The work of the church continues, and you are needed 🙏

August 6, 2020

Dear friends and fellow disciples,

I’ve been encouraging you all to sign up for the food distribution on Wednesday afternoons at Iglesia Presbiteriana Emanuel for a few months now, but I hadn’t actually been myself. So many of you have, and I am grateful to Cherrie for her coordinating and recruiting efforts and to Alex as well for organizing the youth. It has been a strong team effort.

So Ella Brooks and I went yesterday. It. Was. Hot.

I was so inspired by Iglesia Presbiteriana Emanuel's coordination and work - which continues throughout the week - and I am thankful we can be a part of supporting this. I ended up with a big cart that I would unload, pull down the driveway, fill up with boxes, and push back up again. Over, and over, and over. I’m not as young as I once was!

But every moment I felt tired or wanted to sit down I'd see another car pull in. And another...and another. More than 300 cars had come through the line by the time I left - small cars and big ones, older cars and newer ones, filled with individuals and families. I waved at more than a few babies through the windows. The inequalities were clear even before the pandemic settled in, and the need is overwhelming. We’ll have to regroup a bit as we move into the fall, when some of the youth that usually help will have to be in school and the college students will not be as available. We will need your help. Get the details and sign up. I hope you’ll come join the saints as we sweat and work together, doing our best to be Christ’s hands and feet during these times.

There’s plenty below to read through, and I pray you’ll take the time. The work of the church continues, and you are needed.

Peace,

Chris

Westminster This Week - Quick Links

Listen to Congressman John Lewis’ final words
For Families: “Taking Faith Home” (week of August 9)
Stressed? Grounding exercises for calming quickly
Give to the COVID-19 Relief Fund
For Worship on Sunday, August 9, 11:00am
Read Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28
Worship Bulletins & Announcements
Westminster's YouTube Channel

Congratulations to Our New Officers!

At last Sunday’s virtual congregational meeting, we welcomed several new officers into church leadership. The Class of 2023 Elders includes Suze Bear, Ruth Caccavale, Elizabeth Feiler (youth), Geoff Vaughn, and David Wilcox. Additionally, Mark Hill and Jim Ketch will complete one-year terms for two open seats in the Session’s Class of 2021. Jim Elkins, Spencer Leslie, Pru Meyer, Sarah Motsinger, Ella Nichols (youth), Tom Tolley, Ellen Vogel, and Elsa Woods make up the Diaconate’s Class of 2023. Our new officers have already begun their training, which is also being conducted virtually. We are thankful to these individuals for answering the call to serve, especially in these unusual times. Read more about them . We look forward to ordaining and installing them on Sunday, August 30. Special thanks to the Nominating Committee for their hard work to secure our new officers.

WE ARE the Church, So Let’s Sing It!

All ages – children, youth, young adults, middle adults, and the Wise Ones – are invited to contribute to a new a capella project. Let’s join together in singing, “We are the Church.” This song will be featured in a new and ongoing story-sharing series, so we will get to enjoy it multiple times. We really do want to have a representative slice of the church family, but can only take up to nine singers. If you fit one of the above age categories and love to sing, please contact Marietta Wynands by August 17. Note: You will need an Apple device to participate in this project.

You’re Invited to a Conversation on Race and the Church

New Hope Presbytery is inviting its congregations to participate in “Brave Spaces and Truth-Telling,” a series of conversations and activities designed to acknowledge and examine structural racism in our churches and to create new paradigms for a more just and unbiased Christian experience for all worshipers. It is evident that each of us must face the scourge of structural, systemic racism and our own contributions to it. The first forum, “Is this Conversation Really Necessary?” by Dr. Brian K. Blount, will be conducted as a Zoom meeting on August 18, 2:00-4:00pm. Dr. Blount is a New Testament scholar and the president of Union Presbyterian Seminary. Sign up now - it's free!

Presbytery Meeting Recap + Congrats to Rebecca and Natalie

The Presbytery of New Hope held their 110th presbytery gathering on July 28 via Zoom. Dave Pottenger and John Messick represented Westminster as Elder Commissioners. Though a shorter meeting than usual, much good work was done, including receiving updates from the General Assembly and welcoming new pastors to the Presbytery. Of particular note to Westminster members was the report from the Committee on Preparation for Ministry, which included wonderful news on two of our own: Rebecca Mattern and Natalie Wolf. Rebecca was received as an Inquirer, the first step in the ordination process. She is a student at Louisville Presbyterian Seminary. Natalie was enrolled as a candidate for ministry, the next step towards ordination. She is a student at Columbia Theological Seminary and recently completed an internship at First Presbyterian Church in Durham this summer.

TREE Callers Take a Break

Everyone needs a break sometimes, even our WPC TREE Callers who have served us so ably and well during these early months of COVID-19. Therefore, we’re declaring the month of August to be "WPC TREE Jubilee Month." This means that our WPC TREE Callers (your TREE caller) will take a break and will not call you this month. If you feel that you will miss hearing from someone at your church (and who wouldn't?), please let Cherrie know. The pastors are committed to calling anyone who would like an August chat.

Your Giving is Essential

Thank you for continuing to give your offering and make your pledge payments these last few months, even though we can’t gather in person. Our Business Manager, Sharon Morgan, has created easy, downloadable instructions on giving through your myWPC account. Visit https://bit.ly/WPCgiveonline for instructions for setting up a recurring or a one-time gift through myWPC. Please email Sharon with any questions.

PLEASE REMEMBER: Westminster’s campus is CLOSED. Only church staff and essential facilities personnel are permitted on campus and inside the buildings at this time. Utilize emails and phone calls to conduct any church business you may have. For safety reasons, please avoid “stopping by” and/or entering the buildings. Thanks for understanding, and stay safe!

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