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Weekly News Friday, April 11, 2014
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Get Involved
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Joe Hartzler is the April Hospitality Coordinator. To help Joe make Westminster the warm and inviting place we are called to be, 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 t he 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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One Great Hour of Sharing
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 On Easter Sunday, April 20th we will be collecting donations for One Great Hour of Sharing. Since 1949 Presbyterians have joined with millions of other Christians through One Great Hour of Sharing to share God's love with our neighbors-in-need around the world. Your generous gifts to this Special Offering help provide relief those affected by natural disasters, provide food to the hungry, and assist in helping to empower the poor and oppressed.
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Palm Sunday
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 This week we will be celebrating Palm Sunday in Worship. The palms that we use at Westminster, help support the harvesting communities and the families that help harvest and select the palms. In addition, the money spent on the palms helps to protect the environment by protecting the rainforest in which the palms grow. For more information visit www.ecopalms.org.
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Pastoral Care
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 Join us after worship on April 27th in The Lounge if you feel called to care for our homebound members and those in need. If you are interested but not able to attend the meeting please contact Pastor Dries.
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Reflection of the Week
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As we prepare for Palm Sunday, Holy Week, and Easter Sunday, I invite you to join us for all our worship services. These services are an opportunity to grow in faith, spirituality, and to deepen our community at Westminster. From my own personal experience, I know that the Easter events are much more meaningful if you travel within community with Jesus through Holy Week to Easter morning.
This coming Sunday we will celebrate Palm Sunday with Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem. In past years we combined Palm Sunday with Passion Sunday, making the transition from Jesus triumphant entry into Jerusalem and the story of his suffering and crucifixion in one service. The reason for cramming Holy Week in one service is that most people do not come back to worship during the week for the Maundy Thursday and Good Friday Services, and thus come to the Easter Sunday Service without entering Jesus' suffering and crucifixion.
Somehow we as a church, who takes inspiration from the life of Jesus of Nazareth, need to make sure that the story of Jesus' death is given its due before acknowledging any reports of resurrection appearances.
Therefore, I invite you this week as we prepare for Palm Sunday and Holy Week to meditate on the Scripture for Sunday, Matthew 21: 1-11.
I also invite you to meditate on what it means to enter Jerusalem today. A photo taken the day of the annual Jerusalem marathon on March 21, 2014 is spreading across social media. In this picture, Israeli police forces restricted access to Al-Aqsa mosque on Friday, March 21, due to the annual Jerusalem marathon, but they could not stop this little Palestinian boy from saying his prayers.
" At the 219th General Assembly, the PC-USA expressed its opposition to a blockade on Gaza which prohibits adequate levels of food, medicine, building supplies, and humanitarian assistance from entering Gaza. In addition, the Denomination affirmed its support for the necessity of allowing "free commercial exchange in and out of Gaza." As part of this recommendation, the General Assembly specifically called upon the U.S. government to "end any support for the blockade that interferes with the adequacy such items or such exchange." As Presbyterians we are guided by a concern for a just and lasting peace that will reach all people in Israel-Palestine, including the citizens of Gaza." Read the Action Alert and take action!
See you in worship on Sunday as we are joined by the Gomes Choir for their yearly visit to Wooster.
Blessings,
Dries
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Lent @ Westminster
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April
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 present 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
6:00pm Meditative Service in The Meeting Place
20: Easter Sunday
6:30am Sunrise Worship at Oak Hill Park pavilion
9:00am Brunch in The Meeting Place
10:00am Intergenerational Easter activities
10:45am Easter Service with Communion
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April Vegan Meal
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Join us for our monthly Vegan Potluck (the third Thursday of the month) on Thursday, April 17, 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, but always welcome). Come early at 4:45 for "Cooking with Natalie". We will be recognizing College of Wooster Seniors at this our last vegan potluck of the academic year. RSVP through Sign Up Genius or to Carly in the Church Office.
Join us after the Vegan Meal for the Maundy Thursday service in The Meeting Place at 7:00pm.
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Children's Education
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Last Sunday we successfully put together Easter Baskets for the homebound members. It was quite the adventure! I heard that the delivery of the baskets was also a success. Thanks to everyone who participated and especially Mr. Relle for facilitating the fun!
