Westminster Presbyterian Church

life
Westminster
H
Second Annual Church Retreat
Coming in November
ave you been
to Montreat?
If you’ve been
you may have just
sighed and relaxed a
little at the thought.
And if you’ve never
been – guess what?
Our second annual
all-church retreat in
Montreat is on the
horizon!
The idea of a
weekend away with
church friends may
seem a little intimidating. Over coffee
between services is one thing, or across
the room at a book club – those interactions are fairly easy. Easy, but not deep.
We heard from a few of our members
who attended last year’s retreat. “I loved
our church retreat,” wrote Chris Skidmore. “Montreat is a special place, and
you can’t help but feel God’s presence
What’s Inside
August 2013
page
Disciple Study
Classes Begin
in the Fall
page
Mexico Trip
Rough and
Culturally Rich
page
Popular Magazines
Now Available in
Church Library
page
New Service
Opportunities with
Refugees and
Immigrants
3
embrace you while you are there.”
Mary Ann Shaver noted, “We were
with several other families with teenagers
that my son knew from the Youth House,
so that was good for him – he had buddies
to hang out with…It’s a great intergenerational event.”
Beth Mascia’s entire family chimed in
via email, “Loved the square dance night.
Thought it was a good balance of family
time and time in age groups. The trip gave
us the opportunity to bring our children on
a church-based trip. My childhood memories are full of church…I want my girls to
hold these same memories dear and find
value in having a church home.”
This year we are fortunate to have
Dr. Rodger Nishioka as our guest speaker.
continued on page 5
4
7
9
The Pastor’s Column
Life’s Passages
Births
Morrow (“Row”) Bailey,
grandson of Bill and Margaret
Waterstradt, great-grandson of
Mary Lou Waterstradt
Dear Friends:
In his
2000 documentary,
“Jazz,” Ken Burns features a brief segment called
Bill’s
letter
to come...
“Dreaming.” The scene opens in darkness, with the sound of a piano playing, soft
and mellow, in the background. Out of the darkness, the renowned pianist and
composer, Duke Ellington, appears seated at his piano. He is being interviewed,
and the following conversation begins:
Interviewer: Ellington: Interviewer:
Ellington:
Where did you get your ideas from?
Ideas? Oh, man, I got a million dreams. That’s all I do is dream. All the time.
I thought you played piano.
No! This is not piano, this is dreaming.
Ellington looks off camera and begins
playing, slowly and extemporaneously. He
is creating a song on the spot, leaning from
time to time, to listen and squint, in search
of the right chords. After he is done playing, he pauses, letting the sound hang in the
air, then says, “That’s dreaming.”
Of course, Ellington was, in fact,
“playing the piano.” But in the words of
Kirk Byron Jones, he offers the insight that
it “is not as much about the piano as it is about the dream that the piano sounds,
interprets, and articulates.”
If that’s the case, then I think a metaphor can be drawn between playing the
piano and being the Church. Certainly there are times when we feel as if we are
“playing Church,” doing all the right work, going through all the right motions
to produce something that looks or sounds really nice. Yet, as wonderful as our
works may be, we must never lose sight of the fact that our work, as the Body of
Christ, is in service to a greater vision of the reign of God.
The prophet Joel describes a time when the young shall see visions, and the
old shall dream dreams. And though those words were spoken thousands of years
ago, God still has a million dreams for us. Strangely enough, seeing them will
depend on how well we listen to the Spirit and to one another.
As we begin our ministry together, let us listen and discern the vision that
God has for us. And let us commit ourselves to work boldly, to make that vision a
reality.
Peace,
Reggie
2 Westminster Presbyterian Church
Matilda and Izabel Bassett, twin
granddaughters of
Shuford and Celeste Wall
Morgan Weisman May,
grandson of Judy May
Deaths
Robert Elwood Osman,
June 27
Marriages
Ashley Fish and
George Robinson,
July 20
Anniversaries
Jim and Gregory Dagenhart,
45 years on June 22
Welcome New Members!
