Worship Calendar
January 30, 2021 — Fourth Sunday after Epiphany

February 6, 2022 — Fifth Sunday after Epiphany

February 13, 2022 — Sixth Sunday after Epiphany - Scout Sunday

February 20, 2022 — Seventh Sunday after Epiphany - Annual Meeting following Worship Service

February 27, 2022 — Transfiguration of the Lord
A Word from the Pastor


Friends,

I am always overwhelmed with wonder at the sight of waterfalls on my hikes. The waters gushing down into the deep, filling the smallest crevices to the brim, lush vegetation, bugs and other creatures taking their nourishment from it. In the winter, the waters frozen into foamy ripples of ice provide an even more emphatic reminder of how lavish and exuberant life meant to be.

Scriptures connect gushing waters to the life abundant—life in fullness that God desires for all God’s creation, and offers in the incarnation of the divine into the midst of ordinary human life. This Lent season we are going to explore parables that reveal promises of God’s abundant and expansive grace: Jesus as a mother hen, a prodigal son welcomed home, a fig tree nurtured with care and hope, precious oil poured out lovingly and freely, stones shouting out with praise These are stories brimming with a gospel of grace… stories that assure us over and over again that we have done nothing to deserve this grace, yet, like water gushing down the waterfalls, it fills us to the brim, it spills over.

Guided by beautiful artistic expressions of this overflowing grace through painting and poetry created by The Sanctified Art collective, we are invited on a perhaps surprising Lenten journey—to seek to live life in fullness. 

The earliest Christian communities understood Lent as a moving away from our old life out of sync with God’s ways to fast and prepare to be baptized into a new way of living. It evolved into a practice of stepping away from corrupt power, scarcity mentality, and empty rituals in order to live a more expansive and full life of faith. Our study will not ignore or deny the reality of sin and suffering or absolve accountability for wrongdoing. Rather, it will take its starting point from the promise of our baptisms—God has already claimed us as God’s own and nothing we can do will ever change or erase that. If love is our beginning, how can we live our lives led by love’s promises? How can we live fully—as we pursue justice and hope, or express grief and gratitude? How can we increase our capacity to receive and give grace?

The promise of scriptures is that God offers us grace—grace that is undeserved, unearned, illogical, and boundless. We can’t really prepare for the mysteries of this life-transforming grace, but we are invited to respond. During this season of Lent, we are invited to unearth the areas of unworthiness and scarcity in our lives and practice receiving and extending God’s grace. We are invited to strive for a life that is full—full of hope, courage, joy, honesty, and grace. 
Hope you join me on this journey.


Grace and peace,

Pastor Enikő
Highlights From This Month's Session Meeting
The Westminster Session met in the Lounge at Westminster Church House on January 26, 2022 at 6:30pm. The following are highlights from the meeting:

Session began by recognizing the Class of Elders 2021 – Eric Miller-2nd term, Jim Bonk, Joe Hartzler and welcoming the Class of Elders 2024 – Jim Bonk-2nd term, Joe Hartzler-2nd term, Lemoine Peart
 
Pastor’s report
  • Civil Rights Travel Seminar: February 22 – March 2 (rescheduled date)
  • Divine Gbagbo will lead the Ash Wednesday service on March 2 – a joint service with First Presbyterian held at WPC
 
Worship Committee
  • Approved a guest preacher for Feb. 27 service
  • Approved the updated Funeral/Memorial Guidelines
 
Congregational Care – In December, CCM delivered home-made cookies with a Christmas card from Pastor Eniko as a holiday outreach to all members and friends. CCM also provided meals and transportation as needed after an injury for a couple in the congregation. 
 
Benevolence Committee - The Salvation Army is running a Severe Weather Shelter when temperatures feel like 20 or below. Local congregations prepare and serve dinner when the shelter is open. WPC has been providing dinner for up to 20 people on Mondays in January. To date, the shelter has been open each Monday of the month. 
 
Finance Committee – Session reviewed the December budget reports and discussed how the 2022 budget will be presented at the Annual Congregational Meeting. They also accepted the proposed salaries for staff in 2022.
 
Personnel Committee – offered an amendment to the Employee Handbook to define days off when holidays fall on a day the office is closed.
 
Treasurer’s Report – The monthly financial summary is available from the church office at your request.
 
New Business – The Annual Congregational Meeting has been set for Sunday, Feb. 20, 2022 immediately following the service. A Zoom option will be available for those members who cannot participate in person. 
 
