All services will be held virtually until further notice. Click here to access all virtual services.
Thursday, December 24 — Christmas Eve Service (Details TBD)
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From an early age, I have been a dreamer… a child who loved to envision the next big thing in my life, like going to study in a place other than where I grew up: what new people I’d meet, new situations I’d have to face… how my life would be changed. Being able to dream has kept me going in my daily chores because dreams, like big magnets, have kept drawing me forward. They have filled me with anticipation, with curiosity about what may be. Dreams have helped me to keep moving forward when inadvertently I met setbacks or disappointments.
As an adult, I recognize the gift of a nurturing community around me, my family and other significant people in my life—people of faith, who created the space where I could dream.
Our scriptures are full of dreamers who catch God’s vision of a world made whole, where love and goodness have the last word over hate and death… where God’s creatures, human and non-human alike, can enjoy God’s abundant provisions freely and fulfill their God-given potential.
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We are nearing the end of a hard and heavy year for all of us, a year fraught with the devastations of the pandemic, the deep divisions in our society, and a renewed awareness of how systemic racism keeps poisoning the wells of our shared lives. We long for God’s vision of wholeness, of shalom to become our reality. Psalm 126 opens with these words: “When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream.” This Advent season—during this time that symbolizes waiting for Christ’s coming reign of hope, love, peace and joy in our Christian tradition—I invite you to join me in exploring what it may look like for us to live as those who dream. Let us read the familiar stories of the prophets, the psalmists, John the Baptist, Mary, Elizabeth, Joseph, Simeon, Anna, the shepherds and the Magi, seeking clues and guideposts for our journey ahead.
These dreamers received, discovered and responded to God’s dream for the world. As we step into the mystery and wonder of God’s dreams with their guidance, let us create space to grieve our losses, to lament our failures as individuals and as a society to love and care for all our neighbors. Let us create a space where we can find comfort and spiritual nurture, and where we can discover hope for the future.
Our Advent explorations will be enriched by powerful artistic insights expressed through poetry, song and art provided by The Sanctified Art collective of artists and the Chicago based music group The Many. You can enjoy their inspiring work in the daily Advent devotional you received in the stewardship mailing and in our weekly worship services through the season of Advent.
May our reading of scripture and our reflections on art and poetry awaken the dreamer in each of us. It is my prayer that our journey will foster a deeper connection with God and with those who dream of a better world. That together we can create a space where those whose dreams have been crushed will find comfort. May we discover anew that dreams take time. And as we dream alongside the prophets and angels, Mary and the Magi, may we find the courage and the strength to keep on living into God’s dreams of justice and peace for our world.
For as The Many remind us in their theme song,
“It is time to dream fierce dreams, like Mary did.
Brave dreams, like Joseph did.
New dreams, like Jesus did.
‘Cause those who dream, change everything.
Seeds grow in the dark.
Hope’s born in the dark.
Dreams start in the dark, so don’t give up…
Those who dream change everything.”
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Enikő
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Highlights from This Month's Session Meeting |
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Session met on Wednesday Nov. 18, 2020 exclusively by Zoom
- Congregation LIfe Cohort: Worship services will continue to be online until the situation allows Session to re-evaluate and consider in-person gatherings. There are plans to distribute a holiday surprise during the Advent Season.
- Benevolence Committee: Westminster will assist the Salvation Army with volunteer bell ringers at downtown Buehler's on Dec 8th and will ask for contributions to a project in the PCUSA Christmas Gift Catalog.
- Mission Cohort: The Immigration Justice group reports a successful fundraiser to benefit the Immigrant Worker Project's Amigas' Co-op. On Saturday, November 14th, the Friendship Fiesta, raised over $3,600.00 in free will offerings in exchange for drive-in boxed dinners.
- Building Committee: The College has fixed the Wi-Fi problem in Mackey Hall by installing an access point which will improve the quality of our online services Only WPC sponsored meetings will be permitted in the Church House These events must follow Governor DeWine’s guidelines and not exceed 10 people. All meeting users are asked to pay cleaning expenses.
