WestminsterNEWS Westminster Presbyterian Church

1200 Marquette Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55403westminstermpls.org

DECEMBER 2017Vol. 51 • No. 12

An African Musical Christmas by Melanie Ohnstad, Minister of Music and Arts “It’s the most wonderful time of the year, with the kids jingle belling and everyone telling you be of good cheer,” as the familiar song reminds. It is a most wonderful time of the year at Westminster, too, as we worship our way through the rich seasons of Advent and Christmas with our own bells a’ringing, our own carol singing, and our hearts all a’glowing.

It is a season that brings more people into worship leadership: families lead the ritual lighting of the Advent candle, children and youth present the story of Christ’s birth, and all the music ensembles offer their beautiful, inspiring gifts.

In Tim’s Dear Friends column you read that our Advent services are using the Advent Credo by Allen Boesak as a springboard. Each Sunday our ensembles will illuminate the Credo drawing from music traditions born in Africa. Highlights include:

• The bell choir playing Siyahamba, a South African freedom song expressing the hope that comes from singing (ringing!) in solidarity and the joy of the South Africans.

• The Choristers, Seraphim, and Abbies collaborating on Gospel music giant Andraé Crouch’s Soon and Very Soon with a newly

Sunday, December 24

10:30 am | Worship Rev. Sarah Brouwer will preach, Westminster Choir section leaders will sing.

4:00 pm | Pageant All children and youth choirs and instrumental ensembles will delight us in song.

Attention: all graduates of the youth music program are welcome to come forward and participate in Night of Silence.

8:00 and 10:00 pm Candelight Services The Westminster Choir will be joined by a string quartet in John Rutter’s Shepherd’s Pipe Carol and Lauridsen’s O Magnum Mysterium. A 20-minute prelude precedes each evening service.

Christmas Worship

Christmas continued on page 7

Ribbon Cutting & Grace in the GarageSave the date for the opening of our new wing on January 14 after 10:30 worship! We will start with fellowship hour in the garage, make our way upstairs to see the new space, sing together, and enjoy coffee together as we explore the building.

Janet and I have tithed all 48 years of our marriage. Actually, at first, Janet tithed and I half-tithed. I was not sure about a church commitment; I had fallen away

during school, and had not yet found my way back. Luckily we found a church that was thought provoking and committed to spiritual growth.

I quickly recognized several things about money, the church, and me. First, time and money are the two major resources I have. Second, although the real church is its people, those people need a place to gather and grow as individuals and as a community. Third, if we take our faith journey seriously, we must serve, which requires financial resources (transportation, supplies, etc.). Finally, how I use money says a lot about who I am, what I believe in, and who I want to become. Within two years, Janet and I were tithing together.

The modern tithe is more about proportionate giving than a legal tax of 10%. For many, 10% is too much relative to their financial situation, and for some it is not enough. For many, the proportion grows over time as their spiritual life grows.

Although part of giving is prompted by the need to maintain church operations, at a deeper level pledging is not about what the church does for us but what we do for the church and for our own spiritual well-being. It is about the welfare of each of us individually and as a society. As we give consciously and sacredly,

we tangibly act out a place of inner peace and joy, as well as an outward celebration of life. It is an interwoven process. The more our spiritual life grows, the more we want to give; the more we give, the more our spiritual life grows.

Being a “joyful giver” is not really about being joyful as you give, but rather giving because of joy. At its core, giving results in joy: outer joy, inner joy, and a growing relationship with God.

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Be a part of God’s Promise of Joy! If you haven’t already done so, help make 2018 a banner year in the life of Westminster by returning your pledge card or pledging online at westminstermpls.org/pledge.

Tithing: A Way To Grow in Joy by Ken Joslyn, Westminster member

Money as Packaged Energy by Mary Hess, Director of Stewardship

My 93-year-old mother and her 93-year-old friend Lowell are both slowing down considerably and cannot drive, play golf, or travel as they used to. However, they still read widely,

worship and study at church, and attend plays and concerts. And importantly, they still want to have an impact on the world. In his Christmas letter, Lowell says, “In my smaller space, I have a new appreciation for the power of what we call stewardship – reducing, recycling, re-using – and using money as packaged energy to join in the good work where I cannot go – all over the world!”

Indeed, the Christmas season offers many opportunities to use money as “packaged energy” to express our values by what we buy, share, and give. Please consider the many ways that you can use the “packaged energy of money” to help Westminster create joy in the world!

Here are a few of the ways to have an impact: 1) Checks or online contributions (westminstermpls.org/ways-to-give) may be eligible for a federal tax deduction; 2) Appreciated stock gifts can also be appealing because long-term gains are not taxed, and the gift is generally deduct-ible from income tax; 3) IRA giving: If you’re over 70 ½, you may make a gift directly from your IRA without having to pay income tax on the gift. This action can help satisfy your required minimum distribution (please consult your tax or financial adviser before you take action).

