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Greetings St. Paul’s Community and friends,

Join us this Sunday following the 10:00 a.m. worship service in the Parish Hall for a Town Hall

meeting. In preparation for this event, I have asked two questions: What are you grateful for? What are you curious about? While it may be crystal clear in my mind what I am looking for, you may not understand that I want to know what you are excited about or what is working well, at St. Paul’s when I ask what you are grateful for. Likewise, when I ask what you are curious about, I want to know what you are wondering about, what do you want to talk about and are afraid to ask.

Communication is integral to thriving communities and through my work as an interim and I guess as clergy in general; communication is a growth edge in most churches. At times we think we are communicating when what we are doing is talking to the same people without going to the source of our quandary. The intent of these Town Hall meetings is to bring people together in the same room and begin listening and talking with one another. Several of you have emailed me with things you are curious about and grateful for. They will be implemented into the Town Hall, thank you!

There will be a whiteboard listing both the curiosities and gratitude’s that I have received. There will also be room to add more ideas. In a sense this first Town Hall could be a brainstorming activity; however, I will have some concrete information as well. To help you begin generating some of your own ideas or let you know what others are wondering about, this is what I have received so far:

Town Hall Gratitude

Liturgy and music

Open and welcoming community

Outreach Programs

Interim Priests

Staff

Church Volunteers

Godly Play

PRIDE ministry

Pastoral Care

Sacred Ground

Town Hall Curiosities

Search Process

Budget 2025

Why are worship services so long?

What is happening with God’s Dream?

Has the church been audited?

We experimented with a different version of Nicene Creed, now what?

How can we support the staff as they go through these transitions?

What are other ways people can support St. Paul’s if their personal finances are limited?

I hope to see you at the Town Hall!

Blessings of hope,

Pastor Janell

she/her

If you have questions, concerns or want to contact me, be in touch with the office as they can schedule appointments for me. You can also email me at pastorjanell@stpaulsoregon.org.

Upcoming Events:

Vestry Retreat – September 28

Jazz Worship – September 29 at 10:00 a.m.

Town Hall – September 29 following worship

Parish Workday – October 5

Blessing of Animals – October 6 indoors at both worship services

Evensong – October 6 at 4:00 p.m.

Walk out of Darkness – October 12 at 3:00 p.m. You can register for this walk here.

Walk in Love:

Ephesians 5:2 tells us “Walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant

offering and sacrifice to God.” This is a key passage of our liturgy and inspires us to seek to be

better people every day.

St Paul’s annual pledge campaign occurs during September through November. Deciding what wealth, works and wisdom we will share is a private, spiritual exercise and conversation with God. We budget what to give to the church, then pledge that amount. Those pledges help the Vestry plan for the coming year. Then, we give as we have promised throughout the year.

Fall is a time of harvest and abundance. The annual campaign is an opportunity to reflect on all the gifts we receive and those gifts we may share.

Vestry Corner

2024 Vestry Members:

Johana St. Clair, Sr. Warden

(term ends 2025)

Chuck Chamberlain, Jr. Warden

(term ends 2025)

Jeanne Clark

(term ends 2o26)

Nancy Gordon

(term ends 2027)

Hollie Groves

(term ends 2025)

Barb Leque

(term ends 2026)

Rob Owen

(term ends 2026)

Liz Mills

(term ends 2027)

Elaine Sanchez

(term ends 2025)

Betsy Steinberg

(term ends 2026)

Cott Thompson

(term ends 2026)

Michelle Wardrip

(term ends 2027)

Linda Gilbert, Clerk of the Vestry

Dick Rankin, Treasurer

______

Click here to view Vestry minutes, reports, and updates on our website!

Watch services online:

Parish Events and Information

Out of Order - Office Door

Our office entry door is currently out of order and cannot be unlocked remotely or via the pin pad.

Please enter the building through the entrance in the chapel lobby until the necessary repairs are made. 

You can still use the office door to exit the building. 

Jazz Sunday

September 29th

Members and friends of St. Paul's are invited to a special jazz liturgy at the

10 a.m. service on September 29th. Music by Deanna Witkowski and Kerry Marsh will be offered by the Trinity Quintet. Megan Miller, Leah Brakebill, Madison Hall David Nelson and Barry Nelson will lead with vocals and will be accompanied pianist, Clay Giberson; bassist Kevin Deitz and percussionist, Charlie Doggett. Please come and join us!

