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New Adult Ed Classes Begin January 9
With the New Year, we get new Adult Education classes. St. Andrew’s six-week Epiphany term begins between services on Sunday, January 9.
“My Journey: What I’ve Learned Along the Way”
Join Jim Aageson in Fellowship Hall for a class about our life stories as he shares some reflective vignettes from his own life that are intended to prompt others to think about their own experiences. As Jim points out in his description of the class, our life stories “may…enrich the lives of the generations who come after us. They can give life, color, and texture to the family tree. They will be part of our legacies.”
Mental Illness in Our Midst: How Does It Look & How Can We Respond?
Janet Vorvick knows that mental illness affects lots of individuals, some of whom come to church with special needs. What can we do? Janet will explore several types of illness and offer concrete ideas for how to talk to people who suffer from depression, autism, or some other category of illness. She’ll share ideas from other churches, explore what we can learn about mental illness from the Bible and our hymns, and encourage open conversations. Join her in the St. Andrew Room.
All classes begin at 10:00 am and are offered in person. Details about any online offerings are yet to be worked out.
Wednesday Evening Prayer
Please note that Wednesday Evening Prayer will not be offered December 29. Worship planners are going to enjoy a mid-week evening of rest after a hectic Christmas worship schedule.
Plans for any mid-week services in the new year have not yet been made. Watch the newsletter for information to come.
The Roots Launches January 23!
St. Andrew’s brand new Sunday morning children’s program, The Roots, is launching on Sunday, January 23! We will start off at 10:00 am in the Children’s Commons downstairs.
This completely original program is designed with the fun of summer day camps in mind–kids will move through rotations of storytelling, games, art, service, science, and music as they engage with stories from the Bible. The Bible stories we will be teaching have been hand-picked to emphasize our five core values of God care, Earth care, Neighbor care, Community care, and Self care. This program is open to all kids of vaccination age, kindergarten through grade 5. We are so excited and look forward to seeing you all again!
If you are interested in participating in The Roots as a volunteer, we still need help specifically in leading games/arts and crafts. Contact kvogt@standrewlutheran.com to join the team!
Commemorating a Project for the Good of All
The Butner Road that runs in front of our church building looks different now than it did a couple of years ago. During the pandemic, the Butner Road project initiated by our neighbor Betty Baldwin was completed. Although Betty has since died, she would celebrate the difference this project has made for people living along Johnson Creek and for all those who walk, ride bicycles, or drive on our street. Continually impacted by high water, Betty and her neighbors were regularly sandbagging their homes or cleaning up after the floodwater receded. Now, a much larger culvert under Butner Road enables creek water to move toward its destination without encroaching so much into yards and homes. Plus, a stepping stone water collection system installed between two of our church driveways slows and contains water rushing toward the creek from higher ground.
Working in conjunction with Vic Claar, former Council president, and others at St. Andrew, Betty endorsed expanding her project to include the installation of bicycle lanes, sidewalks, and a crosswalk at 126th Avenue for safety and community livability. The church joined Betty in advocating for the project and hosted community gatherings to keep people informed and to build support.
As the Clean Water Services sign posted across Butner Road near Johnson Creek says, “Thanks to Betty’s advocacy, the project became the impetus for an Oregon Solutions designation and the eventual creation of the Tualatin Watershed Enhancement Collaborative.” This was St. Andrew’s first Metropolitan Alliance for Common Good sort of project and it worked—for the good of all.
Nifty Notters
This year you’re invited to make a New Year’s resolution to join the Nifty Notters. Come see what we’re doing on Saturday, January 8th and 29th between 9:00 am and 2:30 pm in Fellowship Hall. Stay for all or part of the time as we work on quilts for Lutheran World Relief and NW Children’s Outreach. We have projects for all skill levels and no experience is needed. All materials are provided.
A special thanks goes to Judy Heidinger for her research in finding NW Children’s Outreach after Virginia Garcia Clinic cut back on their need for baby quilts. Also thanks to those who have made some wonderful fabric donations. If you have questions, please contact Mary Brown at 503-439-3917.
Please note: we will NOT meet on January 1st or 15th.
Weather Alert!
Weather forecasts in-dicate that the weather for the Portland area could turn wintry and perhaps even frightful this weekend. Please use your best judgment and consider your safety first in deciding whether or not to come to the church building for any of our worship services.
While The Roots Christmas at 4:00 pm on Christmas Eve is in-person only for children and their families, remember that both Candlelight Services on Friday, December 24, are available online.
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at 7:00 pm
Livestream: https://youtu.be/FAQw1yJ867w
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at 10:00 pm
Available via Zoom
The 11:00 am worship service with Carol Sing and Communion on Christmas Day is in-person only. St. Andrew resumes its regular Sunday worship schedule on December 26. See the calendar on page 4 for details.
First and foremost, check road conditions and stay safe! Wherever you worship, God knows what’s in your heart.
