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 the sign up sheet in Mackey Hall, or by contacting Carly Jones330-263-2398) in the church office.
Worship At Westminster
Sunday, February 15, 2015
Worship service at 10:45am in Mackey Hall. Pastor Dries preaching.
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Worship service at 10:45am in Mackey Hall. First Sunday in Lent. Pastor Dries preaching.
People to People Donations
For the months of January and February we will collect soup and crackers for People to People. All kinds of soup, canned, dried, Campbell's, Progresso, Our Family, Mrs. Grass', broth, bouillon, - if it's soup, it's welcome. The People to People box is in the narthex under the coat rack bench.
Save the Date!
Save the date for a piece of cake
February 24, 2015 at 6:00pm in Mackey Hall
Support Cub Scout Pack 61!
Reflection of The Week
In a January 30, 2015 blog post on the Alban Institute website entitled New Questions for a New Day, Jeffrey D. Jones
"In these days of changing roles and responsibilities many wonder, "What should the pastor do?" But a more important question for congregations today is "What is our shared ministry?"
As we enter the Season of Lent with Ash Wednesday this coming week, we have a wonderful opportunity during this season of the church year to contemplate "our shared ministry". I am looking forward to being in conversation with you!
Blessings,
Dries
Thank You Notes To Westminster
"Our Upward Bound staff and students heartedly thank Westminster Presbyterian Church for the very great opportunity to see the movie Selma.
We went to lunch afterward, and students were excitedly discussing the movie and reflecting on it together. The next week at the regular Upward Bound in-school meetings, our academic advisor led further discussions related to the movie. I am so grateful that the Upward Bound students could have the experience of seeing the struggle for civil rights come alive. The 1960's -- for me, the events are vivid and not in the so distant past; for the students, the events are ancient history, but now history that they have experienced somewhat.
So, once again, and in significant ways, the Upward Bound students have benefited from your outreach to the community. Our day with Naomi Tutu is still a cherished memory and legacy. We still say, "What's your story?"!
Gail Miller
****************
Thank you, Westminster, so much for sharing Selma with the Wooster Community. I am glad to have seen it,
Mimi Lewellen, First Presbyterian Church, Wooster Ohio
Ash Wednesday
In what has now become an annual tradition, you are invited to attend a joint Ash Wednesday potluck and worship service between First and Westminster Presbyterian Churches on Wednesday, February 18. Our churches take turns hosting the service and this year it will take place at First Presbyterian Church, 621 College Avenue.
At 6:00pm we will gather in Bruch Hall 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. Choir members will go through the line first so that the combined choirs can rehearse at 6:30. At 7:00pm we will gather in the Sanctuary for a meditative worship service with the imposition of ashes and communion.
February Vegan Potluck
Looking for a healthy eating opportunity to start the new year? Westminster Presbyterian Church invites you to our monthly Vegan Potluck (third Thursday of most months) on Thursday, February 19, 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 a Conscience" led by local chef, Natalie Friedrich.
Program: Chris Kovach will share a variety of websites that are resources for a plant based, whole foods diet. RSVP through Sign Up Genius or to the church office.
Soup Update
The cost of the soup that we enjoyed at our February 1st Congregational Meeting was transferred from Westminster's Food Ministry budget to the Benevolences Committee. This brings our donation to the Hope Fund closer to the budgeted $1,000.00 to give to help GED students complete their educations and find employment. Many thanks to our celebrated bread maker, Dorothy Iams, who baked all the bread for the luncheon and to all you wonderful cookie bakers who provided dessert.
Soup sales will run until the end of February.
Church World Service
Westminster is sending $100 to Church World Service (CWS) to purchase 20 blankets for distribution to siblings in need. The Presbyterian Church USA partners with CWS as part of its disaster assistance ministry. Look for the sample blankets at the back of the church this Sunday.
Scout Sunday, February 8, 2015
Scout Troop 61 and Girl Scout Troop 1695 join Westminster in worship on Sunday, February 8, 2015.
Per Capita
You can further support the mission of the Presbyterian Church (USA), as well as helping offset costs from Westminster's budget, by writing a check to Westminster Presbyterian Church for $28.68 for each confirmed member in your family and marking it in the memo line as "Per Capita."
