Education hour following the 9:30am service and coffee.
NOTE: Sunday School and Open Space returned on Sunday, September 18th, 2022. We moved back to our newly renovated St. James historic building on October 23rd, 2022. Mark your calendars and join us as we grow in faith.
Open Space Resumes:
Open Space returned on September 18th and we continue into the autumn with an exciting series of educational events for adults. Be sure to join us after coffee hour! Sunday School classes for children have also resumed. Children can join their Sunday School teacher after coffee hour. Interested in leading an Open Space? Contact the front office for more info.
October 2nd: Making Change – The Art of the Protest. Tour of the Art Museum Exhibit with Paula Carlson.
October 9th: The Times They Are A Changin’? A Reflection on the Art Exhibit with Mandy Ellertson.
October 16th: South Park Blocks Update by LaJune Thorson.
October 23rd: Tour of the newly renovated St. James Building by Council.
October 30th: Lutheran World Relief with Jamie Lennon.
November 6th: Alternative Cosmology: The discovery of a construction of paradise under the pyramids of Central Mexico with Friedrich Schüler.
November 20th: Richard Bishop (docent at the Oregon Historical Society) presents “Wide Open Spaces: Snapshots from the Oregon Trail.”
December 11th: Staff from the PSU Landing will present on their houseless ministry — a shelter for college students who would otherwise be homeless while trying to attend Portland State University. St. James recently gave them an emergency $10,000 from our Endowment fund. We support The Landing along with First United Methodist Church in Goose Hollow. Join us.
January 8th, 15th, and 29th, 2023: Join us on for our adult education series on Barbara Campbell’s book Worldly Wisdom & Foolish Grace: Lessons from Abraham’s Tent. For these three Sundays in January we will be joined by author and Presbyterian pastor Barbara Campbell who will lead a discussion on the similarities between the three Abrahamic faiths: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Drawing from her interfaith experience at St. Mark Presbyterian with P’nai Or Jewish Renewal Congregation, Campbell writes that all three Abrahamic faiths teach “compassion, generosity and nonviolence” and puts “foolish grace” up against “worldly wisdom” while asking us to choose “which road to take.” Join us for this exciting education event in Pioneer Chapel following Coffee Hour.
February 5th: “One Solution for the Houseless” presented by Scott Ellertson. Voters recently passed a tax called the Supportive Housing Services Tax. Come and hear about how this program is working.
February 12th: ELCA Report: “Preaching and Teaching with love and respect for the Jewish People” presented by Steve Portnoy. The ELCA has declared that “it is our duty and joy to extend God’s love, grace, mercy, and justice to all those who are made in the image of God and to the whole of creation.” To that end they have released a guide titled “Preaching and Teaching with Love and Respect for the Jewish People.” Join us for Open Space as Steve Portnoy takes us through this document.
February 19th: “Changing Face of the Park Blocks” presented by guests LaJune Thorson and Anne Draper. As residents of downtown Portland the proposed changes to the Park Blocks may impact our church life. Come hear about what is proposed, happening, and how it may change downtown.
February 26th: “What we don’t know about Mayan History: Four Golden Ages” presented by Friedrich Schüler. Learn about this ancient civilization’s culture and religious foundations from congregant and Historian Friedrich Schüler.
March 5th: St. James Ministry Fair.
March 12th: Update on the Emanuel Hospital Displacement led by Mandy Ellertson.
March 19th: Spring Break (No Open Space)
March 26th: Spring Break (No Open Space)
