Want a printed copy of the Weekly News? Click on the printer icon to the right or download and print the PDF.

New Adult Ed Classes Begin January 9

With the New Year, we get new Adult Education classes. St. Andrew’s six-week Epiphany term begins between services on Sunday, January 9.

“My Journey: What I’ve Learned Along the Way”

Join Jim Aageson in Fellowship Hall for a class about our life stories as he shares some reflective vignettes from his own life that are intended to prompt others to think about their own experiences. As Jim points out in his description of the class, our life stories “may…enrich the lives of the generations who come after us. They can give life, color, and texture to the family tree. They will be part of our legacies.”

Mental Illness in Our Midst: How Does It Look & How Can We Respond?

Janet Vorvick knows that mental illness affects lots of individuals, some of whom come to church with special needs. What can we do? Janet will explore several types of illness and offer concrete ideas for how to talk to people who suffer from depression, autism, or some other category of illness. She’ll share ideas from other churches, explore what we can learn about mental illness from the Bible and our hymns, and encourage open conversations. Join her in the St. Andrew Room.

All classes begin at 10:00 am and are offered in person. Details about any online offerings are yet to be worked out.

The Roots Launches January 23!

St. Andrew’s brand new Sunday morning children’s program, The Roots, is launching on Sunday, January 23! We will start off at 10:00 am in the Children’s Commons downstairs.

This completely original program is designed with the fun of summer day camps in mind–kids will move through rotations of storytelling, games, art, service, science, and music as they engage with stories from the Bible. The Bible stories we will be teaching have been hand-picked to emphasize our five core values of God care, Earth care, Neighbor care, Community care, and Self care. This program is open to all kids of vaccination age, kindergarten through grade 5. We are so excited and look forward to seeing you all again! 

If you are interested in participating in The Roots as a volunteer, we still need help specifically in leading games/arts and crafts. Contact kvogt@standrewlutheran.com to join the team! 

Welcome, India, Parish Chaplain

St. Andrew is delighted to welcome India Jensen Kerr as our Parish Chaplain. While many in our faith community know India and her family as longtime members, you may not know that she earned her undergraduate degree in Comparative Religious Studies at the University of Oregon, went to seminary at Marylhurst University, and is a current PhD student at Claremont School of Theology in Hebrew Bible. She also has a post-baccalaureate certificate in Women’s Studies from Portland State University.

India served as a volunteer chaplain at Meridian Park Hospital in Tualatin for more than three years and has worked and volunteered in social services, as well as volunteering to preach at a nursing home. At St. Andrew, India has served with the RIC Team, worked with Safe and Healthy Congregations, Domestic Violence, and Centering Prayer. She also served as a Eucharistic Minister for years.

In her new role, she will minister to those in crisis; provide and coordinate hospital and home visits; recruit, train, and coordinate Eucharistic Ministers; preach once a month; and provide guidance on self-care and spiritual issues. India can be reached at 503-646-0629, ext. 211, or at india@standrewlutheran.com.

Nifty Notters

This year you’re invited to make a New Year’s resolution to join the Nifty Notters. Come see what we’re doing on Saturday, January 8^th and 29^th between 9:00 am and 2:30 pm in Fellowship Hall. Stay for all or part of the time as we work on quilts for Lutheran World Relief and NW Children’s Outreach. We have projects for all skill levels and no experience is needed. All materials are provided. 

A special thanks goes to Judy Heidinger for her research in finding NW Children’s Outreach after Virginia Garcia Clinic cut back on their need for baby quilts. Also thanks to those who have made some wonderful fabric donations. If you have questions, please contact Mary Brown at 503-439-3917. 

Please note: we will NOT meet on January 1^st or 15^th. 

Thank You, Pastor Susan

As Pastor Susan Kintner eases back into a well-deserved retirement, we thank her for filling the role of Pandemic Pastor at St. Andrew for the past nine months. Thank you for your thoughtful sermons, for recognizing that the pandemic has transported us to a new kind of wilderness, and for guiding us through a liminal time when certainty is rare and our destination largely unknown. God be with you as you explore your creative talents and forge your best future!

Baby Rose

The rose on the altar today celebrates the birth of Ayla Marie Poloahilani Myers, born on December 23 to parents Erik & Dominique. Erik is Sharon Carlson’s youngest son and Ayla is her first grandchild. Welcome, Ayla. Congratulations to one and all!

Giving to a Designated Fund

During Advent, several St. Andrew people donated additional funds to support the Giving Tree project for Barnes Elementary families and immigrant families in need. Thank you for your most generous support! Your expression of Christian love has had an enormous impact on families struggling to make ends meet.

How does the church’s Finance Team manage donations to St. Andrew? The team works collectively to make sure contributions are handled properly. The Financial Secretaries receive and record income from contributing members and other sources, ensure all receipts are disbursed to the appropriate funds, and prepare a report of individual giving at the end of the calendar year. The Treasurers keep the books of account of the congregation, receive records of receipts from the Financial Secretaries, disburse funds, and provide a report to the Church Council each month.

It’s common for donors to specify that a portion of their contribution go to the Mortgage Fund, with another portion going to the Ministry & Mission Fund. If money donated to the church is not designated, it goes automatically to the Ministry & Mission fund to support ongoing operations.

In addition, donors can direct their contributions to an array of different initiatives—the COVID Fund, a fund for IT Equipment, the PIPE Fund (for property improvement and repair), Lutheran Disaster Relief, etc. Throughout the year, other funds are identified as part of the Service Committee’s work to support local agencies helping people in our community. Our faith community typically collects socks (Outside In) for homeless teens in September, school supplies (Lutheran World Relief) June-October, warm winter clothing (Western Farm Workers) in September, household items (Community Warehouse) in January, and so forth. You’ll find a complete calendar of Service Committee projects online. All of them accept cash donations as well as in-kind contributions.

Whenever possible, the Financial Secretaries request that parishioners support a particular project at the same time that the Service Committee is focused on that initiative. If you’re over 70, though, and must take a Required Minimum Distribution from your retirement account, that might not work, since this is something that is typically done at the end of the calendar year. If you’d like your contribution to go somewhere other than the Ministry & Mission Fund, simply identify the account you want your donation to support by selecting the appropriate drop-down option of designated funds on our website or writing it in the comment line on your check.

St. Andrew people have a history of generous giving to support our Ministry & Mission and, right now, many are focusing their gifts to pay down the mortgage, too. We anticipate that the current Hope for All campaign to retire the mortgage will succeed and that the mortgage will be paid off in time for the congregation’s 70^th anniversary in 2023.

For Christians who strive to live as God wants, giving is one way we show love for our most marginalized neighbors. We give joyfully to ensure people have food on their tables and all those necessities that allow them to live in dignity. We give when disaster strikes. We give to support agencies working on behalf of refugees or people facing homelessness. Whether modest or magnified, we thank you for your gifts!

The

An Opportunity

The Service Committee is in need of volunteers to work at Clothes for Kids, previously known as the Beaverton Clothes Closet. The area of need is on Wednesdays from 2:15-4:30 & 4:15-6:30. Jobs include sorting donated clothes, making phone calls for appointment reminders, and working with a small number of families as they select clothing. It would be helpful if we could provide someone who speaks Spanish, but it is not necessary. This is a ministry that St. Andrew has participated in for several years. We had to take a break during COVID, but now we are trying to fulfill a need within our community once again. If interested or you have questions, please contact Bonnie Bliesner @ larrybliesner@comcast.net or call 503-830-7001.

Thank you for your interest and your service.

Taking Down the Greens

Your help is needed next Saturday, January 8, at 10:00am for putting away the Christmas decorations and taking down the greens.  Thank you in advance!

I would like to thank those who helped to hang the greens and decorations: The Harker Family, Susan Werner-Reiser, Ed Fransen, Roger & Pat Sandquist, Judy Montague, Pam Jelineo, Allison Katsufrakis, Tim Holte, Pastor Mark, Rick LeRoy, Larry Vachal, Scott Taylor, and anyone else. We had such a good turnout and so much fun!

Happy New Year and much gratitude,
Tammy Piscitelli

New in the Adult Library

We can barely keep up with Pam Farr as she stocks St. Andrew’s Adult Library with lots of new books. Here are some of the latest:

Fiction

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, Ocean Vuong

Before We Were Yours, Lisa Wingate

Gray Mountain, John Grisham

Edge of Eternity, Ken Follett

Prodigal Summer, Barbara Kingsolver

West with Giraffes, Lynda Rutledge

Non-Fiction

Keys to Bonhoeffer’s House, Laura M. Fabrycky

The Last Days of the Incas, Kim Macquarie

Dispatches, Michael Herr

Separated by the Border: A Birth Mother, A Foster Mother, & a Migrant Child’s 3,000-Mile Journey, Gena Thomas

Preparing for next Sunday, January 9, 2021

Baptism of Our Lord

Reading: Isaiah 43:1-7
Gospel: Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

Go to the “Preparing for Worship” webpage for the bulletins, the complete Lectionary, and more.