Donna and Benjamin Graham
4431-2C Cinnabar Court
Greensboro, NC 27409
Joined: June 16
Bowen Swink
516 Muirs Chapel Road
Greensboro, NC 27410
Joined: June 16
B
Disciple Study Classes Begin in the Fall
eginning this September, Westminster will offer two courses in
the well known Disciple Bible
study program. They are: Disciple I: Becoming Disciples through Bible Study and
Disciple IV: Under the Tree of Life. Both
courses are designed to develop Christian
leaders.
Last year, Westminster offered both Disciple I and Disciple II. The latter course focused on Genesis, Exodus, Luke and Acts.
We asked one person from each class to share
her or his thoughts on what they gained from
the study.
Jean Camp put it this way: “The
Disciple II class provided a comfortable
setting for exploring the Bible through
rich discussions based on assigned readings. Our friendships grew and our faith
deepened as we learned from each other.
The class was a meaningful and memorable step in my faith journey.”
This year we will again offer Disciple
I, a 34-week course, provides an overview
of the Bible from Genesis through Revelation. The study emphasizes the wholeness of the Bible as the revelation of God
and gives equal time to both the Old Tes-
tament and the New Testament. This class is
a prerequisite to taking other Disciple Bible
studies.
Frank Stewart said, “I found Disciple
I (to be) very valuable. Re-reading some
of the familiar stories in the Bible, and listening to comments from other class members, I gained new insights – almost as if
hearing the stories for the first time. My
spiritual roots, as I expected, went deeper,
but they went broader as well. The bonding of class participants was an important
benefit for us all.”
New this year will be Disciple IV, a
32-week course that focuses on a group of
books known as the Writings (Ruth, I and
II Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job,
Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Lamentations and Daniel) in the Old
Testament and the Gospel of John, I, II & III
John, James, Jude and Revelation in the New
Testament.
Each lesson in both courses will have a
video message by a noted biblical scholar, and
lively group discussions will be encouraged.
Cost for the student workbook in each course is
$35.
Butch Sherrill said he is
pleased that both courses will
be offered this fall. “Disciple
Bible study provides an opportunity for people to both explore
God’s word in Scripture and
to be changed by God’s word
– transformed into disciples
who have a basic and growing
understanding of the story of
God revealed in the texts of the
Old and New Testaments,” he
stated.
Disciple I will be co-facilitated by Wilson Davis and
Daphne Haverkamp. It will be
offered on Thursday mornings,
9:30 am - 11:30 am.
Disciple IV will be co-facilitated by Gary Shelton and
Don Morrison and will be offered on Wednesday evenings,
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm.
Interested persons are urged
to sign up for the courses
by contacting Butch at the
church office, 299-3785.
Davis
Haverkamp
Morrison
Shelton
Westminster Musical Notes
Chancel Choir Open House:
Join us in Room 206 at the Friendly Campus on August 14 or 21 at
7:30 pm for our biannual “Open House.” These are no-commitment
rehearsals, so feel free to come and sing and experience the choir atmosphere! Singers of all levels and experience are welcome. There
will be a brief rehearsal and then a time of fellowship and light food,
so if you’ve ever had an interest in singing (or know of someone
with that interest), feel free to come to this Open House!
Handbell Choir:
The Handbell Choir will start back on Monday, August 19, at 7:30
pm. If you have rung in the past year, please let us know of your
intention to play again. If you are interested in joining the group,
please contact the Interim Director of Traditional Music, Kevin
Neel, at [email protected]. The only requirements are
to be able to read rhythms and commit to weekly rehearsals.
Youth Band:
Rehearsals will begin September 8 and will be held Sundays from
12:15 - 1:15 pm in the Friendly Avenue Chapel following worship.
Youth band is open to 6th-12th graders and is comprised of singers and
those who play guitar, bass, drums/percussion and keyboard/piano.
Previous musical experience is not required. Contact Clint Whitlow at
[email protected].
