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Getting Ready to Worship Together

As we prepare to return to in-person worship on July 4, perhaps you’ve been thinking about the role you might play in the services. Interested in reading  the scriptures? Offering the prayers of the people? Serving communion, or lighting the candles?

These are all roles handled by volunteers from the St. Andrew community, and you are invited to participate! No experience is necessary and you will receive all the training you need. We work with your schedule so you can attend your preferred service and still worship with your family or friends.

Please contact Minister of Music & Media Allison Katsufrakis at allisonk@standrewlutheran.com if you have questions or would like to volunteer.

Wednesday Evening Prayer

Midweek Evening Prayer services will continue to be offered through the summer months via Zoom. Meditations will be drawn from Devotional Classics. All are welcome this Wednesday, June 30, for social time at 6:45 pm and service at 7:00 pm, when our meditation will come from The Journal of John Woolman on the theme, “Breaking the Yoke of Oppression.” 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 mid-day on Wednesdays in Allison’s email.

Earth Camp Needs “Shadows”

The Earth Camp team needs a couple more people to volunteer as “Shadows” for camp week, July 12-16. The camp will consist of five groups of seven kids, with each group accompanied by two youth “Guides.” The Shadow’s role is to be an adult presence with one of the five groups throughout the week. It’s the easiest volunteer role in Earth Camp! If you’d like to volunteer or have questions about this opportunity, please contact the camp’s program director, Kyler Vogt:

kvogt@standrewlutheran.com.

Wisdom Calls

Hear stories from some of Oregon’s first ordained women, including Pastor Susan Kintner and Pastor Robyn Hartwig, at 7:00 pm on Saturdaym, June 26, during the second session of Wisdom Calls.

Click on the link below to register to receive the Zoom link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMofu6vqTMvHdBoZTbDpyTJP_2KE8JyjUCM

Job Opening for Office Assistant

St. Andrew is looking to hire a part-time office assistant to act as a first point of contact with the congregation and the general public. The person will manage building use and church calendars, scheduling both in-person and Zoom meetings; perform routine data entry, report creation, and updating of databases; proofread both online and print materials; order office, cleaning, and worship supplies; assemble mailings; and print bulletins, as well as support ministry coordinators and the staff.

We’re looking for someone proficient with Microsoft Office applications and the ability to learn new software when required; a person with a positive attitude and excellent interpersonal skills; someone who can organize, set priorities, and exercise sound independent judgment; a person who pays attention to detail and is willing to coordinate multiple projects and respond to changing priorities. Demonstrated competencies in database entry, proofreading, and time management are required.

The person will work 21 hours per week, 8:30 am-4:00 pm, Tuesday through Thursday. For more information, go to

portland.craigslist.org/wsc/ofc/d/beaverton-office-assistant/7337270360.html

Applications should be submitted electronically to the church office (office@standrewlutheran.com) or mailed to  St. Andrew Lutheran Church, 12405 SW Butner Rd, Beaverton, OR 97005, Attn: Carol Harker, by July 1.

Grunewald Guild Class Registration

Registration is now open for summer classes at the Grunewald Guild. A faith community fostering art and creativity along the banks of the Wenatchee River in Washington, the Grunewald Guild is offering a variety of intriguing classes in July, August, and September. Whether you’d like to explore journal making, songwriting, word collage with calligraphy, ceramics, writing, jewelry making and repair, extravagant beadwork, weaving, photography, or other arts, the Guild has a curriculum to nourish your soul and renew your spirit. One class title, “Hand Embroidery: Sinking into Slowness,” reveals the character of this community, which invites makers—whether absolute newcomers or experienced craftspeople—to slow their pace and consider how the process of creation itself can be a grounding force. To learn more, go to: https://grunewald.com/summer-program-2021/.

Want to Spend Some Dollars?

We’re talking about Thrivent Choice Dollars.  You do not need to be a Thrivent member to help identify St. Andrew activities that might benefit from extra funds. Interested? We will meet on Sunday, July 18, in Fellowship Hall at (or before) 10:00 am to learn more about Choice Dollars. Many of us don’t know much about this and now we have a chance to learn, ask questions, and help discern what we would like to support in the next 12 months.

We missed having meetings since 2018 but the money has come in each year and has recently been sent to the ministries designated in 2018 to receive them. We will review past decisions as we prepare to choose where we want to go from here. The more input, the better we can consider how to best use money coming in the next 12 months.

Thrivent members who are designating choice dollars will have the opportunity to vote on suggestions at this meeting. Please join us to determine how to spend those dollars on behalf of St. Andrew ministries.

Oceanspray in Bloom

Pacific Northwest native shrub  Oceanspray, currently blooming near the garden shed,  is looking spectacular this June. Don Nearhood snapped a photo earlier in the week of the plant also known as ironwood or creambush.

Nifty Notters

The Nifty Notters will NOT be meeting on July 3,  but all are welcome to join us Saturday, July 17, from 9:00 am – 2:30 pm in Fellowship Hall to work on baby quilts for Virginia Garcia Clinic and larger quilts for LWR and Safeplace. All supplies are provided and no experience is needed. Bring a lunch and join us for all or part of the time. If you can’t come on Saturday,  we have many cutting and sewing/tying projects that can be done at home. If you have questions, please contact Mary Brown at 503-439-3917 or Pam Farr at 503-626-6657.

Implementation of New St. Andrew Social Media Policy

The St. Andrew social media policy directs that the church primarily rely on email, the official Facebook page, and the website for official communication. The use of group sites owned or managed by St. Andrew should be minimized and limited to focused groups with a well-defined range of subject matter (e.g., youth or education groups). These groups must be administered and managed by church staff or supervised volunteers and must be accessible to anyone who wishes to participate. The creation and/or management of open forum Facebook groups by St. Andrew Lutheran Church is not authorized under these current guidelines.

Look for an increase in posts on the St Andrew Lutheran Church Facebook page by church staff, the communications team, and official St. Andrew groups, as well as increased synergy with the updated content on the St. Andrew website. Facebook will be used as an “on-demand” quick communication tool, while the website will be used as a portal to a wealth of church, spiritual, and related information. The policy recognizes that the “new post-COVID-19 normal” means that access to, and participation in, electronic worship and other activities at St. Andrew Lutheran Church must be considered one of the “privileges of membership” as noted in Chapter 15, section 5, of the Constitution of St. Andrew Lutheran Church ELCA.

St Andrew Lutheran Church generally has a positive view towards creating or contributing to personal websites, blogs, social networks, message boards, virtual worlds, and other kinds of social media. Participation by members of St. Andrew Lutheran Church and the general public in these open forums is a matter of individual choice and an exercise in free speech. As such, they are independent of St. Andrew Lutheran Church and are not subject to control, monitoring, or mediation by the Church.

The St. Andrew Lutheran Church Beaverton Facebook group has been a place for members and friends to reflect on their faith for almost 12 years. It serves as a place for “member care” and as a “fellowship” group where people can post reflections, event images and videos, and questions for member response. This group has had a positive impact on communication within the church and it is an important adjunct to the official St. Andrew page. As part of this formal policy, look for the private group to be renamed “Fellowship of St Andrew Lutheran Beaverton” to emphasize the fact that this is an independent group that is not officially owned by the church.

We are also working with the moderators to have the site display an appropriate disclaimer of its independence and that all appropriate Facebook tools be utilized to encourage members to comply with recommended rules, guidelines, and policies for postings made on the site (see next page). The policy strongly recommends that St. Andrew staff and volunteer leaders do NOT participate as moderators or mediators for this private group. As an independent site, members have the right to exercise free speech in their postings, in the same way that they can write letters to newspapers, or post to other blogs and sites. Recognizing that misunderstandings may sometimes occur, the moderators and voluntary members of this group are encouraged to follow the same Matthew 18:15-17 process for reconciliation that is contained in the St. Andrew Constitution.

Tom Mehlhorn, Chair
Communications Team

Your Congregational Council for 2021/2022

Members of St. Andrew’s Congregational Council have been duly elected, have selected officers for the coming year, and are ready to serve the congregation. If you have concerns, questions, or ideas, please feel free to reach out to these lay leaders of the congregation:

Camp Lutherwood Is Hiring

June 23-August 17
Starting Salary for Summer: $2,890

Deepen your faith and sense of adventure while growing personally and professionally. Visit Camp Lutherwood online to learn more: www.lutherwoodoregon.org/employment. If you have questions, please contact the camp office for more information. Call 541-998-6444 or email jobs@lutherwoodoregon.org.

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 Gary Howard	Peace and God’s comfort at his death	Deb Howard
Family and friends of Bobby Larson’s mother	Peace and God’s comfort at her death	Bobbie Larson
Family and friends of Carol Grover	Peace and God’s comfort at her death	Nan Thompson
Family and friends of Al Miles (cousin)	Peace and God’s comfort at his death	Mary Brown
Family and friends of Howard Black (Dan’s friend)	Peace and God’s comfort at his death	Dan & Sharon Fako
Family and friends of Chuck Hinton (relative)	Peace and God’s comfort at his death	Dan & Sharon Fako0
Family and friends of Charles Covington	Peace and God’s comfort at his death	Gordon Teifel
Ann Landmark (cousin)	Compassionate care as she enters hospice	Bev Briggs
Nan Thompson	Acceptance and strength	Nan Thompson
Gary Grafwallner	Healing of his left eye from Bell’s palsy	Gary Grafwallner
Carol Means	Effective treatment	Staff
Dan Fako	Pain relief	Sharon Fako
Marlene Maxwell	Continued healing	Bruce Maxwell
Mary Brown	Successful knee replacement surgery (June 30)	Bob & Mary Brown
Susan Reiser	Successful knee replacement surgery (June 30)	John & Susan Reiser
Everyone affected by COVID-19	Strength and support	Staff
Those impacted by racial injustice	Care in times of pain, violence, and crisis	Staff
Those facing ongoing illness or distress	Healing and assurance of God’s presence Tandy Brooks, Dave Bumgardner, Vic Claar, Ian MacDonald, Gary Magnuson, Hugh Mason, Brian McKiernan, 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
King of Kings Lutheran Church (Milwaukie, OR) Milwaukie Lutheran Church (Milwaukie, OR) Prince of Life Lutheran (Oregon City, OR) Zion Lutheran Church (Oregon City, OR)	Serving with us in the Oregon Synod	Staff
Congregation Ahavath Achim (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

Preparing for Sunday, July 4, 2021

Reading: Ezekiel 2:1-5

Gospel: Mark 6:1-13

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

Highlights for the Week

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

Sunday, June 27

8:30 am	Livestream Worship with Communion	YouTube
9:30 am	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom
11:00 am	Zoom Worship with Communion	Zoom
12:00 pm	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom
12:30 pm	Earth Camp Leadership Meeting	Zoom

Monday, June 28

6:00 pm

Troop 618 Meeting

east parking lot

Tuesday, June 29

7:30 am	Men’s Breakfast and Bible Study	Elmer’s Restaurant at 158th
7:30 am	Women’s Sunrise Spirituality Group	Elmer’s Restaurant at 158th
10:00 am	T’ai Chi	Fellowship Hall
10:00 am	Worship Planners Meeting Meeting	Library
7:00 pm	Adult Education Team Meeting	Library7

Wednesday, June 30 – Weekly News submissions due by 4:00 pm

6:45 pm	Informal Gathering Time	Zoom
7:00 pm	Wednesday Evening Prayer	Zoom
7:30 pm	Centering Prayer	Zoom

Thursday, July 1

12:00 pm	Team Ministry Meeting	Chapel/Library
3:00 pm	Communications Team Meeting	Zoom
7:00 pm	Executive Committee (Council) Meeting	Zoom

Friday, July 2

10:00 am

T’ai Chi

Fellowship Hall

Sunday, July 4

8:30 am	Worship with Communion Livestream Worship with Communion	Sanctuary YouTube
9:30 am	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom
11:00 am	Worship with Communion Zoom Worship with Communion	Sanctuary of the Firs Zoom
12:00 pm	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom

Connecting to Worship

Ways to Give: Thank you for supporting our ministries!

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

Preparing for Our Annual Meeting

Annual Meeting of the Congregation
Tuesday, June 22, 2021, 6:30 pm

Once a year the members of the congregation gather to elect new members to the Church Council and to approve the budget for the coming year. We will meet on Tuesday via Zoom.

Wednesday Evening Prayer

Midweek Evening Prayer services will continue to be offered through the summer months via Zoom. Meditations will be drawn from Devotional Classics. All are welcome this Wednesday, June 23, for social time at 6:30 pm; service at 7:00 pm, when our meditation will come from George Fox, a founder of the Quakers; and Centering Prayer at 7:30 pm. Participate in all or part of our scheduled time together. Look for links to this worship service at mid-day on Wednesdays in Allison’s email.

Celebrating Juneteenth & the End of Slavery

Hallelujah! On Thursday, June 16, President Biden signed legislation declaring June 19th a national holiday. For the first time in our country’s history, federal employees were granted a day off to celebrate the new holiday–and it came a day early, since June 19 falls on a Saturday this year.

June 19^th, also known as Juneteenth, is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. On June 19th, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that enslaved people were now free. For black people trying to establish a new status, annual celebrations of Juneteenth were times for reassuring one another, for praying, and for gathering remaining family members. Juneteenth became an official state holiday in Texas in 1980 and in Oregon last month.

This Juneteenth at 10:00 am, the Oregon Remembrance Project (https://www.oregonremembrance.com/) will be installing a historical marker in Coos Bay remembering the story of the only documented lynching in Oregon, that of Alonzo Tucker in 1902. The St. Andrew Reckoning with Racism cohort invites you to participate in person or via Zoom at 10:00 am on June 19^th. We hope to find reconciliation and communal healing through a sober reflection on history.

Getting Ready to Worship Together

As we prepare to return to in-person worship on July 4, perhaps you’ve been thinking about the role you might play in the services. Interested in reading  the scriptures? Offering the prayers of the people? Serving communion, or lighting the candles?

These are all roles handled by volunteers from the St. Andrew community, and you are invited to participate! No experience is necessary and you will receive all the training you need. We work with your schedule so you can attend your preferred service and still worship with your family or friends.

Please contact Minister of Music & Media Allison Katsufrakis at allisonk@standrewlutheran.com if you have questions or would like to volunteer.

Earth Camp Needs “Shadows”

The Earth Camp team needs a couple more people to volunteer as “Shadows” for camp week, July 12-16. The camp will consist of five groups of seven kids, with each group accompanied by two youth “Guides.” The Shadow’s role is to be an adult presence with one of the five groups throughout the week. It’s the easiest volunteer role in Earth Camp! If you’d like to volunteer or have questions about this opportunity, please contact the camp’s program director, Kyler Vogt:

kvogt@standrewlutheran.com.

Job Opening for Office Assistant

St. Andrew is looking to hire a part-time office assistant to act as a first point of contact with the congregation and the general public. The person will manage building use and church calendars, scheduling both in-person and Zoom meetings; perform routine data entry, report creation, and updating of databases; proofread both online and print materials; order office, cleaning, and worship supplies; assemble mailings; and print bulletins, as well as support ministry coordinators and the staff.

We’re looking for someone proficient with Microsoft Office applications and the ability to learn new software when required; a person with a positive attitude and excellent interpersonal skills; someone who can organize, set priorities, and exercise sound independent judgment; a person who pays attention to detail and is willing to coordinate multiple projects and respond to changing priorities. Demonstrated competencies in database entry, proofreading, and time management are required.

The person will work 21 hours per week, 8:30 am-4:00 pm, Tuesday through Thursday. For more information, go to

portland.craigslist.org/wsc/ofc/d/beaverton-office-assistant/7337270360.html

Applications should be submitted electronically to the church office (office@standrewlutheran.com) or mailed to  St. Andrew Lutheran Church, 12405 SW Butner Rd, Beaverton, OR 97005, Attn: Carol Harker, by July 1.

Grunewald Guild Class Registration

Registration is now open for summer classes at the Grunewald Guild. A faith community fostering art and creativity along the banks of the Wenatchee River in Washington, the Grunewald Guild is offering a variety of intriguing classes in July, August, and September. Whether you’d like to explore journal making, songwriting, word collage with calligraphy, ceramics, writing, jewelry making and repair, extravagant beadwork, weaving, photography, or other arts, the Guild has a curriculum to nourish your soul and renew your spirit. One class title, “Hand Embroidery: Sinking into Slowness,” reveals the character of this community, which invites makers—whether absolute newcomers or experienced craftspeople—to slow their pace and consider how the process of creation itself can be a grounding force. To learn more, go to: https://grunewald.com/summer-program-2021/.

Filling the Food Barrel

Things are beginning to return to something nearer normal. We learned earlier this week that St. Matthew Lutheran Church is once again accepting packaged and canned food for its food bank. Now that St. Andrew’s doors are unlocked during office hours, feel free to donate non-perishable food to the food barrel in the Narthex. We are resuming deliveries to St. Matt’s and know that there are many hungry people who will benefit from our gifts.

Storytelling from Oregon’s First Ordained Women

For most of the history of the church (Roman Catholic and Protestant), only men were permitted to be ordained and to lead a congregation. For Lutherans, that changed in 1970, when the Lutheran Church in America and American Lutheran Church, predecessors of the ELCA, ordained Elizabeth Platz and Barbara Andrews. Since then, women clergy have steadily broken barriers, but changing the climate has been a decades-long process.