Resolving to Become Smarter about Plastic

Several people on St. Andrew’s Earth Care Team have made it their mission to reduce their reliance on single-use plastics. According to data from 2010, each person in the U.S. discards more than 225 pounds of plastic a year and much of it ends up polluting the environment for all living beings. Plastic is everywhere, including the food chain that humans depend on for sustenance. A recent study carried out by scientists at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom and the World Wildlife Fund showed that “each of us consumes about 5 grams of [micro] plastic each week. In short, it is as if every week we are eating a credit card.”

But, there are increasingly more alternatives to plastic packaging and Portland is an area rich with resources to investigate. Liz Hardy recently put together a list of retail stores that help people make the transition to a plastic-free lifestyle, as well as a sampling of online options and some excellent online resources. Pick up a handout from the Earth Care Kiosk in the Narthex and make 2022 the year you reduce the single-use plastic in your life.

The Work of Christmas

Howard Washington Thurman was an American author, philosopher, theologian, educator, and civil rights leader. A prominent religious figure, he played a leading role in several social justice movements. Thurman died in 1981.

In Need of Prayers…

If you know someone in need of prayers, please contact the church office by phone at 503-646-0629 or email office@standrewlutheran.com Tuesday-Friday, prayerchain@standrewlutheran.com Saturday-Monday.

Family and friends of Bruce Maxwell	Peace and God’s comfort at his death	Marlene Maxwell & Staff
Family and friends of Carl Cash, especially his wife Sydney (niece) and their 2 young children	Peace and God’s comfort at his death	Judy Deal
Warren McAlpine	Successful knee surgery (January 4)	Donna McAlpine
Joyce Bianucci (sister)	Successful surgery (January 5)	Judy Scholz
Dan Bianucci	Strength and support	Judy Scholz
Erica (niece)	Strength and recovery	Kelly Wise
Ethel Ritchey	Healing and recovery from hip surgery	Staff
Amy Fiegenbaum	Healing and recovery	Ed and Linda Fransen
Dr. Cara Steinkeler	Strength as she supports dying COVID patients and their families	Gary & Gail Grafwallner
Ayla Marie Poloahilani Myers (grandchild)	Blessings on her birth	Sharon Carlson
The homeless	Shelter, protection, and hope	Staff
Bishop Laurie Larson Caesar Oregon Synod and Staff	Strength and wisdom	Staff
Refugees and immigrants	Acceptance, safety, and just treatment	Staff
Military personnel, especially Justina Hailey Hope Brocker, Evan Dahlquist, Dawson Dethlefs, Neil Fiegenbaum, and Jerami Reyna	Courage and protection	Staff
First Lutheran Church (Astoria, OR) Peace Lutheran Church (Astoria, OR)	Serving with us in the Oregon Synod	Staff
Islamic Center of Portland (Portland, OR)	Blessings on our interfaith partners	Staff
Individual friends and loved ones in need of prayer	Whatever they most need; say their names in your heart or aloud	Everyone

Highlights for the Week

Go to the complete online church calendar for the most up-to-date information.

Sunday, January 2, Second Sunday of Christmas

8:30 am	Worship with Communion (masks required)	Sanctuary and YouTube
10:30 am	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom
11:00 am	Worship with Communion (masks required)	Sanctuary and Zoom
12:00 pm	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom
12:00 pm	Scouts Tree Recycling	East Parking Lot

Monday, January 3

6:00 pm

Scout Troop 618 Meeting

Fellowship Hall, St. Andrew Room

Tuesday, January 4

7:00 am	Men’s Gathering and Bible Study	Elmer’s Restaurant (1250 NW Waterhouse Ave)
7:00 am	Sunrise Women	Elmer’s Restaurant (1250 NW Waterhouse Ave)
10:00 am	Meals on Wheels / Loaves and Fishes	Off Site
10:00 am	Worship Planners Meeting	Library
10:00 am	Tai Chi	Fellowship Hall
7:00 pm	MACG Meeting	St. Andrew Room

Wednesday, January 5 – Weekly News submissions due by 4:00 pm

Thursday, January 6

12:00 pm	Team Ministry Meeting	Chapel/Library
7:00 pm	Executive (Council) Committee Meeting	via Zoom

Friday, January 7

10:00 am Tai Chi

Fellowship Hall

Saturday, January 8

8:00 am	Scouts Tree Recycling	East Parking Lot
9:00 am	Nifty Notters	Fellowship Hall

Sunday, January 9 – Baptism of Jesus

8:30 am	Worship with Communion (masks required)	Sanctuary and YouTube
10:00 am	Children’s Ministry with Donna Brocker	Children’s Library
10:00 am	Confirmation (for grades 6-8)	Library and via Zoom
10:00 am	High School Youth Group	Youth Room
10:00 am	Adult Ed: Mental Illness in Our Midst: How Does It Look and How Can We Respond?	St. Andrew Room
10:00 am	Adult Ed: My Journey: What I’ve Learned Along the Way, and What Difference Does It Make	Fellowship Hall
10:30 am	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom
11:00 am	Worship with Communion (masks required)	Sanctuary and Zoom
12:00 pm	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom
12:00 pm	Scouts Tree Recycling	East Parkin Lot

Connecting to Worship

Want a printed copy of the Weekly News? Click on the printer icon to the right or download and print the PDF.

New Adult Ed Classes Begin January 9

With the New Year, we get new Adult Education classes. St. Andrew’s six-week Epiphany term begins between services on Sunday, January 9.

“My Journey: What I’ve Learned Along the Way”

Join Jim Aageson in Fellowship Hall for a class about our life stories as he shares some reflective vignettes from his own life that are intended to prompt others to think about their own experiences. As Jim points out in his description of the class, our life stories “may…enrich the lives of the generations who come after us. They can give life, color, and texture to the family tree. They will be part of our legacies.”

Mental Illness in Our Midst: How Does It Look & How Can We Respond?

Janet Vorvick knows that mental illness affects lots of individuals, some of whom come to church with special needs. What can we do? Janet will explore several types of illness and offer concrete ideas for how to talk to people who suffer from depression, autism, or some other category of illness. She’ll share ideas from other churches, explore what we can learn about mental illness from the Bible and our hymns, and encourage open conversations. Join her in the St. Andrew Room.

All classes begin at 10:00 am and are offered in person. Details about any online offerings are yet to be worked out.

Wednesday Evening Prayer

Please note that Wednesday Evening Prayer will not be offered December 29. Worship planners are going to enjoy a mid-week evening of rest after a hectic Christmas worship schedule.

Plans for any mid-week services in the new year have not yet been made. Watch the newsletter for information to come.

The Roots Launches January 23!

St. Andrew’s brand new Sunday morning children’s program, The Roots, is launching on Sunday, January 23! We will start off at 10:00 am in the Children’s Commons downstairs.

This completely original program is designed with the fun of summer day camps in mind–kids will move through rotations of storytelling, games, art, service, science, and music as they engage with stories from the Bible. The Bible stories we will be teaching have been hand-picked to emphasize our five core values of God care, Earth care, Neighbor care, Community care, and Self care. This program is open to all kids of vaccination age, kindergarten through grade 5. We are so excited and look forward to seeing you all again! 

If you are interested in participating in The Roots as a volunteer, we still need help specifically in leading games/arts and crafts. Contact kvogt@standrewlutheran.com to join the team! 

Commemorating a Project for the Good of All

The Butner Road that runs in front of our church building looks different now than it did a couple of years ago. During the pandemic, the Butner Road project initiated by our neighbor Betty Baldwin was completed. Although Betty has since died, she would celebrate the difference this project has made for people living along Johnson Creek and for all those who walk, ride bicycles, or drive on our street. Continually impacted by high water, Betty and her neighbors were regularly sandbagging their homes or cleaning up after the floodwater receded. Now, a much larger culvert under Butner Road enables creek water to move toward its destination without encroaching so much into yards and homes. Plus, a stepping stone water collection system installed between two of our church driveways slows and contains water rushing toward the creek from higher ground.

Working in conjunction with Vic Claar, former Council president, and others at St. Andrew, Betty endorsed expanding her project to include the installation of bicycle lanes, sidewalks, and a crosswalk at 126th Avenue for safety and community livability. The church joined Betty in advocating for the project and hosted community gatherings to keep people informed and to build support.

As the Clean Water Services sign posted across Butner Road near Johnson Creek says, “Thanks to Betty’s advocacy, the project became the impetus for an Oregon Solutions designation and the eventual creation of the Tualatin Watershed Enhancement Collaborative.” This was St. Andrew’s first Metropolitan Alliance for Common Good sort of project and it worked—for the good of all.

Nifty Notters

This year you’re invited to make a New Year’s resolution to join the Nifty Notters. Come see what we’re doing on Saturday, January 8^th and 29^th between 9:00 am and 2:30 pm in Fellowship Hall. Stay for all or part of the time as we work on quilts for Lutheran World Relief and NW Children’s Outreach. We have projects for all skill levels and no experience is needed. All materials are provided. 

A special thanks goes to Judy Heidinger for her research in finding NW Children’s Outreach after Virginia Garcia Clinic cut back on their need for baby quilts. Also thanks to those who have made some wonderful fabric donations. If you have questions, please contact Mary Brown at 503-439-3917. 

