As we welcome autumn, we are busy welcoming many of our church activities! We hope to see you soon, either by zoom or in person, at worship soon.
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Our fellow WPC members,
As we all continue to demonstrate to Heath, Chris, Carrie, Ella Brooks, and Wilson that we don’t go alone, the Personnel Committee has organized ourselves to help pick up some of Chris’ responsibilities. Most importantly, providing additional support and care for our wonderful staff so that they can lead us through these upcoming months.
Know that as our staff helps us, we have the great opportunity to help them and each other navigate the joys, complexities, and challenges of our intertwined lives. For our staff, who are not only dealing right now with Chris’ reduced role but also with personal situations that require their time and focus, the most immediate way of helping is having an extra order of grace in making church-related requests. Including the scheduling of activities, meeting room requests, supporting WPC’s covid guidelines, and the like. Providing extra time for our staff to respond and address these requests, will help everyone, and is greatly appreciated.
We can also use your help, talent, and time, especially now as we get ready for the new church year and the weeks and months beyond. We’re actively seeking volunteers in areas that greatly need your support. Helping to publish our newsletter and other communications or serving in the roles needed for our worship services, support for our expanding set of office work needs, or simply proactively checking in and connecting with each other and the communities we serve. If you can help or would like to learn more about opportunities for connecting with others, please email us at connecting@wpcdurham.org.
In supporting each other and our staff, we’ll not only be helping each other and our fellow Westminster family, we’ll also be demonstrating our love and care for the Tuttles. Showing yet again, that we are a community, a covenant people, and that none of us need to go it alone.
Thank you,
Suze Bear, Dave Mountain, Bill Pogue, Jennifer Feiler, Mary Beck Sutton, Michelle Ferguson, and Russ Lange
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Connect on Sundays — NEW Start Times & Mostly Outside!
Remember your masks and maybe a water bottle and chair! Look for signs on campus to find your outdoor meeting locations.
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Church Nursery: 9:30am
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Church School for Adults: 9:45am in the Mission Center and via Zoom
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Confirmation: 9:45am on the Terrace
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Strings & Sounds Music for 2’s-K: 10:00-10:15am in the Preschool Entrance
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Church School for Children & Youth: 10:00-10:45am
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Godly Play for Children 4 years old - 1st Grade: 11:15am following the Children’s Message in the parlor.
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Youth Group: 5:30-7:00pm
Sign up for a NEW Music Elective for Older Kids!
We are expanding our offerings for children to explore God’s gift of music! A NEW short-term elective called “Joyful Noise Music-Makers” will give children in Grades 1-4 the opportunity to explore chimes, bells, & other percussion instruments including boomwhackers! This 7-week series begins October 3 from 9:30-10:00am and will conclude with an informal sharing time on Christ the King Sunday, November 21, at 10:00am. The playground is available for parent-supervised play-time for siblings. Music-Makers Leaders are Janet Whitaker and Ellen Vogel. Sign up here!
We Show Love for One Another By Being Vaccinated and Wearing Masks
100 Percent YES!
Did you know that 100 percent of our church school teachers, Godly Play leaders and greeters, nursery caregivers, children’s music leaders, and youth leaders are vaccinated? Westminster LOVES our children and youth and we CARE deeply about both their spiritual and physical health. That’s why we ALL said YES! We’re vaccinated! We meet outside and we all wear masks!
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Westminster This Week – Quick Links
Worship at Westminster
September 26 - Genesis 27:1-4, 15-23; 28:10-17 "Jacob Steals a Dream"
October 3 - Exodus 2:23-25; 3:1-15; 4:10-17 "God's name is revealed"
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WPC Youth Group — off to a great start!
All young folks 6th Grade and up are invited to join us for dinner and Youth Group in the Courtyard this evening, 5:30 to 7:00pm. Bring a mask and don’t forget to bring $5 for dinner! It has been wonderful to see so many youth reconnecting on Sunday evenings. Whether you can come every week or just once in a while, come as you are and when you can for fun and fellowship!
