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Weekly News Friday, August 29, 2014
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You Can Help
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 ADA Bathroom
We need $2000 more!
You can help Westminster be more inclusive. Donate to our ADA Bathroom project here. Read more here
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Get Involved
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Help 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 sheet in Mackey Hall, or by contacting Carly Jones (330-263-2398330-263-2398) in the church office.
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Looking to Get Involved?
|  Westminster could use your help! Hospitality Coordinators are needed on Sunday mornings to help with Fellowship time before church. There is no preparation to be completed during the week and little training is needed to fulfill the role (please see attached job description for more information). You can sign up for a month at a time, or take it week by week. Please let the church office know if you are willing to help or would like more information.
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Worship At Westminster
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Sunday, August 31, 2014
Worship service at 10:45am in Mackey Hall, Rev. Andries Coetzee preaching.
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Worship service at 10:45am in Mackey Hall. Rev. Andries Coetzee preaching. Communion will be celebrated. Monthly Social Justice Potluck at noon following worship.
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Office Closed
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 The church office will be closed on Monday, September 1st in observance of Labor Day. Voice-mail will be checked throughout the weekend. Contact Pastor Dries on his cell phone for pastoral care concerns.
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Emergency Response Plan
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 The past year, the Building Committee has been working on an Emergency Response plan for Westminster Church House. The plan is to clarify procedures in the event of a fire, natural disaster, etc. We will be sharing the document with other users in the building and training our ushers on the information as well. We would also like for our members to read through the information so they are familiar with the plan in the event of an emergency. Our hope is that we never have to use this information, but feel better that we are prepared. If you have any questions or have things that you think should be updated, please contact any member of the Building Committee.
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Need to borrow something?
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The Building Committee has recently put together a request form for church members who are interested in borrowing church property for an event or personal use. The forms can be found in the copy room of the church office or downloaded by clicking on the above link. Please let Carly know if you have any other questions. We do ask that requests are submitted on business days 24 hours before the item is needed.
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Reflection of the Week
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This past weekend was powerful at Westminster as we welcomed new students of The College of Wooster to journey with us. During worship, we invited students to do more with their lives than to simply preserve it as we engage in peacemaking and put our faith into action to bring about a reality in which the human dignity of every person will be respected.
Later, Sunday afternoon we did just that! At 3:00pm we joined other Wooster churches, Wooster/Orrville NAACP, and The College of Wooster in solidarity with the family of Michael Brown and the people of Ferguson, MO. See the following videos to hear my opening words and my speech at the event.
Putting our faith into action is such a big part of our faith formation at Westminster. When we stand up for what we believe, it plays an important role in the lives of students like Devin Johns who graduated from The College last year and worshiped with Westminster for four years. This year she committed herself to a year of service through the Presbyterian Church (USA) Young Adult Volunteer Program. As she left for Zambia last week she wrote the following about her years at Westminster:
" I'm concluding my first year at the College of Wooster. I had gone in search of a worshipping community, but found so much more than that at Westminster  Presbyterian Church. I found resources on new issues of peace and justice that I had never previously encountered. I found a new place for my faith to change and expand. I found a loving Wooster family to lift me up in love and song and spirit whenever I needed. As a parting gift for the summer from this intentionally loving and inclusive community, I received a necklace. Not just a necklace, but a necklace with a tiny paper crane charm. Now I'm not one to often talk about destiny, but I knew in that moment that there was a reason I was at Westminster. I had been called there and had accepted that call, and this delicate little necklace was affirmation that I was where I belonged - where I was supposed to be, for the time...." Read Devin's Blog
This coming week in worship we will continue to explore what it means to be a sojourner at Westminster as we follow "The Way". Also, as we celebrate Labor Day, I invite you to read the reflection on Work by the The Reverend J. Herbert Nelson, II, Director for Public Witness of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) entitled "Work, Worth and Value".
Blessings,
Dries
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Inter-generational Tour of our new Wild School Site
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On Sunday, September 14 Westminster children and adults are invited on a garden tour! College of Wooster Nursery School director Joyce Murphy and teachers, Margaret Bourne and Apple Hopkins, have graciously offered to share their motivation and vision for the play yard beside Mackey Hall. Join us at 9:30am on the Mackey patio and get a firsthand tour of the exciting transformation taking place right in our backyard.
