|
Weekly News Friday, March 29, 2013
|
|
|
|
|
Easter Breakfast
|
 The Deacons will be hosting their annual breakfast on Easter morning at 9:00am. The Deacons will supply the main dish and those attending the brunch are asked to bring fruit or bread to add to the meal. Sign up by contacting the church office. We could also use volunteers to help break down after the breakfast (10:15 am) to ready The Meeting Place for the Friends.
|
One Great Hour of Sharing
|
 On Easter Sunday we will participate in the One Great Hour of Sharing Collection. Since 1949 Presbyterians have joined with millions of other Christians through One Great Hour of Sharing to share God's love with our neighbors-in-need around the world. Your generous gifts to this Special Offering help provide relief to those affected by natural disasters, provide food to the hungry, and assist in helping to empower the poor and oppressed.
|
Relay for Life
|
 UKirk@Westminster is teaming up with The College of Wooster's Hillel Organization to participate in this year's Relay for Life event on April 12th on The College of Wooster campus. If you are interested in  participating, or supporting the group through your donations, please visit their site. Even $10 makes a difference in the battle against cancer.
.
|
Crackers!
|
 You will soon see a wooden barrel in the narthex, placed there by the Mission Committee. This is Westminster's "Ye Olde Cracker Barrel." Over the next two months we are challenging all to bring in different kinds of crackers and donate them to our People To People Cracker Barrel. Just think how many types of crackers are available these days - saltine crackers, Ritz crackers, oyster crackers, rye crackers...even Cracker Jacks! We'll keep a tally and share the results with you at the end of May. Get to know the cracker aisle in your local food market and let's put a box of crackers on everyone's table.
|
| Marriage Equality | |
The Huffington Post
Posted: 03/28/2013 1:28 pm
 In June of 2011, New York State legalized marriage for same-sex couples. In the first year, same-sex couples sought me out -- from as far as the Deep South and across international boundaries -- to officiate at their weddings.
I consider it a blessing to be asked. I love the work that I am called to do with couples, helping them prepare for their wedding day and their life ahead.
However, in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), where I am ordained, officiating any of these weddings can lead to being charged and punished in the church. ....>> |
Keystone XL
Pipeline Letter-writing
|
The College of Wooster's environmental group "Greenhouse" is doing an evening of letter writing to the Senate regarding the Keystone XL Pipeline. This is in response to the resolution sent by the state's senate committee in support of completing the pipeline, which they will receive as they convene on Monday, April 8th. The event will be 4:30-7:30pm on Wednesday, April 3rd in Lowry center.
.
|
|
|
|
Message from Dries
|
 T his coming Sunday I invite you to celebrate Easter with us at Westminster. We will not focus on a particular view of "resurrection", but reflect upon how we can move beyond creed and make the Easter Gospel part of our daily living, bringing about transformation that is at the heart of the Gospel.
In this issue of our Weekly News
you will also read about our first Social Justice Potluck and how we are extending Christ's Table through radical hospitality.
For my weekly message I invite you to click here and read it on Westminster's website.
Blessings and see you in worship on Sunday,
Dries
P.S. Please take note of the "Directory Information" block below. We are in the midst of updating our directory information and need your help in doing so in the weeks to come.
|
|
On The Westminster Blog
| |
posted on 03/26/2013
Two landmark cases regarding Marriage Equality took place this past week in the midst of Holy Week. We as Presbyterians still find ourselves in the grips of social conservatism, denying LGBTQ marriage and considering such unions a sin. But maybe, just maybe, this Easter, the "impossible" may become "possible"! ....>>
|
|
Worship This Week
|
 Good Friday Service with Pastor Dries leading a meditative worship at 7pm in Mackey Hall. Easter Sunday, March 31
Easter Morning Meditation Service at 8:30am in Mackey Hall. Followed by breakfast at 9:00am in The Meeting Place and a 9:45am Easter Egg Hunt for the kids. Traditional Easter Service at 10:45am in Mackey Hall.
Sermon:"A Resurrection Reality" by Pastor Dries
On Easter Sunday we will continue to talk about transformation, personal and social. With a story taken from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa, a body established after the end of apartheid to give both victims and perpetrators a chance to be heard, we will hear how transformation is possible even in the midst of terrible circumstances and in the lives of the most hardened human beings. Gospel Reading: John 20:1-18
Westminster Presbyterian Church is a safe place for all people to worship regardless of race, creed, age, cultural background,
|
|
Easter Egg Hunt
|
We are hoping that you and your family will join us for the annual Easter Egg Hunt this Sunday, March 31st at 9:45am in the back of Mackey Kitchen. We will be starting off with an Easter craft, followed by an Easter Egg Hunt in Westminster Church House.
Kids of all ages are invited! We are asking that kids bring their own baskets (but if you forget we will have bags here too).
|
|
Social Justice Potluck, April 7
|
 On April 7, we will begin what we hope will become a monthly feature at Westminster. On the first Sunday of the month, we will hold what we are calling our Social Justice Potluck. The reason we decided on Communion Sunday is that it serves as a metaphor of "extending the table". At Westminster we believe that in "the breaking of bread", we experience God and God's Kin-dom, where: all are welcome, worthy, and invited; lives are transformed and empowered; and the fruits of God's gentle justice bloom throughout all Creation. We also believe that the Last Supper was not the last meal, as the resurrection provided a new hope and more meals and ministries followed.
