|
|
|
Clickable Table of Contents |
|
Join us in person for worship every Sunday at 10:00am, or on Zoom & Facebook.
Visit our website, www.standrewspdx.com, for an online bulletin. Click on 'bulletin' on the right side of the home page. |
|
Thoughts from Pastor Sarah |
|
Dear Kindred in Christ,
We have arrived at the end of the Lenten season, we are on the precipice of the holiest week of the year. And we have such exciting plans for this weekend. Come Saturday morning to make Palm Crosses in the narthex. And be sure to join us Sunday morning for our combined service with Multnomah and Valley. Thanks to the many from all three congregations who have agreed to read or sing. And thanks to the team from St. A's and Valley who have planned an exciting potluck/fundraiser to support SW Hope. All the details about that potluck are below, but let me highlight the food news-- pulled pork sandwiches and beverages will be provided and those in the first half of the alphabet (A to L) are invited to bring desserts. Those in the second half the alphabet (M to Z) are invited to bring side dishes. If you can't bring anything, it's ok, you're still welcome! When you arrive on Sunday you can drop off potluck donations downstairs or on a cart in the narthex.
It will be an honor and a blessing to have folks from Multnomah and Valley with us in worship. And I pray many of you are planning to go to Valley on Maundy Thursday for a 6:00 supper service with communion, and to Multnomah for a story sharing/last words/Tenebrae service at 7:30. And I hope some of you will join Pastor Susan and me at Gabriel Park, in the northeast corner, picnic area E, for an (almost) sunrise Easter service at 7:30am. I trust many of you will gather on Easter morning at 10am in our sanctuary as we rejoice anew in the glorious news of resurrection.
I offer for your nourishment, another poem from Sanctified Art, by the Rev. Sarah Speed. She offers this for Palm Sunday:
If You Really Listen...
In the city you’ll hear horns, the clatter of the subway,
mothers calling to their children, saying, “Take my hand before we cross the street.”
You’ll hear church bells, Salvation Army bells,
people asking for spare change, while others ask for directions.
You’ll hear the whistle from the traffic cop,
the exhaust from the bus,
that a train is arriving in two minutes.
You’ll hear mothers selling fresh mango,
theater kids selling tickets,
and religious groups selling ideas.
But even with all that shouting,
even with all that noise,
the birds still sing.
Against all odds,
thanks be to God,
the birds still sing.
I pray that our Lenten journey together has helped you to breath, listen, and notice and that you are hearing and noticing things that help you to give thanks to God.
I'll be on Zoom for coffee chat between 10 and 12 tomorrow and I'd be delighted to hear what you've been hearing and noticing of late and to answer any questions you have about the week ahead. Click here to join us.
In Christ, Pastor Sarah |
|
|---|
|
SCRIPTURE
April 13
The Passion according to Luke
April 20
Luke 24:1-12
Read these passages online here |
|
|---|
|
|
ANTI-RACISM DISCUSSION GROUP
There is still time to join this robust discussion group! Please read chapter 3 for our next discussion, ideally early in the month, and then spend some time trying to do one or more of the next steps she proposes. We hope to see you there! |
|
|
|
|
PALM CROSSES
On Saturday, April 12, from 10:00-12:00 in the narthex we will have our annual gathering to make palm crosses for Palm Sunday. Join us for this fun and family friendly event. Refreshments will be available. Contact Connie Blumthal for more info. |
|
|
|
|
 |
PALM SUNDAY POTLUCK AND SW HOPE FUNDRAISER WITH VALLEY COMMUNITY AND MULTNOMAH PRESBYTERIAN
St. Andrew's & Valley Community are excited to announce our community potluck and SW Hope fundraiser on April 13th, after our combined Palm Sunday worship service! Join us for delicious food and getting to know our fellow Presbyterian neighbor congregations.
Here are the details:
- Pulled pork sandwiches and beverages will be provided, with a potluck for the sides and desserts. Last names starting with A-L are invited to bring desserts; M-Z to bring side dishes.