Walk Out of Darkness

October 12th

Walk Out of Darkness is an annual walk for Suicide Education and Prevention. Team St. Paul’s Episcopal Church will be walking on Saturday, October 12 beginning at Riverfront Park-Gerry Frank Amphitheater. On-site registration begins at 1:00 p.m. The program begins at 3:00 p.m. followed by the walk. If you would like to register for the walk, click here. The walk is approximately 1.5 miles.

This is a fundraising event. You can walk on the team without donating. You can also donate and not walk. The possibilities of supporting this effort are endless.

This is the eighth year; Pastor Janell is participating in the Walk Out of Darkness. She will also be walking for Team Emily on October 5 in Portland. She walks in honor and memory of her daughter Emily who died by suicide in 2009 at the age of 17. Pastor Janell walks to help de-mystify the stigma associated with mental health and suicide.

These events are very educational with community sponsors offering resources. It is also supportive whether you walk alone or with a group. Pastor Janell’s favorite part of the walk is the bead ceremony honoring the vast array of connections we may have with suicide. She wears white as the parent of a child who died by suicide, and a variety of other colors as a companion for those who struggle with mental health challenges. If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Janell or Colleen in the office.

Folded Book Christmas Tree Craft

September 28th

The Parish Life Committee is hosting a series of workshops to prepare for the Craft Faire in December. Bring your own lunch and join us in the parish hall on Saturday, September 28, at 10:00 AM. Kristi McClain will guide us each through creating a Folded Book Christmas Tree. You’ll also receive supplies to make your own book at home.

Kristi inherited her grandmother’s collection of 44 volumes of the Yale Shakespeare series. These are the books with which you will be creating a book tree form the Craft Faire. Kristi grew up reading these plays before attending the Elizabethan theater in Ashland. It would have delighted her grandmother to know that these cherished volumes had returned to this Craft Faire event, as she was the one who originally introduced her family to the Episcopal Church. To sign up contact Kristi at kristimcclain52@gmail.com. If you forget to sign up, you are still welcome to join us.

If you have a craft you would like to share with others in the coming months, please contact Robin Ellis at: parishlifestpaulsoregon.org

Chair Yoga

Tuesday, October 1st at 1pm 



Join us this week for chair yoga - a 45 min, all-levels class offering supported poses from a seated position. Perfect for anyone working on their balance, recovering their strength, or just wanting to deepen their yoga practice.

Bring your mat (or borrow one of ours!) and wear clothes that you're comfortable moving in. We have plenty of chairs!

Chair Yoga Recommended Mobility Skills:

• Sitting for prolonged periods in a hard folding chair (without arms)

Click here to register for your first class!

Click here to help support free community events at St. Paul's!

St Paul's Fall Work Day

Saturday October 5th

9-12pm

Calling all parishioners! Come one come all and join in the fun! Tasks for everyone...inside and outside. We will work from 9-12 and then will provide lunch for the workers. You pick a task that fits your time and your abilities. We will have the supplies. We are compiling our list of tasks now. 

Outside there will be bulb planting, weeding and putting wood chips in the flower beds to prevent weed growth. If you have a wheelbarrow or wagon that you can bring that would be great. Inside we will be doing some painting, cleaning, sanitizing etc. The list is growing daily. 

For more information, contact Julia Battle 337 280-4207.

Blessing of the Animals

October 6th

During the 8am and 10am Services

At both services in the sanctuary, we will have a Blessing of Animals as part of our worship service. If your animal would not be comfortable indoors at a worship service, you are encouraged to bring a photo. A St. Francis medallion will be given to each pet.



The 8:00 a.m. service will remain as Rite I with the Blessing of Animals at the announcement time. The homily at both services will be centered on the Prayer of St. Francis. We will rejoice in the sound of the young choirs at the 10:00 a.m. service and celebrate Leslie Dinsdale’s forty years as the Director of Children’s choirs following worship in the Parish Hall. 

Leslie Dinsdale celebrates 40 years as Children's Choir Director

October 6th

Members and Friends of St. Paul's are invited to celebrate the 40th anniversary year of Leslie Dinsdale serving as children's choir director at St. Paul's.

Please join us in the parish hall after the 10 a.m. service on October 6th for a short ceremony recognizing this amazing servant of God.

