Friday, August 18, 2023

New Beginnings

Yesterday we said goodbye to Annie as she headed back to Blacksburg for the start of a new school year. Many college students are making the same journey or have already done so. For most people in our area, school begins officially this Monday. But before the official start date, there are all kinds of preparations to be made. Journeys are made, moving in occurs, supplies are bought, workdays take place, getting your schedule, meeting your teacher, and planning for the coming year is finalized. All this and more takes place in preparation for a new beginning – a new school year.

Fall might seem to be an interesting time to talk about new beginnings. After all, we are approaching the final third of the calendar year. Shouldn’t we be talking about and thinking about finishing strong? And that is true to some extent, especially when the leaves change colors and then drop. Yet Fall provides us with many opportunities to begin new things. Teachers, staff, and students begin a new school year with new schedules, new classes, new friends, new routines, and so much more. Westwood begins a new “church year” with the start of familiar programs as well as opportunities for new ones to begin.

Seeing this time of the year as a time for new beginnings will help us finish the calendar year strong. Perhaps you can use this time to start a new spiritual discipline or habit. You could begin a new scripture reading plan. Or maybe set a schedule of intentional times for solitude and silence with God. Maybe you can commit to praying on a more regular basis or commit to being intentional about sharing your faith journey with others. Or maybe it is something else that will draw you closer to God and God's people. Whatever it is you decide to do, it is a reminder that new beginnings are not just for those heading back to school; they are for all of us!

I hope to see you Sunday for worship. We’ll be helping our students of all ages know they are supported and loved through our Blessing of the Backpacks. Don’t miss out! Students - remember to bring your backpacks!

~ Stephen

URGENT Afghan Family Help Needed

We need your help! One of our Afghan families will be moving to a new apartment tomorrow at 11 a.m. and we will need help moving their belongings - loading, unloading, etc. Also, we need one or two pickup trucks to help move furniture. If you can help, please meet at the church tomorrow, August 19, at 11:00 a.m.

Also, please contact Dennis Milam at 703-965-8903 to let him know you're helping and/or if you have any questions.

Thanks for your continued support of this ministry!

Hangry Panda Food Truck Night TONIGHT 5:30-7:30 pm!

Come out and join a real Pandastic experience and wonderful merry-making! A truckload of scrumptious 42+ menu items, a total street-food curbside feast includes: Heavenly steaming Pho noodles soup, delectable Shrimp Macarena, Tofu Bamba, Mambo Chicken, Crispy Gyoza, Shanghai Lumpia, Bang-Bang Chicken, Big Daddy Hot Mess, super fresh Fusion Tacos, unbowlievable salad-series, Chef’s Special items, Vegetarian, Vegan and Gluten Free, as well as Kids’ Favorites… and lots more! Everything is oozing with endless awesomeness, guaranteed to soothe your bellies and soul!

➤PREORDER IS LIVE NOW IF YOU SCAN THE QR CODE WITH YOUR CAMERA (*SEE ATTACHED POSTER) OR... YOU CAN MANUALLY GO TO THIS WEBSITE: HANGRYPANDAFOODTRUCK.COM or... via this link: https://hangrypanda.square.site/

**PREORDERING DIRECTIONS**

1. Go to this site: https://hangrypanda.square.site/

2. Click “CHOOSE LOCATION"

3. BE SURE to CONFIRM your scheduled pick-up date and your “pickup location.”

4. Choose your preferred pick-up time.

5. Select desired items and click “Add to Order.”

6. Click check out. Complete the details section (payment info). Enter your cell number to get alerts when your meal is ready.

7. Review and then DON'T FORGET to hit THE SUBMIT BUTTON.

Invite your friends and neighbors!

The Table Returns September 13

We are just weeks away from our return to dinner and fellowship on Wednesday evenings at 6-7 p.m. Watch for information about updates to menus, how to make reservations, and other information.

The Neighborhood Is Growing! And We Need Your Help!

For the 2023-2024 school year, we are expanding our reach to two more local elementary schools, West Springfield and Rolling Valley! In order to make sure we kick off the school year well, we need another person or two to help us with pick up and drop off. IBR has generously allowed us to use their van for transportation, so if you would like to help out in this way, please let Pastor Emily know!

Backpack Season is here!

Ah, the dog days of summer! And your mind turns to - backpacks! Since early July, hard-working volunteers have been gathering at Echo two afternoons a week to assemble backpacks to give to Echo clients. Every year ECHO makes over 1300 grade-specific backpacks for students in grades K through college. ECHO depends on its community and member faith organizations to provide materials for the backpacks. Westwood will be collecting supplies during July and August to support this ministry. You can leave items in the box in the narthex or deliver them directly to Echo from 9:30–12:30 M-F or 7-9 T, Th. Or, new this year, you can shop ECHO's Amazon Wish List (click below).

Below is a list of the items that are most needed at this time. New Items only, please!

High School backpacks (17 to 19 inches high)

#2 Yellow Pencils (Ticonderoga Brand preferred)

Elmer’s Brand Glue sticks regular size

Wide Rule ONLY Composition books

College Rule ONLY Spiral notebooks (one subject)

College rule ONLY Loose leaf paper

Paper Folders with pockets

Crayola Brand Colored Pencils,12 count

Crayola Brand Broad Markers

Crayola Brand Crayons, 24 pack

Blunt scissors

DRY ERASE Broad tip Marker

2 inch Binders

Plastic Pencil Boxes

Small Construction Paper packs

Primary Writing paper padsClick Here to Purchase Items from the Wish List

ECHO News for August and September

ECHO’s Current Needs

Providing food for our neighbors experiencing hardship is one of the most important aspects of ECHO’s mission. We hope for a time when the need for food lessens, but that time is not here yet. ECHO’s Food Pantry continues to cope with burgeoning need. Please help if you can. Our most-needed supplies are posted on our website, www.echo-inc.org. Items currently in short supply include: bagged rice, dried beans, masa flour, sardines, honey, mayonnaise, shelf-stable milk, sugar, laundry detergent, dish detergent, deodorant and toilet paper.

