The Weekly Word at Western Boulevard Presbyterian Church

Thursday, September 29, 2022

World-Wide Welcome

We are holding all of those in the path of Hurricane Ian in our prayers as they recover from this devastating storm in Florida and then up through the Southeast in the days ahead. Right now it appears that the biggest impact we will feel here in our area is lots of rain and some wind, but we will make any necessary adjustments to our scheduled plans at church accordingly to be safe and dry.

And we have a big day planned for Sunday! It is FAN Day – Friends and Neighbors Day – when we are all encouraged to invite friends, neighbors and family to join us for worship, lunch, and fun activities after church. You’ll see below the details from the Fellowship, Evangelism, and Mission Committees, as well as how some of plans might be adjusted due to weather. But we are excited to have this specific opportunity to welcome new people to church on Sunday. Whether you invite someone new to come, or you see new faces at church this week, I hope we all will do everything we can to reach out and extend Christian hospitality to all our guests who will be here!

Sunday is also World Communion Sunday, and in our worship we will celebrate the broad reach of God’s love across this globe. It is often easy to center ourselves only on our lives of faith at Western Boulevard, forgetting that we are connected to so many others in the faith across our city, state, country, and world. This Sunday is an opportunity for us to affirm that global reach of Christ’s Church through the celebration of the Lord’s Supper. We will also receive the Peace and Global Witness Offering of the Presbyterian Church, and you will read more about its purpose and use below. This offering supports peacemaking efforts both locally and globally across the church, and it reminds us of our call as Christ’s disciples to share God’s love in ways that brings people together in peace.

Whatever the weather may be this weekend, I hope to see you on Sunday as we celebrate the deep connections of our faith across this world, which inspires us to invite and welcome others into God’s loving embrace.

With a full and grateful heart,

Frank

THIS SUNDAY AT WBPC

Worship Service – 10:30am – Click HERE for the bulletin.

@The Table Worship – 5:00pm on Zoom. Click HERE for the order of service, which includes the link for the Zoom gathering.

FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS DAY - OCTOBER 2

Join us October 2 for a Sunday of Fun! Friends and Neighbors (FAN Day) is a beloved tradition at Western Boulevard Presbyterian and this year it is better than ever. Start off with a worship service at 10:30 am followed by a BBQ lunch (vegetarian options available), inflatables, backyard games (weather permitting), and cap it off with a Blood Drive. This event is open to the entire community so invite your friends, neighbors, and co-workers.

FAN DAY BLOOD DRIVE

Please join us October 2nd from 11:30-3:30 for FAN day and consider donating to the blood drive. Use this link to get more information and sign up. All donors will receive a $10 eGift card & a $10 charitable donation will be made for every blood donor!

PEACE AND GLOBAL WITNESS OFFERING – OCTOBER 2

This Sunday, we will receive the Peace and Global Witness Offering, one of four special offerings of the Presbyterian Church (USA), which goes to support peacemaking efforts in our nation and world. 25% of what we collect will be sent to Loaves and Fishes, one of our long-term mission partners here in Raleigh. Loaves and Fishes empowers under resourced K-12 youth for life opportunities through out-of-school programming using a long-term, relationally-based, holistic approach to development that involves enrichment of the mind, body, and spirit. You may learn more about Loaves and Fishes by clicking HERE. You may make your contribution to WBPC and mark it “Peace and Global Witness Offering.” Thank you for your generous support!

Click HERE for all the education offerings for 2022-23.

YOUTH FELLOWSHIP NEWS

No youth this week due to FAN day. Join us Oct. 9^th for regular youth group at 6:30pm!

WBPC AND THE CENTER FOR DEVELOPMENT IN CENTRAL AMERICA

WBPC has supported the work of the Center for Development in Central America (CDCA) for many years through our mission budget and through their sale of handcrafts and other products that Sarah Junkin Woodard has brought to us. If you are interested in the latest happenings from their organization in Nicaragua, click here to see their September newsletter.

RESPONDING TO HURRICANES FIONA AND IAN

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) is actively responding to the devastation that has occurred in Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Florida, and throughout the Southeastern United States. To learn more about their efforts, click HERE. If you wish to make a monetary donation to PDA, you can donate to Western Boulevard and mark it “Disaster Assistance,” and we will forward it on to PDA. Thank you for your generous response to our neighbors in need.

MISSION OUTREACH

Presbyterians Engage in God's Mission - Being the Church Together - Click HERE to learn more.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT LIVE

No Wednesday night live this week. We will return on October 12th with a Brisket Dinner and a presentation from our friends at Family Promise of Wake County.

CALLED CONGREGATIONAL MEETING – OCTOBER 9

The Session has called a congregational meeting for Sunday, October 9, after the worship service for the purpose of electing officers to the class of 2025. The Nominating Committee will present the following individuals to serve in the class of 2025:

Elder: Louis Alexander, Gene Curtis, Ron Pittman, Jr., Joyce Smith

Youth Elder: Olivia Holt

Deacon: Lucy Dratman, Nancy Simpson

Nominations may be made from the floor, but if you nominate someone you must have confirmed that she/he is willing to serve if elected. We are grateful to the Nominating Committee for their work this fall, and to these individuals who have expressed their desire to serve in leadership for Western Boulevard Presbyterian Church in the coming years.