Still, 50 years later, look how far women have come! Today, the ELCA is led by Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, 22 women are synodical bishops (of 65 total), and four are seminary presidents. Almost one-third of all ELCA pastors are women.

To hear what it was like for Susan Granata, Joan Beck, Solveig Nilsen-Goodin, and other early women leaders in the Oregon Synod, listen in on their stories:

Saturday, June 26, 7:00 pm

Saturday, July 17, 7:00 pm.

Pastor Robyn Hartwig and Pastor Susan Kintner will share their stories on June 26.

It’s free and online. Click on Register to sign up now and receive the Zoom link.

Implementing a New Social Media Policy

How time flies! On July 27, 2020, as reported in a newsletter article last summer, the ad hoc Social Media Subgroup held its first meeting to develop suggested policy for social media use, processes to implement the policy, and roles and responsibilities for key personnel. The Subgroup held biweekly meetings and delivered a draft policy for Church Council consideration at the October 15, 2020 meeting, where the policy was endorsed and accepted by majority vote. Based on ELCA guidelines, the policy’s Vision for Social Media use says, “St. Andrew Lutheran Church is an ELCA congregation whose “social media presence is one … with congregation members and staff contributing regularly in ways that enhance community and help make connections between members. This helps to make visible the real community that gathers on Sunday morning and during the week, and makes others want to get involved more, or consider joining.”

You can request an electronic or print copy of this nine-page document from the church office. The policy discusses the role of social media within a larger St. Andrew communications strategy and broadly outlines strategy, policy, and implementation guidelines for social media use within a continuously changing environment.

Perhaps the most significant finding by the ad hoc subgroup was the need to clarify the almost universal confusion about the difference between the St. Andrew Facebook page and the St. Andrew Lutheran Church Beaverton Facebook group and how they are to be managed and used. Facebook Pages are designed to be the official profiles for entities (such as St. Andrew), while Facebook Groups are the place for small group communication. For example, the official Grateful Dead Page has 1.9M followers and its posts are internally generated and controlled, while “Deadhead Life” is a private Group of ~82,000 Grateful Dead fans who make an average of 500 posts/day about a variety of topics.

St. Andrew maintains an official Facebook Page that enables our church to create an authentic and public presence on Facebook that is visible to everyone on the internet by default. Only authorized St. Andrew staff can post to the page and these posts contain a limited subset of overall church information and communication.

The St. Andrew Lutheran Church Beaverton Facebook Group was created in December 2008 by a lay member of the congregation to be an “extension of the narthex,” where the congregation could continue their discussions throughout the week. This member continued to be the primary administrator until a few weeks ago. From a St. Andrew perspective, the group was mainly used for outward communication, as well as for fellowship between members. The pandemic led to making the group “private” to allow Zoom and YouTube links to be legally posted by the Parish Manager in accordance with our streaming licenses. Pastor Robyn, who was most familiar with visitors and new members, was the primary person to grant membership to the group and to post some of her own materials.

Implementation of the new social media policy has been slowed by the need to focus on the delivery and expansion of online worship and education, especially during Christmas and Lent, as well as significant changes in clergy and staff. This is about to change!

Formation of Communications Team

In support of the 2021 Key Ministry Support Initiative, I am leading a newly formed Communication Team comprised of Julie Aageson, Carol Harker, and Allison Katsufrakis to implement the social media strategy, update the church website layout and content, and help guide St Andrew into a new “hybrid” era of communication, worship, and education. Look for more use of the St. Andrew Facebook page for official church communication and a renaming of the Facebook group to “Fellowship of St. Andrew Lutheran Church Beaverton” in order to emphasize its independence. Stay tuned for more details in next week’s newsletter.

Tom Mehlhorn, Chair
Communications Team

New Library Books at St. Andrew

Nonfiction
Mennonite in a Little Black Dress: A Memoir of Going Home, by Rhoda Janzen
Without Buddha I Could not be a Christian, by Paul Knitter
Infidel, by Ayaan Hirsi Ali
His Truth Is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope, by Jon Meacham
All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis, edited by Ayana E. Johnson and Katherine K. Wilkinson
Rage, by Bob Woodward

Fiction
The Mountains Sing, by Nguyen Phan Que Mai
The Seagull, by Ann Cleeves
The Winter Soldier, by Daniel Mason

Camp Lutherwood Is Hiring

June 23-August 17
Starting Salary for Summer: $2,890

Deepen your faith and sense of adventure while growing personally and professionally. Visit Camp Lutherwood online to learn more: www.lutherwoodoregon.org/employment. If you have questions, please contact the camp office for more information. Call 541-998-6444 or email jobs@lutherwoodoregon.org.

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 Al Miles (cousin)	Peace and God’s comfort at his death	Mary Brown
Family and friends of Howard Black (Dan’s friend)	Peace and God’s comfort at his death	Dan & Sharon Fako
Family and friends of Chuck Hinton (relative)	Peace and God’s comfort at his death	Dan & Sharon Fako0
Family and friends of Charles Covington	Peace and God’s comfort at his death	Gordon Teifel
Carol Grover (sister)	Peaceful passing	Nan Thompson
Ann Landmark (cousin)	Compassionate care as she enters hospice	Bev Briggs
Nan Thompson	Acceptance and strength	Nan Thompson
Carl (cousin) and family	Comfort and strength	Carol Hogan
Carl’s newborn grandson	Healing after lung/heart surgery	Carol Hogan
Bob Carlson (uncle)	Healing and recovery from surgery	Carol Hogan
Gary Grafwallner	Healing of his left eye from Bell’s palsy	Gary Grafwallner
Dan Fako	Pain relief	Sharon Fako
Marlene Maxwell	Continued healing	Bruce Maxwell
Mary Brown	Successful knee replacement surgery (June 30)	Bob & Mary Brown
Susan Reiser	Successful knee replacement surgery (June 30)	John & Susan Reiser
Everyone affected by COVID-19	Strength and support	Staff
Those impacted by racial injustice	Care in times of pain, violence, and crisis	Staff
All those confined to their homes	Assurance of God’s presence Mareline Barnes, Dave Bumgardner, Jean Fredrickson, Tara Harper, Douglas Hooke, Betty Horst, Dorothy Moore, Phyllis Morris, Ed Pacey, Helen Rogers, Dave & Sharon Roth, Margie Schindele	Staff
All who are imprisoned	Peace and strength	Staff
Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon Holy Trinity Catholic Church	Blessings on their work	Staff
St. Stephen Lutheran Church (Gladstone, OR) Our Savior’s Lutheran Church (Lake Oswego, OR)	Serving with us in the Oregon Synod	Staff
Masjid Abu Bakr (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

Preparing for Sunday, June 27, 2021

First Reading: Malachi 3:1-4
Psalm 141
Second Reading: Acts 13:13-26
Gospel: Luke 1:57-80

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

Highlights for the Week

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

Sunday, June 20

8:30 am	Livestream Worship with Communion	YouTube
9:30 am	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom
11:00 am	Zoom Worship with Communion	Zoom
12:00 pm	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom

Monday, June 21

6:00 pm

Troop 618 Meeting

east parking lot

Tuesday, June 22

7:30 am	Men’s Breakfast and Bible Study	Elmer’s Restaurant at 158th
7:30 am	Women’s Sunrise Spirituality Group	Elmer’s Restaurant at 158th
10:00 am	T’ai Chi	Fellowship Hall
12:15 pm	Community Carbon Leadership Meeting	Library
6:30 pm	Annual Meeting of the Congregation	Zoom

Wednesday, June 23 – Weekly News submissions due by 4:00 pm

6:30 pm	Informal Gathering Time	Zoom
7:00 pm	Wednesday Evening Prayer	Zoom
7:30 pm	Centering Prayer	Zoom

Thursday, June 24

12:00 pm	Team Ministry Meeting	Chapel/Library
7:00 pm	IT Meeting	Zoom
7:00 pm	Council Meeting	Zoom

Friday, June 25

10:00 am

T’ai Chi

Fellowship Hall

Sunday, June 27

8:30 am	Livestream Worship with Communion	YouTube
9:30 am	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom
11:00 am	Zoom Worship with Communion	Zoom
12:00 pm	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom
12:30 pm	Earth Camp Leadership Meeting	Patio

Connecting to Worship

Ways to Give: Thank you for supporting our ministries!

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

Preparing for Our Annual Meeting

Ministry Support Forum: Sunday, June 13, 10:00 am

Annual Meeting of the Congregation
Tuesday, June 22, 2021, 6:30 pm

This Sunday, people are invited to gather via Zoom between services to learn more and share their questions/opinions about the proposed budget for 2021/2022. Voting to approve these items, as well as the nominations for new Council members and next year’s Nominating Committee, is conducted during the Annual Meeting itself, which will also be held remotely this year via Zoom.

Wednesday Evening Prayer

Midweek Evening Prayer services will continue to be offered through the summer months via Zoom. Meditations will be drawn from Devotional Classics. All are welcome this Wednesday, June 16, for social time at 6:30 pm, service at 7:00 pm, and Centering Prayer at 7:30 pm. Participate in all or part of our scheduled time together. Look for links to this worship service at mid-day on Wednesdays in Allison’s email.

Spirituality Book Group

The Spirituality Book Group will meet on Zoom to discuss Just Mercy, by Brian Stevenson, on Sunday, June 13, at 3:00 p.m. Barbara Gutzler will lead this discussion.

A Google Book Review calls this book “A powerful, bold true story about the potential for mercy to redeem us, and a clarion call to fix America’s broken system of justice — from one of the most brilliant and influential lawyers of our time.”

The Zoom link for this meeting will be sent to people on the Spirituality Book Group mailing list. If you would like to attend, contact Mary Smith to have a link sent to you.

Also, at this meeting, we will be selecting books for the next six months.

 

Future Reading:
July 18: The Murmur of Bees, by Sofia Segovia
Discussion Leader: Sharon Fako

Celebrating Juneteenth & the End of Slavery

What’s special about June 19^th?

June 19^th, also known as Juneteenth, is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. On June 19th, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that enslaved people were now free. For black people trying to establish a new status, annual celebrations of Juneteenth were times for reassuring one another, for praying, and for gathering remaining family members. Juneteenth became an official state holiday in Texas in 1980 and in Oregon last month.

This Juneteenth at 10:00 am, the Oregon Remembrance Project (https://www.oregonremembrance.com/) will be installing a historical marker in Coos Bay remembering the story of the only documented lynching in Oregon, that of Alonzo Tucker in 1902. The St. Andrew Reckoning with Racism cohort invites you to participate in person or via Zoom at 10:00 am on June 19^th. [Details to follow.] We hope to find reconciliation and communal healing through a sober reflection on history.

Nifty Notters

The Nifty Notters are now back on our regular schedule (hurray!). We will meet Saturday, June 19, from 9:00 am-2:30 pm in Fellowship Hall. Bring a lunch and join us for all or part of the time as we work on quilts for LWR and Virginia Garcia Clinic. Because of some generous donations we have a lot of fabric to cut, as well as many tying and sewing projects to complete. All supplies are provided.

If you haven’t been back in the church building yet, but are vaccinated and willing to show us your vaccination card, you will not need to wear a mask. Please bring a picture/copy of your vaccine card so we can keep a record for the office. If you have questions, contact Mary Brown at 503-439-3917.

A Call for Worship Volunteers

As we prepare to return to in-person worship on July 4, perhaps you’ve been thinking about the role you might play in the services. Interested in reading  the scriptures? Offering the prayers of the people? Serving communion, or lighting the candles?

These are all roles handled by volunteers from the St. Andrew community, and you are invited to participate! No experience is necessary and you will receive all the training you need. We work with your schedule so you can attend your preferred service and still worship with your family or friends.

Please contact Minister of Music & Media Allison Katsufrakis at allisonk@standrewlutheran.com if you have questions or would like to volunteer.

Earth Camp Needs “Shadows”

The Earth Camp team needs a couple more people to volunteer as “Shadows” for camp week, July 12-16. The camp will consist of five groups of seven kids, with each group accompanied by two youth “Guides.” The Shadow’s role is to be an adult presence with one of the five groups throughout the week. It’s the easiest volun-teer role in Earth Camp! If you’d like to volunteer or have more questions about this opportunity, please contact the camp’s pro-gram director, Kyler Vogt, at kvogt@standrewlutheran.com.

Filling the Food Barrel

Things are beginning to return to something nearer normal. We learned earlier this week that St. Matthew Lutheran Church is once again accepting packaged and canned food for its food bank. Now that St. Andrew’s doors are unlocked during office hours, feel free to donate non-perishable food to the food barrel in the Narthex. We are resuming deliveries to St. Matt’s and know that there are many hungry people who will benefit from our gifts.

Western Farm Workers Association

Each year our church has supported the Western Farm Workers with donated clothes and food to help low-wage workers. The agency is seeking volunteers to do a variety of jobs, many of which can teach you new job skills. Learn desktop publishing from graphic designers to create leaflets about Farm Workers’ programs and events, for example. Training is also available to learn advocacy skills, enabling volunteers to work on legal issues such as stolen wages, illegal evictions, etc. Others are needed to help with monthly food gathering and distribution. If you can help, call Foster at 503-681-9399. To receive the quarterly newsletter, send a $20 donation to 725 SE 7th Ave, Hillsboro, OR  97123.

St. Andrew’s Service Committee is also looking for a member to lead the September Western Farm Workers donation drive to gather and deliver clothing and food.

Fran Miller
for the Service Committee

Men’s Book Club

Members of the Men’s Book Club will meet Monday, June 14, at 7:00 pm in the St. Andrew Room to discuss Tony Hillerman’s novel The Ghostway, the sixth book in the author’s 24-book series featuring Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee. Originally published in 1984, the novel is launched with a gunfight at a laundromat in Shiprock, NM, that dumps Los Angeles problems onto the Navajo Reservation. Touted as one of the best in Hillerman’s series, The New Yorker called The Ghostway “a first-rate story of suspense and mystery.” It was reprinted in 2009.

Future Reading
July12: A Gentleman in Moscow, by Amor Towles
August: Summer Break/no meeting
September 13: The Great Alone, by Kristin Hannah

Grunewald Guild Class Registration

Registration is now open for summer classes at the Grunewald Guild. A faith community fostering art and creativity along the banks of the Wenatchee River in Washington, the Grunewald Guild is offering a variety of intriguing classes in July, August, and September. Whether you’d like to explore journal making, songwriting, word collage with calligraphy, ceramics, writing, jewelry making and repair, extravagant beadwork, weaving, photography, or other arts, the Guild has a curriculum to nourish your soul and renew your spirit. One class title, “Hand Embroidery: Sinking into Slowness,” reveals the character of this community, which invites makers—whether absolute newcomers or experienced craftspeople—to slow their pace and consider how the process of creation itself can be a grounding force. To learn more, go to: https://grunewald.com/summer-program-2021/.

The Sweet Scent of Our Native Mock Orange

A profusion of blooms covers the native Mock Orange shrub just outside the church office windows this year. Stroll up among the plantings and you’ll catch the sweet scent for which the flowers are known.

The scientific name for Mock Orange, Philadelphus lewisii, originates from Pacific Northwest explorer Meriwether Lewis, who collected the plant in 1806. Native Americans have long used Mock Orange for a variety of purposes; the hard wood was ideal for furniture, hunting and fishing tools, snowshoes, pipes, netting shuttles, and cradles, while the leaves and bark were used with water to create a natural soap. 

Mock Orange gets its common name from the native plant’s sweet and citrusy scent, reminiscent of oranges with a hint of pineapple. At the end of their long stems, the Mock Orange produces clusters of flowers each with four white petals and yellow stamens. This round shrub grows to 1.5 to 3 meters tall. Along with the strong, fruity scent and showy flowers, Mock Orange’s tolerance to poor soils and drought make this an ideal choice for those seeking a low-maintenance deciduous shrub for almost any landscape or garden. This plant also attracts wildlife..

New Library Books at St. Andrew

Nonfiction
Mennonite in a Little Black Dress: A Memoir of Going Home, by Rhoda Janzen
Without Buddha I Could not be a Christian, by Paul Knitter
Infidel, by Ayaan Hirsi Ali
His Truth Is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope, by Jon Meacham
All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis, edited by Ayana E. Johnson and Katherine K. Wilkinson
Rage, by Bob Woodward

Fiction
The Mountains Sing, by Nguyen Phan Que Mai
The Seagull, by Ann Cleeves
The Winter Soldier, by Daniel Mason

Camp Lutherwood Is Hiring

June 23-August 17
Starting Salary for Summer: $2,890

Deepen your faith and sense of adventure while growing personally and professionally. Visit Camp Lutherwood online to learn more: www.lutherwoodoregon.org/employment. If you have questions, please contact the camp office for more information. Call 541-998-6444 or email jobs@lutherwoodoregon.org.

