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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, February 22, 2015
Worship service at 10:45am in Mackey Hall. First Sunday in Lent. Pastor Dries preaching. |
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People to People Donations
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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.
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Save the Date!
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 Save the date for a piece of cakeFebruary 24, 2015 at 6:00pm in Mackey Hall
Cub Scout Pack 61 will be raising money to help send members of their pack to camp as well as give a donation to Westminster!
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| Reflection of The Week |
 | | Lent 2015 |
This Lent you are invited to affirm the God-given truth that all people are created in the image of God. Our Lenten series entitled "I am Human: Created in the Image of God" invites you, through mindfulness and meditation on the words of Jesus of Nazareth and other contemporary prophets, to challenge and expose how social beliefs, church leaders, authoritarian theology, and contemporary notions of humanity distort the biblical truth that humanity was created in the image of God. Through a journey of faith in action, we will join many other people of faith across the nation and the world in affirming the humanity and dignity of all. Please join us for worship on Sunday mornings at 10:45am as we contribute, as a community of faith, to constructive, informed, loving, and justice-seeking dialogue on what it means to be created in the image of God. Read Pastor Dries' blog entry here and participate in the conversation.
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Save the Date
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 Two members of the Presbyterian Mission Agency who are currently working in the Middle East will be visiting Westminster at 7:00pm on Tuesday, March 3rd. For their safety, as well as that of the people with whom they work, we cannot post any personal details in the Weekly News. For more information, contact the church office. Fliers will also be available in the church office and in Worship.
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| National Council of Churches Statement on Upcoming Address to Congress by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu |
 WASHINGTON: The National Council of Churches is troubled by the plans for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address the United States Congress next month. We call upon House Speaker John Boehner to rescind his ill-advised invitation, or, in the absence of Mr. Boehner's decision to do so, we urge Mr. Netanyahu to cancel his address.
We agree with the multitude of commentators who have noted that this is an extraordinary breach of protocol, and that it is unacceptable for a foreign leader to circumvent normal diplomatic channels, or be allowed by others in leadership to circumvent them, and thereby disrespect the Office of the President of the United States. We support those who have decided not to attend, like Vice President (and President of the Senate) Joseph Biden and Representative John Lewis.
Read more
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Don't let political debates distract from real human needs
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The controversial speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Congress scheduled for March 3 is problematic for a number of reasons including the way the invitation was issued without coordination with the White House, the anticipated content of the speech which is expected to deal with the Iranian nuclear issue at a critical time in the negotiations with Iran, and the timing of the speech just prior to the Israeli elections.
Just as troubling, however, is the way the focus on the speech is distracting from the issues of real human need.
In Gaza harsh winter weather exacerbates already deplorable living conditions as residents struggle to rebuild following the devastating summer war. ...read more and take action here.
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Update from Devin Johns
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Dear Beth, Dries, and Westminster Family,
First, I want to thank you all very sincerely for all of the support, prayers, and love you have given me for my YAV year in Zambia. In just six months, I have learned so much about Zambian culture, language, and faith. I have developed beautiful relationships with my funny and loving host family and minister's family. I have come to cherish my students of Grades 5-7, despite their pre-teen misbehavior. I have struggled spiritually in a church theology and worship that is significantly different from my own beliefs and comfort levels - but this has pushed me to respect and learn from various theologies as well as hone in my own independent, personal devotion and theology.
In my young life, I have only had one other series of impactful experiences and learning moments. My time at Broad Street Ministry's (BSM) Youth Initiative, both as a youth participant and as a member of summer staff, gave me the foundational motivation and real-life experiences to work for God's kingdom on Earth, to advocate for social justice, and to commit myself to a life of urban ministry. Frankly, I wouldn't have the heart or drive to be a YAV in Zambia if it weren't for the Youth Initiative. Which is why I am writing you now.
The current Coordinator of the BSM Youth Initiative has accepted a position elsewhere, and BSM has offered me the position of Coordinator on an interim basis for the next year and a half. Because I have dreamt of this and have set the Coordinator position as a career goal for years, I am accepting BSM's offer. It pains me to cut my YAV year short, but I am following a loud and strong call to Philadelphia. The job will be spiritually and mentally challenging, but my time in Zambia has prepared me and given me confidence that I can and will succeed as Coordinator to imbue the next generation with the same kind of hunger for justice that the Youth Initiative gave me.
I want to sincerely and truly thank you for your generosity and support over the past months. Know that all you have given - in the form of finances and prayer - has sustained me as well as my two fellow YAVs here in Lusaka, Zambia. I pray that your support will continue as I look to leave Zambia in mid-March, spend time home in Erie, visit you in Wooster, and then move to Philadelphia at the beginning of April.
Again, thank you for all you have done for me in the past 5 years. I am forever bound to my Westminster family for having given me faith, love, and a home through my years at Wooster. I am overcome with praise and excitement at this new opportunity, and I will love to share my experiences from Zambia and experiences to come from Philly with you all!
All my love and gratitude,
Devin Johns
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Presbyterian Church (USA) Weekly Blogs:
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| Green Tip of the Week | 
If your computer monitor has a switch, use it. Most LCD monitors do not turn completely off when you press the power button on your computer and are still drawing some amount of power. To ensure your computer monitor is not drawing power, click off the power switch. The power switch acts as an additional level of power conservation. If the power switch is on, the monitor can be turned on by pressing the computer power button; however, if switched off the monitor can't be turned on--even by the computer power button--unless the monitor switch is turned back on.
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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, February 22nd
9:30am - Choir Rehearsal in Mackey Hall
10:45am - Worship in Mackey Hall, 1st Sunday in Lent, Pastor Dries preaching
Tuesday, February 24th
8:30am- UKirk's Agape Latte in Kauke's Old Main Cafe
6:00pm- Cub Scout Cake Auction in Mackey Hall
7:00pm - Session in the Lounge
Wednesday, February 25th
10:00am- CAMO Work Day (meet in the church parking lot at 9:30am to carpool)
7:00pm - Choir Rehearsal in Mackey Hall
Thursday, February 26th
6:30pm- Dance Group in Mackey Hall
Sunday, March 1st
9:30am- Choir Rehearsal in Mackey Hall
10:45am - Worship in Mackey Hall, 2nd Sunday in Lent, Pastor Dries preaching
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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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