The Backpack Program is under way, with hundreds of local students having already received backpacks filled with new school supplies. It is not too late to donate supplies such as high school-sized backpacks, wide-rule composition books, college rule filler paper, blunt scissors and 2” binders to help ECHO fill 1200 backpacks. A full list of needed school items with suggestions of brands and sizes that work best for our purposes can be found at www.echo-inc.org under “Donate Goods” /“School Supplies.”  

ECHO is now collecting fall and winter clothing. We especially need winter coats for children in sizes 4 - 18 as well as for men and women in Small and Medium sizes. Men’s and children’s long sleeve T-shirts, children’s sneakers and smaller sizes of men’s jeans are high on our list of needs.

Donations may be brought to 7205 Old Keene Mill Road, Springfield on weekdays between 9:30 am and 12:30 pm, or Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings between 7:00 and 9:00. Receipts are cheerfully provided.

Volunteer Openings at ECHO

ECHO volunteers are a loyal and happy group of folks. As a result, our building is buzzing and full nearly every day. We have a few specific openings for volunteers to join us. The Food Pantry needs someone who could fill in on random days and a Friday morning volunteer who is able to lift boxes weighing 20 to 40 pounds. People interested in working with clothing or housewares are needed on Wednesday or Friday mornings, or Thursday evenings. ECHO is open only one Saturday morning a month, and we need a volunteer interested in housewares in that slot. Interested? Contact [email protected].

Find ECHO Now on Instagram

ECHO is launching a new social media presence on Instagram. The site can be accessed at https://www.instagram.com/echoinc22150/ OR from our ECHO website by selecting the Instagram icon. We invite everyone to follow us on Instagram and share our posts with others.

Upcoming Dates to Note

August 21-23 - Clothing Changeover to Fall/Winter

September 4 - Closed for Labor Day

September 9 - Saturday Opening

Child Protection Policy Training

We always strive to keep our kids and youth safe and happy, and ensuring our adult volunteers have been through our child protection training is a part of that. If you would like to volunteer with our youth, kids, or at The Neighborhood, you must go through this training. We have a lot of folks who are due for this training. Be on the lookout for more information regarding when training will be held this year. See Pastor Emily if you have any questions or if you would like to make sure you are signed up!

Women on a Mission Summer Project

All are invited to join Women on a Mission each Wednesday through August in Whitten Hall at 10 am. Our summer project is making pillowcases for the Children's Hospital. You are welcome to join us on any Wednesday as you are available. We need volunteers who can iron, pin, or sew. See Judi Kern for more details.

Contributions to the Nehemiah Fund

If you are having a check sent to Westwood from a financial institution or if you yourself send one, please be sure to indicate when it is meant to be deposited to the Nehemiah Fund. Thank you!

Building Security and Energy Conservation

Building security and energy conservation continue to be a problem at Westwood! Please, remember: If your group or you are in the church building and are likely to be the last to leave, please turn off the lights, lock the classroom doors, and lock the exterior doors your group uses. This will be helpful at any time of the day. Thank you.

Feed Us, Please?

The Youth Department is still in weekly need of dinners for Sunday Night Live! Any and all offerings are greatly appreciated, whether home-cooked meals or take-out/delivery is your preference. We would be so grateful if you could please click on the link below and sign up for any Sunday evening! Thanks so much!

2023 Calendar for Sanctuary Flowers

A calendar has been posted at the Welcome Center for those who wish to sign up to provide flowers in the sanctuary on Sunday mornings in 2023. We have sevaral Sundays still open for signups. Please write your name and the dedication you want to appear in the worship guide on a given date. Payment of $35 is due the date of the flower dedication. Only one signup is allowed per Sunday.

2023-2024 Church Calendar and Room Use

As activities for the coming program year get into swing again, group leaders and planners are reminded to please complete an Event Scheduling Form to submit to the church office. This provides our staff with all the information needed to coordinate building use and calendaring. Ongoing virtual meetings do not require a form as long as they are on the church calendar. Forms are available in the church office or by email request. For more information, please contact Martha Newman.

Sunday School & Life Groups

There is a Sunday School class or Adult Life Group for everyone at Westwood! Groups meet each Sunday morning at 9:45 a.m. and most have an online option as well. These group are on hiatus during August but will resume in September. For more information or to talk about which group is best for you, please contact Pastor Stephen.

Sunday Night Live!

All youth are invited to join us in Whitten Hall on Sunday at 6 pm for dinner and fellowship!

Giving To Westwood

As a reminder, you can give to Westwood in several ways:  

• Place your contribution in the offering baskets that are passed down the pew during the Offering Hymn in the worship service.
• Place your contribution in one of three wooden lock boxes (one in the narthex and two in the sanctuary). 
• Give through Realm Online Giving: Click on "Give to Westwood" button (at top of this page) to give.
• Text to give: Text WBCGIFT to 73256 and follow the prompts (example: "WBCGIFT $100").
• Set up a recurring payment to the church through your bank’s online bill pay.  
• Send by mail to: Westwood Baptist Church, 8200 Old Keene Mill Rd, Springfield, VA 22152.