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Weekly News Friday, October 11, 2013
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Worship
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Sunday, October 13th
Pastor Dries preaching
Sunday, October 20th
Balajied and Cheryl Khyllep preaching, as Westminster will be serving as a neutral pulpit for two Presbyterian Churches in our area.
Sunday, October 27th
Pastor Dries preaching, as we welcome our College of Wooster students' families in worship and host them at a reception after worship.
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Church Office Closings
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The Church Office will be closed on Monday, October 14th from 10:30am-2:30pm due to staffing needed at the Van Wie Memorial service. Also, on Friday, October 18th the office will close at 11am. If you need assistance, please leave a message on the church voice mail and someone will return your call at the earliest convenience.
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Memorial Service for Al Van Wie
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 A memorial service will be held on Monday, October 14th in McGaw Chapel at 1:00 pm to celebrate the life of Coach Al Van Wie. A reception for family and friends will be held at the Wooster Inn following the service. We continue to pray prayers of comfort and strength for Judy, their family and friends.
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The Rev. Tipi Jacob Nthakhe
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Jacob will not be joining us as previously planned. He has cancelled his trip to the US and his visit to Westminster, due to the sudden death of his mother prior to his scheduled departure from South Africa. We will miss Jacob's ministry among us and continue to keep him and his family in our prayers.
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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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Message from Dries
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This coming Sunday, October 13th, our scripture reading comes to us from 2 Timothy 2: 8- 15 with its talk of salvation. I must say it felt disconnected to talk about salvation in the midst of a government shutdown and as we continue to realize the ripple effect it has on the poor and the marginalized in our society. It was not until I read Miguel A. De La Torre's perspective on the reading that I made the connection to the need for us as a community of faith to reflect on salvation within our context. De La Torre [1] states that;
"In our rush to signify the cross as a sign of hope, a sacrificial golden symbol to be hung around our necks, we fail to pause on the tragedy, the hopelessness, the failure, the powerlessness of dying with Christ. There is no redemption in Jesus' sufferings or atonement. For those who have suffered marginalization, it is difficult, if not impossible, to claim anything redemptive in suffering. The good news Paul preached is that salvation does not occur exclusively on the cross. After all, Paul preached Christ risen, not Christ dead on a cross. Salvation is found in Jesus' birth, life, teachings, praxis, resurrection, spirit, and, yes, also death. The importance of Jesus' crucifixion is not atonement; it is solidarity with all who are crucified today so that the few can enjoy their abundant lives of privilege. To die with Christ so that we can live with him is to die for the same reasons he did, as an act of solidarity with the very least of these."
In this context I am inviting you to join me as we show solidarity with those who are being "crucified today so that the few can enjoy their abundant lives of privilege."
1) Government Shutdown
2) Open the Door to Equality Rally Join me on Sunday afternoon, October 13th at 3:45 pm for the 5th Annual Open the Door to Equality Rally that will take place in
downtown Wooster at the Gazebo, corner of Liberty and Market Streets. Our theme this year is "Telling Our Stories". I will be one of the featured speakers along with Rabbi David Horowitz, the national president of PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays), Elyzabeth Holford, the Executive Director of Equality Ohio, and Peg Tomblin. Music at the Rally will be provided by the combined choirs of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Wayne County and Westminster. 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.
The above two opportunities are very small ways in which you can show your solidarity with the marginalized, the poor, and the disenfranchised!
Blessings and see you in worship,
Dries
[1] Allen, Ronald J. (2012-08-28). Preaching God's Transforming Justice: A Lectionary Commentary, Year C (Kindle Location 10499). Westminster John Knox Press. Kindle Edition.
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October Vegan Potluck
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 We look forward to seeing you at the October Vegan Potluck on Thursday, October 17th, at 6:00 p.m. in Mackey Hall. This meal is a great opportunity for WPC members, Wooster community members, and College of Wooster students to enjoy delicious food and good fellowship while learning more about sustainable living. Just bring a pot-luck dish containing no meat, dairy, or eggs (no need for students to bring a dish).