High School Beach Retreat: Oct. 15-17 We’re headed down to Wrightsville Beach for a weekend of rest and reflection! If you are registered, you can now pay via text! Text WPCDURHAM BEACH $125.00 to 73256. Standard text messaging rates may apply. If you have not registered, contact Alex to see about getting on the waitlist (alex@wpcdurham.org).
College Conference @ Montreat: Jan. 2-5, 2022 This year, all former youth who have graduated from high school are invited to attend Montreat’s College Conference. It’s sort of like the high school conference, only smaller and catered to an older crowd. We’ve rented a beautiful house and are looking forward to reuniting with you in the mountains. If you’re interested in learning more, please shoot Alex an email (alex@wpcdurham.org).
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Youth Suite Renovation
Do you have couches, rugs, or throw pillows you are no longer using?
The Middle and High School Youth are working hard to renovate the youth suite. Most of the furniture is very old and worn and needs replacing. We are fortunate to have so many youth regularly attend Sunday evening youth group that we need additional seating. If you have any of the following items you would like to donate to our Youth Suite, please contact Wyndi Phillips at wyndi_mp@yahoo.com or Alex at alex@wpcdurham.org.
- Couches
- Large floor rugs
- Bean bags
- Throw pillows, pillow covers, or inserts
- Folding ping pong table
Thanks!
WPC Youth
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Service opportunities — volunteers needed! |
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Fall 2021 Worship – Many Opportunities to Serve!
WPC staff and worship leadership are deep into fall worship planning and need your help! It takes a lot of volunteers to make worship happen! Please visit our online sign-ups to check out all the ways you can serve your church on Sunday mornings. We’ve grouped the volunteer needs by worship dates (rather than by role) to help you find multiple ways you can serve and maybe also partner with friends and/or family members to serve together. Sign up now at www.bit.ly/F21WorshipVolunteers11am.
We are especially in need of sound technicians and live stream technicians for our newly expanded Audio-Visual Team. Training is provided by experienced volunteers. Please contact Mark Hill (cmhill@gmail.com) if you are interested.
Acolyte Ministry Training This Sunday
9:45-10:45am
For children in Grades 3 - 6
This Sunday, Ms. Tina Allen will train/retrain our 3rd - 6th graders in the Acolyte ministry. An acolyte serves God and God’s people by reminding all of us of the presence of the Light of Christ with us in worship and wherever we go. All children in Grades 3 - 6 are invited to learn about and be trained in this important ministry this Sunday during the Church School hour. Meet on the Sanctuary Porch. No Church School for 3rd & 4th Graders. 5th & 6th Graders may choose to come to either this training or to Church School. Following this training, children and their parents are invited to sign up.
Call To Nursery Ministry
Do you feel a call to care for the youngest of our church family? There are opportunities, whether you are a youth (9th - 12th grade) or an adult of any age, to help in the nursery during the 11:00am worship service. No matter the amount of time you have, there is a place for you! All volunteers work with paid staff and should be trained in our WPC’s Safe Child practices. (Training provided multiple times a year and online.) To learn more, read this ministry description. To sign up, click here. If you have questions, please contact Marietta Wynands (marietta@wpcdurham.org).
Families Moving Forward
Four volunteers to prepare, serve, and clean up a meal for 12 on Thursday, October 21, 5:00-6:30pm. Please sign up on Signup Genius if you're willing to help. Contact Pat Trost if you have questions.
Iglesia Emanuel’s Food Ministry
Iglesia Emanuel continues to need volunteer help to make its food ministry possible! Beginning in September, Westminster’s volunteer sign-up merged with Iglesia Emanuel’s main sign-up for its food ministry. The need for food has not gone away, so please continue signing up to help weekly or monthly. Sign up and details: www.bit.ly/IglesiaPresEmanuel
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Yarn Collection for Haiti
Attention Knitters & Crocheters: Do you have leftover yarn from your last project? We have the opportunity to put your leftovers to good use. The Haiti Outreach Ministry schools in Port-a-Prince, Haiti are offering classes in knitting & crocheting to their students. We are collecting yarn to send to Haiti to help them with this effort. Yarn should be enough to create a small project (e. g. a hat). Knitting needles and crochet hooks are appreciated too. Please leave your donations in the bin outside the mission center by October 15. For more information contact Helen Harrison or Emily Strader.