Please note: we will NOT meet on January 1^st or 15^th. 

Weather Alert!

Weather forecasts in-dicate that the weather for the Portland area could turn wintry and perhaps even frightful this weekend. Please use your best judgment and consider your safety first in deciding whether or not to come to the church building for any of our worship services.

While The Roots Christmas at 4:00 pm on Christmas Eve is in-person only for children and their families, remember that both Candlelight Services on Friday, December 24, are available online.

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at 7:00 pm
Livestream: https://youtu.be/FAQw1yJ867w

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at 10:00 pm
Available via Zoom

The 11:00 am worship service with Carol Sing and Communion on Christmas Day is in-person only. St. Andrew resumes its regular Sunday worship schedule on December 26. See the calendar on page 4 for details.

First and foremost, check road conditions and stay safe! Wherever you worship, God knows what’s in your heart.

Giving to a Designated Fund

During Advent, several St. Andrew people donated additional funds to support the Giving Tree project for Barnes Elementary families and immigrant families in need. Thank you for your most generous support! Your expression of Christian love has had an enormous impact on families struggling to make ends meet.

How does the church’s Finance Team manage donations to St. Andrew? The team works collectively to make sure contributions are handled properly. The Financial Secretaries receive and record income from contributing members and other sources, ensure all receipts are disbursed to the appropriate funds, and prepare a report of individual giving at the end of the calendar year. The Treasurers keep the books of account of the congregation, receive records of receipts from the Financial Secretaries, disburse funds, and provide a report to the Church Council each month.

It’s common for donors to specify that a portion of their contribution go to the Mortgage Fund, with another portion going to the Ministry & Mission Fund. If money donated to the church is not designated, it goes automatically to the Ministry & Mission fund to support ongoing operations.

In addition, donors can direct their contributions to an array of different initiatives—the COVID Fund, a fund for IT Equipment, the PIPE Fund (for property improvement and repair), Lutheran Disaster Relief, etc. Throughout the year, other funds are identified as part of the Service Committee’s work to support local agencies helping people in our community. Our faith community typically collects socks (Outside In) for homeless teens in September, school supplies (Lutheran World Relief) June-October, warm winter clothing (Western Farm Workers) in September, household items (Community Warehouse) in January, and so forth. You’ll find a complete calendar of Service Committee projects online. All of them accept cash donations as well as in-kind contributions.

Whenever possible, the Financial Secretaries request that parishioners support a particular project at the same time that the Service Committee is focused on that initiative. If you’re over 70, though, and must take a Required Minimum Distribution from your retirement account, that might not work, since this is something that is typically done at the end of the calendar year. If you’d like your contribution to go somewhere other than the Ministry & Mission Fund, simply identify the account you want your donation to support by selecting the appropriate drop-down option of designated funds on our website or writing it in the comment line on your check.

St. Andrew people have a history of generous giving to support our Ministry & Mission and, right now, many are focusing their gifts to pay down the mortgage, too. We anticipate that the current Hope for All campaign to retire the mortgage will succeed and that the mortgage will be paid off in time for the congregation’s 70^th anniversary in 2023.

For Christians who strive to live as God wants, giving is one way we show love for our most marginalized neighbors. We give joyfully to ensure people have food on their tables and all those necessities that allow them to live in dignity. We give when disaster strikes. We give to support agencies working on behalf of refugees or people facing homelessness. Whether modest or magnified, we thank you for your gifts!

Preservice Music on Christmas Eve

The Music Ministry team is eagerly anticipating the opportunity to share Christmas Eve worship with all of you. As usual, we are planning a set of pre-service musical selections to get us all in the mood for worship. This will start 15 minutes before each of the candlelight services on Christmas Eve, so please arrive in plenty of time to find your seat and enjoy the music. For those worshiping online, the livestream and Zoom rooms will be turned on in plenty of time for you to enjoy the music!

An Opportunity

The Service Committee is in need of volunteers to work at Clothes for Kids, previously known as the Beaverton Clothes Closet. The area of need is on Wednesdays from 2:15-4:30 & 4:15-6:30. Jobs include sorting donated clothes, making phone calls for appointment reminders, and working with a small number of families as they select clothing. It would be helpful if we could provide someone who speaks Spanish, but it is not necessary. This is a ministry that St. Andrew has participated in for several years. We had to take a break during COVID, but now we are trying to fulfill a need within our community once again. If interested or you have questions, please contact Bonnie Bliesner @ larrybliesner@comcast.net or call 503-830-7001.

Thank you for your interest and your service.

Thank You for the Comforts of Home

Dear People of St. Andrew,

We at Community Warehouse were touched to receive your generous gift of more than $1,000—thank you! As the weather cools and the rain begins, it only highlights the comfort and warmth a furnished home provides. A place to sleep, a place to eat, a place to gather. Your donations are making that possible for local families and individuals.

“An empty house feels cold even if you have a heater on. When you have furniture, it’s warm and inviting,
and that is what I want my family to feel.”

Community Warehouse Client

Everyone deserves the dignity and comfort of a furnished home. Thank you for creating stable homes for neighbors in need.

With gratitude,
Veronica Booth
Development Coordinator

Disaster Response for Tornado Victims

On the night of December 10 and early morning of December 11, an outbreak of at least 30 powerful tornadoes swept through six states, leaving swaths of destruction and dozens of people dead.

Lutheran Disaster Response is collaborating with the Indiana-Kentucky Synod and other partners in the area to assess the damage and develop an immediate and a long-term response plan, sharing hope with our neighbors in their time of greatest need.

If you give electronically, you may now direct funds to Lutheran Disaster Relief (a designated fund) on the church website. If you prefer to write a check, please indicate “U.S. Tornadoes” on the subject line. Gifts will be used in full to help people impacted by the tornadoes.

Preparing for next Sunday, January 2, 2021

The Second Sunday of Christmas

Reading: Jeremiah 31:7-14
Gospel: John 1:10-18

Go to the “Preparing for Worship” webpage for the bulletins, the complete Lectionary, and more.

In Need of Prayers…

If you know someone in need of prayers, please contact the church office by phone at 503-646-0629 or email office@standrewlutheran.com Tuesday-Friday, prayerchain@standrewlutheran.com Saturday-Monday.

Family and friends of Nan Thompson	Peace and God’s comfort at her death	Staff
Family and friends of Lynsie Paul	Peace and God’s comfort at her death	Eric Luttrell
Family and friends of Roy Winkel (uncle)	Peace and God’s comfort at his death	Susan Werner Reiser
David Kippenbrock (grandfather)	Peace and God’s comfort	Rebecca Fako Uecker
Herb	Peace and God’s comfort	Sharon Fako
Susan Palo Cherwien	Peace and God’s comfort	Michelle Sinn
Aaron Miller	Successful treatment and recovery	Jan Smith & Sue Cahlander
Faith (granddaughter)	Successful treatment and recovery	Judy Heidinger
Ethel Ritchey	Healing and recovery from hip surgery	Staff
Barb Zurstadt	Healing and recovery	Jan Smith & Sue Cahlander
Max Lampros (grandson)	Healing and recovery	Liz Andersen
Amy Fiegenbaum	Healing and recovery	Ed and Linda Fransen
Dr. Cara Steinkeler	Strength as she supports dying COVID patients and their families	Gary & Gail Grafwallner
Midwest tornado victims	Comfort and assistance as they recover	Staff
Those facing ongoing illness or distress	Healing and assurance of God’s presence Tandy Brooks, Dave Bumgardner, Vic Claar, Gary Grafwallner, Ian MacDonald, Gary Magnuson, Hugh Mason, Brian McKiernan, Carol Means, Ed Pacey, Corky Poppert, Jolie Reyna, Shane Throckmorton, Gary Tubbs	Staff
Bishop Elizabeth Eaton	Wisdom and discernment	Staff
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America	Blessings on our ministry	Staff
Taiwan Lutheran Church	Strength and wisdom	Staff
Zion Lutheran Church (Port Orford, OR) Zion Lutheran Church (The Dalles, OR)	Serving with us in the Oregon Synod	Staff
Golden Temple of Oregon, Morrison (Portland, OR)	Blessings on our interfaith partners	Staff
Individual friends and loved ones in need of prayer	Whatever they most need; say their names in your heart or aloud	Everyone

Highlights for the Week

Go to the complete online church calendar for the most up-to-date information.

Sunday, December 26, First Sunday of Christmas

8:30 am	Worship with Communion (masks required)	Sanctuary and YouTube
10:30 am	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom
11:00 am	Worship with Communion (masks required)	Sanctuary and Zoom
12:00 pm	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom

Monday, December 27

6:00 pm

Scout Troop 618 Meeting

Fellowship Hall, St. Andrew Room

Tuesday, December 28

10:00 am

T’ai Chi

Fellowship Hall

Wednesday, December 29– Weekly News submissions due by 4:00 pm

10:00 am

Gentle Yoga Class

via Zoom

Friday, December 31

10:00 am Tai Chi

Fellowship Hall

Saturday, January 1–Happy New Year!

