Upcoming Events - October, 2023

Join us for our traditional Ash Wednesday service which includes imposition of ashes.

It's time to start decorating Westminster for the Christmas season. We can really use your assistance in setting up:

• A few trees in the Narthex and Spellman Hall
• Hanging wreaths on the front and rear entrances
• Hanging wreaths in the Sanctuary
• Setting up decorations in Café 10 West
• and a few more things to get ready for Advent Sunday

Come for as long as you are able. A light lunch will be available for all who attend. A signup table will be in the Narthex on Sunday or contact Gail Lee.

Join us for a rolling congregational meeting at both services to vote on next year's slate of officers (Elders, Deacons & Trustees). For those worshipping at home, join us for the 15 minute virtual meeting over Zoom to make sure your vote is heard. Look for information about the class of 2024 in next week's edition of the weekly update. Click here to register for the Zoom congregational meeting.

To Be a Pilgrim: Staff Reflections on Pilgrim Journeys
10:45 am October 8, 22, 29 • Hybrid (Spellman Jr & Zoom)
A pilgrimage is a journey of moral or spiritual significance. Sometimes to an unknown or foreign place in search of expanded meaning about self, others or a higher good through the experience. They can lead to a personal transformation after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. Over the summer several staff engaged in pilgrimages across the country and across the Atlantic. They are grateful to have time for these significant journeys and look forward to sharing their reflections on their journeys and sacred experiences. Join us for all or any sessions as you are able. Click here to join via Zoom.

October 8     Reflections of a Summer Sabbatical Pilgrimage - Jon Frost
Jon Frost, Associate Pastor for Worship, was on a 10-week sabbatical this past summer. Come hear some of his reflections about the sacred pilgrimages he took to places like Scotland and the Great Smoky Mountains as well as some of the musical and literary companions who accompanied him. 

October 22   Reflections of a Week at the Iona Abbey Pilgrimage - Jennie Clark
Jennie Clark, Associate Pastor for Spiritual Growth, spent a week at the Iona Abbey on the Scottish Isle of Iona. The Iona Abbey, founded in 563, was integral to the spread of Christianity across Scotland. Today the Abbey is the spiritual home of the Iona Community, an ecumenical Christian movement working for justice and peace, the rebuilding of community and the renewal of worship. Jennie will share reflections from her experiences of communal living and exploring faith with people from around the world, daily worship, conversations, creative activities, and spending time in the beauty of the rugged sacred landscape of Iona.                       

October 29   Reflections of a Civil Rights Pilgrimage - Lynn George
Lynn George, Director of Communications embarked upon an eight-day civil rights pilgrimage. Traveling over 2,500 miles, she had opportunities to see, learn, hear and experience the civil rights movement and witness the ripple effects playing out today in Southern states. She met with an original freedom singer, the youngest person to march the 56 miles from Selma to Montgomery at 14, the sister of one of the girls who died in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing and a survivor of the 16th St. Baptist Bombing. Lynn will share highlights and reflect upon the importance of her experience and how it might help shape our lives in Chester County today

Come enjoy an evening with musical duo, The Brilliance, accompanied by a choral and instrumental ensemble. Also joined by special guests Found Wandering.

Event Details

5:15 pm - VIP Experience (limited quantity)

6:00 pm - Doors Open

7:00 pm - Show

Ticket Info

Regular Sale tickets - $25

*VIP Artist Meet and Greet tickets- $40

At Door tickets - $30

*VIP tickets include a meet and greet with the Brilliance, short unplugged set, and Q/A. You will receive an email with details and instructions.

Group tickets of 10 or more are available. Contact the church office for more info. 

Bio

The Brilliance’s acoustic-electric, symphonic-pop songs invite you to step outside yourself; to see the world through the eyes of the other, the stranger, and those you may consider your enemy. The band is comprised of songwriter David Gungor and composer John Arndt, who crafted the new album in collaboration with Biola University Orchestra and Chorus.

This suite, World Keeps Spinning: An Antidote to Modern Anxiety, asks the question, “Is this the end of the world?” So many are asking the question every day, believing it to be the end of the world, each for different reasons and in different ways. But hasn’t every generation asked that question? And how do we engage with others in the midst of these fears and concerns? The World Keeps Spinning Suite invites the listener into these questions, and to listen to the voices of one another in the midst of it.

World Keeps Spinning is a concept album that explores the root causes of modern anxiety and searches for ways to cope in the face of existential dread. Featuring full orchestra and choir, the album has a sprawling, eclectic sound, with wide-ranging sonic influences from Bach and Stravinsky to Jon Brion and The Beatles. The Brilliance take the listener on a beautiful, all-encompassing emotional journey toward the discovery of our need for each other.

thebrilliancemusic.com

"See the Love" Music Video

Found Wandering is most often a trio consisting of Sarah Comstock (Vocals, Mandolin, Guitar), Colin Comstock (Guitar) and Jake L'Armand (Violin).

They enjoy collaborating together, rearranging songs from the past that still have much relevance for the human experience of our day and our ongoing need for inspiration, curiosity, friendship, hope and Love.

To date they have released three full-length albums, “Christmas In Country Village” in 2011, “Found Wandering” in 2014 and “On A Christmas Night” in 2015, as well several EPs that can all be found at FoundWandering.com and streamed on spotify, YouTube and most other streaming platforms.