- There will be silent auction and raffle items! All proceeds will go to SW Hope. Auction items include a 10-speed bike, a seascape painting, and a beautiful quilt made by Gail Planck. Raffle items include different gift baskets and gift cards for local restaurants and retail & service businesses.
- We will hear presentations from Valley about their upcoming ministry events, and also from the Executive Director and Food Market Manager at Neighborhood House.
Volunteers are needed! We are planning for 120 people so there is much to do. If you can help with set up and/or clean up on the day of the potluck please contact Katy in the office.
We hope to see you at this fun community event!
|
|
|---|
|
|
ST. ANDREW'S NAMETAGS
We will be welcoming the Valley Community & Multnomah Presbyterian churches to our Palm Sunday service on April 13th. As part of our welcome we strongly encourage you to wear your name tags that day. If you don't have a name tag, or need a new one, contact Connie Blumthal or Katy in the office.
|
|
|
|
|
 |
ONE GREAT HOUR OF SHARING - APRIL 20, 2025
One Great Hour of Sharing supports efforts to relieve hunger through the Presbyterian Hunger Program, promote development through the Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People, and assist in areas of disaster through Presbyterian Disaster Assistance. All three programs work in different ways to serve individuals and communities in need. From initial disaster response to ongoing community development, their work fits together to provide people with safety, sustenance, and hope.
Donations can be made by check or online at our website, making sure they are properly designated on the check memo line or in the drop-down menu online. 36% of the offering supports the Presbyterian Hunger Program, which is committed to ending hunger globally. 32% supports Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, which is committed to helping others repair from disaster during and beyond the initial aftermath globally. And 32% supports Self-Development of People, which is committed to helping communities around the world gain the skills they need to improve their communities. Thank you for your generosity! |
|
|
|
|
FLOWERING THE CROSS ON EASTER SUNDAY
We will once again flower the cross on Easter Sunday, before the service begins. Make sure you bring your flowers to take part! |
|
|
|
|
SW HOPE UPDATES AND UPCOMING EVENTS - FINAL WEEK
Dear Friends-
SW Hope is the community’s answer to growing food insecurity right here in SW Portland. Today in Oregon, many of us don’t know where our next meal is coming from — 1 in 8 of us are currently facing food insecurity, including 1 in 6 children. The ongoing hunger crisis is not slowing down. Helping neighbors with ever-increasing food costs allows them to focus on paying rent, buying medicine, and other necessities.
There are just two events coming up in the SW Hope community food drive, offering a little something for everyone: the SW Hope 5K Run/Walk and the last Dine Out to Donate at Mediterranean Exploration Company (MEC) in downtown Portland. We hope you can attend one or both of these. There are also additional ways to still help:
|
|
|---|
|
|
Congress is preparing to cut federal nutrition programs in its upcoming budget resolution. If passed, these cuts would strip away a fundamental human right—access to food—from over 700 thousand families, older adults and children in Oregon who rely on programs like SNAP to survive. |
|
Community potluck and SW Hope fundraiser at St. Andrew's,
this Sunday!
Join us right here at St. Andrew's after worship this Sunday for a community potluck with Valley Community and Multnomah Presbyterian. Chris Chiacchierini, Executive Director of Neighborhood House, and Jim Cooper, Free Food Market Manager, will give a presentation on SW Hope, and all proceeds raised from the auctions and raffles will go to SW Hope. See the article above for more info. |
|
|---|
|
Donate money or food items
You can make monetary donations by check, or online at the St. Andrew's website. Make sure to designate that it is for 'Neighborhood House'. Non-perishable food items can be dropped off in the barrel in the narthex. Money donations are the most efficient way to help, but actual food items are also very useful as they can immediately go on the shelves of the Free Food Market as they are emptied. |
|
|
|
|
Dine Out to Donate
The last one of these is next Monday, April 14, at Mediterranean Exploration Company. 10% of all proceeds will go to SW Hope!