Giving to a Designated Fund
During Advent, several St. Andrew people donated additional funds to support the Giving Tree project for Barnes Elementary families and immigrant families in need. Thank you for your most generous support! Your expression of Christian love has had an enormous impact on families struggling to make ends meet.
How does the church’s Finance Team manage donations to St. Andrew? The team works collectively to make sure contributions are handled properly. The Financial Secretaries receive and record income from contributing members and other sources, ensure all receipts are disbursed to the appropriate funds, and prepare a report of individual giving at the end of the calendar year. The Treasurers keep the books of account of the congregation, receive records of receipts from the Financial Secretaries, disburse funds, and provide a report to the Church Council each month.
It’s common for donors to specify that a portion of their contribution go to the Mortgage Fund, with another portion going to the Ministry & Mission Fund. If money donated to the church is not designated, it goes automatically to the Ministry & Mission fund to support ongoing operations.
In addition, donors can direct their contributions to an array of different initiatives—the COVID Fund, a fund for IT Equipment, the PIPE Fund (for property improvement and repair), Lutheran Disaster Relief, etc. Throughout the year, other funds are identified as part of the Service Committee’s work to support local agencies helping people in our community. Our faith community typically collects socks (Outside In) for homeless teens in September, school supplies (Lutheran World Relief) June-October, warm winter clothing (Western Farm Workers) in September, household items (Community Warehouse) in January, and so forth. You’ll find a complete calendar of Service Committee projects online. All of them accept cash donations as well as in-kind contributions.
Whenever possible, the Financial Secretaries request that parishioners support a particular project at the same time that the Service Committee is focused on that initiative. If you’re over 70, though, and must take a Required Minimum Distribution from your retirement account, that might not work, since this is something that is typically done at the end of the calendar year. If you’d like your contribution to go somewhere other than the Ministry & Mission Fund, simply identify the account you want your donation to support by selecting the appropriate drop-down option of designated funds on our website or writing it in the comment line on your check.
St. Andrew people have a history of generous giving to support our Ministry & Mission and, right now, many are focusing their gifts to pay down the mortgage, too. We anticipate that the current Hope for All campaign to retire the mortgage will succeed and that the mortgage will be paid off in time for the congregation’s 70th anniversary in 2023.
For Christians who strive to live as God wants, giving is one way we show love for our most marginalized neighbors. We give joyfully to ensure people have food on their tables and all those necessities that allow them to live in dignity. We give when disaster strikes. We give to support agencies working on behalf of refugees or people facing homelessness. Whether modest or magnified, we thank you for your gifts!
Preservice Music on Christmas Eve
The Music Ministry team is eagerly anticipating the opportunity to share Christmas Eve worship with all of you. As usual, we are planning a set of pre-service musical selections to get us all in the mood for worship. This will start 15 minutes before each of the candlelight services on Christmas Eve, so please arrive in plenty of time to find your seat and enjoy the music. For those worshiping online, the livestream and Zoom rooms will be turned on in plenty of time for you to enjoy the music!
An Opportunity
The Service Committee is in need of volunteers to work at Clothes for Kids, previously known as the Beaverton Clothes Closet. The area of need is on Wednesdays from 2:15-4:30 & 4:15-6:30. Jobs include sorting donated clothes, making phone calls for appointment reminders, and working with a small number of families as they select clothing. It would be helpful if we could provide someone who speaks Spanish, but it is not necessary. This is a ministry that St. Andrew has participated in for several years. We had to take a break during COVID, but now we are trying to fulfill a need within our community once again. If interested or you have questions, please contact Bonnie Bliesner @ larrybliesner@comcast.net or call 503-830-7001.
Thank you for your interest and your service.
Thank You for the Comforts of Home
Dear People of St. Andrew,
We at Community Warehouse were touched to receive your generous gift of more than $1,000—thank you! As the weather cools and the rain begins, it only highlights the comfort and warmth a furnished home provides. A place to sleep, a place to eat, a place to gather. Your donations are making that possible for local families and individuals.
“An empty house feels cold even if you have a heater on. When you have furniture, it’s warm and inviting,
and that is what I want my family to feel.”
Community Warehouse Client
Everyone deserves the dignity and comfort of a furnished home. Thank you for creating stable homes for neighbors in need.
With gratitude,
Veronica Booth
Development Coordinator
Disaster Response for Tornado Victims
On the night of December 10 and early morning of December 11, an outbreak of at least 30 powerful tornadoes swept through six states, leaving swaths of destruction and dozens of people dead.
Lutheran Disaster Response is collaborating with the Indiana-Kentucky Synod and other partners in the area to assess the damage and develop an immediate and a long-term response plan, sharing hope with our neighbors in their time of greatest need.
If you give electronically, you may now direct funds to Lutheran Disaster Relief (a designated fund) on the church website. If you prefer to write a check, please indicate “U.S. Tornadoes” on the subject line. Gifts will be used in full to help people impacted by the tornadoes.
