Sunday mornings at 9:30, there will be two five-week series. Living the Faith Through Vocation will explore the places where our professional lives and our personal faith intersect. Presenters from the congregation will share how they came to do the work they do and how they have seen the hand of God present there. Starting this Sunday, September 15, June Johnson will kick off the first session. They will meet in the Covenant Room The schedule of other presenters are as follows:

September 22: John Berman and Paul McConnell (attornies)

September 29: no class

October 6: Carol and Craig Schramm (medical professionals)

October 13: Tom and Cindy Buckley (a pharmacist and a dietician)

October 20: Doreen Oshinskie and Libba Oliver (educators)

October 27: no class

November 3: Ed Carney and John Thomson (business and government work)

November 10: Jim Moorhead (seminary professor)

November 17: To be determined

November 24: No Class

Forgiveness: Finding Peace Through Letting Go will include a video/discussion series based on a book by Adam Hamilton that explores forgiveness in our relationship to God, others and self.  Jeannene Wiseman will lead the first session with Bob Raney and others leading the discussion after that. Meet in the Fireside Room.

Wednesday evenings at 7:00, starting September 25,  Jeannene Wiseman will resume teaching the Living the Questions series. This will be the third in a 3-part series but whether or not you attended last year, come along for this journey into progressive Christianity, thinking outside the box.

Organ and Piano Recital by Erik Eickhoff

Sunday, September 15 at 3:00 p.m.

On Sunday, September 15 at 3:00 p.m. in the sanctuary, Erik Eickhoff will present an organ and piano recital as the first event in the Music at Westminster series for the 2013/2014 season. The recital will feature music by Bach, Chopin, Debussy, Ravel, Dupre, Reger, and others. There will be a free will offering to support the music program at Westminster. Bring your friends. Plan to lose yourself, but find your soul, in an afternoon of beautiful music.

Something new on Sunday nights! Once a month this fall we will meet together for worship, a special Christian Education program for all ages, and dinner. These evenings to "eat, pray and learn" together will offer the opportunity for fellowship and spiritual growth at an alternative time. Come with your whole family and invite friends and neighbors to one of these programs!

Where did this idea come from? Starting in September 2012, the Christian Education Visioning Team met for 9 months looking carefully at our CE program for all ages. The team discerned that some church members are looking for quality intergenerational events that foster worship and learning opportunities at alternative times other than Sunday mornings. Especially for those who travel on weekends or juggle weekend athletic events for their youth, this may be a way to stay connected with the faith community while being renewed in body, mind and spirit for the coming week. The Session will be eager to hear how people respond to this three-time experiment in the life of Westminster.

Westminster Prime Time will be held on Sundays September 29, October 27 and November 24 this fall. The schedule each evening will be:

4:30 - 5:15 p.m. - worship in the chapel

5:15 - 6:15 p.m. - Christian Education program(s) for adults and children

6:15 - 6:45 p.m. - simple dinner together

Each Prime Time gathering will feature special intergenerational Christian Education programs and outside speakers including:

September 29:          John Boiano, Guest Leader: Community Building with a Beat

October 27:               Daoud Nassar, Palestinian Farmer--Passionate About Peacemaking

November 24:           Advent Workshop/Hanging of the Greens

Westminster Prime Time Welcomes

John Boiano: Community Building with a Beat

Worship and a Hearty Salad Potluck

The first Westminster Prime Time will be on September 29, 2013 beginning at 4:30pm with worship in the Chapel; we will then gather in the sanctuary and welcome John Boiano for our educational hour on community building with a beat as we connect with one another through drumming. 

John is a dynamic motivational speaker, facilitator and community-energizer with a unique approach for working with small and large groups. He specializes in motivating people to become allies in the face of bias and judgment and building supportive peer-to-peer relationships.  John's ability to break through the rhetoric while motivating participants to new levels of awareness and accountability is as creative and thought provoking, as it is compassionate. He focuses on community-evolution and creating sustainable positive cultures beyond our fears and doubts with an emphasis on motivating bystanders to become allies.  John started Pulse Integration LLC in 2002 when he created programs based on peaceful and diplomatic leadership philosophies, at which time he resigned from a fourteen-year career as a national sales and marketing manager. 

At 6:15 we will gather for supper in the Fellowship Hall. Supper is a HEARTY Salad Potluck, so nothing needs to be heated during worship. Place your salads right on the Fellowship Hall tables when you arrive. Bread, beverages, and dessert, will be provided as will childcare. We hope to see you at Westminster Prime Time. 

Men's Breakfast

The men of Westminster will meet this Tuesday, September 17, at 7 a.m. for a continental breakfast and discussion. Larry Cox will lead the group this Tuesday. All men are welcome. We will end by 8 a.m. Come join us.

A Fund Raising Event for Karen Carlson: 

Fund the Lungs

As some may know, Westminster member Karen Carlson has Cystic Fibrosis and has been accepted by two hospitals to receive a double lung transplant. She is listed with Brigham & Women's Hospital, Boston and New York Presbyterian Hospital in New York City.  Currently she is waiting for the transplant and the family hopes it will be soon. The costs associated with this undertaking are enormous. Although insurance will cover some of the procedure, it will not cover all of it, especially expenses incurred by the Carlsons during Karen's lengthy hospital stay.

Westminster members and friends are invited to a fundraiser to support the Carlsons on Wednesday evening, September 25 at the Paradise Hills Vineyard & Winery (16 Windswept Hill Road, Wallingford) from 6:00-9:00 p.m.  Liz and Duane Grabber are providing live music and there will be both a silent auction and raffle items. If interested in attending, please RSVP to [email protected], or to Nancy Watson (860) 948-8055.

Loaves and Fishes Needs Volunteers

Once a month, Westminster provides volunteers to the Loaves and Fishes soup kitchen located at the Immanuel Congregational Church, 10 Woodland St., Hartford. The soup kitchen is open 5-days a week and serves about 130 people daily. We typically provide 8 volunteers to serve food at the kitchen. Currently we need people for Monday, September 30.  If you're able to help that day or for a future date, please contact Margaret Taylor at 860-521-3598 or e-mail [email protected]. If you have any questions about participating in this rewarding ministry, please speak to Gary Holloway at 860-916-7011.