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Weekly News Friday, February 21, 2014
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Worship
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Sunday, February 23 - 10:45am
Pastor Dries preaching on
"Non-Violent Action"
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Children's Education
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 This Sunday we will be looking at the elements of worship and asking the following questions:
-What are the elements?
-How does worship flow?
-Do all churches have the same elements of worship?
-What do they mean?
-What is your favorite part?
-What is your least favorite part?
Looking forward to seeing you all Sunday :)
Evangeline Smith
Student Intern
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Get Involved
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Be a part of Westminster's Radical Hospitality! 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 (330-263-2398) in the church office.
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Support our Choral Scholars
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"The Wooster Chorus, under the direction of Lisa Wong, will join Taifa Mziki, an all-male a cappella ensemble from Nairobi, Kenya, for a concert on Friday, Feb. 21, at The College of Wooster. The performance, which is free and open to the public, will be held in Gault Recital Hall of Scheide Music Center (525 E. University St.) beginning at 7:30 p.m.(Finn, 2014)". Westminster's choral scholars, Jordan Shremshock, Liz Kittner, Peter Rohweder, and James May, are members of the Wooster Chorus. Come support them and enjoy an evening of global music. Click here for more information.
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Boy Scout Cake Auction
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Westminster is invited to join our Cub Scout Troop on Tuesday, February 25th at 6pm in Mackey Hall (auction starting at 6:30 sharp) for their Cake Auction. Money raised through the auction will be used for camp scholarships for each boy. Half of what is earned will be donated back to Westminster for events and scholarships. The theme is "Camping" and each boy is required to make one cake based on this theme. So join us on the 25th and bring your sweet tooth!
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CAMO Volunteer Opportunity
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All are invited to join us for Westminster's monthly volunteer time at Central American Medical Outreach (322 Westwood Avenue, Orrville) next Wednesday, February 26th from 10am-12noon. Those who would like to carpool can meet at the Church House at 9:30. We are fortunate to have the opportunity to volunteer right in our own area to help improve the quality of life of people in Central America. Please let Beth know if you will be able to join us this month. The more the merrier!
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New Hymnal Offering
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Envelopes are available in Mackey Hall for you to donate a copy of the new hymnal, In Memory of/In Honor of a loved one for $15.00. If you are not in worship and would like to donate, please contact the church office.
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Message from Beth
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Last Sunday, "my heart was strangely warmed" (a little John Wesley reference from my Methodist upbringing :) to have UKirk students welcome the opportunity to lead worship and better acquaint the congregation with who and what we are about. Our UKirk community has been strengthened and renewed by our winter retreat, thanks to the support of Westminster and First Presbyterian Churches. As you know, student ministry is a hallmark of this Congregation-in-Residence on the campus of the College of Wooster, and I hope last Sunday you got a sense of the ways Westminster is continuing that tradition. (And speaking of traditions, see the picture above taken by our BorderLinks intern Grace Sparks on the way to Agape Latte Tuesday morning. What fun to open facebook on Tuesday morning and see it flooded with photos of the revelry Monday night! I can't take any credit for the filling of the arch, but a number of the students you see at Westminster certainly can!)
Back to some of the ways Westminster and College of Wooster students continue to be in ministry together. College of Wooster students joined Westminster for our Habitat workday, support the monthly vegan meals through their faithful presence as well as by presenting programs, join us for monthly social justice potlucks as guests and presenters, and lead worship as liturgists and musicians. In turn our congregation nurtures students with rides to and from airports and bus stations, looks after plants, fish, and belongings over breaks, attends performances, and expresses care through food, whether it's a meal at church, an invitation to a restaurant, or a congregant's home. Students' feelings of belonging and welcome at Westminster show in their presence and involvement in our community of faith. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this inspiring, life-altering ministry tradition at Westminster. "It's where we, Christ's body, are called to be." [1]
Blessings,
[1] UKIRK MINISTRIES, ukirk.org video, 1:24, http://www.ukirk.org/index.php/who-we-are/
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March Social Justice Potluck
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On Sunday, March 2nd, we will host our monthly Social Justice Potluck. Join us as we "extend the table". Local chef Linda Pattin will again provide the main dish.
 We invite you to bring a salad or dessert to round out the table. Students needn't bring food, just come!
The speaker for the March Social Justice Potluck will be College of Wooster junior Teresa Butel who will be presenting on her I.S. topic "Refugee Identity Crisis in the Middle East". The current hot topic about the Middle East is the refugee crisis sparked by the continuing Syrian war. While studying abroad in Jordan last semester, Teresa was confronted by this reality every day. Teresa's research was inspired by a comment made during a lecture on Palestinian refugees: "If Israelis make a claim to a homeland based on biblical recordings from centuries past, how can they not expect Palestinians to do the same based on recent memory?" Teresa's presentation will compare factors that impact the formation and maintenance of refugee identity in Palestinian and Syrian refugee communities living in the city of Amman, Jordan.
RSVP through Sign Up Genius, to Carly in the church office, or the sign up board in the back of Mackey Hall.
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Ash Wednesday Service
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In what has now become an annual tradition, you are invited to attend a joint Ash Wednesday potluck and service between First and Westminster Presbyterian Churches on Wednesday, March 5. Each year one of our churches hosts the service and this year the service will take place at Westminster.
