Our stewardship theme this year reflects our joyful response to God’s many blessings and steadfast love for us. God greatly blesses us even in times of challenge and change from what was once familiar to a future that is not yet entirely clear to us. Yet we know that God’s grace will lead and comfort us throughout the journey. How can we help but respond with grateful hearts to share God’s love with each other and those in our community and the world?
Advent & Christmas Offerings 2020
Advent is Upon Us
Advent is the sacred season of waiting for the coming of the Christ-child. Usually it is marked by hopeful and joyous anticipation and often filled with candle-light and carols. But this year, much feels different.
WPC has created an array of activities available during this Advent season. If you would like to attend any in-person events, we ask that you please RSVP through SignUpGenius. We will be practicing social distancing with a cap of 25 people as well as wearing masks. If you have any additional questions, please call the church office or email Ashley at .
Check back here each week for upcoming events throughout the Advent season!
Advent & Christmas at Westminster
Sunday, November 29
- Recorded service on YouTube
- 10:30-11:30- Advent wreath making: The elementary classes are invited to an Advent workshop outside by the arcade. Please RSVP to this event by November 27th to reserve your spot. You can sign up here.
- 11:30 – Zoom Hymn Sing: Please email Megan () for the link.
- 4:00 – Advent candlelighting service: A brief Advent service held outdoors by the arcade to Fellowship Hall. Reservations and masks are required. Please RSVP to the November 29th event by November 27th to reserve your spot. You can sign up here.
Sunday, December 6
- Recorded service on YouTube
- 11:30 – Zoom Taizé service: Please email Megan () for the link.
- 4:00 – Advent candlelighting service: A brief Advent service held outdoors by the arcade to Fellowship Hall. Reservations and masks are required. Please RSVP to the December 6th event by December 4th to reserve your spot. You can sign up here.
Saturday, December 12
- 4:00 – In-person Lessons & Carols (rain date: December 13): A traditional service of readings and music held outdoors in the courtyard. Congregation is limited to 25, and reservations and masks are required. Please RSVP to the December 12th event by December 10th to reserve your spot. You can sign up here.
Sunday, December 13
- Recorded service on YouTube
- 11:30 – Zoom Taizé service: Please email Megan () for the link.
- 4:00 – Zoom Lessons & Carols (held Dec. 12 if in-person Lessons & Carols rained out): A traditional service of readings and music held virtually over Zoom. Please email Ashley () for the link.
Sunday, December 20
- Recorded service on YouTube
- 11:30 – Zoom Taizé service: Please email Megan () for the link.
- 1-2:30 – Drive-by caroling: Enjoy some seasonal music from your car. Please enter the parking lot from 17th street, where you will be directed to the caroling.
- 4:00 – Advent candlelighting service: A brief Advent service held outdoors by the arcade to Fellowship Hall. Reservations and masks are required. Please RSVP to the December 20th event by December 18th to reserve your spot. You can sign up here.
Thursday, December 24
- Recorded service on YouTube: A traditional service with sermon, readings and music
- Recorded family-friendly service on YouTube: A re-telling of the Christmas story with help from a beautiful set of wooden crèche figures
- 4:00 – In-person Christmas Eve service (additional service if necessary): A quiet, candlelit service held outdoors in the courtyard. Congregation is limited to 25, and reservations and masks are required. Please RSVP to the December 24th event by December 22nd to reserve your spot. You can sign up here.
Stories of Our Faith
While you stay at home in an effort to curb the spread of the Coronavirus, our church school offering for our youngest disciples has begun and is geared towards children preschool age through kindergarten, but fun for any age! Begin with a time to sing and move with Ms. Megan, following a story from their special Bible told by Pastor Lynne, Ms. Carolyn, Ms. Lucy and sometimes includes a fun craft from Ms. Penny! This pre-recorded lesson will be available on Sunday mornings through a link included in the worship email. Parents are invited to choose a time that best suits them and their child to watch together. We hope you’ll find hopeful and comforting messages, worship, and music in the videos below. We are the church still, safely sequestered in our homes.