Children’s Choir:
Parents, as you make plans for your
children for this coming school
year, don’t forget to include the
many children’s programs being offered at Westminster, including our
“Joyful Noise” children’s choir program. As in the past, “Joyful Noise”
will be a part of the W.E.L.L. program on Wednesday nights at our
Friendly Avenue campus. We will have two sections of Joyful Noise
with both a Kindergarten – 2nd grade group and 3rd – 5th grade
group. Both groups will be involved in singing in our worship services, developing both their musical skills and spiritual lives through
the “Growing in Grace” program, and preparing for a musical to be
presented during the Christmas season. It will be a fun and enriching experience for all the children involved. We hope you
will include in your child’s plans for this coming fall and winter,
the chance to create some “Joyful Noise!” For more information, contact Chris Hutchinson at 299-3785, ext.142 or visit our
church’s website.
3 Westminster Presbyterian Church
Mexico Trip Rough and Culturally Rich
I
t had been three years since a Westminster mission team traveled to Mexico,
after serving in the Piedras Negras
community for more than a decade. This
summer we ventured farther from the
U.S. border to the Yucatan region and into
the Mayan village of Mexil (pronounced
Me-sh-eel). The place is so small, Google
Maps® doesn’t show it and one team
member was questioned at Mexico Customs if such a place existed.
For me, my son Sam and five others,
it was our first mission trip. There were
several parent-teen members and all of the
teens were guys. We had veteran Constructores Para Cristo (CPC) mission trip members, and those who had gone to Haiti and
to Kenya. It was a rough trip – possibly
the roughest mission trip, the seasoned trip
members confessed. Heat, difficulty sleeping in hammocks, and unreliable plumbing
strained all of us mentally and physically at
some point during the six days in the village.
Gone were the hotel room, air conditioning,
by Elizabeth White
hammers to sell in the larger villages.
We saw where charcoal was made to
sell or trade to the blacksmiths. Next
to one house we worked on, ladies
were making a hammock. Small
children walked past our job sites to
school while the older children waited
in the early morning for the school
bus. Women washed clothes, cooked
and swept their huts with palm branch
brooms. We saw the families gather
together in their huts for meals.
We were either sweating or
soaked with rain, but mostly we were The group celebrates the completion of the final and
most difficult project. It took everyone to haul the cement
soaked in sweat. During siesta time, to the roof.
I would sit under the lime trees with
Lew Thomas and Lenwood Collins or Jeff Phillip Pflueb, did much if not all of the transBlack and watch hundreds of yellow and lation for us during our nightly Vacation Bible
white butterflies flutter through the village School time.
– only during the hottest part of the day. If it Unlike past Westminster Mexico miswasn’t breezy they sure made it look like it. sion trips, we never completed a house. Acción builds only parts of houses
The citrus trees meant no mosquiand works in a village for a certain
tos, but we did have scorpion and
See
page
8
for
number of years. We were the last
tarantula sightings.
information
on
Acción team to work in Mexil.
Westminster partnered
an August 14
The village, which has about 50
with Acción Ministries and
presentation
families, had welcoming and closFriends of Acción. Oveth
from
the
Mexico
ing worship services for us. At the
Hernandez, Nico Alvarez
mission
team.
latter, the homeowners were introand master mason Kipo
duced, and seemingly the entire
were part of the Acción staff
village lined up to hug us afterwho stayed in the village and
worked with us. Acción board member wards. The embraces and words of gratitude
Stacy Lynch, sister-in-law of mission were incredibly meaningful.
trip member Susan Collins, also was on “I thank God because my two sons received
Mark Brainerd grabs a bit of rest during siesta time
our trip. To our delight, Andre Doran- support,” said one woman representing two famiin one of the two guy huts. Hammocks were strung
tes, the 10-year-old son of the founder lies. “I am so happy! You have done too much.
everywhere.
of Acción, joined our team. It was his Thank you. This is your home, Mexil will be here
first mission trip, too. He slung buckets of ce- for you always. God bless you.”
and restaurants … until the end of the trip in ment along with us and would insist sleeping
Cancun. For us first timers, we didn’t know in a hammock was more comfortable
any different – small blessings.
than a bed.