Wild School Site
Last fall The College of Wooster Nursery School was awarded a Wild School Site Grant through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife. Wild School Sites provide outdoor educational opportunities and improve the schoolyard habitat for wildlife and people. The Nursery school has been in the process of completing their $500 grant project this summer. The project focused on the serious hillside erosion due to the building's downspout drain on the south wall of Mackey Hall.
With the help of The College of Wooster Grounds crew, they created a dry creek bed on the hillside with rocks and native plants. A children's rain garden was planted at the base of the new water flow. More garden was also added to the area with a creative birdbath and feeder. It has been a wonderful year for the milkweed plants, too. The Nursery School is well on its way to becoming a Monarch Waystation. We invite you to come enjoy the new environment.
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September Social Justice Potluck
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Join us on September 7th, Communion Sunday, after 10:45am worship as we "extend the table".
We will celebrate summer picnic fare. All the makings for fresh sandwiches as well as deviled eggs will be provided. We ask those attending to bring fruit or dessert to round out the table. The program at this first Social Justice Potluck of the academic year will be a conversation led by Pastor Dries, A Vision of Peacemaking. Students do not need to bring a dish. RSVP through Sign Up Genius or to Carly Jones in the church office.
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Wednesday Night Book Study: "Zionism Unsettled"
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 When:
Starting Wednesday, September 3rd from
6:00-7:00pm every Wednesday for 9 weeks
Where:
Westminster Presbyterian Church,
353 East Pine St. in the Lounge
The study series will be facilitated by Dries Coetzee,
Donald & Nahida Gordon.
Light snacks will be provided.
Book will be for sale for $10 at the first session. Contact Carly Jones
(330-263-2398) to request a copy or for more information.
In our strong commitment to a just peace in Israel/Palestine and in our desire to bring intellectual integrity to matters of faith, Westminster Presbyterian Church invites you to join us for a 9 week study of the booklet, "Zionism Unsettled"by the Israel Palestine Mission Network of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Zionism Unsettled embraces critical issues that uncover one of the root causes of the occupation, including:
- What role have Zionism and Christian Zionism played in shaping attitudes and driving historical developments in the Middle East and around the world?
- How do Christians, Jews, and Muslims understand the competing claims to the land of Palestine and Israel?
- What steps can be taken to bring peace, reconciliation, and justice to the homeland that Palestinians and Israelis share?
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Women's Bible Study
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Join Westminster's women and Pastor Dries as we study
"Reconciling Paul: A Contemporary Study of 2 Corinthians"
2014-15 Horizons Bible Study
When: Second Tuesday of the month, beginning September 9th at 10:00am.
Where: The Lounge
Paul's writings are some of the most influential in Christianity. Revisiting the struggles Paul faced and the authenticity and integrity of his theology is an essential task for churches today in the midst of great change. Paul, like us, wrestled with and questioned his faith as he tried to live as authentically as possible in an ancient world that, like ours, was also in the midst of great change. What can we learn from visiting 2 Corinthians and considering Paul's theology and ideas as they relate to the context of our time?
Author Elizabeth Hinson-Hasty invites us all to read Paul's letter afresh in light of today's issues. Concepts of shared partnership, power in weakness, healing, reconciliation, love, and a new apostolate all figure prominently in her reading of Paul.
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Save the Date: September 13th, 10:00am - 1:00pm
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 On Saturday, September 13th from 10am-1pm Westminster will host a workshop entitled: Conversations with People You Know. The workshop will be a training in partnership with other faith communities to lift up listening as a spiritual practice. During the workshop, we will be learning and refining our stories about why we care about LGBT people and how we can change laws to make life better for all. During the workshop we will explore how to engage people in conversation about LGBT people, with faith and value messages, especially as it relates to transgender justice and the freedom to marry. We hope you will join us!
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| Wooster Friends Opportunities |
 The Wooster Friends' Meeting invites everyone to the following activities during the month of September. Programs begin at noon and last for about an hour (or longer, for those who want to stay and continue the discussion).
September 7: Shaun and Ashley McFee will present the Royal Family Kids summer camp for seven- to eleven-year-olds who are or have been part of the foster care system. Both Ashley and Shaun have been camp counselors for several years, and they assert that "though it can be quite difficult, it is always rewarding to see how much the kids appreciate it." Take a look at the camp's website in preparation for this program.
September 21: Mike Hinshaw will speak to us about the "schisms" that divided American Quakers during the 19th century, and the echoes of those divisions among Friends today.
