From the Pastor's Desk

Yesterday, a young person died from gun violence while at Bush Park during the day. A number of nearby organizations went into lockdown as a result. The loss of young life and hopeful future is a tragedy beyond words and, we are a wounded city as a result. Gun violence in Salem has been rising for the past 5 years and will be something for us to tackle as a strong community committed to our children and youth. Please be in prayer and action for the impacted families.  

In case you missed it...

And check us out in the Presbytery's Omnibus!

Participate

The next Women's Night Out will be Monday, March 11, 2024, 6pm, at The Flight Deck Restaurant, which is at 2680 Aerial Way SE in Salem. Please RSVP by Sunday, March 10, to Chris Duval, duval15@comcast.net, or phone 971-218-0361. It will be fun to watch the planes take off and land while we dine together. 

March 24 (Palm Sunday) at 4 pm. Get your free e-tickets to our Passion Cantata here or grab paper copies from the church. Make sure to invite a friend or two for this powerful musical event to lead us into the passion of Holy Week together.

Looking Ahead



3/9 @ 11 am: William Roth Memorial Service

3/11 Red Cross Blood Drive

3/11 @ 6 pm: Women's Night Out

3/19 @ 6 pm: Men's Night Out

3/24 @ 4 pm: Light Shines in the Darkness concert

3/29 @ 6:30 pm: Good Friday Service: A Modern Day Passion

3/30 @ 9 am: Easter Egg Hunt

3/30 @ 2 pm: Jim Randle Memorial Service

3/31 @ 10 am: Easter Sunday Morning Service

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

Pray for...

Bill Hubble as he prepares for a move to Minnesota this month.

Friends and family of Charlotte Hartwig-Tallman at her recent passing.

Give

Have You Noticed Anything Fishy?

Westminster is participating in One Great Hour of Sharing to support Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Presbyterian Hunger Program, and Self-Development of People. If you want to join and support those causes, we encourage you to find one of the cardboard fish banks around the church and take it home with you, and start putting your loose change or bills into the fish banks. Bring them back on Palm Sunday, March 24, and the church will send those special offerings to support these causes. There will also be envelopes by the pledge box in the sanctuary and QR codes if you prefer to make a special offering in that way. If you would like additional information, please find a member of the stewardship committee after service and ask them to get you a flyer or check out this website.

Marion Polk Food Share Garden Program 5th Sunday Special Donation: Look in the narthex this month and you’ll see a wheelbarrow! It needs to be filled with items for our Marion Polk Food Share garden friends and their youth garden projects. Place your smaller gently used or new items in it. If you have any of the larger items listed below, fill out a card with your name, name of tool and a contact number and also place in the wheelbarrow. Please bring them by March 31.

• Garden gloves
• Hand tools (spades, small hand hoes etc.)
• Larger tools (shovels, rakes, hoes, loppers)
• Our community gardeners are always looking for lawn mowers, rototillers and weed whackers, but these may be a bit too large for the wheelbarrow- fill out card to donate

Sponsored by Mission Peace Ecojustice Committee

This month, bring in Easter candy or small items to surprise and delight children at our annual egg hunt. A box will be in the narthex March 8-27.

Westminster Presbyterian Church in Salem is proud to partner with the American Red Cross to host a blood drive nearly every other month. This one is coming up March 11, 2024.

“Hosting a blood drive coincides with Westminster’s core values of giving back to the community,” said Pam Gardner. “With a simple blood donation, we have the ability to help save the life of someone who could be a coworker, loved one or neighbor.”

“The short amount of time it takes to donate can mean a lifetime to a patient with a serious medical condition. We urge eligible donors to join us in the selfless act of giving blood.”

Donors of all blood types are needed, especially those with types O negative, B negative and A negative. According to the Red Cross, type O negative is the universal blood type that can be safely transfused to anyone, and is often used to treat trauma patients.

You can use your computer, tablet or smartphone to conveniently sign up using the Red Cross blood donor App which can be found at https://www.redcrossblood.org/blood-donor-app.html (computer), at the Android Play Store or at the the Apple app store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/blood-donor-american-redcross/id911428916. Or you can always contact Bill Nelson at bnelson@pacificomm.net (503- 576-1278) or Pam Garland at pamalamagarland@gmail.com.

Sincerely,

Bill Nelson and Pam Garland and all the volunteers that help us out at Westminster on blood drive day. 

Westminster Presbyterian Church