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From the Racial Equity Team
Join a Holy Circle on Race — Sunday, Sept. 26
A Holy Circle is a way to listen to what the Spirit is saying around a particular subject area. It is a way of sharing what is in our own heart about the matter and listening for what is in the hearts of others. Circles are open to all members of the congregation on a strictly voluntary basis. You do not have to do anything to prepare for a Holy Circle. Simply sign up if you feel drawn to the topic that is the focus and come with an open heart. People speak what is alive in them around the topic and listen when others speak. There is no discussion, no agreements, or next steps at the end. There is simply giving sacred space for the Spirit to speak through us and to us. The Holy Circles convened this year are part of the Racial Equity Team’s effort to bring God’s guidance to efforts to end racism and bring God’s will to earth.
The focus for our September Holy Circle will be what troubles us about race, the wisdom we already have, and what support we still need. Sunday, September 26 from 3:00pm - 4:30pm. Register here or contact Eileen McAvoy.
Proud Shoes Library Books Available for Sign-out!
As we focus our fall on the Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray, join us in reading Proud Shoes: The Story of an American Family. With thanks to the Durham Public Library, you can sign out this book right here at WPC! Look for the blue Library Book Bag on the table next to the Mission Center entrance. Let’s talk about it at a bag-lunch conversation on October 17 after worship.
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Camp New Hope's Executive Director Richard Stevens is retiring from New Hope Camp and Conference Center on October 31, 2021. He has been a wonderful spiritual leader and director for New Hope and he will be greatly missed. Richard sends this note:
“Since January 1, 2008, I have served New Hope Camp & Conference Center as its Executive Director. I’ve worked hand-in-hand with board members and volunteers to implement capital improvements and to maintain the beautiful property for which we are stewards. We have accomplished a lot and, in the process, I’ve made many good friends. I’ve heard many wonderful, heartwarming stories of how the camp has affected many people who have come through our gates, including stories of healing, inclusiveness, and equality. It is my belief that this fun and sacred place will continue to leave its positive influence on our community. Thank you for working with me in this endeavor."
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Camp New Hope is looking for a new Executive Director who brings the right balance of skills to write the next chapter of our 74-year history as a place apart for persons of all ages and faiths to grow in their relationship with God, themselves, and others in an environment of Christian hospitality. This position has been posted on www.pccca.net.
Join us for our fundraiser on October 13, ‘Taco Tuesday’ (but on a Wednesday)! Drive through from 5pm-6pm at the back of the dining hall. Enjoy 3 soft tacos with all the trimmings and a cookie for $10. We will also be holding a raffle that week from Monday, Oct. 11, to Friday, Oct. 15. Prizes include a week at camp, intersession week, and more. Tickets will be $5 for 1 or $20 for 5. Purchase of tickets begins online Oct. 11 at https://newhopeccc.campbrainoffice.com/Fundraising. All proceeds will go to our program support fund. Thank you to all who donated to this fund for 2021 summer camp season; the money was used for camper t-shirts, art supplies, and sports equipment.
Intersession camps were a great success. It was fun to have our campers back. Our next intersession is January 3-7, 2022, "Journey to the South Pole." Get ready for spring and sign up for our exciting intersession camps: "What's Cookin'," "Journey to Far off Places," and "Treasure Island."
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Praying for Others
Please consult the prayers & cares list to pray for many in our congregation who are having difficult times - and those who want to celebrate good news in their lives. Visit https://bit.ly/InOurPrayers to see the list of those who need prayers.
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