At 6:00pm we will gather in The Meeting Place for a potluck in which we will share our abundance with one another. Please bring enough food for your family and others who might join us (dishes and eating utensils will be provided).
At 7:00pm we will gather in Mackey Hall for a meditative worship service entitled "Overcome Violence: The Power and Promise of Peace." During the service you will be invited through mindfulness, prayer, reflection, and the imposition of ashes to become more aware of our culture of violence and how we contribute to it through word and deed. As we begin our Lenten journey, accompanying Jesus as he carries the cross of nonviolent resistance, we will be invited to participate in a "Lenten Fast from Violence" as we work to bring about his kin-dom of justice and peace.
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At our Winter UKirk retreat we did a lot of brainstorming about what we want to do as a group moving forward. Out of that was born a new gathering in addition to our first Thursday monthly meals. After much discussion, it is called Agape Latte. Agape often translates to unconditional love and latte directly translates to God's gift in caffeinated, liquid form. UKirk hopes to combine these two gifts in Kauke Hall's Old Main Cafe' (fish bowl) every Tuesday morning- 8:30am- 9:30am.
Come with life questions, Bible questions, "I think about this but can never say it out loud" questions. Come with poetry, newspaper articles, books, wisdom. The goal is to have a more consistent UKirk space, where we can delve a little deeper than names.
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Vegan Meal featured in new book!
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Carol J. Adams, Patti Breitman, and Virginia Messina have included a blurb about Westminster (taken from a Wooster Magazine article by Karol Crosbie) in their new book "Never Too Late to Go Vegan". The reprint states, "The Vegan Potluck began about three years ago as a kind of support group for a few members of Westminster Presbyterian Church (including Dave Noble, C.O.W. class of 1963 and heart specialist and college trustee, Ken Shafer, C.O.W. class of 1975) who wanted to share recipes and dining experiences.
When it started growing, the group moved it out of their homes and into the church (the college's congregation in residence) and threw the doors wide open to students.
And then it really exploded, It is not unusual for 50 students to attend the monthly event, which often includes a cooking lesson from staff members at the local food cooperative and a short lecture on sustainability issues, delivered by both students and community members."
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Habitat Ecumenical Update
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 The Ecumenical house has slowed down through these cold winter months. We have, though, finally gotten the wiring complete and inspected which allowed Holmes-Wayne Electric to get into the house and get our electric going. We now are able to have heaters running to provide heat throughout the house (a well insulated house I might add!).
The garage drywall has been hung and we plan on getting the main door in between the garage and the house this week. It's at that point when we can hire the drywall finishers to come and and complete the sheet rock process. We also need a bit of a thaw in the weather in order to have the basement floor poured. We hope the weather breaks soon and we will push to get back to a point when our wonderful volunteers can get back to building and finishing Heidi's house. If you have any ideas or suggestions for us and the Ecumenical Build please call me at 330-749-7458. Thank you for being a part of this wonderful example of churches working together to bring glory to God and stability and dignity to Heidi and her family.
Thanks again,
Beth Weaver
Habitat in Wayne County is asking for donations to purchase insulation for one of our houses. The average insulation price is $1.00 per sq. foot. Our houses average 1200 sq. feet. Please consider a donation to help keep a family warm in winter. Contributions can be mailed to Habitat for Humanity in Wayne Co., 1451 Spruce St. Ext, Wooster, Ohio 44691
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Green Tip of the Week
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Now that the days are getting longer and the temperature more congenial, why not dust off your bicycle and consider the two-wheel way to get around? Not only will biking help get you in shape for spring and summer, but it'll also bring you closer to your community and protect the environment too. Here are some tips to get you cycling:
- Take a class. Sure, you know how to ride a bike, but do you know how to ride safely among other cyclists or on a road with cars? A bicycle safety class can give you the confidence to ride in all sorts of conditions.
- Bike to work. If not every day, try one or two days a week.
- Build strength (and fun) in numbers.
- Take a load off. Add a carrier rack or baskets to your bike to make it easier to transport your briefcase or groceries. Learn about the cargo you can carry with the video Bicycle Bag Basics.
- Hit the trails. EarthShare member Rails-to-Trails Conservancy offers TrailLink, a robust source of FREE trail information including trail descriptions, maps, pictures and more.
- Go far. Feeling ambitious? Join the 300-mile Climate Ride to raise money for organizations supporting bicycle advocacy and climate change solutions.
- Support bicycle infrastructure. If bicycling is difficult or dangerous, people won't want to try it. That's why bike lanes, traffic calming design, driver education and plentiful bike racks are so important for building a bicycle-friendly culture.
Believe It or Not!
If you biked to work rather than drove, you could save 407 gallons of gasoline each year - half the amount burned annually by a typical American car.
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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, February 23, 2014
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
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
7:00pm - Session Meeting in the Lounge
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
10:00am - CAMO Volunteer Day (9:30am meet to carpool in church parking lot)
7:00pm - Choir Rehearsal in Mackey Hall
Thursday, February 27, 2014
6:30pm - Dance Group in Mackey Hall
Sunday, March 2, 2014
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 - Social Justice Potluck in Mackey Hall, C.O.W. student Teresa Butel speaking
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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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