Prayer List

This week we pray for:

Rich Drushal

Prayers for comfort and healing for Rich who is recovering from a surgical procedure at home.

Tom Ewing, Erica Ewing's dad

Continued prayers for Tom and their family as Tom is undergoing treatment and will have surgery to address a tumor that is now in his brain.

John Mark, Lemoine Peart's cousin

Continued prayers for energy and love for John as he moves forward after the recent death of his wife.

Tom Battles

Continued prayers for Tom who grapples with unstable blood pressure; we hold both Tom and Elaine in our prayers and love in this new season of life with Tom living in a nursing home.

Kathleen Paul, Linda Barbu's sister

Continued prayers for strength and peace as Kathleen continues her cancer treatment.

John Dryer

Continued prayers for John as he is undergoing testing regarding his heart arrhythmia in the coming weeks.

Deb Hostettler

Continued prayers for Deb, who is still experiencing fatigue - a side effect from her medication.

Barbara Mykkanen

Continued prayers for Barb as she participates in a study to help others with similar cancer diagnosis.

We pray for

• in thanksgiving for Sue-min and Joe Lee for being such generous hosts of the Chinese New Year celebration; thank you to all, particularly members of the Benevolence Committee, who made this event a wonderful time of fellowship and of exploration of the Lunar New Year traditions and cuisine.
• 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 or do not have a safe and warm place to stay during these frigid days;
• those who are lonely, yearning for belonging;
• all who are in danger - physical, emotional, or spiritual;
• an immediate ceasefire in Gaza; for aid to be allowed into communities in desperate need, and for a justice to be established in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel;
• 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, may we embody God's light, love, compassion, and hope to all we encounter.

Upcoming Events

Wednesday, February 14

• Lenten Meal - 6:00 pm - The Meeting Place
• Ash Wednesday Choir Rehearsal - 6:30 pm - Mackey Hall
• Ash Wednesday Joint Service with First Presbyterian and the Religious and Spiritual Life Office - 7:00 pm - Mackey Hall

Thursday, February 15

• Dance and Exercise - 8:30 am - The Meeting Place
• Immigration Justice Committee Meeting - 3:00 pm - The Lounge

Sunday, February 18 - First Sunday of Lent

• Worship service - 10:00 am - Mackey Hall
• Wooster Friends Meeting - 10:30 am - The Meeting Place

Monday, February 19

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

Wednesday, February 21

• WPC Session Meeting - 7:00 pm - The Lounge

Thursday, February 22

• Dance and Exercise - 8:30 am - The Meeting Place
• WPC Lenten Study - 7:00 pm - The Lounge

Sunday, February 25 - Second Sunday of Lent

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

WPC 150th Anniversary Mission Project Has Begun

Friends, we launched our anniversary mission project on February 4 and are excited about the progress. Share the information with friends, family, co-workers. Let's sow seeds of goodness in our community!

The Season of Lent begins today, February 14

This year we are following the Lent curriculum Wandering Heart: Figuring out Faith with Peter developed by our beloved group of creatives A Sanctified Art. In our worship and our small group studies, we will be focusing on the life and faith of one of Jesus' most famous disciples. Peter is a person who is steadfast and unsteady, a dear friend and a betrayer, a follower and a wanderer. In Peter, we often see ourselves. By following Peter's journey, we find the story of Jesus unfold through the eyes of a human being, much like us, who is trying to figure it all out.

Save the dates on your calendar - we are planning to gather for conversation about Peter on Thursdays in the Lounge.

We'll have Lenten Devotionals ready for you to pick up on Sunday after service. We'll be using these reflections, as well as visual art and poetry to inspire our explorations.

This is a wonderful opportunity to invite a friend along!

