June 7, 2020
Friends and fellow disciples,
Most of what I wanted to say to you this week was included in the special
congregational email
we sent to you on Monday.
I pray this has been a week of reflection, of careful listening, of reading and engaging with materials that can help teach us more about who we are called to be. The
21-Day Race Equity Challenge
has been powerful this week, and I continue to learn and with God's help, I am working hard to explore the racism that resides in my heart and within us all. If you signed up for this Challenge, would you please email me and let me know? I'd like to invite you to a conversation in the coming weeks about what we are learning. Diving into a project like this together can be transformational, and the support of other members of the community can help keep us accountable. I'd love to talk with you about it.
I'd also love to know what you all are reading and watching to help your understanding. We have much to learn. And we must pray for God's justice to reign down on our land.
Peace be with you, friends.
Chris
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Westminster This Week - Quick Links
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SUNDAY: Join Us in the WPC Virtual Courtyard
Remember when we all attended church in person? One of the great things about being at church aside from our worship time is the gathering of our church family in the Courtyard after the service. We’re bringing back that experience with the WPC Virtual Courtyard. Please join us via Zoom immediately following Sunday's worship service. The link to the meeting will be shared in the
YouTube
livechat during the worship service or you may
email Bob Lamont
. Hope to see you there!
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WPC Youth Group: Celebrating Art, Our Seniors, and Good Things During the Week
An Art Contest!
All youth are invited to submit art exploring themes found in Malvina Reynolds' song
"God Bless the Grass."
We're inviting entries in photography, film/video, paintings, drawings, and other forms (poems, plays, cakes, statues, dances, and anything else you can think of). Sunday is the LAST day to send in submissions. There will be prizes!
MONDAY: Graduation Parade for Seniors in Youth Group
You’re invited to join in a graduation parade for seniors in our Youth Group on Monday, June 8, 12:00-1:00pm! We will line up our cars in the church driveway at 11:45am, then head out convoy-style to drive by each senior's home. We'll blow our horns, blast music, yell, and wave signs - get creative about how you'd like to celebrate. A few important instructions:
- Come to the church with your car decorated, your signs, horns, and anything else you'd like to bring to celebrate.
- Enter the driveway by the Sanctuary. We will begin the line on the preschool side of the Mission Center (by the cabin).
- When you arrive at church, please stay in your car and wear a mask. The campus is still officially closed.
- Please maintain social distancing even when you're in your car – this means that families can ride together but friends should not.
- Alex will email route information on Monday morning to the WPC Youth listserv. If you’re not on that list but would like to receive route information, please contact Alex.
Seniors Sunday, June 14
We look forward to honoring our seniors during worship on Sunday, June 14. If you have a high school or college senior in the family, please email Alex with pictures, stories, facts, etc., that we can share with the congregation. Monday is the final deadline to send in your materials. Watch Westminster’s social media next week for senior shout-outs!
Ongoing: Instagram Live and Bible Studies
WPC Youth is on Instagram Live
@wpcyouthdurham
Mondays at 12:00 noon. Thursday is the day for Bible studies - High School at 2:30pm, Middle School at 4:00pm.
Contact Alex
for Zoom links and passwords.
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MISSION-X, a Habitat for Humanity Mission Experience @Home for Children & Families
- Week 1: June 21 - 28
- Week 2: July 19-26
- Week 3: August 9 - 16
- Construction site: Your house and backyard
Every “crew” (that’s you!) receives a crate with all the blueprints and supplies needed to carry out a week's worth of projects at home. Each phase of construction begins with an opening event and closing celebration. We'll use Zoom as needed, but hope to meet in person for later phases. More details to come after you register!
Contact
“Contractor”
Dawn Wilcox
with questions.
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Digital Parent Check-Ins to Keep Connected
The staff is offering virtual check-ins for parents. Each session will be brief and include time to talk about how things are going. We hope these virtual gatherings will help build peer support for parents and may be followed by some family activities to do at home. Upcoming check-ins include:
- Elementary: Tuesday, June 9 at 4:00pm with Cherrie
- Middle School: Monday, June 15 at 4:00pm with Chris
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TREE Callers Needed
Our WPC TREE could use a few more callers. Do you have two or three hours each month to devote to checking in on a list of 10 Westminster households? This is a wonderful way to serve your church family during these challenging times. Volunteers must know how to send emails and texts. Please let us know if you can help.
Contact
:
Cherrie Barton Henry
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Nominations for Elders and Deacons
The Nominating Committee is working to identify five new elders (four adults, one youth) and eight new deacons (seven adults, one youth) to serve in the class of 2023. We are also searching for an individual to complete the one-year term of an elder who moved. This is an important opportunity to serve the church in meaningful ways and be a part of God's vision for Westminster. The congregation is invited to submit nominations to
nominations@wpcdurham.org
.
Contact
:
Carol Mansfield
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Update Your myWPC Contact Info
As our Tree callers have been reaching out, we’ve learned the church doesn’t have updated contact info for many of you. Also, if you’re giving to the church through your myWPC account, the address you have in myWPC must match the address of your credit card billing statement for your contribution to go through. Please take a moment to review and update your information and photo in
myWPC
.
Instructions are provided on our website
.
Contact
:
Barb Schmidt
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Beware of Email Scammers
Scammers are out in full force during the pandemic.
Please know that Westminster staff will NEVER email you requesting money, gift cards, or personal information such as your social security number or bank account numbers.
- "Phishing" is an attempt to obtain sensitive personal information by sending legitimate-looking email under the guise of a trustworthy person. The sender’s address will look similar to that of someone you know. Often the messages will imply a sense of urgency. To educate yourself on recognizing and handling phishing, visit www.phishing.org.
- Read advice from the FBI’s financial crimes division to learn more about the scams during the pandemic and how you can protect yourself.
If you receive a suspicious email that appears to be from someone at Westminster, do not reply to it. Instead, mark it as spam, report it to your email provider, and delete it. If you have any questions or are unsure about an email you've received, please contact
Sharon Morgan
, who oversees the church’s technology services.
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COVID-19 Relief Fund
Westminster has created this fund for those wishing to donate some or all of their COVID-19 stimulus check money to those in the community with greater needs. WPC's COVID-19 Committee will direct the funds to the most needy of our Durham nonprofits. This isn’t a campaign or drive on the church’s part, but a response to those who have asked for a vehicle to put the funds they’ve received to good purposes.
Contributions have topped $8,200 thus far – thank you!
Give online now
or mail a check to the church with "COVID19 Relief Fund” in the memo line.
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PLEASE NOTE: Despite the lifting of some restrictions by Governor Cooper, Westminster’s campus remains closed through June 28. Only essential personnel are permitted on campus during this time. Thanks for your understanding.
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