November 22, 2020
November 15, 2020
November 8, 2020
November 1, 2020- Bonus Storytime
November 1, 2020
October 25, 2020
October 18, 2020
October 11, 2020
October 4, 2020 – Bonus Storytime
October 4, 2020
Worship
Your pledge to Westminster supports our pastors who preach the Word of God, lead, teach and empower us to serve Christ. This stimulates us to grow as disciples and share God’s love. In response to the recent pandemic, your support has allowed us to provide regular worship services online and reach new worshippers seeking spiritual guidance during these challenging times. The church continues to welcome visitors and new members, while many church members assist with the worship services. Your generosity will enable us to return to worshipping in a well-maintained and welcoming sanctuary once it is safe to do so.
Practicing Solidarity
Have you been keeping up with the anti-racism uprising taking place across the country and world these past couple of weeks? If you want to support the struggle for justice and equity but are not sure what to do, this list offers several starting points for concrete actions. The following links are from Claire Lampen’s article “How to Support the Struggle Against Police Brutality.” Join others at Westminster in the continual journey to resist racism and end police brutality by taking the next step.
Direct aid for victims’ families:
- George Floyd’s family has started a GoFundMe to cover funeral and burial costs; counseling services; legal fees; and continued care for his children. There’s also a GoFundMe to provide for his 6-year-old daughter, Gianna Floyd, and a GoFundMe to support “peace and healing” for Darnella Frazier, the woman who filmed Floyd’s death.
- Another GoFundMe is raising money for Ahmaud Arbery’s mother, donations to which will similarly fund the family’s legal battle.
- There’s a GoFundMe for Breonna Taylor’s family, to help with legal fees and offer extra support.
- There’s a GoFundMe for David McAtee’s mother and family: McAtee was fatally shot just after midnight on June 1, after police officers and National Guard members fired into a crowd of people who were not taking part in the evening’s protests.
Bail funds:
ActBlue has a page that will let you split your donation between 38 community bail funds, or if you’d like to focus your donation directly, here are some options.
- The Bail Project, a nonprofit that aims to mitigate incarceration rates through bail reform.
- The National Bail Fund Network also has a directory of community bail funds to which you can donate, along with a COVID-19 rapid response fund.
- Another list of bail funds is available here, and another list of bail funds by city.
Support for protesters:
- A Gas Mask Fund for black youth activists in Minneapolis is raising money to buy gas masks for demonstrators who’ve faced tear gas during protests.
- The Black Trans Protestors Emergency Fund is raising money for physical resources, bail, and medical care for black, transgender protesters, which will be redistributed to black, trans-led organizations “in the event these funds don’t need to be used.”
- The NAACP Legal Defense Fund, which supports racial justice through advocacy, litigation, and education.
- The Legal Rights Center is a non-profit law firm based in Minneapolis, offering legal defense, educational, and advocacy services.
- Black Visions Collective, a black, trans, and queer-led social justice organization and legal fund based in Minneapolis-St. Paul.
- The Know Your Rights Camp, an organization founded by Colin Kaepernick that provides education and training in black and brown communities, set up a legal fund for Minneapolis protestors.
- Organizations working against mass-incarceration and police abuse:
- Communities United for Police Reform is an initiative to end discriminatory policing in New York, helping to educate people on their rights and document police abuse.
- Showing Up for Racial Justice works to educate white people about anti-racism and organizes actions to support the fight for racial justice and undermine white supremacy.
- Communities United Against Police Brutality, which operates a crisis hotline where people can report abuse; offers legal, medical, and psychological resource referrals; and engages in political action against police brutality.
- No New Jails NYC aims to keep the city from constructing new jails, and to instead divert funds that currently go toward the police and incarceration toward housing, ending homelessness, mental health, and other community support systems.
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