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Mask Mandate Expands
The Delta variant has changed everything, including the statewide mask mandate that
now includes masking outside, a ruling that went into effect on August 27. Until further
notice, please wear a mask to Sunday morning worship in the Sanctuary of the Firs, as well as to worship in the Sanctuary. We’ll have disposable masks available at both locations in case you forget.
If you are feeling more apprehensive about gathering for worship together, that’s understandable. Please make decisions that are best for you and your household. As always, we request and expect all who worship together at St. Andrew to be vaccinated. If you are not vaccinated and have no medical reason not to get the vaccine, we urge you to get vaccinated now. Regardless, be assured that all online worship options at St. Andrew remain available for everyone.
Wednesday Evening Prayer
Midweek Evening Prayer Services continue to be offered via Zoom, with Pastor Susan sharing thoughtful and sometimes playful meditations. All are welcome this Wednesday, September 1, for social time at 6:45 pm and service at 7:00 pm. Centering Prayer follows at 7:30 pm. Participate in all or part of our scheduled time together. Look for links to this worship service at midday on Wednesdays in the church email.
Sock It To Me – Outside In
This is the last Sunday for our sock collection for homeless youth and others in need. Take this opportunity to demonstrate Community and Neighbor Care by improving the lives of young people in our city. Since 1968, the Outside In has transformed lives by helping break the cycles of chronic homelessness, poverty, and poor health among
Portland’s LGBTQA+ community, people of color, those experiencing homelessness, and the underserved.
Currently, the Outside In is in high need of socks. Please purchase new men’s and women’s socks and bring them to church no later than August 29. You’ll find a barrel in the Narthex and the socks will be delivered to Outside In at the end of August. Both staff and clients of Outside In appreciate this congregation for all of our support over the past years and send their thanks once again for your contributions. Thank you!
The Service Committee
Guest Preacher Bishop Laurie Larson Caesar
This Sunday, we welcome Pastor Laurie Larson Caesar, bishop of the Oregon Synod of the ELCA, to the pulpit. Born and raised in the small logging town of Libby, Montana, where her great-grandparents and other Norwegian immigrants
founded Christ Lutheran Church, she was elected in May 2019 to be bishop of the Oregon Synod. Pastor Laurie was educated at Stanford University, Harvard Divinity, and Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary. She served as pastor of Spirit of Grace in Beaverton for 23 years.
Leadership Training Planned for September
MACG will hold a two-day Leadership Training Institute in September. More details will be coming soon, but for now, please save the dates: Saturday, September 18, and Saturday, September 25, 10:00 am–4:00 pm, at Spirit of Grace in Beaverton.
Don’t miss this terrific opportunity to learn how using organizing principles can strengthen relationships, build community, and work for common good in our community. Look for more information next week, but please contact any member of St. Andrew’s MACG Core Team if you have questions: Pat Christiansen, Larry Bliesner, Lynn Santelmann, Scott Taylor, Bob Stadel, Jan Smith, and Victoria Kovalenko.
Nifty Notters
The Nifty Notters will meet Saturday, September 4, and Saturday, September 18, from 9:00 am-2:30 pm in the Fellowship Hall. Join us for all or part of the time to work on baby and Lutheran World Relief quilts. We’re trying to finish as many LWR quilts as possible so they’re ready for the October Ingathering. No experience is needed and all supplies are provided.
Please note that, at this time, we are being asked not to eat together inside the church building. But please bring a lunch and we’ll gather at tables outside to enjoy some fellowship time.
Introducing: The Roots!
With the start of the school year comes something very exciting in our children’s ministry! This year we are launching an entirely new Sunday morning children’s program: The Roots! This program is designed to live into our vision for children’s ministry by emphasizing our core values and increasing the percentage of our congregation that is involved in ministering to our kids. It takes a village!
Check out the insert in this newsletter to read about the origin of this program, its name, its goals, and how you can be a part of it by leading 15 minutes once every six weeks—a total of only one hour over the whole school year!
Kyler Vogt,
Children & Youth Minister
ELCA Summer School
The ELCA’s Advocacy Summer School has already begun, but you can still register for the final two sessions and learn how to become more effective in addressing the justice issues that fuel your passion. Please go to https://tinyurl.com/tjzdzucp to learn more and to register for future sessions. The next session will be held Wednesday, September 1, at 11:00 am Pacific time. Please note that you must register separately for each week’s offering.
Save the Date for Lutherwood
Wednesday, October 6, 2021, 7:00 pm
An Online & Interactive Fundraiser
Preparing for Sunday, September 5, 2021
Reading: Isaiah 35:4-7a
Gospel: Mark 7:24-37
Go to the “Preparing for Worship” webpage for the bulletins, the complete Lectionary, and more.
Time to Collect School Supplies for Lutheran World Relief
Education is one of the strongest tools a community has for breaking the cycle of poverty. Even better results occur when we can ensure that girls attend school in places where their access to education is not a priority. Lutheran World Relief (LWR) school kits contain essential supplies to help children learn in the face of serious obstacles.