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 Charles Covington	Peace and God’s comfort at hisdeath	Gordon Teifel
Carol Grover (sister)	Peaceful passing	Nan Thompson
Nan Thompson	Acceptance and strength	Nan Thompson
Carl (cousin) and family	Comfort and strength	Carol Hogan
Carl’s newborn grandson	Healing after lung surgery	Carol Hogan
Koby (son-in-law)	Healing after surgery	Jim & Teri Brosh
Bob Carlson (uncle)	Healing and recovery from surgery	Carol Hogan
India Jensen Kerr	Healing and a quick recovery	India Jensen Kerr
Gary Grafwallner	Healing of his left eye from Bell’s palsy	Gary Grafwallner
Carol Means	Effective treatment	Staff
Barton Robison	Effective treatment and pain relief	Staff
Marlene Maxwell	Effective treatment and healing	Bruce Maxwell
Everyone affected by COVID-19	Strength and support	Staff
Those impacted by racial injustice	Care in times of pain, violence, and crisis	Staff
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
Colton Lutheran Church (Colton, OR) St. Paul of Damascus Lutheran Church (Damascus, OR)	Serving with us in the Oregon Synod	Staff
Havurah Shalom (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

On the Parables of the Mustard Seed

A British-born naturalized American poet, Levertov (1923-1997) journeyed from young British intellectual to anti-war activist to surprising Catholic convert in her maturity. But unlike others who have retreated into the church as a way of cementing an ideological or political reaction against their youth, Levertov’s religious awakening marked not a break with her past, but simply the continued evolution of her singular vision — an integral vision where poetry, politics, and spirituality coinhere.  

Preparing for Sunday, June 20, 2021

First Reading: Job 38:1-11
Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 6:1-13
Gospel: Mark 4:35-41

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

Highlights for the Week

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

Sunday, June 13

8:30 am	Livestream Worship with Communion	YouTube
9:30 am	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom
10:00 am	Ministry Support Forum (in preparation for Annual Meeting)	Zoom
11:00 am	Zoom Worship with Communion	Zoom
12:00 pm	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom
3:00 pm	Spirituality Book Group	Zoom

Monday, June 14

6:00 pm	Troop 618 Meeting	east parking lot
7:00 pm	Men’s Book Club	St. Andrew Room

Tuesday, June 15

7:30 am	Men’s Breakfast and Bible Study	Elmer’s Restaurant at 158th
7:30 am	Women’s Sunrise Spirituality Group	Elmer’s Restaurant at 158th
10:00 am	T’ai Chi	Garden Patio of former Orchards in Petercort Shopping Center
10:00 am	Worship Planners Meeting	Zoom
6:00 pm	HR Meeting	Zoom

Wednesday, June 16 – Weekly News submissions due by 4:00 pm

1:00 pm	Caring Ministry Meeting	Zoom
6:30 pm	Informal Gathering Time	Zoom
7:00 pm	Wednesday Evening Prayer	Zoom
7:30 pm	Centering Prayer	Zoom

Thursday, June 17

12:00 pm	Team Ministry Meeting	Chapel/Library
2:30 pm	Communications Team Meeting	Zoom

Friday, June 18

10:00 am	T’ai Chi	Garden Patio of former Orchards in Petercort Shopping Center
6:30 pm	High School Youth End-of-School Picnic in the Park	Off Site

Saturday, June 19

9:00 am

Nifty Notters

Fellowship Hall

Sunday, June 20

8:30 am	Livestream Worship with Communion	YouTube
9:30 am	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom
11:00 am	Zoom Worship with Communion	Zoom
12:00 pm	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom

Connecting to Worship

Ways to Give: Thank you for supporting our ministries!

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

Preparing for Our Annual Meeting

Ministry Forum: Sunday, June 6, 10:00 am
Ministry Support Forum: Sunday, June 13, 10:00 am

Annual Meeting of the Congregation
Tuesday, June 22, 2021, 6:30 pm

On the Sundays prior to the Annual Meeting, people are invited to gather via Zoom between Sunday worship services to learn more and share their questions/opinions about St. Andrew’s ministry focus for the coming year and the proposed budget for 2021/2022. Voting to approve these items, as well as the nominations for new Council members and next year’s Nominating Committee, is conducted during the Annual Meeting itself, which will also be held remotely this year via Zoom.

Wednesday Evening Prayer

Midweek Evening Prayer services will continue to be offered through the summer months via Zoom. Meditations will be drawn from Devotional Classics. This Wednesday, June 9, we will focus on C.S. Lewis and “Giving All to Christ.” Look for links to this worship service at mid-day on Wednesdays in Allison’s email.

Lydia Circle

You are invited to join Lydia Circle for Bible study and fellowship Tuesday June 8, from 1:00-3:00 pm in the St. Andrew Room, where we will again be able to serve coffee. If you’ve been fully vaccinated you don’t need to wear a mask. Please bring a copy/picture of your vaccine card so that the office can record it.

The Bible study is taken from the June issue of Gather magazine and is the first of a three-part study entitled “Just L.I.F.E. (Liberation Is for Everyone!). The first session is “Just Wisdom” and is taken from Proverbs 8. We will meet Woman Wisdom and explore what wisdom means in ways we haven’t done before. You are welcome to come even if you haven’t read the lesson. For questions, contact Mary Brown at 503-439-3917.

A Call for Worship Volunteers

As we prepare to return to in-person worship on July 4, perhaps you’ve been thinking about your role in the services. Interested in reading the scriptures? Offering the prayers of the people? Serving communion, or lighting the candles?

These are all roles handles by volunteers from the St. Andrew community, and you are invited to participate! No experience is necessary, and you will receive all the training you need. We work with your schedule so you can attend your preferred service and still worship with your family or friends.

Please contact Minister of Music & Media Allison Katsufrakis at allisonk@standrewlutheran.com if you have questions or would like to volunteer.

Celebrating Juneteenth & the End of Slavery

What’s special about June 19^th?

June 19^th, also known as Juneteenth, is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. On June 19th, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that enslaved people were now free. For black people trying to establish a new status, annual celebrations of Juneteenth were times for reassuring one another, for praying, and for gathering remaining family members. Juneteenth became an official state holiday in Texas in 1980 and in Oregon last month.

This Juneteenth at 10:00 am, the Oregon Remembrance Project (https://www.oregonremembrance.com/) will be installing a historical marker in Coos Bay remembering the story of the only documented lynching in Oregon, that of Alonzo Tucker in 1902. The St. Andrew Reckoning with Racism cohort invites you to participate in person or via Zoom at 10:00 am on June 19^th. [Details to follow.] We hope to find reconciliation and communal healing through a sober reflection on history.

Earth Camp Needs “Shadows”

The Earth Camp team needs a couple more people to volunteer as “Shadows” for camp week, July 12-16. The camp will consist of five groups of seven kids, with each group accompanied by two youth “Guides.” The Shadow’s role is to be an adult presence with one of the five groups throughout the week. It’s the easiest volun-teer role in Earth Camp! If you’d like to volunteer or have more questions about this opportunity, please contact the camp’s pro-gram director, Kyler Vogt, at kvogt@standrewlutheran.com.

Members Vote to Become a Sanctuary Congregation

In a Special Congregational Meeting on Sun-day, May 23, 84 members and two others gath-ered via Zoom to consider the proposal put forth by the Sanctuary Team that St. Andrew follow the lead of the Oregon Synod and ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) to declare itself a Sanctuary Congregation. After members of the team reviewed the proposal and entertained questions, members were asked to vote by show of hands. The result was overwhelming approval, with 74 members voting in favor, one against, and three abstentions.

Filling the Food Barrel

Things are beginning to return to something nearer normal. We learned earlier this week that St. Matthew Lutheran Church is once again accepting packaged and canned food for its food bank. Now that St. Andrew’s doors are unlocked during office hours, feel free to donate non-perishable food to the food barrel in the Narthex. We are resuming deliveries to St. Matt’s and know that there are many hungry people who will benefit from our gifts.

Tribute to Trom

If you missed last Sunday’s party celebrating Jennifer Trom’s ten years and one month as a paid employee of St. Andrew, don’t worry. Our tech team recorded the whole thing and you can view it at your leisure at

https://youtu.be/YI7Xvaspfvs

Enjoy a decade of memories!

Grunewald Guild Classes

The Grunewald Guild, a faith community fostering art and creativity along the banks of the Wenatchee River in Washington, has announced its lineup of summer classes for July, August, and September 2021. Whether you’d like to explore journal making, songwriting, word collage with calligraphy, ceramics, writing, jewelry making, weaving, photography, or other arts, the Guild is likely to offer some-thing to nourish your soul and renew your spirit. One class title, “Hand Embroidery: Sinking into Slowness,” reveals the character of the Guild, which invites makers to slow their pace and consider how process itself can help people remain grounded and attentive. To learn more, go to:

https://grunewaldguild.com

Many, Many Thanks!

Dear People of St. Andrew,

My heart is full! The love and care and grace you’ve shown to me as Parish Manager over the years was exactly what I needed to thrive in the position. And then, in last Sunday’s “Tribute to Trom,” your kind words and gifts–including the amazing gift of time with my family at Holden Village as guests, not volunteers!–was a wonderful way to bring my time on staff to a close.

Many, many thanks.

Peace,
Jennifer Trom

A Native Rose

Nootka roses are blooming in St. Andrew’s woods. These erect wild or species roses are named after an island off Vancouver, Canada. They only grow in areas with a minimum of 270 frost-free days, produce hips that are large and round, and grow in an upright habit, reaching heights of three-six feet.

Both Native Americans and early settlers relied on Nootka rose hips and shoots to meet their nutritional needs during the winter when food was scarce. They created eye washes from the plant and crushed the leaves to treat bee stings, too, as well as drying them to use as an air freshener. Chewing up Nootka rose leaves also serves to freshen the breath.

Spreading the Warmth of Christ’s Love

Thank you to everyone in your congregation for your faithful support of the Port-land Rescue Mission. During COVID, the practical support from local churches has been a real encouragement to the people we serve and to our staff.

In February, I visited St. Andrew and received many beautiful quilts made by the ladies of your congregation. Recently Pam Farr hosted me again for a short visit, including a walk to your lovely Sanctuary of the Firs, and presented us with much-needed towels.

Please reach out if there’s any way the Portland Rescue Mission can support and serve your church. Thanks again!

Janet Fraser, Community Involvement Manager
Portland Rescue Mission

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 Marvel Lund	Peace and God’s comfort at her death	Staff
Family and friends of Deborah Townsend (mother)	Peace and God’s comfort at her death	Holly Bishop-Perdue
Carol Grover (sister)	Peaceful passing	Nan Thompson
Nan Thompson	Acceptance and strength	Nan Thompson
Barton Robison	Effective treatment and pain relief	Staff
Marlene Maxwell	Effective treatment and healing	Bruce Maxwell
Koby (son-in-law)	Healing after surgery	Jim & Teri Brosh
India Jensen Kerr	Healing and recovery	Staff
Gary Grafwallner	Healing of his left eye from Bell’s palsy	Gary Grafwallner
Madeleine (granddaughter)	Continued strength through increased chemo treatment	Mary Smith
Everyone affected by COVID-19	Strength and support	Staff
Those impacted by racial injustice	Care in times of pain, violence, and crisis	Staff
Bishop Laurie Larson Caesar Oregon Synod and staff	Strength and wisdom	Staff
Refugees and immigrants	Acceptance, safety, and just treatment	Staff
The homeless	Comfort, hope, and shelter	Staff
Military personnel, especially Justina Hailey Hope Brocker, Evan Dahlquist, Dawson Dethlefs, Neil Fiegenbaum, and Jerami Reyna	Courage and protection	Staff
Zoar Lutheran Church (Canby, OR) Creator Lutheran Church (Clackamas, OR)	Serving with us in the Oregon Synod	Staff
Al Furqan Islamic Center (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

Mason Bee Update

Brian Cheney reports that St. Andrew’s mason bees have completed their pollinating work for the season and have filled at least six dozen straws with egg-filled cocoons. Those eggs will hatch next spring and begin pollinating early bloomers such as fruit trees in 2022.

Meanwhile, Cheney has placed two boxes of leafcutter bees near the garden shed that will hatch over the next month. The slightly smaller leafcutters take the summer shift, pollinating those plants—including many in our gardens—that bloom long after those first flowers of spring.

why some people be mad at me sometimes

The poet who wrote “why some people be mad at me sometimes” was one of the 20th century’s most prominent African-American poets. She once remarked that “writing is a way of continuing to hope,” and that “perhaps for me it is a way of remembering I am not alone.”

Memorial Service for Marvel Lund

Thursday, June 10, 2021
11:30 am
Willamette Cemetery

Pastor Susan Kintner is officiating.
Those attending the service will be
directed to a reception that will follow.

Preparing for Sunday, June 13, 2021

First Reading: Ezekiel 17:22-24
Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:6-10, 14-17
Gospel: Mark 4:26-34

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

Highlights for the Week

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

Sunday, June 6

8:30 am	Livestream Worship with Communion	YouTube
9:30 am	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom
10:00 am	Ministry Forum (in preparation for Annual Meeting)	Zoom
11:00 am	Zoom Worship with Communion	Zoom
12:00 pm	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom
12:30 pm	Earth Camp Meeting	Patio

Tuesday, June 8

7:30 am	Men’s Breakfast and Bible Study	Elmer’s Restaurant at 158th
7:30 am	Women’s Sunrise Spirituality Group	Elmer’s Restaurant at 158th
9:00 am	Facility Team Meetin	Zoom
10:00 am	T’ai Chi	Garden Patio of former Orchards in Petercort Shopping Center
1:00 pm	Lydia Circle	St. Andrew Room
1:30 pm	Service Committee	Zoom
6:00 pm	HR Meeting	Zoom
7:00 pm	Finance Team Meeting	Zoom

Wednesday, June 9 – Weekly News submissions due by 4:00 pm

10:00 am	Reopening Committee Meeting	Zoom
6:30 pm	Informal Gathering Time	Zoom
7:00 pm	Wednesday Evening Prayer	Zoom
7:30 pm	Centering Prayer	Zoom

Thursday, June 10

11:30 am	Memorial Service for Marvel Lund	Willamette National Cemetery
1:00 pm	Virtual Team Ministry Meeting	Zoom
7:00 pm	Executive Committee Meeting	Zoom

Friday, June 11

10:00 am

T’ai Chi

Garden Patio of former Orchards in Petercort Shopping Center

Sunday, June 13

8:30 am	Livestream Worship with Communion	YouTube
9:30 am	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom
10:00 am	Ministry Support Forum (in preparation for the Annual Meeting)	Zoom
11:00 am	Zoom Worship with Communion	Zoom
12:00 pm	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom
3:00 pm	Spirituality Book Group	Zoom

Connecting to Worship

Ways to Give: Thank you for supporting our ministries!

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

Scholarships for High School Seniors

LAST CALL: The deadline for graduating high school seniors to submit their scholarship applications to the St. Andrew Foundation is Tuesday, June 1. The award is available to any St. Andrew youth going on to a community college, college, university, or trade school. The application is available on the church website. If you have questions, contact Foundation President Sonja Ackman, foundation@standrewlutheran.com.

Wednesday Evening Prayer

Midweek Evening Prayer services will continue to be offered through the summer months via Zoom. Meditations will be drawn from Devotional Classics. This Wednesday, June 2, we will focus on Martin Luther’s reflections on what it means to “Pray in Faith.” Look for links to this worship service at mid-day on Wednesdays in Allison’s email.

Connecting Community: The Ties that Bind

Our effort to contact everyone in the congregation has concluded successfully. We believe we’ve contacted everyone in our faith community by talking on the phone, leaving a message, sending an e-mail, or sending a short note. If we missed you, perhaps the church office needs an update. If you were not contacted this time around, please call the office at 503-646-0629 to be sure we have your correct number on file. If you were able to speak with someone, we hope it helped you feel more connected during these disconnected times. Thank you to all who made calls and wrote notes. And thank you, everyone, for remaining in our faith community!

St. Andrew’s MACG Core Team and Caring Ministries Team

Reformation Earth Garden

Recently we’ve planted 47 native shrubs representing 15 varieties that complement the five native trees planted last fall in our Reformation Earth Garden. These shrubs seem small now but will grow quickly; some will be several feet tall in a couple of years. Eventually we will label the shrubs and trees.

Our work now is to design and add a temporary irrigation system to keep the trees and shrubs watered for the next two summers. Watering now is manual.

We’ve scraped the location of a future path that enters the garden from the sidewalk and invite you to look at our new plantings. Alongside the path you’ll see a number of small shrubs. The path proceeds around the cedar tree and then around an open area, the site of a planned pollinator meadow filled with native perennials and annual flowers and grasses; we plan installation of those flowering plants this fall and spring.

Eric Luttrell

Preparing for Our Annual Meeting

Ministry Forum: Sunday, June 6, 10:00 am
Ministry Support Forum: Sunday, June 13, 10:00 am

Annual Meeting of the Congregation
Tuesday, June 22, 2021, 6:30 pm

On the Sundays prior to the Annual Meeting, people are invited to gather via Zoom between Sunday worship services to learn more and share their questions/opinions about St. Andrew’s ministry focus for the coming year and the proposed budget for 2021/2022. Voting to approve these items, as well as the nominations for new Council members and next year’s Nominating Committee, is conducted during the Annual Meeting itself, which will also be held remotely this year via Zoom.

