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Weekly News Friday, January 09, 2015
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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 330-263-2398) in the church office.
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Worship At Westminster
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Sunday, January 11, 2015
Worship service at 10:45am in Mackey Hall. Pastor Dries preaching on Human Trafficking. Child-friendly worship. Westminster is an inclusive church.
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Join us for a celebration of the life and ministry of Dr. Martin Luther King. Worship service at 10:45am in Mackey Hall. Pastor Dries reflecting on how Wooster, OH can grow in our care for and trust of one another in the midst of racial division. Child-friendly worship. Westminster is an inclusive church.
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Worship service at 10:45am in Mackey Hall. Reflections on "How do we seek the peace that God gives?" Child-friendly worship. Westminster is an inclusive church.
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Worship Notes
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This coming month brings much illumination through the season of Epiphany, in spite of the cold and dark of winter. Epiphany, which started last Tuesday, January 6 with the visit of the magi, will lead us to Transfiguration Sunday on February 15, which is followed by Ash Wednesday which signals the beginning of Lent. Literally the word "Epiphany" means "to appear" or "to make known" as Jesus of Nazareth grows up and begins His ministry to make the kin-dom of God a reality. As we follow Jesus and His disciples through this season of the church, we become the "appearance" of Jesus and "make known" the Gospel in the world.
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Reflection of the Week
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 Blessings on the New Year! It is good to be in touch again through the Weekly News after a wonderful time of rest and renewal over the holidays. January, brings the installation of church officers, MLK celebrations, and this year a renewed energy to improve race relations as Westminster is taking the lead in working against institutionalized racial injustice to make Wooster, Ohio a more caring and safe community for all.
This coming Sunday, January 11th, I invite you to join us as we celebrate the installation of Elders, Rich Drushal, Ferenc Relle, and Bill Weiss (who cannot be with us due to a previous commitment). Prior to worship we will meet in The Lounge at 9:30am as we get to know our newly elected officers better and hear from them on how they experience God in their lives and ministry. As in past years, all members and friends of our community of faith are invited to join us for this joyous occasion.
On Sunday, January 18th, we will celebrate Race Relations Sunday during worship and Pastor Dries will lay out the vision for a new Social Justice Campaign, as we have a vision for Wooster to grow in its welcome of all people. Worship will be followed with an evening workshop at 7pm at Westminster entitled, "Faith in Action" led by Sojourners' Senior Director of Mobilizing, Lisa Sharon Harper ( see below).
On Monday morning January 19th, all are invited to attend the MLK Multifaith Prayer Breakfast in Kittridge dining hall at 7:30 am with Lisa Sharon Harper as guest speaker ( see below). I also want to extend an invitation to join me and other members of Westminster Monday night, January 19th in celebrating the life and ministry of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King at St Mary's Catholic Church at 7:00pm with a community meal before worship starting at 5:30pm (see below). Space is limited and tickets are on sale now for $7.00. Tickets can be purchased directly from Trinity UCC or Second Baptist, or you can email me at acoetzee@wooster.edu by Wednesday, January 14th and I will get them for you. Just make your check out to Westminster Presbyterian Church and write MLK in the memo line.
2015 is starting out with excitement. as we at Westminster not only engage in conversation about the gospel of Jesus of Nazareth, but also stand up and speak out for all.
Blessings,
Dries
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January Vegan Potluck
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We look forward to seeing you at the Vegan Potluck on Thursday, January 15th 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).
 This month our Cooking with a Conscience class led by Natalie Friedrich will be learning how to make Orange Almond Chia Baked Doughnuts - vegan & grain free. Learn to make your own breakfast doughnuts at home that are incredibly soft, moist, flavorful, & healthy! RSVP via Sign Up Genius or to the church office, |
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Synod of the Covenant Discernment Study
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 Online Survey - Your feedback is requested
The 221st General Assembly (2014) has passed a mandate to "direct that a new configuration of synod boundaries be established [based on an emerging sense of purpose, partnership, context, and call] through a collaborative process between the synods and presbyteries resulting in no more than 10-12 synods. The synods shall report to the 222nd General Assembly (2016)."
