Archives for September 2016

PACEM 2017 at Westminster

September 28, 2016 by Tracy Wispelwey

Westminster’s 11th year of working with PACEM to provide a seasonal shelter of last resort to homeless men in Charlottesville will begin Saturday, February 11 through Saturday, February 25, 2017.

Undergraduate and graduate students prepare the meal for PACEM guests, winter 2016.

We are blessed with a wonderful facility that can be easily transformed into a shelter for only two weeks in the year. Thanks to all of you, the Westminster Congregation, our Church Administrator, Sandy Wilcox, our Sexton, Tom and Assistant Sexton, Alanzo and, the Westminster Child Care Center, the is shelter possible. Committee members know the importance of our partner congregations, Meadows Presbyterian, Buck Mountain, Crozet Baptist and Charlottesville Vineyard, enabling WPC to continue working with PACEM.

I see us as a mentoring congregation helping others to be involved with PACEM even if they are not physically able to host at their own facilities. Some congregations do not have a “bricks and mortar” facility to house a shelter. Other congregations are too far away for JAUNT transportation that serves our homeless men. Other congregations want to “test the waters” as a host shelter. We can proudly offer these congregations to partner with us and share our expertise and experience. This is a mission we should proud of.

PACEM’s mission statement is: To bring together the faith community of the greater Charlottesville area in providing temporary shelter, compassionate support and access to services to individuals who are homeless so they can move to a stable housing solution. This work can only be achieved by forging partnerships in the larger community.

We are already planning for our hosting period in 2017. Please to get involved! -Fran Sargent, WPC-PACEM Chair

Want to See What I’m Preaching About?

September 28, 2016 by Ken Henry

Want to know what I’m preaching about in October? Want to read the scripture passages before coming on a Sunday morning? Here are the texts and sermon titles for four Sundays. Thought I would tackle some challenging moments in the Bible that go along with the Stewardship theme, Set the World on Fire.

Peace, Ken

October 16: Matthew 3:1-12; Genesis 15:1-12. 17-18;
Sermon: Lighting the Beacons (See YouTube Clip: Lighting of the Beacons from Lord of the Rings)

October 23:Exodus 3:1-15; 2 Timothy 1:1-14;
Sermon: Rekindling the Gift Within

October 30: John 15:1-8; 1 Kings 18:20-39;
Sermon: The Burn Pile:

November 6 (Dedication Sunday) Psalm 29: Acts 2:1-21:
Sermon: Pentecost in November

Set the World On Fire

September 28, 2016 by Ken Henry

“Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.”

Upon the occasion of my first sermon delivered at Westminster Presbyterian Church, I challenged us all to set the world on fire. This challenge and encouragement comes from a quote I discovered in a book published this year on Catherine of Siena. And in the context of Stewardship season, to me, it means to set the world on fire with God’s grace, justice, and inclusive love. Through giving and unselfish service to others, we begin to discover our true identity in Christ Jesus. Catherine’s charge to future believers is straight forward. In essence, from the 14th century, Catherine says to the Church on the far horizon: If the world is going to change, if love going to overcome hatred, it will take people of faith who follow their consciences and pay attention to God’s Call. As we discern what we will pledge this up coming year, let us seek to set the world on fire.

-Ken

Worship and Music Stewardship

September 27, 2016 by Megan Sharp

The congregations participated in the annual worship in the courtyard service. — The congregation participates in the annual worship in the courtyard service.

Walter Brueggemann, an Old Testament scholar and theologian who recently spoke and preached at Westminster, once said that “the church meets to imagine what our lives can be like if the gospel were true.” As members of a congregation which prides itself on being “progressive” and “transformed,” it is easy to envision that we are setting the world on fire, which happens to be our stewardship theme this year. However, it is difficult at times to reconcile the minutiae of coordinating communion preparation and servers and the logistics of organizing the Easter breakfast, banners, pew rack maintenance, and flower arrangements with the joyful celebration of God’s promise to our world. But in that tenuous space between logistics and celebration lies committee work.

