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Weekly News Friday, October 4, 2013
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Worship
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Sunday, October 6th
World Communion Sunday with a joint worship service at First Presbyterian Church.
Sunday, October 13th Pastor Dries preaching as we welcome Rev. Jacob Nthakhe to Westminster.
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| Presbyterian Women's Bible Study with Dries |
On Tuesday, October 8th we will gather again at 10am in The Lounge (the second Tuesday of the month) as Pastor Dries will lead the Presbyterian Women's Bible Study. It is not to late to join us as we use a study published by Horizons entitled "An Abiding Hope: The Presence of God in Exodus and Deuteronomy" by Janice Catron. The class will continue through May 12th, 2014. The study books are available in the office.
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| Mark your calendar |
Friday, October 4th - Sunday, October 6th:
Working for a Just & Peaceful World: A Weekend of Workshops featuring Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson. Worship will be at First Presbyterian Church.
Wednesday, October 9th:
Conversations with Rev. Tipi Jacob Nthakhe
Sunday, October 13th: Open the Door to Equality Rally (Telling Our Stories).
Rally will begin at 3:45pm with music by the combined UU/Westminster Presbyterian choirs. Speakers, including Pastor Dries, will begin at 4:00 pm.
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5th Annual Open the Door to Equality Rally
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The 5th Annual Open the Door to Equality Rally will take place in downtown Wooster at the Gazebo, corner of Liberty and Market Streets, on Sunday, October 13, from 3:45 to 5pm. Our theme this year is "Telling Our Stories" and will include a marriage celebration, complete with wedding cake.
Featured speakers are Rabbi David Horowitz, the national president of PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays), Elyzabeth Holford, the Executive Director of Equality Ohio, Pastor Andries Coetzee of Westminster Presbyterian Church, and Peg Tomblin. Music at the Rally will be provided by the combined Choirs of Westminster Presbyterian and the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship.
The Rally is sponsored by Ohioans for Marriage Equality, along with co-sponsors PFLAG Wooster, Westminster Presbyterian Church, and the Unitarian Universalist Social Action Committee. Come to the Rally and learn more about the issue of LGBT civil rights in Ohio and how people's lives are affected when those rights are denied or not protected.
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Message from Dries
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As you receive this e-mail, Beth, the boys, and I will be in Bloomington, Minnesota to celebrate the wedding of our daughter Olivia and her fiance Joshua on Friday, October 4th. We will not be in worship on Sunday, but I do encourage you to attend our joint worship service on Sunday at First Presbyterian Church of Wooster at 10:45am.
This coming weekend, October 4-6, we will jointly host a series of workshops at First Presbyterian and Westminster Presbyterian Churches with the Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson II, Director of the PC(USA) Office of Public Witness in Washington D.C.. In announcing the workshop in the First Presbyterian Church Newsletter, Tower Tidings, Interim Pastor Bruce Ballentine wrote the following;
"As Christians, we are called engage the larger society, sounding a prophetic voice in matters of social justice and peacemaking. In that regard, we take our marching orders from the prophet Micah, who wrote: "He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8) And we take our marching orders from Jesus, who said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." (Matthew 5:9)
The Office of Public Witness is a prophetic office of the PC(USA) and implements the social justice agenda of the General Assembly through advocacy with the executive and legislative branches of the federal government. As the executive director, J. Herbert Nelson is qualified to address a wide range of public policy and justice issues. Further, he believes that grassroots organizing within the denomination is a major key to impacting the prophetic witness and political sphere in today's culture.
As one who has spent some time with J. Herbert, I can tell you he is a person of deep faith, boundless compassion, and has a passion for justice. He is also a gifted and dynamic speaker. I strongly encourage you to mark your calendar and attend at least one of his appearances. If you chose to do so, I trust you will be inspired to advocate for a more just and peaceful society.
Blessings and peace. I hope you will help us to make this coming weekend an inspiring and great event! Dries
PS: I will be back in the office on Monday. |
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Children's Education
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There will be no Sunday School this coming Sunday, October 6th as we join First Presbyterian Church in worship at 10:45am.
Last week during Sunday School we built our Covenant as a group. It will be displayed in our space next time we meet on Sunday, October 13th.
Our Covenant ended up looking like this, but it is always open to change as we progress as a group:
-Don't talk while some else is talking/ don't interrupt others.
-Have fun. This means laugh, smile, and do physical activity together.
-No swearing, keep it clean!
-Stay focused and on task.
-Have a healthy snack together (volunteers bring snacks).
-This is not school. We are learning from each other not just from the "teacher".
-Be comfortable and share.
-Be Respectful.
-Do what's best.
-Do what's right.
-Treat others how they want to be treated.
Additionally, we talked about what we hope to do with our space. We also discussed going apple picking as a group (the group seemed to be really excited about fall fun activities and being outside!). I have a call into Moreland Fruit Farm about their window of apple picking opportunity.
Thanks,
Evangeline Smith
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Sign Up Now for Sundays in October -
Be a part of Westminster's Extravagant Hospitality!
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Here's how you can help make Westminster a warm and welcoming community of faith! Sign up to be a Sunday morning greeter, to provide flowers, or bring goodies for fellowship time after worship. If you are interested in helping, please sign up through Sign Up Genius, on the sign up board to the right of the name tags in the back of Mackey Hall, or by contacting Carly Jones (cjones@wooster.edu or 330-263-2398) in the church office.