|
|
|
|
|
SW Hope 5K
This Saturday, April 12 – Oregon Episcopal School
Registration is open for this annual event for all ages. The 5k and Kids Fun Run will be held again at the beautiful Oregon Episcopal School campus in SW Portland. New this year – a bunny-themed costume contest with prizes in the kid and adult categories! Runners and walkers welcome! Click here to register.
|
|
|
|
|
Learning & Fellowship Opportunities |
|
CHRISTIAN FORMATION CORNER - APRIL 2025
Dear brothers and sisters in faith: When I served on the St. Andrew’s staff (1990s-2009), I was encouraged and financially supported as I worked my way through the extensive PC(USA) Certified Christian Educator training. Now, as Elder of Christian Formation, I’d like to share a bit of what I’ve learned, with a brief message each month. This month we meet Protestantism’s founder:
Martin Luther (1483-1546) was a miner’s son who sparked the Reformation in Germany and changed the Christian world forever. He became a monk in 1505 and soon became Professor of Moral Philosophy and Doctor of Theology at the University of Wittenberg. In 1515 he was placed in charge of 11 Augustinian monasteries. Just 2 years later he took on the Catholic Church over their misuse of funds (indulgences). For the common people, Luther translated the Old and New Testaments into German and rewrote church services so everyone participated. He labeled worshippers the PRIESTHOOD OF BELIEVERS, and declared that the most sacred earthly act is to marry and raise a family in the faith.
Let’s make it a life-long journey!
Roberta Schlechter, CCE
|
|
NEXT STEPS IN ENNEAGRAM EXPLORATION
Join us on the fourth Saturdays of the month at 1:00pm on Zoom. We are reviewing various aspects of Enneagram theory, focusing especially on the many triads in the system.
In April we will be focusing on the countertypes of each type. There are three subtypes in each of the 9 main types, and each of them is a countertype. If you have some books that talk about subtypes you can read up on this this month. But no preparation is necessary. If you don't know what any of this means? Join us and find out! |
|
|
|
|
SPIRITUAL FORMATION GROUP
Wednesdays, April 16, May 7 and May 21, 12:30-2:00pm in the Lounge.
During this Lenten and Easter season, we are studying the healing and powerful Welcome Prayer. Please join us! Drop-Ins welcome!
Welcome, welcome, welcome.
I welcome everything that comes to me today
because I know it’s for my healing.
I welcome all thoughts, feelings, emotions,
persons, situations, and conditions.
I let go of my desire for power and control.
I let go of my desire for affection, esteem, approval and pleasure.
I let go of my desire for survival and security.
I let go of my desire to change any situation,
condition, person or myself.
I open to the love and presence of God and
God’s action within. Amen. |
|
|
|
|
SUPPER CHURCH
Join us for SUPPER CHURCH on the second of fourth Sundays of the month, at 5PM in the Lounge by the Chapel. We’ll celebrate one another, share fellowship, prayer and praise. We’ll have food from a neighborhood restaurant, so please click here to RSVP.
Hope to see you Sunday. Guests are welcome... please RSVP!
**We will not have Supper Church on April 13th, instead inviting everyone to our Palm Sunday service at 10am and community potluck after worship. The next Supper Church will be on April 27**
|
|
|
|
|
MEN'S BIBLE STUDY
The men's Bible study group meets every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month, at 7:00am on Zoom. Their current focus is on the book of Jeremiah. Contact Larry Kelley for more information. |
|
|
|
|
COFFEE HOUR VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
|
|
|
|
|
CHOIR NEWS
Join the St. Andrew’s choir. All are welcome! Rehearsals are immediately after worship. Simply talk to Don Feely or meet us in the choir room downstairs after the service.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
MULTNOMAH SAFE REST VILLAGE UPDATES - MORE VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES IN WINTER & SPRING
St. Andrew's supports the Multnomah Safe Rest Village in partnership with the Friends of Multnomah Safe Rest Village. Here are ways to help:
- MORE GARDEN WORK: Working with City Shelter Services and Westside Watershed Resource Center, we’ll continue improving soil and adding native plants to the muddy patches on the MSRV grounds—it’s a small area, but planting adds a bit of nature to a mostly-concrete landscape. There will be two work days: Saturday, April 12 and Saturday, April 26, from noon to 2:00. We have a small team of volunteers from FMSRV, plus staff from Westside Watershed, City of Portland, and Sunstone Way--and of course MSRV Participants are invited and encouraged to be part of this project.