Evensong Concert

October 6th

The 2024-25 Evensong Concert series begins with a choir concert featuring "Anthems from the Letters of Paul the Apostle." The St. Paul's Chamber Singers will be joined by a string quintet and organ to offer works by Heinrich Schütz, G.F. Handel, Anton Bruckner and Margaret Bonds. Other works include a premiere performance of a composition by Rebecca Oswald based on 1 Corinthians, Chapter 13. This concert directly follows the 4:00 service of Evensong and is open to the public with free will donations gratefully accepted.

Exhibit Opening of Paintings by Nancy Lindburg following Evensong, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

October 6th

Directly following the Evensong Concert, attendees are invited to enjoy light refreshments and the opening of a new art exhibit in the Library adjacent to the Sanctuary. On exhibit will be a selection of recent paintings by Nancy Lindburg that express her love of color, structure, and exploring the mystery of infinite space. The paintings will be exhibited during Sunday morning services and week-day church business hours, Tuesday through Friday, 9: 00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. from Sunday, September 29 to Thursday, October 31.

St. Paul's Fall Rummage Sale

Donation begins October 11th!

BRING IT ON, ST. PAUL’S! We can handle all you can donate!! Last spring was our

best, just over $13,000.00. Dare we reach for the stars? Donation days: Oct. 11-12-

13, 9am to 4 pm. Text or call Dave for large loads: 503-383-8314, Remember, all

funds are given to our church programs and community outreach.

Do you want to be part of the fun? There’s a place for everyone!!! Help a few hours or many, together we can have an awesome sale. There are 4 ways to let us know when you want to be part of this event. The dates are from Oct. 11th to Oct. 19th .

#1: Sign up via the internet. It even will send you a reminder! Click here!

#2: Text or call Kay at: 503-551-3002

#3: Send your days and hours to kjr2005@comcast.net

#4: Sign up on the list located at the “information counter” at the end of the walkway.

Join Us for Community Dinner

As we resume our weekly Wednesday community dinners, we find ourselves in need of a few smiling faces to greet people at the chapel entrance when they arrive! Could you be one of those people to offer welcoming hospitality to our community on Wednesday evenings as they arrive for dinner? Whether you can volunteer once or on a regular basis please contact Amy Goerger for more information! 

Join us for dinner, Connection, and Love Reminders, Wednesday nights at 5:15pm.

Oct 2: Roasted Brussels Grain Bowl (Register Here)

Oct 9: Traditional Soup Supper - Persian Barley Soup (Register Here)

Oct 16: Breakfast for Dinner (Register Here)

Oct 23: Traditional Soup Supper - Sweet Potato Soup (Register Here)

Oct 30: Spicy Basil Beef Bowl (Register Here)

Please register by the Monday before the dinner you will be attending.

Menus may be subject to change based on supply availability. You are welcome to RSVP or order for multiple weeks, please "register" for each week. Please contact Shauna at Shauna@stpaulsoregon.org if you need assistance. 

St. Paul’s offers this ministry and welcomes donations to help cover the expenses. Your gift helps support our community - please click here to give.

The true cost of each serving is $15.38.

Community Meditation

Fridays at 12pm

Join Dawn on Fridays in the PrayGround for free guided meditation. Chairs and cushions will be provided and sessions will last 30-40 minutes each week.

These meditations are open to anyone in the community to attend and are non-denominational. The focus is to provide a calming, non-judgmental, and relaxing space with which to learn de-stressing mindfulness techniques to use in everyday life. 

Email Dawn with any questions at dawn@stpaulsoregon.org.

All are welcome! Hope to see you there!

Community Caring

_____

Do you have some community appreciation that you would like to share? Send your shout outs to karina@stpaulsoregon.org to be included in an upcoming newsletter!

Phone Banking with EcoFaith to Get Out the Vote!

October 6th

1-3 pm

Join EcoFaith Recovery for a guided phone banking session to voters of color in voter suppression states hosted by EcoFaith and led by Reclaim Our Vote, a nonprofit, nonpartisan initiative of the Center for Common Ground. Studies suggest that phone calls increased Black voter turnout by 17.3% in recent years. 

Learn how to make nonpartisan phone calls and leave voicemail messages for voters of color in voter suppression states, and give it a try! All you need is a computer with a working microphone and speaker that can connect to Zoom for the training. The online system we will be using will then connect you to the phone numbers of potential voters. (Your own phone number will not be revealed.)