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Support a Durable Ceasefire and a Lasting Peace in Israel-Palestine
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Call on Congress to stop U.S. complicity in suffering and to support U.S. policy for a just peace in Israel and Palestine
The latest conflict between the Israeli military and Palestinian groups in Gaza has claimed the lives of 2,076 Palestinians, 67 Israelis, and has resulted in the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians. The destruction of Gaza has been catastrophic.
A durable ceasefire is necessary for the welfare of all. In addition, it is abundantly clear that the underlying causes of this human tragedy must be addressed. All aspects of Israel's illegal military occupation will need to end, in order for a just and secure future to result.
Contact your members of Congress today! Encourage them to take action for a durable ceasefire and lasting peace!
Thank the White House for good news
There is good news about recent steps taken by the Administration. According to the Wall Street Journal, U.S. officials have put on hold the transfer of Hellfire missiles to Israel, and the White House has issued instructions that additional requests for transfers must be cleared through the Administration.
Your support is needed to keep these policy changes in place. Call the White House to thank them for these steps.
The 221st General Assembly (2014) of the PC (USA) called on the U.S. government to ensure that all "foreign aid... including aid to Israel and the Palestinian authority -be comprehensively and transparently accounted to the American people and held to the same standards of compliance with all applicable laws." Presbyterians have long advocated for the end of the occupation and for a free and autonomous Palestine alongside a safe and secure Israel.
Contact your members of Congress today!
Call on Congress to support the Administration's efforts and to take action to end the violence--for today, and for the future. Now is the time to say: Enough. Call on Congress to stop U.S. complicity in suffering and to support U.S. policy for a just peace.
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Church World Service School Kits
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Back to school sales are a common part of August and help us economically collect school supplies for Church World Service school kits. One-third of all kits CWS collects come from Ohio, so our contributions make a significant impact helping our sisters and brothers affected by natural disasters and human-made disasters, such as war or political unrest. Please contribute what you are able, and remember "little things mean a lot".
As of August 28th, to achieve our goal of 100 school kits we'll need the following items:
60 #2 pencils
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Reflection of Labor Day
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On Tuesday, July 29, 2014, The Reverend J. Herbert Nelson, II, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Director for Public Witness, joined with workers and other leaders in the faith community in an action of nonviolent civil disobedience to urge President Obama to improve jobs for millions of workers. Together, workers and faith leaders asked the President to sign a Good Jobs Executive Order that will require federal contractors to bargain collectively with their employees, pay living wages and benefits, stop wage theft, and limit excessive CEO pay.
Read his reflection on Work entitled "Work, Worth and Value" here.
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| Green Tip of the Week | 
Butterfly Beauty
Butterflies play a critical role in maintaining the health of our environment. They help pollinate fruits, flowers and vegetables; provide food for other animals; and enchant children and adults alike with their beauty and flight. But like many other creatures, more and more butterflies are becoming endangered as the wild places they inhabit are lost to development or as they fall victim to pesticides.
Here's what you can do to help bring the butterflies back:
- Choose nectar-rich plants.
Fill your garden not only with plants caterpillars will want to eat, but also with those from which butterflies can drink. Options include buddleia, heliotrope, milkweed, mint, verbena, and zinnias.
- Build a house. If your yard doesn't provide enough dense foliage to allow butterflies to hibernate and nest, build them a box they can use that offers protection from predators and harsh weather.
Information provided by 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, August 31st
9:30am- Choir Rehearsal in Mackey Hall
10:45am - Worship in Mackey Hall, Pastor Dries preaching
4:30pm - Memorial Service for Oscar Bradfute in Xenia, OH
Monday, September 1st
Office Closed in observance of Labor Day
Tuesday, September 2nd 7:45am - Men's Breakfast at Downtown Buehler's
8:30am - UKirk's Agape Latte in Old Main
5:15pm - Finance Committee Meeting in the Lounge
Wednesday, September 3rd
6:00pm - Zionism Unsettled book discussion in the Lounge
7:00pm - Choir Rehearsal in Mackey Hall
Thursday, September 4th
6:00pm - UKirk in The Meeting Place
6:30pm - Dance Group in Mackey Hall
Saturday, September 6th
4:00pm - Memorial Service for Sylvia Urang in Mackey Hall
Sunday, September 7th
9:30am- Choir Rehearsal in Mackey Hall
10:45am - Worship in Mackey Hall, Pastor Dries preaching
12:00pm - Social Justice Potluck 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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