With many retailers currently offering back-to-school sales, now is the time to help us stock up on supplies for LWR School Kits. Our goal is to collect enough supplies to fill 75-100 school kits by early September.
We are well on our way to being able to fill 100 backpacks; here is what we still need:
201 spiral bound notebooks
81 boxes 16– or 24-count crayons
69 pencil sharpeners
68 rulers (30-centimeters)
64 pairs blunt scissors
326 unsharpened No. 2 pencils with erasers
339 black or blue pens
25 erasers (2 ½ inch)
Thank you for your generous donations.
St. Andrew Service Committee
Organ Scholarship Applications Due
The St. Andrew Foundation is delighted to announce that it is continuing to offer a scholarship for organists ages 13-30. This award offers aspiring young musicians financial assistance to pay for organ lessons or other materials needed for their studies. For more information and to apply, please go to
https://standrewlutheran.com/give/st-andrew-foundation/.
The application deadline is Monday, October 4. If you have questions, please email foundation@standrewlutheran.com.
A Book Sale’s Coming: It’s Time To Prune Your Collection!
Give me your tired, your broken, your worn-out volumes
Waiting for new homes,
The unwanted books of your o’er-flowing shelves.
Give these, the books, undesired unto me,
There’ll be a sale, to give them all new homes!
Yes, there’s gonna be a book sale, scheduled for Sunday, November 28, and we need all your cast-off and no-longer-desired books to sell. Simply put your donations in the boxes on the floor of the Adult Library or on the counter, if bending is hard for you. You can bring in magazines, too, children’s books, history, fiction, whatever you think you’re ready to pass on. This is a used book sale to make money for our church libraries, not the Annie Bloom sale we’ve held in years past.
Pam Farr
Adult Librarian
I Am My Story
This year, The Immigrant Story plans to go live with four musicians and four stories of survival on one unforgettable
night, Saturday, September 11, at 7:00 pm. The event will be held at the Alex L. Parks Performing Arts Center, 9000 SW Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy.
With storytellers from Burundi, Rwanda, Cambodia, and Syria, the program focuses on first-person tales of courage and fortitude. These stories of resilience in the face of unimaginable atrocities of war and genocide offer hope and inspiration at a time when we need them most.
The program will begin with a performance by renowned viola player Dijana Ihas, a professor at Pacific University who survived the war in Bosnia and was a member of the Sarajevo String Quartet, which played more than 200 concerts during the Siege of Sarajevo. She will be joined by three musicians from the Oregon Symphony.
Synod Day of Learning: Faithful in the Fray
It’s that time again! For many, September means new pencils, backpacks, friendships, and opportunities for learning. This unbounded curiosity is not simply a positive thing, but a significant part of our Lutheran heritage. Martin Luther preached that we are to bring our whole selves, body, spirit, and mind, to our faith. Intellectual questions, literacy, and science are never to be feared. As Paul says in Romans, continuing to grow in faith, understanding, and love is part of the discipleship path: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
The Oregon Synod staff invite all of us to participate in the second annual Synod Day of Learning on Saturday, September 25, from 9:15 am-3:45 pm. The rise of the Delta variant will not stop us—workshops and the keynote address will all be offered via Zoom.
Conversations and workshops will follow the theme of the year here in the Oregon Synod: Faithful in the Fray. This fall we will be looking at faithfulness as it applies to faith and racism, and we are delighted to share that local leader and author Pr. Lenny Duncan has agreed to be our keynoter. Workshops will be both morning and afternoon, and will include themes such as anti-racist reading of the Bible, facing the climate crisis with honesty and hope, hidden stories
from the margins and our own lives, crafting new liturgies as sacred collective action, how to have tough conversations in congregations, and honoring our grief around the history of racism in our state and world.
The entire day’s event is only $50 per screen for adults over 21. Under 21 is free. Scholarships are available by contacting the Bishop’s Office at office@oregonsynod.org. Registration closes on September 20 at 9:00 pm.
Flowers on the Chancel
The flowers on the chancel today are given to the glory of God by Doris Larson in memory of her husband Don, who died 12 years ago; her oldest daughter Roxanne and husband Jim Imbrie’s wedding anniversary on September 8; and her granddaughter Jessica’s upcoming marriage to Tracy on September 4.
