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Weekly News                                Friday, June 21, 2013
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Worship
June 23:
Outdoor Worship at Oak Hill Park.  Pastor Dries will be leading worship.    
Immigration Reform
Immigration Read the latest in Immigration Reform on the The Interfaith Immigration Coalition (IIC) website.
IIC "is a partnership of faith-based organizations committed to enacting fair and humane immigration reform that reflects our mandate to welcome the stranger and treat all human beings with dignity and respect. Coalition members work together to advocate for just and equitable immigration policies, educate faith communities, and serve immigrant populations around the country." 
Social Justice Potluck Update
There will be no Social Justice Potluck in the month of July.  We will gather together again in fellowship on August 4th for our next Social Justice Potluck. 
Message from Dries
Westminster Logo Pastor Dries is on vacation this week and therefore there will not be a weekly message.  In our effort to be "Intentional about summer" we do encourage you to get outside this week.  What better way to do so than to join us at Oak Hill Park for worship on Sunday.  Please show up at 10:00am and if there is severe weather, Mackey Hall will be our back-up.  You will be be notified by e-mail on Sunday morning.  We will also have someone at the site directing you.
Outdoor Worship and Lunch at Oak Hill Park, Sunday, June 23, 2013

Oak Hill Park

Join us for worship at 10:00am Sunday, June 23rd at Oak Hill Park, located on Oak Hill Road, followed by a picnic lunch and time to explore the park.  Even if you aren't able to take advantage of the walking trails, please join your church family in this once-a-year 
outing where we can worship together out in God's great creation.
  
Westminster will provide sandwich trays and drinks and we ask members of the congregation to bring chips, fruit, or dessert to share.  So that we are good stewards of our resources and can order an accurate amount of food, please sign up in the back of Mackey Hall after worship on Sunday or through Sign Up Genius. 

   

Several members of Westminster played an instrumental role in bringing this community park to fruition. Their involvement in this project reflects Westminster's members' spirituality which goes beyond the ministry of the church as expressed in their community involvement. 

As we gather to worship, we will reflect on how we as Christians are called to fulfill a twofold socio-ecological responsibility: to care for people and for our planet. We will explore in conversation and silence how to weave community and individual responsibility to God's creation and creatures with responsibility to those whom Jesus would call, centuries later, "least of these".

 

Please come dressed to go for a walk on the various trails for all abilities or sit and visit with friends.  All ages and abilities are welcome and invited!
Westminster Attending "Shared Space" Conference

June 26 - 28, Beth & Dries Coetzee and College of Wooster students, Evangeline Smith and Emi Donato, will attend "Shared Space", an ecumenical campus ministry leadership conference in Chicago. UKirk is joining with the Office of Collegiate Ministry as well as the United Methodist, UCC and other members of the Ecumenical Campus Ministries Team  of the World Council of Churches to host this event. Collegiate ministers from across five denominations will gather at "Shared Space" where they will each hold their respective events while intentionally sharing space, learning, meals, and other gatherings.

 

No lowest common denominators here. It seems many of us believe that we Christians should agree on everything. We think Christian unity means uniformity. But, true ecumenism is not about diluting ourselves, our experiences. and what we hold sacred. As we gather together, we will celebrate our own unique place in the Church while we lift up Lutherans, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Methodists, Disciples of Christ, and others for being who they are.

 

Diana Butler Bass, an author, speaker, and independent scholar specializing in American religion and culture, will be the keynote speaker. She holds a Ph.D. in religious studies from Duke University and is the author of eight books.

Lavender Days at The Purple Quail Lavender Farm

You are invited to join us in the fully blooming lavender field on June 22nd and 23rd for our first ever pick-your-own lavender days.

Stop by between 10am and 5pm to cut your very own lavender bouquet and enjoy some refreshments made with lavender. Feel free to bring your camera, easel, or picnic basket with you. Our body care products, loose leaf teas, and handmade leather books will also be available for purchase.


For more information visit the Facebook event page.
Green Tip of the Week

Get Outdoors!

The first step to enjoying the outdoors with is just getting out there! Now we know that for some folks this might sound like it would be too expensive but honestly anyone can do it! Here are some inexpensive ways to get outside, and enjoy it!