This week we will be doing another service project together. The Gomes choir is here all weekend, and the Sunday School kids
will be helping the Benevolence Committee pack lunches for their journey home. Please plan to meet at 9:30am in the Narthex.
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Adult Education & Upcoming Speaker
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 On Sunday April 13 we will begin discussing the book, Authentic Hope: It's the End of the World as We Know It but Soft Landings Are Possible by Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer during Adult Education. "The world and nation we've known are coming to an end. It s not that we don't have a future, but the future we do have will differ radically from what we have come to experience as normal. Financial meltdowns, failed wars, melting ice caps, protracted unemployment, the end of cheap oil, and unprecedented droughts, floods, and heat waves all point to one central reality: Like it or not, it is all but certain that both as individuals and as a nation our futures will be marked by disruption and discontinuity. Although this is a scary thought, Authentic Hope builds on a more positive premise: that we have both an opportunity and a responsibility to shape the quality of our future. Whether events five, ten, or thirty years from now play out according to our worst fears or our better selves will be determined by many factors, including our capacity honestly to face problems, to envision and embody alternatives, and to cultivate and sustain hope (amazon.com)."
We have four more copies available for $18.00, but you can order it yourself at your preferred bookstore, and it is also available on Kindle for $9.99 and Nook for $10.99.
Save The Dates: May 17th & 18th
 | | Jack Nelson Pallmeyer |
We are inviting you to join your Westminster family and the community on Saturday, May 17th & and Sunday, May 18th to spend time with author Jack Nelson Pallmeyer. Jack is Associate Professor of Justice and Peace Studies at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota. He is a graduate of St. Olaf College where he majored in Political Science. Jack did his theological training at Union Theological Seminary in New York City where he received a Master of Divinity degree. Jack is an activist academic whose life and work are focused on addressing the political, economic, faith, and foreign policy dimensions of hunger and poverty.
Jack is one of the founders of the Minnesota Arms Spending Alternatives Project (mnasap.org), a grassroots initiative to build a state-wide movement to shift federal spending priorities from militarization and war to meeting essential needs.
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Easter Flowers
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 As we prepare for Easter, we will be collecting donations for the Daffodils, Tulips, Royal Geraniums, and of course Easter Lilies which will compliment our sanctuary Easter Sunday. If you are interested in donating a flower in memory/in honor of a loved one, please fill out the Flower Order Form and return to the church office or place in the offering plate during worship on Sunday, April 13th. All additional money raised will be given to People to People ministries.
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Green Tip of the Week
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Water Saving Tips in the Garden
Millions of gallons of water are used in gardens and lawns each year -many of them wastefully. Here are some ways to cut back on the amount of water you use in the garden:
- Adjust your lawn mower to a higher setting. Longer grass retains water better.
- Water in the early morning, when temperatures are cooler, to minimize evaporation.
- Check your sprinkler system regularly and adjust sprinklers so only your lawn is watered and not the house, sidewalk, or street.
- Collect and use rainwater for watering your garden.
- Direct downspouts or gutters toward shrubs or trees.
- Install a drip irrigation system around your trees and shrubs to water more efficiently.
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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, April 13, 2014 - Palm Sunday
9:30am - Adult Education in The Lounge
9:30am - Choir Rehearsal in Mackey Hall
9:30am - Children's Sunday School pack sack lunches in the Narthex
10:45am - Worship featuring the Gomes Choir in Mackey Hall, Pastor Dries preaching
7:00pm - Cantate Singers Concert in Mackey Hall
Monday, April 14, 2014
12:00pm - Building Committee Meeting in the Lounge
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
10:00am - Mission Cohort Meeting in the Lounge
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
7:00pm - Choir Rehearsal in Mackey Hall
Thursday, April 17, 2014
6:00pm - Vegan Potluck in Mackey Hall
6:30pm - Dance Group in the Sunday School Room
7:00pm - Maundy Thursday Communion Service in The Meeting Place
Friday, April 18, 2014 6:00pm - Good Friday Meditative Service in The Meeting Place
Sunday, April 20, 2014- Easter Sunday 6:30am - Sunrise Service at Oak Hill Pavilion
9:00am - Brunch in The Meeting Place
9:30am - Choir Rehearsal in Mackey Hall
10:00am - Intergenerational Sunday School in the Office Lobby
10:45am - Worship in Mackey Hall
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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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