From Pastor David’s Desk …

Voodoo Doughnuts is growing up. Portland’s scrappy donut shop turns twenty-one this year. Birthed on SW 3rd Avenue in Portland, today you can spot the iconic pink boxes in six states. In its teenage years, the Bacon Maple Bar was voted America’s Best. Happy Birthday!

We are growing up too. As the Christmas season turns to Epiphany, our Bible readings point us to Corinth, Greece. Twenty years after Jesus’ death and resurrection, St. Paul wrote the troubled church and urged them to “grow up” in love:

• All parts of the body, all members, are important (1 Corinthians 12)
• Unity in diversity is the mark of the Church (1 Corinthians 12)
• Love is the glue that unites us for service (1 Corinthians 13)

Yet sometimes our maturity feels more like growing pains. Acknowledging that we are molded in God’s image and stamped in God’s likeness means that we will inevitably be on a collision course with the world. Our Gospel readings from Luke remind us that:

• Jesus’ hometown crowd reacted with rage to his love (Luke 4)
• Jesus welcomed outsiders into his inner circle (Luke 5)
• Jesus called his followers to love their enemies (Luke 6)

As the Epiphany season concludes we too will turn twenty-one by bringing wine to our lips as we hear Jesus story of changing water to wine at the wedding in Cana of Galilee. It should be no surprise that the color of this season is green, for growth. Here’s to growing up together!

–Pastor David

Our St. James Ministry in 2025 …

Here is a look at some ministry events for this new year:

January
12th Youth Confirmation Begins
26th St. James Congregation Meeting
31st PDX Housing Solidarity Fundraiser concludes

February
2nd Pastor Martha Maier — Guest Preacher (daughter of Gene)
19th Wednesday Noon Eucharist Begins & Pastor David’s Bible Study: The Nine Commandments

March
5th Ash Wednesday Noon Eucharist – Lent Begins
9th Bishop Nagler — Guest Preacher
16th New Member Sunday

April
13th Palm/Passion Sunday
20th Easter, the Resurrection of Our Lord

May
3rd Lutheran World Relief Health Kits Prepared
11th 80th Anniversary of Lutheran World Relief — $8000 goal gift
25th Bach Choral Vespers Cantata

June
1st Open Space Concludes
8th Pentecost Day – Readings in Multiple Languages

July
20th Bishop Larson Caesar — Guest Preacher
27th St. James Celebration Day — 135th Anniversary

August
17th Betty Bolt’s 100th Birthday
22nd St. James walks Portland to Coast

September
14th Kickoff Sunday – Classes Begin
21st New Members Welcomed

October
5th Stewardship Emphasis begins
12th Ministry Fair
26th Reformation Sunday Celebration/Confirmation

November
2nd All Saints Remembrance
9th Commitment Sunday
30th Advent begins

December
14th Lucia Bride/Scandinavian Day
24th Christmas Eve Worship

A Deeper Look Inside Our St. James Food Ministry …

Six years ago, our St. James Food Ministry started as one box, once a week on Tuesday nights. Now, it has grown to a five-days-a-week venture with non-perishables, fresh food, hygiene kits, and clothing. Here’s how you are helping our Food Ministry, funded by gifts beyond your regular offerings.

Food Boxing Events occur every other Tuesday, where a lively group of members assemble boxes of food, build hygiene kits, fold socks, and divvy up donations. Boxes include water, protein bars, protein drinks, small meals, hygiene kits, and other items that we purchase. Additionally, every week, St. James members pick up food at a local grocery store and bring it to the church. Over the last six months, Fred Meyer donated over 2,500lbs of fresh food to our ministry.

Then, there’s the final step of bringing the food out to those in need. Every weekday at 11:30am, we fill up two wagons of food and donations and deliver them to the park benches. There’s always a crowd waiting for us and the food comes and goes very quickly. The recipients are almost always incredibly grateful and kind.

We’ve made a few changes over the last six months. For example, we’ve added the “Mobility Box” for those with mobility devices struggling to get food. Additionally, we’ve made hygiene kits a higher priority, with the creation of the Amazon Wishlist and adding five kits into every box. New seasonal items are added when needed, such as rain ponchos and hand warmers.

Thanks to your special financial gifts, we purchased 48 new warm coats. Between those and other donations, we have received and distributed over 235 winter clothing items this season.

This wonderful ministry has touched so many lives. The food alone distributes 4,000 servings a year. None of this would be possible without your generosity. Thank you.

If you are interested in donating supplies to the hygiene kits, you can access our Amazon Wish List. You can go to amzn.to/3BazQ9b to take you to the list. Donations for the Food Ministry goes to “St. James” with “Pastor’s Discretionary Fund” on the memo line. If you are interested in volunteering with the Food Ministry, contact Sarah Cutler. Food Boxing Events this month will take place on Tuesdays, January 7th and 21st.

Your Generous Offerings …

At this writing, the total amount of our 2024 offerings is not yet available. However, we are grateful for your offerings and special gifts all year long. Thank you. As you remember, in November, our Stewardship Emphasis did not ask you to complete an Estimate of Giving card for 2025, but instead asked you to prayerfully consider your offerings to St. James. How has God blessed you? How do both financial offerings and acts of service shape your days and months? This coming October, we will hold a St. James Ministry Fair again to highlight our 22 ministries. It will be your chance to “jump into” a volunteer activity that benefits our mission both here and beyond our doors. Although about 60% of the congregation gives electronically (monthly from a bank account, etc.), we also provide a box of paper envelopes as a helpful reminder. They are in Pioneer Chapel (simply write the envelope box number next to your name on the sheet by the boxes, and take your box home). Thank you!

Sharing Our Gifts …

In 2024, the Endowment Committee provided $53,000 to organizations requesting assistance. Our goal is to share this bounty with a variety of needs, both locally and globally. In December, we sent the remaining funds (approximately $10,000) to the following:

• The St. James Eco-Social Justice Committee – in support of their campaign to raise money for a family from the BIPOC community to make a down payment on a home.
• Lutheran World Relief – this will represent the starting funds St. James will contribute in celebrating Lutheran World Relief’s 80th anniversary in 2025.
• The remaining $1,000 was set aside so that in addition to your congregational Christmas gifts, we could provide our refugee family some extras.

We are blessed to have such a robust Endowment Fund, and those of us who serve on this committee are pleased to see such diverse requests during the year.