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Weekly News Friday, March 14, 2014
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Children's Education
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There will be no Sunday School this Sunday, Mar.16th, as Evangeline Smith will be on Spring Break. See you on Sunday, March 23rd!
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Our Family Labels
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 The Benevolence Committee asks you to scour your cupboards for Our Family labels and bring them to the box in the narthex of the church (underneath the wooden bench of the coat rack). We will trim or remove them, count them, package them, and send them off. All money raised goes to help others achieve a better life.
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Women's Bible Study
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Just a reminder that the March Women's Bible Study will be March 25th. All are welcome to join us, even if you have not made it to a class this year.
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People to People
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Food:
Complete pancake mix,
syrup, hot cereal, cold cereal,
crackers, peanut butter, jelly,
apple sauce, canned fruit, . We
can also use clean small jelly jars with lids
Personal Products:
Shampoo, men's and women's
deodorant, laundry soap, dish
soap, paper towels, toilet paper,
feminine products, and cleaning
products
Clothing:
Men's and women's boots size 9 or larger and gloves for men and boys.
Household Items:
Large electric heaters, bed
pillows, comforters (queen &
double), new blankets, toasters,
electric can openers, coffee pots,dish drainers, irons, large skillets, and Dutch ovens
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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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Bed & Breakfast Program
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Our website is receiving requests for hospitality for the last weekend in April (26, 27, 28) due to a College of Wooster event for accepted students who have not committed to attending the College and for graduation weekend, May 10, 11, 12, 13. Please contact Linda Barbu, bed and breakfast coordinator, if you can commit to hosting visitors for either or both of these times.
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Christian Science Program Offering
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Reflection of the Week
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As we continue our Lenten journey this week to "Overcome Violence: The Power and Promise of Peace", we turn our attention to the environment. On Sunday, March 16th, Doug Drushal will lead worship with his meditation entitled "Environmental Extremism".
In preparation for this Sunday, I have the following report that reveals the environmental cost of the North American Free Trade Agreement that was included in an email this past week from Alexa Smith, Presbyterian Church (USA) Associate for Joining Hands.
"Environmental Damages Underscore Risks of Unfair Trade
Tuesday, March 11, 2014 WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A massive free trade deal went into effect 20 years ago and has had very harmful effects on communities and the environment in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, according to a report released today.
January 1, 1994 marked the first day of the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and nearly 20 years later, communities are still suffering from its consequences.
Among other conclusions, this report finds that NAFTA: - Facilitated the expansion of large-scale, export-oriented farming that relies heavily on fossil fuels, pesticides, and genetically modified organisms;
- Encouraged a boom in environmentally destructive mining activities in Mexico;
- Undermined Canada's ability to regulate its tar sands industry and locked the country into shipping large quantities of fossil fuels to the United States;
- Catalyzed economic growth in North American industries and manufacturing sectors while simultaneously failing to safeguard against the increase in air and water pollution associated with this growth; and
- Weakened domestic environmental safeguards by providing corporations with new legal avenues to challenge environmental policy-making.
'These are not unfortunate side-effects, but rather the inevitable results of a model of trade that favors corporate profits over the interests of communities and the environment," said the report, written by the Sierra Club, Sierra Club Canada, the Mexican Action Network on Free Trade (RMALC), the Institute for Policy Studies, and the Council of Canadians. "It is time to recognize that the NAFTA model of trade is failing communities across the North American region and harming our shared environment.'" (From Sierra Club)
Download the report here
Next week I am looking forward to sending a reflection from the US/Mexico border as Beth and I participate with eight College of Wooster students in a BorderLinks delegation.
Blessings,
Dries
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Lent @ Westminster
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March
16: Second Sunday in Lent
10:45am Violence against the Environment
Doug Drushal preaching
23: Third Sunday in Lent
10:45am Violence against Ourselves
Service of Wholeness with Pastor Dries leading worship
30: Fourth Sunday in Lent
10:45am Violence against Women
Rev. Dr. Linda Morgan Clement preaching
April
6: Fifth Sunday in Lent
10:45am Violence and Immigration
The Westminster delegation to BorderLinks will lead worship
12:00pm Social Justice Potluck focusing on Immigration and the experiences of the Westminster BorderLinks delegation.
