APRIL 2018 Volume 31 Number 4 Musings from Mark... On Easter Sunday, Mary and the disciples saw the tomb empty. Given their experience and beliefs, the only logical conclusion to the empty tomb was that it was the work of grave robbers. Mary was so bound to this interpretation of the events that she sees Jesus as a gardener. It is only when called by name that Mary could believe that God s love was stronger than death. When faced with the facts of Jesus death, the other disciples ran and hid behind locked doors. Fear led them to believe that their best days were behind them. Given these beliefs, it only made sense to focus on self-preservation. Only after Jesus proclaims peace are the disciples able to move beyond their locked doors. In the early hours of Easter, all the disciples are trapped by what they can see. But, when Jesus calls them by name and speaks the word peace, their well-worn interpretations are revealed as flawed. The daily challenge of being a follower of the risen Christ is to truly believe, and to act on that belief, that death is not the last word. New life comes in unexpected ways. Where do you see death these days? Where is Jesus calling your name or speaking peace? My prayer is that this Easter will be a resurrection of vision for us all! Peace and Grace, Mark New life comes in unexpected ways. Where is Jesus calling your name or speaking peace? A Glimpse of God s Love on the Delmar Divide
Page 2 A P R I L 2 0 1 8 V O L U M E 3 1 N U M B E R 4 March 12, 2018 The treasurer reported that, as of February 28, $54,000 was transferred from the Endowment Fund to supplement operating expenses this year. The financial review has been completed and a report will be given to Session at a later meeting. The plumbing next to the pastor s office was capped and the fixtures removed. Wall repairs from the leak are being done. The Physical Resources Committee has responded to the Insurance Board review, correcting problems as needed. The One Great Hour of Sharing collections will be divided among Presbyterian Disaster Relief, the Presbyterian Hunger Program, and Self-Development of People. Giddings-Lovejoy Presbytery is co-sponsoring four overtures for General Assembly, including two on climate change and investment, one on ministry to the mentally ill, and one to investigate the problem of per capita resting disproportionately among congregations. The New Beginnings Small Group Leaders continue to gather data about the church s assets and its community. With an early Lenten season already behind us, it s time to look forward to the Spring, hopefully warmer weather, and the joyful music that comes with Easter. I m excited for our collaborative anthems this month, as the choir will be singing with violin and handbells. The first thing I ever learned in voice lessons is that music is the language of emotion, and sharing the joyous emotions that come from an empty tomb through song is truly a privilege. Katie Rush Choral Conductor When I first began taking organ lessons, I was grateful that the organist at the church my family attended at the time was supportive and allowed me early on to begin playing hymns, etc., in the worship services. Because of that, I have always tried to be supportive of young musicians by encouraging them to use their musical talents in the context of worship. So it was thrilling to once again hear László and Gergo Szilágyi play their violin and cello for the preludes on two Sundays in March. Rick Burk Minister of Music
A P R I L 2 0 1 8 V O L U M E 3 1 N U M B E R 4 Page 3 03 - Al Cawns 04 - Diamond Mack 09 - Marques Carroll 25 - Jessica Glass 29 - Barb Lewis 30 - Brad Proctor If your birthday is in April and does not appear on the above list, please notify the church office. Thank you. All meetings are at 10:00 a.m. in the fellowship hall. Tuesday, April 3 Business meeting Please bring a sandwich for lunch. Tuesday, April 10 Work on various projects. Please bring a sandwich for lunch. Tuesday, April 17 Bible Lesson #5 from A Great Cloud of Witnesses. Lunch will be provided. Tuesday, April 24 Work on various projects. Please bring a sandwich for lunch. Thursday, April 19 More than 1,200 years ago, two cities on Egypt's north coast disappeared into the Mediterranean Sea, victims of rising tides and seismic disruption. Take a trip back in time at the St. Louis Art Museum where rescued treasures from the these cities will be on display. We will meet at the ticket counter on the main level of the museum at 10:30 a.m. Please sign up on the list in the parlor. Sheila needs to know how many will attend in order to get the tickets. We will eat lunch at the cafe on the lower level after seeing the exhibition. Please join us.