Sunday, January 2, Second Sunday of Christmas

8:30 am	Worship with Communion (masks required)	Sanctuary and YouTube
10:30 am	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom
11:00 am	Worship with Communion (masks required)	Sanctuary and Zoom
12:00 pm	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom
12:00 pm	Scouts Tree Recycling	East Parkin Lot

Connecting to Worship

Want a printed copy of the Weekly News? Click on the printer icon to the right or download and print the PDF.

Adult Ed: “The Kairos Hermeneutic” with Kyler and the HS Youth!

It’s hard to read the Bible. Modern biblical readers have massive separations in history, culture, and language to overcome in the process. Yet, reading the Bible gets even tougher when Christian tradition tells us that the Bible—containing fantastic tales of miracles, gory acts of violence, and outdated legal text all set in a culture bearing little resemblance to our own—is supposed to be the pinnacle of truth and the ultimate authority for our modern lives. To many modern people, this has become a deal-breaker in their faith. In this class, I will show you a way I have learned over the last several years that allows me to read the Bible as truthful, authoritative, and deeply meaningful—even if it isn’t always right.

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE! My vision for this class is to give our congregation a glimpse into a typical Sunday morning with our high school youth. You’ll get to see how we check-in about our weeks, what kind of conversations we have, and witness how deeply we can dive into difficult and complex issues together. So you can get the full experience, this class will be held in-person at 10:00 am in the Youth Room on December 19. If you have any questions, or if you just want to let me know you’ll be there, contact me at kvogt@standrewlutheran.com. I hope you will join us!

An Advent Journey Towards Anti-Racism

Please join St. Andrew’s Reckoning With Racism cohort in a six-part exploration of how racism has played a role in the history of Oregon, and how we can all move toward being anti-racist.

Whether or not you are able to attend the class sessions, you are invited to take part in a congregation-wide Racial Equity Challenge. The goal is to do at least one thing each week that brings each of us closer to becoming anti-racist. The website 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge—America & Moore is filled with suggestions for ways to read, listen, watch, notice, connect, engage, act, reflect, and stay inspired in the journey. Watch this newsletter for a description of each week’s class and suggestions for which challenges are related to that topic. A complete schedule can be found on the St. Andrew website.

We are hoping to document our efforts as a community of faith toward the goal of becoming anti-racist. In the narthex, you will find a display board and paper candle cut-outs. Please write what you did in the past week on one of the candles, and add it to the board. Together, we can shine some light in the darkness of racism.

December 19: Elaine May will lead Living in the Shadows of Hope. Join Elaine in putting it all together. Where do we go from here? How can we be White Allies?

Racial Equity Challenge suggestions: 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge — America & Moore
Read: Ally or Co-conspirator? What it means to act #InSolidarity
Listen: Do the Work podcast (episodes 30-50 mins)
Watch: Black Lives Matter: How Can We Win? Kimberly Jones’ Powerful Speech
Notice: Notice how much of your day you are speaking about racism? Who are you engaging with on these issues? Who are you not? Why do you think this is?
Connect: Racial Equity Tools
Engage: Research racial justice speakers and see who might be coming to your local university, church, community center, or speaker series.
Act: Interrupt the pattern of white silence by speaking openly with family, friends, and colleagues about what you’re doing and learning in the 21-Day Challenge.
Reflect: Take time everyday to reflect on what you chose to do, what you’re learning, and how you are feeling.
Stay inspired: Create a Soundtrack4Justice playlist that fuels you and/or can serve as a conversation starter with people of all ages.

Advent Evening Prayer

Allison Katsufrakis will offer a meditation focused on how darkness holds God at Advent Evening Prayer this Wednesday, December 22. Join in worship in the Sanctuary or via Zoom at 7:00 pm. Our theme for the season is “Holy Darkness.”

A Christmas Tradition

Commemorating a Project for the Good of All

The Butner Road that runs in front of our church building looks different now than it did a couple of years ago. During the pandemic, the Butner Road project initiated by our neighbor Betty Baldwin was completed. Although Betty has since died, she would celebrate the difference this project has made for people living along Johnson Creek and for all those who walk, ride bicycles, or drive on our street. Continually impacted by high water, Betty and her neighbors were regularly sandbagging their homes or cleaning up after the floodwater receded. Now, a much larger culvert under Butner Road enables creek water to move toward its destination without encroaching so much into yards and homes. Plus, a stepping stone water collection system installed between two of our church driveways slows and contains water rushing toward the creek from higher ground.

Working in conjunction with Vic Claar, former Council president, and others at St. Andrew, Betty endorsed expanding her project to include the installation of bicycle lanes, sidewalks, and a crosswalk at 126th Avenue for safety and community livability. The church joined Betty in advocating for the project and hosted community gatherings to keep people informed and to build support.

As the Clean Water Services sign posted across Butner Road near Johnson Creek says, “Thanks to Betty’s advocacy, the project became the impetus for an Oregon Solutions designation and the eventual creation of the Tualatin Watershed Enhancement Collaborative.” This was St. Andrew’s first Metropolitan Alliance for Common Good sort of project and it worked— for the good of all.

Thanksgiving Thanks

The good news for today is that St. Andrew has no shortage of generosity. Donations for the Thanksgiving food drive allowed us to provide $50 gift cards for needy families to buy food for Thanksgiving. When Linda McDowell and I met with Leslie from Community Action of Washington County we learned of the work they do to support families at risk. Community Action provides hope, help, and change for families in transition to reduce the potential for child abuse and neglect. In addition to the gift cards we donated in the amount of $3,750, we are also able to donate $3,000 to the St. Matthew Food Pantry. The pantry uses monetary donations to purchase items to supplement food donations it receives and spends about $5,000 per month to make purchases. The generosity of St. Andrew members makes life a bit easier for those in need. Thank you.

LuAnn Staul and the Service Committee

Candle Lighting Litanies

If you have an Advent wreath in your home and ceremoniously ignite another candle each week prior to Christmas, you might appreciate the Advent litanies we share on the church website. To help proclaim that God’s new world is at hand, the people of the Salt Project begin each litany by telling the truth about our broken world and then cry out with all people of faith—past, present, and future—that God is, even now, overwhelming the world!

Thanks and a Request

The staff of St. Andrew are enjoying the delicious food gifts that have been brought to the office thus far!

We do have one simple request, however. Please be sure you label any baked goods or foods that may have nuts in them, as at least one of our staff is sensitive to nuts. You don’t need to omit any nuts from a recipe, just indicate if they are included. That way, everyone can have a healthy and happy holiday season!

Prayer for Unpacking the Christmas Creche

Do you have a manger scene or creche among your Christmas decorations? This prayer, to be used as you unpack each piece, was shared with us by Libby Calhoun and originally printed in Alive Now!, a Methodist magazine, in 1983.

As we unpack the Christmas creche, let each piece become a prayer that our lives will be changed during Advent.

As we place the stable, let us remember how a place never meant to be a home sheltered our Lord. Let us pray that our own homes will be places of hospitality for all who enter them.

As the star shone to give direction to the magi, let us hold high to a faith in Christ to give direction to our lives.

As the shepherds were the most common of folk and yet the only ones to be summoned by angels, may we never forget that God calls the simplest among us to tasks of greatest glory.

As the magi moved in the deep belief that God was acting in this world, may we always look for that same redemptive activity and never be so proud that we cannot seek our Lord with childlike faith.

As sheep and donkey, oxen and lamb looked on the holy miracle in wonder and sang the newborn child to sleep, may we too stand in awe before each miracle, wondrous or simple, which our God will work.

As the angel proclaimed the tidings of God, may we be open to hear God calling us to be a part of God’s plan.

As Joseph wondered, then obeyed where he could not understand, may we be obedient—even in the face of our own lack of understanding.

As Mary opened herself to the miraculous working of God through her, may we be instruments of God’s love in whatever humble way we are summoned.

As God was in Christ, reconciling the world, may we in prayer kneel before the manger and wonder again at the miracle of Christmas. Amen.

Preservice Music on Christmas Eve

The Music Ministry team is eagerly anticipating the opportunity to share Christ-mas Eve worship with all of you. As usual, we are planning a set of pre-service musical selections to get us all in the mood for worship. This will start 15 minutes before each of the candlelight services on Christmas Eve, so please arrive in plenty of time to find your seat and enjoy the music. For those worshiping online, the livestream and Zoom rooms will be turned on in plenty of time for you to enjoy the music!

Community Action Appreciation

Dear People of St. Andrew,

On behalf of Community Action, please accept our sincere thanks for your generous in-kind donation of 75 $50 Winco gift cards for our Healthy Families program. These gift cards were a big help to the families we serve, especially during this holiday season.

Your partnership with Community Action is bringing hope, help, and change to the thousands of local families who are striving to overcome conditions of poverty and build a safe and secure future for their children. Together we are creating opportunities for families and communities to thrive.

Again, thank you for joining us in our efforts to ensure that all Washington County residents can live with dignity and security. Your generosity is deeply appreciated.

