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| | On Sunday October 18 after worship Westminster members and friends discussed the revitalization of our care for the homebound, sick, and vulnerable. |
Very appropriate on the weekend that we will celebrate All Saints Sunday, we invite you to reflect on how Westminster as a community of faith cares for all the saints, who are according to Presbyterian belief, "t he ordinary, holy lives of the believers in this and every age. "
The following is an invitation from Cheryl Weiss who has volunteered to coordinate our Congregational Care Ministry.
Dear Members and Friends of Westminster,
We are in the process of revitalizing our Congregational Care Ministry at Westminster; one that will create the opportunity for all of us in our church family to give and receive care and support in a variety of ways. As a congregation who earnestly seeks to create a culture of peace through concern and mutuality, our care and support for all members and friends within our midst is the most basic way in which we can express Jesus' instructions to care for the sick and vulnerable among us.
In our new model, I (Cheryl Weiss) have volunteered to coordinate the Congregational Care team, and you may contact me with your interest or with any general questions. In order for us to best utilize your gifts and skills we ask that you indicate your interest in participating in the inventory on the Westminster website by checking any of the general areas of care you feel comfortable in providing.
Please mark as many of the areas as you are interested in providing and feel free to be more specific. For example, some members and friends have already expressed interest and have mentioned that they would prefer to have just one or two members to contact; one person offered to visit those at a specific nursing home. Please complete the inventory before Stewardship Sunday, November 15. We will then move forward as quickly as possible with this ministry of caring.
Please remember that you can always contact Pastor Dries by e-mail or on his cell or home phone (especially after hours) which you can obtain from the Church House at 330-253-2398 or e-mail.
It is a joy to serve Westminster's wider ministry by assisting with our Congregational Care effort.
Cheryl Weiss, Congregational Care Ministry coordinator
I will not be with you in worship on Sunday as Beth and I will celebrating our wedding anniversary with friends in Chicago. My prayers will be with you and Linda Morgan-Clement on Sunday for a day filled with thanksgiving for all our saints!
Blessings,
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| | Anne and Norman Morrison with their three children in the 1960s (Public Domain) |
Sunday, November 1, 2015
Please plan to join The College of Wooster, Westminster Presbyterian Church, and The Wooster Friends for a "Day of Remembrance" on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Norman Morrison's sacrificial death. (See Westminster's website for more information.)
10:45 a.m. Worship at Westminster with College of Wooster Chaplain Linda
Morgan-Clement preaching, "Saints and Sinners, Beloved of God"
12:15 p.m. Poetry, music & luncheon* following worship in Mackey Hall
1:30 p.m. Tree dedication, Oak Grove
*Westminster is providing homemade vegetarian lasagna (� la Linda Pattin) and drinks. We invite you to contribute a salad or dessert . Students are invited to simply attend. Please RSVP for the lunch on SignUp Genius or e-mail Beth Coetzee.
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This Week on Westminster's Blog
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The Confederate Flag at the Wayne County Fair:
It Is About Community
On Monday night, October 19 Westminster Presbyterian Church joined numerous concerned Wooster residents, including some from Wayne County Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, the Wooster/Orrville NAACP, and the College of Wooster Black Student Association, in asking the Wayne County Fair Board to prohibit vendors from the sale or display of confederate flags and/or confederate flag merchandise at the Wayne County Fair. ...>>>
Continue reading here
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Service of Welcome for Emily, Sunday Nov. 8
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On Sunday November 8, 2015 during worship we are look forward to welcoming Emily Oshinskie in the newly created Young Adult Peace Worker (YAPW) position at Westminster.
This position came to fruition from the exciting growth we have experienced as a community of faith that earnestly seeks to create a just and lasting culture of peace through spirituality, intentionality, and partnerships. The YAPW will be active in all aspects of Westminster's ministry, cultivating our identity as an intergenerational community that seeks to be "Intentionally Inclusive", especially ministering to our children, youth, and college age students.
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 As it is Westminster's desire to be "Intentionally Inclusive," Session wants to expand our welcoming ministry and are looking for volunteers to join Bill Weiss, Ross Brazee, and Caryl Slater as ushers. If you think you would like to to welcome members and visitors on a Sunday morning and create a safe space for all during worship we invite you to contact Bill Weiss and volunteer to be an usher.