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 Gloria Heidinger | Peace and God’s comfort at her death | Judy Heidinger (sister-in-law) |
| Family and friends of Bob Carlson (uncle) | Peace and God’s comfort at his death | Carol Hogan |
| Baby Raya and her family | Strength and comfort | Ginny Link (great-grandaunt) |
| Family and friends of infants Tucker and Bennet | Peace and God’s comfort at their deaths | Laura Geczy-Haskins (cousin) |
| Don Brown (brother) | Patience, guidance, comfort in hospice care | Bob & Mary Brown |
| Amy Marks (friend) and her husband Mark | Comfort, guidance, and strength | Bob & Judy Scholz |
| Kay (mother) | Effective treatment and recovery | Linda Sah Olshausen |
| Joyce (sister) | Effective treatment and recovery | Judy Scholz |
| Lisajoy Sachs (cousin) | Comfort, healing, and recovery | Sue Cahlender |
| Maverick Dixon (unborn nephew) | Complete healing in the womb | AJ & Rebecca Uecker |
| Carol Hogan | Healing and recovery | Staff |
| John Fiegenbaum | Healing and comfort | Amy Fiegenbaum |
| Karlene | Peace and comfort | Linda Fransen |
| Bernie Dwigans (father) | Accurate diagnosis and healing | Carol Hogan |
| Grandson of friend, Pat | Successful surgery | Linda Fransen |
| Maria Navarre | Comfort and encouragement | Lynn Santelmann |
| All those suffering from natural disasters | Protection and safety | Staff |
| People of Afghanistan | Safety and security | Staff |
| Springfield Lutheran Church (Springfield, OR) | Serving with us in the Oregon Synod | Staff |
| Islamic Center of Portland (Portland and Beaverton, 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, August 29
| 8:30 am | Worship with Communion (masks required) Livestream Worship with Communion | Sanctuary YouTube |
| 10:30 am | Virtual Coffee Time | Zoom |
| 11:00 am | Worship with Communion (masks required) Zoom Worship with Communion | Sanctuary of the Firs Zoom |
| 12:00 pm | Virtual Coffee Time | Zoom |
Monday, August 30
| 10:00 am | Meals on Wheels/Loaves and Fishes | Offsite |
| 6:00 pm | Troop 5618 Meeting | Garden Parking Lot |
Tuesday, August 31
| 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, September 1 – Weekly News submissions due by 4:00 pm
| 10:00 am | Yoga (both Chair Yoga & Floor Yoga) | Fellowship Hall |
| 6:45 pm | Informal Gathering Time | Zoom |
| 7:00 pm | Wednesday Evening Prayer | Zoom |
| 7:30 pm | Centering Prayer | Zoom |
Thursday, September 2
| 12:00 pm | Team Ministry Meeting | Chapel, Library |
| 7:00 pm | Executive Committee Meeting | St. Andrew Room (also Zoom) |
Friday, September 3
| 10:00 am | T’ai Chi | Fellowship Hall |
Saturday, September 4
| 9:00 am | Nifty Notters | Fellowship Hall |
Sunday, September 5
| 8:30 am | Worship with Communion (masks required) Livestream Worship with Communion | Sanctuary YouTube |
| 10:30 am | Virtual Coffee Time | Zoom |
| 11:00 am | Worship with Communion (masks required) Zoom Worship with Communion | Sanctuary of the Firs Zoom |
| 12:00 pm | Virtual Coffee Time | Zoom |
Connecting to Worship
8:30 am: Worship in the Sanctuary or watch the livestream of worship on YouTube.
- The same link will bring you to the recording of the service to watch anytime after the livestream ends.
- An audio recording of the 8:30 am service will be available Sunday afternoon by simply dialing 503-643-9416.
11:00 am: Worship in the Sanctuary or participate in worship via Zoom
The link will be sent via email and by notification from the church app.
- To participate via Zoom, you can use a smart phone, computer, tablet, or a telephone.
- To participate in “Virtual Coffee Time” simply log in early or stay logged in after the Zoom worship service ends.
Not getting church emails? Click on the green button below to contact the church office to recieve the livestream worship link and zoom invitations.
Need Help? If you discover that you need help connecting to St. Andrew’s online worship services and meetings, please email Rebecca Fako Uecker. She will be available by 9:30 am on most Sunday mornings and 5:30 pm on most Wednesday evenings to provide same-day help for church-related purposes.
Ways to Give: Thank you for supporting our ministries!
We thank you for your support of the ministries of St. Andrew. If you are able, please give now using any of the following options:
Postal Mail: Simply mail a check to the church office. Let us know if you’d like giving envelope mailed to your home each month by contacting the church office.
Text Giving: Simply text any amount to 503-386-9646 to donate to the Ministry & Mission Fund. To donate to another fund, text keyword to get a list of funds, then type the dollar amount and fund name to give. For example, to give to the local food bank, text 50 food to give $50 for food.
Give via Church App: Download “Church by MinistryOne” from the App store and watch sermons, submit prayer requests, and give a one-time or recurring gift.
Give Online: On the St. Andrew website, click on “Give” at the top of the page. Here you can view your giving, set recurring gifts.
Direct Deposit / “Simply Giving:” Request a form from the church office to enable automated giving from your checking or savings account through the “Simply Giving” program.
Stock Donation: Download the form to donate stock. Please contact our Financial Secretaries in advance of processing the form or if you have questions.
Thank you for supporting the ministries of St. Andrew!