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:
“Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayers.”
–Maya Angelou
This month marks four years of serving as your pastor. I look forward to several more.
It is with gratitude that I pause for a moment and offer these observations of our ministry together:
— We are a justice congregation — we balance ministry inside our walls with helping others outside our walls.
— We are Christ-centered — we allow God’s Word to challenge and change us.
— We love music — we are talented and are eager to move forward in an expanded music ministry.
— We trust our elected leaders — we make huge decisions concerning our building and outreach.
— We know how to adjust — worshiping offsite, persevering in a pandemic, welcoming new faces.
— We are generous — we know our personal giving can advance ministry and love.
I am grateful to God and to you for what has been and for what is to come. This November we will pause again to rededicate our newly renovated historic building, feature a concert of gratitude, and set in place future ministry plans.
–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 begins. New paint and carpet will soon adorn our education/office space, PGE will hook up new power in early July, and our St. James school returns August 1st. We are scheduled to return to our worship space in October and in the meantime we are fortunate to be worshiping and learning in our neighbor’s space.
Pastor’s Summer Bible Study:
What does the 1803 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 here on on the Bible Study page of our St. James website each Wednesday morning (beginning July 20th) for five sessions. Here’s what to expect:
Wednesday, July 20th
“I Was a Stranger. You Welcomed Me.”
Genesis 18 and Matthew 25
Wednesday, July 27th
“I Was Sick. You Took Care of Me.”
Luke 10 and Matthew 25
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
St. James Day:
Pastor David will be away for three Sundays in July. When he returns we will celebrate the Festival Day of St. James the Apostle on Sunday, July 31st. Join us!
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. Below is a partial list of participating restaurants. You can access the full list by visiting: https://www.diningoutforlife.com/city/portland/.
Participating Restaurants:
3 Doors Down
Albina Press (on Albina and Hawthorne)
Cup of Tea
McMenamins (almost all locations are participating)
The Pie Spot
Portofino
Redwoods
New Member Sunday:
St. James will receive new members again on Sunday, August 14th. The group is eager to join in ministry and we will officially welcome them during worship. If you too would like to make St. James your church home, please see Pastor David.