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Peacemaking Offering
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Sunday, October 6th is World Communion Sunday. Westminster will join in worship with First Presbyterian Church on this day to hear Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson preach as well as join in communion together. If you chose to give to the peacemaking offering, be sure to make your check payable to Westminster Presbyterian Church and write "Peacemaking" on the memo line. Click here for more information and resources.
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| A Weekend of Workshops with J. Hebert Nelson |
Join us for a workshop on Saturday, October 5th with Reverend Dr. J. Herbert Nelson (check out his bio ) where he will lead two sessions entitled "Fair Food and Farm Policy" and "Justice for the Worker". The first session will begin at 11:00am followed by a fair food lunch which will be provided by Westminster. A second session will follow at 1:00pm entitled "Justice for the Worker". All are invited to attend. If you will be attending the luncheon, please RSVP through Sign Up Geniusor with Carly Jones (cjones@wooster.edu or 330-263-2398) in the Church Office.
Check out our website for more details about the events occurring during Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson's visit.
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J. Herbert Nelson Bio
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 Dr. Nelson is married to the Reverend Gail Porter Nelson and the father of an 18 year old daughter, Alycia Yvette Nelson. He is a third generation Presbyterian Pastor, who, before coming to Washington, served as Founder/Pastor of Liberation Community Presbyterian Church (LCC) in Memphis, Tennessee. LCC was chartered on April 11, 1999 and was the first African-American Church developed in the Presbytery of Memphis in forty-six years. The ministry received the prestigious Walton Grant, which is awarded by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) for outstanding work in New Church Development. Liberation Community is an African-centered congregation committed to evangelizing the poor to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). As an extension to his community-based ministry, Dr. Nelson served as Associate Director of the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change at the University of Memphis. As a consultant, he provided staff development training for Teacher Specialists, Curriculum Specialists and Principal Leaders who provide assistance for low-performing schools. Before going to Liberation Community Church, Dr. Nelson served as Pastor of St. James Presbyterian Church, a redeveloping congregation located in a thriving, middle-class area in Greensboro, North Carolina, ultimately leaving there to go to Memphis to be more actively involved in social justice work. During his eleven year tenure as Pastor of St. James Presbyterian Church, Nelson began the Doctor of Ministry Program at Louisville Presbyterian Seminary. His dissertation, "A Community Based Model of An African American New Church Development in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)" focused on the educational needs of poor African American children. He graduated with distinction in May 2002. A third generation graduate of Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary (Presbyterian founded in 1865), Dr. Nelson earlier earned a B.A. in Political Science/Urban Studies in 1981. J. Herbert, as he is commonly known, serves as preacher, workshop leader, consultant and writer. He is a featured conference preacher at Montreat, Mo Ranch, Highlands-Colorado, and Massanetta Springs Conference Centers in the Presbyterian Church. His writings have appeared in Presbyterians Today and The Outlook. He is a member of several boards and professional organizations. Nelson has traveled to South Africa (1983), Geneva, Switzerland (1992), Montego Bay, Jamaica (1993, 2007), and Havana, Cuba (1999 and 2000) on behalf of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and is now devoting considerable time to meeting with congregations and presbyteries throughout the United States.
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| 5th Annual Open the Door to Equality Rally | |
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| Monday, October 7th: Troop 61 Spaghetti Dinner |
 Come out and support our Troop 61 as they celebrate their 100th anniversary by attending the Spaghetti Supper.
When: Monday October 7th 5:00-7:30 PM
Where: Kittredge Dinning Hall (On the College of Wooster Campus, 535 E. Wayne Ave)
What: Spaghetti, Salad, Rolls, Ice Cream, Drinks. (Vegetarian sauce will be available.)
Tickets: Adults $8.00, Children $5.00 (under 5 free)
All of the proceeds assist the troop with purchase of equipment. This is our main fundraiser for the year.
Interested in Tickets: Let Jack Veney (johnveney@gmail.com 330-641-2303) know, or see any member of the troop.
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Presbyterian Church (USA) Weekly Blogs:
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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!
Saturday, October 5, 2013
11:00am - Fair Food and Farm Policy with Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson in The Meeting Place
12:00pm - Luncheon (Please RSVP to Carly) in Mackey Hall
1:00pm - Justice for the Worker with Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson in The Meeting Place
Sunday, October 6, 2013
9:15am - Adult Sunday School at First Presbyterian Church
10:45am- Worship at First Presbyterian, Wooster with Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson Monday, October 7 ,2013 12:00pm - Building Committee Meeting in The Lounge Tuesday, October 8, 2013 10:00am - Women's Bible Study in The Lounge Wednesday, October 9, 2013 5:00pm - Personnel Committee Meeting in The Pastor's Study 6:00pm - Conversations with Jacob in The Meeting Place (Pending Jacob's arrival). 7:00pm - Choir Rehearsal in Mackey Hall 8:00pm - Worship Committee Meeting in The Lounge Thursday, October 10, 2013 7:00pm - Dance Group in Mackey Hall Sunday, October 13, 2013 9:30am - Choir Rehearsal in Mackey Hall 9:30am - Adult Education in The Lounge 9:45am - Children's Sunday School in the Sunday School Room 10:45am - Worship in Mackey Hall, Pastor Dries preaching 12:00pm - Deacon's Meeting in the Mackey Kitchen
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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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