You will have plenty of moral support from your fellow volunteers and a debriefing session afterwards. Sign up at this link to phone bank EcoFaith. This is a small action with the capacity to make a big difference!

Join St. Paul’s Book Group!

Have you always wanted to be part of a fun group of avid readers for passionate discussion?

The St. Paul’s Book group meets monthly to discuss member selected texts. The meetings are held on the 4th Tuesday, 6:30- 8pm. Members agree to read each selected book, join in the discussions and host one discussion annually.

This year we have read: Remarkably Bright Creatures (Shelby Van Pelt), Eve Isn't Evil (Julie Faith Parker), The Last Temptation of Christ (Nikos Kazantzakis), Tribal Histories of the Willamette Valley (David Lewis), The People's Hospital: Hope and Peril in American Medicine (Ricardo

Nuila), This is Happiness (Niall Williams), The Beautiful Mystery (Louise Penny), The Salt Path (Raynor Winn) and God's Ghostwriters (Candida Moss).

The upcoming tentative schedule is: No Cure for Being Human (Kate Bowler) in October and The Four Vision Quests of Jesus (Steven Charleston) in November.

If you are interested in joining the group please email either Elisabeth Mills

(elisabethsmills@gmail.com) or Sandra Chiodo (sandraannechiodo@gmail.com)

Family Opportunity

I grew up serving as an usher in my church. My mother sang in the choir and my father ushered. I had the choice of sitting in the pew with a fidgety younger brother or doing something for my church. I chose to help out. Ushering gave me the chance to greet people as they came into the sanctuary and hand them a bulletin. I was able to direct them to restrooms and places where young children would be comfortable sitting during the service. It gave me the opportunity to get to know some of the adults who attended our weekly services. The really cool thing was passing the plate during the offertory and then taking the Gifts of the People to the altar prior to communion! That made me feel so important. 

Families who want to get more involved at St. Paul's have the opportunity to sign up as ushers. All it takes is helping out approximately once a month and being a welcoming person to those who come to worship with us. The great thing about our church is that younger children can help as they want and then move to the Prayground when they feel like it. It is a wonderful way for families to serve together. Please think about it.

We are also looking for couples and single individuals who would like to help as ushers.

Please contact me for more information: mwforner@live.com or 503-363-0551 There will be further information about a time for training in November.

Monday Gas Card Help Needed

On Monday mornings at 9am St Paul's gives out "Gas Cards", these are $25 Fred Myers gift cards. These are mostly utilized by homeless people that are living in their cars, hence the name. St Paul's has 12 of these a week in the budget and we regularly have 40 to 45 very needy folks coming to our chapel to participate in the lottery in hopes of receiving one. This ministry has grown to be a real community. We open the doors at 8:30am for coffee and sharing. Everyone ends up in our chapel and we have the lottery for the number of cards that are available that week. We are asking for you to consider donating to this ministry so that we give cards to at least half of the people that come. These are kind gentle people that are really struggling. It has been amazing to me that in the 2 years that I have been doing this that I have only received thanks and hugs, even those not receiving a card, which is the majority, are appreciative of what we are doing. Some parishioners have started donating food items so that those that don't get a card leave with something. If you are interested, you can also be a Monday morning volunteer.

So, how can you help? Donate money, food or time!  Please contact Julia Battle 337 280-4207 to coordinate the food and time or to ask questions or offer suggestions. Many thanks to those that have and are helping!

Firewood Available from The Woodcutters

Autumn is just around the corner! It's not too early to prepare for those brisk Fall and Winter evenings when a fire on the grate warms the heart.

Saint Joseph's Guild (The Woodcutters) has firewood ready for delivery. Choose softwood (a mix of fir, cedar and pine) for a fragrant warm fire or hardwood (mixed oak, maple, birch and walnut) for a long lasting, hot fire. Sold by the pick-up load (about one third of a cord) for $100 and $125, respectively.

Members of the St. Joseph's Guild meet weekly to haul, cut and split firewood from downed trees donated to us by home owners and tree service companies in Salem. The wood is then given to those in need or sold to our valuable long-time customers.

At year's end, any accumulated funds are distributed to local non profits chosen at the Guild's annual December meeting.

We are always looking for new members. Anyone with a free Tuesday morning and a desire for some moderate exercise and fellowship is welcome to join us.

