2026 Pearl Church Pride T-shirts

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Whether or not you plan to walk with us in the Portland Pride Parade on July 19, you can now order our 2026 Pearl Church Pride shirts!

$25 each. Available in all the colors of the pride flag, with the words "every part of you is welcome" alongside the Pearl Church logo. Lightweight, soft American Apparel t-shirts; youth sizes available in some colors. You can add one to your registration, or purchase even if you aren't planning to walk with us. Shirts will be available for pickup at church when ready.

Order Here

A New Partnership with Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon

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If you've been part of Pearl for any length of time, you've heard us say: we exist to express a sacred story and extend a common table, that animate life by Divine love. Today we're glad to share a new partnership that provides practical opportunities to express that Love in our community.

Pearl Church is now a Faith Partner with Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon.

EMO has been doing the work in the greater Portland area for decades — serving refugees and immigrants finding their footing in a new country, neighbors facing food insecurity, individuals living with HIV, unaccompanied youth without a safe place to sleep, and survivors of domestic violence. They pair that direct, on-the-ground care with long-term advocacy at the state level, working toward the structural changes that make communities genuinely whole.

This is the kind of partnership Pearl has been looking for: one that opens doors for our community to show up in real, tangible ways — whatever your bandwidth, whatever your passion.

Want to learn more?

You can visit EMO’s webpage to learn more. And, on May 31, Frances King — an EMO representative — will share a bit about the work at the end of each service and will stick around afterward to answer questions and connect with anyone who wants to get involved.

We hope you'll stay and say hello.

Story and Table, by Pastor Mike—Now Available!

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Mike spent the last year writing a book, Story and Table. This book is the theological expression of his deconstruction and reconstruction journey. It explores stories about the Bible, the gospel, salvation, atonement, and an afterlife. For many, these stories have caused incalculable harm. But there are, truly, better stories. This book explores them and it encourages hope and healing in evolving Christianity. 

Story and Table is now available to purchase at Amazon, or from the publisher, Wipf & Stock.

Mike will also be hosting a book launch party in early January—more details to come!

Advent 2025 Devotional

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Download our 2025 Advent Devotional

The Church calendar begins in the darkest days of the year, with the First Sunday of Advent. Advent encompasses the four Sundays leading up to Christmas, this year beginning on November 30. During this season of longing, we intentionally cultivate space for the light of Christ in the midst of darkness. It is a time of preparation that directs our hearts and minds to treasure up and ponder all that is possible, in Christ.

As we enter Advent this year, many of us are feeling the darkness much more than the light. Our political, economic, and civic life seems increasingly marked by animosity, oppression, distress, and inequity. We are appalled at ICE raids, the undoing of social supports, and the incivility of public discourse. Some of us watch the news and listen to podcasts, alert for and reacting to every new threat; others of us feel checked out, overwhelmed by helplessness. And personally, we each carry griefs, questions and struggles.

In our Advent sermon series this year, Held by Longing, we will plumb the depths of our sorrow. But then, we’ll keep going. We’ll follow the prophets of the Hebrew Scriptures in considering how our discouragement, overwhelm, and hopelessness can, like the North Star, hold us in light that guides us onward. Onward, to participate in Divine Love, which is capable of making all things new.

This devotional guide is meant as a companion for our community during this Advent season. For each week of Advent, you’ll find readings and meditations for families, friends, housemates and individuals to engage throughout this Advent season. Whether you use the Advent Wreath candle lighting liturgies, or the meditations, or both, we hope this devotional helps you create space and meaning during this season. Right in the midst of all our social turmoil, the weeks leading up to Christmas can add another layer of tension—a blur of activity and frivolity, but also of family tensions, tight budgets, high expectations and stressful schedules. Making intentional space to reflect, slow down, and be prayerfully present to Christ and loved ones can give us space to name the many tensions we hold, and to allow them to become creative invitations: animosity into peace; oppression into freedom; distress into healing; inequity into favor. In this season of darkness and light, may our very tensions invite us into the creative work of God with us—Emmanuel.

Find Pastor Mike on Substack

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As a supplemental offering to Mike’s work at Pearl, he’s now on substack hosting a virtual space called Story & Table. Story & Table exists for people to belong, question, tear down, and rebuild a way of being Christian that actually aligns with the loving way of Jesus. You can subscribe for free. For full access, there’s a small monthly fee, which helps to curate safe space for people to engage and process. This could be a great resource to share with friends and family, outside of Portland, who are looking to engage in the kind of Christianity we’re cultivating at Pearl. 

Forthcoming book by Pastor Mike: Story and Table

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Mike spent the last year writing a book, Story and Table. This book is the theological expression of his deconstruction and reconstruction journey. It explores stories about the Bible, the gospel, salvation, atonement, and an afterlife. For many, these stories have caused incalculable harm. But there are, truly, better stories. This book explores them and it encourages hope and healing in evolving Christianity. Story and Table will be released in December 2025 and we’ll host a book launch party in January 2026. Stay tuned for more info!

Fall Launch 2025

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Each year, we take one Sunday at the start of September to look ahead together over the upcoming ministry year. We share our key themes for the year, and our staff and leaders give an invitation into the many ways you can partake of and participate in our community life. If you weren’t able to join us, you can watch the Fall Launch below. Below the video you’ll find links if you would like to sign up to join any of our teams this year.

You can download the Fall Launch presentation slides here.

Team Sign-ups

Kids and Youth
Music Team
Sunday Support Team
Connecting Team

Two Service Schedule Begins Sept 14

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We will be returning to our two service schedule on September 14, to make room for more people as the school year begins!

Services will be at 9:00am and 10:30am, with kids and youth programs offered at 10:30am. If you don’t have kids and youth and are able to do so, we encourage you to attend the 9am service to make room for more people, as the 10:30am services is often full.