  1. Check your city website for parks, trails and open space. 
       

  2. "But it's so _______ outside"!!!! (fill in blank with appropriate excuse for the day's weather). "There is no such thing as poor weather, just poor clothing choices". With the proper gear, you can still enjoy a hike on an icy trail, playing in the rain, or sledding in cold snow. Dressed appropriately, there's not that much that Mother Nature could throw at your family to keep you inside. First tip: avoid cotton. Cotton socks, jeans, t-shirts and sweaters are some of the worst. When they get wet, they stay wet and cold leading to an uncomfortable adventure (which can also be dangerous!).  Instead, stick to items that have technical fabrics in them like wool, nylon or polyester which dry quicker. Second tip: with those technical fabrics in mind, dress in layers; t-shirt, long-sleeve, sweater, jacket. If you get hot, you can remove layers but if you only take two items, you'll be cold.     
     

  3. Buy better gear. Purchasing a high quality piece of gear, even though it might be more expensive then a no-name brand, usually means that it will last longer and protect you from the elements because it's made with better materials. You'll end up paying the same amount for 10 of the cheap items vs 1 of the better quality items.     
     

  4. Once you get out...what do you do? Is it snowy? Go sledding! If it's sunny, go biking! Here are some tips for the trail:

-Small children: Take your babies hiking with you. Search used gear shops for a backpack child carrier. They can usually hold a 6month old up to 30-50 pounds total including gear.
-Ages 4-7= Play nature detectives, Use recycled colorful cardboard box cutouts on a ring to find and match the colors in nature.
Be an animal tracker, use our "Animal Tracks" worksheet to search for native wild animal tracks.  Make winter ice art! Put water in a shallow container and add items from your backyard or hike like leaves, sticks, pine cones, feathers, rose hips, or evergreen twigs and also a piece of thick yarn with the ends of the yarn in the water and a loop hanging out. Leave it out to freeze for the night and in the morning, remove it from the container and hang it outside!
-Ages 7-10- Play nature bingo. Print out our "Nature Bingo" worksheet and search for the items during your hike.

-Ages 11-13- Make a journey stick. It involves tying objects and colors to a stick that represent different experiences, feelings or parts of the journey. You will need to bring pieces of different colored wool or thread with you on your walk. Look for a stick (on the ground), then choose pieces of wool to represent places like a creek crossing, weather and also attach objects found loose on the ground to create your own journey stick. Later, share your adventure with others!

-14 and up- Take a camera and/or art some supplies. You'll be AMAZED at the creativity nature can foster and how  kids spotted things you didn't see.  For the younger kids, give them an old cell phone that takes decent pictures.

Presbyterian Church (USA) Weekly Blogs:

Philadelphia ruling elder tapped for Presbyterian Mission Agency senior leadership June 14, 2013 Earline B. Williams. -Photo courtesy of Earline B. Williams Presbyterian Mission Agency by Emily Enders Odom, Associate, Mission Communications Executive Director's Office LOUISVILLE Earline B. Williams, a certified public accountant with more than 30 years of consulting, private industry, and quasi-governmental experience, has accepted the position of Deputy Executive Director for Shared Services/Chief Financial Officer for the Presbyterian Mission Agency of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). ...»

 

Christian vision of justice and peace requires it, AACC Assembly told June 14, 2013 World Council of Churches KAMPALA, Uganda Botshelo Moilwa, a young African woman from Gaborone, Botswana, called on churches to affirm the dignity of women amidst the realities of HIV and AIDS and sexual violence, if they are to realize the Christian vision of justice and peace. ...»

 

June 14, 2013 Religion News Service Sarah Pulliam Bailey WASHINGTON The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has elected its first openly gay bishop, the Rev. R. Guy Erwin, to oversee churches in Southern California, four years after the church allowed openly gay men and lesbians to serve as clergy. ...»


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, June 23, 2013
10:00am - Outdoor Worship Service at Oak Hill Park. Pastor Dries will be leading

                worship.

 

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

7:00pm - Session Meeting in The Lounge

 

Friday, June 28, 2013

7:00am­ - Dance Group in Mackey Hall  

 

Sunday, June 30, 2013
10:00am - Worship in Mackey Hall. Rev. Jim Collier will be preaching. Reception for

                Ferenc Relle Retirement following worship.                   
Westminster Grafic Vertical
"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 East Pine Street, Wooster, OH 44691