As part of the process, the Synod of the Covenant has asked for your help in determining how best to use this opportunity to learn what God is calling the synod to do and become. Your responses are confidential. A statistical summary of the results will be shared with the Synod of the Covenant as we discern our future.
The survey should take approximately 7 minutes to complete. If you need assistance with the survey, please email research@pcusa.org or call Becki Moody at 502-569-5139.
Click here to access the survey.
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 MLK Workshop: "Faith in Action |
 "FAITH in ACTION"
Workshop at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 353 Pine Street, Wooster, OH 44691
Sunday, January 18, 2015 at 7:00pm
Having witnessed the polarization of race in the United States this past year, many of us are dedicated to working against institutionalized racial injustice to make Wooster, Ohio a more caring and safe community for all. We believe that for us to continue to grow in our welcome, a genuine dialogue about race between our churches, civic groups, local government, and school district is of the utmost importance. Many feel that the establishment of a "Human Relations Commission" by our City, as was done by the City of Mansfield, Ohio, will be a tremendous advancement towards "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" for all (see the powers, duties, and objectives of such a commission here).
This hour and a half long workshop, "Faith in Action," on Sunday, January 18th at 7:00pm led by Sojourners' Senior Director of Mobilizing, Lisa Sharon Harper, will help us as a community to strategize and take action to engage this struggle for justice in ways that honor our community and faith. Let us remember the words of Jesus who called on his followers to "proclaim good news to the poor" (Luke 4:18), to creatively resist oppression (Matthew 5:38-41), and to steadfastly pray: "Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10). On the eve of celebrating the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. let us also remember his words: "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
RSVP: here or contact Rev. Andries Coetzee at acoetzee@wooster.edu or 330-621-4269
When: Sunday, January 18, 2015 at 7:00pm
Where: Westminster Presbyterian Church, Wooster, OH 44691
Cost: Freewill donation ($5 - $10.00 per participant suggested)
For more information contact Rev. Andries (Dries) Coetzee, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Wooster
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| MLK Breakfast | |
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| MLK Worship | |
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| Green Tip of the Week | 
How to Cut Office Water Waste
Office Water Facts
According to the EPA, water-efficient appliances would help the country save more than 3 trillion gallons of water and more than $18 billion per year. Of course, using water also uses another precious resource: energy. Letting your faucet run for just five minutes uses as much energy as running a 60-watt light bulb for 14 hours.
When you equate those figures to commercial buildings, which account for 40 percent of the country's energy usage, you're talking about a substantial amount of energy and water that could be saved with simple efficiency practices. Of course, these costs can also significantly reduce the operating costs of your business.
So how can you get your workplace into greener pastures?
- Conduct a Water Audit- A water audit analyzes a facility's water use and indentifies opportunities to make it more efficient.
- Upgrade to Water-Saving Appliances and Fixtures- Water-efficient appliances, often referred to as low-flow fixtures, include faucets, showers and toilets, and can save water while adding to your bottom line.
- Consider Native Plants and Advanced Irrigation Systems-Planting native and drought-tolerant plants can help reduce water use as they are "well-adapted to regional climates, soils and pests," and thus require less watering and fewer pesticide treatments, says NRDC.
- The Green Benefits of Water Efficiency- Increasing your workplace's water efficiency is one of the best long-term strategies for cutting costs and giving back to the environment. The next time you run the faucet in the company kitchen, consider the green benefits of auditing your current water usage, upgrading to low-flow fixtures and creating a more sustainable landscape for your workplace.
information 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, January 11th
9:30am - Choir Rehearsal in Mackey Hall
10:45am - Worship in Mackey Hall, Pastor Dries preaching
Monday, January 12th
noon- Building Committee Meeting in the Lounge
Tuesday, January 13th
10:00am - Women's Bible Study in the Lounge
Wednesday, January 14th
7:00pm - Choir Rehearsal
Thursday, January 15th
6:00pm - Vegan Potluck in Mackey Hall
6:30pm- Dance Group in the Meeting Place
Sunday, January 18th
9:30am - Choir Rehearsal in Mackey Hall
10:45am - Worship in Mackey Hall, Pastor Dries preaching
7:00pm - Faith in Action workshop at Westminster
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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.
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Andries J. Coetzee
Pastor, Westminster Presbyterian Church
353 East Pine Street, Wooster, OH 44691
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