- Finance Committee: Session approved members of the Finance Committee to be signatories on WPC's Franklin Investment account.
- The 2021 budget as presented was approved. The Director of Finance was authorized to withdraw up to $ 50,000.00 from the Genesis Fund as needed for cash flow purposes in 2021.
The next Session meeting will be Wednesday, January 20, 2020, 6:30pm – Location to be determined.
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Zoom Worship at 10am on Sunday |
Please use the link below to join our Zoom worship service and fellowship time. If you would like to dial in by phone, please use the phone number listed below. If you need help using Zoom, there are instructions linked to the button that says "Click Here." If you have trouble connecting the day of, please email Jack Veney.
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Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 853 5983 3772 To join by phone dial +1 929 436 2866
Password: wpcworship
Click below for instructions on using Zoom.
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It's Time To Order Poinsettias! |
It's already time to order your poinsettias for this holiday season! Please use the attached Google Form, linked below, to indicate how many poinsettias you would like and how you would like them to be dedicated. As we are unable to meet in person through this Advent season, you may indicate if you would like your poinsettia delivered to your home or to the home of a home-bound member. |
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Westminster orders poinsettias from the Junior Women's Service Club of Wayne County, and proceeds are used to fund grants and scholarships within the Wooster community.
Poinsettias are $10.00 each. Checks may be sent to Westminster Presbyterian Church (353 E. Pine St) with "Poinsettia" in the memo line. The church will order a maximum of 15 poinsettias, and any additional funds raised will be donated to People to People. If you have any questions, please contact the Church Office. Click the button below to access the Google Form.
**Please be advised that poinsettia plants are extremely toxic to cats, and mildly toxic to dogs.
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Due to the upcoming holiday season, the Church Office will be closed the following dates:
November 24–27
December 23–January 3
If any changes or updates are made to this list, you will be notified via email.
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The Westminster Presbyterian Church Benevolence Committee donated over 65 hand-knit hats to Wayne County Head Start. These hats were created by ladies of Westminster who spend their free time creating these beautiful gifts of love. They were happily received by the staff of the Head Start program. The Benevolence Committee has adopted the Head Start program for the next year, and have already delivered multiple packages of new underwear and knit pants, along with some coats, shoes, and boots.
With the giving of these items, their primary need now is children's gloves for ages 2–6 years. There continues to be a labeled tote in the Narthex, but you can also contact the Church Office to arrange a contactless pickup. |
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Thank you for supporting the Friendship Fiesta! |
Thank you to all who supported our fundraising event on November 14th benefitting the Immigrant Worker Project's Amigas Cooperative! We handed out over 220 meals made by the Amigas, and raised $3,675. Your generosity and care is much appreciated. What a wonderful way to show solidarity with our friends on their asylum journey!
Thanks also to all our Westminster volunteers who worked hard to make this event such a success!
If you would like to learn more about the incredible work that IWP is doing, feel free to contact us or visit www.iwpohio.org. |
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Presbyterian Mission Agency Advent Collection from WPC Benevolence Committee |
"The United Nations has declared the current global hunger emergency the largest humanitarian crisis since 1945. As over 20 million people face the threat of famine, the Presbyterian Hunger Program is working around the globe to contribute to community resilience through agriculture." |
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Do you remember our "Egg a Day" Advent fundraiser last year? It was a great success, and we'd like to again express our gratitude for God's grace this Advent season through the gift of Goats! Goats enhance food security through milk, cheese, butter, and yogurt. A pair of goats costs $178, and we would love to purchase as many as possible, but our goal is at least 3 pairs, so a total of $534.
Please join us over the Advent season as we work towards this goal! Checks can be sent to Westminster Presbyterian Church (353 E. Pine St., Wooster, OH 44691). Please write "Goats" on the memo line.
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Access the Directory Online |
Now that we have an updated directory, we would like to ensure that you have access to all updates and changes as they come in. Please click here to access the directory. If you would like to change, add, or remove any information, please contact the Church Office.
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Ongoing Volunteer Opportunities |
Click the links below for more information on 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.
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