Nifty Notters

The Nifty Notters are now back on our regular schedule (hurray!). We will meet Saturday, June 5, and Saturday, June 19, from 9:00 am-2:30 pm in Fellowship Hall. Bring a lunch and join us for all or part of the time as we work on quilts for LWR and Virginia Garcia Clinic. Because of some generous donations we have a lot of fabric to cut, as well as many tying and sewing projects to complete. All supplies are provided.

If you are vaccinated and willing to show us your vaccination card, you will not need to wear a mask. Please bring a picture/copy of your vaccine card so we can keep a record for the office. If you have questions, contact Mary Brown at 503-439-3917.

Lydia Circle

You are invited to join Lydia Circle for Bible study and fellowship Tuesday June 8, from 1:00-3:00 pm in the St. Andrew Room, where we will again be able to serve coffee. If you’ve been fully vaccinated you don’t need to wear a mask. Please bring a copy/picture of your vaccine card so that the office can record it.

The Bible study is taken from the June issue of Gather magazine and is the first of a three-part study entitled “Just L.I.F.E. (Liberation Is for Everyone!). The first session is “Just Wisdom” and is taken from Proverbs 8. We will meet Woman Wisdom and explore what wisdom means in ways we haven’t done before. You are welcome to come even if you haven’t read the lesson. For questions, contact Mary Brown at 503-439-3917. 

Many Thanks to Brad

Our Evening Facility Manager, Brad Barclay, recently resigned his position so that he can spend more time with his family. St. Andrew was blessed with Brad in this position, where he proved to be completely reliable and instrumental in keeping the building clean and secure in the evenings. It was a pleasure to work with him! In addition, Brad and Carol worked especially well together, including cleaning the carpets last year during the closure so the building is ready to welcome people back in as we slowly reopen. With Brad’s resignation, Scott Taylor has graciously stepped in for a few weeks to cover until the position is opened to hire the next Evening Facility Manager.

Filling the Food Barrel

Things are beginning to return to something nearer normal. We learned earlier this week that St. Matthew Lutheran Church is once again accepting packaged and canned food for its food bank. Now that St. Andrew’s doors are unlocked during office hours, feel free to donate non-perishable food to the food barrel in the Narthex. We are resuming deliveries to St. Matt’s and know that there are many hungry people who will benefit from our gifts.

Western Farm Workers

Each year our church has supported the Western Farm Workers with donated clothes and food to help low-wage workers. The agency is seeking volunteers to do a variety of jobs, many of which can teach you new job skills. Learn desktop publishing from graphic designers to create leaflets about Farm Workers’ programs and events, for example. Training is also available to learn advocacy skills, enabling volunteers to work on legal issues such as stolen wages, illegal evictions, etc. Others are needed to help with monthly food gathering and distribution. If you can help, call Foster at 503-681-9399. To receive the quarterly newsletter, send a $20 donation to 725 SE 7th Ave, Hillsboro, OR  97123.

St. Andrew’s Service Committee is also looking for a member to lead the September Western Farm Workers donation drive to gather and deliver clothing and food.

Fran Miller
for the Service Committee

A Thank You from Beyond the Boundaries

Dear Ms. Reiner, Reverend Brocker, and to the Congregation of St. Andrew Lutheran,

In writing this letter to you, I am proud and grateful to represent families in the McKinley Elementary School community. It is my pleasure to thank your congregation for the generous donations you have contributed to our school’s families, over the course of time.

In truth, I am only now beginning to explore the connections between your church and our school, and this process of exploration has helped me to reflect on the commonalities that we share as people, beyond boundaries and circumstances. From a strictly artificial perspective, your church lies far from McKinley. Your neighborhood is served by Ridgewood Elementary, which is on the opposite, eastern end of our school district. Even two more elementary schools, Barnes and Elmonica, reside in between you and us. And yet, your congregation has reached across these man-made dividing lines and brought real and needed relief from suffering among families in my school community.

Donations from your congregation helped close the gap that arose when our district’s clothing program fell short of our needs. Your funds helped us provide gift cards to families suffering from COVID-19 quarantine that went towards food items and over-the-counter medications. For one family with a large number of Beaverton school district children, your contributions helped support their critical WiFi needs so that each child could remain connected with their individual teachers and classmates as they learned from home. I see that among your church’s five core values are “Community Care” and “Neighbor Care.” I thank you for bringing breath and life to these values in the form of meaningful support for my families.

has the highest “mobility rate” among all the elementary schools in Beaverton. This means that families move in and out of our boundary, and in and out of our classrooms, in significant volumes every year. With all this movement comes opportunities, but also needs, and often suffering. We have used every dollar that you have donated to us to provide relief to such families and children who need it dearly. Thank you again for building bridges with us. If there is ever a suitable opportunity for me to visit any of you in person, please let me know, as I would be honored to do so.

Aki Mori, Principal
McKinley Elementary School

Godspeed!

This Sunday we say “Godspeed!” to Parish Manager Jennifer Trom as she steps down from her role as chief operations executive at St. Andrew after nine years and more than ten years as a paid employee at St. Andrew. All are invited to join the Tribute to Trom via Zoom between services at 10:00 am on Sunday, May 30.

In her role as parish manager, Jennifer has managed staff people and budgets, improved our use of technology, enabled the church to transition quickly and professionally into offering worship online, and much more. She directed Drama Camp for several years, oversaw the Learning Center, and even took a group of young people to the ELCA National Youth Gathering in Detroit a few years back.

Jennifer and her family will continue to keep St. Andrew as their church home, but she is stepping back from volunteering for a while to get the respite she needs.

Celebrating Juneteenth and the Ending of Slavery

What’s special about June 19^th?

June 19^th, also known as Juneteenth, is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. On June 19th, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that enslaved people were now free. For black people trying to establish a new status, annual celebrations of Juneteenth were times for reassuring one another, for praying, and for gathering remaining family members. Juneteenth became an official state holiday in Texas in 1980 and in Oregon last month.

This Juneteenth at 10:00 am, the Oregon Remembrance Project (https://www.oregonremembrance.com/) will be installing a historical marker in Coos Bay remembering the story of the only documented lynching in Oregon, that of Alonzo Tucker in 1902. The St. Andrew Reckoning with Racism cohort invites you to participate in person or via Zoom at 10:00 am on June 19^th. [Details to follow.] We hope to find reconciliation and communal healing through a sober reflection on history.

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 Marvel Lund	Peace and God’s comfort at her death	Staff
Family and friends of Deborah Townsend (mother)	Peace and God’s comfort at her death	Holly Bishop-Perdue
Carol Grover (sister)	Peaceful passing	Nan Thompson
Mira Nieman	Accurate diagnosis and effective treatment	Staff
Barton Robison	Effective treatment and pain relief	Staff
India Jensen Kerr	Healing and recovery	Staff
Jan Morrell	Healing and Recovery	Amy Harker
Bernie Doering (friend)	Healing and recovery	Jennifer Hooson
Madeleine (granddaughter)	Continued strength through increased chemo treatment	Mary Smith
Preston Robert McCrory	Blessings on the birth of grandchild #21	Bob & Mary Brown
Everyone affected by COVID-19	Strength and support	Staff
Victims of gun violence in San Jose and elsewhere	Care in times of crisis	Staff
Jennifer Trom	Thanksgiving for her faithful service	Staff
Christ Lutheran Church (Aurora, OR) Macksburg Lutheran Church (Canby, OR)	Serving with us in the Oregon Synod	Staff
Congregation Beth Israel (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

Camp Lutherwood Is Hiring

June 23-August 17; Starting Salary: $2,890 for the Summer
Deepen your faith and sense of adventure while growing personally and professionally. Visit Camp Lutherwood online to learn more: www.lutherwoodoregon.org/employment. If you have questions, please contact the camp office for more information. E-mail jobs@lutherwoodoregon.org or call 541-998-6444.

Memorial Service for Marvel Lund

Thursday, June 10, 2021
11:30 am
Willamette Cemetery

Pastor Susan Kintner is officiating.

Preparing for Sunday, June 6

Reading: Genesis 3:8-15
Gospel: Mark 3:20-35

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

Highlights for the Week

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

Sunday, May 30

8:30 am	Livestream Worship with Communion	YouTube
9:30 am	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom
10:00 am	Tribute to Trom	Zoom
11:00 am	Zoom Worship with Communion	Zoom
12:00 pm	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom

Tuesday, June 1

10:00 am	Worship Planners Meeting	Zoom
10:00 am	T’ai Chi	Garden Patio of former Orchards in Petercort Shopping Center
7:00 pm	MACG Meeting	St. Andrew Room

Wednesday, June 2 – Weekly News submissions due by 4:00 pm

6:30 pm	Informal Gathering Time	Zoom
7:00 pm	Evening Prayer	Zoom
7:30 pm	Centering Prayer	Zoom

Thursday, June 3

12:00 pm	Virtual Team Ministry Meeting	Zoom
7:00 pm	Executive Committee Meeting	Zoom

Friday, June 4

10:00 am

T’ai Chi

Garden Patio of former Orchards in Petercort Shopping Center

Saturday, June 5

9:00 am

Nifty Notters

Fellowship Hall

Sunday, June 6

8:30 am	Livestream Worship with Communion	YouTube
9:30 am	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom
10:00 am	Ministry Forum (in preparation for the Annual Meeting)	Zoom
11:00 am	Zoom Worship with Communion	Zoom
12:00 pm	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom

Connecting to Worship

Ways to Give: Thank you for supporting our ministries!

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

This Sunday we celebrate the Day of Pentecost, the Birthday of the Church. For many at St. Andrew, it has been our tradition to wear red–and that works even while we’re worshiping together from home.

Special Congregational Meeting

Members of the congregation will meet via Zoom this Sunday, May 23, at 10:00 am to vote on becoming a Sanctuary Congregation. Please review the proposed

Table Talk: Corporate Social Responsibility

Thursday, May 27, 7:00-8:00 pm
Gathered around the table in his home, Martin Luther talked freely and openly with his colleagues and students about matters of faith, theology, and varied aspects of daily life. In an effort to cultivate this kind of spirited discussion we have a tradition at St. Andrew of gathering for Table Talks. Though we cannot gather in person, Pastor Brocker invites you to participate in the next Table Talk, held via Zoom on Thursday, May 27, 7:00-8:00 pm.

In the ELCA’s social statement on economic life, “Sufficient, Sustainable Livelihood for All,” Christian vocation in the world is described as seeking “what is good for people and the rest of creation in ways that glorify God and anticipate God’s promised future.” This social statement “recognizes the economic power and political influence of transnational corporations and charges the global community with holding these corporations accountable.” In this Table Talk we will discuss the specific role of the church in holding corporations accountable. We will also addresss a related question: What does it mean for the church to be a socially responsible corporation?

In preparation for this Table Talk, participants are encouraged to go to corporate social responsibility resources on the ELCA website and at least download and read the “Corporate Social Responsibility Overview”:

https://www.elca.org/Resources/Corporate-Responsibility.

Connecting Community: The Ties that Bind

Our effort to contact everyone in the congregation has concluded successfully. We believe we’ve contacted everyone in our faith community by talking on the phone, leaving a message, sending an e-mail, or sending a short note. If we missed you, perhaps the church office needs an update. If you were not contacted this time around, please call the office at 503-646-0629 to be sure we have your correct number on file. If you were able to speak with someone, we hope it helped you feel more connected during these disconnected times. Thank you to all who made calls and wrote notes. And thank you, everyone, for remaining in our faith community!

St. Andrew’s MACG Core Team and Caring Ministries Team

May Movie Night: After the Raid

On Friday, May 21, we will meet to discuss After the Raid, a 2019 documentary that explores the devastating effects that an immigration raid on a meat packing plant in Tennessee has on the community. The film asks more questions than it answers, as it explores the ways that faith-based organizations might address these issues.

Stream After the Raid on Netflix and then bring out the popcorn and gather around your computer screens at 7:00 pm on Friday, May 21, as we talk about the movie.

The timing of this particular movie night is fortuitous. Two days following our discussion, on Sunday, May 23, the St. Andrew congregation will meet between services to consider and vote on becoming a sanctuary congregation. Seeing this documentary beforehand may help inform your vote.

You’ll find the Zoom link for this movie night in the “Weekly News” e-mail on Friday, May 21.

High School Senior Scholarships

The deadline for graduating high school seniors to submit their scholarship applications to the St. Andrew Foundation is Tuesday, June 1. The award is available to any St. Andrew youth going on to a community college, college, university, or trade school. The application is available on the church website. If you have questions, contact Foundation President Sonja Ackman, foundation@standrewlutheran.com.

Wednesday Evening Prayer

Midweek Prayer Services continue into the Easter season this Wednesday, May 19, with a new service emphasizing creation’s song of praise to God. Drawing on elements from All Creation Sings, our service combines prayer, song, and meditations from the writings of well-known lovers of creation. Look for links to this worship service at mid-day on Wednesdays in Allison’s e-mail.

Reformation Earth Garden

Recently we’ve planted 47 native shrubs representing 15 varieties that complement the five native trees planted last fall. These shrubs seem small now but will grow quickly; some will be several feet tall in a couple of years. Eventually we will label the shrubs and trees.

Our work now is to design and add a temporary irrigation system to keep the trees and shrubs watered for the next two summers. Watering now is manual.

We’ve scraped the location of a future path that enters the garden from the sidewalk and invite you to look at our new plantings. Alongside the path you’ll see a number of small shrubs. The path proceeds around the cedar tree and then around an open area, the site of a planned pollinator meadow filled with native perennials and annual flowers and grasses; we plan installation of those flowering plants this fall and spring.

Eric Luttrell

Let the light of late afternoon
shine through chinks in the barn, moving
up the bales as the sun moves down.

Let the cricket take up chafing
as a woman takes up her needles
and her yarn. Let evening come.

Let dew collect on the hoe abandoned
in long grass. Let the stars appear
and the moon disclose her silver horn.

Let the fox go back to its sandy den.
Let the wind die down. Let the shed
go black inside. Let evening come.

To the bottle in the ditch, to the scoop
in the oats, to air in the lung
let evening come.

Let it come, as it will, and don’t
be afraid. God does not leave us
comfortless, so let evening come

Jane Kenyon, born in Ann Arbor, MI, in 1947, is the granddaughter of a Methodist preacher. Her spirituality is reflected in her poetry.

Soil Garden Survey

For the past two years, St. Andrew’s Community Carbon Yard Science team has been exploring gardening strategies that we can adopt to improve the environment. We want to know if the people of St. Andrew have been developing soil gardens as a means to store carbon in the soil, thus reducing carbon in the atmosphere.

Even if you’ve never before heard the term “soil garden,” you may already have created one. A soil garden requires three essential elements:

· a thick layer of organic material on your bed with consistent regular additions of the organic matter,

· consistent moisture during the warm months, either by regular watering of your soil garden or initially covering your soil garden with at least three inches of compost and/or mulch, and

· organic material in direct contact with the soil. In other words, no landscape cloth or plastic can separate the organic material from the soil. You may use paper or cardboard on top of the soil to reduce weeds.

A soil garden can be established by simply changing how one or more of your existing beds is managed (for example, shrub beds, tree and shrub beds, perennial beds, perennial and shrub beds, etc.) by regularly adding compost and/or mulch to those beds. Perhaps the easiest bed to convert to a soil garden is a perennial flower garden. All that is needed is to add about an inch of compost annually when the flowers are dormant. Your plants will grow up through the compost, which feeds the millions of creatures living in the soil and delivers nutrients to your plants.

If you have any garden beds that meet this definition. we want to know. Please go this link to complete the survey:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PVPBBNR.

Thank you.

Carol Harker, Eric Luttrell, LuAnn Staul, and
the Community Carbon Yard Science Team

Celebrating Juneteenth and the Ending of Slavery

What’s special about June 19^th?

June 19^th, also known as Juneteenth, is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. On June 19th, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that enslaved people were now free. For black people trying to establish a new status, annual celebrations of Juneteenth were times for reassuring one another, for praying, and for gathering remaining family members. Juneteenth became an official state holiday in Texas in 1980 and in Oregon last month.

This Juneteenth at 10:00 am, the Oregon Remembrance Project (https://www.oregonremembrance.com/) will be installing a historical marker in Coos Bay remembering the story of the only documented lynching in Oregon, that of Alonzo Tucker in 1902. The St. Andrew Reckoning with Racism cohort invites you to participate in person or via Zoom at 10:00 am on June 19^th. [Details to follow.] We hope to find reconciliation and communal healing through a sober reflection on history.

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 Marvel Lund	Peace and God’s comfort at her death	Staff
Family and friends of Gale Roy Williams (brother)	Peace and God’s comfort at his death	Claris & Corky Poppert
Family and friends of Jody Podolske	Peace and God’s comfort at her death	Staff
Carol Grover (sister)	Peaceful passing	Nan Thompson
Deborah Townsend (mother)	Peaceful passing	Holly Bishop-Perdue
Mira Nieman	Accurate diagnosis and effective treatment	Staff
Jan Morrell	Healing and Recovery	Amy Harker
Bernie Doering (friend)	Healing and recovery	Jennifer Hooson
Madeleine (granddaughter)	Continued strength through increased chemo treatment	Mary Smith
Everyone affected by COVID-19	Strength and support	Staff
Those facing ongoing illness or distress	Assurance of God’s presence Tandy Brooks, Dave Bumgardner, Vic Claar, Ian MacDonald, Hugh Mason, Brian McKiernan, 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
Pilgrim Lutheran Church (Portland, OR) Resurrection Lutheran Church (Portland, OR)	Serving with us in the Oregon Synod	Staff
Masjid Omar Farooq (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

Filling the Food Barrel

Things are beginning to return to something nearer normal. We learned earlier this week that St. Matthew Lutheran Church is once again accepting packaged and canned food for its food bank. Now that St. Andrew’s doors are unlocked during office hours, feel free to donate non-perishable food to the food barrel in the Narthex. We are resuming deliveries to St. Matt’s and know that there are many hungry people who will benefit from our gifts.