Caryl Slater’s letter of resignation effective March 31, 2022 was accepted. Session is so grateful for the many years of service that Caryl has provided and will be working to provide a smooth transition. 
 
The next Session Meeting will be Wednesday, March 23, 2022 at 6:30p in the Lounge.
 
Respectfully submitted,
Josie Drushal, Clerk of Session
Housing & Homelessness in Wayne County

A community conversation on providing shelter for all:

When: Thursday, February 10 - 7:00 pm
Where : First Presbyterian Church, Bruch Hall

The event is hosted by
Wooster Homelessness Task Force and the League of Women Voters in Wayne County.

For the complete flyer and information about submitting
questions in advance, please click here
February 13 is Super Bowl Sunday
AND
Souper Bowl Sunday

  • On February 13th we collect donations to feed the hungry. Read more about this Presbyterian initiated movement to tackle hunger here.
  • In 2021, we collected over $800 for Wooster’s Severe Weather Shelter.
  • For 2022, our donation will support Trinity United Church of Christ’s
  • Weekday Breakfast Program.
  • Bring your gift to church that Sunday or drop it off during church office hours. If you write a check, please make it payable to Westminster Presbyterian Church with a memo line note of "Souper Bowl". 

Thank you!
Contemplative Prayer

When: Every second Sunday of the month, 8am
Next meeting: Sunday, February 13, 2022
Where: Mackey Hall

Please contact Joel Chupp with questions.
Sunday Morning
Hospitality & Liturgist

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 or provide flowers to decorate our alter.

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.
Kindness Tree for Christmas

Westminster Church's Kindness Tree was an tangible symbol of the kindness and care you carry within you each day. Thank you to Barbara Tatir for the wonderful idea and to our church community for allowing this to take shape, along with the perfect can tree-topper.

We began the collection of non-perishable items on December 5 and it continued through January 6, Epiphany.

Thank you to Joe Hartzler for packing up all the food and delivering to the Salvation Army on January 14.
Hearty Italian Soup Sale
Will End Soon!

  • Choose regular or vegan soup for $8/Qt
  • Sue-min's homemade bread & soup/$10

Proceeds support local homeless task force and afghan refugees through the International Institute of Akron, https://iiakron.org

Correct change or check (made out to Westminster) is appreciated.
First Aid for Earth Emergency

Contribution by Juli Douglass-Gillespie

"Cut down on your Waste"
 
Just about everyone realizes that Americans produce far too many tons of waste, and that each and everyone of us contributes to it. There’s nothing worse than resigning ourselves to being a part of the problem, and there’s nothing like the feeling of helplessness in the face of the climate crisis. Yet God has entrusted us with the job of being stewards of the earth. These are some of the reasons I would like to offer some practical and doable actions to help reduce your individual and household waste, especially plastic, which as you know, is one of the worst offenders of pollution–in our bodies, in the bodies of all other living creatures on the earth, on the land and in all water on the planet. In short, plastic is everywhere, literally, and it does harm to our health and the health of the earth. It is next to impossible to get away from plastic, and large scale efforts to recycle plastic are to date very minimal.

With that said, however, one noteworthy local exception being done right now by The Wilderness Center located in Wilmot, OH, is called “Bottle Caps to Benches”. To view information about this, read here, including great visual guidelines. If you would like to contribute your bottle caps, I will put a labeled box in the hallway outside Mackey Hall to collect them and then deliver them to TWC myself when we have a significant amount.

How many ways can you think of to cut down on the use of plastic that goes into your trash? Contact me with your ideas on this one, please, so that I can compile and share them (anonymously) with you in my next commentary.

Just think about these questions: Would it be possible for you to reduce the amount of trash which is destined for a landfill by a quarter or even a half of what you presently put out for the garbage pick-up every week (both regular garbage and recyclables)? What is a realistic goal for you and your family?
Church Office Hours
Tuesday - Friday, 8:30 am - 1:30 pm

Need a Ride to Church?
Now that we are meeting again in person for Sunday services in Mackey Hall, please let the Church House know if you would like transportation to and from the 10:00 service. You may contact the Church House at (330) 263-2398 and we will be happy to make transportation arrangements for you. We look forward to worshipping with you!
Ongoing Volunteer Opportunities
Click the links below to learn more about Westminster's ongoing volunteering projects.

Ongoing Fellowship Opportunities
Click the links below for more information on Westminster's ongoing fellowship opportunities. Please note some of them have paused or moved online due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Westminster Presbyterian Church
353 East Pine Street Wooster, Ohio  330-263-2398

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