- NEXT FEAST for MSRV Participants and Staff: Our Spring Feast will be Wednesday, April 30. Look for details soon on our Facebook page, and sign up through Meal Train. MSRV Participants are provided with one hot meal a day, and other than that they’re on their own. They manage well enough; some have a small income, SNAP benefits, or savings; and they have access to such food programs as Neighborhood House, Blanchet, and others. The “Special Feasts” brought in by FMSRV are popular and welcomed, a nice change from the usual. FMSRV members who contribute get a buzz from knowing they’re helping to cheer up difficult lives.
- COMMUNITY FORUM SERIES: May, June, July: Dates and locations will be announced soon. FMSRV & SW Faith Coalition will host three events this spring and summer, inviting neighbors to come together to learn and understand more about homelessness and housing solutions:
- MAY: Film & discussion:
No Place to Grow Old. An excellent short film produced by Humans for Housing, depicting the growing epidemic of people here in Portland who are aging and find themselves without housing. Intimate interviews with three people who know the challenges first hand.
- JUNE: Civic Circles with Street Roots: Another in our series of in-person conversations with members of the Street Roots Ambassadors program, all of whom have spent years homeless and on the streets. Street Roots has helped them find housing; and selling the weekly edition of the paper gets them a micro-income stream they can save for rent and other needs.
- JULY: Presentation on the Micro Village Expansion Project; one proven step on the road to housing, supported by intensive research. Members of the MVEP team will describe this effective model for how people can move from a chaotic life on the streets or in temporary shelters to a stable living situation.
- MONDAY SANDWICHES: We continue Sandwich Mondays, providing a few dozen sandwiches around lunch time. Sign up HERE for instructions. Bring a dozen or so sandwiches, with a focus on healthful, protein-rich items. You’re also welcome to supply chips, drinks, cookies, etc, if you like. Also, please keep in mind that many Participants have serious dental issues and few teeth, so it’s helpful to include some things that are very easy to chew.
|
|
|
|
|
SERVING OUR NEIGHBORS AT WEST WOMEN'S & CHILDREN'S SHELTER FOR OVER 50 YEARS!
Our connection to WWCS goes back from the 1970’s to the 1990’s when the Windjammer Mariners, many of whom still worship here at St. Andrew’s, would deliver 5 gallons of milk every week for the women and children living at the shelter. More recently during the Covid pandemic, many members and friends of St. Andrew’s made and delivered casseroles, snacks, bread, and salads for the residents and the volunteers who serve them on the weekends when there are no paid kitchen staff. At times, other necessities such as hygiene items, children’s toys, and puzzles have been donated. For the last 13 years or more the residents of West Women and Children’s Shelter have been the recipients of our Giving Tree donations. 35 gifts were provided for Christmas 2024. On behalf of St. Andrew's the Mission Team continues to allocate an annual monetary gift to support the shelter.
Our current, ongoing ministry is continuing to deliver pre-made casseroles and other food and household items to the shelter on a monthly basis. Ask any of us who have made the deliveries and you will hear how grateful and joyful are the volunteers who meet us to accept our donations.
We would love your help. If you’d like to share in serving our neighbors at WWCS, check out the link here. Joy Abounds!
|
|
|---|
|
 |
SOUTHWEST OUTREACH SHOWER PROGRAM
Southwest Outreach is an active civic group connecting with our neighbors living outside in SW Portland through visits, conversation, relationship-building, and a weekly shower program at Riversgate Church in Multnomah Village. The weekly shower program is a welcome day center for people being displaced in our area. Our guests find a few peaceful hours to get a shower and a hot meal, connect with resources and engage in conversation.
