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As we look ahead, we keep in mind the challenge, to put our faith into action, that was set before us this past week as we celebrated the life, work, and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr. This challenge becomes all the more important as our Session is hard at work preparing for the Annual Meeting of the Congregation on Sunday, February 7. Please mark your calendars to attend and participate in the conversation as we reflect on the past year and explore our hopes and goals for the future.
I remember very vividly last year's Annual Meeting which was preceded by lunch around tables with members, friends, and guests engaging one another in conversation about the ministry of Westminster. As one of our longtime parishioners shared with me after the meeting, "It is so heartwarming to see so many people present and feeling passionate about Westminster."
On Sunday, February 7 we are hoping to continue the conversation as we really never completed the discussion. Last year we asked three questions and received a lot of feedback from the first two, but unfortunately ran out of time with the third as it was a bit more challenging to answer and yet, that is where our challenge is for the next year. Deliberating on the notes from the discussion around tables, Nahida Gordon was very kind to summarize our responses as follows:
1. What brought you to Westminster and why are you coming back?
The major theme, garnering more weight than all other themes, was the issue of Social Justice including Israel/Palestine and immigration. Next with equal weight were the appreciation of spiritual values and the need for a sense of belonging and inclusiveness.
Next with equal weight were the environment (such as being friendly, non-judgemental, and physical space); physical location of the church; and the preaching (topics, presentation, progressive, innovative, creative). A sense of community and coming with friends or family were next in weight.
2. What is your hope for Westminster in the coming year?
The major theme here can be summarized as "involvement" with each other within Westminster and involvement in the community and the world. Next the themes of hospitality and the need for increased membership were the second and third most important themes, respectively. Important to note regarding the theme of inclusion was the desire to bring the handicapped restroom to fruition.
3. How can we all work together to make our hopes for Westminster a reality?
Here there were too few responses to be able to coalesce the results into themes. In all three questions people did express a deep appreciation of our Church Staff.
In the weeks to come I invite you to contemplate the responses to the above questions. Also to pick up a copy of the Annual Report to the Congregation that will be available on Sunday, January 31 after worship or if you cannot be there to contact Beth by e-mail or phone at 330- 263-2398 if you would like a pdf copy e-mailed or paper copy by postal mail.
This coming Sunday we are inviting you to join us for a meeting of Session at 9:30 in the Lounge as we will hear from our newly elected elders April Gamble, Eric Miller and John Veney (2nd term) as they share their journey of faith that led them to Westminster and moved them to respond to the call to become an elder. During worship we will celebrate their ordination and installation. I also want to remind you that Beth and I will be leading a delegation from Westminster to South Africa departing on February 19 through March 12. In the next edition of the Westminster News we will share more about our trip.
See you in worship on Sunday,
Dries
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This past week as UKIRK visited Broad Street Ministry in Philadelphia, we had a complete break from our normal lives. We stepped away from the college classrooms and academic articles and stepped into the reality of mental health, homelessness, and poverty.
For four days we were totally immersed with activity after activity, listening to story after story. We did not have the luxury of being able to walk away from a discussion or turn off our device in order to stop thinking about these societal ills. Instead of dealing with these topics simply from an intellectual standpoint, we engaged in a verbal, kinesthetic, interpersonal and sensory way that validates, listens to, dignifies, awakens, and actualizes these societal issues. There seemed to be an individualism that was sucked from the week to reawaken ourselves to the role of community that Christ taught us to actively engage in.
While our "theme" for the week was "mental health," the issue could have been any society-wide obstacle. However, it was the framework that Broad Street Ministry charged and challenged us with at the end of the week that we bring back to our community of Wooster as our spiritual tool box, filled with instruments of urgency, community, reawakening to reality, vulnerability, etc.
Read all about our trip here.
Peace,
Emily
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Central American Medical Outreach
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Looking for something worthwhile and fun to do?
Join the group from Westminster next Wednesday, Jan. 27, who volunteer monthly at Central American Medical Outreach (322 Westwood Avenue, Orrville), to sort and pack hospital laundry supplies. We meet at the Church House the last Wednesday of each month at 9:30am to carpool to CAMO for our monthly volunteer time from 10am-12pm. We know that no one is able to commit to
every month, but if you would be willing to be part of a pool of people we could draw on to serve this need, please contact Beth at bcoetzee@wooster.edu or 330-317-9914. The work is not too strenuous and the cause and camaraderie are uplifting. Nothing lifts spirits like giving and nothing builds community like working together! To find out more about CAMO's amazing work, visit their website here.
