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Friday Newsletter

November 15, 2024

This Sunday

9 am: Jesus' Parables Discussion Group

10 am: Worship Service & Sunday School

11:15 am: Coffee Hour

11:30 am: Election Debrief Listening Circle

12:30 pm: Youth Collective Friendsgiving

From the Pastor's Desk


Westminster Friends & Family,


First, thank you to everyone who participated in the 2025 Stewardship campaign and so generously pledged to support Westminster’s work in the year ahead. Look for a final report from the Stewardship team in early December.


Second, the elders and myself are hosting two Post-election Listening Sessions. These all-church discussions will take place Nov 17 & 24 @ 11:30a-12:30p in the library. We will start off by giving everyone a chance to reflect on this question, “What is worth wanting in this moment?


Thirdly, THANK YOU to the Session Elders who made the “Elder-led worship service” not only possible but joyful and meaningful. If you missed their leadership, you can catch it here: Westminster Presbyterian Church Service, Salem Or - 10:00AM [November 10, 2024].


Fourth, there are many post-election conversations taking place throughout the city and the state in which Westminster is engaged. In addition, the Presbyterian Church (USA) issued this statement which I encourage you to read here: Office of Public Witness Statement Following the 2024 US Election.

Please reach out to myself or any of the elders, deacons, or staff if you have particular concerns or if you would like to be a part of new responses that are forming. 

 

Ever onward,

Pastor Kelly

Looking Ahead


November 19 @ 6 pm: Men's Night Out @ Stonefront Tavern

November 24 @ 3 pm: Advent Craft Event

November 27 @ 7 pm: Ecumenical Thanksgiving Eve Service at St. Paul's Episcopal

November 30 @ 10 am: Deck the Halls (church decorating)

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

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).


Invite your friends and come for a cozy afternoon of Advent and Christmas crafting on Sunday, November 24, drop in from 3-5 pm. All ages welcome to enjoy the hot cocoa bar, music, and crafts, including the famous graham cracker houses!


Deck the Halls--we need all hands! Advent is coming, and we need help decorating the church. Please join us for the annual decorating party on Saturday, November 30, from 10 am 'til we're done, or maybe around 1 pm. Many hands make light work! (Un-decorating will happen Saturday, January 11.)


Women's Night Out at WPC! Cookie Exchange is Monday, December 9 at 6 pm. Bring five dozen cookies to exchange and a salad to share.

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.

Give

Outreach for Social Justice Food/Book Drive through November 17 (bring donations to big bin in Boulder Hall). These items will be used to fill the little free library/pantry that was installed at the bottom of our parking lot this summer. Many school kids and neighbors walk across our property--help us extend hospitality and care in this simple, practical way! Non-Perishable Food: pasta, cereal, granola/protein bars, crackers, peanut butter, noodles, flip top canned goods, pet food, any easy grab-and-go individually packaged snacks. Early Reader Books (no picture books). Questions? Please contact Michele for questions (408-402-2396) about food and Sue Ray (503-319-0511) about books. 


Our Next Generation ministries need many more trusted adults to join our work with children and youth. Opportunities include helping in Sunday School, Youth Group, with infant and toddlers, and on special projects or as part of our committees. It's restorative to be around younger generations! We support and serve our children and youth by doing so in a safe space. That’s why we’re putting out this urgent call for volunteers. For any children’s or youth activity to take place — including nursery, Sunday School and Youth Group — we must have several adults on hand who have completed WPC’s Child Protection Training. The training is online. To participate, please contact Vik Schaaf as soon as possible at 503.580.3288 or Vik@salemwestpres.orgThank you for investing your time in our Next Generation.


A REMINDER. . . .Don't forget to bring your canned/packaged foods this Sunday to share with our neighbors who shop at Table of Plenty. We will be taking our Thanksgiving donations to TOP this Tuesday, Nov. 19. Of course, this doesn't mean the end of our food donations. This is an ongoing year-round privilege to be fortunate enough to share with others!


Greetings all,

The big holidays for many of us are coming up this month and next. Many of us will EAT a prodigious amount near the end of November! It helps when one consumes foods that boost our blood hemoglobin (iron) levels. It can be disappointing to have an appointment and come out to Boulder Hall, only to be “deferred” until another time when one’s hemoglobin is at a more normal level. Hemoglobin is a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to the body's tissues and organs, and returns carbon dioxide to the lungs: so you can be sure it is important to the American Red Cross that your blood is at an appropriate level when you arrive to give! Each pint of blood we collect can help save up to three lives and will touch the lives of so many more. What a great way to pay it forward and make an impact on people in our community and across the country. We are very excited about the drive and I hope you are too. To sign up for a donation appointment please let me know at the contact information below OR use the Red Cross blood donor App on your smartphone or comuputer:  https://www.redcrossblood.org/blood-donor-app.html

Kind Regards,

Bill Nelson and the rest of the Westminster Presbyterian Church American Red Cross blood program coordinator crew!  

Westminster Presbyterian Church

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3737 Liberty Rd. S 

Salem, OR 97302

PHONE: 503-364-3327

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