From Your Session

The Westminster session met for their regular stated meeting on Wednesday, November 15, 2023 at 6:00 in Russell Hall. Plans were finalized for the elder-led worship service this Sunday, November 12 at 10:00. We hope to see you there. And don’t forget to join the elders in the sanctuary at 11:30 for a Scout debrief and a look at the 2024 budget.

The session received the financial review from 2019-2022. This was presented by Bill Foster. His committee was made up of two members of the Budget and Finance Committee and two members of the congregation. These reviews are usually done every year (or two). A big thank you to Bill Foster, TC Curlee, John Bard and Terri Crall for a job well done. We appreciate your time and expertise.

The session had a focused discussion on the budget (draft) for 2024. And they would like to extend a big thank you to the Stewardship Committee-Paul Negstad, Zach Hatefi, John Bard, Karen Huntzinger, Terri Crall, and all the volunteers who helped make it a super successful fall Stewardship Drive. We are so grateful for your dedication and creativity.

Sandy McLean, Clerk of Session

Participate

Join together for a discussion on the Doctrine of Discovery--what it is and what the effects are on justice for all on Sunday, November 26, after service. Read the book The Land is Not Empty by Sarah Augustine (a copy will be available in the library soon), listen to this podcast interview, check out this article, or simply come to hear and learn! The discussion will be hosted by the Mission Peace Ecojustice committee.

Advent Craft Event is Sunday, November 26, from 2-4 pm in Boulder Hall. People of all ages and abilities are welcome to come make Advent wreaths, ornaments, paper crafts, and of course, a graham cracker house. We will also make some nature crafts to decorate one of the trees outside the church so the birds can celebrate too. Start the season off right with fellowship, snacks, hot cider, and creative fun! Consider if you would like to help prep for the event--come learn how to make a graham cracker house! EVERTHING WILL BE INCLUDED. It’s very simple and fun. Come meet at the church at 10 am on SATURDAY NOVEMBER 25. We will make approximately 80 houses. COME AND JOIN THE FUN!

Deck the Halls! Advent is coming (a little later than usual this year: note that it’s NOT beginning on Thanksgiving weekend!) and we need help decorating the church. Please join us for the annual decorating party on Saturday December 2 from 10 ‘til we’re done, or maybe around 1. Many hands make light work.

Christmas Journeys is coming! Please put December 10 on your calendars for the second annual production of our intergenerational telling of the Christmas story. Everyone who would like to participate is welcome. There are speaking, non-speaking, and crew parts, musicians, setup, takedown, and food prep needs, and room on the planning committee. If you would like to participate in any way, please contact Terri Crall as soon as possible (tcrall71@gmail.com).

Advent will be upon us in just a few short weeks, and along with that comes the ceremony of the lighting of the Advent Candles during worship services, a much-beloved tradition at our church. This is a particularly good opportunity to gather a group of family or friends together and participate in the service. The liturgical script will be provided each week. Sign up for any remaining date in December or check out more info on the dates available and instructions if needed. Contact Susan Tanabe (malarkeyt5@comcast.net) or Lucy Foster (lucyannf@comcast.net) if you need assistance.

Save the Date

December 18: Red Cross Blood Drive (1-6 pm)

January 6: Un-Deck the Halls

FYI

Thanksgiving week hours: Pastor Kelly will be out Wednesday through Saturday. The church office will be open Monday-Wednesday (9am-2pm). Happy Thanksgiving!

If you have not yet had a photo taken for the directory, you can still: 1. 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. 2. If you are unable to submit a photo 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!

Thanks

Thanks to the congregation for donating 231 pounds of food to Table of Plenty, which was delivered two weeks ago. And thanks also to the crew who delivered, weighed, and shelved the food: Bobbie Clyde, Bob Netz, and Tim Hilfiker.

The Stewardship Committee would like to thank everyone for their pledges during this year's stewardship drive. We are all "Working Toward the Harvest" together! We have received 92 pledges to the General Fund, for a total of $305,480.00. Every dollar of that will be gratefully used to support the mission and ministry of Westminster Presbyterian Church. If you had intended to turn in a pledge either on paper or online but have not yet done so, it is not too late to log in or deliver your envelope to the church office. The Stewardship Committee also recognizes that money is not the only way to support the church, and thanks you for all of the gifts that you generously offer!

Pray

For Gene Ice, who is scheduled for brain surgery on November 27.

**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

Children's Ministries is in need of an emergency contact person available by phone or text on Saturdays and Sunday mornings. This does not happen often, but someone needs to be available each week in case it does. If a teacher or helper is unable to come at the last moment, a substitute must be found. Could you help us find that substitute? You would be provided with a list of people who are child-protection trained and willing to fill in: you would not be expected to fill in yourself. If you are available for this job, please contact Terri Crall (tcrall71@gmail.com) or Teri Mohney (ctmohney@comcast.net).

Want to invest in the life of a child in our community? The SMART reading program is looking for volunteers to read one-on-one with a child at Faye Wright Elementary's Head Start program. Timeslots available are Mondays at 10 am or 2 pm. A short training is provided. Please contact Paul Allen (allent2000@earthlink.net, 503-540-1934) or find more info here.

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’s next blood drive is coming up on December 18. We hope that you will be ready to roll up those sleeves and feel GREAT about giving a life affirming blood donation. The Holiday season is the perfect time to get on that reindeer drawn donation sleigh! Think of what your Christmas season donation might mean to a family member of someone that desperately needs plasma, platelets, red cells, or even whole blood. Your donation will be truly appreciated! 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, at the Android Play Store or at the the Apple app store. Or you can always contact Bill Nelson at bnelson@pacificomm.net (503-576-1278) or Pam Garland at pamelagarland@gmail.com. Not that you need any additional reason to donate but our Red Cross drive account manager says “come give Dec. 18-31 for a long-sleeved Red Cross T-shirt, ltd. qty! Plus, thanks to Prime Video & their new film CANDY CANE LANE, get a chance to win a $1K Amazon.com Gift Card & 65-inch Amazon Fire TV! There will be 12 winners! Terms: rcblood.org/Amazon.” What more could you need to convince you to make time to donate at this extremely busy time of year? Wishing you all the best this season! Bill Nelson and Pam Garland and all the volunteers that help us out at Westminster on blood drive day. 

Westminster Presbyterian Church