As a group of Westminster folks met with, fed, and played with the children of Habitat families over the last year, we realized we wanted to know more about Habitat’s work in Charlottesville. So, on Saturday, September 28, we are going on a Habi-tour. We’ll meet at the church parking lot at 10 a.m., pile into a Habitat van to tour and hear about Habitat’s history and work. The last stop is Southwood where we will get to see the space with all it’s maps and charts in which residents are designing their new neighborhood. We’ll be back at the church by noon. To join this group, contact Carolyn Brown or Lucy Burnette.
Archives for September 2019
Climate Strike on Sept. 20 in C’ville
Please join local students (Charlottesville Area and UVA) for the Climate Strike being held this Friday, Sept. 20, at noon at the Free Speech Wall on the Downtown Mall. In addition, a march down Main Street to the Mall is planned by UVA students (under the auspices of the Virginia Student Environmental Coalition) starting at 10:30 at the Rotunda. University professors and student protesters will speak on the climate crisis before the march proceeds. In the words of the event organizers “For over a year, millions of students across the globe have been ‘striking’ by leaving their classrooms every Friday to call attention to how the climate crisis is devastating homes, land, and communities…Young people refuse to sit by as our future is destroyed around us. Ahead of the UN Global Climate Summit on Sept. 20th, young people and adults will be striking with a shared platform of demands in the U.S. to call attention to the issue and to build momentum for these demands to be met.”
Included in these demands are actions to protect and restore biodiversity, to promote environmental justice for marginalized communities, to respect indigenous lands and sovereignty, to implement sustainable agriculture, and to promote a “Green New Deal” for U.S. citizens. The event is explicitly geared towards bringing together the different generations of environmental activists and concerned citizens to demand strong action addressing climate change, and is sponsored by a wide range of environmental and religious organizations. Local efforts are being led by the Virginia Student Environmental Coalition and 12-year-old climate activist Gundrun Campbell.
Mission Endowment Proposals Due Oct. 8
Westminster Presbyterian Church invites proposals to be supported from its Mission Endowment Fund for Fall 2019. Proposals are due to be received by the Church office by noon on Tuesday, October 8, 2019. Funding for 2019 is anticipated to be $12,000, to support one or more startup activities or new innovative projects that fulfill our mission to build a more just and peaceful world. Selected proposals may be eligible for several years of funding as long as suitable progress toward the goals is evident, funds are available, and given recommendations and approvals.
The committee seeks proposals that are transformative for the people served, and invite engagement from members of our worshipping community as well. We hope our support will be more than monetary, and that projects such as these can become yeast for a mission-driven congregation.
Westminster Presbyterian is a congregation formed in 1938 to minster to the University of Virginia community. We think of ourselves as a socially progressive Christian community, currently comprised of about 600 members. We are active locally and internationally in many causes through congregational financial support and volunteerism, but feel a call to serve even more through expanded engagement of our members.
Proposals should describe the project objectives, should include a budget, identify assessment methods and a commitment to report by the next fall. Proposals should not exceed three pages in length, and should be addressed to
Mission Endowment Committee
Westminster Presbyterian Church
400 Rugby Road
Charlottesville, VA 22903
Funding decisions are anticipated by December 2019 for the Mission Endowment Fund.
Disbursements are subject to Session approval.