Camp Lutherwood Is Hiring

June 23-August 17; Starting Salary: $2,890 for the Summer
Deepen your faith and sense of adventure while growing personally and professionally. Visit Camp Lutherwood online to learn more: www.lutherwoodoregon.org/employment. If you have questions, please contact the camp office for more information. E-mail jobs@lutherwoodoregon.org or call 541-998-6444.

Natives In Bloom

Don Nearhood walks through the woods at St. Andrew frequently and he took this photo of one of our native honeysuckles (Lonicera ciliosa) one day earlier this week.

Another native  plant blooming on church property right now is the elegant groundcover fringecup (Tellima grandiflora), which flourishes in moist shady locations. It spreads by seed rather than runners and is not invasive.

Preparing for Sunday, May 30

Reading: Isaiah 6:1-8
Gospel: John 3:1-17

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

Highlights for the Week

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

Sunday, May 23

8:30 am	Livestream Worship with Communion	YouTube
9:30 am	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom
10:00 am	Special Congregational Meeting: Declaring St. Andrew a Sanctuary Congregation	Zoom
11:00 am	Zoom Worship with Communion	Zoom
12:00 pm	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom

Tuesday, May 25

7:30 am	Men’s Breakfast Group	St. Andrew Room
10:00 am	T’ai Chi	Garden Patio of former Orchards in Petercort Shopping Center
10:00 am	Earth Care Teacher Meeting	Library
12:15 pm	Community Carbon Leadership Meeting	Picnic Table by Community Garden

Wednesday, May 26 – Weekly News submissions due by 4:00 pm

6:30 pm	Informal Gathering Time	Zoom
7:00 pm	Evening Prayer	Zoom
7:00 pm	High School Youth Game Night	Zoom
7:30 pm	Centering Prayer	Zoom

Thursday, May 27

12:00 pm	Virtual Team Ministry Meeting	Zoom
7:00 pm	IT Meeting	Offsite

Friday, May 28

10:00 am

T’ai Chi

Garden Patio of former Orchards in Petercort Shopping Center

Sunday, May 30

8:30 am	Livestream Worship with Communion	YouTube
9:30 am	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom
10:00 am	Tribute to Trom	Zoom
11:00 am	Zoom Worship with Communion	Zoom
12:00 pm	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom

Connecting to Worship

Ways to Give: Thank you for supporting our ministries!

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

Table Talk: Corporate Social Responsibility

Thursday, May 27, 7:00-8:00 pm
Gathered around the table in his home, Martin Luther talked freely and openly with his colleagues and students about matters of faith, theology, and varied aspects of daily life. In an effort to cultivate this kind of spirited discussion we have a tradition at St. Andrew of gathering for Table Talks. Though we cannot gather in person, Pastor Brocker invites you to participate in the next Table Talk, held via Zoom on Thursday, May 27, 7:00-8:00 pm.

In the ELCA’s social statement on economic life, “Sufficient, Sustainable Livelihood for All,” Christian vocation in the world is described as seeking “what is good for people and the rest of creation in ways that glorify God and anticipate God’s promised future.” This social statement “recognizes the economic power and political influence of transnational corporations and charges the global community with holding these corporations accountable.” In this Table Talk we will discuss the specific role of the church in holding corporations accountable. We will also addresss a related question: What does it mean for the church to be a socially responsible corporation?

In preparation for this Table Talk, participants are encouraged to go to corporate social responsibility resources on the ELCA website and at least download and read the “Corporate Social Responsibility Overview”:

https://www.elca.org/Resources/Corporate-Responsibility.

Wednesday Evening Prayer

Midweek Prayer Services continue into the Easter season this Wednesday, May 19, with a new service emphasizing creation’s song of praise to God. Drawing on elements from All Creation Sings, our service combines prayer, song, and meditations from the writings of well-known lovers of creation. Look for links to this worship service at mid-day on Wednesdays in Allison’s e-mail.

Earth Camp 2021: Register Now!

We are offering Earth Camp this summer! Camp will be held outdoors with COVID guidelines in place as required by the CDC and Oregon Health Authority. Earth Camp is for children entering first through sixth grades this fall (September 2021) and the purpose is to cultivate a deep love of our Earth home and all its inhabitants. Campers will:

· Discover how interconnected we are with all our fellow creatures
· Learn practical ways we can care for our Earth home; and,
· Have a lot of fun in the process!

Read all about it on the church website under Education > Earth Camp 2021.

Spirituality Book Group

The Spirituality Book Group will meet on Zoom to discuss This Tender Land, by William Kent Krueger on Sunday, May 16, at 3:00 pm. Susan Reiser will lead the discussion of what a Minneapolis Star Tribune reviewer called a “picaresque tale of adventure during the Great Depression. Part Grapes of Wrath, part Huckleberry Finn, Krueger’s novel is a journey over inner and outer terrain toward wisdom and freedom.”

The Zoom link for this meeting will be sent to people on the Spirituality Book Group mailing list. If you’d like to attend, please contact Mary Smith to have a link sent to you. At this May meeting, we will also discuss the possibility of meeting in person again.

Future Reading

June 13
Just Mercy, by Bryan Stevenson
Discussion Leader: Barbara Gutzler
Please bring suggestions for future reading to this meeting, as we will be selecting titles for the next six months.

July 18
The Murmur of Bees, by Sofia Segovia
Discussion Leader: Sharon Fako

Audio Technician Needed

Are you a master of audio technology? Do you have experience with sound/mixing boards and microphone placement? Do you understand broadcasting, audio encoding equipment, and live audio delivery systems?

St. Andrew is seeking to employ a part-time Livestream Audio Technician to work four-five hours on Sunday mornings, one-three times per month, and possibly at other times.

This Livestream Audio Tech will work closely with a Video Tech to distribute online worship currently using YouTube livestream and Zoom, as well as amplify sound in the Sanctuary when we are able to worship in person there.

To learn more about the position and to apply, please go to Craigslist.

Special Congregational Meeting

Members of the congregation will meet via Zoom next Sunday, May 23, at 10:00 am to vote on becoming a Sanctuary Congregation. Please review the proposed

Let’s Connect

The St. Andrew MACG Core Team and Caring Ministries Team invite you to join us in our ongoing effort to make contact with as many members of our faith community as we can over the course of the next two weeks.

Over the past two weeks, many of our volunteers made contact or promised to make contact with almost 90 percent of St. Andrew households. That’s terrific! There are more contacts to be made, though. Can you help? You are invited to make a phone call, write a note, or send an e-mail to as many people as you can. Help us reach our goal of spreading a message of connection to most of our congregational roster before summer.

The primary purpose is to check in and let people know we are thinking of them, so a good place to start is, “How are you doing?” From there, your conversations may take different paths. You may want to talk about how you are both feeling about returning to in-person gatherings, or about the social connections that have been difficult this past year, or about what has changed in the past year. The direction your conversation takes is up to you. Pretend that you are chatting with someone in the Narthex.

Jan Smith is coordinating the assignment of names. You can contact her via e-mail at jansmith59@earthlink.net. Once you have completed your calls, please get in touch with one of the pastors if there is something they should know. Also please send an e-mail to Pat Christiansen patchristiansen@comcast.net if anything emerges that seems to be a common question, experience, or concern.

Thanks for being a part of this important ministry. We are a stronger community when we stay in touch.

St. Andrew’s MACG Core Team and Caring Ministries Team

May Movie Night: After the Raid

On Friday, May 21, we will meet to discuss After the Raid, a 2019 documentary that explores the devastating effects that an immigration raid on a meat packing plant in Tennessee has on the community. The film asks more questions than it answers, as it explores the ways that faith-based organizations might address these issues.

The timing of this particular movie night is fortuitous. Two days following our discussion, on Sunday, May 23, the St. Andrew congregation will meet between services to consider and vote on becoming a sanctuary congregation. Seeing this documentary beforehand may help inform your vote.

You’ll find the Zoom link for this movie night in the “Weekly News” e-mail on Friday, May 21.

High School Senior Scholarships

The deadline for graduating high school seniors to submit their scholarship applications to the St. Andrew Foundation is Tuesday, June 1. The award is available to any St. Andrew youth going on to a community college, college, university, or trade school. The application is available on the church website. If you have questions, contact Foundation President Sonja Ackman, foundation@standrewlutheran.com.

Storytelling from Oregon’s First Ordained Women

For most of the history of the church (Roman Catholic and Protestant), only men were permitted to be ordained and to lead a congregation. For Lutherans, that changed in 1970, when the Lutheran Church in America and American Lutheran Church, predecessors of the ELCA, ordained Elizabeth Platz and Barbarra Andrews. Since then, women clergy have steadily broken barriers, but changing the climate has been a decades-long process.

Still, 50 years later, look how far women have come! Today, the ELCA is led by Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, 22 women are synodical bishops (of 65 total), and four are seminary presidents. Almost one-third of all ELCA pastors are women.

To hear what it was like for some of the early women leaders in the Oregon Synod, including our own Pastor Susan Kintner, you are invited to listen in on three storytelling sessions featuring women such as Susan Granata, Joan Beck, and Solveig Nilsen-Goodin:

Saturday, May 15, 7:00 pm
Saturday, June 26, 7:00 pm
Saturday, July 17, 7:00 pm

It’s free and online. Register now.

Filling the Food Barrel

Things are beginning to return to something nearer normal. We learned earlier this week that St. Matthew Lutheran Church is once again accepting packaged and canned food for its food bank. Now that St. Andrew’s doors are unlocked during office hours, feel free to donate non-perishable food to the food barrel in the Narthex. We are resuming deliveries to St. Matt’s and know that there are many hungry people who will benefit from our gifts.

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 Gale Roy Williams (brother)	Peace and God’s comfort at his death	Claris & Corky Poppert
Family and friends of Jerry Werner (cousin)	Peace and God’s comfort at his death	Susan Werner Reiser
Carol Grover (sister)	Peaceful passing	Nan Thompson
Deborah Townsend (mother)	Peaceful passing	Holly Bishop-Perdue
Marvel Lund	Peace and comfort in hospice care	Christine Murray and Margie Holcomb (daugters)
Jan Morrell	Successful surgery (May 19)	Amy Harker
Luke (13-year-old friend)	Healing and recovery from COVID	Rebecca Fako Uecker
Ginny Link	Continued prayers for accurate diagnosis, effective treatment, and healing	Ginny Link
Gary & Gail Grafwallner	Smooth transition	Staff
Baby Hazel	Thanksgiving for her release from the hospital	Bob & Judy Scholz
Everyone affected by COVID-19	Strength and support	Staff
People of India	Aid and support as COVID ravages the country	Staff
Those confined to their homes	Assurance of God’s presence Mareline Barnes, Dave Bumgardner, Jean Fredrickson, Tara Harper, Douglas Hooke, Betty Horst, Dorothy Moore, Phyllis Morris, Ed Pacey, Helen Rogers, Dave & Sharon Roth, Margie Schindele	Staff
All who are imprisoned	Peace and strength	Staff
Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon Holy Trinity Catholic Church	Blessings on their ministry	Staff
St. Paul Lutheran Church (Portland, OR) Good Spirit Mission Lutheran Church (Portland, OR)	Serving with us in the Oregon Synod	Staff
Masjid Abu Bakr (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

A Prayer for Sanctuary

Source of life and love, we thank you for the opportunity to gather in this sacred space of community where we are blessed to reflect on the meaning of our faith.
Let our faith heal our brokenness.

In the midst of political turmoil and upheaval, when people are being excluded for the color of their skin, their accent, or their citizenship status, let our faith guide us to solidarity.

As families struggle for better lives for themselves and their children, as they flee violence and war, hunger and the effects of global climate change, let our faith call us to action.

May the Sanctuary that has blessed us be opened to all those who are vulnerable and oppressed.
Let our faith show us the power of Sanctuary for all.
Amen.

Preparing for Sunday, May 23

Reading: Acts 2:1-21
Gospel: John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15

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

Highlights for the Week

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

Sunday, May 16

8:30 am	Livestream Worship with Communion	YouTube
9:30 am	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom
10:00 am	Sunday School	Zoom
10:00 am	Confirmation	Zoom
10:00 am	High School Youth Group	Zoom
10:00 am	Adult Education: Women in the Gospels	Zoom
11:00 am	Zoom Worship with Communion	Zoom
12:00 pm	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom
12:30 pm	Earth Camp Planning Meeting	Zoom

Monday, May 17

6:00 pm

Troop 618 Scout Meeting

East Parking Lot

Tuesday, May 18

10:00 am	T’ai Chi	former Bales Thriftway on Cornell Rd.
10:00 am	Worship Planners Meeting	Zoom

Wednesday, May 19 – Weekly News submissions due by 4:00 pm

1:00 pm	Caring Ministry Meeting	Zoom
6:00 pm	Handbell Ensemble Rehearsal	Zoom
6:30 pm	Informal Gathering Time	Zoom
7:00 pm	Evening Prayer	Zoom
7:00 pm	High School Youth Game Night	Zoom
7:30 pm	Centering Prayer	Zoom

Thursday, May 20

12:00 pm	Virtual Team Ministry Meeting	Zoom
2:30 pm	Communications Team Meeting	Zoom
7:00 pm	Council Meeting	Zoom

Friday, May 21

10:00 am	T’ai Chi	former Bales Thriftway on Cornell Rd.
7:00 pm	Movie Night: After the Raid	Zoom

Sunday, May 23

8:30 am	Livestream Worship with Communion	YouTube
9:30 am	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom
10:00 am	Sunday School	Zoom
10:00 am	Special Congregational Meeting: Declaring St. Andrew a Sanctuary Congregation	Zoom
11:00 am	Zoom Worship with Communion	Zoom
12:00 pm	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom

Connecting to Worship

Ways to Give: Thank you for supporting our ministries!

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

St. Andrew to Host Guest Preacher May 9

We at St. Andrew are looking forward to welcoming Pastor Brian Johnson to the pulpit on Sunday, May 9, when he will also offer an Adult Education session on “Transforming Vision, Appreciating Art.”

Pastor Johnson brings 25 years’ experience in Lutheran higher education and fine arts to the Grunewald Guild, where he serves as executive director. A 40-year-old retreat center nestled beside the Wenatchee River near Leavenworth, Washington, the Grunewald Guild is dedicated to the relationship between Art, Faith, and Community. Founded by Rich and Liz Caemmerer in 1980, the center offers summer week-long classes in fabric art, pottery, collage, photography, calligraphy, song writing, poetry, sculpture, and many other media.

“Something as earthbound as fabric and clay and paint
can speak our most wordless longings,
express our delight and grief.
Beauty can connect our hearts to the divine heart.”
Guild Founder Richard Caemmerer

Pastor Susan is a member of the Grunewald Guild’s board, beginning a three-year term this past September. She is the first board member from the state of Oregon. Visit www.GrunewaldGuild.com for more information.

Wednesday Evening Prayer

Midweek Prayer Services continue into the Easter season this Wednesday, May 12, with a new service emphasizing creation’s song of praise to God. Drawing on elements from All Creation Sings, our service combines prayer, song, and meditations from the writings of well-known lovers of creation. Look for links to this worship service at mid-day on Wednesdays in Allison’s e-mail.

St. Andrew’s COVID Fund

Thanks to donations from the church community, St. Andrew has been able to continue helping families in dire straits as the COVID pandemic persists in challenging people. Many thanks to Donna Brocker and Diane Reiner for overseeing those resources and sharing them with people in need.

Although all of us are tired and ready to move on, needs continue to mount for many in our area who have lost jobs or housing or loved ones. If you would like to offer your help, St. Andrew welcomes your ongoing support of the COVID Fund. Click on the “Choose a Fund” box online and select COVID-19 DONATION in the drop-down menu if you’d like to give electronically or note COVID FUND on your check. Your gifts are being put to good use.

Bookkeeper Position Open

St. Andrew is currently looking for a part-time bookkeeper to work 10-20 hours a week. Essential functions of the position will include preparing weekly deposit reports, entering disbursements, transferring funds to various accounts, processing payroll, reconciling bank accounts, filing evidence of deposits and disbursements, and preparing financial reports. Five years of bookkeeping experience is required, as well as experience with QuickBooks, working knowledge of Microsoft Excel, and a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail.

To learn more about the position and to apply, please e-mail Parish Manager Jennifer Trom.

Audio Technician Needed

Are you a master of audio technology? Do you have experience with sound/mixing boards and microphone placement? Do you understand broadcasting, audio encoding equipment, and live audio delivery systems?

St. Andrew is seeking to employ a part-time Livestream Audio Technician to work four-five hours on Sunday mornings, one-three times per month, and possibly at other times.