13: Palm Sunday
10:45am Liturgy of the Palms
The Gomes Choir will share their energy and music during a worship service that will mark the beginning of Holy Week.
7:00pm Cantate Singers will be presenting a program of evening songs, including the Mozart Vespers, with a chamber orchestra.
17: Maundy Thursday
6:00pm Monthly Vegan Meal
7:00pm Communion Service in The Meeting Place
18: Good Friday
Meditative Service at 6:00pm
20: Easter Sunday
Sunrise Worship & Brunch (times to be announced)
10:45am Easter Service with Communion
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Adult Education this Week
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 Adult Education for this coming Sunday, March 16, will engage in a discussion of the topic presented in Chapter 18 of "Living the Questions - The Wisdom of Progressive Christianity" by David M. Felten and Jeff Procter-Murphy. The Chapter is entitled "Prayer Intimacy with the Divine." You do not need to have read Chapter 18 to participate in the discussion.
Last Sunday the Adult Education discussion centered on Chapter 17, entitled "Incarnation - Divinely Human." One of the topics discussed was at death do we "pass" or do we "die." Half of those attending said we "pass" and the other half that we "die."
This Sunday we will discuss prayer. What do our prayers consist of? In our prayers do we petition God to grant this or that request or wish such as health, especially when we or someone we know or love is seriously ill or for safety when in possible danger? Or is prayer a form of divine contemplation?
All are welcomed and encouraged to attend this Sunday's Adult Education.
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Immigration Advocacy Intern
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 My name is Grace Sparks and I am the immigration advocacy intern at Westminster. Beth and Dries first approached me about this position because I attend UKirk and am a Spanish minor at the College. Upon hearing more about it, I took a great interest in this trip. BorderLinks is a program that sends groups across the border from Arizona to Mexico every week. This is not a trip with a focus on service. Although we will do some projects, we are there to learn about this particular situation. This trip is more about the understanding and the process than the product. However, I hope that each of the people who will be going will emerge with a different view on how our country relates to others and how we work within ourselves. As the intern I've done a lot of reading on the subject. I studied the specific issues that affect the border area, our history with laws regarding immigration, and different views on the future of this process. I have been asked many times if I'm afraid for this trip, whether it's the safety of myself, my group, or just scared. I am truthfully most scared that this trip will not make as much of a difference as we want it to. We all see this problem and become involved with high hopes that with new knowledge we will be able to fix the issue. This may be na�ve, but our group is a powerful group of people who have large aspirations and even stronger love for other people. We ate dinner together last week and I was able to get to know some of these people. They all seem so fantastic and optimistic. I know that with their hope and caring we will be able to do make a difference, through the support of Beth and Dries, the BorderLinks program, and the church. |
| Vegan Meal - March 27th |
 Westminster Presbyterian Church invites you to our monthly Vegan Potluck (typically the third Thursday of the month- we have delayed it this month due to The College spring break) on Thursday, March 27, at 6:00 p.m. in Mackey Hall, 353 E. Pine Street. 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, but always welcome). This month's program will be presented by Grace Gamble, Camille Boufford, and Nanako Ito, College of Wooster first-year students. They will be talking to us about the cookbook they created for their First Year Seminar, You are What You Eat. Please RSVP through Sign Up Genius, to Carly in the Church Office, or on the Sign Up board in the back of Mackey Hall.
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| Health Kits |
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Brushing teeth is a daily routine most of us take for granted--but not seven-year-old Mohammed, who has been living in a tent city where water can be scarce. After the October 2005 earthquake that flattened Mohammed's hometown, CWS provided refugees with shelter, water, sanitation, schooling, CWS Health and School Kits, and medicine. Photo: Annie Griffiths for CWS
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As part of Westminster's response to our Lenten call to "Overcome Violence: The Power and Promise of Peace", we ask you to participate in our yearly Church World Service Hygiene Kit collection.
