Friday Newsletter

Interior cleaning and tidying of the church continues! The different volunteer teams (B&G, staff, worship, etc) will communicate as best as possible and your patience is appreciated. Please contact Building & Grounds with any questions or concerns.

Committee storage that used to be in the storage room behind the sanctuary has been moved to the storage room with the Christmas decorations.

This is Bill Nelson and I am writing on behalf of the American Red Cross regarding the blood donation drive at Westminster Presbyterian Church on Liberty Road in Salem on Monday, March 9. See below for the available appointment times. It seems that you have donated at our location in the past, so let’s “keep the blood flowing”

You can use the Red Cross blood donor app on your phone, tablet, or computer, OR you can send email at bnelson@pacificomm.net, text message or call on my mobile phone at (503) 576-1278 .

Please remember to complete your RapidPass the morning of the blood drive. This makes your registration process smoother and quicker and helps keep everything on schedule.

RapidPass can be accessed at

https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/manage-my-donations/rapidpass.html

If you are self-scheduling online you may need to use the zip code by location to find the Westminster blood drive. Westminster is located at 3737 Liberty Rd. S in Salem, Zip code 97302 with plenty of free parking.

We are hoping that you can join fellow community members in making the life-giving donation of blood on March 9. There are still many appointments available between 1:45pm and 5:00pm so contact me to get your spot! People with type O blood are especially needed to donate as type O blood is often in short supply and is the most common blood type.

Again, this is Bill Nelson at (503) 576-1278. I hope to hear from you soon!  

Women’s night out will be at black bear dinner. Monday March 9th at 6pm. RSVP To Michele Hare - michelehare25x2@gmail.com

Our church’s governing board, known as Session, is composed of eight elders elected by the congregation and Pastor Kelly Wadsworth, who is moderator.

The next Listening Session with elders will be Sunday, March 15. Join elders Sandy McLean and Steve Kandra after worship in Boulder Hall.

The comments, questions and suggestions from previous Listening Sessions have been compiled into a FAQ. It will be available on the website www.salemwestpres.org.

Westminster is participating in the March 16 Vigil for the Dead and Disappeared. Please join us downtown from 6-8pm. 

Save the Date!

"We Are All Part of God's Story"

Get ready for the annual Women's Retreat! All women are invited to share a time of fellowship, renewal, and spiritual growth at the beautiful Oregon coast May 1st-3rd. You may choose to attend from Friday through Sunday, or just come for the day on Saturday. Registration begins March 8. Our topic this year will explore our own faith journeys and relationship with God. You'll enjoy discussion, self reflection, music, and free time, all with a view of the ocean and good food. The Women's Retreat Planning Committee hopes to see you there! Please contact office@salemwestpres.org with any questions.

Cost is on a sliding scale. In order to be able to cover the cost of the retreat, we expect to need an average of $170 for the weekend or $75 per person for Saturday only. Look for the registration table near the front doors before or after church starting this Sunday. Registration ends March 22nd.

We are happy to announce that we will be celebrating the 37th Anniversary of the Westminster Festival of Fine Art! This year’s dates will be October 16-18, 2026. 

As you may remember, Sheila and Doreen announced that for the Festival to continue, they would need additional assistance and suggested a team format. 

Several people have stepped up and said they would take on various parts of the Festival (Artist Relations, Volunteer Recruitment, Graphic Design, and Display Coordination). In addition, we have recruited some new members to our Planning Committee. Thank you to Katie Nelson for bringing new members to assist with our planning. 

Our first Committee meeting will be Tuesday, March 10 at 6 pm at the church. We invite anyone interested to attend and participate in our planning for this year’s Show. 

We encourage and welcome comments and suggestions from the Congregation. You may bring your thoughts to the committee meeting or email them to wpcfafestival@gmail.com

We will provide additional information about this year’s team and Show in the near future. 

Thank you for your support.

We are looking for people who would like to run the KidsConnect VBC preschool area for Vacation Bible Camp every morning from August 31 through September 4. A curriculum is available for your use. If you love preschoolers and would like to be in charge of this group, please contact Terri Crall (tcrall71@gmail.com)