Westminster Presbyterian offers many ways to get involved with our church community, including through arts and crafts, book groups, fellowship groups, recreation, retreats and special events, and spiritual opportunities. For more information about participating in one of the following groups, please contact the church office at 503.287.1289 or info@westprespdx.org unless another contact is noted for that group. Also check out additional opportunities featured on our website pages for adult education, caring ministries, and service to the world.
For more information about the dates and times that groups meet, see our calendar page.
RETREATS
All-Church Retreat – Registration is now closed.
Westminster’s 2026 All-Church Retreat, held July 17 through 19, 2026, is at the Menucha Retreat and Conference Center (menucha.org) in Corbett, Oregon. This fun weekend for all ages includes shared meals, a variety show, time to relax in nature or by the pool, worship, and more. Registration is now closed.
Payment is due upon registration unless you’re following up with pastor Gregg Neel regarding a scholarship or you’ve made alternate arrangements with him. Contact Gregg or the church office with questions (503-287-1289, info@westprespdx.org).
Need to cancel? Please contact Terri Banasek or the church office. (The time for refunds has passed, but please let us know if you cannot attend.)
If you still need to make your payment, please follow these steps:
To pay by check: Please make your check payable to Westminster Presbyterian Church and write “All-Church Retreat” in the memo line. Please note how much is for a payment, and if applicable, how much is a retreat donation. Mail it to Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1624 NE Hancock, Portland, OR 97212.
To pay online: If you would like to pay online with a credit card or bank account, go to https://onrealm.org/WestminsterPres74275/give/ACR to pay.
Please keep in mind when paying online:
• If the amount you are submitting online is only a payment: Fill in the amount field beside the fund marked “All-Church Retreat Registration.” Click the “continue” button to provide your financial information and complete payment.
• If the amount you are submitting online is part payment and part donation: (1) Fill in the amount of the payment portion next to the “All-Church Retreat Registration” fund line. (2) Click the “add fund” button. A new line will appear. (3) Fill in the amount of the donation. (4) Select “All-Church Retreat Donation” as the second fund using the drop-down menu. (5) Click the “continue” button to provide your financial information and complete payment.
Men’s Retreat
Next retreat: Spring 2027
The Men’s Retreat happens annually in late spring, usually between mid-May and mid-June. All men are welcome and encouraged to attend. Join us for fellowship, learning, healing, and discernment. For more information, contact the Rev. Gregg Neel at the church or church member Bill Scott.
Women’s Retreat
Next retreat: September 26, 2026
The Women’s Retreat happens annually in September or October. This day-long retreat offers time for fellowship and relaxation, and it features an annually changing guest speaker focusing on topics of interest to our community. Registration usually begins a few weeks prior to the event date. For more information, check this page in early fall or send an e-mail to the church office at info@westprespdx.org.
2026 Women’s Retreat details:
Save the date of Saturday, September 26, for the 2026 Westminster Women’s Retreat! Our guest speaker will be Claire K. McKeever-Burgett, an author, feminist theologian, creative contemplative, and spiritual leader who has devoted her life to bridging spirituality and social justice. She is the author of Blessed Are the Women: Naming and Reclaiming Women’s Stories from the Gospels and In the Beginning Were the Women: Matriarchs, Mystics, Wise Women, and Warriors in the Hebrew Bible. This retreat, titled “Blessed Are the Women,” will be held at the church. Registration will open on August 31.
PRIDE CELEBRATIONS & EVENTS
Every year, Portland celebrates its LGBTQ community with the Pride Northwest festival. Westminster celebrates Pride, too, and in past years our members and friends have participated in the festival’s Sunday-morning parade or have gathered as a group to watch the parade in person.
Westminster is committed to being a welcoming congregation, and we’re proud to show it to our community. We are an inclusive church and will perform same-sex marriages. To watch a video about LGBTQ welcome at Westminster, click here. To hear news on what Westminster has planned for Pride each year (generally in June and/or July), check back on this page close to the time.
