Hello, dear friends!

The team here in the Westminster Mission Center has offered me the opportunity to use this space to offer my supreme gratitude for the love and support you extended to our church's youth last Sunday, March 13. Six high school seniors delivered faithful and moving sermons; 11 more teenagers read, wrote prayers, and played music; and countless others served as ushers and greeters. It was a beautiful thing to see! Check out these great photos of the day taken by Kim Garcia.

Listening to the news, it's easy to be pessimistic about the state of the world and what the future holds. Despite that, it was hard not to feel hopeful from where I was sitting in the Sanctuary Sunday morning. I saw a group of young people confident in their faith. I saw teenagers speaking with honesty, courage, and conviction. I saw a group of people armed with creativity, energy, and humor who are determined to bravely face the problems of their community and the world.

I also saw a supportive community of adults cheering these young folks on. In a world that typically ignores or actively stifles the contributions of the young, Westminster has set itself apart as a community that believes in the sacred possibilities that pop up when we carve out a safe space for our youth. Thank you for all you have done – and continue to do – to ensure that our church remains a place where young Christians can explore our faith with a sense of freedom and joy. It is a rare a precious gift!

Last but not least, our Dessert Auction was a huge success! Thank you to everyone who came out. We still have Westminster PC t-shirts for sale – they were designed and screen-printed (by hand!) by two classmates of many of our youth who started a business in an entrepreneurship class at Jordan High School. Please contact me if you'd like to purchase one.

Peace,
Alex
Some Good News on Westminster’s COVID-19 Guidelines
Durham is now in the “green” low zone of community COVID-19 levels, as defined by CDC-set guidelines. We started singing together last week in worship, and it was wonderful! We'll slowly have choral ensembles return to help lead us in worship. As of Sunday, March 20, we will be mask-optional throughout WPC’s campus, including corporate worship. Whether you choose to wear a mask or not, we will enjoy being together!
Westminster This Week – Quick Links

Sunday at Westminster – March 20, Third Sunday in Lent
9:30am Nursery for Infants and Toddlers
9:45am Church School for All Ages
11:00am Worship in the Sanctuary and on YouTube
12:00pm   VineyardMatch Launch Celebration – Courtyard
4:30pm    “Opening Doors” Capital Campaign Gathering – Fellowship Hall
5:30pm    WPC Youth Group – WPC Campus
Wednesday Mid-Day Worship and Walk the Labyrinth, 12:30pm
Eash Wednesday in Lent, you're invited to take a few minutes out of your busy week for a time of prayer, worship, and contemplation on the labyrinth. Our worship staff will be waiting at the WPC garage to welcome you. You may also visit the Labyrinth any time during daylight hours, alone or with your family or a friend. You'll find some guidance in an infobox at the start of the labyrinth. Come and experience the spiritual gifts of walking and contemplating life's walk with Christ.
SUNDAY: Launch of WPC’s New Volunteer VineyardMatch
“The harvest is plentiful,” Jesus says. On Sunday, discover your gifts for ministry and find some good and needed work to do here in the vineyard of WPC as we officially our new Volunteer VineyardMatch discovery tool! At the conclusion of worship, you’ll have the opportunity to discover where your gifts meet with a whole vineyard of ministry needs here at WPC.

When we give you the “go-ahead” after worship, you may connect to VineyardMatch via your mobile device using a weblink or QR code we'll provide you on Sunday. No device to connect? No worries! Come on out to the Courtyard where Connection Committee members – they’ll be the ones in farmer’s hats! – will ready with electronic and paper versions of the VineyardMatch. They will also be glad to answer any questions you might have. When you get your results, enjoy snacking on delicious grapes and cheese provided by our Fellowship Committee, as you share what you learn with others.
48th Annual Durham CROP Hunger Walk
Sunday, April 10, 2:30pm at Duke Chapel
CROP Walk is back live and in-person! Invite your friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers to this fun, family-friendly 5k walk with music and educational activities for all ages. The last two years’ CROP Walks have been virtual events, with Westminster family and friends raising $10,000+ each year and continuing our CROP Walk “silver sneaker” multi-year award streak. Register and join team WPC Durham and/or make a donation. Questions? Please contact Blair Chesnut.
2022 Easter Offering: Ways You Can Help
Update from the Global Mission Committee
Every year, millions of people around the world are forcibly displaced. So far, in this year alone, 123,000 Afghanis were evacuated by US Forces during the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban, and 2.2 million more sought sanctuary in neighboring nations. More than 2.8 million people have fled Ukraine this month due to invasion. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees has called it the fastest-growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II.

This Lent your Global Missions Committee is offering you two opportunities to respond. First, consider giving to our 2022 Easter offering, which will be dedicated to World Relief Durham, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, and Music Mission Kyiv. These Westminster partner organizations each serve refugees and immigrants. Second, consider becoming part of WPC's Refugee Resettlement Team if you'd like to move beyond donating money. Durham is privileged to be home to many refugees from all over the world. Organizations like World Relief Durham (WRD) help in the difficult process of resettlement. Our team is currently making plans to begin training with WRD so that we might collect home furnishings and set up an apartment to make it a home for an incoming family. We also hope to welcome families at the airport, transport them to their homes, and provide a warm meal. In addition, WRD is also looking for persons who can house a family or individual in their home for one to seven nights until their permanent housing is ready.    

We feel so helpless seeing the suffering of our brothers and sisters, but there are opportunities for us to help! We hope you will consider how you can help us as we help others. Give generously to our Easter Offering. For more information about the Refugee Resettlement Team please contact Eileen McAvoy, Cara Bolton, or Cherrie Barton Henry. 

Ways To Contribute to the Easter Offering:
  • Through myWPC, choose the fund “Easter Offering” and complete your transaction. 
  • Text WPCDURHAM Easter $50 to 73256 to give $50 to the Easter Offering fund using your text messaging. Change the amount to be whatever amount you want to donate. Standard text messaging rates may apply.
  • Write a check to WPC with “Easter Offering” in the memo line and place it in the offering plate or drop it in the Finance Office door.
Thanks to everyone who donated blood and volunteered at our March 15 Blood Drive. It was a tremendous success with 37 units collected, exceeding the Red Cross's goal of 25 units. Great job!