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October 1
18th Sunday after Pentecost - World Communion Sunday
October 8
19th Sunday after Pentecost - Final Walking-in-Mindfulness @Oak Hill
October 15
20th Sunday after Pentecost
October 22
21st Sunday after Pentecost
October 29
22nd Sunday after Pentecost
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In the past few weeks, every time I’ve walked into the Buehler’s grocery store on the north end of town, I found myself enveloped into the smell of cinnamon and other spices exuding from the scented pinecones decorating the entrance. I love these smells and they transport me into a Christmas groove.
It is only October, and yet, we know that soon we’ll be walking around humming the tunes of Christmas music playing across town, from the classical to pop culture holiday favorites. Our city will be dazzling with lights. There will be elves, Santa Claus, and donkeys, and artsy nativity scenes on display… and Christmas trees in all sizes and colors.
Yes, the holidays seem to be heralded earlier and earlier each the year.
Knowing that many of us love this season of Advent and Christmas, our session invites you to join on what we call “A Journey toward Advent” – an exploration to guide our attention to the deeper meanings of Advent and Christmas. Join us to reflect together on the beauty of Advent and Christmas beyond the increasing commercialized displays. Let us explore the fascinating and provocative aspects of the stories of Jesus’ birth as told in the first two chapters of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. This study will be a wonderful opportunity for us to prepare for Advent and Christmas and deepen our experience of the joy the season brings and the hopes it raises.
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A Journey toward Advent
Where: Westminster Church House Lounge (353 E. Pine Street)
When: October 11 & 25; November 8 & 22, @7:00pm
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In our 4-week study, we will be guided by an inspiring little book titled Light of World, written by renowned scholar and teacher of the New Testament and Jewish Studies Amy-Jill Levine. Drawing on her insights, we will enter the familiar stories of Elizabeth and Zechariah, Mary and Joseph, the magi and shepherds to seek what they can tell us about finding hope in a world where “imperial” and “heavenly” values clash—where the ways of our culture come head-to-head with the alternative ways of God’s reign characterized by wholeness, peace and justice. We’ll engage these characters in the hopes that they will spark our imaginations, and help us to see “otherwise”… to see what is possible when we open ourselves to the divine creativity in the midst of our daily lives.
We begin our study next Wednesday, October 11 at 7pm in the Westminster Church House Lounge. Each week, we will watch a 10-minute video presentation by the author to start our conversation. We’ll have copies of the book ready for you. I am attaching the first reading (introduction and 1st chapter) here.
If you seek to find courage and hope in the midst of challenging times, if you desire to experience community with “eyes that see otherwise,” this study is for you… and for your friend or neighbor who longs for a deeper sense of connection, an experience of the holy in our midst.
Hope you join us!
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Enikö
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Friends, we invite you to join us on our final prayer-walk at Oak Hill Park of the 2023 season. We meet at the park's pavilion at 7:30 am for a short meditation, followed by a contemplative walk along the trail. It is a wonderful way to experience God's presence and deepen our connection with creation.
Look out for more information about our Centering Prayer practice during the winter season to be published next month.
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Westminster Book Group
The Westminster Book Group welcomes all!
We are reading My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies by Resmaa Menakem.
Our next meeting will be on
Thursday, October 19 at 7:00pm.
At this meeting we will cover Chapters 15 through 17.
"The body is where our instincts reside and where we fight, flee, or freeze. My Grandmother's Hands is a call to action for us to recognize that racism is not only about the head, but also about the body. Menakem introduces an alternative view of what we can do to grow beyond our entrenched radicalizes divide and takes readers through a step-by-step healing process based on the latest neuroscience and somatic healing methods."
At our meetings there are no wrong questions. We honor each other by creating space for openness and vulnerability.
We are meeting online to make it accessible for everyone. Here is the Zoom link for the gathering:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9154265912?pwd=eDQ3TUdUMmxBTGR5aVFNMnJJOWh4UT09
Meeting ID: 915 426 5912
Passcode: 353Pine
Feel free to invite friends. Hope you join us to share about life and faith...
our passions and struggles!
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Saving Nature and the Planet Starts Here
Juli Douglass-Gillespie
It is the beginning of Fall, and while we are still having such beautiful and enjoyable weather, I want to remind you to not let the reality of global warming and all its consequences fade from your memory. That isn't to say that we shouldn't make the most of the wonderful climate we are all experiencing at present. I thank God for the blessing of every warm day I can keep growing vegetables in my community garden, for all the colors popping out in bright leaves on the trees and plants around me and their reflection in the sunlight, for the blue of the sky and the yellow of the full moon, for grasshoppers jumping on the pavement as I walk by.