Sincerely,
Kemp Shuey
Executive Director

How Cool is That?

Members of St. Andrew’s Earth Care Team are getting started on an ambitious agenda for 2022, having just submitted two entries to Interfaith Power & Light’s Cool Congregations Challenge. The team applied for Sacred Grounds Steward and Community Inspiration recognition, two of the six categories available.

Although judging doesn’t conclude until February, team members marveled at how much they’ve accomplished since 2019:

• Conducted 15 yard surveys
• Published more than 100 Earth Care articles in our newsletter
• Consulted with United Church of Christ, Lake Oswego; provided a tour of our property for United Church of Christ, Waverly; made a presentation to the Pachamama Alliance, etc.
• Presented commentary in forums following the viewing of the documentaries The Human Element and Kiss the Ground, which were made possible by Interfaith Power & Light
• Inspired Camp Lutherwood to implement additional Earth Care content in their curriculum
• Created an Earth Care informational kiosk for the church
• Performed 5 Soil Garden blessings at the church and members’ homes
• Added 2,500 native trees and shrubs to our forested upland with the help of Clean Water Services
• Provided Earth Care children’s sermons during Advent and Lent, focusing on carbon storage and native plants
• Added 5 mason bee houses near our Community Garden
• Created a Reformation Earth Garden with the planting of 2 native Oregon white oaks and several other native trees, as well as 80 native shrubs and more than 60 native perennials
• Conducted a congregation survey to evaluate current soil garden practices
• Held our first Earth Care Camp for 30 children 6-11 years old
• Incorporated Earth Care-focused music and liturgy into our weekly worship

If you would like to join the Earth Care Team and do more to protect the planet, contact LuAnn Staul, Eric Luttrell, or Carol Harker.

Disaster Response for Tornado Victims

On the night of December 10 and early morning of December 11, an outbreak of at least 30 powerful tornadoes swept through six states, leaving swaths of destruction and dozens of people dead.

Lutheran Disaster Response is collaborating with the Indiana-Kentucky Synod and other partners in the area to assess the damage and develop an immediate and a long-term response plan, sharing hope with our neighbors in their time of greatest need.

If you give electronically, you may now direct funds to Lutheran Disaster Response (a designated fund) on the church website. If you prefer to write a check, please indicate “U.S. Tornadoes” on the subject line. Gifts will be used in full to help people impacted by the tornadoes.

Spirituality Book Group News

The Spirituality Book Group will discuss the memoir/novel of Ocean Vuong, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, on Sunday, December 19. This book achieved much literary praise when it was published in 2019 and was nominated for several book awards.

“Lyrical…with this book, [Vuong] is creating an account of lives that are at once overlooked and thoroughly American. These days, this feels like a political act.”

Wall Street Journal

We will meet via Zoom, at 3:00 pm on Sunday, December 19. The Zoom link will be sent to those on the Spirituality Book Group email list a few days before the meeting. If you would like to attend, contact Mary Smith to get the link, at dbits1@gmail.com.

Future Spirituality Book Group Reading

January 23
The Vanishing Half by Britt Bennett
Discussion Leader: Mary Smith

February 20
Nomadland by Jessica Bruder
Discussion Leader: Carol Horton

March (TBA)
West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge
Discussion Leader: Susan Reiser

Preparing for next Sunday, December 26, 2021

First Sunday of Christmas

Readings: Psalm 148
Colossians 3:12-17
Gospel: Luke 2:41-52

Go to the “Preparing for Worship” webpage for the bulletins, the complete Lectionary, and more.

In Need of Prayers…

If you know someone in need of prayers, please contact the church office by phone at 503-646-0629 or email office@standrewlutheran.com Tuesday-Friday, prayerchain@standrewlutheran.com Saturday-Monday.

Family and friends of Nan Thompson	Peace and God’s comfort at her death	Staff
Family and friends of Lynsie Paul	Peace and God’s comfort at her death	Eric Luttrell
Family and friends of Roy Winkel (uncle)	Peace and God’s comfort at his death	Susan Werner Reiser
Herb	Peace and God’s comfort	Sharon Fako
Susan Palo Cherwien	Peace and God’s comfort	Michelle Sinn
John Fritz	Peace and comfort	Staff
Aaron Miller	Successful treatment and recovery	Jan Smith & Sue Cahlander
Faith (granddaughter)	Successful treatment and recovery	Judy Heidinger
Barb Zurstadt	Healing and recovery	Jan Smith & Sue Cahlander
Max Lampros (grandson)	Healing and recovery	Liz Andersen
Amy Fiegenbaum	Healing and recovery	Ed and Linda Fransed
Christopher Foss	Healing and recovery	Isaac Brocker
Carlos Sosaguerra	Healing and recovery	Isaac Brocker
Sister Ann Clare Keeler	Healing and recovery	Isaac Brocker
Ron Means	Healing and recovery	Staff
Marcie Welge	Healing and recovery	Allison Katsufrakis
Sam Harker	Healing and recovery	Carol Harker
Dr. Cara Steinkeler	Strength as she supports dying COVID patients and their families	Gary & Gail Grafwallner
Midwest tornado victims	Comfort and assistance as they recover	Staff
Those confined to their homes: Mareline Barnes, Dave Bumgardner, Jean Frederickson, Tara Harper, Douglas Hooke, Betty Horst, Dorothy Moore, Phyllis Morris, Ed Pacey, Helen Rogers, Dave & Sharon Roth, Margie Schindele	Assurance of God’s presence	Staff
All who are imprisoned	Peace and strength	Staff
Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon Holy Trinity Catholic Church	Blessings on their work	Staff
Atonement Lutheran Church (Newport, OR) Faith Lutheran Church (North Bend, OR)	Serving with us in the Oregon Synod	Staff
Masjed As-Saber (Portland, OR)	Blessings on our interfaith partners	Staff
Individual friends and loved ones in need of prayer	Whatever they most need; say their names in your heart or aloud	Everyone

Highlights for the Week

Go to the complete online church calendar for the most up-to-date information.

Sunday, December 19, Fourth Sunday of Advent

8:30 am	Worship with Communion (masks required)	Sanctuary and YouTube
10:00 am	Adult Ed: A Journey Towards Anti-Racism, Part 2	Fellowship Hall or via Zoom
10:00 am	Adult Ed: The Kairos Hermeneutic	Chapel
10:00 am	Children’s Ministry	Children’s Library
10:00 am	Confirmation	Library and via Zoom
10:00 am	High School Youth Group with Adult Ed: The Kairos Hermeneutic	Chapel
10:30 am	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom
11:00 am	Worship with Communion (masks required)	Sanctuary and Zoom
12:00 pm	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom

Monday, December 20

6:00 pm

Scout Troop 618 Meeting

Fellowship Hall, St. Andrew Room

Tuesday, December 21 – Weekly News submissions due by 4:00 pm

7:00 am	Sunrise Women	Elmer’s Restaurant on 158th (1250 Waterhouse Ave)
7:00 am	Men’s Gathering & Bible Study	Elmer’s Restaurant on 158th (1250 Waterhouse Ave)
10:00 am	T’ai Chi	Fellowship Hall

Wednesday, December 22

10:00 am	Yoga Class	Fellowship Hall
6:45 pm	Informal Gathering Time	via Zoom
7:00 pm	Advent Evening Prayer	Sanctuary or via Zoom
7:30 pm	Sanctuary Choir Rehearsal	Sanctuary

Thursday, December 23

9:30 am	Seekers of the Heart of God Bible Study	St. Andrew Room
12:00 pm	Team Ministry Meeting	Chapel/Library
7:00 pm	IT Meeting	offsite

Friday, December 24 – Office Closed

4:00 pm	Christmas Eve Children’s Worship Service (masks required)	Sanctuary
7:00 pm	Christmas Eve Candlelight Worship Service (masks required)	Sanctuary and Livestreamed
10:00 pm	Christmas Eve Candlelight Worship Service (masks required)	Sanctuary and via Zoom

Saturday, December 25

11:00 am

Christmas Day Worship Service (masks required)

Sanctuary

Sunday, December 19, Fourth Sunday in Advent

8:30 am	Worship with Communion (masks required)	Sanctuary and YouTube
10:30 am	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom
11:00 am	Worship with Communion (masks required)	Sanctuary and Zoom
12:00 pm	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom

Connecting to Worship

Want a printed copy of the Weekly News? Click on the printer icon to the right or download and print the PDF.

Donations Needed

Thank you to everyone who has already donated to making the season more festive for Barnes Elementary School families in need. This year we are collecting donations to put toward gift cards for these families. Please make your gift no later than Sunday, December 12. For each donation that is received, we’ll add an ornament to our Giving Tree.

One of the families St. Andrew is assisting suffered an apartment fire a few months ago, where they lost everything. That family is currently living in a shelter. In another situation, grandparents are caring for four young children and trying to make ends meet after their son went to prison. They are doing all they can to make life safe and secure for their grandchildren.

In addition, our area is welcoming hundreds of Afghan refugees who are navigating a new culture after having to leave so much and so many behind.

