Friday Newsletter
September 20, 2024
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This Sunday
10 am: Worship Service
11:15 am: Coffee Hour
11:30 am: Presbyterian Beliefs Class
6 pm: Youth Group
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From Your Session
Your Westminster Presbyterian Session met for their monthly stated meeting on Wednesday, September 18, 2024, in Russell Hall at 6:00. A 5:30 pre-session was held to review hard copies of the monthly financials and the Next Generation plan. The guests for the evening were Zach Hatefi from Stewardship, Vik Schaaf (on Zoom) Susan Tanabe, Rachelle Hughes, Ariana Recher and Warren Binford (joining on Zoom), to represent the Next Generation committees. Also attending were guests Michael Wood and Dick Hughes from Personnel.
For Elder training, Chapter 3 of the book, Being Church in a Liminal Time was discussed. Zach Hatefi gave a presentation from the Stewardship Committee. It will kick off on October 20. There was a focused discussion of the Next Generation ministry. A motion was approved for two new committees: Next Generation Steering Committee(s) and a Safety Committee, and a motion to approve the Next Generation September 2024 proposal. The next stated meeting of session will be held on October 16, 2024 at 6:00.
--Sandy McLean, Clerk of Session
On Sept 18, the elders met for Westminster’s monthly session meeting. The session, personnel and Next Generation ministry (0-18) are working closely together to map out new ways forward with our infants, children and youth. A number of questions have been answered and there are still many more to go. It will take some time in the coming weeks (and months) to get through them and the elders appreciate your patience during this important process. Please reach out to Sandy McLean (Clerk of Session), Pastor Kelly or any of the elders with questions you may have.
--Pastor Kelly
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Looking Ahead
September 21 @ 2 pm: Sally Neely Memorial Service (streaming online here)
September 22-October 27 @ 11:30 am: Presbyterian Beliefs Class
September 23, 1-6 pm: Red Cross Blood Drive
September 29 @ 4 pm: Project 2025 Discussion with Dr. Seth Cotlar from Willamette University
October 5 @ 12 pm: Car caravan w/ Citizenship in Oregon
October 6 @ 10 am: Youth Sunday and Peace & Global Witness Offering
October 10-13: Fine Arts Festival
October 15 @ 5:30 pm: Town Hall Forum
Access the full church calendar here. To add or correct something, please email office@salemwestpres.org.
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Opportunities
Youth Group begins this Sunday! We are working on Youth Sunday service and putting together our mission trip frames for the youth room. All grades 6-12 are welcome. 6-7 PM in the youth room. Here is your fall youth calendar.
Presbyterian Beliefs Class - This is a six week class that will be led by Pastor Kelly. It is designed as an inquiry class that will cover the foundations of theology and church. Anyone is welcome to sign up who wants to delve deeper into what it means to be Presbyterian, whether you are already a church member or not. It is designed also as Part 1 to joining membership in the spring of 2025. Please mark your calendars for September 22-October 27; time and location: 11:30-1:00 in Russell Hall (Library)—bring your own lunch. There are signup lists in Boulder Hall, or contact the church office to add your name to the list.
The Stephen Ministry Team is gearing up to teach classes for those wanting to become Stephen Ministers. The training involves 50 hours of class time, spread over 20 weeks of 2 and 1/2 hour sessions. Classes will be held here at the church from 9:30 to 12:00 on Mondays. Start date and place will be announced later. If you are interested in finding out more about what a Stephen Minister does, or are considering becoming a Stephen Minister, please talk with any of the Stephen Ministry Team or contact the church office. Congregational members are invited to attend any of the classes that are of interest to them on a drop-in basis. Classes are listed on the yellow poster on the bulletin board in Boulder Hall.
