|
|
|
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,
Wow! How amazing it was to fill our sanctuary (and parking lot and gym!) on Sunday! Such a powerful, encouraging way to begin Holy Week. It is good to remember our connections in Christ as we make the journey through our annual remembrance of Jesus' death and resurrection, good to remember that our baptismal bonds exceed the cozy community that gathers regularly at the corner of Sunset and Dosch. Thank you for all who played a part in welcoming our kindred from Multnomah and Valley on Sunday.
I hope many of you are planning to return the courtesy paid by our Multnomah and Valley kindred and come to one or two or even three of the remaining shared services this week. Tomorrow at 6pm we will remember Jesus' last supper and the night of his arrest with a simple supper service at Valley Community Presbyterian Church (8060 SW Brentwood, 97225). Friday at 7:30pm, we will gather at Multnomah Presbyterian (7555 SW 45th, 97219) for a Tenebrae Good Friday service with marimbas, stories, and diminishing light. Remember how powerful it was to welcome our kindred from Valley and Multnomah on Sunday and return the blessing to them, please.
And Sunday, if you are a morning person or are willing to be so on the day of resurrection, I hope you'll join Pastor Susan (from Valley) and me at Gabriel Park, picnic area E, for a sunrise Easter service at 7:30am. Yes, I know that is after sunrise. But it's the best your non-morning person pastor can offer. Where is picnic area E? I'm so glad you asked. All the picnic areas are by the fabulous playground on SW Vermont. Picnic Area E is a circle of tables, furthest from the playground, in a rather shaded area. There is a parking lot accessible from a side street. There is ample street parking on Vermont. There are nearby bathrooms. And you may also park at the SW Community Center for easy access. This will be a short, simple service with song and prayer and scripture and shared reflection. I hope you'll consider starting your Easter with us.
Of course we'll have our main Easter service at 10am in our sanctuary. Bring flowers to help flower the cross (or use flowers provided!). Come ready for brass and much rejoicing. We are thrilled to be baptizing Karin Bright and welcoming her into church membership on Sunday.
This has been a week with abundant pastoral care concerns. We are praying for our parish associate, Jan Reynolds and her husband John and their daughter Annie, as they grieve the tragic death of son and brother Tom last Saturday. Mary Poulsen has broken a hip and is recovering from surgery on Wednesday. And Greg Fowler is recovering from major surgery. Please join your kindred in Christ in pray for the grieving, the injured, the sick.
Here's the poem offered for our reflection today, by the Rev. Sarah Speed from A Sanctified Art:
Power Like a Seed
In a world that wants power like a machine gun,
power like a bomber plane,
power like a gated fence to keep the hungry out,
I want power like a seed—
power that will crack me open and grow something good;
power like an open door,
an invitation that says, “Come on in;”
power that feels like a strong spine with a soft heart.
I want the power to listen, to lean in, to ask follow-up questions.
But more than anything, I want the power to bring us together,
to lift you up.
There are different kinds of power.
One will build a wall.
One will plant a garden.
We should know by now, only one will bear fruit.
I hope to see you tonight.
In Christ, Pastor Sarah |
|
|---|
|
SCRIPTURE
April 20
Luke 24:1-12
April 27
Luke 24:13-35; Psalm 30
Read these passages online here |
|
|---|
|
|
 |
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 UPDATE - FINAL STRETCH
Thank you so much to those who attended and participated in our potluck and SW Hope fundraiser last Sunday! In addition to having fun and meeting our Presbyterian neighbors, we raised approximately $2500 for the SW Hope campaign! Wow!! The potluck planning team is overflowing with gratitude for everyone who helped make this event such a huge success.
We are in the final days of this year's SW Hope campaign, and while the events have concluded there is still time to make a food or money donation if you haven't done so yet. You can do this by check at our Easter service on Sunday, or make a donation online at our website. Make sure to designate 'Neighborhood House' in the drop-down menu. Thanks for helping to make this another great year for SW Hope, and helping our neighbors in need!
|
|
|---|
|
SUPPORT VALLEY COMMUNITY PRESBYTERIAN'S 2025 CROP WALK
At our potluck last Sunday we heard from Valley Community about their annual Crop Walk ministry, which will take place this year on April 27. This nationwide event is a community-based walk created to support the global mission of Church World Service, a faith-based organization transforming communities around the globe through just and sustainable responses to hunger, poverty, displacement and disaster. After a CROP Hunger Walk ends, 25% of the funds raised is returned to the host community to support local hunger fighting efforts. You can either sign up for the 1.5 mile walk that begins and ends at Valley, or contribute financially to their team. Their goal is to raise $1500.
|
|
|
|
|
Learning & Fellowship Opportunities |
|
ANTI-RACISM DISCUSSION GROUP
Please read chapter4 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! |
|
|
|
|
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 there. Guests are welcome... please RSVP!
**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 20 & 27
10:00am Worship
(also in person)
Friday, April 18 & 25
10-12pm Virtual Coffee Chat, Zoom
Saturday, April 26
1:00pm Enneagram Discussion Group
Zoom
|
|
ST. ANDREW'S NAMETAGS
As part of our welcome we encourage everyone to wear their name tags during Sunday worship. If your name tag is worn, has been lost, or if you never received one in the first place, contact the office and we will be happy to make you a new one (with our current logo!).
|
|
|
|
|
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
|
|
|---|
|
| |
|  |
|
|
|
|