Request for electronic devices: Many of our neighbors who live outside desperately need electronic devices: phones, tablets, laptops, portable WiFi hotspots.This connects them to the world of housing, medical care, employment, emergency services and other resources. If you have a device in any condition that is usable or can be repaired, please contact Marilyn Palumbo. The device should be reset to factory status from the settings menu. We’ll help with that if needed! Thank you.
If you are interested in volunteering with this important and effective group, contact Sandy Steinecker or Marilyn Palumbo. You can also contact them if you’re worried about someone in the neighborhood who might be houseless and needing help. St. Andrew's is the fiscal sponsor of SW Outreach. You can make money donations through our website, choosing 'SW Outreach' in the drop-down menu. |
|
|
|
|
ZIPLOC MINISTRY
Saturday, May 3
10:30-12:00-Ziploc bag filling and donation drop-off
Each month St. Andrew's sends large Ziploc bags filled with essential items to our ministry partner Operation Nightwatch, who then distributes them to the houseless people who utilize their services. Thanks to generous donors, along with additional Neighborhood Ministries funds, we receive enough funding each month to cover these costs. We are grateful to be able to continue this important work.
So what can you do to help? It has been brought to our attention the constant need for donations of new socks and new men's boxer-briefs, for many of our ministry partners. These can be dropped off at our first Saturday Ziploc bag filling, at worship on Sundays, or during office hours.
|
|
|---|
|
ST. ANDREW'S QUILTERS
The St. Andrew's quilters meet on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month at 9:30. Their beautiful creations are donated to organizations that provide warmth to those in need. All are welcome to join them! Contact Gail Planck for more information. |
|
|
|
|
Virtual Gatherings & Events
|
|
Sunday, March April 13 & 20
10:00am Worship
(also in person)
Thursday, April 10
6:00 Anti-Racism Discussion Group, Zoom
Friday, April 11 & 18
10-12pm Virtual Coffee Chat, Zoom
Saturday, April 26
1:00pm Enneagram Discussion Group
Zoom
|
|
FLOWERS FOR SUNDAY WORSHIP
If you would like to recognize a special occasion or person (i.e. birthdays, anniversaries) or memorialize a loved one by placing flowers on the chancel, please contact Bev Ruggles to confirm a date. Contact the office for Bev's phone number if you don't have it. |
|
|
|
|
PRINTED COMMUNICATIONS BY MAIL
Did you know that we can send printed copies of the bulletin and eNews through the mail? There is a list of people who receive these each week, and there's room for more. If you would like to have us mail you a printed copy of the weekly worship bulletin and/or a text version of the eNews, contact the office and we'll put you on the list! |
|
|
|
|
NATIONAL SUICIDE & CRISIS LIFELINE
People experiencing a mental health crisis have a way to reach out for help in the U.S., by calling or texting the numbers 9-8-8. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the United States. It will function much like 9-1-1, but is solely dedicated to addressing mental health needs. Click here for more information on this potentially lifesaving program, and help spread the word. |
|
|
|
|
RIDES TO CHURCH
Do you or someone you know need a ride to church on Sundays? If so our Deacons are on hand to give rides to church to those who need one. If you would be interested in receiving this service, or know someone else who would, please let us know so we can get you on our list. If you would be interested in being a driver, please let us know that too. Contact the office, Merrie Backer, or Larry Kelly to sign up, or if you have any questions.
|
|
|
|
|
Member Database Access is available anytime. Contact the office to get set up. |
|
For on-line giving please visit:
standrewspdx.com/give
Thank you for continuing to support the ministries of St. Andrew's through your online donations and checks sent by mail.
|
|
|
|
|---|
|
Katy Rustvold, Office Administrator/Neighborhood Ministries Coordinator
|
|
|---|
|
| |
|  |
|
|
|
|