BREAKFAST! – OCTOBER 9

Sizzling bacon, fluffy eggs, creamy grits, hot coffee...hungry yet? Please join us Sunday, October 9 at 8:45am in the Fellowship Hall for a hot breakfast to kick off your day of worship. No need to RSVP, just show up with your smiling face and hungry tummy.

NEW MEMBER CLASS – OCTOBER 16

If you have been visiting Western Boulevard for a while and wish to learn more about becoming a member of the church, you’re invited to join us for a New Member Class on Sunday, October 16! We will meet in the Fellowship Hall immediately after the morning worship service, with a lunch provided by the Evangelism Committee. Childcare will be provided, as well. Please contact Frank Mansell (frank@wbpresbyterian.org) or the church office (admin@wbpresbyterian.org) if you are interested, so we can make the necessary plans for lunch.

WBPC PRESCHOOL FUNDRASIER

Preschool Fundraiser! As you might know, we have been working to get our playground cleaned up and are hoping to get a new sandbox built that will hold the sand. We are partnering with Legacy Fundraising Partners to raise funds for playground and classroom improvements. If you would like to help us with this fundraiser, please visit this link for more information about these incredible baked goods. Orders can be made online – you can order from our fundraiser online by clicking on any name and pay using a credit card or mobile wallet. There will also be a paper form on the bulletin board outside the preschool office if you would rather order that way. The fundraiser ends Friday, October 7th and orders will be here to be picked up Tuesday, November 1st.

BIBLICAL JUSTICE FORUM - OCTOBER 3

On October 3 at 12:00pm, the Biblical Justice Forum will meet and complete a lesson from Presbyterian Outlook magazine on Trust Black Women led by Millicent Fauntleroy, BJF member from Davie Street Presbyterian Church. All are welcome to join us – contact Sandy Irving if you have any questions (s-dirving@earthlink.net). Click HERE for the Zoom link.

Western Blvd Presbyterian Church will begin studying White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity on October 10 and continuing through November. We invite you to join us via Zoom on Mondays from 12:00-1:30pm for an in-depth discussion. This is a multi church group.

DO YOU KNOW IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY REGISTERED TO VOTE?

Every election matters. This year we will be electing a US Senator, US Representatives, State Representatives and Senators, Judges, School Board members, County Commissioners, City Council members, Mayors and more.

The first step is making certain that you are registered at your current address. You can make sure by clicking this link: Verify your voter registration is up-to-date, or register to vote, at this link.

DIVORCE CARE

If you are considering separation or divorce, don’t try to go through it alone. Connect with a DivorceCare group either in person or online. You’ll find caring people who understand the issues you face and practical counsel for decision making and managing stress. Contact DivorceCare HERE or speak with a Deacon or Elder for a list of several groups that meet in The Triangle area, churches or online.

PRAYER CHAIN REQUESTS

If you have a prayer concern, please contact Frank Mansell (frank@wbpresbyterian.org), Marcia Bennett (sen1969@hotmail.com), or Betty Dean (betdean@nc.rr.com) and request that it be added to the Prayer Chain. Please note that any confidential prayer requests will not be added to the Prayer Chain. Please let us know if you are nor receiving prayer updates and you had signed-up, and we will work to reconfirm you are on the mailing list.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS: October 2 - October 9

Sunday, October 2 – World Communion Sunday

9:30am Sunday School

10:30am Worship Service

11:30am FAN Day – Lunch, Games, Blood Drive

5:00pm @ The Table Service (Zoom)

Monday, October 3

12:00pm Biblical Justice Forum (Zoom)

1:00pm Staff Meeting (Zoom)

7:00pm Scouts (Fellowship Hall and Downstairs)

7:00pm Property Committee (Parlor)

Tuesday, October 4

4:00pm AventWest Children’s Mentoring (Fellowship Hall)

6:30pm Deacons Meeting (Zoom)

Wednesday, October 5

9:30am Wednesday AM Prayer Group (Fellowship Hall)

6:30pm Chancel Choir Rehearsal (Sanctuary)

7:30pm Handbell Choir Rehearsal (Sanctuary)

Thursday, October 6

4:00pm AventWest Children’s Mentoring (Fellowship Hall)

6:30pm Bible Study (Zoom)

6:45pm BSA girls (Youth Room)

Sunday, October 9

8:45am Breakfast (Fellowship Hall)

9:30am Sunday School

10:30am Worship Service

12:00pm Session Meeting (Fellowship Hall)

5:00pm @ The Table Service (Zoom)

6:30pm Worship Committee Meeting (Parlor)

6:30pm Youth Group (Fellowship Hall)

RESERVATIONS, PICTURES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Please refer to the Calendar if you have questions about meetings. If you want to reserve a room, please email admin@wbpresbyterian.org. If you have photos from Church events this year, please share them with us. You may upload your pictures directly to our shared Church album by clicking HERE.

If you would like your birthday included on the monthly birthday list, please update your personal information on Realm or contact the church office.

WE'RE HIRING! WBPC is seeking a Director of Christian Education & Community Engagement. If you or someone you know is interested, please click HERE for more information.

Click HERE for October birthdays!

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