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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Children's Education
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This week we will be looking at our covenant again and creating a display for our room. If each child could come with a magazine, that would be fantastic!
Additionally, we are still looking to have a fall fun outing together! Please contact Evangeline and let me know if October 20th after worship would (or wouldn't) work for your kids/grandchildren. The apples will be picked over by then, so pumpkins it is!
Thanks for your support and see you Sunday at 9:45!
Thanks,
Evangeline Smith
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| Equality for All |
In the work towards fairness, Ohio is the lock and people of faith are the key.
Friends,
As you may have heard, the US Congress is the closest it has ever been to passing the employment non-discrimination act (ENDA). This law is a critically needed piece of legislation that would bar workplace
discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Every day, across the country and close to home, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer people are fired from or discriminated against in their jobs, simply for living honestly as themselves.
As Presbyterians we stood up when we saw our churches discriminating against LGBTQ people because we believe God loves and welcomes all people. As people of faith we now have the opportunity and responsibility to stand up when we see LGBTQ people being treated as less than human in their jobs.
Ohio legislators are on the fence about whether to support fairness for all people. They need to hear from people of faith that we believe all people deserve to be treated equally, especially at their jobs. To raise our voices as people of faith, More Light Presbyterians is collecting signatures for a letter to Ohio Senator Rob Portman urging that he support ENDA. MLP is working in partnership with Equality Ohio, to demonstrate that a diverse cadre of religious leaders and congregations support this bill.
Will you join other faithful Ohioans and add your name to a letter to Senator Portman? Click here to read the letter and add your name. The letter outlines several reasons why our faith compels us to speak up for ENDA and encourages Senator Portman to do the same.
If you think your whole congregation might support signing on to this letter, we are certain that having names of whole congregations will be sure to make an impact. The time to act is now. We need signatures to this letter by Monday October 14 in order to urge swift passage of ENDA.
Your voice could be the tipping point towards fairness and equal treatment for all LGBTQ persons nationwide. Can you add your name today? Thank you for all you have done to create welcome in our denomination and now in our world.
In peace,
 Alex Patchin McNeill Executive Director More Light Presbyterians
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Goverment Shutdown
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People Matter: Government is About the Responsible Use of Power
A Statement by the Reverend J. Herbert Nelson, II
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Holly House Fundraiser
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Come Join Us: 
The Annual PIG ROAST for HOLLY House Inc. Holly House is a nonprofit organization designed to assist the homeless in finding and maintaining safe and affordable housing in Wayne County.
Where: Christmas Run Park, Main Pavilion Wooster, Ohio 44691
When: Saturday, October 19th from 3 pm to 8 pm
For more information: Pig Roast Flyer
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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!
Sunday, October 13, 2013
9:30am - Choir Rehearsal in Mackey Hall 9:30am - Adult Education in the Lounge
9:45am - Children's Education in the Sunday School Room 10:45am - Worship in Mackey Hall, Pastor Dries preaching
12:00pm - Deacon's Meeting in the Mackey Kitchen 3:45pm- Open the Door to Equality Rally at Gazebo in Downtown Wooster Monday, October 14, 2013 1:00pm - Alvin Van Wie Memorial in McGaw Chapel Tuesday, October 15, 2013 10:00am - Mission Cohort Meeting in The Lounge 2:00pm - Congregational Life Cohort Meeting in the Pastor's Study Wednesday, October 16, 2013 7:00pm - Choir Practice in Mackey Hall
Thursday, October 17, 2013 4:45pm - Cooking with Natalie in Mackey Hall kitchen 6:00pm - Vegan Potluck in Mackey Hall Sunday, October 20, 2013 9:30am - Choir Rehearsal in Mackey Hall 9:30am - Adult Education in the Lounge
9:45am - Children's Education in the Sunday School Room 10:45am - Worship in Mackey Hall, Balajied and Cheryl Khyllep 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 East Pine Street, Wooster, OH 44691
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