Lenten Wandering with Peter

Thursday, February 22 - 7 pm - The Lounge

Thursday, February 29 - 7 pm - The Lounge

Thursday, March 7 - 7 pm - The Lounge

Thursday, March 14 - 7pm - The Lounge

Thursday, March 21 - 7 pm - The Lounge

Thursday, March 28 - Maundy Thursday Service - Mackey Hall

Tuning Our Hearts During Lent

Throughout Lent I will be sharing resources that you may find meaninful as we seek the presence of the holy in our lives, as we strive to deepen our relationship with God and with one another.

This week I bring a new series on PBS to your attention. GOSPEL, the latest history series from Henry Louis Gates, Jr., digs deep into the origin story of Black spirituality through sermon and song.

Check it out here and let me know what resonated with you.

Make Your Vote Count

Fair Districts Ohio, www.fairdistrictsohio.org/citizens-not-politicians-amendment, is seeking signatures, now through June 30, on a petition to amend Ohio’s constitution on the process for drawing Ohio’s State and Congressional Districts. Once the required number of signatures is verified, the amendment will be placed on the November ballot for Ohio voters to accept or reject. 

If approved, it will:

• Create a 15 member Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission of 5 Republican, 5 Democrats and 5 Independent citizens who broadly represent the different geographic areas and demographics of the state of Ohio. 
• Will ban current or former politicians, political party officials, lobbyists and large political donors from serving on the Commission.
• Require fair and impartial districts by making it unconstitutional to draw voting districts that discriminate against or favor any political party or politician.
• Require the Commission to operate under an open and independent process.

This amendment is endorsed by The League of Women Voters, Common Cause Ohio and Fair Districts Ohio.

If you would like to sign the petition, please contact Lemoine Peart at church or by calling or emailing. 

On behalf of The League of Women Voters,

Lemoine Peart

330-624-7506 Home & Msgs

LWMN@bright.net

Food Waste in Wooster

The Interfaith Justice Committee of Wooster is proposing a citizen run program to collect individual household food waste and turn it into compost that people can then use mainly for gardening purposes, therefore reducing the amount of food waste going to landfills.  We are trying to get the word out to churches, different groups in Wooster, organizations and businesses like Local Roots and anyone we can think of about this idea of organizing a Food Waste Program here in Wooster. There are many examples of cities around the country with all kinds of programs. We are trying to compile a list of names of those interested in discussing and participating this project. We would then call a meeting to get everyone together. This has been tried on a small scale, but nothing large-scale or sustainable has existed in Wooster so far.

Please contact  Juli Douglass-Gillespie if you are interested in an initial meeting to brainstorm ideas about a possible program. We would like that meeting to happen in early February.

Serving Meals this Winter

Westminster has joined with other area churches to serve dinner at the Salvation Army Severe Weather Shelter during the winter months.

Members of the Benevolence Committee are coordinating these efforts to show care to our unhoused neighbors during these frigid days.

Westminster prepares and serves dinner on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month through March.

If you are interested in getting involved, contact Candy Relle here.

Annual Hearty Italian Soup

& Olive Oil Soap

Sale Continues

Choose regular with Italian sausage or vegan for $8 a quart or with Sue-min’s homemade bread for $9. (Same price as in past years.)

We also have olive oil soap from Palestine for $3.50. It is a good moisturizer in this cold weather!

Pick up after church on Sunday or call 330-263-2398 to pick up during the week.

Thanks for your continued support!

Your Benevolence Committee—

Linda Barbu, Shelley Peterson, Heather Hettick, Candy Relle, Lemoine Peart

Glimpses from Our Chinese New Year Celebration

What a wonderful time of fellowship, of learning about traditions surrounding the Year of the Wood Dragon celebrations! There are more photos on our Facebook page. Check them out!

Thanks again for all who made this event possible!

Sunday Morning Hospitality & Liturgist

February & March

Westminster's worship and fellowship time is an important way to build relationships among all attending.

We invite you to participate as a liturgist, assistant, provide flowers to decorate our alter or supply treats for our after worship fellowship time.

If you are able to fill one of these areas,

please click here to sign up.

Thank you for your contribution to our worship service.