Text Dave Trietsch at (503) 383-8314 or call Martin Loring at (503) 551-1515

Greeters Needed

We are in need of parishioners who would like to greet fellow parishioners and newcomers coming into worship for the 10:00 service. This is a valuable ministry which takes very little time. The commitment would be 1-2 times a month with a schedule that would work for you.

Please contact Liz Mills at 503-932-8923 if you can serve in this way.

Church Grounds Help Needed

Do you like to be outside enjoying God’s creation? We could use help doing weeding, pruning and watering our beautiful church yard and courtyard.

If you have a few hours to spare, please contact Julia Battle 337 280-4207 and we can divvy up the work or join together and visit while we work.

Dot the Free Pantry:

Community Mutual Aid

Follow Dot_thefreepantry on Instagram to stay up-to-date on ways you can take direct action to love our neighbors!

A friendly reminder that Dot is a pantry and not a clothing exchange or library. Please only share unexpired food and small toiletry items there. Thank you!

St. Paul's Children, Youth, and Families

Parents and Guardians please complete a NEW Annual Permission form linked below for each child participating in St. Paul's Children, Youth and Families activities.

Little Wonders and Godly Play 

Next gatherings: October 13th

Little Wonders

Infant-Preschool  

Families with young children explore God's love for us and the world through story and song! Infants through preschoolers along with their grown-ups gather on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month in Room 110 at 10:00am. Families join the service during the Peace for Communion.

Godly Play

K-5th

Godly Play is a way for children to experience faith stories in a Montessori style setting and wonder together about God's love for us. Children grades K-5 gather in Room 114 on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month at 10:00am. They join their families in the service at the Peace.

Salem Youth Collective Kick-off RECAP

Grades 6-12



Last Sunday 25 middle and high school youth along with 8 adult leaders gathered at St. Paul's to kick-off the program year! Salem Youth Collective shirts were tie-dyed and many pizzas were eaten. We played some fun and painless get-to-know-you games before discussing what is in store for this year together and doing some creative reflection with mini canvas paintings and air dry clay sculpting!

 In addition to our current third Sunday gathering, we're adding another monthly gathering that will be held on the second Sunday of the month at Offbeat Coffee. Check the calendar below for times and locations of all our gatherings through the end of the year. This year we'll be asking the hard questions together and we can't wait to explore how our lens of faith helps inform our answers to them. The Salem Youth Collective is currently led by 7 local progressive faith communities and is open to all middle and high school youth. Please contact Amy Goerger amy@stpaulsoregon.org if you have any questions!

Click here if you'd like to make a donation to help support the Salem Youth Collective!

Hope & Fire Overnight St. Paul's, Salem 

Grades 6-12

October 25-26, 2024

All youth in grades 6–12 are invited to a Hope & Fire youth overnight at St. Paul's, Salem from 6 pm Friday, Oct. 25 to 4 pm Saturday, Oct. 26. In addition to the usual youth overnight shenanigans (food, fun, compline, a service project), participants will take a field trip to Annual Meeting and help with the Gift Basket Raffle. Youth are welcome to bring their friends! For more information and to register, follow this link.

Children's Bulletins



Here are some fun ways for children to engage with the scripture readings each week.



The bulletins may be printed off and games accessed online.

• Ages 3-6 Children's Bulletin
• Ages 7+ Children's Bulletin

There is a secret code on the front cover page that is unique to our church and allows SAFE and secure access to online games to reinforce the message for the week. The games are geared toward all age levels so everyone can join in the fun!

        Step 1: Print the age-appropriate bulletin with a secret code on the front.

        Step 2: Enter the secret code at Games.ChildrensBulletins.com

        Step 3: Pick a game and play!

Weekly Birthdays

September 25th

Penelope Brenneman

September 26th

Emma Tiffany

Rachel Martin

September 28th

Mato Skah Lacey-Standing Elk

September 29th

Joan Rollins

September 30th

Barbara Edwards

October 1st

Juan Lopez

In Loving Memory

Don Edwards

James Marquiss

Beverly Collins

Jeremy Tison

Sue Parsons

Emily Cox

Cover Image: Neon Music Sign. Anonymous artist, image by Nevit Dilmen, ca. 2005. On this Jazz Sunday at St. Paul’s we are reminded of the words in the epistle reading today: “Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise.” Praying and singing go together as we live together in faith and love.

Anonymous. Neon Music Sign, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=56055 [retrieved September 25, 2024]. Original source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Music_01754.jpg.

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