Social Justice and Community Outreach
Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church is a Christian faith community called to gather people from diverse backgrounds, working to create a safe, inclusive, and welcoming place enabling all to grow in faith and service in the name of Jesus Christ. We seek to grow our capacity to support and advocate for racial and LGBTQIA+ equity and justice in both Church and in society. In dialogue with one another, we commit ourselves to be a community that reflects openness and understanding, justice and healing for all people. As a community we watch for the surprising ways God shows up in the world, to learn where God is calling us to join in!
Peace and Justice Group
Meets third Thursday of each month 6:30pm. To learn more about monthly meeting locations. contact the church office 360-254-9243 during regular business hours or sign up for the Beautiful Savior E-Blast newsletter.
Begun, in part, as an antiwar/peace movement, over the years people with a drive to act toward equity, peace, and justice have gathered to consider how best to engage. Emphases shift in real time to address current realities and concerns as well as the passions of the changing mix of those making up the group.
Throughout the year on the third Thursday of the month, people with particular interest in various matters of social justice, gather together to share their justice passions with one another. Conversations might include updates on actions others can join in, especially when active solidarity will support a greater impact; unpacking current legislative activity and exploration of advocacy possibilities – often aligned with the work of Faith Action Network (a multi-faith, non-profit advocacy organization); and providing general support for one another. A partial list of action areas of the team include:
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Hosting a spot at Vancouver’s annual Peace and Justice Fair (since 2004!)
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Environmental justice
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LGBTQIA+ rights
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Immigration
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Land Stewardship
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Affordable Housing
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Poverty and factors behind houselessness
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Antiwar and violence
Groups and Partnerships
To connect with any small group, contact the church office 360-254-9243 during regular business hours.
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Anti-Racism Book Study/Discussion Group on Zoom. Meets every Sunday at 3:00pm.
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Participation in a Ecumenical Land Stewardship Cohort discernment with consideration of the land’s ancestral connections and neighbors both human and nonhuman members of creation.
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Supporting and affirming the LGBTQIA+ community year round, including having a public installation affirming the reality that all people are valued as whole and beloved to God
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Joining other ELCA congregations, BSLC participates in the annual Vancouver Pride in the Park event, in order to proclaim the belovedness of all in God’s eyes – that God’s “doors” are open to all, always! Active in July.
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Providing space, meals, and cleanup support for the WHO winter shelter program November - March (Winter Hospitality Overflow through the Council for the Homeless)
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Serving as a cooling center when summer heat is extreme, as requested
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Offering space for community meetings, including several 12 step groups, Adult Family Home provider training, a Latinex dance group to practice, an Autism Family Support and Play group, and other meetings and celebrations as requested
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Sharing space with a congregation in formation: Umoumochin Kot Wonip Church for their worship, study groups, and occasional celebrations
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Ongoing support for the houseless population with resourcing and referrals.
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Hosting quarterly Red Cross Blood Drives.
Community Garden
Annual sign-up day in the spring, or sign up during office hours, 9:30am-3:00pm (closed for lunch 12:30-1:00). To make sure you receive notice or for more information, call the office at 360-254-9243 to leave your contact information for the garden coordinator.
Created in partnership with Keizer, Thrivent Financial, and others, Beautiful Savior hosts Community Garden plots. Not only gardeners enjoy access to growing space. People who live or work nearby enjoy strolling through the gardens as a calming break from the busyness of life.
Garden plots are available for anyone in the community to “rent” for what is basically the cost of the water used in gardening. In recent years the rate for the season has been $40 for the larger in-ground plots and $30 for the smaller (including some raised) plots.
Gardeners often form relationships, trading gardening tips, watering for one another when vacations or illnesses arise, and sometimes even sharing plants. A shed holds a number of tools for the community and two wheelbarrows for communal use, and cubbies are available for gardeners to leave their own tools if they wish. When donations of mulch, compost, or even soil are received, they are shared.
The annual sign up happens on an evening in the spring, with those who wish to keep their same plots given that first claim to those plots and the rest released for others’ to claim. If the evening signup time does not work, you may stop by Beautiful Savior during office hours, 9:30am-3:00pm (closed for lunch 12:30-1:00). To make sure you receive notice or for more information, call the office at 360-254-9243 to leave your contact information for the garden coordinator.
Lutheran World Relief
Meets Thursdays 10:00am-2:00pm, in the church (quilting room).
A longstanding and committed group of women (men are welcome, too!) sew and tie quilts and create various kits to support refugees and others in need around the world through the ELCA’s national organization, Lutheran World Relief (LWR). This group also creates quilts for the Mexico Mission Team to take with them when they travel to Mexico.
Don’t know (or want to know!) how to sew? Don’t worry, there are other important tasks to be done!
Folks are welcome to drop in anytime on Thursdays from 10:00am-2:00pm.
All are welcome to come make a difference while building bonds of community!