Organizer Donna Brocker is working to assist these families and many more. If you have questions, call Donna at 503-502-6156.

Adult Ed: “The Kairos Hermeneutic” with Kyler and the HS Youth!

It’s hard to read the Bible. Modern biblical readers have massive separations in history, culture, and language to overcome in the process. Yet, reading the Bible gets even tougher when Christian tradition tells us that the Bible—containing fantastic tales of miracles, gory acts of violence, and outdated legal text all set in a culture bearing little resemblance to our own—is supposed to be the pinnacle of truth and the ultimate authority for our modern lives. To many modern people, this has become a deal-breaker in their faith. In this class, I will show you a way I have learned over the last several years that allows me to read the Bible as truthful, authoritative, and deeply meaningful—even if it isn’t always right.

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE! My vision for this class is to give our congregation a glimpse into a typical Sunday morning with our high school youth. You’ll get to see how we check-in about our weeks, what kind of conversations we have, and witness how deeply we can dive into difficult and complex issues together. So you can get the full experience, this class will be held in-person at 10:00 am in the Youth Room on December 12 and 19. If you have any questions, or if you just want to let me know you’ll be there, contact me at kvogt@standrewlutheran.com. I hope you will join us!

An Advent Journey Towards Anti-Racism

Please join St. Andrew’s Reckoning With Racism cohort in a six-part exploration of how racism has played a role in the history of Oregon, and how we can all move toward being anti-racist.

Whether or not you are able to attend the class sessions, you are invited to take part in a congregation-wide Racial Equity Challenge. The goal is to do at least one thing each week that brings each of us closer to becoming anti-racist. The website 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge—America & Moore is filled with suggestions for ways to read, listen, watch, notice, connect, engage, act, reflect, and stay inspired in the journey. Watch this newsletter for a description of each week’s class and suggestions for which challenges are related to that topic. A complete schedule can be found on the St. Andrew website.

We are hoping to document our efforts as a community of faith toward the goal of becoming anti-racist. In the narthex, you will find a display board and paper candle cut-outs. Please write what you did in the past week on one of the candles, and add it to the board. Together, we can shine some light in the darkness of racism.

December 12: Scott Taylor will explore Immigrants and Latinx Americans in Oregon, from a historic background through modern day issues.

Racial Equity Challenge suggestions: 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge — America & Moore
Read: Struggling to Stay Home: Latino Renters in the COVID-19 Pandemic
Listen: You Cannot Divorce Race from Immigration
Watch: What Being Hispanic and Latinx Means in the United States
Notice: What is the racial mix of the main characters in your favorite TV shows? Movies?
Connect: Families Belong Together
Engage: Work to stay engaged even when your mind and body start sending you signals to shrink or walk away.
Act: Disrupt inappropriate language by offering alternative language you yourself are learning.
Reflect: Take time everyday to reflect on what you chose to do, what you’re learning, and how you are feeling.
Stay inspired: Create a Soundtrack4Justice playlist that fuels you and/or can serve as a conversation starter with people of all ages.

Advent Evening Prayer

India Jensen-Kerr will offer a meditation on the promise of darkness at Advent Evening Prayer this Wednesday, December 15. Join in worship in the Sanctuary or via Zoom at 7:00 pm. Our theme for the season is “Holy Darkness.”

Baby Rose

Lydia Circle

Lydia Circle will meet Tuesday, December 14 at 1:00 pm in the St. Andrew Room. Our Bible study is taken from the December Gather magazine and is entitled “Women of Advent.” We’ll be looking at the lives of Hannah, Mary, Elizabeth, and Anna and find inspiration in their stories as our spiritual grandmothers. All are welcome and you need not have read the lesson to take part. If you have questions, contact Mary Brown at 503-439-3917.

Nifty Notters

You are invited to join the Nifty Notters on Saturday, December 18, for our last meeting of the year. We meet from 9:00 am-2:30 pm in Fellowship Hall. Come for all or part of the time to help work on quilts for Lutheran World Relief and NW Children’s Outreach. All materials are provided and no experience is necessary. Home projects are also available. Children’s Outreach is a new recipient of our baby quilts and the people there were excited to get their first donation of quilts. They distribute the quilts to local benevolent agencies requesting baby quilts for their clients. If you have questions, contact Mary Brown at 503-439-3917. We will NOT meet Saturday, January 1.

Candle Lighting Litanies

If you have an Advent wreath in your home and ceremoniously ignite another candle each week prior to Christmas, you might appreciate the Advent litanies we share on the church website. To help proclaim that God’s new world is at hand, the people of the Salt Project begin each litany by telling the truth about our broken world and then cry out with all people of faith—past, present, and future—that God is, even now, overwhelming the world!

Thanks and a Request

The staff of St. Andrew are enjoying the delicious food gifts that have been brought to the office thus far!

We do have one simple request, however. Please be sure you label any baked goods or foods that may have nuts in them, as at least one of our staff is sensitive to nuts. You don’t need to omit any nuts from a recipe, just indicate if they are included. That way, everyone can have a healthy and happy holiday season!

Prayer for Unpacking the Christmas Creche

Do you have a manger scene or creche among your Christmas decorations? This prayer, to be used as you unpack each piece, was shared with us by Libby Calhoun and originally printed in Alive Now!, a Methodist magazine, in 1983.

As we unpack the Christmas creche, let each piece become a prayer that our lives will be changed during Advent.

As we place the stable, let us remember how a place never meant to be a home sheltered our Lord. Let us pray that our own homes will be places of hospitality for all who enter them.

As the star shone to give direction to the magi, let us hold high to a faith in Christ to give direction to our lives.

As the shepherds were the most common of folk and yet the only ones to be summoned by angels, may we never forget that God calls the simplest among us to tasks of greatest glory.

As the magi moved in the deep belief that God was acting in this world, may we always look for that same redemptive activity and never be so proud that we cannot seek our Lord with childlike faith.

As sheep and donkey, oxen and lamb looked on the holy miracle in wonder and sang the newborn child to sleep, may we too stand in awe before each miracle, wondrous or simple, which our God will work.

As the angel proclaimed the tidings of God, may we be open to hear God calling us to be a part of God’s plan.

As Joseph wondered, then obeyed where he could not understand, may we be obedient—even in the face of our own lack of understanding.

As Mary opened herself to the miraculous working of God through her, may we be instruments of God’s love in whatever humble way we are summoned.

As God was in Christ, reconciling the world, may we in prayer kneel before the manger and wonder again at the miracle of Christmas. Amen.

Preservice Music on Christmas Eve

The Music Ministry team is eagerly anticipating the opportunity to share Christ-mas Eve worship with all of you. As usual, we are planning a set of pre-service musical selections to get us all in the mood for worship. This will start 15 minutes before each of the candlelight services on Christmas Eve, so please arrive in plenty of time to find your seat and enjoy the music. For those worshiping online, the livestream and Zoom rooms will be turned on in plenty of time for you to enjoy the music!

Spirituality Book Group News

The Spirituality Book Group will discuss the memoir/novel of Ocean Vuong, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, on Sunday, December 19. This book achieved much literary praise when it was published in 2019 and was nominated for several book awards.

“Lyrical…with this book, [Vuong] is creating an account of lives that are at once overlooked and thoroughly American. These days, this feels like a political act.”

Wall Street Journal

We will meet via Zoom, at 3:00 pm on Sunday, December 19. The Zoom link will be sent to those on the Spirituality Book Group email list a few days before the meeting. If you would like to attend, contact Mary Smith to get the link, at dbits1@gmail.com.

Future Spirituality Book Group Reading

January 23
The Vanishing Half by Britt Bennett
Discussion Leader: Mary Smith

February 20
Nomadland by Jessica Bruder
Discussion Leader: Carol Horton

March (TBA)
West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge
Discussion Leader: Susan Reiser

Preparing for next Sunday, December 19, 2021

Lessons and Carols Service
Gospel: Luke 1:26-38

Go to the “Preparing for Worship” webpage for the bulletins, the complete Lectionary, and more.

In Need of Prayers…

If you know someone in need of prayers, please contact the church office by phone at 503-646-0629 or email office@standrewlutheran.com Tuesday-Friday, prayerchain@standrewlutheran.com Saturday-Monday.

Susan Palo Cherwien	Peace and God’s comfort	Michelle Sinn
John Fritz	Peace and God’s comfort	Staff
Amy Fiegenbaum	Healing and recovery	Ed and Linda Fransed
Christopher Foss	Healing and recovery	Isaac Brocker
Carlos Sosaguerra	Healing and recovery	Isaac Brocker
Sister Ann Clare Keeler	Healing and recovery	Isaac Brocker
Ron Means	Healing and recovery	Staff
Marcie Welge	Healing and recovery	Allison Katsufrakis
Sam Harker	Healing and recovery	Carol Harker
Angie Mitlehner	Healing and recovery	Angie Mitlehner
Chris Entrikin	Healing and recovery	Jerry Entrikin
Dr. Cara Steinkeler	Strength as she supports dying COVID patients and their families	Gary & Gail Grafwallner
Joy Alexandra (granddaughter)	Thanksgiving for her birth	Joel & Beth Johnson
Hudson Lawrence Fako (grandson)	Thanksgiving for his birth	Dan & Sharon Fako
St. Andrew Council, Executive Committee, & Staff	Wisdom and discernment	Staff
Karen Klingelhafer, Kyler Vogt, and all seminarians India Jensen-Kerr and all theology students	Encouragement and support	Staff
St. Andrew Foundation	Blessings on their ministry	Staff
New Life Lutheran Church (Florence, OR) Bethany Lutheran Church (Gold Beach, OR)	Serving with us in the Oregon Synod	Staff
Hoshanah Rabbah (Tigard, OR)	Blessings on our interfaith partners	Staff
Individual friends and loved ones in need of prayer	Whatever they most need; say their names in your heart or aloud	Everyone

Highlights for the Week

Go to the complete online church calendar for the most up-to-date information.

