"We share God's inclusive and eternal love with everyone!"

St. James Lutheran Church

"In the City for Good"

Welcome!

From Pastor David:

WELCOME TO ST. JAMES!

This website serves as our “front door” to ministry in downtown Portland. We offer an array of options. We invite you to consider — what fits you?

Join us for Sunday in-person Eucharist worship (at 9:30am in our sanctuary), or participate via recorded video worship posted to our website each Sunday afternoon (Communications > Worship & Sermons).
Feed those who live on our Portland streets five times a week by preparing food boxes, or donate to purchase food and needed supplies.
Deepen your spiritual life with Saturday Contemplative Prayer via Zoom, in-person Wednesday morning Centering Prayer, or join our recorded Bible Study (3 series a year) or virtual Healing Prayer events.
Help guide our St. James low-income Apartment ministry (122 units), or enroll your child at our St. James Child Development Center (infant through kindergarten-aged children). Presently over 80 children are enrolled.
Share your creative imagination with our St. James Art Group, or offer your musical skills as our choir prepares to return this fall.
Meditate on classical music and meaningful Sunday liturgy, or enjoy our monthly Jazz Vespers services on YouTube now and in-person beginning August 15th at 5:00pm.
Jump onboard to live out your faith with acts of JUSTICE by exploring our embedded attitudes concerning race, gender and LGBTQ+ rights, or be hands-on with our Caring For Creation efforts.
Partner with us to reach beyond our doors by supporting Lutheran World Relief’s efforts to bring the vaccine to all countries, or pack boxes of school/health kits to meet worldwide needs.
Join us for the life-changing moments of baptism, fall Sunday School, weddings, celebrations, and memorials; stay connected through Book Club, WELCA, or our Card Ministry; or sit down for a cup of coffee with Pastor David.

There are lots of options at St. James. What fits you as we follow the Risen-Christ?

–Pastor David Knapp

Worship Services

Sunday Morning Worship

- Sunday Morning In-Person Worship
  9:30am Eucharist at:
  St. James Lutheran Church
  1315 SW Park Ave.
  Portland, OR 97201

- Sunday Morning Online Worship
  Join us online on the St. James YouTube channel -- or here on this website.

Midweek Eucharist

NOTE: Midweek Eucharist has ended for the time being.

- Wednesday Eucharist
  30-minute 12:00 Noon service in Pioneer Chapel.

Bach Cantata Vespers

- Bach Cantata Vespers
  Please mark your calendars for a Choral Vespers service on December 1st at 5:00pm. The centerpiece of the service will feature Bach's Cantata 62, "Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland", composed for the same Sunday, 300 years ago.

Jazz Vespers

- Jazz Vespers
  Every 3rd Sunday at 4:50pm.

In February, 132 people gathered for Jazz Vespers. We were pleased to be a venue for the PDX Jazz Festival. KOIN News ran the story. This month, be sure to join us in-person on Sunday, September 15th, 2024 at 4:50pm in our St. James sanctuary for the first concert of our 2024-2025 Jazz Vespers series -- our special guest for this live performance is Renato Caranto on tenor sax.
Musical accompaniment by Mike Horsfall on piano, Laurent Nickel on bass, and Tim Rap on drums. Valarie Brown is serving as cantor, and Pastor David is our liturgist. We invite you to attend as we return to our newly renovated St. James Lutheran Church building and we ask you to make a freewill donation (offering) to help support our musicians as we begin our 2024-2025 season. September marks the first month of the 12-month Jazz Vespers series.
Please check out the complete schedule for our new 2024-2025 season by navigating to "Life at St. James > Worship & Music > Jazz Vespers" on the main navigation menu at the top of this page. Or you can click here to link directly to our "Jazz Vespers" page.

In addition to the live performances of our current St. James Jazz Vespers series -- please remember that you may still enjoy our prior Jazz Vespers on video.
You can find links to our previous Jazz Vespers recordings by navigating to "Communications > Music" on the main navigation menu at the top of this page. Or you can click here to link directly to the "Music" page.