This Livestream Audio Tech will work closely with a Video Tech to distribute online worship currently using YouTube livestream and Zoom, as well as amplify sound in the Sanctuary when we are able to worship in person there.

To learn more about the position and to apply, please go to Craigslist.

Heartfelt Thanks

For more than a year now, you have been donating to the COVID-19 Relief Fund. And for more than a year, those donations have kept people in their homes, paid PGE bills, and kept hungry people fed. Several school counselors and local principals have been overjoyed when receiving this help for their families. Many individual families have been overcome with tears of thanksgiving as they ponder the idea of people they don’t even know helping them out. Some have called you angels.

As followers of Jesus, we know that when we serve others, we are serving Christ. It brings us joy to meet Jesus in these people in need. So thank you, thank you for your generosity, love, and care over this past year! You have made a difference.

In Christ,
Donna Brocker

Let’s Connect

The St. Andrew MACG Core Team and Caring Ministries Team invite you to join us in our ongoing effort to make contact with as many members of our faith community as we can over the course of the next two weeks.

Over the past two weeks, many of our volunteers made contact or promised to make contact with almost 90 percent of St. Andrew households. That’s terrific! There are more contacts to be made, though. Can you help? You are invited to make a phone call, write a note, or send an e-mail to as many people as you can. Help us reach our goal of spreading a message of connection to most of our congregational roster before summer.

The primary purpose is to check in and let people know we are thinking of them, so a good place to start is, “How are you doing?” From there, your conversations may take different paths. You may want to talk about how you are both feeling about returning to in-person gatherings, or about the social connections that have been difficult this past year, or about what has changed in the past year. The direction your conversation takes is up to you. Pretend that you are chatting with someone in the Narthex.

Jan Smith is coordinating the assignment of names. You can contact her via e-mail at jansmith59@earthlink.net. Once you have completed your calls, please get in touch with one of the pastors if there is something they should know. Also please send an e-mail to Pat Christiansen patchristiansen@comcast.net if anything emerges that seems to be a common question, experience, or concern. 

Thanks for being a part of this important ministry. We are a stronger community when we stay in touch.

St. Andrew’s MACG Core Team and Caring Ministries Team

Earth Camp 2021: Registration Is Open for St. Andrew Community

We are offering Earth Camp this summer! Camp will be held outdoors with COVID guidelines in place as required by the CDC and Oregon Heath Authority. Earth Camp is for children entering 1^st through 6^th grade this fall (September 2021) and the purpose is to cultivate a deep love of our Earth home and all its inhabitants.

Campers will:

· Discover how interconnected we are with all our fellow creatures
· Learn practical ways we can care for our Earth home; and,
· Have a lot of fun in the process!

Read all about it on the church website under Education > Earth Camp 2021.

Lydia Circle

After more than a year apart, Lydia Circle will begin meeting in person again at church beginning Tuesday May 11, from 1:00-3:00 pm in the St. Andrew Room. It will be so good to see each other again and share in the Bible study from May’s Gather magazine. We will follow COVID protocols by wearing masks, social distancing and not sharing food. You may bring a beverage for yourself to drink.

This month’s study is entitled “the journey of generations-waiting to be unwrapped.” We’ll be looking at the shared blessings that intergenerational relationships might bring. We’ll be guided by scripture passages from Luke 1: 46-49, 1 Corinthians 12: 4-6, Ephesians 2:19, and Acts: 2: 4-6. You need not have read the study to take part. If you have questions, please contact Mary Brown at 503-439-3917.

May Movie Night: After the Raid

On Friday, May 21, we will meet to discuss After the Raid, a 2019 documentary that explores the devastating effects that an immigration raid on a meat packing plant in Tennessee has on the community. The film asks more questions than it answers, as it explores the ways that faith-based organizations might address these issues.

The timing of this particular movie night is fortuitous. Two days following our discussion, on Sunday, May 23, the St. Andrew congregation will meet between services to consider and vote on becoming a sanctuary congregation. Seeing this documentary beforehand may help inform your vote.

You’ll find the Zoom link for this movie night in Carol Harker’s “Weekly News” e-mail on Friday, May 21.

A Reminder for Ministry Leaders

May 9 is fast approaching. Why is that date important? May 9 is the deadline for St. Andrew’s various ministries to submit their annual reports to Parish Manager Jennifer Trom. Here’s your opportunity to share the story of your ministry with the congregation. Despite the pandemic, we know that much important work is being done. Tell your story and share the good news!

Men’s Book Club: Educated

Tara Westover is living proof that some people are flat-out, boots-always-laced-up indomitable. Her…book, Educated, is a heartbreaking, heartwarming, best-in-years memoir about striding beyond the limitations of birth and environment into a better life,” wrote the USA Today reviewer in touting this book. It’s an unforgettable memoir about a young woman who is kept out of school, but then leaves her survivalist family and goes on to earn a PhD from Cambridge University.

The Men’s Book Club meets on the second Monday of the month at 7:00 pm. If you’d like to join the discussion of Educated on Monday, May 10, please contact Eric Luttrell for details.

Growing Our Garden

Faith and Hope received company this past week, when a crew of volunteers joined Eric Luttrell in planting almost four dozen native shrubs in St. Andrew’s Reformation Earth Garden.

Faith and Hope, the two Oregon white oak trees we planted in the garden last fall, survived the winter well, but the native crab apple put in the ground the very same day disappeared completely—probably munched on by a meandering deer. We know the deer also help themselves to plants in the Community Garden, but they take only what they need. Eric has already replaced the crab apple and we’ll see how long this one lasts.

The third step in populating the Reformation Earth Garden will come next fall or spring, when native perennials are added to the landscape.

Gifts that Keep Giving

The Nifty Notters have gotten some lovely presents this year! Some from folks we know, like Susan Reiser and Corky Poppert, and lots of surprises from mystery donors. Yarn, sheets, two bags of lovely fabric from a drive-by lady. and a bolt from the blue—of blue, no less. And we’re still trying to figure out how a lady from Richmond, WA, found us. She gifted us a big box of ten patterned quilt tops, backing fabric, and some squares to be added to make another quilt. The Notters appreciate all these gifts, and I love finding new things in the closet!

Pam Farr

High School Senior Scholarships

The deadline for graduating high school seniors to submit their scholarship applications to the St. Andrew Foundation is Tuesday, June 1. The award is available to any St. Andrew youth going on to a community college, college, university, or trade school. The application is available on the church website. If you have questions, contact Foundation President Sonja Ackman, foundation@standrewlutheran.com.

Lutheran World Relief (LWR) Ingathering

After a pandemic pause that lasted more than a year and cancelled two ingatherings in 2020, Lutheran churches from all over Oregon and other parts of the Pacific Northwest, made the trip to St. Andrew again this past Friday and Saturday to share their contributions to LWR’s worldwide relief efforts.

Many thanks to the crew of St. Andrew men and women who loaded the shipping container and handled the paperwork that tracks the quilts, pandemic kits, and other supplies that go where they are needed most.

Lutheran World Relief was founded by US Lutherans at the end of World War II, when about one-fifth of the world’s Lutherans were homeless. It continues to tackle global poverty by helping people adapt to the challenges that threaten their livelihoods and well-being. The organization works with people based on need, regardless of race, religion, or nationality, and it does not evangelize.

The shipping container packed in our parking lot here in Beaverton will be loaded onto a train car and then traverse the US to an LWR warehouse in Baltimore. From there, the supplies are distributed worldwide, offering hope to people when they need it most.

Nifty Notters

The Nifty Notters will meet Saturday, May 15, from 9:00 am-Noon to work on baby quilts for Virginia Garcia Clinic and larger quilts for Lutheran World Relief. We’ll follow COVID protocols, wearing masks and social distancing. Please bring a beverage for yourself. And, if you have questions, contact Mary Brown at 503-439-3917.

MACG May Delegate Assembly

Thursday, May 13, 6:30-8:00 pm, via Zoom

Please join others from MACG’s member organizations at this Delegate Assembly. These gatherings shape the work that MACG does through the tri-county area, and your voice is needed.

Our focus for this assembly is criminal justice reform, in particular, Measure 11—a 1994 ballot measure requiring mandatory minimum sentences—and two key reform bills in Oregon’s current legislative session: House Bill 2002 and Senate Bill 401.

Come to learn more about these bills, hear personal stories, and take action!

To learn more and to register for the event, please got to:

https://www.macg.org/may_da

MACG 2021 Legislative Agenda

One way that MACG strengthens communities is by monitoring proposed legislation, informing our members, and recommending action when it would be helpful. This year’s legislative agenda includes these pending bills:

SB 282 – Extends the grace period for all tenants for repayment of back rent to February 2022.

SB 79 – Promotes homeownership for BIPOC people by providing down payment assistance, grants, loans and technical assistance to organizations.

HB 2475 – Energy Affordability – Decreases utility costs for families already struggling in the economic recession by establishing a Low-Income Utility Rate Class.

HB 2842 – Healthy Homes – Supports home upgrades to help improve the health of families across Oregon.  Establishes a program to provide financial assistance to low-income households and landlords.

HB 2021 – 100% Clean Energy for All – Creates good, well-paying, local jobs in the renewable energy sector that incentivize local projects that are good for communities and reduce pollution by achieving 100% clean energy, as soon as possible.

HB 2002 – An expansive public safety reform bill that includes eliminating mandatory minimum sentencing, reducing unnecessary arrests, and investing in victim services and culturally specific services.

HB 3265 – Sanctuary Promise Act – Strengthens our state’s sanctuary law to reduce the gap between the protection that Oregonians want and the reality in our communities.

Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon has also created a handy site to make contacting your elected officials easy. Follow this link to see the issues EMO is supporting, information about how to easily find your elected official, and ideas for making contact (https://emo.good.do/racial-justice/call/).

If you do contact your elected officials, consider joining EMO’s effort to track the contacts by filling out the form on that same site.

The Oregon Legislature maintains a very good website through which you can watch the progress of bills in each session. Find it here: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws.

Please take a few minutes to see what the legislature is working on this year, and add your voice when you feel moved to do so.  Your elected officials want to hear from you.

St. Andrew’s MACG Core Team

Soil Garden Survey

On this weekend when we celebrate mothers, why not spend a little time thinking about Mother Earth? St. Andrew’s Community Carbon Yard Science team has been exploring gardening strategies that many of us can adopt to improve the environment. We want to know if the people of St. Andrew have been developing soil gardens as a means to store carbon in the soil, thus reducing carbon in the atmosphere.

Even if you’ve never before heard the term “soil garden,” you may already have created one. A soil garden requires three essential elements:

· a thick layer of organic material on your bed with consistent regular additions of the organic matter,

· consistent moisture during the warm months, either by regular watering of your soil garden or initially covering your soil garden with at least three inches of compost and/or mulch, and

· organic material in direct contact with the soil. In other words, no landscape cloth or plastic can separate the organic material from the soil. You may use paper or cardboard on top of the soil to reduce weeds.

A soil garden can be established by simply changing how one or more of your existing beds is managed (for example, shrub beds, tree and shrub beds, perennial beds, perennial and shrub beds, etc.) by regularly adding compost and/or mulch to those beds. Perhaps the easiest bed to convert to a soil garden is a perennial flower garden. All that is needed is to add about an inch of compost annually when the flowers are dormant. Your plants will grow up through the compost, which feeds the millions of creatures living in the soil and delivers nutrients to your plants.

If you have any garden beds that meet this definition. we want to know. Please go this link to complete the survey:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PVPBBNR.

Thank you.

Carol Harker, Eric Luttrell, LuAnn Staul, and
the Community Carbon Yard Science Team

Guild in the City: Portland Japanese Garden

May 8, 2021, 9:45 am-12 pm

Join Grunewald Guild director, Brian Johnson, and Guild board member, Susan Kintner, for a self-directed, socially distanced outdoor art outing at Portland’s Japanese Garden this weekend.

A self-directed walk will include a pamphlet of poems and sacred texts linked with the garden. The self-guided tour is expected to last about two hours, after which participants will gather for a conversation exploring the art and poetry they encountered in the morning.

Register for the event ($10 general/$2 students) today and be certain to also purchase an entrance ticket to the Portland Japanese Garden for Saturday, May 8.

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 Jerry Werner (cousin)	Peace and God’s comfort at his death	Susan Werner Reiser
Family and friends of Roald Kindem (grandfather)	Peace and God’s comfort at his death	Megan Webber
Carol Grover (sister)	Peaceful passing	Nan Thompson
Deborah Townsend (mother)	Peaceful passing	Holly Bishop-Perdue
Marvel Lund	Peace and comfort in hospice care	Christine Murray (daugter)
Baby Hazel (granddaughter of good friend)	Healing	Bob & Judy Scholz
Luke (13-year-old friend)	Healing and recovery from COVID	Rebecca Fako Uecker
Warren McAlpine	Healing and recovery	Donna McAlpine
Ginny Link	Continued prayers for accurate diagnosis, effective treatment, and healing	Ginny Link
Gary & Gail Grafwallner	Smooth transition	Staff
Corine Shelley Walker	Smooth transition and excellent care	LuAnn Staul
Madeleine (granddaughter)	Thanksgiving for her release from the hospital	Mary Smith
Everyone affected by COVID-19	Strength and support	Staff
Availability of vaccines for COVID-19	Thanksgiving for the people and systems making vaccinations possible	Staff
People of India	Aid and support as COVID ravages the country	Staff
St. Andrew Council Executive Commmittee 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
Luther Memorial Lutheran Church (Portland, OR) St. Mark’s Lutheran Church (Portland, OR)	Serving with us in the Oregon Synod	Staff
Masjid Abu Bakr (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

A Prayer for the Week

Thank you, Beloved God, for all the mothers
who watch over their families,
giving themselves to service in your name.
Bless them with hope and joy,
and relieve them of the extra burden
this pandemic has placed on their shoulders.
Amen.

Preparing for Sunday, May 16

Reading: Acts 1:15-17
Gospel: John 17:6-19

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

Highlights for the Week

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

Sunday, May 9

8:30 am	Livestream Worship with Communion	YouTube
9:30 am	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom
10:00 am	NO Sunday School
10:00 am	NO Confirmation
10:00 am	NO High School Youth Group
10:00 am	Education Forum: Transforming Vision, Appreciating Art with Pastor Brian Johnson	via Zoom
11:00 am	Zoom Worship with Communion	Zoom
12:00 pm	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom

Monday, May 10

7:00 pm

Men’s Book Club

Contact Eric Luttrell

Tuesday, May 11

10:00 am	T’ai Chi	former Bales Thriftway on Cornell Rd.
1:00 pm	Lydia Circle	St. Andrew Room
1:30 pm	Service Committee	via Zoom
6:00 pm	HR Meeting	Zoom
7:00 pm	Finance Team Meeting	Zoom

Wednesday, May 12 – Weekly News submissions due by 4:00 pm

10:00 am	Reopening Team Meeting	Zoom
6:00 pm	Handbell Ensemble Rehearsal	Zoom
6:30 pm	Informal Gathering Time	Zoom
7:00 pm	Evening Prayer	Zoom
7:00 pm	High School Youth Hangout	Zoom
7:30 pm	Centering Prayer	Zoom

Thursday, May 13

12:00 pm

Staff Meeting

Zoom

Friday, May 14

10:00 am

T’ai Chi

former Bales Thriftway on Cornell Rd.

Saturday, May 15

9:00 am

Nifty Notters

Fellowship Hall

Sunday, May 16

8:30 am	Livestream Worship with Communion	YouTube
9:30 am	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom
10:00 am	Sunday School	Zoom
10:00 am	Confirmation	Zoom
10:00 am	High School Youth Group	Zoom
10:00 am	Adult Education: “Women in the Gospels” with Karen Klingelhafer	Zoom
11:00 am	Zoom Worship with Communion	Zoom
12:00 pm	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom
12:30 pm	Earth Camp Planning Meeting	Zoom

Connecting to Worship

Ways to Give: Thank you for supporting our ministries!

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

Women in the Gospels

Join seminarian Karen Klingelhafer via Zoom at 10:00 am Sunday, May 2, when she will consider the story of the woman accused of adultery (John 7:53-8:11) in her “Women in the Gospels” class.

Opening the Door to Small Groups

Thanks to volunteer Narthex Greeters, St. Andrew’s Narthex doors are now unlocked during regular church office hours, 9:00 am-4:00 pm, Tuesday-Friday. Masks continue to be required in the building for everyone, but if you happen to forget yours, we do have disposable masks available.

Step by step, we progress toward the goal of offering in-person worship again. We hope to do so beginning in July—depending greatly on the status of coronavirus activity and the public’s willingness to continue to follow safety protocols. Stay tuned!

Meanwhile, we are inviting small-group ministries (10 people or fewer) to resume meeting in the building if they would like. Each group will reclaim its regular meeting time and location. Lydia Circle, for instance, meets on the second Tuesday of the month from 1:00-3:00 pm in the St. Andrew Room.

If you would like to get your recurring meetings back on the church calendar and if your attendance is 10 people or fewer, please call the church office at 503-646-0629.

Wednesday Evening Prayer

Midweek Prayer Services continue into the Easter season this Wednesday, May 5, with a new service emphasizing creation’s song of praise to God. Drawing on elements from All Creation Sings, our service combines prayer, song, and meditations from the writings of well-known lovers of creation. Look for links to this worship service at mid-day on Wednesdays in Allison’s e-mail.

