Prayer List

Friends,

This week we give thanks for the earth, and we strive to do our part to care for all creation. Let us celebrate Earth Day reflecting on the words of one of favorite hymns by New Zealand composer Shirley Erena Murray:

Touch the earth lightly,

use the earth gently,

nourish the life of the world in our care:

gift of great wonder,

ours to surrender,

trust for the children tomorrow will bear.

We who endanger,

who create hunger,

agents of death for all creatures that live,

we who would foster

clouds of disaster,

God of our planet, forestall and forgive!

Let there be greening,

birth from the burning,

water that blesses and air that is sweet,

health in God's garden,

hope in God's children,

regeneration that peace will complete.

God of all living,

God of all loving,

God of the seedling, the snow, and the sun,

teach us, deflect us,

Christ reconnect us,

using us gently and making us one.

~Shirley Erena Murray (words of hymn # 713, Glory to God)



This week we pray for:

Nahida and Don Gordon

Prayers for Nahida and Don who are recovering from a car accident two weeks ago. Nahida is still at Akron General Trauma Center. She has been in ICU since Saturday, receiving treatment for complications due to her preexistent heart condition. Don was transferred back to Wooster Community Hospital for rehab yesterday afternoon. We lift prayers for healing, for comfort, and peace during this difficult time. I will send updates as they become available.

Chris Stewart

Continued prayers for healing for Chris who had triple bypass surgery (also received a new mitral valve and a pacemaker) earlier this month. He is still at Akron City Hospital, but hopes to be transferred to Wooster Community Hospital later this week. You may send a card to Chris at the address below:

Chris Stewart

PO Box 565

Shreve, OH 44676

Kathleen Paul, Linda Barbu's sister

Prayers of gratitude for Kathy. Continued prayers for her as she prepares for a follow-up MRI on April 18 when she will learn about the results of her treatment.

Lemoine Peart

Continued prayers for healing for Lemoine who is recovering well from a surgery on her collarbone.

Deb Hostetler

Continued prayers for healing, peace of mind and strength for Deb as she continues her chemo treatment. We also hold husband Gabe and their children in our love as they support Deb on this journey.

Candace, Juli Gillespie's neighbor

Continued prayers for healing for Candace who is recovering from a recent surgery and has been grappling with health challenges for months. Prayers also for her husband Jeff, and sons Jason and Ben.

Tom Ewing, Erica Ewing's dad

Continued prayers for healing for Tom. He has resumed his cancer treatment.

Tom Battles

Continued prayers for Tom and Elaine in this new season of life with Tom living in a nursing home.

Barbara Mykkanen

Continued prayers for Barb as she participates in a study to help others with similar cancer diagnosis. She has been recently diagnosed with age related macular degeneration on her left eye.

We pray for

• those who are healing from medical procedures, and who are dealing with ongoing health concerns in our midst;
• those in our community who are unhoused;
• all who live in the midst of violence and war - in Haiti, South Sudan, Ukraine, and many other places across the world;
• immediate ceasefire in Gaza; for those on the brink of starving to death, especially in northern Gaza, and for a justice to be established in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel;
• all to live with respect and care for the whole of God's creation;
• those who strive for justice, may their voices be heard and heeded; 
• in thanksgiving for all who use their skills and resources for the common good;
• our Westminster community as we plan our 150th anniversary celebration in May.

Friends, this Easter season may we embody God's light, love, compassion, and hope to all we encounter.

Upcoming Events

Wednesday, April 17

• Immigration Justice Committee Meeting - 2:00 pm - The Lounge
• WPC Session Visioning Meeting - 7:00 pm - The Lounge

Thursday, April 18

• Dance and Exercise - 8:30 am - Mackey Hall

Friday, April 19

• Dance and Exercise - 2:00 pm - Mackey Hall

Saturday, April 20

• Earth Day Clean-up - 9:00 am - Noon - Wooster Memorial Garden - organized by the Wooster Volunteer Network

Sunday, April 21 - Earth Day Sunday - Wear work clothes to worship!!

