of someone to help him learn English. There are materials and other assistance available to use for these jobs. 

Please contact Julia Battle @ 337-280-4307 or Jhbattle@outlook.com. 

Dot the Free Pantry:

Community Mutual Aid

Follow Dot_thefreepantry on Instagram to stay up-to-date on ways you can take direct action to love our neighbors!

A friendly reminder that Dot is a pantry and not a clothing exchange or library. Please only share unexpired food and small toiletry items there. Thank you!

St. Paul's Children, Youth, and Families

Parents and Guardians please complete a NEW Annual Permission form linked below for each child participating in St. Paul's Children, Youth and Families activities.

Extraordinary Young Musician Concert

May 5th at 4pm

Mark your calendars for the 2024 Extraordinary Young Musician Concert. This year the featured musician is our very own Ellie Starr, South Salem High School Senior!

SPY (St. Paul's Youth) 

Grades 6-12

This Sunday! May 5 *

*note we will not gather on the second Sunday of this month

4:00-5:30pm

This Sunday SPY will gather for the Extraordinary Young Musicians concert to support our own Ellie Starr! Join us in the sanctuary at 4:00pm for the concert. Afterward there will be a reception in the library with cupcakes and pizza downstairs in the parish hall for dinner! See you there!

SPY meets at 4:00pm on the second Sunday of each month beginning in October for fun, service projects and conversation about life and faith. Dinner will be at 5:00pm on those Sundays. Parents/guardians, please let me know if you can help provide a meal for one of those dinners. Thank you!

SPARK 2024: Ukraine!

July 15th - 19th

St. Paul’s Rhythm and Arts for Kids returns this summer! This beloved week long day camp allows children ages 6-11 to experience the music, art and culture of a different country right here in Salem. Each day from 9am to 2pm campers will be immersed in the literature, songs, arts, animals, geography and food of Ukraine! 

Click here to register!

Camp Firelight! 2024 Vacation Bible Camp

Grades K-5th

August 26th-30th

9am-12pm

Cost: $10/child or $20/family (scholarships are available)

St. Paul's and Westminster Presbyterian Churches are teaming up this year for Vacation Bible Camp. The camp will be held at Westminster and registration is open now. Click here to register your child now. Payments can be made in person at the time of camp or online here. Please include VBC in the Memo.

There are many volunteer opportunities for older youth and adults! If you'd like to be a part of this fun-filled week please contact Amy Goerger amy@stpaulsoregon.org.

St. Paul's Graduate Recognition Sunday

May 19th



High school and college graduates will be recognized during the 10:00am service with a reception to follow. If you are graduating or know someone who is, please contact Amy Goerger at amygoerger@stpaulsoregon.org so that we can celebrate this accomplishment!

Salem Youth Collective

Grades 6-12

May 19th 12:30-3:30pm

Don't miss this! Next month is the last SYC gathering of the program year. We'll meet at First Presbyterian Church of Salem downtown for lunch and to assemble move-out kits for Family Promise. We'll form teams for the scavenger hunt game downtown! 

SYC End of Year Survey

We have had a fantastic first year of Salem Youth Collective collaboration! Please fill out the survey linked below to give us feedback as we make plans for next year. Thank you!

Youth Survey

Parent Survey

City Camp 2024!

Registration is now open! Youth (rising 6th graders through rising 9th graders) are invited to register as campers. High school students may register as resource staff. If you are participating in CET you can still join us for afternoon/evening activities: half-time, half-price!! Please contact Amy Goerger for more information.

Click here to register!

Cost: $125/student

Confirmation Classes

Bishop Akiyama will be with us on Sunday, May 19th – Pentecost Sunday. In the Episcopal tradition there are three routes into full membership of the Church: baptism, confirmation and being formally received into the Episcopal Church. If you have not been baptized, then we offer baptism; for those who have already been baptized but not confirmed, we offer confirmation. For those who have been baptized and confirmed in another church tradition, we offer formal reception into the Episcopal Church. All of these bring you into full membership of both the Episcopal Church, the Anglican Communion and St. Paul’s local church community. Being in full membership means that you can serve on the vestry, or as a church officer, and vote at our Annual General Meetings, among other things.

If you are interested in pursuing spiritual membership, I will be offering 5 preparation classes. We take a dive into our Episcopal traditions, the Book of Common Prayer, our worship, the life of prayer, and daily living as well as your own questions. There will be two class times to choose from – both classes will have the same content:

Sundays after church, beginning on Sunday, April 7 th from 12noon – 1.00pm

Wednesday afternoon, beginning on Wednesday, April 10 th from 4.00pm – 5.00pm

If you are interested in exploring this further and would like some more information or you have questions, please contact me or Amy Goerger:

fathersimon@stpaulsoregon.org

amy@stpaulsoregon.org

or 541-207-5826

We're hiring! Children & Youth Ministry Assistant

With Vestry’s approval of a Children and Youth Ministry Assistant, we are looking forward to filling this position soon and expanding programming in 2024! If you or someone you know might be the perfect candidate for this position please consider applying or passing along the information.

The job description can be found here.

Children's Bulletins



Here are some fun ways for children to engage with the scripture readings each week.



The bulletins may be printed off and games accessed online.

• Ages 3-6 Children's Bulletin
• Ages 7+ Children's Bulletin

There is a secret code on the front cover page that is unique to our church and allows SAFE and secure access to online games to reinforce the message for the week. The games are geared toward all age levels so everyone can join in the fun!

        Step 1: Print the age-appropriate bulletin with a secret code on the front.

        Step 2: Enter the secret code at Games.ChildrensBulletins.com

        Step 3: Pick a game and play!

Weekly Birthdays

May 6th

Richard Van Orman

Stan McClain

May 7th

Peter Chamberlain

Tim Leque

May 10th

Sarah Starr

In Loving Memory

Dennis Todd

Edwin Peterson

Nelda Forner

Zoe Johnson

Joe Lindsey 

Terese Labar

Chris Strum

Lynda Bush

Jose Vazquaez-Valenzuela

Wendy Francis

Cover Image: Love for One’s Neighbor, Carved detail from a choir screen, in the The National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh. (Photograph by Fr. Lawrence Lew, O. B.) Our gospel reading today comes immediately after Jesus’s words to the disciples that we read last week: “I am the vine and you are the branches.” This carving of “Love for One’s Neighbor” is surrounded by branches, reminding us that the fruit we bear is in our actions of love.

Love for One's Neighbor, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=57584 [retrieved May 1, 2024]. Original source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/paullew/11851229114/ - Fr. Lawrence Lew

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