Inspired by the ministry of Jesus of Nazareth, we invite you to our first Social Justice meal on April 7th after the 10:45am worship service. A main dish and bread will be provided and we invite you to bring a side dish, salad, or desert. Students needn't bring food, just come! During this first meal, the students Westminster sponsored to travel to Israel/Palestine last summer will share their experiences with us. This is an especially timely conversation in light of President Obama's visit to Israel, the West Bank, and Jordan this past week
Mark your calendars now and plan to join us around the table!
|
Non-violent approach to resolving the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict
|
Saturday, April 13, 2013
10:00 - 12:30 p.m.
in The Meeting Place
Co-sponsored by
Westminster Presbyterian Church,
The Wooster Friends Meeting &
The Interfaith Council for Peace in the Middle East
Panelists:
Kathy Kelly
co-coordinates Voices for Creative Nonviolence, a campaign to end U.S. military and economic warfare. For more than 25 years, Kathy has been a peace activist going to Bosnia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Palestine, Jordan, and more war-torn countries to stand in solidarity with people and assist with humanitarian aid.
Johnny Barberis
a human rights activist, writer, photographer, and videographer. He has traveled to Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, and Palestine (the West Bank & Gaza), to bear witness and document the effects of war on communities and the struggle to retain human dignity in the face of oppression.
Joshua Brollieris
a co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence in Chicago. He was a participant in the Gaza Freedom March in 2010 as well as a November 2012 delegation to Gaza after Israel's Pillar of Cloud assault on the Gaza Strip.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Directory Information
|
As you may know, WPC recently began using a new church management software. Through this system we are able to maintain information for the members of the congregation and print the directory. We also hope to start using the software to help organize additional information and serve the congregation more effectively. In order to do this, we need your help! On Easter Sunday, there will be packets for each household that you can pick up in the back of Mackey Hall after the service. We would like you to take time to confirm that the information that we have is correct, update information, as well fill out a time and talent survey. If you are not able to make it to church on Easter Sunday, we will mail your packet to your home. We are asking that these be returned to Carly Jones in the church office by April 21st. We really appreciate your help in this process. Please keep us updated if you have feedback, ideas on how to use the information, or ways to make the process run more smoothly in the future.
|
|
Celebrating Sue Brown
|
 We invite you to join Westminster in celebrating Sue Brown's 20 years of service to our community of faith. On April 21, after the 10:45 am worship service, we will share a meal in honor of Sue. We would appreciate contributions of salad, as Sue-min will provide the main dish (meat & vegan), bread, and desert. You are also invited to donate money towards a gift for Sue. If you wish to do so, please make your check out to WPC and write Sue Brown in the memo line. As a church we are grateful for Sue's ministry among us as secretary, a position she fulfilled with deep commitment and dedication. She has always been willing to help and serve all who enter the Church House and has been a wealth of information regarding The College and the Wooster Community. Sue is well loved by our congregation and we will miss her presence among us. |
Green Tip of the Week
|
We all have to do laundry; how we do it makes a difference in our environmental impact.
- Your washer and dryer can use a tremendous amount of energy and resources. Ideally, you have an Energy Star front-loading washer and dryer. The next best thing is a front-loading washer (it will use a fraction of the water that a top-loader uses).
- Use cold or warm water instead of hot; this will reduce energy usage by as much as 60 percent.
- Do wash only with full loads.
- An electric dryer is half as efficient as a gas dryer.
- Be sure to keep the lint filter clean; this practice not only reduces fire hazards, but also greatly increases efficiency.
- Get some air: Hanging clothes outside uses NO energy.
- Laundry products: The phosphates and perfumes in conventional detergents can be problematic. Choose earth-friendly brands of laundry detergents. Most of the environmentally-friendly products are in concentrated form which will save you money. Consider using chlorine bleach alternatives such as those that use sodium percarbonate or hydrogen peroxide. Look for natural plant-based fabric softeners and dryer sheets. Sun & Earth dryer sheets are even biodegradable and can be composted!
The following tip was provided by the Go Green Galloway Task Force for Sustainability
|
Presbyterian Church (USA) Weekly Blogs:
| |
|
Upcoming Events
|
Peace Walker Bob Gross at Trinity United Church of Christ, 150 E. North Street, Wooster
Worship Workshop at Westminster, April 6, 2013 |
Mark your Calendar:
| |
Date Time Event Location
April 1st All Day Office Closed
April 6th 10am-noon Worship Workshop Mackey Hall
April 7th Following Worship Social Justice Potluck Mackey Hall
April 20th 9:00-noon Mission Planning Retreat The Meeting Place
April 21st Following Worship Sue Brown Retirement Party Mackey Hall
April 27th 10:00am Cinny Gooch Memorial Service Mackey Hall
April 28th During Worship Senior Recognition Mackey Hall
May 5th During Worship Gomes Choir Mackey Hall
June 3rd 5:30-7pm OLO Welcome Picnic Patio or Mackey Hall
|
|
What's happening at Westminster this week? |
Sunday, March 31, 2013 - Easter Sunday
8:30am - Easter Meditation Service in Mackey Hall
9:00am - Breakfast in The Meeting Place
9:30am - Choir Rehearsal in Mackey Hall
9:45am - Easter Egg Hunt starting in the back of Mackey Kitchen
10:45am - Easter Worship Service in Mackey Hall. Pastor Dries preaching
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
7:00pm - Choir Rehearsal in Mackey Hall
Thursday, April 4, 2013
6:00pm - UKirk in The Meeting Place
7:00pm - Dance Group in Mackey Hall
Saturday, April 6, 2013
10:00am - Loving God & Loving Neighbor: New Hymns for Peace & Justice
A Workshop by Pastor/Hymn writer Carolyn Winfrey Gillette
Sunday, April 7, 2013
9:30am - Choir Rehearsal in Mackey Hall
10:45am - Worship Service in Mackey Hall. Pastor Dries preaching.
12:00pm - Social Justice Potluck in Mackey Hall |
|
"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,
|
|
Andries J. Coetzee
Pastor, Westminster Presbyterian Church
353 Pine East Pine Street, Wooster, OH 44691
|
|
|
|
|
