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5:30 pm (final time to be finalized) Friday December 5 • Westminster
Is participating in a parade on your bucket list or do you long to do it again? Westminster will have a float in the West Chester Hometown Christmas Parade. Led by the Chancel Choir, we seek up to 100 friends to participate. You will either sit on chairs on a decorated flatbed truck or walk beside the truck. Accompanied by a recording, we will sing first verses of well-known Christmas carols. Individuals and families are encouraged to participate or come watch and cheer us on! Click here to learn more or register. 

Thank you to the 249 households whose commitments total $1,277,000 to support Westminster’s mission and ministry in 2026. Your commitment manifests as a promise for the future. If you haven’t yet committed to support Westminster in 2026 you can still fill out an Estimate of Giving card. Your gift matters: Without your commitment, we must make hard decisions on programming, staffing, and building priorities based on scarcity instead of possibility.

Help make this holiday season special for those in need to share God’s love at Christmas! The need for gift donations is even greater than ever before. Click the name of the organization to see the gifts needed: Pocopson Nursing Home, Migrant Ministries, Domestic Violence Center, Family Promise, and Bridge of Hope. Simply click the link, sign up for the gifts you wish to purchase, and follow the directions provided. Drop off your gifts in the Narthex on Sunday, November 30 or December 7. We will deliver the gifts on December 10.

Our New Church Administrator begins Sunday, November 9

Erin has worked as an executive, administrator, actor, director, choreographer, playwright, university educator, education director, and general manager in the professional theatre, primarily with the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival and People’s Light and Theatre Company. Erin holds a B.A. in Acting and Directing from DeSales University and a Master of Fine Arts in Acting from Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Play House. Erin lives in Malvern with her husband Bryan and their children, Alden and Johnny. In her free time, Erin enjoys meadow gardening, arts and crafts, outdoor family adventures, and swimming in the kettle ponds of Cape Cod.

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat…” —Matthew 25:35
Due to the government shutdown and cuts to SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), food insecurity is reaching crisis levels. The West Chester Food Cupboard reports serving 31% more people in 2024 than in 2023, and needs continue to rise. We challenge you to donate at least one bag of non-perishable food in November. Click here for a list of items and instructions. Bags are available in the church office or in the Narthex on Sunday. Return items by November 23.

Most Needed Items:

• Cereal
• White rice
• Canned fruit, tomatoes, meats & vegetables
• Hearty soups
• Jellies/jams/peanut butter
• Instant coffee
• Tortillas

Financial gifts are welcome — checks written to Westminster (Emergency Food Drive in memo) or gift cards for Giant, ShopRite, and Wegmans. We will share all donations between The West Chester Food Cupboard and Kennett Area Community Services (KACS). Together, let’s love our neighbors and help ensure no family in our community goes hungry this season.

WEST CHESTER — In a time when people often feel more connected to their phones than to one another, acclaimed singer-songwriter Sandra McCracken believes live music still has the power to bring people together.

“People are so hungry for live music, for being together in a room, and even singing together,” McCracken said. “There’s something very powerful about remembering that we are made to live and experience this life together.”

McCracken, a Grammy-nominated acclaimed singer whose style blends folk, country, and gospel, will perform at Westminster Presbyterian Church on West Chester on Saturday, Oct. 25, at 7 p.m. as part of her Welcome Home Tour. The tour marks the 10th anniversary of her album titled, “Psalms.”

While McCracken is a name well-known in the Christian music world, her expansive style attracts fans from across multiple genres.

“We do live in a fractured, divided time, but we probably have more in common than we realize,” she said. “Music can be a real way to find unity and build from things we agree on. I really like to focus in my music on themes of grace and hope, and on good storytelling. I think it’s an important step in how we can find our way back to each other.”

McCracken’s fall tour has origins in her childhood. “As a child and into early adulthood I would often journal, and I really focused on working through the Psalms,” she said. “As a singer-songwriter, I kept coming back to that. I think that emotion and joy and expression are part of what connects us most deeply with one another, and this music is an opportunity to experience that. It really gives us a common language.”

That “common language,” she adds, isn’t limited to churchgoers. “I hope that if someone didn’t have any kind of religious background, they would feel welcome at this show and not feel like we’re speaking some other language.”

Musically, McCracken says the evening will feel welcoming and participatory.

“The music we will be sharing is a real mixture of folk, country, Americana, and highlighting the Psalms,” she said. “We blend traditional hymns and their melodies but also find new ways to bring these beautiful old texts to life. Even for someone who isn’t very familiar with the Psalms, I think they will find this to be a night that is very participatory. We often encourage people to sing along in sections of the songs that are very simple and familiar. It draws people in and creates what a joyful experience.”

McCracken hopes the night meets people where they are. “I hope this show stirs something for anyone who attends,” she said. “Whether you come in carrying some heavy burdens from your life, maybe you’ll feel you can lay some of that down. Others may feel a little closed off, and I hope the music will help them open up and realize that none of us is alone.”

McCracken says that growing up in a large family, music was always in the background of a busy home, one that often included family friends and neighbors dropping by for dinner.

“My mom had a very vibrant faith, and my father was very active in our community as a coach and a high school teacher. We always had so many different kinds of people around our family and our doors were always open. I think that really helped to shape me.”

Based in Nashville, McCracken is a GRAMMY-nominated, Dove Award-winning artist whose 25-year career spans 18 solo albums. Her songs are sung in churches worldwide. In 2023, her album, “Light in the Canyon” won the GMA Dove Award for Roots/Bluegrass Album of the Year. She also hosts a national podcast and is the author of two books.

The concert at Westminster will also feature musician Jon Guerra. Tickets for the concert are $15 – $25. Click here to purchase. Saturday, Oct. 25, 7 – 9 p.m. (doors 6:15 p.m.) at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 10 W. Pleasant Grove Road, West Chester

How do we “teach” our littlest about God’s love? We show them love and care. We need you to do just that.  Our Nursery staff will guide you, but volunteers are needed to make a thriving environment for our children. 26 volunteers are needed per quarter to make sure each service is properly staffed. Join the team and help us love our littlest! We will help you get your clearances if you don’t already have them. For more info, contact Mary Maina or Jill Reichert.

We’re very grateful for the 142 households who filled out an Estimate of Giving card for a total of $860,000 on Consecration Sunday. Your  commitment manifests as a promise for the future. If you missed Consecration Sunday, you can fill out an Estimate of Giving card to support Westminster’s mission and ministry in 2026. Commitment cards are available from the ushers on Sunday