Preparing for next Sunday, January 2, 2021
The Second Sunday of Christmas
Reading: Jeremiah 31:7-14
Gospel: John 1:10-18
Go to the “Preparing for Worship” webpage for the bulletins, the complete Lectionary, and more.
In Need of Prayers…
If you know someone in need of prayers, please contact the church office by phone at 503-646-0629 or email office@standrewlutheran.com Tuesday-Friday, prayerchain@standrewlutheran.com Saturday-Monday.
| Family and friends of Nan Thompson | Peace and God’s comfort at her death | Staff |
| Family and friends of Lynsie Paul | Peace and God’s comfort at her death | Eric Luttrell |
| Family and friends of Roy Winkel (uncle) | Peace and God’s comfort at his death | Susan Werner Reiser |
| David Kippenbrock (grandfather) | Peace and God’s comfort | Rebecca Fako Uecker |
| Herb | Peace and God’s comfort | Sharon Fako |
| Susan Palo Cherwien | Peace and God’s comfort | Michelle Sinn |
| Aaron Miller | Successful treatment and recovery | Jan Smith & Sue Cahlander |
| Faith (granddaughter) | Successful treatment and recovery | Judy Heidinger |
| Ethel Ritchey | Healing and recovery from hip surgery | Staff |
| Barb Zurstadt | Healing and recovery | Jan Smith & Sue Cahlander |
| Max Lampros (grandson) | Healing and recovery | Liz Andersen |
| Amy Fiegenbaum | Healing and recovery | Ed and Linda Fransen |
| Dr. Cara Steinkeler | Strength as she supports dying COVID patients and their families | Gary & Gail Grafwallner |
| Midwest tornado victims | Comfort and assistance as they recover | Staff |
| Those facing ongoing illness or distress | Healing and assurance of God’s presence Tandy Brooks, Dave Bumgardner, Vic Claar, Gary Grafwallner, Ian MacDonald, Gary Magnuson, Hugh Mason, Brian McKiernan, Carol Means, Ed Pacey, Corky Poppert, Jolie Reyna, Shane Throckmorton, Gary Tubbs | Staff |
| Bishop Elizabeth Eaton | Wisdom and discernment | Staff |
| Evangelical Lutheran Church in America | Blessings on our ministry | Staff |
| Taiwan Lutheran Church | Strength and wisdom | Staff |
| Zion Lutheran Church (Port Orford, OR) Zion Lutheran Church (The Dalles, OR) | Serving with us in the Oregon Synod | Staff |
| Golden Temple of Oregon, Morrison (Portland, OR) | Blessings on our interfaith partners | Staff |
| Individual friends and loved ones in need of prayer | Whatever they most need; say their names in your heart or aloud | Everyone |
Highlights for the Week
Go to the complete online church calendar for the most up-to-date information.
Sunday, December 26, First Sunday of Christmas
| 8:30 am | Worship with Communion (masks required) | Sanctuary and YouTube |
| 10:30 am | Virtual Coffee Time | Zoom |
| 11:00 am | Worship with Communion (masks required) | Sanctuary and Zoom |
| 12:00 pm | Virtual Coffee Time | Zoom |
Monday, December 27
| 6:00 pm | Scout Troop 618 Meeting | Fellowship Hall, St. Andrew Room |
Tuesday, December 28
| 10:00 am | T’ai Chi | Fellowship Hall |
Wednesday, December 29– Weekly News submissions due by 4:00 pm
| 10:00 am | Gentle Yoga Class | via Zoom |
Friday, December 31
| 10:00 am Tai Chi | Fellowship Hall |
Saturday, January 1–Happy New Year!
Sunday, January 2, Second Sunday of Christmas
| 8:30 am | Worship with Communion (masks required) | Sanctuary and YouTube |
| 10:30 am | Virtual Coffee Time | Zoom |
| 11:00 am | Worship with Communion (masks required) | Sanctuary and Zoom |
| 12:00 pm | Virtual Coffee Time | Zoom |
| 12:00 pm | Scouts Tree Recycling | East Parkin Lot |
Connecting to Worship
8:30 am: Worship in the Sanctuary or watch the livestream of worship on YouTube.
- The same link will bring you to the recording of the service to watch anytime after the livestream ends.
- An audio recording of the 8:30 am service will be available Sunday afternoon by simply dialing 503-643-9416.
11:00 am: Worship in the Sanctuary or participate in worship via Zoom
The link will be sent via email and by notification from the church app.
- To participate via Zoom, you can use a smart phone, computer, tablet, or a telephone.
- To participate in “Virtual Coffee Time” simply log in early or stay logged in after the Zoom worship service ends.
Not getting church emails? Click on the green button below to contact the church office to recieve the livestream worship link and zoom invitations.
Need Help? If you discover that you need help connecting to St. Andrew’s online worship services and meetings, please email Rebecca Fako Uecker. She will be available by 9:30 am on most Sunday mornings and 5:30 pm on most Wednesday evenings to provide same-day help for church-related purposes.