St. Andrew’s COVID Fund

Thanks to donations from the church community, St. Andrew has been able to continue helping families in dire straits as the COVID pandemic persists in challenging people. Many thanks to Donna Brocker and Diane Reiner for overseeing those resources and sharing them with people in need.

Although all of us are tired and ready to move on, needs continue to mount for many in our area who have lost jobs or housing or loved ones. If you would like to offer your help, St. Andrew welcomes your ongoing support of the COVID Fund. Click on the “Choose a Fund” box online and select COVID-19 DONATION in the drop-down menu if you’d like to give electronically or note COVID FUND on your check. Your gifts are being put to good use.

Nifty Notters

The Nifty Notters will begin meeting in the Fellowship hall again on Saturday, May 1, from 9:00 am-Noon. We’ll be following Covid protocols, which means masks, social distancing, and no food, but we’ll be together again to work on quilts and share conversation. Hooray! You are encouraged to bring a drink for yourself. 

Despite not meeting in person for a year, the Notters accomplished a great deal at home. Pam Farr was at church every Tuesday working on quilts herself or putting projects together for volunteers to pick up and do at home. Because of this, we were able to give 32 LWR quilts to Portland Rescue Mission’s Shepard’s Door for women and The Harbor for men. They also received four baby quilts. Four LWR quilts were given to St. Andrew members affected by last summer’s fires and several baby quilts to local families in need. We’ll be sending around 50 quilts to this May’s LWR ingathering. Forty-four baby quilts were given to Virginia Garcia Clinic and six to Saving Grace shelter for pregnant homeless unwed teens. In late summer Virginia Garcia Clinic and Saving Grace quit accepting donations because of COVID, so we now have more than 100 baby quilts in our closet waiting for homes.

Those working from home to make all this possible included Pam Farr, Doris Larson, Mary Brown, Ethel Ritchey, Phyllis Vachal, Debbie Gustafson, Anne Williams, and Pam and Tom Jelineo, with Nan Thompson sewing more baby and LWR quilts than everyone else combined. I’m sure there are others whose names have been left out, but as you can see, for not meeting once, its been a very productive year. If you have any questions about meeting or home projects, please contact Mary Brown at 503-439-3917.

Bookkeeper Position Open

St. Andrew is currently looking for a part-time bookkeeper to work 10-20 hours a week. Essential functions of the position will include preparing weekly deposit reports, entering disbursements, transferring funds to various accounts, processing payroll, reconciling bank accounts, filing evidence of deposits and disbursements, and preparing financial reports. Five years of bookkeeping experience is required, as well as experience with QuickBooks, working knowledge of Microsoft Excel, and a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail.

To learn more about the position and to apply, please go to:

https://portland.craigslist.org/wsc/acc/d/portland-bookkeeper/7296865006.html.

Audio Technician Needed

Are you a master of audio technology? Do you have experience with sound/mixing boards and microphone placement? Do you understand broadcasting, audio encoding equipment, and live audio delivery systems?

St. Andrew is seeking to employ a part-time Livestream Audio Technician to work four-five hours on Sunday mornings, one-three times per month, and possibly at other times.

This Livestream Audio Tech will work closely with a Video Tech to distribute online worship currently using YouTube livestream and Zoom, as well as amplify sound in the Sanctuary when we are able to worship in person there.

To learn more about the position and to apply, please go to Craigslist.

Earth Camp 2021: Registration Is Open for St. Andrew Community

We are offering Earth Camp this summer! Camp will be held outdoors with COVID guidelines in place as required by the CDC and Oregon Heath Authority. Earth Camp is for children entering 1^st through 6^th grade this fall (September 2021) and the purpose is to cultivate a deep love of our Earth home and all its inhabitants. Campers will:

· Discover how interconnected we are with all our fellow creatures;

· Learn practical ways we can care for our Earth home; and,

· Have a lot of fun in the process!

Read all about it on the church website under Education > Earth Camp 2021.

Since enrollment will be limited to ensure the best experience for all campers, it may be important for people in the St. Andrew Community to take advantage of Early Registration. Please use the link e-mailed to you on Sunday, April 18, to register now.

Registration will open to the public on May 1. At that time, the registration link will be available on the Earth Camp 2021 page on the church website.

Calling All Hands to Get in Touch

St. Andrew’s MACG Core Team and Caring Ministries Team invite you to be a part of our continuing effort to make contact with as many members of our faith community as we can over the course of a few weeks.

Several volunteers met last Sunday and either made contact or promised to make contact with almost 130 households. That’s terrific! There are more contacts to be made, though. Can you help? You are invited to make a phone call, write a note, or send an e-mail to as many people as you can. Help us reach our goal of spreading a message of connection to the majority of people on our roster.

Jan Smith is coordinating the assignment of names.  You can contact her via e-mail at jansmith59@earthlink.net. Once you have completed your calls, please get in touch with one of the pastors if there is something they should know. Also please send an e-mail to Pat Christiansen patchristiansen@comcast.net if anything emerges that seems to be a common question, experience, or concern. 

Thanks for being a part of this important ministry. We are a stronger community when we stay in touch.

St. Andrew’s MACG Core Team and Caring Ministries Team

St. Andrew to Host Guest Preacher May 9

We at St. Andrew are looking forward to welcoming Pastor Brian Johnson to the pulpit on Sunday, May 9, when he will also offer an Adult Education session on “Transforming Vision, Appreciating Art.”

Pastor Johnson brings 25 years’ experience in Lutheran higher education and fine arts to the Grunewald Guild, where he serves as executive director. A 40-year-old retreat center nestled beside the Wenatchee River near Leavenworth, Washington, the Grunewald Guild is dedicated to the relationship between Art, Faith, and Community. Founded by Rich and Liz Caemmerer in 1980, the center offers summer week-long classes in fabric art, pottery, collage, photography, calligraphy, song writing, poetry, sculpture, and many other media.

“Something as earthbound as fabric and clay and paint
can speak our most wordless longings,
express our delight and grief.
Beauty can connect our hearts to the divine heart.”
Guild Founder Richard Caemmerer

Pastor Susan is a member of the Grunewald Guild’s board, beginning a three-year term this past September. She is the first Oregon board member. Visit www.GrunewaldGuild.com for more information.

One Long River of Song

Portland lost beloved author Brian Doyle to brain cancer a few years ago, but his voice continues to resonate in One Long River of Song, a collection of essays published posthumously in 2019. Pastor Susan says that it’s the best book she’s read this year and she’s ordered many copies from local bookstore Annie Bloom’s to send to friends. Both funny and fierce, Brian Doyle was by Pastor Susan’s description “a mature Christian.” In One Long River of Song, he exhorts us to pay attention and to recognize the wonder that surrounds us in everyday life.

May Movie Night: After the Raid

On Friday, May 21, we will meet to discuss After the Raid, a 2019 documentary that explores the devastating effects that an immigration raid on a meat packing plant in Tennessee has on the community. The film asks more questions than it answers, as it explores the ways that faith-based organizations might address these issues.

You can stream After the Raid on Netflix and then bring out the popcorn and gather around your computer screens at 7:00 pm on Friday, May 21, as we talk about what we liked and didn’t like about the movie.

The timing of this particular movie night is fortuitous. Two days following our discussion, on Sunday, May 23, the St. Andrew congregation will meet between services to consider and vote on becoming a sanctuary congregation. Seeing this documentary beforehand may help inform your vote.

Lydia Circle

After more than a year apart, Lydia Circle will begin meeting in person again at church beginning Tuesday May 11, from 1:00-3:00 pm in the St. Andrew Room. It will be so good to see each other again and share in the Bible study from May’s Gather magazine. We will follow COVID protocols by wearing masks, social distancing and not sharing food. You may bring a beverage for yourself to drink.

This month’s study is entitled “the journey of generations-waiting to be unwrapped.” We’ll be looking at the shared blessings that intergenerational relationships might bring. We’ll be guided by scripture passages from Luke 1: 46-49, 1 Corinthians 12: 4-6, Ephesians 2:19, and Acts: 2: 4-6. You need not have read the study to take part. If you have questions, please contact Mary Brown at 503-439-3917.

A Reminder for Ministry Leaders

May 9 is fast approaching. Why is that date important? May 9 is the deadline for St. Andrew’s various ministries to submit their annual reports to Parish Manager Jennifer Trom. Here’s your opportunity to share the story of your ministry with the congregation. Despite the pandemic, we know that much important work is being done. Tell your story and share the good news!

Heartfelt Thanks!

For more than a year now, you have been donating to the COVID-19 Relief Fund. And for more than a year, those donations have kept people in their homes, paid PGE bills, and kept hungry people fed. Several school counselors and local principals have been overjoyed when receiving this help for their families. Many individual families have been overcome with tears of thanksgiving as they ponder the idea of people they don’t even know helping them out. Some have called you angels.

As followers of Jesus, we know that when we serve others, we are serving Christ. It brings us joy to meet Jesus in these people in need. So thank you, thank you for your generosity, love, and care over this past year! You have made a difference.

In Christ,
Donna Brocker

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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 Roald Kindem (grandfather)	Peace and God’s comfort at his death	Megan Webber
Family and friends of Mary Bucher	Peace and God’s comfort at her death	Sue Cahlander
Family and friends of Ben, especially his mother Christy	Peace and God’s comfort at his death	Rebecca Fako Uecker
Family and friends of Deborah Townsend (mother)	Peace and comfort as death nears	Holly Bishop-Perdue
Marvel Lund	Peace and comfort in hospice care	Christine Murray (daugter)
Nancy Kayani (friend)	Emotional support and financial assistance	Sue Jacobi
Warren McAlpine	Healing and recovery	Donna McAlpine
Ginny Link	Accurate diagnosis and effective treatment for skin issues	Ginny Link
Corine Shelley Walker	Smooth transition and excellent care	LuAnn Staul
Madeleine (granddaughter)	Thanksgiving for her release from the hospital	Mary Smith
Carol Werner	Success in finding an affordable home	Carol Werner
Everyone affected by COVID-19	Strength and support	Staff
Availability of vaccines for COVID-19	Thanksgiving for the people and systems making vaccinations more and more available	Staff
People of India	Aid and support as COVID ravages the country	Staff
Our nation’s police	Courage, judgment, compassion for those they serve	Staff
Families affected by racial violence	Commitment to justice and hope for the future	Staff
Bishop Laurie Larson Caesar Oregon Synod and Staff	Strength and wisdom	Staff
Refugees and immigrants	Acceptance and safety	Staff
The homeless in our country	Comfort, hope, and shelter	Staff
Military personnel, especially Justina Hailey Hope Brocker, Evan Dahlquist, Dawson Dethlefs, Neil Fiegenbaum, and Jerami Reyna	Strength and wisdom	Staff
Heavenly Peace Lutheran Church (Portland, OR) Holy Trinity Lutheran Church (Portland, OR)	Serving with us in the Oregon Synod	Staff
Congregation Neveh Shalom (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

Preparing for Sunday, May 9

Reading: Acts 10:44-48
Gospel: John 15:9-17

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

Highlights for the Week

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

Sunday, May 2

8:30 am	Livestream Worship with Communion	YouTube
9:30 am	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom
10:00 am	Sunday School	via Zoom
10:00 am	Confirmation	via Zoom
10:00 am	High School Youth Group	via Zoom
10:00 am	Adult Education with Karen Klingelhafer: Women in the Gospels	via Zoom
11:00 am	Zoom Worship with Communion	Zoom
12:00 pm	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom

Tuesday, May 4

10:00 am	T’ai Chi	former Bales Thriftway on Cornell Rd.
10:00 am	Worship Planners Meeting	Zoom
7:00 pm	MACG Meeting	Zoom

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

12:30 pm	Bonhoeffer Seminar	Zoom
6:00 pm	Handbell Ensemble Rehearsal	Zoom
6:30 pm	Informal Gathering Time	Zoom
7:00 pm	Evening Prayer	Zoom
7:00 pm	High School Youth Hangout	Zoom
7:30 pm	Centering Prayer	Zoom

Thursday, May 6

12:00 pm	Staff Meeting	Zoom
7:00 pm	Executive (Council) Committee Meeting	Zoom

Friday, May 7

7:00 am	Lutheran World Relief Ingathering	Community Garden Parking Lot, Garden Shed
10:00 am	T’ai Chi	former Bales Thriftway on Cornell Rd.

Saturday, May 8

9:00 am

Lutheran World Relief Ingathering

Community Garden Parking Lot, Garden Shed

Sunday, May 9–Mother’s Day

8:30 am	Livestream Worship with Communion	YouTube
9:30 am	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom
10:00 am	NO Sunday School
10:00 am	NO Confirmation
10:00 am	NO High School Youth Group
10:00 am	Education Forum: “Transforming Vision, Appreciating Art” with Pastor Brian Johnson	Zoom
11:00 am	Zoom Worship with Communion	Zoom
12:00 pm	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom

Connecting to Worship

Ways to Give: Thank you for supporting our ministries!

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

April Movie Night: My Octopus Teacher

Since April 22 is Earth Day, our Movie Night on Friday, April 23, will feature a film that shows a beautiful confluence of people and nature: My Octopus Teacher. This documentary was shot in a kelp forest in South Africa and introduces the viewer to the flora and fauna to be found there. In particular, we meet a very special octopus and watch her interactions with the diver. As Craig, the diver expressed, “What she taught me to feel is that you’re a part of this place, not just a visitor.”

Stream the documentary on Netflix and then meet with your St. Andrew friends on Zoom on Friday, April 23, at 7:00 pm. Bring out the popcorn, gather round your computer screen, and let’s talk about what we liked and didn’t like about this movie. You’ll find the Movie Night Zoom link in Carol Harker’s “Weekly News” e-mail on Friday, April 23. If you have any questions, please contact Mary Smith.

Women in the Gospels

How do the interactions that Jesus has with women in the New Testament help us understand Jesus better? Do these stories reveal more about what the Bible has to say regarding discipleship, friendship, oppression, and even the church’s role in the world today?

Join seminarian Karen Klingelhafer via Zoom at 10:00 am Sunday, April 25, when she will consider the story of Mary and Elizabeth (Luke 1:5-2:56) to discover more about the role women play in death and resurrection stories in the Gospels.

Opening the Door to Small Groups

Thanks to volunteer Narthex Greeters, St. Andrew’s Narthex doors are now unlocked during regular church office hours, 9:00 am-4:00 pm, Tuesday-Friday. Masks continue to be required in the building for everyone, but if you happen to forget yours, we do have disposable masks available.

Step by step, we progress toward the goal of offering in-person worship again. We hope to do so beginning in July—depending greatly on the status of coronavirus activity and the public’s willingness to continue to follow safety protocols. Stay tuned!

Meanwhile, we are inviting small-group ministries (10 people or fewer) to resume meeting in the building if they would like. Each group will reclaim its regular meeting time and location. Lydia Circle, for instance, meets on the second Tuesday of the month from 1:00-3:00 pm in the St. Andrew Room.

If you would like to get your recurring meetings back on the church calendar and if your attendance is 10 people or fewer, please call the church office at 503-646-0629.

Table Talk: Declaring St. Andrew a Sanctuary Congregation Revisited

Gathered around the table in his home, Martin Luther talked freely and openly with his colleagues and students about matters of faith, theology, and varied aspects of daily life. In an  effort to cultivate this kind of spirited discussion we have a tradition at St. Andrew of gathering for Table Talks. Though we cannot gather in person, Pastor Brocker invites you to participate in the next Table Talk, led by St. Andrew’s Sanctuary Team. It will be held via Zoom on Thursday, April 29, 7:00-8:00 pm.

In February of 2020 the Sanctuary Team introduced the congregation to a proposal, “Calling for St. Andrew Lutheran Church to be a Sanctuary Congregation.” Members of the team shared how they had broadened their understanding of what it means to show hospitality to resident non-citizens. A key Bible verse grounding this proposal is Leviticus 19:34:

“The non-citizen who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the non-citizen as yourself, for you were non-citizens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”

The plan was to have the congregation vote on declaring St. Andrew a sanctuary congregation at a special meeting on Pentecost Sunday. When the pandemic hit, a decision was made to wait until we could meet in person to consider the proposal.

The Sanctuary Team does not want to delay this decision past another Pentecost. When the Council met on April 15, they decided to recommend this sanctuary proposal to the congregation. During this April Table Talk the Sanctuary Team will reintroduce the proposal to participants and invite dialogue on it. You are encouraged to read the Sanctuary Declaration on the church website before we gather to discuss it on April 29.

A special congregational meeting to make a decision on declaring St. Andrew a sanctuary congregation is planned between services on Pentecost Sunday, May 23. In all likelihood we will be meeting by Zoom.

Wednesday Evening Prayer

Midweek Prayer Services continue into the Easter season this Wednesday, April 28, with a new service emphasizing creation’s song of praise to God. Drawing on elements from All Creation Sings, our service combines prayer, song, and meditations from the writings of well-known lovers of creation. Look for links to this worship service at mid-day on Wednesdays in Allison’s e-mail.