General Assembly
$7.07
Synod of the Covenant
$3.25
Muskingum Valley Presbytery
$18.36
Total
28.68
First, what it isn't.
The per capita apportionment is not a tax, although it has been called the per capita tax or 'head tax'. By definition a tax is mandatory, not voluntary. The General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission in 2003 reaffirmed an earlier ruling: "a church may neither be compelled to pay nor punished for failure to pay any amounts pursuant to such [per capital system] plan." There is no force or compulsion here, only a request for you to support the work of the larger church.
Just what is per capita, and why are we asked to pay it?
It is the apportionment, or equitable distribution, of the administrative costs of the presbytery, synod, and General Assembly on a per-member basis. Churches with larger membership and more resources pay more than small churches with limited funds. Each of these governing bodies establishes by vote the amount of apportionment and then makes it known to the sessions of our churches.
February 11, 2015 Columbia Theological Seminary Mashaun D. Simon Program Coordinator for Advanced Professional Studies Kathy Dawson, associate professor of Christian Education was honored February 5, 2015 as the 2015 recipient of the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators (APCE) Educator of the year award. ...�
February 10, 2015 Office of the General Assembly Gradye Parsons Stated Clerk of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) Louisville [한국의] The Reverend Gradye Parsons, Stated Clerk of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), has written a letter in opposition of H.R. 399, Secure Our Borders First Act of 2015. This bill denies the value and dignity of persons who find themselves caught up in immigration enforcement and perpetuates a years-long enforcement-only strategy that must end. ...�
Obituary for Samuel Hugh Moffett February 10, 2015 Dr. Samuel Hugh Moffett -Courtesy of Princeton Theological Seminary Special to Presbyterian News Service Sung-Deuk Oak LOUISVILLE Samuel Hugh Moffett (April 7, 1916-February 9, 2015) passed peacefully at his home in Princeton, NJ, on February 9, 2015, with Eileen Flower by his side, after a long life of loving kindness, faithfulness, and unwavering hope in his missionary service and scholarly works. ...�
Green Tip of the Week
Eat fresh. If you have the option, choose fresh vegetables over canned or frozen ones. Freezing and canning fresh vegetables in the United States uses about 3 billion kilowatt-hours* of energy per year, which is enough power to light every light bulb in the state of New York for three years. When in season, fresh vegetables can also cost less than canned or frozen varieties.
*What is a kilowatt-hour? These are units of energy typically found on your utility bill that tell you how much power you are using, and of course, how much it's costing you to use that power. Usually kWh are used to measure electrical power or natural gas use. Why is this important? Because coal is what is burned to create electricity, and it is a big source of harmful pollution and carbon emissions that can lead to global warming.
Sunday, February 15th 9:30am - Choir Rehearsal in Mackey Hall 10:45am - Worship in Mackey Hall, Pastor Dries preaching
Tuesday, February 17th 8:30am- UKirk's Agape Latte in Kauke Old Main Cafe
1:00pm- Food Ministry Meeting in the Lounge
2:00pm- Congregational Life Cohort Meeting in the Pastor's Study
Wednesday, February 18th
6:00 - Ash Wednesday Potluck at Bruch Hall, First Presbyterian Church
7:00pm- Ash Wednesday Service at First Presbyterian Church, Wooster
Thursday, February 19th 6:00pm- Vegan Potluck in Mackey Hall
6:30pm- Dance Group in The Meeting Place
Sunday, February 22nd 9:30am - Choir Rehearsal in Mackey Hall
10:45am - Worship in Mackey Hall, Pastor Dries preaching
"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.
Andries J. Coetzee Pastor, Westminster Presbyterian Church
In a January 30, 2015 blog post on the Alban Institute website entitled 
"
In what has now become an annual tradition, you are invited to attend a joint Ash Wednesday potluck and worship service between First and Westminster Presbyterian Churches on Wednesday, February 18. Our churches take turns hosting the service and this year it will take place at First Presbyterian Church, 621 College Avenue. 
