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Weekly News Friday, May 24, 2013
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Change in Worship Time
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Staring this Sunday, May 26th we will begin our Summer Worship schedule and worship at 10:00am. There will be no Sunday School during the summer months. We will resume our 10:45am worship time on August 25th. |
Worship
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May 26:
Trinity Sunday
Sermon: "The Trinity: An Invitation to Dance"
Scripture: John 16:12-1
Pastor Dries preaching.
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A New Generation of Scouts Expect a Welcoming BSA
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The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) will vote on whether or not to welcome gay scouts and leaders next week. The proposed Membership Standards Resolution to be voted on reads, "No youth may be denied membership in the Boy Scouts of America on the basis of sexual orientation or preference alone," but the organization "will maintain the current membership policy for all adult leaders." More Light Presbyterians has called on the BSA to welcome both youth members and adult leaders in the future policy. ...>>>
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May Needs from People to People
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 Food: Running very low on: dry cereal, complete pancake mix, syrup, oatmeal, canned fruit, pork and beans, peanut butter, spaghetti, and spaghetti sauce.
Personal Items: paper towels, toilet paper, deodorant, laundry soap, and dish soap.
Clothing: If you can, please save your ADULT winter clothing until October. They will take children's because it is used for back to school clothes in August. Carly has the list of children's sizes needed if you are interested.
Household Items: These items are in very short supply: queen and king sheet sets, toasters, coffee pots, pots and pans, large skillets, bath towels, and silverware.
Toys/Gift Items: Little Tikes, Playskool, and Fisher-Price toys that are in great shape are items that work well for the December Toy Project. Currently they need gifts for teen boys, and children ages 6-11. Suggestions are: sports bags, shaving kits, sleep pants and slippers, room decor items, MP3 players, clock radios, wallets, teen books, Lego sets, Hot Wheel toys, K-nex, and Star Wars items.
Volunteers Needed: They are currently looking for volunteers to work as summer substitutes in their clothing room, on an "as needed" basis. If you are interested, please call Laura Groves at 330-262-1662 ext. 213. Other available opportunities can be found at www.ptpm.net. |
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Message from Dries |
It's Memorial day Weekend and the beginning of the summer holidays. Although summer does not officially start until the summer solstice (that is June 21), we will start our summer worship schedule this weekend. Worship will be at 10:00am followed by a time for fellowship.
A time change like this, in the midst of our busy schedules, can sometimes greatly affect us as we are forced to change our routine, even if it is only for a Sunday morning. However, this weekend I am inviting you to a time of contemplation as you think about your daily routine and Sunday morning schedule.
This summer, I am inviting you to be more intentional about "summer" and "life itself" as it was Jesus of Nazareth who once said "Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens and I will give you rest". I believe that taking Jesus at his word this summer will lead to transformation, not only for you, but for our community of faith. In the coming weeks, we will encourage you to greater mindfulness in celebrating the easier pace of summer and in fact, "life itself".
This week I am inviting you to make worship at Westminster a part of your summer routine. As in past years we are planning several opportunities, and some of them are listed in this mailing, to step out of our normal Sunday routine and become more aware of the presence of God in fresh new ways.
I hope to see you in worship at 10:00am this coming Sunday!
Blessings,
Dries |
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Social Justice Potluck, June 2nd after Worship | |
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Ohio Light Opera Welcome Picnic, Monday, June 3rd | |
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Outdoor Worship and Lunch at Oak Hill Park
Sunday, June 23, 2013 | |
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Presbyterian Response to the May 20, 2013 tornado in Moore/Oklahoma City
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 Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) will be responding with One Great Hour of Sharing funds and members of the National Response Team to a devastating tornado that struck Moore, a populous suburb of Oklahoma City, Okla. The 200 mph, F-4 tornado struck Monday evening and destroyed whole neighborhoods. Two elementary schools were in the tornado's path and one school sustained a direct hit. Of the 51 confirmed deaths from the storm, 20 were children. Additional causalities are expected. Five counties in Oklahoma have been declared federal disaster areas. The Oklahoma VOAD has reported that many unsolicited volunteers have been showing up. They have pleaded that the information get out that volunteers are not yet needed. First responders need first to complete their work. PDA previously responded to the 1999 tornado in Moore that caused $1 billion worth of damage, including extensive damage to the First Presbyterian Church in Moore. PDA will be working with Presbytery leadership to help meet the needs of families most impacted by this crisis. ....>>>
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Immigration Reform
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Click on the image to visit the Presbyterian Church (USA) Office of Immigration Reform
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On Saturday, May 18th Elaine Smith Snyder, Jim Collier, Jean Brazee, and Cheryl & Bill Weiss attended a prayer vigil in support of national immigration reform held at the 10th annual Hispanic Families Retreat at Camp Luz. The three-day retreat, sponsored by the Mennonite Open Arms Hispanic Ministry near Smithville, is a time of fellowship, prayer, and support for Hispanic families throughout Ohio who may feel marginalized in the larger American society. Westminster's support of this prayer vigil was very timely as the Senate Judiciary Committee passed a bipartisan immigration bill on Tuesday, May 21st.
Cheryl Weiss wrote the following about the event on Saturday; " We attended a sermon in Spanish focusing on the importance of Christ's message for all families. We also visited with the families in attendance, and we were privileged to attend the prayer vigil stressing the importance of passing national immigration reform legislation by highlighting the direct impact of present immigration laws locally. Two members in attendance had family members detained just within the previous several days. Prayers were offered for all in Congress to discern the best legislation for just immigration laws. The presence and support of Westminster Presbyterian Church was noted at the vigil, and Jim Collier, who was asked to speak at the end of the vigil, thanked the retreat organizers for including us. He also highlighted Presbyterian U.S.A. immigration reform programs."