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Invite your friends to "Project 2025: Threat to Democracy" featuring Willamette professor Dr. Seth Cotlar on Sunday, September 29 at 4 pm here at Westminster. Professor Cotlar specializes in the history of the United States in the years between the American Revolution and the Civil War. His first book--Tom Paine's America: The Rise and Fall of Trans-Atlantic Radicalism in the Early Republic--won the Best First Book Prize from the Society for Historians of the Early American Republic. He is currently working on a new book project, a cultural history of nostalgia in modernizing America, 1776-1865.
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Thanks
"Thank you for your generous school supply donation. You helped to set up multiple families and classrooms for success!" --McKinley Elementary
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Pray
For the family and friends of Jennifer Brundidge, former member of WPC, who passed away this week.
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Give
We are looking at doing a Trunk or Treat again this year safely in the upper parking lot on SUNDAY OCTOBER 27th from 5-6:30 PM. We would have host cars arrive at 4:45 to get set up. If you are willing and interested in hosting a car this year, please let us know via email ASAP (vik@salemwestpres.org)! Decorating your trunk is totally option, but fully encouraged! We hope this will be a fun, safe, and enjoyable time for our families to be together outdoors this fall! If it rains like last year, we'll be indoors in Boulder Hall again.
Our 35th Westminster Festival of Fine Art is approaching and we could use everyone’s help. Tasks include:
- Set up of display panels, tables, lighting, etc. Sun & Mon. Evenings, Oct 6-7
- Check-in of artwork, Tues.,Oct. 8
- Displaying artwork, Wed., Oct. 9 (lunch provided)
- Greeters and Gallery Guides, Thurs. evening, Fri-Sun., Oct. 10-13
- Kitchen Help, Thurs evening, Oct. 10
- Parking Attendants, Thurs evening, Oct. 10
- Taking down of artwork, display panels, etc., Sun., Oct. 13
- Returning unsold artwork to artists, Sun., Oct 13
We will have a table Sunday at the Fall Festival with signup sheets available or sign up here now. You can email us at wpcfafestival@gmail.com with any questions. Come join the fun as we prepare for our Show! Thank you for your support!
Greetings Red Cross blood drive friends,
We write to you today as the Monday, September 23 Westminster blood drive is coming up!
Red Cross has identified you as one of the valuable blood types that can help to save many lives. Types O, A negative and B negative are desired as they can be donated to a wider range of recipients, particularly in emergency situations. There are still several appointments available to give whole blood throughout the day on Sept. 23. So we urge you to either sign up online using the Red Cross donor app on your phone, tablet or computer OR send email to Bill Nelson at bnelson@pacificomm.net or call or text message my mobile phone at (503) 576-1278. If you have Types O, A negative, or B negative blood types, you may actually qualify to donate TWO units of the most frequently used blood component, red cells. (There are a few restrictions, such as weight, minimum hemoglobin (iron) level, etc.) The Red Cross refers to this type of donation as Power Red. It safely uses a small centrifuge type of machine to separate blood components. It takes only slightly longer than a whole blood donation, AND you will get back all of your platelets and plasma. You will also receive some saline solution so you may feel more hydrated than after donating one unit of whole blood. If you are self-scheduling on the R.C. app you may need to scroll down to find the Westminster Sept. 23 blood drive. We very much hope that you can schedule your appointment at Boulder Hall. We have the best scenery of any blood drive!! Kind Regards, Bill Nelson and Pamela Garland - Westminster Red Cross Blood Drive coordinators
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In the Community
Our friends at Citizenship in Oregon, Ciudadania en Oregon, based at Temple Beth Sholom have extended an invitation for Westminster Presbyterian Church to participate in the 2024 Car Caravan to visibly support the right to vote, and the defense of all of our civil and human rights. Pastor Kelly will provide the mid-caravan reflection at the WWII memorial at the Oregon Capital that afternoon. Contact Michele Hare, Outreach for Social Justice (MPEJ), and/or Vik Schaaf, Youth Director, to join and for more information.
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Westminster Presbyterian Church | |
3737 Liberty Rd. S
Salem, OR 97302
PHONE: 503-364-3327
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