Celebrating Pride During Fellowship: June is Pride month, and on Sundays, June 7 and 21, 2026, our fellowship time after worship (about 11:30 a.m.) will be Pride-themed. Join us for a rainbow extravaganza outside the church! This will be a fun way to celebrate the many ways our LGBTQ+ members and friends add to the culture and well-being of Westminster throughout the year. We hope to see you at fellowship time!
Portland Pride: Although for 2026 Westminster is not organizing a group to attend the Pride Northwest parade, there are many terrific, Pride-themed activities going on in June and July, 2026. Here’s more information from Pride Northwest: https://portlandpride.org/2026-portland-pride-official-events
Covenant Conversation:
On Saturday, August 29, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Westminster will host a Covenant Conversation titled “When Did We See You? Recognizing God’s Image in All God’s People.” The day includes discussion, workshops, worship, and lunch. Registration is $25, though discounts are available. This event is presented by the Covenant Network of Presbyterians (an organization seeking equity for LGBTQIA+ people in church and society) in partnership with leaders and congregations of the Cascades Presbytery and the Synod of the Pacific. To register or for more information, visit: https://www.covnetpres.org/events/cascades
Widening Our Congregational Welcome: On May 25, 2025, Westminster offered an adult education class called “Widening Our Congregational Welcome,” presented by the Reverend Rivka Gevurtz. As the Reverend Gevurtz pointed out, “Often, we are not aware of our unconscious biases and microaggressions that have unintended impacts on LGBTQ folk (who may experience other intersecting oppressions as well). In this hour, we will explore how our own social locations of privilege and oppression help or hinder our ability to manifest our intention of welcome, between a queer person feeling like they have to fit in versus their having a sense of belonging.” Although this class is over, we have written materials from this class we can share upon request to Alaina in the church office (asmith@westprespdx.org). In addition, if you want to see a video recording of the class, click here. (Please mind our content warning for religious trauma and language.)
ARTS AND CRAFTS
Knitting Group
Beginning and experienced knitters are welcome.
Quilters
Beginning and experienced quilters are welcome.
Westminster Cloisters
Cloisters curates ongoing visual art shows and literary fairs and offers workshop opportunities. The Cloisters Art Studio is located in the lower level of the education wing, just inside the doors at the 16th Avenue (elevator) entrance. All artists are invited to come to the studio to work on their own projects, in any medium, in a fun and supportive atmosphere. The studio’s hours are Wednesdays, 1 to 5 p.m., and Fridays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The Cloisters’ “poetry post” located outside, next to the church building at the intersection of NE 16th & Hancock, posts poems that broadly reflect the vision and mission of our church, liturgical seasons, and life in the community. For more information on posting poetry, contact Westminster member Mark Hess or the church office.
BOOK & WRITING GROUPS
Monthly Book Group
This book discussion group reads and discusses a variety of books including fiction, current events, history, science, and sociology. An optional lunch follows afterward at a nearby restaurant.
Women’s Bible Study
Join us during the school year for Bible study, fellowship, fun, and prayer using the Horizons Presbyterian Women’s study guide. Theme changes annually.
See also our adult education page for other Bible study opportunities.
Westminster Writers
This small peer group of writers meets monthly offsite and works in various genres, with diverse skills and experience levels. They help each other develop as writers by taking turns presenting material for each other to critique.
FELLOWSHIP
Mariners
Mariners are small groups of Westminster members and friends who meet monthly in members’ homes or other locations to share activities, to encourage Christian faith and fellowship, and to seek ways to serve the church (including hosting post-worship coffee hours in the Great Hall) and the community.
RECREATION
Bridge
Fellowship and fun; open to all levels of bridge-playing skills.
Deep Play
This workshop series involves improvisational movement rooted in contemplative practice. RSVP required. Contact the office for more details.
Pinochle
Cards, fun, and socializing. Group meets offsite.
SPIRITUAL OPPORTUNITIES
Bible Study
See Women’s Bible Study, above. Also, please see our adult education offerings for potential Bible study opportunities.
Stephen Ministry, Taizé, and More
To learn more about Stephen Ministry, our Taizé Service of Healing and Wholeness, and other opportunities for compassion and spirituality, please see our caring ministries page.