Bookkeeper Position Open

St. Andrew is currently looking for a part-time bookkeeper to work 10-20 hours a week. Essential functions of the position will include preparing weekly deposit reports, entering disbursements, transferring funds to various accounts, processing payroll, reconciling bank accounts, filing evidence of deposits and disbursements, and preparing financial reports. Five years of bookkeeping experience is required, as well as experience with QuickBooks, working knowledge of Microsoft Excel, and a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail.

To learn more about the position and to apply, please go to:

https://portland.craigslist.org/wsc/acc/d/portland-bookkeeper/7296865006.html.

Audio Technician Needed

Are you a master of audio technology? Do you have experience with sound/mixing boards and microphone placement? Do you understand broadcasting, audio encoding equipment, and live audio delivery systems?

St. Andrew is seeking to employ a part-time Livestream Audio Technician to work four-five hours on Sunday mornings, one-three times per month, and possibly at other times.

This Livestream Audio Tech will work closely with a Video Tech to distribute online worship currently using YouTube livestream and Zoom, as well as amplify sound in the Sanctuary when we are able to worship in person there.

To learn more about the position and to apply, please go to Craigslist.

Your 2020 Giving Statement

Our new giving platform does not have a print feature for each account. Don’t worry. Simply send your request to the Financial Secretaries at financial-secretary@standrewlutheran.com and you will receive your statement via e-mail. Since Financial Secretaries are volunteers, we’ll reply within 7 days or as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience.

Within your own account, you can continue to look online at both your giving history and your Year-to-Date donations. Beginning next January, we will complete a mass e-mail distribution for each individual contribution statement by February 1.

Thank you for your continued support of the Ministry and Mission of St. Andrew Lutheran Church.

Blessings,
Financial Secretaries of SALC

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Habitat’s Hope Builder Breakfast

You are invited to join us for this year’s Habitat for Humanity event, which is being held virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the upheaval the past year has wrought, the building of homes for hard-working families, who are in many cases living in unsafe, unhealthy, and unaffordable housing, goes on. The keynote speaker for our 2021 event is TV journalist, former news anchor, and international correspondent Ann Curry.

Join us on Wednesday, April 28, at 8:00 am. Register for free at Bit.ly/HopeBuilder 2021. If you have questions, please contact Dan Fako at dan43theman@comcast.net. or 503-626-3414.

Hope for All Update

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and in his grace gave us unfailing courage and a firm hope, encourage you and strengthen you to always do and say what is good.

2 Thessalonians 2:15-16

I want to offer some very good news concerning the Hope For All Campaign.  

Eight months ago, I announced that as of early August 2020 we had finally reduced the mortgage balance below $1,000,000. At that time for every $1.00 donated about $.70 was going to the Principal and $.30 was going to Interest. I am very pleased to tell you that, as of early April, we now owe about $787,000 and that for every $1.00 we pay on our mortgage, about $.80 is going toward reducing the Principal.

The Treasurers have been very diligent each month to pay down the Principal as much as possible, while maintaining a responsible reserve. I want to thank all of you for the generosity of your giving toward the Hope For All Campaign. Just imagine what we can do without having the burden of a mortgage.

 

Again, thank you to all who continue to support St. Andrew’s Ministries and A Hope For All, our mortgage fund.

God Bless,
Ken Reiner

Lydia Circle

After more than a year apart, Lydia Circle will begin meeting in person again at church beginning Tuesday May 11, from 1:00-3:00 pm in the St. Andrew Room. It will be so good to see each other again and share in the Bible study from May’s Gather magazine. We will follow COVID protocols by wearing masks, social distancing and not sharing food. You may bring a beverage for yourself to drink.

This month’s study is entitled “the journey of generations-waiting to be unwrapped.” We’ll be looking at the shared blessings that intergenerational relationships might bring. We’ll be guided by scripture passages from Luke 1: 46-49, 1 Corinthians 12: 4-6, Ephesians 2:19, and Acts: 2: 4-6. You need not have read the study to take part. If you have questions, please contact Mary Brown at 503-439-3917.

Calling All Hands to Get in Touch

St. Andrew’s MACG Core Team and Caring Ministries Team invite you to be a part of our continuing effort to make contact with as many members of our faith community as we can over the course of a few weeks.

Several volunteers met last Sunday and either made contact or promised to make contact with almost 130 households. That’s terrific! There are more contacts to be made, though. Can you help? You are invited to make a phone call, write a note, or send an e-mail to as many people as you can. Help us reach our goal of spreading a message of connection to the majority of people on our roster.

Jan Smith is coordinating the assignment of names.  You can contact her via e-mail at jansmith59@earthlink.net. Once you have completed your calls, please get in touch with one of the pastors if there is something they should know. Also please send an e-mail to Pat Christiansen patchristiansen@comcast.net if anything emerges that seems to be a common question, experience, or concern. 

Thanks for being a part of this important ministry. We are a stronger community when we stay in touch.

St. Andrew’s MACG Core Team and Caring Ministries Team

St. Andrew’s COVID Fund

Thanks to donations from the church community, St. Andrew has been able to continue helping families in dire straits as the COVID pandemic persists in challenging people. Many thanks to Donna Brocker and Diane Reiner for overseeing those resources and sharing them with people in need.

Although all of us are tired and ready to move on, needs continue to mount for many in our area who have lost jobs or housing or loved ones. If you would like to offer your help, St. Andrew welcomes your ongoing support of the COVID Fund. Click on the “Choose a Fund” box online and select COVID-19 DONATION in the drop-down menu if you’d like to give electronically or note COVID FUND on your check. Your gifts are being put to good use.

One Long River of Song

Portland lost beloved author Brian Doyle to brain cancer a few years ago, but his voice continues to resonate in One Long River of Song, a collection of essays published posthumously in 2019. Pastor Susan says that it’s the best book she’s read this year and she’s ordered many copies from local bookstore Annie Bloom’s to send to friends. Both funny and fierce, Brian Doyle was by Pastor Susan’s description “a mature Christian.” In One Long River of Song, he exhorts us to pay attention and to recognize the wonder that surrounds us in everyday life.

St. Andrew to Host Guest Preacher May 9

We at St. Andrew are looking forward to welcoming Pastor Brian Johnson to the pulpit on Sunday, May 9, when he will also offer an Adult Education session between worship services.

Pastor Johnson brings 25 years’ experience in Lutheran higher education and fine arts to the Grunewald Guild, where he serves as executive director. The Grunewald Guild is a 40-year-old retreat center nestled beside the Wenatchee River near Leavenworth, Washington, that is dedicated to the relationship between Art, Faith, and Community. Founded by Rich and Liz Caemmerer in 1980, the center offers summer week-long classes in fabric art, pottery, stained glass, collage, water color, photography, calligraphy, song writing, poetry, sculpture, and many other media.

“Something as earthbound as fabric and clay and paint
can speak our most wordless longings,
express our delight and grief.
Beauty can connect our hearts to the divine heart.”
Guild Founder Richard Caemmerer

Pastor Susan is a member of the Grunewald Guild’s board, beginning a three-year term this past September. She is the first Oregon board member. Visit www.GrunewaldGuild.com for more information.

Getting Vaccinated

All Oregonians 16 and older are now eligible to receive COVID vaccinations, although only the Pfizer vaccine has emergency use approval from the FDA for people 16 or 17 years old. The Moderna vaccine is approved for people 18 and older, while administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine remains suspended to allow further study.

If you would like to check on vaccine availability near you and don’t know where to start, go to vaccinefinder.org, enter your zip code, and the program will list locations offering the shots within 25 miles of your home. Select a location, click on the green arrow to the right, and you will learn which vaccines are in stock at the location of your choice. You can check appointment availability from the same page and quickly move one step closer to a life with greater freedom and fewer risks.

Meanwhile, fears of a fourth wave are becoming a reality in many parts of the country. More than half of Oregon’s counties, including Washington Country, are now considered at high risk. This means that restaurants, gyms, and retail stores will once again need to limit the number of people allowed indoors. In addition, people are also asked to limit private social gatherings to eight people or less.

A little more than a month ago, risk levels and virus transmission were dropping in Oregon, but now the state is seeing some 700-plus confirmed and presumptive coronavirus cases a day.

“As we face more contagious variants and increased spread of COVID-19 in our communities,” Governor Kate Brown said in a news release, “the best way to protect yourself and others is to get vaccinated. Until you, your family, your friends, and your neighbors are fully vaccinated, it’s also critical that we all continue to wear masks, maintain physical distance, and stay home when sick.”

A Reminder for Ministry Leaders

May 9 is fast approaching. Why is that date important? May 9 is the deadline for St. Andrew’s various ministries to submit their annual reports to Parish Manager Jennifer Trom. Here’s your opportunity to share the story of your ministry with the congregation. Despite the pandemic, we know that much important work is being done. Tell your story and share the good news!

A Prayer for the Week

Righteous God,
give me courage to speak up in the face of injustice and
to advocate for those whose cries are ignored.
Help me to see the divine in all of humankind
and in everything you have created.
Amen.

Earth Camp 2021: Registration Is Open for St. Andrew Community

We are offering Earth Camp this summer! Camp will be held outdoors with COVID guidelines in place as required by the CDC and Oregon Heath Authority. Earth Camp is for children entering 1^st through 6^th grade this fall (September 2021) and the purpose is to cultivate a deep love of our Earth home and all its inhabitants. Campers will:

· Discover how interconnected we are with all our fellow creatures;

· Learn practical ways we can care for our Earth home; and,

· Have a lot of fun in the process!

Read all about it on the church website under Education > Earth Camp 2021.

Since enrollment will be limited to ensure the best experience for all campers, it may be important for people in the St. Andrew Community to take advantage of Early Registration beginning Sunday, April 18. Watch your inbox Sunday morning for a link to the registration form.

Nifty Notters

The Nifty Notters will begin meeting in the Fellowship hall again on Saturday, May 1, from 9:00 am-Noon. We’ll be following Covid protocols, which means masks, social distancing, and no food, but we’ll be together again to work on quilts and share conversation. Hooray! You are encouraged to bring a drink for yourself. 

Despite not meeting in person for a year, the Notters accomplished a great deal at home. Pam Farr was at church every Tuesday working on quilts herself or putting projects together for volunteers to pick up and do at home. Because of this, we were able to give 32 LWR quilts to Portland Rescue Mission’s Shepard’s Door for women and The Harbor for men. They also received four baby quilts. Four LWR quilts were given to St. Andrew members affected by last summer’s fires and several baby quilts to local families in need. We’ll be sending around 50 quilts to this May’s LWR ingathering. Forty-four baby quilts were given to Virginia Garcia Clinic and six to Saving Grace shelter for pregnant homeless unwed teens. In late summer Virginia Garcia Clinic and Saving Grace quit accepting donations because of COVID, so we now have more than 100 baby quilts in our closet waiting for homes.

Those working from home to make all this possible included Pam Farr, Doris Larson, Mary Brown, Ethel Ritchey, Phyllis Vachal, Debbie Gustafson, Anne Williams, and Pam and Tom Jelineo, with Nan Thompson sewing more baby and LWR quilts than everyone else combined. I’m sure there are others whose names have been left out, but as you can see, for not meeting once, its been a very productive year. If you have any questions about meeting or home projects, please contact Mary Brown at 503-439-3917.

Kiss the Ground & Regenerate Our Earth

Celebrate the 51^st anniversary of Earth Day (coming up on April 22) by watching the new film Kiss the Ground and learning ways you can incorporate regenerative agriculture into your yard management practices. People of faith all over the country are watching this film during April, generously available for free through Interfaith Power & Light. As the film shows, regenerating the world’s soils has the potential to rapidly stabilize Earth’s climate, restore lost ecosystems, and create abundant food supplies. The transition can bolster our hope while rehabilitating the planet.

Havurah Shalom, EcoFaith Recovery, Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon (EMO), and Oregon Interfaith Power & Light are partnering to host a discussion about Kiss the Ground.

In addition to the opportunity to talk about the film, the group is presenting a panel discussion featuring some leaders in the movement toward restoring the Earth. Kristin Ohlson, author of The Soil Will Save Us, Teague Cullen, an Oregon farmer from Sherrett Food Forest, and Jennilee Porch from EcoFaith Recovery will share their insights. Of special interest to many of us, Jennilee will talk about the Community Carbon initiative and is likely to use the pilot project we’ve been shepherding here at St. Andrew as an example of what we can accomplish.

Stream the film between now and April 25, then attend a Zoom discussion on Sunday, April 25, from 4:00-6:00 pm. Register here (it’s free!) to receive links to watch Kiss the Ground and to attend the April 25^th discussion.

Improving the Value of Yard Work

With the return of the sun and the promise of warmer days ahead, members of the Community Carbon Yard Science team are eager to get back in the field. Please complete the electronic survey you received on Wednesday to help us direct our efforts this year. And, if you would like the team to visit your property in 2021, please let us know as we will begin building our schedule soon.

Although we have shifted our focus away from complete yard surveys where we measure every tree and inch of soil on your property, we remain eager to learn from your experiences caring for your yard and to help you achieve your goals. We are working to regenerate soil so that it sequesters and stores more carbon, but there are many other benefits, too: reduced runoff, weed control, a healthy environment for native wildlife. Please call Eric Luttrell at 503-848-3223 to learn more or to schedule a visit.

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 Mary Bucher	Peace and God’s comfort at her death	Sue Cahlander
Family and friends of Ben, especially his mother Christy	Peace and God’s comfort at his death	Rebecca Fako Uecker
Family and friends of Charlotte Werner (aunt)	Peace and God’s comfort at her death	Susan Werner Reiser
Family and friends of Deborah Townsend	Peace and comfort as death nears	Holly Bishop-Perdue
Mary Ellen Johnson	Strength, comfort, and healing	Joanne Zenger
Nancy Kayani (friend)	Emotional support and financial assistance	Sue Jacobi
Marvel Lund	Effective treatment, healing, and recovery	Christine Murray (daughter)
Ginny Link	Accurate diagnosis and effective treatment for skin issues	Ginny Link
Roby Chavez (teenage son of friends)	Healing and recovery from COVID-19	Bob & Judy Sch9olz
Gary Magnuson	Healing and recovery from back surgery	Pastor Mark Brocker
Corine Shelley Walker (mother-in-law)	Successful transition to memory care	LuAnn Staul
Madeleine (granddaughter)	Thanksgiving for her release from the hospital	Mary Smith
Carol Werner	Success in finding an affordable home	Carol Werner
Everyone affected by COVID-19	Strength and support	Staff
Availability of vaccines for COVID-19	Thanksgiving for the people and systems making vaccinations more and more available	Staff
Our nation’s police	Courage, judgment, compassion for those they serve	Staff
Families affected by racial violence	Commitment to justice and hope for the future	Staff
Those facing ongoing illness or distress	Dave Bumgardner, Tandy Brooks, Vic Claar, Gary Grafwallner, Marvel Lund, Ian MacDonald, Gary Magnuson, Hugh Mason, Carol Means, Brian McKiernan, Ed Pacey, Corky Poppert, Jolie Reyna, Nan Thompson, 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
Salt & Light Lutheran Church (Portland, OR) Bethany Lutheran Church (Portland, OR)	Serving with us in the Oregon Synod	Staff
Al Furqan Islamic Center (Portland, OR)	Blessings on our interfaith partners	Staff
The Muslim Community	Blessings for Ramadan	Staff
Individual friends and loved ones in need of prayer	Whatever they most need; say their names in your heart or aloud	Everyone

Preparing for Sunday, May 2

Reading: Acts 8:26-40
Gospel: John 15:1-8

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

Highlights for the Week

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

Sunday, April 25

8:30 am	Livestream Worship with Communion	YouTube
9:30 am	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom
10:00 am	Sunday School	via Zoom
10:00 am	Confirmation	via Zoom
10:00 am	High School Youth Group	via Zoom
10:00 am	Adult Education with Karen Klingelhafer: Women in the Gospels	via Zoom
11:00 am	Zoom Worship with Communion	Zoom
12:00 pm	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom
4:00 pm	Kiss the Ground Gathering and Panel Discussion (see article to register)	via Zoom

Tuesday, April 27

10:00 am	T’ai Chi	former Bales Thriftway on Cornell Rd.
12:15 pm	Community Carbon Leadership Meeting	Zoom

Wednesday, April 28 – Weekly News submissions due by 4:00 pm

6:00 pm	Handbell Ensemble Rehearsal	Zoom
6:30 pm	Informal Gathering Time	Zoom
7:00 pm	Evening Prayer	Zoom
7:00 pm	High School Youth Hangout	Zoom
7:30 pm	Centering Prayer	Zoom

Thursday, April 29

12:00 pm	Staff Meeting	Zoom
7:00 pm	Table Talk: Declaring St. Andrew a Sanctuary Congregation	Zoom

Friday, April 30

10:00 am

T’ai Chi

former Bales Thriftway on Cornell Rd.

Saturday, May 1

9:00 am

Nifty Notters

Fellowship Hall

Sunday, May 2

8:30 am	Livestream Worship with Communion	YouTube
9:30 am	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom
10:00 am	Sunday School	Zoom
10:00 am	Confirmation	Zoom
10:00 am	High School Youth Group	Zoom
10:00 am	Adult Education: Women in the Gospels	Zoom
11:00 am	Zoom Worship with Communion	Zoom
12:00 pm	Virtual Coffee Time	Zoom

Connecting to Worship

Ways to Give: Thank you for supporting our ministries!