The trip was as close to a full immer- Our nightly Vacation Bible School
sion into a culture as Westminster has of- allowed us to interact with the families as
fered and I embraced it with arms wide we colored, face painted, made balloon
open. We, along with the village, woke animals, blew bubbles, played chase and
to the sounds of roosters and dogs tus- did puppet shows, with the goal of teachsling. We walked to the job sites, where we ing a lesson from scripture. The last night
poured six concrete floors and two con- the children did a puppet show for us. The
crete roofs over five days. A family repre- biggest hit was the six Westminster teensentative from the house we were working age guys on the trip who were always up
on would work with us.
for a game of ball with the village chil Each day we heard the clanging of dren no matter how hard they worked on Village children play with the puppets we brought for
men making machetes, hooks, picks, and the job site. Rebecca Austin and her son, them to put on a show for us the last night.
4 Westminster Presbyterian Church
The Universal Gift of Music
A
bre mis ojos oh cristo. Abre
mis ojos senor. Yo quiero verte
- translates to “Open the eyes
of my heart Lord. Open the eyes of my
heart. I want to see you.”
On the recent trip to Honduras, our
Westminster team encountered many
cultural differences that, at times, caused
barriers between us and the native people
of Honduras. However, there was a similarity that was apparent between the two
of us and that was the gift of music.
From day one, we all knew this
would be a strenuous journey, especially since most of the team members had
never worked together before. Beginning
with our long days of travel, including a
six-hour bus ride up a mountain in a yellow school bus, our team had many opportunities to bond and get to know each
other. On our first night in the hotel in
Honduras, we began our bond by singing
the classic worship song, “Sanctuary.”
From that night on, we sang almost ev-
by Frances Ganem
ery day of the trip during our devotional ful heart in the Honduran village of Santa
times. The gift of the music brought our Rita.
Twice on our visit to
whole team, and even the
Honduras, we gathered for
four interns staying on our
morning devotion with evranch, together from the
“The power of music
eryone staying on the ranch
beginning night up until the
in this case proved
including all of the staff.
end.
to be able to connect
The staff allowed the three
While working in
two completely sepadifferent teams to presthe village, at times
rate
groups
of
people
ent songs if they wished
there was a large lanfor one purpose, to
to and then they presented
guage barrier. Buildtheir Spanish songs to us.
ing latrines, concrete
worship God.”
During the first morning
floors, chimneys, and
devotion, it was a struggle
a room addition aren’t
exactly the easiest jobs when your for most of our team to follow along and
co-workers cannot understand your sing with the Spanish words and foreign
language. However, working in Va- tunes. However, on our last morning durcation Bible School, it was quickly ing the devotion, the leader of the ranch
understood that even though we may told us to flip to a page in our song books
not have known what they were say- and they began to sing and play the guiing, the songs they sang to us were meant to tar. I’m sure most of the team was as
welcome us and show their appreciation that surprised as I was to hear the beautiful
we had come to help their village. In each melody of the song “Open the Eyes of
song they sang, it was apparent in their eyes My Heart,” sung in Spanish. Our team
and their smiles how glad they were to have was able to easily follow along and sing
us with them and that they would be forever with the staff on the ranch because we
were well aware of that song.
grateful.
On our last day in the village, we in- The power of music in this case
vited everyone to the school for a fiesta. proved to be able to connect two comThis party included snacks and games, pletely separate groups of people for one
but most importantly dancing and singing. purpose, to worship God. I think that’s
Despite the fact that sometimes the only the real purpose behind mission trips,
communication we could get across was to find a cause that means something in
a smile, the music and the dances allowed your heart and go out to help the world,
each team member to be connected to all having the same true mission in mind:
someone from the village. Through this, to better the world by worshiping God
music proved capable of connecting our and being able to find a connection that
Westminster team to each and every grate- links us all to Him.
Montreat Retreat - continued from page 1
Rodger holds the Benton Family chair in Christian
Education as an associate professor at Columbia
Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA. He is an enNovember 15-17
gaging and dynamic speaker and an outstanding retreat leader. Anyone who has had the opportunity to
Friday: Evening Fellowship
hear him speak will attest that we are in for a treat. Saturday:
Morning
Program
The registration deadline is September 15,
Afternoon
Free Time
and a $50 deposit is requested with registration.
Evening Square Dance
There are many pricing and accommodation op- Sunday:
Worship
tions, and retreat brochures will be available at the Connecting Point at
both locations and online.