As a church we realize that many of you are busy and do a lot for Westminster as is; therefore, we are not expecting you to do this by yourself, but to be part of a team so you are not committed every Sunday. At this point we have a draft job description and we will train volunteers to make you as confident and comfortable as possible in this very important position on a Sunday morning. Again, if you would like to help please contact Bill Weiss.
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Don't forget - Daylight Savings Time starts this weekend!
Set your clocks back 1 hour (Fall Back) before you go to bed Saturday night.
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Pastor Dries has been out of the office this week attending the 2015 Annual Conference & Meeting of the Israel/Palestine Mission Network of the Presbyterian Church (USA) in Chicago. He is on the Steering Committee of IPMN as chair of the Partnership Committee along with Nahida Gordon who is Treasurer. Beth will join him in Chicago today as they will visit friends and celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary. They will be back in the office on Tuesday, November 3rd. For pastoral care concerns please contact the Rev. Jim Collier at 330-345-2370.
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| | Greek icon of saints and angels around Christ_s throne _c. 1700_. |
In early Christian tradition, saints' days began as a way to mark the anniversary of a martyr's death - his or her "birthday" as a saint. By the middle of the church's first millennium, there were so many martyrs (particularly due to the persecution of Diocletian) that it was hard to give them all their due. All Saints' Day was established as an opportunity to honor all the saints, known and unknown.
All Saints' Day has a rather different focus in the Reformed tradition. While we may give thanks for the lives of particular luminaries of ages past, the emphasis is on the ongoing sanctification of the whole people of God. Rather than putting saints on pedestals as holy people set apart in glory, we give glory to God for the ordinary, holy lives of the believers in this and every age. This is an appropriate time to give thanks to members of the community of faith who have died in the past year. We also pray that we may be counted among the company of the faithful in God's eternal realm.
All Saints' Day has been celebrated on November 1 since the year 835. Previously it had been connected with the Easter season as a feast of all martyrs.
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Make our Pictorial Directory Complete
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Earlier this year many of you indicated through our communications questionnaire that you would like a new pictorial directory. In response to your request, Barbara Tartir and Adrian Dryer have volunteered to take the lead in this project to celebrate our church family and strengthen the bond within our congregation. Now we need YOU to make our directory complete as we welcome you to be a part of our upcoming new directory.
For this important project, we are partnering with Lifetouch who is providing the directory at no cost to our church. Every family photographed receives a complimentary directory and an 8x10 portrait.
Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday, November 10, 11, 12, 2015
Each day from 2:00pm to 9:00pm
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Worship is at 10:45 am on Sunday mornings in Mackey Hall
November 1
10:45am
All Saints Sunday with College of Wooster Chaplain Linda Morgan-Clement preaching, "Saints and Sinners, Beloved of God."
Communion will be celebrated.
10:45 "Service of Welcome" for Emily Oshinskie as she starts her ministry as Young Adult Peace Worker at Westminster. Pastor Dries preaching and students and youth participating in the service. 10:45 Stewardship Commitment Sunday with Pastor Dries preaching.
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During October, we contributed at least 30 cans and/or jars of pasta sauce and 34 pounds of pasta to People to People. Thanks for all your contributions.
Thanksgiving food boxes will be distributed November 24. Jello, applesauce, canned fruit & vegetables, potatoes, gravy and dessert & quick bread mixes are needed along with turkeys and chickens. Any items contributed on Sundays will be delivered to People to People no later than Monday, November 23.
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What's happening at Westminster this week?
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10:15am: Meals on Wheels at the Wooster Community Center
9:30am: Choir Rehearsal in Mackey Hall
10:45am: Worship in Mackey Hall, Chaplain Linda Morgan-Clement preaching
12:15pm: Day of Remembrance in Mackey Hall (lunch, poetry, music)
1:30pm: Tree dedication in the Oak Grove
7:00pm: Student-led Bible Study in the Lounge
7:45am: Men's Breakfast at Downtown Buehler's
8:30am: Agape Latte in the Old Main Caf� fishbowl
7:00pm: Choir Rehearsal in Mackey Hall
10:15am: Meals on Wheels at the Wooster Community Center
9:30am: Choir Rehearsal in Mackey Hall
10:45am: Worship in Mackey Hall, Service of Welcome for Emily Oshinskie, Pastor Dries preaching
12:00pm: Fellowship in Mackey Hall
For the latest and most up-to-date information visit Westminster's calendar here.
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