NOTE: We are delighted that the new CD "St. James Jazz Vespers - We'll Be Together Again" has been released and is available for $20 at the St. James office. It is a collection of tunes recorded during the pandemic by The Mike Horsfall Trio and guests of the St. James Vespers. Enjoy!

Please join us again next month for another great Jazz performance -- when we continue our new 2024-2025 season of Jazz Vespers with Cheryl Alex on flute -- at 4:50pm on Sunday, October 20th, 2024.

“Keep the Bible in one hand, and the newspaper in the other.” –Karl Barth

From Pastor David’s Desk …

Known as one of the most influential theologians of the 20th century, Karl Barth insisted that followers of Christ live in the real world. According to Barth, we are called to hold the Bible with the newspaper. Like the martyred Lutheran pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Barth was part of the “confessing church” movement that opposed Hitler’s Nazi Nationalism. For him, either our faith matters in the world, or it’s a joke. Our St. James fall calendar will uphold this connection:

Our Kick-Off Sunday, September 15th, starts the educational program year. Professional clown Albert Alter will enhance the sermon with mime. Serving society often begins with listening deeply with our eyes.
Open Space classes will begin with two Sundays pointing to “The Political Responsibility of the Church” as we prepare for the November General Election. What is our faith response?
Our Eco Social Justice Committee will invite us to help a family during Portland’s Housing crisis with tangible gifts.
On October 13th, our St. James Endowment Committee will provide a luncheon thanking you for the financial gifts that support local helping agencies and ministries; most beyond our doors.

At St. James, the Bible and the newspaper belong together. God’s Word of love remains constant, but we may need to update Barth’s “newspaper” reference to our social media accounts. But then, that is just another illustration of staying relevant in today’s world.

–Pastor David

Choir Returns and Bach Will Be Back …

Choir will resume rehearsals on Thursday, September 5th at 7:15pm in the Pioneer Chapel and will be back in the loft on Sunday, September 8th. Please mark your calendars for a Choral Vespers service on December 1st at 5:00pm. The centerpiece of the service will feature Bach’s Cantata 62, “Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland”, composed for the same Sunday, 300 years ago.

Helping the Unsheltered …

Our ministry reaches over 4,000 people a year, thanks to your efforts. Our food ministry continues each weekday at 11:30am with those in need in the park. Join us on Tuesdays, September 10th and 24th at 10:00am in Pioneer Chapel to pack food boxes for our houseless neighbors. Currently, we are collecting travel-size hygiene supplies, such as shampoo, disposable razors, and soap to build hygiene kits. Donations would be appreciated!

Open Space Returns …

St. James’ Adult Education Program, Open Space, will begin the 2024-25 year on September 15th at 11:00am. Our thanks to Mandy Ellertson and the members of the St. James Education Committee for helping to plan our fall speaker schedule. Our childcare assistant, Adina Walls, will meet our younger children on the lower level during worship providing Biblical stories and activity time. Click here to go to our Education page where you can find the full Open Space schedule with the topics for Adult Classes through October.

Pastor David’s Sabbatical …

In July 2023, St. James granted Pastor David a three month sabbatical after the completion of his five years of service at St. James. In the fall of 2023, he took two months, and in September/October 2024 he will take his final month. He is grateful for this gift of time for renewal and connection. Pastor David will be away from the office beginning September 24th and return October 24th and will then be back in the St. James pulpit for Reformation Sunday, October 27th.

Those providing pastoral leadership in his absence:

Sunday, September 29th
Pastor Mark Brocker will preside and teach an Open Space class.
Sunday, October 6th
Pastor Mark Brocker will preside and teach an Open Space class.
Sunday, October 13th
Pastor Mark Brocker will preside.
No Open Space due to the Endowment Luncheon.
Sunday, October 20th
Pastor Curtis Zieske will preside at morning Eucharist.
Scott Ellertson will provide leadership for Jazz Vespers.

St. James Photo …

Thanks to all who participated in the St. James photo as we celebrated our 134th anniversary. A larger photo is being printed and will hang in our building. Our thanks to Albert Alter and Ron Zeller for their photography skills.