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Food Justice |
 On Sunday, May 19th our Sunday School children signed and delivered a letter to our local Wendy's encouraging them to participate in the Fair Food Program and asking Wendy's to support human rights. Read on to find out more about how this act is in solidarity with the position of the PC(USA). "On April 30, 2013, the Stated Clerk of the General Assembly, the Rev. Gradye Parsons, sent a letter to Mr. Emil Brolick, CEO of Wendy's, calling upon Mr. Brolick "to sit down with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers without delay" and commit his company to the Fair Food Program. For over a decade, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has joined with our mission partner, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), to urge corporations to help end farmworker poverty and exploitation, including modern slavery, by joining the Fair Food Program. The Fair Food Program-recently recognized at the White House forum on human trafficking as well as by the United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights-leverages the power of all of the actors in the food supply chain to ensure the human rights of Florida tomato pickers, corporate accountability, and industry sustainability. Florida supplies over ninety percent of the tomatoes sold in the U.S. from October to May. To date, eleven major food corporations and the vast majority of Florida tomato growers participate in the Fair Food Program.  |
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Congrats to Adam Smith and Wooster's Academic Challenge Teams! |
Wooster Academic Challenge Teams Win at Mansfield Competition
(May 16, 2013) - Wooster's fifth and sixth-grade Academic Challenge teams recently competed at a tournament in Mansfield on May 7. Two fifth-grade teams competed against 14 others, with both tying for first place. Additionally, three sixth-grade teams competed against 13 others, with one squad finishing in second place.
"I am extremely proud of all our Academic Challenge teams," said Dean Frank, Edgewood Middle School Principal. "Everyone has shown great improvement since the beginning of the season and these results speak directly to the students' commitment."
Students competing on Wooster's two fifth-grade teams were Violette Bonvallet, Zach Brewster, Cameron Edmiston, Grace Foskett, Tyler Keating, Brian Nguyen and Adam Smith. Wooster's second place team was comprised of sixth-graders Joshua Lantis, Lexi Nolletti and Orin Selby.
"Congratulations to our middle school Academic Challenge teams for an absolutely fabulous season," said Superintendent/CEO Dr. Michael Tefs. "I know I speak for the entire community when I say the students have made us very proud. We look forward to seeing them represent us at the upcoming national tournament."
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Green Tip of the Week
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Golf and the Environment
Next time you are out on the greens, think about whether your own actions are "green."
Here are some easy suggestions on what you can do to help the environment:- Walk the course instead of using a golf cart. If you do use a golf cart, keep your cart on the designated path.
- Urge your golf course to replace its carts with electric-powered ones, which greatly reduce both air pollution and noise pollution.
- Carry your trash with you until a waste container is available.
- Recycle glass, aluminum, and plastic on the golf course. If your course doesn't have its own recycling program, urge them to start one.
- Adhere to local rules that may restrict access to environmentally sensitive areas on a golf course.
- Buy recyclable products (biodegradable golf tees, golf balls made of rawhide instead of plastic).
- Accept the natural limitations and variations of turfgrass plants growing in a natural environment. (e.g., brown patches, thinning, loss of color). Be willing to play on brown grass during periods of low rainfall.
- Patronize courses that are environmentally friendly.
- Recognize that golf courses are managed land areas that should complement the natural environment. Respect environmentally sensitive areas of the course.
- Support golf course management decisions that protect or enhance the environment and encourage the development of environmental conservation plans.
- Support maintenance practices that protect wildlife and natural habitat.
- Encourage maintenance practices that promote the long-range health of the turf and support environmental objectives. Such practices include aerification, reduced fertilization, limited play on sensitive turf areas, reduced watering, etc.
- Commit to long-range conservation efforts (e.g. efficient water use, integrated pest management, etc.) on the golf course and at home.
- Support research and education programs that expand our understanding of the relationship between golf and the environment.
Taken from http://www.earthshare.org/2008/09/golf-and-the-en.html
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Presbyterian Church (USA) Weekly Blogs:
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Mark your Calendar:
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Date Time Event Location
May 26th 10:00am Summer Worship Time Begins Mackey Hall June 2nd 11:00am Social Justice Potluck Mackey Hall
June 3rd 5:30-7pm OLO Welcome Picnic Patio or Mackey Hall
June 23rd 10:00am Outdoor Worship Service Oak Hill Park Pavillion
June 30th 11:00am Ferenc Relle Retirement Reception Mackey Hall
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What's happening at Westminster this week?
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All events can also be found on our website
www.wpcwooster.org
We hope to see you there!
Sunday, May 26, 2013
9:15am - Choir Rehearsal in Mackey Hall
10:00am - Worship Service in Mackey Hall. Pastor Dries preaching.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
7:00pm- Session Meeting in The Lounge
Thursday, May 30, 2013
7:00pm - Dance Group in Mackey Hall
Sunday, June 2, 2013
10:00am - Worship Service in Mackey Hall. Jane DalPra preaching.
11:00am - Social Justice Potluck following Worship in Mackey Hall
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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 East Pine Street, Wooster, OH 44691
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Join us on this first Sunday of the month, Communion Sunday, as we "extend the table".
patio at 
Join us for worship at 10:00am Sunday, June 23rd at 
