"We share God's inclusive and eternal love with everyone!"
“Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you.” -Isaiah 41:10
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. As the impact of this pandemic subsides, 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
WELCOME TO WORSHIP AT ST. JAMES!NOTE: The Oregon mask mandate has ended. Although not required, Multnomah County recommends wearing masks indoors. Please do so while you are here at St. James. As always, we encourage you to vaccinate.
Sunday Morning Worship
ATTENTION: Walk 20 more steps! We will now be holding our Sunday 9:30am worship service at Sixth Church (the building next door to St. James.) This is due to the exciting renovation of our historic church building for the next few months. Our ushers will greet you at the sidewalk and direct you. Elevator and accessibility entrance available.
- Every Sunday at 9:30am -- next door during construction -- at:
Sixth Church of Christ, Scientist
1331 SW Park Ave., Portland, OR 97201 - We have posted recordings of our 9:30am worship service to the St. James YouTube channel. They are available to view here on our website by Sunday afternoon: Click here to link to our "Worship & Sermons" page ...
Whether you physically attend in-person with us next door at Sixth Church -- or you watch our video recording on your computer at home -- we invite you to join us for worship!
Jazz Vespers
This month, be sure to join us in-person on Sunday, August 21st, 2022 at 5:00pm when our 2021-2022 Jazz Vespers series concludes next door at Sixth Church -- our special guest for this live performance is John Moak on trombone.Musical accompaniment by Mike Horsfall on piano, Laurent Nickel on bass, and Brent Follis on drums. Valarie Griffiths Brown is the vocalist, and Pastor David is our liturgist. We invite you to attend next door at Sixth Church and we ask you to make a freewill donation (offering) to help support our musicians as we conclude our 2021-2022 season. Although we have resumed our St. James Jazz Vespers series in-person -- please remember that you may still enjoy our prior Jazz Vespers on video.
You can find links to all of our previous Jazz Vespers recordings by navigating to "Communications > Music" on the main navigation menu at the top of the page. Or you can click here to be linked 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 once again in-person on Sunday, September 18th, 2022 at 5:00pm when our new 2022-2023 Jazz Vespers season begins.
Join us in August at Sixth Church
We are worshiping just next door at Sixth Church of Christ, Scientist throughout the construction period at St. James. Join us for worship and fellowship on Sundays at 9:30am.
From Pastor David:
“On the Road Again”
–Willie Nelson tune
During my July/August Bible Study I have had fun bookending my recorded comments with Willie Nelson’s song, “On the Road Again.” We are all “on the road again,” moving spiritually to a new place. But what place? Lord knows we carry plenty of baggage due to COVID, Supreme Court decisions, fall ballot measures, and our building renovations. So where? T.S. Eliot has an answer:
“…the end of our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.”
This month our St. James school children return to newly updated classrooms in our church building. They arrive in a familiar space that looks afresh. In October we will do the same.
–We will gather after worship on August 14th to discuss (with coffee in hand) how Matthew 25 couples with the 1804 journey of Lewis and Clark. Old stories with new insights.
–In Jesus, often the old and the new merge to create life. Even the Gospel writers’ use of the word “repentance” is better when translated from the original Greek as, “to change your mind and see things anew.” My prayer for us all this summer is to follow “the road again” so that we may arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.
–Pastor David
Building Renovations at St. James:
Renovation continues at St. James! Scaffolding that stretches to the ceiling fills both our worship area and Pioneer Chapel as seismic and roof work continues. Roofers are crawling all over the church buildings and we will have a new roof over our church in the next few days. Two huge generators from PGE went in the ground to power our HVAC system. All the CDC rooms are painted and have new carpet or tile. The CDC teachers moved back in on Friday, July 29th, kids to follow. Our St. James school returns August 1st. We are scheduled to return to our worship space in October 2022.
Pastor’s Summer Bible Study:
What does the 1804 journey of Lewis & Clark have to do with our St. James Ministry? How about with the war in Ukraine? Join Pastor David by listening to his online Bible Study titled “Seeing Our Neighbors.” It will center on Matthew 25 and draw from real-life stories of how you are helping mothers and children in Ukraine through Lutheran World Relief. It will be available on our St. James website each Wednesday morning.
Here’s what to expect in August:
Wednesday, August 3rd
“I Was Hungry. You Gave Me Food.”
John 6 and Matthew 25
Wednesday, August 10th
“Our Journey with Lewis & Clark”
Isaiah 25 and Matthew 22
Sunday, August 14th, 10:45am
“Canoeing the Mountains”
In-Person Open Space Discussion
Save the Date: Dining Out For Life on August 2-4
“Dining Out For Life” is an annual fundraising event for community-based organizations serving people living with or impacted by HIV. Dine in or take out at participating restaurants in the Portland metro area during August 2-4 and they will donate to the Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon (EMO) HIV Day Center and OHSU’s Partnership Project. You can access the full list of participating restaurants by visiting: https://www.diningoutforlife.com/city/portland/.
New Member Sunday:
We roll out the welcome mat on Sunday, August 14th, 2022 to receive those who will make St. James their spiritual home. They will be introduced during worship. You can welcome them personally during our coffee time. If you too would like to make St. James your church home, please see Pastor David.
St. James Scholarship Ministry:
The St. James Scholarship application is now open to students who are members of St. James attending an undergraduate program or trade school. The deadline to apply is August 15th, 2022. To access the scholarship form, please visit the “Education” page of this St. James website (under “Life at St. James > Education” on the main navigation menu.) If you have any questions, please contact the St. James office.
Portland to Coast:
Lutheran Ligaments, in its 22nd year as a relay walking team made up of members and friends of St. James Lutheran Church, will be hitting the road from Portland to Seaside on Friday, August 26th and Saturday, August 27th. We are looking for two additional people to be backups for our current registered team members. We are also looking for three additional volunteers and two vans. Contact Larry or Linda Larsen for more information.
Sunday School Returns:
Sunday School and Open Space return on Sunday, September 18th, 2022. We will kick off the program year at Sixth Church and then are scheduled to move back to our newly renovated St. James historic building in mid-October. Mark your calendars and join us as we grow in faith.