Montreat All-Church Retreat
5 Westminster Presbyterian Church
“Gardening is a way of showing that you believe in tomorrow.”
D
id you know our pews are full of
“gardeners”? Westminster has
faithfully sowed seeds of compassion nurtured with love and acts of
service across our community and world.
Just down the road, at Peacehaven Community Farm, nothing illustrates the
quote above more than the hundreds of
Westminster folks who show up to dig in
a garden that probably will not feed them
and to work toward a home that probably won’t house them. Your belief in
tomorrow has made it possible to begin
construction of Peacehaven’s first home,
Susan’s View.
This first home is named for one of
the farm’s co-founders and Westminster
member, Susan Elliott. Susan was a gardener in every sense of the word. She had
a clear vision of what Peacehaven could
become and the difference it could make
in the lives of people with disabilities and
for our larger community. Susan passed
away in 2009; however, her vision continues to grow and thrive because you—
Sunday School classes, youth groups,
circles, Outrageous Outreach, 30-Hour
Famine groups, One Great Day groups,
by Alice Blalock
small groups,
the
Breast
Cancer Support Group,
countless individuals and
families—
have planted
your roots in
Peacehaven
soil.
For the
past
four
years, life at
Peacehaven
has centered
around the
Garrett Westfall is a faithful volunteer at Peacehaven.
community
garden. Each
week a diverse and enthusiastic group of dish lunch following the celebration as
folks fill the garden with work, a little there is following every Saturday worksweat and a lot of joy. Peacehaven’s gar- day—Peacehaven is about building community and nothing connects people
den yields much more than
quite like a big downjust fresh vegetables. It is
home, finger lickin’, roll“Susan was a
a holy place—in this fastup-your-sleeves, diet-bustpaced world, the garden
gardener in every
ing Southern spread. We
provides a space to cultivate
sense of the word.
appreciation for the ordinary She had a clear vision need folks to volunteer to
provide extra food for the
gifts of grace,
of what Peacehaven large number of guests anthe value of
could become and
ticipated.
living in the
The
Westfalls—Tim,
the
difference
it
could
present, the
Sharon, Allison, Sidney,
make in the lives of
art of listenand Garrett, faithfully voling, and the people with disabilihealing pow- ties and for our larger unteer as a family at Peacehaven.
Seven-year-old
er of nature.
community.”
Garrett gets the importance
The miracle
of food and community—
of gardening
ask
him
what
he likes best about Peaceis that as we seek to cultivate the land, the garden haven and he doesn’t hesitate: “Eating
Peacehaven Community Farm invites
cultivates us. This season, with everyone!” “Ringing the dinner bell
as Peacehaven focuses on and meeting other people.” you to join us for the
building Susan’s View, they Sharon is organizing volunteers
Wall-Raising Celebration of
are donating 100% of their to help with the food. Contact her at
Susan’s View
harvest to help meet local (336)404-4505 or [email protected]
if you can help. Anyone interested in volhunger needs.
Susan’s View is being unteering to help with construction can
August 24, 2013
built in partnership with register at www.peacehavenfarm.org.
1458 NC Highway 61, Whitsett, N.C.
Habitat for Humanity of
Greensboro and Westmin11:30 a.m- noon, followed by a
ster is a co-sponsor of the
Wall-Raising Celebration.
potluck lunch
There will be a covered
6 Westminster Presbyterian Church
One Great Day of Service
Saturday, September 28
The mission of One Great Day is to provide
opportunities to go beyond our walls and be God’s light in our
community through service. We hope to foster long-term
relationships by introducing our congregation to local agencies
and to bind our community of faith together through fellowship.
Here is schedule for the day:
12:30 pm
Meet Project Leader and Team
Friendly Ave. Fellowship Hall
1:00 - 5:00 pm Service Projects throughout
Greensboro
5:30 pm
All-Church Celebratory Worship
Friendly Ave. Sanctuary
6:30 pm
All-Church Dinner
Friendly Ave. Fellowship Hall
Brochures with detailed project listings will be available
early September. For more information, please contact
Ann Comfort in the church office.