We like to joke about the Presbyterian affinity for complex organizational models, but in fact much of God’s work can be found in the details. Will new visitors feel welcomed by our congregation? Our membership subcommittee has organized greeters, flyers, buttons, and personal notes. Will our musically-inclined members find a place in the choir? Our adult and children’s choirs are complemented by the Singers choir and the newly-formed Life-Long Song class. Will our monthly communion services truly be a sacrament of personal transformation? As volunteers carefully dice bread and pour juice into tiny cups they transform hours of manual labor into moments of intense joy within our corporate worship.

What you see and feel in worship each Sunday are slivers of Christ’s light. Whether it is a commissioned anthem for the choir, a baby baptized, an artistic banner, a candlelight prayer vigil for refugees, a sermon that evokes both a chuckle and a tear, or a child’s pleasure in his own “worship bag,” the worship and music committee hopes to magnify those slivers of God’s transformative power. While much of God’s work takes place on Monday mornings in the Lounge or Thursday nights in the choir room, on the organ bench in the sanctuary or perched behind the sound system in the balcony, the manifestation of these “duties” move from behind the scenes into the forefront of God’s arena–our humanity made holy each Sunday as we worship and make music together.

Patricia Vandever

Chair, Worship and Music Division

Westminster’s University Mission

September 27, 2016 by Tracy Wispelwey

We’ve come a long way – in the right direction – since September 2014. Now, the congregation’s unanimous call of Ken Henry as the new Head of Staff Pastor, and session extending Lynne Clement’s and Tracy Howe Wispelwey’s temporary pastoral standing with our congregation to Covenant Pastors last spring, grounds us now, and strengthens Westminster’s cherished heritage as a progressive congregation with a unique ministry at the University of Virginia.

In this new academic year, our undergraduate students are gathering and planning around the theme of “Matthew 25,” a challenging and beautiful text that reminds us of the grace of God as well as our call to serve “the least of these” and “visit the prisoner.” In fact, the group is bringing in congregational members with rich experience in criminal justice and its alternatives to lead Tuesday night discussions and will partner with the Wesley Foundation to visit and worship with the women of the Fluvanna women’s correctional facility in the spring. The fall retreat and January trip to the Montreat College Conference are already being highly anticipated.

ukirk_paddleboardyoga — Undergraduates go on an adventure at Old Rag Reservoir this fall, including paddle board yoga!

Tracy recruited Brittany Caine-Connolly to serve as the Outreach Coordinator beginning in August and Brittany’s joyful spirit has already uplifted the student fellowship. The strength of the undergraduate community is witnessed in their outings together outside of regular programing, which has included salsa dancing and paddle boarding (with yoga!).

Brittany is working with the students to develop strategies for their group to have a visible presence on grounds. She also hosts Sunday night open study space until midnight at Common Grounds and uses that as an opportunity to greet and know a diverse group of students who do not (yet) come to any of our regular programing or worship at Westminster.

Graduate student (and elder) Hannah Tucker is working with Tracy in coordinating bi-monthy graduate student dinner fellowships. The list has already grown to 30 graduate students and we are excited to nurture this community and the specific needs of grad students and young adults. Graduate students and young adults wanting weekly contact and rhythms of faith and community can attend the Common Grounds bible study being led by Tracy and Lynne on the Gospel of Mark on alternating Sunday evenings.

University students at Southside Presbyterian Church in Tucson, AZ during the 2016 Border mission trip.

Food and fellowship, not to mention program and staffing, requires our support – spiritual, personal, and financial. Just as with all our church staff, we want our Covenant Pastor for Ministry at U.Va., Mission & Outreach to be supported in her ministry with us and on our behalf at the University. We pray others in the congregation will share our joyful mission by sharing a Sunday student and young adult continental brunch or Tuesday evening UKirk meal or by helping with our increasingly popular exam period open study space, whether hosting or just bringing snacks. With the congregation’s generous support, we can continue to serve God in Westminster’s foundational ministry here at the University of Virginia. (Submitted by Ron Wiley & Tracy Howe Wispelwey)

Archives for September 2016

PACEM 2017 at Westminster

Want to See What I’m Preaching About?

Set the World On Fire

Worship and Music Stewardship

Westminster’s University Mission

Our Mission

Our Values

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