Looking for a great way to get to know people in our congregation and have some fun too? Join us in the back parking lot near the outdoor chapel for pickleball. We play pickleball on Monday and Wednesday evenings, Saturday mornings and Sunday afternoons. We are working on adding two more courts in the coming months. If you are new, need a refresher, or are a regular pickleballer, there is plenty of court space for all. Since pickleball at WPC started in June, it has proven a wonderful time of fun and fellowship. Many new relationships have been forged and many laughs have been had, so come be part of this new and exciting group! No need to sign up to play, just show up. Questions? Contact Laureen Smith, Tim Jaques, or Angela Emrich.

Looking for a great way to get to know people in our congregation and have some fun too? Join us in the back parking lot near the outdoor chapel for pickleball. We play pickleball on Monday and Wednesday evenings, Saturday mornings and Sunday afternoons. We are working on adding two more courts in the coming months. If you are new, need a refresher, or are a regular pickleballer, there is plenty of court space for all. Since pickleball at WPC started in June, it has proven a wonderful time of fun and fellowship. Many new relationships have been forged and many laughs have been had, so come be part of this new and exciting group! No need to sign up to play, just show up. Questions? Contact Laureen Smith, Tim Jaques, or Angela Emrich.

Join us for a special intergenerational, family-friendly evening worship service to bless your family's animals. Bring your pet on a leash or in a carrier for a special blessing as we give thanks to our/their Creator for their love and companionship. If your pet has passed, you are welcome to bring a picture of them to remember and bless the time that you had with them. As part of our worship, consider donating items from the Brandywine Valley SPCA West Chester shelter wish list. Bring the items with you to worship and we will deliver them the following week. Click here to register.

Westminster members are invited to join the First Crew team of volunteers who will travel to Madisonville, Kentucky on Sunday, October 22 – Friday, October 27. Long-time partner, Fuller Center Disaster Rebuilders, will coordinate recovery efforts from the devastating 2021 tornados. This group of tornados was particularly destructive, with 81 fatalities and more than 650 injuries. The Fuller Center supplies materials and tools, as well as a manager to oversee the disaster rebuilding projects. If you are interested in learning more about this mission opportunity, please contact Jim Serum. 

Looking for a great way to get to know people in our congregation and have some fun too? Join us in the back parking lot near the outdoor chapel for pickleball. We play pickleball on Monday and Wednesday evenings, Saturday mornings and Sunday afternoons. We are working on adding two more courts in the coming months. If you are new, need a refresher, or are a regular pickleballer, there is plenty of court space for all. Since pickleball at WPC started in June, it has proven a wonderful time of fun and fellowship. Many new relationships have been forged and many laughs have been had, so come be part of this new and exciting group! No need to sign up to play, just show up. Questions? Contact Laureen Smith, Tim Jaques, or Angela Emrich.

Want to become a stronger advocate for affordable housing and community services? We are partnering with the Chester County Partnership to End Homeless and other local resource groups to offer a Poverty Simulation. This interactive event will immerse participants from diverse backgrounds in the complex and interconnected issues underlying poverty and homelessness. Poverty is often portrayed as a stand alone issue but this simulation allows individuals to walk a month in the shoes of someone facing poverty and realize how complex and interconnected issues of poverty really are. Registration is free. Click here to register. Questions? Contact Tom Russell or Ruth Simonson.

Help us come together to package as many as 65,000+ meals to help communities facing hunger to meet their basic needs. It starts with a meal, and it starts with you! Volunteer for a 1.5 hour shift. Click here to register. Unable to volunteer? We need donations too! It costs 38 cents per meal to run this event. $85 will fund meals for one child for a full school year. Donations to Rise Against Hunger can be made online or by check to Westminster Presbyterian Church with RAH in the memo field. Questions? Contact Angela Emrich.

To encourage children to read the Bible at home, we present each third grader with a gift each fall - their own Bible. We look forward to sharing this milestone with you! We ask a parent/adult and third graders to join us for an informational and fun workshop to prepare for it. The presentation of the Bibles will take place on Sunday, October 29 at both services. Click here to register. Questions? Contact Jill Reichert.

This year Westminster will have a table at Outfest in West Chester! We welcome any Westminster friends to come say hello at our table if you are going to be at the festival – just look for our God's Doors are Open to All banner! In the spirit of Christ’s love, we look forward to being present in solidarity and celebration with our LGBTQIA+ neighbors and siblings in Christ.

This three week intergenerational series will begin in Spellman Hall before spending time in our Outdoor campus. Click here to register.

September 17: Consider: Everything Is Interconnected
We will look at the interconnectedness of land, water, air, and people. We will consider native vs. non-native plant species, water retention, run-off basin areas, and areas for potential improvement for sustainability, and what we might be able to do at our own homes or neighborhoods to help improve water quality and habitat.

September 24:  Consider: The Importance of Pollinators
We will explore the importance of pollinators in our environment. A local beekeeper will discuss the science behind how honeybee pollinators make honey from flowers. We will learn the lifecycle of the Monarch Butterfly and how it depends on the milkweed plant to survive. Then we will visit the WPC Gleaning Garden for some hands-on picking, planting, and pollinator seed distribution.

October 1:   Consider: The Importance of Land, Soil & Water 
We will consider the world’s most precious natural resource – clean fresh water – and how to protect it. The Stroud Water Research Center’s Watershed Education Mobile Lab will be onsite to help us learn about watershed and stream health and even the insects that inhabit them.