In between the time I write this and the time you read this, there is likely to be one or more climate disasters happening in the world, either far or close to home. The last one which comes to mind is the flooding in Brooklyn a few days ago, but there are more I'm sure that I have not heard about. American news tends to be short-sighted when it comes to reporting international news, and especially climate news. The frequency and intensity of serious weather events is predicted, as you probably know, to increase steadily as long as we don't do enough to slow down our greenhouse gas emissions (carbon, methane, and much more pollution being released into God's atmosphere). This is where you come in.
I found this fantastic resource, a vast source of information which you will only be able to go through a little at a time. Please save it, download it, or keep it handy somehow so that you can come back to it and digest it a little at a time. The "Article" provides questions and answers about a multitude of aspects of the huge subject of climate change, and thus gives you the opportunity to really educate yourself on everything you want to know. Please explore it thoroughly. There is a lot of information to help guide you in how you can personally take individual responsibility for God's creation. There is information for people of all income levels. There is something for everyone. You can explore the resource here.
Secondly, I invite you all to come out this weekend for a local Wayne County event--the Wayne County Solar Homes Tour. It takes place Friday Oct. 6 - Sunday Oct. 8. This is sponsored by the Wayne County Sustainable Energy Network (WCSEN). Learn from regional homeowners what they are doing to lower their carbon foot print.
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It's time to think about SOUP!
The Benevolence Committee will once again make Hearty Italian Soup for our annual Winter Soup Sale which begins in November.
If you have 1 quart clear plastic soup containers to share, please put them on the counter in the church kitchen.
Dates for the soup-making: October 19 & 26
Thanks for your cost-saving help!
The Benevolence Committee
Shelley Peterson, Heather Hettick, Candy Relle, Linda Barbu, Lemoine Peart
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October
Collection Items
Food
Spaghetti Sauce
Tomato Sauce
Canned Meat (Chicken & Tuna)
Regular size jars of peanut butter
(16 oz)
Canned Fruit
Pork n Beans
Pasta & Rice sides
Hygiene Products
Shavers
Deodorant for Men & Women's
Shampoo
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Annual NAACP Freedom Fund Dinner
Friends, please respond to the invitation from our local NAACP chapter:
Join us on Sunday, October 22, at 6:00 PM for our annual Freedom Fund Dinner hosted by the Wooster-Orrville NAACP. This year, we're excited to offer an in-house Soul Food Dinner and a Silent Auction. Tickets are priced at $60.00 per person. Our featured speaker, Kurt Russell, the 2022 National Teacher of the Year, and an alumnus of the College of Wooster (’94), will deliver a powerful message. Mr. Russell has over 25 years of teaching experience and actively supports the Black Student Union and basketball team at Oberlin High School. Our theme: KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!
At the NAACP, we take pride in being the nation's oldest civil rights organization. These trying times call for our collective participation in safeguarding democracy. One of our key missions is educating youth to recognize injustice and drive change through voting.
The Freedom Fund Dinner and online auction help fund college scholarships for local students of color, totaling over $45,000 over the years. These scholarships are made possible by individuals like you and local businesses who share our vision of equality and a robust democracy.
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Volunteer Opportunities for the Viola Startzman Clinic | |
The Benevolence Committee is now offering support to The Viola Startzman Clinic.
They are seeking volunteers to send cards and notes of cheer to their clientele. You can write your own notes at home and drop them off directly to the clinic. If you do so, please mention that you are participating through Westminster Presbyterian Church.
You can also volunteer to do this at the clinic and they will provide the cards, pens and addresses. The Benevolence Committee is considering doing this as a group. If you are interested, please reach out to any member of the Benevolence Committee or contact Shelley Peterson for further information.
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Volunteer at the
Salvation Army Severe Weather Shelter!
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October - November
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.
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Public Health Safety Update
WPC Current Status is: Mask Optional.
As masks may be required in specific, private areas,
please make note of any exception signage.
Westminster Church will continue to encourage safe health practices
and will adjust our guidelines as needed.
Thank you for your understanding and support to keep all of us safe.
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As we have been meeting in person for
Sunday services in Mackey Hall,
please let the Church Office (330-263-2398)
know if you would like transportation
to and from the 10:00 am service.
We would be happy to make arrangements for you.
We look forward to worshipping with you!
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Ongoing Volunteer Opportunities |
Click the links below to learn more about Westminster's ongoing volunteering projects.
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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.
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