Sunday, December 12, Third Sunday of Advent

8:30 am	Worship with Communion (masks required)	Sanctuary and YouTube
10:00 am	Adult Ed: A Journey Towards Anti-Racism, Part 2	Fellowship Hall or via Zoom
10:00 am	Adult Ed: The Kairos Hermeneutic	Chapel
10:00 am	Children’s Ministry	Children’s Library
10:00 am	Confirmation	Library and via Zoom
10:00 am	High School Youth Group with Adult Ed: The Kairos Hermeneutic	Chapel
10:30 am	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom
11:00 am	Worship with Communion (masks required)	Sanctuary and Zoom
12:00 pm	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom

Monday, December 13

6:00 pm	Scout Troop 618 Meeting	Fellowship Hall, St. Andrew Room
7:00 pm	Men’s Book Club	Library

Tuesday, December 14– Weekly News submissions due by 12:00 pm

7:00 am	Sunrise Women	Elmer’s Restaurant on 158th (1250 Waterhouse Ave)
7:00 am	Men’s Gathering & Bible Study	Elmer’s Restaurant on 158th (1250 Waterhouse Ave)
10:00 am	T’ai Chi	Fellowship Hall
12:15 pm	Community Carbon Leadership Meeting	Library
1:00 pm	Lydia Circle	St. Andrew Room
1:30 pm	Service Committee	via Zoom
6:00 pm	Girl Scouts Adult Meeting	Fellowship Hall
7:00 pm	Finance Team Meeting	via Zoom

Wednesday, December 15

10:00 am	Yoga Class	Fellowship Hall
6:00 pm	Bells of Grace Rehearsal	Sanctuary
6:45 pm	Informal Gathering Time	via Zoom
7:00 pm	Scout Troop 618 Committee Meeting	Children’s Library
7:00 pm	High School Youth Christmas Party	Youth Room
7:00 pm	Advent Evening Prayer	Sanctuary or via Zoom
7:30 pm	Sanctuary Choir	Sanctuary

Thursday, December 16

9:30 am	Seekers of the Heart of God Bible Study	St. Andrew Room
12:00 pm	Team Ministry Meeting	Chapel/Library
7:00 pm	Council Meeting	St. Andrew Room/via Zoom

Friday, December 17

10:00 am

Tai Chi

Fellowship Hall

Saturday, December 18

9:00 am

Nifty Notters

Fellowship Hall

Sunday, December 19, Fourth Sunday in Advent

8:30 am	Worship with Communion (masks required)	Sanctuary and YouTube
10:00 am	Adult Ed: A Journey Towards Anti-Racism, Part 2	Fellowship Hall or via Zoom
10:00 am	Adult Ed: The Kairos Hermeneutic	Chapel
10:00 am	Children’s Ministry	Children’s Library
10:00 am	Confirmation	Library and via Zoom
10:00 am	High School Youth Group with Adult Ed	Chapel
10:30 am	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom
11:00 am	Worship with Communion (masks required)	Sanctuary and Zoom
12:00 pm	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom

Connecting to Worship

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Welcome Sunday

At the 8:30 am service this Sunday, December 5, we welcome Sam Harker, Julie Hoffmaster, Bobbie Larson, and Ginny Vick as they reaffirm their baptisms and join in membership. Welcome to St. Andrew!

Donations Needed

Thank you to everyone who has already donated to making the season more festive for Barnes Elementary School families in need. This year we are collecting donations to put toward gift cards for these families. Please make your gift no later than Sunday, December 12. For each donation that is received, we’ll add an ornament to our Giving Tree.

One of the families St. Andrew is assisting suffered an apartment fire a few months ago, where they lost everything. That family is currently living in a shelter. In another situation, grandparents are caring for four young children and trying to make ends meet after their son went to prison. They are doing all they can to make life safe and secure for their grandchildren.

In addition, our area is welcoming hundreds of Afghan refugees who are navigating a new culture after having to leave so much and so many behind.

Organizer Donna Brocker is working to assist these families and many more. If you have questions, call Donna at 503-502-6156.

Adult Ed: “The Kairos Hermeneutic” with Kyler and the HS Youth!

It’s hard to read the Bible. Modern biblical readers have massive separations in history, culture, and language to overcome in the process. Yet, reading the Bible gets even tougher when Christian tradition tells us that the Bible—containing fantastic tales of miracles, gory acts of violence, and outdated legal text all set in a culture bearing little resemblance to our own—is supposed to be the pinnacle of truth and the ultimate authority for our modern lives. To many modern people, this has become a deal-breaker in their faith. In this class, I will show you a way I have learned over the last several years that allows me to read the Bible as truthful, authoritative, and deeply meaningful—even if it isn’t always right.

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE! My vision for this class is to give our congregation a glimpse into a typical Sunday morning with our high school youth. You’ll get to see how we check-in about our weeks, what kind of conversations we have, and witness how deeply we can dive into difficult and complex issues together. So you can get the full experience, this class will be held in-person at 10:00 am in the Youth Room on December 5, 12, and 19. If you have any questions, or if you just want to let me know you’ll be there, contact me at kvogt@standrewlutheran.com. I hope you will join us!

An Advent Journey Towards Anti-Racism

Please join St. Andrew’s Reckoning With Racism cohort in a six-part exploration of how racism has played a role in the history of Oregon, and how we can all move toward being anti-racist.

Whether or not you are able to attend the class sessions, you are invited to take part in a congregation-wide Racial Equity Challenge. The goal is to do at least one thing each week that brings each of us closer to becoming anti-racist. The website 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge—America & Moore is filled with suggestions for ways to read, listen, watch, notice, connect, engage, act, reflect, and stay inspired in the journey. Watch this newsletter for a description of each week’s class and suggestions for which challenges are related to that topic. A complete schedule can be found on the St. Andrew website.

We are hoping to document our efforts as a community of faith toward the goal of becoming anti-racist. In the narthex, you will find a display board and paper candle cut-outs. Please write what you did in the past week on one of the candles, and add it to the board. Together, we can shine some light in the darkness of racism.

December 5: Janet Vorvick will explore Asian Americans in Oregon, from an historic background through modern day issues.

Racial Equity Challenge suggestions: 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge — America & Moore
Read: Infographic: What Is Tone Policing And Why Is It Wrong?
Listen: Do the Work
Watch: What kind of Asian are you?
Notice: What are the last five books you read? What is the racial mix of the authors?
Connect: APIAHF – Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum
Engage: Find a mentor within your own racial group to support and guide your growth.
Act: Interrupt the pattern of white silence by speaking openly with family, friends, and colleagues about what you’re doing and learning in the 21-Day Challenge.
Reflect: Take time everyday to reflect on what you chose to do, what you’re learning, and how you are feeling.
Stay inspired: Create a Soundtrack4Justice playlist that fuels you and/or can serve as a conversation starter with people of all ages.

Advent Evening Prayer

Julie Aageson will offer a meditation on the beauty of darkness at Advent Evening Prayer this Wednesday, December 8. Join in worship in the Sanctuary or via Zoom at 7:00 pm. Our theme for the season is “Holy Darkness.”

Baby Rose

Lydia Circle

Lydia Circle will meet Tuesday, December 14 at 1:00 pm in the St. Andrew Room. Our Bible study is taken from the December Gather magazine and is entitled “Women of Advent.” We’ll be looking at the lives of Hannah, Mary, Elizabeth, and Anna and find inspiration in their stories as our spiritual grandmothers. All are welcome and you need not have read the lesson to take part. If you have questions, contact Mary Brown at 503-439-3917.

Nifty Notters

You are invited to join the Nifty Notters on Saturday, December 18, for our last meeting of the year. We meet from 9:00 am-2:30 pm in Fellowship Hall. Come for all or part of the time to help work on quilts for Lutheran World Relief and NW Children’s Outreach. All materials are provided and no experience is necessary. Home projects are also available. Children’s Outreach is a new recipient of our baby quilts and the people there were excited to get their first donation of quilts. They distribute the quilts to local benevolent agencies requesting baby quilts for their clients. If you have questions, contact Mary Brown at 503-439-3917. We will NOT meet Saturday, January 1.

