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"We should walk our talk"
 These words were spoken by Ferenc Relle as Session voted unanimously in favor of having " the Personnel/Finance Committee review Westminster's wages/salaries and determine if we pay 'living wages' and report back to Session as to what the impact of a living wage salary scale would be on our budget."
As many of you might know, this decision of Session did not happen in a vacuum. Many of The College of Wooster students who worship with Westminster are involved in the Living Wage Campaign at The College. Also, the Presbyterian Church (USA) has a long history for advocating on behalf of workers. In a Labor Day statement in 2015 addressed to congregations, the Stated Clerk of the Presbyterian Church (USA), Gradye Parsons, wrote:
"We Presbyterians believe that God's image is reflected in us, including our ability to be co-creators and co-laborers in the world. There is something fulfilling and even holy in doing your best work. Our cooperative work allows us to do things we cannot do individually. Through our sense of vocation we connect to the web of labor relationships as we seek to build a more just society. ... Yet for too many in the United States and abroad, there is no work or the work available does not provide a "living wage." The phrase, "living wage," comes from the 1908 "Social Creed of the Churches," a statement that was updated on its centennial by our 218th General Assembly (2008) (Minutes, 2008, Part I, p. 924 of the electronic version) as well as other Orthodox and Protestant communions. Our churches were united in wanting each person to be able to work at a "family-sustaining" wage, without discrimination on any pretext, and with the full social protections of a developed society.
Our church is rooted in communities all over the U.S. Through our daily engagement in neighborhood ministries, food banks, and public schools, we know that the majority of those living in poverty in the U.S. are working full-time, or are children or the elderly. A "living wage" for work would change the lives in families plagued by poverty. Even though political deadlocks have blocked action by our national government, a growing number of cities and states have increased their minimum wages, a clear sign of respect for the dignity of all labor."
Personally I believe that this decision helps us to be more "intentional" about following the ways of Jesus of Nazareth and more authentic in our calling as a progressive Christian people.
Blessings,
Dries
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 Hello Easter people!
On Palm Sunday, we held our annual inter-generational Easter basket-making & delivery to our home-bound members! A huge thanks to Ferenc & Candy Relle and all the adults who helped carry out this event. There was deep appreciation and gratitude from our visits. One of our recipients, Linda Houston wrote, "Could you thank everyone for us, especially the children. I think it's wonderful to teach volunteering and giving. Been my life's belief. Thank you." We also received this from Barbara Norris: "Just a note to thank you for the wonderful Palm Sunday gifts (most of all for your visit)!"
 As we begin saying goodbye to our graduating College of Wooster seniors, we'd like to give a special thanks to our UKirk Student Ministry Intern, Evangeline Smith! Evangeline will be headed to Chicago next year to be a part of L'Arche Chicago, a program that reveals "the dignity of every human being by building a community of faith and belonging where people with and without intellectual disabilities live together in family-style homes." We are excited for Evangeline on this new journey! We would also like to welcome our two new UKirk Student Ministry Interns, Kayla Campion '19 and Rebecca Johnston '19! Kayla & Rebecca have been attending Westminster since the fall; Kayla hails from Charlotte, North Carolina and is an avid documentary film watcher and Rebecca is most recently from Pittsburgh, PA and is helping out in a 6th grade class at a local Wooster school.
Please keep the myself and 29 other new friends in your prayers as we travel to Israel/Palestine these next two weeks. Facebook updates to follow!
Thanks & Peace,
Emily
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Intergenerational Event: Save The Date
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Join us for inter-generational pizza-making at 9:30am on Sunday, April 24th in the Mackey kitchen with chef Sherry Hatter-Miller! We will prepare our "design your own" pizzas before worship with various toppings (dairy-free & gluten-free options available upon request). After service, we will share our creations for fellowship time. RSVP by e-mail to Beth by Monday, April 18th if you would like to participate, so we know your dietary restrictions and have enough for pizza dough and toppings for all to make a pizza.
I would also like to add to this announcement a general note, as well for ALL of our events: You are always welcome to bring a friend to these inter-generational events. Youth & adults alike! Additionally, Westminster excels at inter-generational and we invite all ages to join the fun.
Thanks & Grace,
Emily
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Westminster Presbyterian Church invites you to our monthly Vegan Potluck, the final one of the academic year, on Thursday, April 21, at 6:00 p.m. in Mackey Hall, 353 E. Pine Street. 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).
This month we will be recognizing College of Wooster Seniors who have been a part of the Vegan Potluck during their time at Wooster. We hope to see you there!
Sign Up for the Vegan Potluck at SignUpGenius or contact the church office by e-mail or at 330-263-2398.
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Screening of Driving with Selvi
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When: Tuesday April 5th
Where: Gault Recital Hall at 7:30 pm.
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Westminster is invited to a screening of Driving with Selvi, a character driven documentary film that highlights the challenges women and girls face. The film follows Selvi, a young Indian woman who refuses to accept a devalued notion of self, moving beyond the pain she's experienced to create an entirely new life. This film has been recognized by the Reel Asian Festival, was an audience favorite at the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam, and won "Best of Fest" at the Wakefield International Film Festival. It has been screened at numerous venues including the United Nations and Ford Foundation film festivals.
Viewers of the film will also have the opportunity to support Selvi's bus tour, through their independent Indiegogo campaign. Selvi, the protagonist, hopes to "screen the film to a million viewers in remote locations across India, and to create training opportunities for women in non-traditional livelihoods." In addition to supporting Selvi, we request you support Global Social Entrepreneurship as well.
Global Social Entrepreneurship (GSE) provides students a unique opportunity to learn from change-makers. GSE is a two-part course that consists of a seminar led by students at the College of Wooster and an experiential learning component in Bangalore, India hosted by Indian activists. These two experiences bring together diverse students, community members, and partner organizations to learn from each other, as they learn about poverty alleviation movements in India. Students are also encouraged to make connections between global social problems and challenges in their local communities. We are now in the ninth week of our seminar and hope to travel to India in May 2016 for six weeks. This life altering experience will allow us to think and live differently while engaging in a transnational effort to address systematic problems in the education and livelihoods sectors.
Jean Phuong Pham, who participated in Westminster's 2014 trip to BorderLinks is enrolled in the GSE seminar and writes this: "In our seminar class, I have learned so much about the operations, ethics, and issues of a social enterprise or non-profit organization. This has reminded me of the time when we were in Mexico and experienced firsthand the struggle of small local organizations that were working toward immigrant issues." Making an investment in GSE will benefit the students, and also contribute to the greater cause of social change in Bangalore, India and Wooster, Ohio.
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Mennonite Peace Gathering, Saturday, April 16
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Book talk at Westminster Thursday, Apr. 28, 7:00-8:00pm
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A history of what happened at Kent State and why, written by one who was there
Kent State: Death and Dissent in the Long Sixties By Thomas M. Grace.
Click here for more information.
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Give us your tired, your poor,
Your huddled messes,
yearning to be free,
The wretched refuse of your
teeming homes...
No, not the Statue of Liberty, but the Lincoln Highway Buy-Way yard sale on August 11-13, 2016.
Please give us your discards. We will sell them to benefit Habitat for Humanity. You may bring them to church, or, if they are too cumbersome, we will pick them up. Just call one of the Benevolences Work Group: Shelley Peterson, Linda Barbu, Candy Relle, Lemoine Peart or Sue Coleman. *Our apologies to Emma Lazarus
Submitted by Sue Coleman
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What's happening at Westminster?
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