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Just a reminder that this upcoming Sunday, January 24th, all youth are invited to join the Westminster Session in The Lounge at 9:30am to ask April Gamble, Eric Miller and John Veney questions about their faith journey as they are elected as elders.
On Sunday, January 31st, please join me at 9:15am at First Presbyterian Church - just down the road at 621 College Ave - to hear more about my Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) year with the Presbyterian Church! First Presbyterian high school students have been focusing on refugees over this past month and I am going to share a little bit about the work that I did with refugees and asylum seekers this past year in Tucson! Please RSVP to me so I can tell the folks at First Pres how many will be joining!
Submitted by Emily O
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As many Christians across the world start the Lenten journey on Ash Wednesday and engage in the spiritual discipline of "giving something up" or fasting, we turn to the prophet Isaiah who reflected on the will of God, saying:
Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of injustice,
to undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke? (Isaiah 58:6) Join Westminster as we host First Presbyterian Church and the Office of Interfaith Campus Ministry of The College of Wooster for an Ash Wednesday Service of Confession, Repentance, Prayer, and Commitment to End Racism on February 10 at 7:00pm. While the service takes its inspiration from the Christian tradition and will include the imposition of ashes, this event is open to all as we work together for a more just world. You are also invited to join as for a potluck meal prior to the service in The Meeting Place starting at 5:30pm. Please bring enough food to share with your family and others as students are invited to simply attend.
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Monday, January 25, 4- 9 pm. Presented by TJ's Trio of Restaurants, 359 West Liberty St. Wooster. Enjoy an evening out to support the Viola Startzman Clinic including dinner, basket raffles, entertainers, and door prizes! Tickets are $30.00 and include a choice of chicken, steak, or salmon, salad, bread, and non-alcoholic beverage. Vegetarian and/or take-out available. Tickets can be purchased at: Viola Startzman Clinic, TJ's Trio of Restaurants, and Buehler's Downtown, Milltown & Orrville or by calling Lindsay at (330)464-2488.
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David Noble encourages members of Westminster to join him on Monday night, January 25, for a presentation by Patrick Awuah, president and founder of Ashesi University College in Ghana, entitled "Path to a New Africa" on Monday, Jan. 25, in Gault Recital Hall of Scheide Music Center (525 E. University St.). The lecture, which is free and open to the public, begins at 7:30 p.m.
Awuah founded Ashesi University, the nation's first liberal arts college, in 1999 and welcomed the first class of students in 2002. He received bachelor degrees in engineering and economics from Swarthmore College and a master's in business administration from the University of California Berkeley. Prior to attending Berkeley, he was a software engineer and program manager for Microsoft. He was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship in 2015 for his work with Ashesi.
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Sunday, February 7th, the youth will be collecting cash donations after worship for Souper Bowl of Caring. Since 1990, young people have been leading the charge and inspiring others. Teaming up with local partners, these groups give 100% of donations to local charities, changing the nation's largest weekend of football into the largest weekend of caring. This year Westminster's youth will be donating our collection to Habitat for Humanity. Learn more about Souper Bowl of Caring here.
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"A Personal Journey from Death Row"
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"The Year of Mercy and A Personal Journey from Death Row"
Featuring Fr. Neil Kookoothe and Mr. Joe D'Ambrosio on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016, 7:00 PM at St. Mary Church (527 Beall Ave., Wooster). Fr. Kookoothe, St. Clarence-N. Olmsted pastor, and Mr. D'Ambrosio offer a moving look at Mercy related to the death penalty and wrongful conviction of innocent people. Fr. Kookoothe's roles as a priest, former nurse and attorney, helped free Joe D'Ambrosio from Ohio's death row. All are welcome! Program is free. For information, contact: Jeff Campbell, e-mail or phone 330.263.6176.
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Congregational Care Ministry
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Westminster's Congregational Care Ministry is available for all in our church family as needed. Please contact Cheryl Weiss, or the church office at 330-263-2398 when you might find that you have a need (medical, time of loss, emergency, or other) for assistance in some way; perhaps meals or transportation. Also, if you have a project with which you would like help, we can offer the assistance of the Scouts through one of our ministry members.
Please remember that you can always contact Pastor Dries on his cell, home or e-mail (contact the church office for his contact details).
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What's happening at Westminster?
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