Candle Lighting Litanies

If you have an Advent wreath in your home and ceremoniously ignite another candle each week prior to Christmas, you might appreciate the Advent litanies we share on the church website. To help proclaim that God’s new world is at hand, the people of the Salt Project begin each litany by telling the truth about our broken world and then cry out with all people of faith—past, present, and future—that God is, even now, overwhelming the world!

End-of-Year Stock Donations

Greetings from your Financial Secretaries. As the end of the calendar year approaches, we want to remind you of the process for donating stock to the church.

Contributions must actually be paid before the close of the year to be deductible in 2021. Please allow at least 3 weeks for the completion of the stock transfer sale. If you intend to donate stock this tax year, please start the process as soon as possible.

1. Download the Stock Transfer Form from the church website or contact the church office.
2. Contact your brokerage firm to initiate an electronic transfer of securities.
3. Complete the form, including your intentions for the use of the donation, and email a copy to financial-secretary@standrewlutheran.com. Or you may send a copy to the church office marked “Confidential for Financial Secretaries.” This form must be turned in at the beginning of the process. Without it, we cannot complete your request.
4. Upon receipt of the form, one of the financial secretaries will contact you regarding the progress of the electronic stock transfer to Charles Schwab, the church’s securities firm.

Thank you for your generosity to the Mission and Ministry of St. Andrew.

Tammy Piscitelli
on behalf of the Financial Secretaries and Finance Team

Finding Liturgy in Life and Life in Liturgy

An Oregon Synod Lay Education Course

How does liturgy shape us? How might we shape it? Gather with people from across the Oregon Synod this January and February to explore liturgy in daily life, communal worship, and public witness. We’ll pay particular attention to the seasons of the church year, the flow of worship, the invitation of sacraments, and daily practices that help us cultivate a life of depth and meaning. We’ll create space for the integration of blessing, celebration, lamentation, prayer, song, symbols, and ritual crafting. You’re encouraged to bring your whole self as we seek to live in holy rhythm. Pr. Matta Ghaly will be the primary instructor. The course is designed with a Lutheran lens and inclusive heart; all are welcome.

This on-line course is offered through the Oregon Synod’s SALM and Lay Education Program. We’ll meet the following eight Tuesday evenings on Zoom from 6:30-8:00 pm (Pacific Time): January 11, January 18, January 25, February 1, February 8, February 15, February 22, and March 1. Authentic participation and relationship-building are the priority. Course participants and/or their congregations are encouraged to donate, as they are able, on a sliding scale between $20-$160, but donations are not required to register. If you’d like to sign up for the course, please do so through the registration form.

A Used Book Sale Success!

Thank you for a most successful used book sale! Once everyone’s paid up, we’ll have made $611. Plus we have a credit at Powell’s, where we were able to sell some of our remainders.

A huge thank you to Dan & Sharon Fako, Bob & Mary Brown, Rob Dieffenbach, Don Near-hood, and Barb Gutzler, my trusty sidekick. Also to my poor old worn-out husband and to Pam Meredith, who stood ready to function as backup cashier.

Donna Brocker took several books for the kids at Barnes School and some carefully selected titles for Afghan refugees. All the lovely Bibles are going to Portland Rescue Mission with some children’s books for their women’s and children’s shelter. I have already begun feeding the Little Free Libraries with books Powell’s won’t buy. This is a real pleasure for me as I have indulged in them quite often.

To all of you who came to the sale, saw, shopped, and bought books, thank you. And to everyone who donated so many lovely books, thank you huge for allowing me to have such a good time!

Pam Farr
Adult Librarian

Congratulations!

Dear Mark, Susan, and Saints,
You have made great progress on your loan with the Mission Investment Fund. Congratulations! With gratitude for you and all the good work that you do, may God bless your ministry.

Joel
Mission Investment Fund
of the Evangelical Lutheran Church

Second Sunday of Advent

Happy New Year! The Christian year begins with the season of Advent, and this way of beginning is itself significant. You might think the year would begin with the trumpets of Easter, or the softness of Christmas Eve, or the fires of Pentecost — but on the contrary, we begin in the shadows of despair, war, sorrow, and hate. For it’s precisely there that the God of grace will arrive, and accordingly, it’s precisely there that God’s church is called to light candles of hope, peace, joy, and love. It’s worth remembering this deep poetry: as the Christian new year begins, we join hands and enter the darkness, actively waiting, singing, and praying anew for God’s light to overwhelm the world.

from SALT Project

Preparing for next Sunday, December 12, 2021

Lesson: Isaiah 12:2-6
Gospel: Matthew 1:18-25

Go to the “Preparing for Worship” webpage for the bulletins, the complete Lectionary, and more.

In Need of Prayers…

If you know someone in need of prayers, please contact the church office by phone at 503-646-0629 or email office@standrewlutheran.com Tuesday-Friday, prayerchain@standrewlutheran.com Saturday-Monday.

Family and friends of Keith Poppert	Peace and God’s comfort at his death	Claris & Corky Poppert
Family and friends of Jack Warnes (brother-in-law)	Peace and God’s comfort at his death	Suzanne Warnes
Joe Baker and all who mourn the death of his parents Bill & Marna	Peace and God’s comfort	Pastor Mark
John Fritz	Comfort and wisdom in a time of transition	Staff
Sam Harker	Successful surgery (December 8) and a smooth recovery	Carol Harker
Angie Mitlehner	Healing and recovery	Angie Mitlehner
Chris Entrikin	Healing and recovery	Jerry Entrikin
Lynn Santelmann	Healing and recovery	Paul Navarre
John Trom	Healing and recovery	Pastor Susan Kintner
Dr. Cara Steinkeler	Strength as she supports dying COVID patients and their families	Gary & Gail Grafwallner
Bishop Laurie Larson Caesar & Oregon Synod Staff	Strength and wisdom	Staff
Refugees and immigrants	Acceptance, safety, and just treatment	Staff
Military personnel, especially Justina Hailey Hope Brocker, Evan Dahlquist, Dawson Dethlefs, Neil Fiegenbaum, and Jerami Reyna	Protection and safety	Staff
Gloria Dei Lutheran Church (Coos Bay, OR) Faith Lutheran Church (Coquille, OR)	Serving with us in the Oregon Synod	Staff
The Jewish community	Blessings for Hanukkah	Staff
Muslim Educational Trust (Tigard, OR)	Blessings on our interfaith partners	Staff
Individual friends and loved ones in need of prayer	Whatever they most need; say their names in your heart or aloud	Everyone

Highlights for the Week

Go to the complete online church calendar for the most up-to-date information.

Sunday, December 5, Second Sunday of Advent

8:30 am	Worship with Communion (masks required)	Sanctuary and YouTube
10:00 am	Adult Ed: A Journey Towards Anti-Racism, Part 2	Fellowship Hall or via Zoom
10:00 am	Adult Ed: The Kairos Hermeneutic	Youth Room
10:00 am	Children’s Ministry	Children’s Library
10:00 am	Confirmation	Library and via Zoom
10:00 am	High School Youth Group with Adult Ed	Chapel
10:30 am	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom
11:00 am	Worship with Communion (masks required)	Sanctuary and Zoom
12:00 pm	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom

Monday, December 6

6:00 pm

Scout Troop 618 Meeting

Fellowship Hall, St. Andrew Room

Tuesday, December 7 – Weekly News submissions due by 12:00 pm

7:00 am	Sunrise Women	Elmer’s Restaurant on 158th (1250 Waterhouse Ave)
7:00 am	Men’s Gathering & Bible Study	Elmer’s Restaurant on 158th (1250 Waterhouse Ave)
10:00 am	T’ai Chi	Fellowship Hall
10:00 am	Meals on Wheels/Loaves and Fishes	Offsite
10:00 am	Worship Planners Meeting	Library
7:00 pm	MACG Meeting	St. Andrew Room

Wednesday, December 8

10:00 am	Yoga Class	Fellowship Hall
6:00 pm	Sanctuary Team Meeting	Library
6:00 pm	Bells of Grace Rehearsal	Sanctuary
6:45 pm	Informal Gathering Time	via Zoom
7:00 pm	Advent Evening Prayer	Sanctuary or via Zoom
7:30 pm	Sanctuary Choir	Sanctuary

Thursday, December 9

9:30 am	Seekers of the Heart of God Bible Study	St. Andrew Room
12:00 pm	Team Ministry Meeting	Chapel/Library
7:00 pm	HR Meeting	via Zoom

Friday, December 10

10:00 am

Tai Chi

Fellowship Hall

Sunday, December 12, Third Sunday in Advent

8:30 am	Worship with Communion (masks required)	Sanctuary and YouTube
10:00 am	Adult Ed: A Journey Towards Anti-Racism, Part 2	Fellowship Hall or via Zoom
10:00 am	Adult Ed: The Kairos Hermeneutic	Chapel
10:00 am	Children’s Ministry	Children’s Library
10:00 am	Confirmation	Library and via Zoom
10:00 am	High School Youth Group with Adult Ed	Chapel
10:30 am	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom
11:00 am	Worship with Communion (masks required)	Sanctuary and Zoom
12:00 pm	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom

Connecting to Worship