| Weekly News Friday, March 1, 2013 |
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| Worship |
March 3:
Celebrating the Gifts of Women with The Rev. Virginia Birks preaching
March 10: The Rev. Virginia Birks preaching on this Fourth Sunday of Lent.
March 17: The Rev. Virginia Birks preaching on this Fifth Sunday of Lent. We also welcome home Pastor Dries & Beth as they will be in worship.
March 24: Passion / Palm Sunday with Pastor Dries preaching. "Passion / Palm Sunday begins Holy Week, a time in the church year when we remember how Christ gave his life in love for the world.
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| Pastor Dries and Beth Coetzee Out of Office |
Pastor Dries and Beth are leaving for South Africa on Tuesday, February 12 and will return on Friday, March 15th. While in South Africa they will be joined by members of Westminster to explore Dries' native country from Friday, February 15 through Friday, March 8. Before and after the Westminster trip, Session approved vacation for them to spend time with family. Pastor Virginia Birks will fulfill pastoral duties and preach. Please contact Carly Jones in the church office with concerns or needs during this time at 330-263-2398. |
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ECUMENICAL
ADVOCACY
DAYS
CONFERENCE
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ECUMENICAL ADVOCACY DAYS FOR GLOBAL PEACE AND JUSTICE CONFERENCE 2013 Dates: April 5-7
(Optional participation in "Lobby Day" on Monday, April 8) Theme: "At God's Table: Food Justice for a Healthy World" Location: Doubletree Hotel, Crystal City, Arlington, Virginia For detailed information about the 2013 EAD Conference, see: http://advocacydays.org/2013-at-gods-table/ or contact Westminster Presbyterian Church office. |
| CAMO Volunteers Needed |
 CAMO is looking for help packing medical supplies. There is no need to have a medical background. CAMO is looking for volunteers to give an hour or 2. They are open Monday through Friday from 8am to 4pm. There is not much lifting involved and volunteers can just sit to pack the boxes. They are not the large laundry boxes that the church usually does. CAMO is always looking for nurses to help sort medical supplies as well. If you are interested, please contact Claudia Caballero at 330-683-5956 or claudiac@camo.org.
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With Freedom Comes Responsibility
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 As the South African portion of Westminster's trip is coming to an end, we are grateful that everyone is doing well. This past week we have had many great experiences:
Seeing the Big Five, an old hunting term referring to the five most dangerous animals to hunt on foot, (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and Cape buffalo) at Elephant Plains Game Lodge, located in Sabi Sands. The lodge is part of the Great Limpopo Trans-frontier Park that straddles the borders of Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe to form an Eco-system of 35,000 km� where animals can roam freely.
 Visiting the Drakenstein Correctional Center (formerly Victor Verster Prison) where Nelson Mandela walked to freedom. Very inspiring was this quote of Mandela on his statue that now marks this historical moment and site: "For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others. The true test of our devotion to freedom is just beginning. I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom comes responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not ended."
Witnessing the forgiveness exemplified by Nelson Mandela and expressed time and time again by so many South Africans of all races and walks of life that we have had the privilege of meeting.
Lastly, we were able to enjoy a special evening with Dries' family on Wednesday, February 27th to celebrate Beth's 60th birthday!
Blessings to all of you from South Africa,
Dries
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| Worship This Week | 
Celebrating the Gifts of Women
Sermon: "Speaking Up, Speaking Out" Guest Preacher Virginia Birks Preaching Virginia will highlight the little known Daughters of Zelophehad and the oft-maligned Mary Magdalene.
Third Sunday in Lent Gospel: Luke 13:1-9Westminster Presbyterian Church is a safe place for all people to worship regardless of race, creed, age, cultural background, |
| Green Tip of The Week | |
Pick Ugly Veggies
Choose ugly veggies. Odd shapes and unusual pigments generally have no impact on the flavor of produce, but by insisting on strict uniformity, supermarkets force farmers to waste huge amounts of food, and limit the variety sold. This also cuts the farmers' profit margins, driving them to more intensive methods. Let retailers know you'd be delighted to eat varied veggies and funny fruit, and enjoy the diversity in shape, color, and size that nature intended.
From "1001 Ways to Save the World" by Joanna Yarrow
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Presbyterian Church (USA) Weekly Blogs:
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| What's happening at Westminster this week? |
All events can also be found on our website
www.wpcwooster.org
We hope to see you there!
Sunday, March 3, 2013 - Third Sunday in Lent
9:30am - Choir Rehearsal in Mackey Hall
9:45am - Children's Sunday School in Sunday School Room
10:45am - Worship Service in Mackey Hall. Rev. Virginia Birks preaching. Wednesday, March 6, 2013
7:00pm - Choir Rehearsal in Mackey Hall Thursday, March 7, 2013 6:00pm- UKirk meeting in The Meeting Place
7:00pm - Dance Group in Mackey Hall Sunday, March 10, 2013 - Fourth Sunday in Lent
9:30am - Choir Rehearsal in Mackey Hall 9:45am - Children's Sunday School in Sunday School Room 10:45am - Worship Service in Mackey Hall. Rev.Virginia Birks preaching.
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 "We are an Intentionally Inclusive Church"
Westminster Presbyterian Church embraces the "house" metaphor for our community as we worship at the Westminster Church House and have a strong sense of hospitality and desire to be a welcoming and inclusive church for all. We endeavor to give voice to a "progressive" expression of Christianity that emphasizes among other things:
- intellectual integrity in matters of faith;
- acceptance of all people regardless of race, creed, age, cultural background, or sexual orientation;
- openness toward the value of other religious traditions;
- a strong commitment to social justice, peacemaking, and the care of our planet.
Sincerely,
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Andries J. Coetzee
Pastor, Westminster Presbyterian Church
353 Pine East Pine Street, Wooster, OH 44691
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