Page 4 A P R I L 2 0 1 8 V O L U M E 3 1 N U M B E R 4 WORSHIP AND FELLOWSHIP April Worship Assistants Liturgists April 1 Eric Noah April 8 Stan McCaslin April 15 Toni Kirsch April 22 April 29 Susan Baron Communion Preparers Cynthia Jones & Lawson Calhoun April Fellowship Hosts April 1 Easter Brunch April 8 April 15 April 22 Stan & Sharon McCaslin April 29 Eva Dickerson Sermons in April April 1 Easter Sunday Communion John 20:1-18 Beyond Expectations April 8 Second Sunday of Easter John 20:19-31 The Power of Fear April 15 - Third Sunday of Eater Luke 24:26b-38 Peace to All April 22 - Fourth Sunday of Easter John 10:11-18 Did He HAVE to Die? April 29 - Fifth Sunday of Easter Acts 8:26-40 Do You Understand? Dine Out in the City April 5 @ 6:30 p.m. MAJEED MEDITERRANEAN RESTAURANT The family-owned business comes from brothers Abdulhak and Ibrahim Majeed, who came to St. Louis in 2014 as refugees from Syria by way of Turkey. At their namesake restaurant, the Majeeds offer Middle Eastern cuisine inspired by family recipes picked up from their father s restaurant in Syria. 4658 GRAVOIS 314-282-0981 Please RSVP to Rick Burk by Tuesday, April 3 at 314-256-1187 or ricndar1@msn.com.
A P R I L 2 0 1 8 V O L U M E 3 1 N U M B E R 4 Page 5 STEWARDSHIP AND EDUCATION February Monetary Offerings Total budgeted income as of February 28: $ 14,717.00 Total actual income as of February 28: $ 19,331.00 O G H S On Easter Sunday, April 1, plan to join Christians all across the country in opening their hearts to witness tangibly to the abundant love of God through One Great Hour of Sharing. Special offering envelopes are available in the pew racks, or simply send in your gift designated for OGHS. C E Children s Room Sundays at 9:30 a.m. A S G Library Sundays at 9:30 a.m. P W Fellowship Hall Bible Lesson #5. Tuesday, April 17 at 10:00 a.m. W A B S Parlor Wednesdays at 12:00 noon. The book of James. C A B Book bags are now available for children to use during worship. They are located on the pew in the cross aisle on the south side of the sanctuary. Each bag contains various items and are marked with a tag for the appropriate age group. Some of the materials are to be left in the bag after use; other items (in the purple folder) are to be taken home. Some of the contents change seasonally; some change weekly. If you have a young child with you in worship, please encourage them to make use of these materials. They are not intended to just be a babysitting tool, but an educational opportunity.
Page 6 APRIL 2018 VOLUME 31 NUMBER 4 Saturday, April 14 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Andre s South Banquets and Catering 4238 Telegraph Road, St. Louis, MO Tickets are $65 per person or $500 for a table of 8 and may be purchased by visiting http://moundridge.org/events/2018dinnerauction/ Come join us and help support The Magic of Mound Ridge. 31 Agape Lane, Cook Station, MO, 65449 (573) 265-3098 moundridge1@gmail.com
A P R I L 2 0 1 8 V O L U M E 3 1 N U M B E R 4 Page 7 Thank you to following persons for purchasing+ Easter lilies: Carole Anderson-Redd Anonymous in memory of Judge and Callie Anderson in memory of Mary Bond Spencer Sandra Browder in memory of her father and husband Lawson Calhoun & Cynthia Jones in thanksgiving for their church, pastor, health and parents Al & Sheila Cawns in thanksgiving for their Westminster family Wally & Mary Diboll Eva Dickerson Harold & Lillian Handy Katie Kaufmann & Mike Tolles in memory of her mother, Pauline White in memory of their daughter and granddaughter in thanksgiving for their family near and far Mike & Lou Kaufmann in memory of Jim Tolles and in thanksgiving for family Francis & Shirley Kayira Toni Kirsch Éva Kozma Beauton H. Roberts Delores Tharp Janice Tharp Jim Witherspoon in memory of family in thanksgiving for her family and friends in memory of her brother, Peter Kozma and in thanksgiving for her mother and family in memory of her parents, Rudolph and Cleo Holmes in memory of her husband, Bill Tharp in thanksgiving for her mother, Delores Tharp in memory of Grace Moore
Page 8 A P R I L 2 0 1 8 V O L U M E 3 1 N U M B E R 4 Saturday, April 14 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Bring gloves and garden tools if you have them, but we also usually have some extras available. Contact Susan Baron at (616)566-2978 or susbaron@gmail.com if you have any questions. A big thank you to everyone who has helped keep the gardens going strong! Susan PILGRIM FOOD PANTRY As of the 25 th we had collected 29 items for the month of March. Please help Pilgrim s Food Pantry by bringing donations to the basket in front of the communion table in the sanctuary. You may also make a monetary contribution at any time. For the month of April we will collect breakfast items hot and cold cereals, pancake mixes, muffin mixes, tea, and coffee.