C
Popular Magazines Now Available in Church Library
ome and checkout your ‘renewed’ and expanded adult library!
One new format we have added to the collection – magazines!
Our collection of four magazines is all together in a magazine display rack close to some comfortable chairs, so we invite you to read
them for current reports on religious news, comments on theological, moral, and cultural issues, and reviews of books, movies and
music. Here are short descriptions of each of the magazines currently offered:
The Christian Century, based in
Chicago, Illinois, is considered the
flagship magazine of U.S. mainline
Protestantism. The biweekly magazine
defines its mission as calling Christians to a profound engagement
with the world and articulating their faith in a way that is meaningful and intellectually compelling to those around them. Regular
contributors include Carol Zaleski, Walter Brueggemann, Barbara
Brown Taylor, and Will Willimon.
Christianity Today is an evangelical Protestant periodical based
in Carol Stream, Illinois. It was founded in 1956 by Billy Graham,
who stated that he wanted to “plant the evangelical flag in the middle-of-the-road, taking the conservative
theological position but a definite liberal
approach to social problems”. Christianity Today is considered a leading voice
of the evangelical movement with its coverage of the global church.
Contributing writers include Philip Yancey, Lauren Winner, and
Mark Noll.
Presbyterian Outlook, published in Richmond, Virginia, is
called an independent biweekly news magazine of the Presbyterian Church (USA), dedicated to keeping the members of the denomination updated on the happenings of
the denomination. The Outlook presents
news from various sources, editorials and
commentaries, detailed reports about the
denomination itself, and ministry resources provided by and for the
church.
Sojourners Magazine is the voice of Sojourners, a national
Christian organization located in Washington, D.C., committed to
faith in action for social justice. With a 40-year history, Sojourners
is a nonpartisan leader that convenes, builds alliances among, and
mobilizes people of faith, focusing on racial and social justice, life and peace, and
environmental stewardship. Jim Wallis
is president and founder of Sojourners, where he is also editor-inchief of Sojourners magazine.
We will be keeping a certain number of back issues of each
magazine available for your use. We ask that you enjoy these magazines in the library itself so that everyone will have access to these
current materials. We are always open to suggestions to make available other current literature that will be of interest and usefulness to
our congregation! So drop us a note in the library or give your ideas
to Butch Sherrill on the church staff.
Wishing you inspired reading! -- Mike Maynard, Library Committee
7
Westminster Presbyterian Church
August Calendar and Announcements
Habitat Lunch Ministry
Westminster will provide lunch on Saturday, August 3, for all volunteers building
Greensboro Habitat homes. Westminster
volunteers are needed to prepare lunch beginning at 9:30 am in the Westminster kitchen with delivery to the job site at 11:00 am.
For more information, please contact Karl
Urshel at 951-3309 or kurshel@wildblue.
net or contact Ann Comfort in the church
office.
Weaver House
We cook and serve breakfast at the Greensboro Urban Ministry Weaver House Shelter
the first Sunday of each month. Our next
day to cook and serve will be Sunday, August 4, 7:00 am. Contact Melissa Carter at
665-9540 for more information.
Women’s Salad Supper
Bring your favorite salad to share and join
us on Tuesday, August 13, 6:30 pm in the
Fellowship Hall of the Friendly Avenue
Campus. Our guest speaker will be Rev.
Reggie Weaver, our new senior minister.
Sign up via the worship response card or
church website to let us know you are coming. Childcare provided upon request only.
Honduras and Mexico Teams
Presentation
Join us on Wednesday, August 14, as you
enjoy a delicious Mexican dinner and learn
more about Westminster’s recent mission
trips to Honduras and Mexico! The teams
will share photos and experiences from
their recent trips, and there will be time
for Q&A. The dinner is at 6 pm in the Fellowship Hall, and costs $5. The presentation will begin at 6:30. Sign up on the
church website or email Ann Morris at
[email protected]. The deadline to sign up for a meal is Aug. 11.
School Supply Drive
On Sunday, August
18, Westminster will
host a back-to-school
event for the families
at Partnership Village.
