On Saturday, May 25, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Lynn Moore, PhD, will facilitate a workshop on Sage-ing. This spiritual practice involves harvesting the wisdom of our lives and finding ways to transmit that wisdom as a legacy to future generations. The workshop is limited to 12 participants, so register soon. There’s a $25 fee for materials. To r.s.v.p., contact Lynn, or 828.280.6075.

Sage-ing is a spiritual practice that involves harvesting the wisdom of our lives and finding ways to transmit that wisdom as a legacy to future generations.In developing an elder spiritual practice we pursue the path proposed by Rabbi Zalman Schacter in his seminal book From Age-ing to Sage-ing  which involves, through introspection, the following:

• Examining  our attitudes and fears about aging and our culture’s stereotypes and claiming our rights to promoting and practicing a new paradigm
• Connecting to our inner wisdom through growth techniques of psychology and spirituality including meditation, contemplation, journaling and spiritual intimacy (sharing)
• Learning to nourish ourselves physically, emotionally, mentally, socially and spiritually
• Drawing on the wisdom of what we know now, examining  our past through  a ‘life review’ process and ‘life repair’ exercises
• Gaining  an understanding that forgiveness is a gift we give ourselves, we  learn to forgive those who have offended us, ask forgiveness of those we have offended and practice self-forgiveness above all else
• We face our own mortality with courage and serenity

A Special Congregational Meeting is called for Sunday, May 5, 2019, to elect Elders and Deacons for the Class of 2022, to elect a Nominating Committee, to amend the WPC Congregational Manual, and for other business purposes. The meeting will take place immediately after the 11:00 AM worship service, which will be shortened to accommodate the meeting.This year’s Nominating Committee, co-chaired by Candace Spence and Will Hochstetler, will present the slate of nominees for new members of the Session, the Board of Deacons, and next year’s Nominating Committee. The new members will assume their duties in mid-June.

The proposed amendment to the Congregational Manual would change the date of the Annual Congregational Meeting from the third to the fourth Sunday in January. Read more . . .

. . . At its February meeting, the Session approved the following motion: That Session propose to the Congregation, in accord with Section XI of the Congregational Manual (2013), an amendment to Section III of the Manual to read: “The Annual Meeting of the Congregation shall be called by the Session and will ordinarily be held on the fourth Sunday of January.” This date change would allow much-needed additional time between the January Session meeting (second Sunday of January) and the Congregational Meeting for the preparation of the financial and other reports that are submitted to the congregation. In recent years, the Stewardship Campaign has extended well into December, delaying Session’s approval of an Operating Budget until its January meeting. Allowing only one week between the Session and the Congregational Meeting has created a difficult and stressful “crunch time” for our Staff and Session Elders—especially those involved with church finances. Adding another week in between the two meetings would go a long way to alleviating this situation.

Therefore, the question presented for congregational vote will be: Shall Section III of the WPC Congregational Manual be amended to read: “The Annual Meeting of the Congregation shall be called by the Session and will ordinarily be held on the fourth Sunday of January”?
Please come to the meeting! Thank you—Nadine Roddy, Stated Clerk of Session 2018-19

Relevant Document Provisions

From the WPC Congregational Manual:

III. Meetings of the Congregation (G-1.0501)

The Annual Meeting of the Congregation shall be called by the Session and will ordinarily be held on the third Sunday of January. At that meeting, the following business may be transacted:

1. Annual Reports
2. Election of Church Nominating Committee
3. Election of Ruling Elders and/or Deacons
4. Election of Trustees
5. Calling a Pastor, co-Pastor or associate Pastor
6. Changing existing pastoral relationships by reviewing and approving (or declining to approve) changes to the terms of the call for the Installed Pastor(s).
7. Receipt of the church’s annual budget for informational purposes.

XI. Amendments to the Congregational Rules

These Rules may be amended by a majority vote of the members present and voting, providing that the proposed changes shall have been distributed at the same time as the call of the meeting at which the changes are voted upon.
From the Book of Order (2017-19):

G-1.0501 Annual and Special Meetings

The congregation shall hold an annual meeting and may hold special meetings as
necessary, for any or all of the purposes appropriate for congregational consideration.
The business to be transacted at special meetings shall be limited to items specifically
listed in the call for the meeting.

All active members of the congregation present at either annual or special meetings
are entitled to vote. Congregations shall provide by rule the quorum necessary to conduct
business.

The local IMPACT (Interfaith Movement Promoting Action by Congregations Together) is a coalition of about 25 churches representing the three primary faith communities here. Westminster has been a participant for IMPACT’s entire 11 years. Indeed, former pastor Jim Baker helped found the group with other pastors. The organization works for local improvement of social justice, addressing systemic problems in our community, going beyond acts of mercy. Over the years, the focus has been on issues of pre-K access in the public schools, expanded bus routes to under-served areas, a dental clinic for those without health insurance, job training programs, drug rehabilitation center for women, housing for homeless and, lately, a better inventory of affordable housing in the city and county. IMPACT can take credit for accomplishing much in these areas.

Westminster has been a steady financial contributor to IMPACT, but our personal participation has waned lately, due to lots of reasons, including frankly some dissatisfaction with IMPACT’s confrontational style with local policy makers. Much of that style has abated,, but IMPACT still understands that forging justice is hard work, and requires persistent advocacy. I remain committed to the organization for its steadfast attention to problems in our community, and for its interfaith/interracial composition.

IMPACT’s yearly calendar involves issue identification in the fall, a period of research on the matter and meetings with local officials, culminating with a Nehemiah Action, at which IMPACT congregations hope to turn out more than 1000 people in support of justice. The name is homage to the prophet Nehemiah who spoke truth to power amid injustice of the time. This year’s action is at MLK Performing Arts Center on April 11, with the meeting beginning at 6:30 p.m. We’ll be hearing updates on the difficult issues surrounding affordable housing, and pressing for a better governmental response. Join us, and stand up for social justice. Please see me for further information.

Steve Wilson