A P R I L 2 0 1 8 V O L U M E 3 1 N U M B E R 4 Page 9 Our Local Community Park and Neighbors Need Us Do you like good music? If your answer is Yeah! now is your chance to get involved in the 2018 Summer Concert Series at Ivory Perry Park! Union Communion Ministries needs volunteers for so many different tasks to make the concert series come together. For instance, if you hang out in the Loop or the CWE, you could approach shopkeepers about hanging a flyer to support the events. Another way to help is to seek gift cards from local merchants that we can raffle off to raise funds that support the concerts. Maybe you d like to check out the bands we re considering this year, or you might have ideas about which vendors or service providers to have in the park. If you re good with kids, we have art, games, and a Bounce House (hoping to add a water feature). And if your forté is social media or marketing, we need you! Did you know that the Ivory Perry Park Concert Series is only one of two summer concert series north of Delmar? Thanks to the IPP Concert Series success in its first several years, another neighborhood park north of The Divide now offers a concert series with the support of the Whitaker Foundation. To get involved, contact UCM Board President Joan Benson-Robinson (314-725-3077 or joan.bensonrobinson@gmail.com) or Executive Director tina-teresa pihl (ucm.info@yahoo.com).
Page 10 A P R I L 2 0 1 8 V O L U M E 3 1 N U M B E R 4 S Westminster Congregation Ministers Rev. Mark R. Miller Pastor Rick Burk Minister of Music Church Administrator Fred Fairbanks Building Manager Katie Rush Choral Conductor C O H While there are no set office hours, the church building is usually staffed Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. P C If you or a family member goes into the hospital or has other pastoral care concerns, please contact the church office (367-0900). If the church office is closed, please contact Pastor Mark directly at 314-255-5598. Thank you. S Sermons from Sunday are now online! http://goo.gl/fdfyo4 T Westminster Church (@5300delmar) C C To see the most current information, take a look at the calendar online at our website. Go to www.westminsterstl.org. In the upper right corner, click More and then Our Calendar. You will then be able to scroll to whichever month you choose. For more detailed information on an event, simply click on the calendar entry and the details will appear. This calendar is updated frequently, so it is the best source for current and correct information. OUR MISSION Westminster Presbyterian Church seeks to know Christ and to make Christ known. We are a diverse congregation, crossing cultural, racial, age, and class boundaries. We support each other in our journey of faith with joyful worship, engaging education, and caring fellowship. We strive to partner with our neighbors in this urban community through ministries of justice and compassion. 2018 MEMBERS & FRIENDS DIRECTORY UPDATE Please notify the church office of any changes to your contact information so we may keep the directory up to date. Thank you. B B P If you have a flyer, news article or other item which you would like to share with the congregation, please submit it to the Church Administrator, Rick Burk, for posting. L F A lost and found box is located in the church office. Westminster Presbyterian Church Phone: 314-367-0900 /Fax: 314-367-0999 Church Office E-mail: westminsterstl@sbcglobal.net Facebook: WestminsterPresbyterianChurchInStLouis Website: www.westminsterstl.org
April 2018 Westminster Happenings S u n d a y M o n d a y T u e s d a y W e d n e s d a y T h u r s d a y F r i d a y S a t u r d a y 1 Easter Sunday 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Good Morning Corner 9:30 a.m. - Brunch 11:00 a.m. - Worship/ Communion 2 Church Office Closed 3 10:00 a.m. - Presbyterian Women 11:00 a.m. - Staff Meeting 4 12:00 p.m. - Bible Study 6:00 p.m. - Joint Handbells 6:45 p.m. - Ringers 7:30 p.m. - Singers 5 6:30 p.m. - Restore the Core (Majeed) 6 7 8 - Easter 2 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Good Morning Corner 9:30 a.m. - Education 11:00 a.m. - Worship 9 5:30 p.m. - Session 10 10:00 a.m. - Presbyterian Women 11 12:00 p.m. - Bible Study 6:00 p.m. - Joint Handbells 6:45 p.m. - Ringers 7:30 p.m. - Singers 12 13 14 9:00 a.m. - Garden Work Day 6:00 p.m. - Mound Ridge Dinner (Andres South) Rush out of office 15 - Easter 3 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Good Morning Corner 9:30 a.m. - Education 11:00 a.m. - Worship 16 17 10:00 a.m. - Presbyterian Women 3:30 p.m. - Worship, Music & the Arts 18 12:00 p.m. - Bible Study 6:00 p.m. - Joint Handbells 6:45 p.m. - Ringers 7:30 p.m. - Singers 19 10:30 a.m. - Westminster Explorers (Art Museum) 20 21 22 - Easter 4 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Good Morning Corner 9:30 a.m. - Education 11:00 a.m. - Worship 12:15 p.m. - Prayers 23 5:30 p.m. - Union Council 24 10:00 a.m. - Presbyterian Women 25 12:00 p.m. - Bible Study 6:00 p.m. - Joint Handbells 6:45 p.m. - Ringers 7:30 p.m. - Singers 26 27 28 29 - Easter 5 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Good Morning Corner 9:30 a.m. - Education 11:00 a.m. - Worship 30 Looking ahead to May: Thursday, May 3 - Restore the Core Saturday, May 12 - Garden Work Day Sunday, May 20 - Pentecost Sunday