Partnership
Village
is a GUM transitional
housing
community
for formerly homeless individuals and families. We also partner with this community
by providing Thanksgiving meals, Christmas Angel Tree gifts, and various other
support throughout the year. We will be
distributing school supplies for approximately 50 school-aged children this year
and we need your help. Items needed include: backpacks without wheels, pencils,
8 Westminster Presbyterian Church
pens, erasers, highlighters, markers, rulers,
16-ct. crayons, spiral notebooks, lined paper,
index cards, pocket folders, 2-inch 3-ring binders and tabbed dividers. Please place items in
the collection boxes at either campus on or
before August 11.
Rodger Nishioka to lead
Workshop and Worship
Westminster is the location for Salem Presbytery’s “A Day with Rodger and Friends”, a
Christian education event on Saturday, August
24, from 9 am – 4 pm at the Friendly Avenue
Campus. This event includes keynote speaker
Rodger Nishioka, an associate professor at Columbia Theological Seminary, and offers a variety of workshops on transforming the Church’s
educational ministries. Brochures that include
workshop descriptions, cost, and childcare information are available at the Connecting Point
and in the church office. Registration fees increase after August 6. Rodger will lead worship at Westminster’s Friendly Avenue sanctuary services on Sunday, August 25.
JOY Group Lunch
All seniors 65+ are invited to join us at noon
Tuesday, August 27, the Fellowship Hall of the
Friendly Avenue Campus for a great lunch and
fellowship. Judson Van Wyk,
Westminster member who has
just returned from studying in
Scotland, will be our speaker.
Please contact Suzanne Andia
at 299-3785x130 to make your
reservation if you are not currently on the reservation call
list.
Day Trip to Greensboro
On Thursday, September 5, we’re headed to
Downtown Greensboro, where theatres, parks,
galleries and restaurants line historic Elm
Street. On this guided tour of the revital-
ized downtown, modern culture and incredible food intertwine with over 200 years of
history. You’ll talk with chefs and owners
who are partnering with nearby small farms
to offer fresh, innovative, and eclectic cuisine. We’ll leave the church at Noon and
return at 4:30 pm. Cost for the trip is $50.
For more information or to sign up contact
Suzanne Andia in the church office at 2993785x130.
Men’s Breakfast
Mark your calendar for the first men’s
breakfast of the fall season on Saturday,
September 7, in the Fellowship Hall of the
Friendly Campus at 8 am. The breakfast occurs on the first Saturday of each month.
Look for details and sign up information in
the September newsletter.
Fall Disaster Relief Trip
Westminster is exploring options for a disaster relief trip to assist victims of Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey or New York.
The trip will likely be in early October.
Look for an announcement soon with dates,
location and cost.
Richmond in October
Join us as our travel ministry heads to
Richmond, Virginia October 16-18. We’ll
explore the rich history of Richmond with
tours of St. John’s Church where Patrick
Henry gave his famous “Give me Liberty
or Give me Death” speech, American Civil
War Center, The White House of the Confederacy & Museum, the Virginia State
Capital, a canal cruise on the James River
and much more. Brochures are available at
the Connecting Point at both campuses or
contact Suzanne Andia for more information. Deadline to register is September 6.
CONVERSATIONS WITH REGGIE
We have three opportunities to enjoy conversation and a
meal with our new Senior Pastor, Reggie Weaver. Please
sign up online or via the worship response card for one of
these events. Please contact Suzanne Andia if you have
questions.
Sunday, August 11 - Lunch in the Fellowship Hall, Noon
Tuesday, August 13 - Women’s Summer Salad Supper, 6:30 pm
Saturday, September 14 - Breakfast at Lake Brandt, 9 am
In addition, mark your calendars for Reggie’s installation service, which will
be held Sunday, September 22, at 4 pm in the Friendly Avenue Sanctuary.
Look for more details in September.
D
New Service Opportunities with
Refugees/Immigrants
id you know that there are more than 150 different languages spoken in the Guilford County Schools? Greensboro has a long tradition of resettling refugee and immigrant families. Many people wait years to come here after being
forced to flee their homeland due to persecution. As a faith community, Westminster also has a long tradition of hospitality toward these new neighbors as they transition into our community.