• Choir Rehearsal - 9:00 am - Mackey Hall
• Worship service with liturgical dance honoring Earth Day - 10:00 am - Mackey Hall
• Wooster Friends Meeting - 10:30 am - The Meeting Place
• Earth Day clean-up around the Church House following worship

Monday, April 22 - Earth Day

• Scout Troop 61 - 6:30 pm - Mackey Hall

Thursday, April 25

• Dance and Exercise - 8:30 am - Mackey Hall

Friday, April 26

• COW Senior Research Symposium

Sunday, April 28

• Choir Rehearsal - 9:00 am - Mackey Hall
• Worship service followed by Congregational Meeting - 10:00 am - Mackey Hall
• Wooster Friends Meeting - 10:30 am - The Meeting Place

Earth Day Celebrations

Saturday, April 20 - 9am - noon - Wooster Memorial Park

You are invited to join forces with the Wooster Volunteer Network for some clean-up work at Wooster Memorial Park.  The activities will include some light trail work, such as raking gravel and straightening some fence posts, as well as the removal of the invasive weed Garlic Mustard.  Please bring gloves. All tools will be provided. Please let Ken Shafer know by email that you are coming so that we know how to plan.

Sunday, April 21 - after worship - garden area around the Church House

Hope you join us following worship to beautify the green areas and flower beds around the Church House. Please wear work clothes for worship and bring gloves, rakes, shovels and other tools for the clean-up.

Come and bring a friend to these events!

Let's show our care for creation in tangible ways and enjoy some good fellowship!

WPC 150th Anniversary Mission Project

Friends, we are excited to announce that we reached our initial goal of $10,000 for our anniversary mission project 🎉🎉🎉 The WPC Session expanded our goal to $20,000.

You can find more information on the project at https://wpcwoo.org/undue.

(FYI - the organization changed its name from RIP to Undue Medical Debt this week. This does not impact our campaing.)

Share the information with friends, family, co-workers. Let's sow seeds of goodness in our community!

With an additional $2350 donation we sent to Undue Medical Debt,

we are at $13,079.40 - 65% of our goal.

Thank you for your generosity! We appreciate your partnership with us in strengthening the fabric of our community!

Help Us Celebrate WPC's 150th Anniversary

A message from the 150 Anniversary planning committee

What will future generations know about Westminster in 2024? 

Please add to the historical record at the 150th Anniversary website. Your memories and reflections may be of any length. These reflections will be preserved in our archives and at the College of Wooster archives. We need many submissions to make this a successful effort in describing who we are and what we hold as important.  It is also ok to submit your contributions at the link below or in written form to the church office and your entry will be transcribed into our online webpage.  

Your thoughts and contributions are unique and important.  

Save Nature and Us Starts Here

by Juli Douglass-Gillespie

On April 4 at 10:00 a.m. Juli Douglass-Gillespie led a group of Citizens’ Climate Lobby members plus Laura Park, student from the College of Wooster, to the District office of Congressman Max Miller in Medina. The goal of our visit was to hand deliver 120 plus letters to the District Director Mr. Raymond Paoletta. We hoped to have about 20 minutes to sit down and talk about constituent concerns for the environment. Ray gave us a full 40 minutes, and allowed us to take a photo with him accepting the letters. (You can read more about this in a soon to be published article by Ellen Pill in the Wooster Weekly.)

Juli wants to thank all from the Westminster community who supported and participated in writing personal and heartfelt letters for this project, because you helped make a difference. We find it sometimes hard to believe that our small efforts matter, like this one to get a message to an elected official saying that better and stronger climate laws are urgently needed.

In Eniko’s Sunday sermon, she talked about how God changed everything for us when Jesus rose from the dead. Political power remained the same, and there was still plenty that was out of balance, plenty of injustice. But God showed people the possibility of a new way through his love for his son, and his son’s love for all people. We need to remind ourselves of the resurrection story so that we seek love and the “shoots of new life”.

Sitting down and having a face to face conversation with the main district staffer for Rep. Miller is a way to establish a relationship with our elected official, to look for the “shoots of new life” in one another. Our group found that Ray was very receptive to us. He didn’t pretend to know much about climate laws, but he listened and heard as we read aloud some letters. He revealed that he has a young child of his own, as does the Congressman. Of course they and we are worried about the climate crisis. There is only hope if we allow ourselves to put our differences aside and work together towards the best solutions that will help us all, if we are willing to give each other a chance, if we can let our hearts and minds open to each other. 

Comedy Show Benefitting Open Arms Hispanic Ministries

When: Friday, April 26 at 7:00 pm 

Where: Grace Church, 5850 Co Hwy 77, Millersburg, OH.  

Comedy show for the whole family with desserts provided

This year's Open Arms fundraiser will be a comedy act featuring two family-oriented comedians, both well-known to Open Arms. For more information or to car-pool, contact Cheryl Weiss or Lynne Hamrick.