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Friday Newsletter

November 1, 2024

This Sunday--All Saints' Day

9 am: Jesus' Parables Discussion Group

10 am: Worship Service & Prayground

11:15 am: Coffee Hour

6 pm: High School Youth Group

The Westminster Chimes Handbell Choir is dedicating our anthem on Sunday morning to the memory of Pauline Mather. The choir's third octave of handbells was given to Westminster in memory of Pauline's father Bernard Huenink in 1982. The choir was, and is extremely grateful to the Mather family for their generous gift. It has been and continues to be a joy for the choir to be able to perform music for three octaves and more of handbells.

Looking Ahead


November 2 @ 9 am: Choir Retreat

November 2 @ 3 pm: Wes Peterson's Memorial Service

Nov 3-Nov 17@ 9 am: Jesus' Parables Discussion Group

November 6 @ 6:30 pm: Leadership Lab

November 9 @ 9 am: Fall Bulb Planting

November 10 @ 11 am: Stewardship Wrap Up Lunch

November 11 @ 6 pm: Women's Night Out

November 19 @ 6 pm: Men's Night Out

November 24 @ 3 pm: Advent Craft Event

December 9 @ 6 pm: Women's Night Out Cookie Exchange

December 16, 1-6 pm: Red Cross Blood Drive


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

Opportunities

Special Election-Themed Bible Study

Pastor's Bible study (Tuesday, 10:30-11:30 at the church) is open to all, and this week only will be election-themed.


Stewardship Lunch

Mark Your Calendars! The stewardship drive kicked off last Sunday and runs until November 10. Please join us after service on November 10 to celebrate the closing of the drive and to take this opportunity to intentionally build community together! In Boulder Hall we will have food and family-friendly building-themed activities set up at each table. Invite a friend and come join the fun!


Advent Craft

We are looking for six people to each lead a craft for the Advent Craft Event on Sunday, November 24 from 3-5pm. This is a fun, all-church event to begin the Advent Season! We can assign a craft to you or you can create one of your own. We will also need help with set up and clean up and snacks. If this is something you'd like to be involved in, please contact Vik as soon as possible (vik@salemwestpres.org)!


Meal Train

LeAnn Goodenberger has started chemo treatments at OHSU and will be having a treatment every three weeks. Her first was October 9. If you would like to help out by providing a meal for Mike and LeAnn please join the meal train here.


Discussion Group

You are invited to join a three-week discussion series entitled "Digging Deeper: A Discussion on the Teaching of Jesus of Nazareth in Three Parables", led by Karen Freed and Ann Montague. The series will take place on Sunday mornings, 9:00 am-9:45 am, November 3, 10, and 17 as follows:

  • November 3: The parable of the Mustard Seed ( Mark 4:30-32)
  • November 10: The parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)
  • November 17: The parable of the Sheep and the Goats (Matthew 25:31-46)

The purpose of the discussions is to create a time when we can discuss the teachings of Jesus in a safe, inclusive, and interactive space. “We gather together to discern the mind of Christ and the will of God and to commit ourselves to living these values in the world” (Bruce Reyes-Chow, Everything Good About God is True, p. 43).


Bowling Party

Everyone's invited to go bowling together on Saturday, November 16, at 1 pm at AMF Firebird Lanes. You can sign up on the form in Boulder Hall or contact Michele (408-402-2396) to RSVP by Nov 9.

Our Stories

Starting in January 2025 the Congregational Vitality Committee will host “Our Stories” on the second Sunday of the month after worship in Russell Hall.


Our Stories is an effort for church family members to know one another better. After the isolation of the pandemic, members moving away, and new members joining WPC, we the congregation need to be intentional about knowing one another.

 

We are looking for church family members who will share stories about their professional life, their hobbies, their family, their spirituality, etc.


We plan to have individuals or small groups present. We need to know about you, your history, and your talents so we can create a list of themes and presenters.


  • Have you taken a trip or adventure you would like to share?
  • Have you written a book?
  • What is/was your career and how does/did your religious beliefs shape your career?
  • Are you a scientist or engineer?
  • Are you an artist?
  • Are you a teacher?
  • Did you work in sales or retail?
  • Did you work in a factory?
  • Were you in the military? Where were you stationed?
  • Have you worked with the natural world (e.g., farmer or a hydrologist)?
  • Have you lived abroad? What did you learn and how did it change you?
  • Do you have a memory of a grandparent that helped you define who they were?
  • Is there a saying that shaped how you act in the world? Who told it to you?


Please email Rosalyn McKeown-Ice (rosalynmckeown@hotmail.com) with answers to these questions, or to volunteer to present on another topic.

FYI


Building Fund Campaign Update

After the first quarter of the campaign, here is where we stand:

  • Pledges received: over $90,000
  • Matching funds: from an anonymous donor
  • Funds actually received since the campaign’s start: over $40,000

We are on the path to our goal!!


Watch for Scout wreath sales before and after services in November.

Give


The news from TOP (Table of Plenty) is that we are not exactly filling our TOP boxes! And the need for food still exist. Table of Plenty is the only food satellite of Marion County Food Share in this area of Salem. We are still serving 200+ families every month. That takes quite a bit of food, as you can well imagine.


Now for some other Salem area news: two food banks closed their doors this past month. One of those food banks was open five days each week and served around 50 families each day! If you do the math, that is approximately 1000 families each month. We will feel that closure at TOP as families seek other food banks to aid them in their plight. And while most of us will be enjoying a couple of feasts in the near future with our Thanksgiving and Christmas festivities, there will be families in Salem who won't know that joy.


Here is an opportunity for all of us to be missionaries and come to the aid of our neighbors. TOP needs canned foods: vegetables, fruit, baked beans, black beans, pinto beans, refried beans, chili, spaghetti, tomato products. Also pastas, cereals Hamburger Helper-type boxed meals, peanut butter, tuna, canned chicken.


If you are not able to carry the food, you can always donate money through Westminster. On your check just write in "food bank" or with cash signify on the envelope that your donation is for Table of Plenty. During these holidays watch for food ad specials!

In the Community


Read Elmarie Parker's latest mission co-worker letter here.

Westminster Presbyterian Church

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3737 Liberty Rd. S 

Salem, OR 97302

PHONE: 503-364-3327

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