Through the years, our congregation has partnered successfully
with families from Somalia, Sudan, Bosnia, and the Congo as they
came to live and work in Greensboro.
In response to renewed congregational interest in this area, the Adult Education and
Outreach committees offered educational programs such as the recent July evening program,
“Who are our Neighbors?” Last fall, David Fraccaro of FaithAction International House led
a W.E.L.L. series on what it means to become a “Stranger to Neighbor “ congregation. Now,
new service opportunities begin this fall as a way of connecting with local refugee/immigrant
families. All volunteers will work through Greensboro agencies and training is provided as
needed.
•
•
•
Saturday Worship
Update
A
t its stated meeting on July 21, the
Session approved a motion that
rather than resume our Saturday evening
services on September 7, as had been
communicated before, more time be given for further study, conversation, and
prayer. The hope is to allow more time
for input from the congregation about
the nature and necessity of the services,
and to allow leadership to provide insight into what is involved in planning
and leading worship at Westminster.
As we move into a new season of
discernment about the possibilities before us, it will be important to hear more
about the things we value about our life
as a congregation, and how we can emThe Newcomer’s School (Guilford County Schools) on Friendway Ave. needs
body them most effectively. In the comvolunteers to shelve books in the library and read with the children in the library.
ing weeks, you will be hearing of opThe Center for New North Carolinians (CNNC) needs after-school tutors M-F from portunities to provide input about this
3-5:50 p.m. at Glen Haven Apartments (near the Harris Teeter at Elm and Pisgah particular aspect of our life together.
Church).
Also through CNNC, childcare volunteers can engage with Latino pre-school age children on Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. at Presbyterian Church of the Covenant while the moms are in educational programs.
Church World Service offers a number of different opportunities for volunteers,
ranging from teaching Citizenship classes to apartment set-up or employment mentoring.
•
•
FaithAction International House holds dinners at Zaytoon restaurant downtown where we can engage in dialogue with people from all over the world who have settled in Greensboro.
•
FaithAction also has a number of service opportunities, including teaching English and computer classes or helping with job readiness.
For more information, please see our church website under Serve, then In the Community. Contact Ann Comfort 299-3785 or Emily Reeve 315-6430 for questions.
Sunday, August 18
4-7pm @ Bur Mil Park, Shelters 1 and 2, 5834 Bur-Mil Club Rd., Greensboro, NC
church-wide picnic
• Playground
• Corn Hole Toss & Kickball
• 18-Foot Inflatable Slide
• Games for all ages
Dinner @ 5. BBQ and dessert will
be provided. Bring a side dish
and 2-liter drink to share.
Stephen Ministry
Training
A
re you a caring individual looking
for a place to share your gifts and
help others in need? In partnership with
seven neighboring churches, Westminster will offer Stephen Ministry Training on Thursday evenings,
beginning
September
19, 6:30–9:00
pm. A Stephen Minister
is a Christian
caregiver who
offers confidential care by listening and supporting someone who is going through a
difficult time. The 50 hours of training
equips participants with the skills and
dispositions needed to be effective Stephen Ministers. For applications or more
information write Stephen Training on
your Worship Response Card or contact
Suzanne Nazim at [email protected]
or Mark Brainerd in the church office.
www.westpreschurch.org
9
One Church. Two Locations.
Westminster Presbyterian Church is a Christ-Centered Community of Faith
that prayerfully seeks God’s direction as we provide opportunities for
spiritual growth and expression through worship, education and servanthood,
responding with God’s love and compassion to the needs of the world.
inside
next issue:
Wednesday W.E.L.L.
Offerings Resume in
September
The fall W.E.L.L. schedule will begin with a great offering by Gail O’Day, Dean of the Divinity School at
Wake Forest University. This special three-week study
will focus on “Friendship as a Christian Practice.”
Invite a friend to join you for dinner and study as we
consider “friendship” and its importance as a part of
our life together in community.
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UPCOMING NEWSLETTER DEADLINES:
Deadline August 14 - September newsletter mailed August 28
Deadline September 11 - October newsletter mailed September 25