Friday Newsletter

The church office is closed Monday, Feb. 16, for Presidents’ Day.

Pastor Kelly is on vacation Feb. 13-16.

Tuesday Bible Study schedule: 

Feb 17 - lay led

Feb 24 - lay led

Pastor Kelly has a conflict these 2 weeks but Bible Study will still be held. 

Ash Wednesday @ Westminster

12-1pm

5-6pm

Stations: Ashes & Communion

Feb 22, 2026

10am – Worship

10:45am – Annual meeting

11:15am – Boulder Hall loan payoff party and potluck

Please submit any requests or proposed motions for the annual meeting to Clerk@salemwestpres.org by 2/17/26 for consideration. 

Per G-1.0504, business at congregational meetings is limited to: a. electing ruling elders, deacons, and trustees; b. calling a pastor, co-pastor, or associate pastor; c. changing existing pastoral relationships, by such means as reviewing the adequacy of and approving changes to the terms of call of the pastor or pastors, or requesting, consenting to, or declining to consent to dissolution; d. buying, mortgaging, or selling real property; e. requesting the presbytery to grant an exemption as permitted in this Constitution (G-2.0404); f. approving a plan for the creation of a joint congregational witness, or amending or dissolving the joint congregational witness (G-5.05); g. receiving a disciplinary decision against a member of the congregation as required by D-9.0102. 

Have you ever been curious about the weekly peaceful protests of the Oregon Chapter of the Poor People’s Campaign in downtown Salem? About a dozen members of WPC participate in Moral Mondays. One of our WPC members was invited by Earth Charter International to write about protesting peacefully. Here is the link to her article https://earthcharter.org/peaceful-protest-moral-mondays/. She describes why she protests and her experiences.

Please join the PPC on Mondays at noon at First Presbyterian Church at the corner of Winter and Chemeketa NE. We have an education segment of 30 minutes and then we walk and sing our way to the state capitol building holding bright yellow protest signs. (Free signs are provided.) We return to the church by 1:00. We hope to see you there.

Dear Friends,

The Congregational Vitality Committee is again sponsoring the class, Presbyterian Beliefs, this coming spring.

The class is designed for people who are interested in learning more about what Presbyterians believe. Some participants come from other Presbyterian congregations and understand the basic tenets of our beliefs. Others come from other traditions and have questions about where we at Westminster stand on issues of faith. Still others have experience in Presbyterian churches but want a refresher on the reformed faith and Westminster’s mission in Salem. 

The four sessions will be led by Pastor Kelly and will include both content delivery and discussion. This will be the third time that we have offered this popular and informative opportunity.

The classes will be held April 12, 19, 26 and May 3 from 11:30am-1:00pm in Russell Hall. Attendees will be encouraged to bring a lunch if desired. If you have any questions and/or want to sign up for the class, please contact the church office: office@salemwestpres.org. 

Additionally, please mark your calendars for the semi-annual new members class, which will be held May 17 and 24, following worship and fellowship time in Boulder Hall.

Grace and Peace, 

Katie Nelson nelsonkatieallstar@gmail.com

Westminster's "Souper Bowl Sunday" was REALLY 'souper', 218.6 pounds of food and surely all the 

soup was the 200 pounds! Outreach for Social Justice Committee thanks each and every one of you for

participating, and also to the crew who weighed, sorted, and was amazed at the variety of soups! Those folks were Bobbi Clyde, John Dalen, LuAnn Barnes-Nelson, and Bob Netz. 

You're Invited! Please join us at an Open House celebrating Dolores Winter-Byrnes’ 95th Birthday.

Dolores has been a cherished friend, neighbor, and family member to so many over the years.

We are excited to honor her with an open house in celebration of her incredible 95 years!

Open House Details

· Date: Friday March 6th, 2026

· Time: 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

· Location: Boulder Hall, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 3737 Liberty Road, Salem

Please drop in at your convenience to share a memory, enjoy light refreshments, and celebrate Dolores’ special milestone.

No gifts, please. Your presence is the greatest present!

We look forward to celebrating this wonderful occasion with you!

Dolores’ family.

Blood Drive Date: Monday, March 9 (3/9/2026)

Blood Drive Hours: 1:00 PM- 6:00 PM

Bus/Staff arrival time: 12 pm - 7 pm

Location: Boulder Hall