End of Year Giving: Haylie's Story

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Pearl Church exists through the generous donations of those who love and tangibly support our work. As the end of this year approaches, will you consider making a donation to Pearl of any amount? End of year giving traditionally covers about 30% of our annual budget, which makes this time of year especially important to meeting our fiscal needs. You can donate easily and securely online.

DONATE

End of Year Giving: David & John's Story

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Pearl Church exists through the generous donations of those who love and tangibly support our work. As the end of this year approaches, will you consider making a donation to Pearl of any amount? End of year giving traditionally covers about 30% of our annual budget, which makes this time of year especially important to meeting our fiscal needs. You can donate easily and securely online.

DONATE

End of Year Giving: Kaya & Leah's Story

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Pearl Church exists through the generous donations of those who love and tangibly support our work. As the end of this year approaches, will you consider making a donation to Pearl of any amount? End of year giving traditionally covers about 30% of our annual budget, which makes this time of year especially important to meeting our fiscal needs. You can donate easily and securely online.

DONATE

Virtual Fall Launch 2024

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It’s an annual tradition at Pearl to take the first Sunday after Labor Day as our Fall Launch. Rather than a normal service, we take time to cast vision for the offerings and opportunities that our community can partake of and participate in during the year to come. If you weren’t able to join us, you can watch the presentations here.

Fall Launch Presentations

Fall Launch Signups

To sign up for any of the upcoming events or classes mentioned, visit our events page.

If you’d like to sign up to join one of our teams, you can use the forms linked below:

Two Service Schedule begins 9/15

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Beginning September 15, we will offer two services at 9:00am and 10:30am, with kids and youth programs offered at the second service.

As newcomers find Pearl, we hear over and over: “I have been searching for a church just like this!” Over the past years, our community has lovingly built up a uniquely non-violent, affirming, deeply Christian space where it is safe to deconstruct and reconstruct faith. Many people would love to join us. Our space presents a challenge—we regularly bump into our limits for seating at one service, which communicates that we are out of room. We want to extend our common table even further to make generous room. For the upcoming year, we dream of offering two vibrant services where our community, as generous hosts, can welcome those who are searching for a space like Pearl.

Story & Table Season 1 Now Available!

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Story & Table, a new podcast from Pearl Church Pastor Mike Roth, exists to make connections between the stories that we tell and the tables that our stories sustain. Through a lens that is intentionally non-violent and non-dominion, Mike explores an ecology of Christian language that sets loving tables, around which humans are freed and inspired to flourish.

All episodes from Season One are now available to download on our website or on Apple Podcasts!

End of Year Giving - Stories of Raising Kids

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Pearl Church member Heather Griffin shares about her hopes for kids to encounter good, non-violent theology at Pearl.

As we near the end of another calendar year, would you consider giving a special gift to Pearl? Pearl Church exists through the generous donations of those who love and tangibly support our work and end of year giving traditionally covers about 30% of our annual budget, which makes this time of year especially important to meeting our fiscal needs. This year we find ourselves especially in need of support, as we have extended our budget in order to bring on additional staff and expand our offerings. You can find more about how to give a special end of year donation here, and also learn how you can easily set up a recurring donation.

End of Year Giving - Stories of Community

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Pearl Church members Phil and Janis Petrowski share about their experience of community and support at Pearl through their battle with cancer.

As we near the end of another calendar year, would you consider giving a special gift to Pearl? Pearl Church exists through the generous donations of those who love and tangibly support our work and end of year giving traditionally covers about 30% of our annual budget, which makes this time of year especially important to meeting our fiscal needs. This year we find ourselves especially in need of support, as we have extended our budget in order to bring on additional staff and expand our offerings. You can find more about how to give a special end of year donation here, and also learn how you can easily set up a recurring donation.

End of Year Giving - Stories of Inclusion

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Pearl Church attender Hongya Chen shares about his experiences of LGBTQIA+ inclusion at Pearl Church.

As we near the end of another calendar year, would you consider giving a special gift to Pearl? Pearl Church exists through the generous donations of those who love and tangibly support our work and end of year giving traditionally covers about 30% of our annual budget, which makes this time of year especially important to meeting our fiscal needs. This year we find ourselves especially in need of support, as we have extended our budget in order to bring on additional staff and expand our offerings.

You can find more about how to give a special end of year donation here, and also learn how you can easily set up a recurring donation.

End of Year Giving - Stories of Reconstruction

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Pearl Church attenders Chris and Bentley Barbour share about their experience of Pearl as a safe place to reconstruct their faith.

As we near the end of another calendar year, would you consider giving a special gift to Pearl? Pearl Church exists through the generous donations of those who love and tangibly support our work and end of year giving traditionally covers about 30% of our annual budget, which makes this time of year especially important to meeting our fiscal needs. This year we find ourselves especially in need of support, as we have extended our budget in order to bring on additional staff and expand our offerings.

You can find more about how to give a special end of year donation at our website, www.pearlchurch.org/donate, and also learn how you can easily set up a recurring donation.

Antiracism: Consider Taking the IDI

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For those of you who missed our discussion with Dr. Jenkins last Sunday, she introduced us to a personal development tool called the Intercultural Development Inventory, which provides insight into how each of us tends to respond in situations of cultural difference. As Dr. Jenkins mentioned, working against racism occurs at the societal, communal, and personal level. This is a tool that provides personal awareness and recommendations for you to develop your intercultural mindset as an individual. If you are interested in taking the IDI assessment yourself, you’re welcome to reach out to her directly. If you’d prefer to pursue the IDI with someone from Pearl Church, long-time Pearl member Abby Coppock is trained and certified on the IDI and is also willing to assist. Feel free to reach out directly to Abby. Please note, fees may apply.