Please consider purchasing hand towels, nail clippers, wide tooth combs, and toothbrushes (individually packaged) to complete hygiene kits for Church World Service Gifts of the Heart. These are a component of the Presbyterian Church's disaster assistance helping those who are victims of war, natural disasters or economic injustice. Clean hands, teeth and face can bring some normalcy to a disrupted life. Church World Service is a partner organization of Presbyterian Disaster Assistance.
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"Music from the Heart" Benefit Recital
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 Announcing the ninth annual "Music From The Heart" performance on Sunday, March 16th at 7pm in Scheide Music Center on The College of Wooster campus. This program of inspiring and beautiful music, will feature area healthcare professionals who will set down their stethoscopes and pick up their musical instruments. This year the program will feature The Next Generation- children of area healthcare professionals. The proceeds from this year's event will be given to People To People Ministries to support its prescription medication assistance program, which addresses a huge need in our community, and functions solely on the basis of donations.
General admission seats will be available for $25.00 and level giving will start with two tickets at $100.00 and up. There will be a reception following the concert for all attending. All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed. General admission tickets will be available at Aultman-Orrville Hospital, Buehler's Milltown, Wooster Community Hospital Gift Shop, all Ritzman Pharmacy locations in Wayne County, and People To People Ministries office starting February 18.
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Green Tip of the Week
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Kick Seasonal Allergies Naturally
The not-so-great news for allergy sufferers: trees and grasses - the biggest culprits of seasonal allergies - are blossoming earlier and sticking around longer because of climate change. This means allergy season is getting longer, too!
If you're a seasonal sufferer who's looking for ways to treat allergies other than medication, here are some tips for natural relief:
- First, get tested for regional allergies. The seasonal allergies you have depend upon where you live and what kind of allergens are in the air. Getting tested for allergies can help you determine what's causing your symptoms and how best to treat them.
- Go local for your allergy remedies. You may have heard the old wives' tale that eating a spoonful of honey a day will cure your allergies. Well, it won't cure them but it can significantly decrease your susceptibility to local allergens. Eating small, regular doses of honey or bee pollen supplements that are produced in your region can help your body build up a tolerance to pollen allergens, reducing the havoc they wreak on your sinuses. You can find locally produced honey and bee pollen at farmers' markets in your area, as well as in many organic chain markets.
- Some allergy specialists suggest that your diet plays a role in controlling symptoms. Click here to check out more tips about foods and herbs like garlic and 'butterbur' that may help relieve or ward off symptoms.
- Some experts swear by nasal rinses to wash out the allergens that get in your nose. Irrigation with neti pots, hydrating irrigating units, and squeeze bottles are becoming more mainstream - some experts think the treatment is even more effective than medication!
- Clean your home regularly to reduce indoor allergies. Twenty percent of Americans have not just one, but two kinds of allergies, so staying indoors isn't always the best option when you're trying to escape those irritants.
Sadly, all the tissues you do end up using during allergy season can't be recycled - used tissues just aren't recyclable, despite being paper product. So consider buying tissues and toilet paper made from recycled paper or use a cloth handkerchief. Taken from www.earthshare.org.
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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, March 16, 2014
9:30am - Choir Rehearsal in Mackey Hall
9:30am - Adult Education in the Lounge
10:45am - Worship in Mackey Hall, Doug Drushal preaching
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
10:00am - Mission Cohort Meeting in the Lounge
2:00pm - Congregational Life Cohort Meeting in the Lounge
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
7:00pm - Choir Rehearsal in Mackey Hall
Thursday, March 20, 2014
6:30pm - Dance Group in Mackey Hall
Sunday, March 23, 2014
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, Service of Wholeness, Pastor Dries preaching
12:00pm - Deacons' Meeting in the back of 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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