Your stewardship is important to the ongoing operations and ministries of the church. Contact Mary Hess, mhess@wpc-mpls.org, to discuss any aspect of stewardship. To process a contribution, contact Kienan Mick, Accounting Manager, kmick@wpc-mpls.org.

Dear friends,Westminster loves its Advent and Christmas traditions...Lessons and Carols, Christmas Festival Sunday, the anthem What a Wonder, the children’s pageant, and the candlelight services.

This year the season will include all those traditions, with a global twist: An African Advent. Each Sunday the Westminster Choir will offer music from the African or African-American repertoire. The rhythms and sounds will remind us that the baby Jesus – the incarnation of God’s love – is the hope of all the world.

The preaching each week will draw from the work of the Rev. Dr. Allan Boesak, a South African reformed theologian and pastor. Boesak was deeply engaged with Desmund Tutu and other South African religious leaders in helping bring an end to apartheid, the racially based system of the white-dominated government that oppressed the majority of the people in that land for more than forty years.

I first encountered Boesak in 1983 at the 7th Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Vancouver, British Columbia. I organized an international conference of theological students alongside the Assembly, and Boesak was a speaker at the event.

One of the most powerful moments of the 7th Assembly for many of us occurred when Boesak led the gathered thousands in a litany he had written. He composed it to counter the reality of apartheid and to propose an alternative vision of a world liberated by the love and justice of God.

That litany, now called An Advent Credo, will provide the themes for each week’s worship during the season. The Credo is written in the style of the historic Barmen Declaration of the 1930s in Germany that rejected Nazi ideology. It juxtaposes a view of the world that is “untrue” against the “truth” found in the Christmas story. For instance:

It is not true that violence and hatred should have the last word, and that war and destruction rule forever—

This is true: Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, his name shall be called wonderful councilor, mighty God, the Everlasting, the Prince of peace.

The words have resonance for us in our time. It will be a wonderful, moving Advent and Christmas at Westminster this year. See you in church – and bring a guest!

Clergy & StaffFromOurPastor

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Staff LeadershipRev. Dr. Timothy Hart-Andersen, Senior Pastor Rev. Meghan K. Gage-Finn, Executive Associate PastorJanice Teliczan, Executive AssistantRev. Daniel Vigilante, Associate Pastor, Outreach, UptownCongregational CareRev. David Shinn, Associate PastorDeb Wagner, Administrative Assistant Vanessa Uzong, Memorial Reception CoordinatorCongregational LifeRev. Sarah Brouwer, Associate PastorSheila Delaney, Events ManagerDeb Wagner, Administrative Assistant Kristin Kieft, Communications Coordinator Vanessa Uzong, Wedding Coordinator & ReceptionistEducational MinistriesDr. Carmel Tinnes, Director of Educational MinistriesBarbara Mauk, LibrarianDrew Smith, Administrative AssistantFaith in Action Rev. Matthew Johnson, Interim Associate Pastor Drew Smith, Administrative AssistantFamilies, Youth, and ChildrenRev. Brennan Blue, Associate PastorMarie Kruskop, Coordinator of Early Childhood & Family MinistriesKasey Collver, Nursery CoordinatorBarbara Prince, Administrative AssistantMusic and the ArtsDr. Melanie Ohnstad, Minister Music/Arts, OrganistTesfa Wondemagegnehu, Director of Choral MinistriesDr. Rodney Allen Schwartz, Director Gallery & ArchiveBarbara Prince, Program Assistant; Director Global/ Chamber ChoirsBrad Ollmann, Dir. Early/Middle Childhood MusicRyan LaBoy, Director, Youth Music Mark Kieffer, Director, Handbell ChoirFinance & StewardshipJulie Champ, Director of FinanceKienan Mick, Accounting ManagerMary Dolan, Accounting AssistantMary Hess, Director of StewardshipAnna Gram, Stewardship AssociateOperationsDennis Alfton, Director of OperationsPJ Eichten, Director of FacilitiesChris Brown, Todd Bushy, John Seagard, Richard Wilder, Facilities StaffEmeritiRev. Elizabeth D. Heller Rev. Byron ThompsonRev. Katherine S. MichaelRev. Douglas Mitchell Samuel G. CookeParish Associates (Volunteer Clergy)Rev. Dr. James Brasel, Rev. Denise Dunbar-Perkins, Rev. Judy Allen Kim, Rev. Judy Landt, Rev. David Liddle, Rev. Dr. Margaret McCrayWestminster Camp Ajawah Sofia-Bella Vitale-Gill, RegistrarWestminster Counseling Center Rev. Dr. Margaret McCray, LMFT, Director Peter Bruhn, MA, LADC Sherri Dunham, MA, LPC Ben Thompson, MA, LPCC Rev. Susan Thornton, M.A., M.Div., LP Jennifer Aden, Office ManagerWestminster Town Hall ForumSusan McKenna, Director

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All-Church Advent Celebration | December 3 This annual tradition begins at 11:30, following worship. We’ll gather in Heller Commons. Lunch and cocoa will be served; no RSVP needed. Make a wreath and sing some carols! Free-will donations accepted.

Women’s Christmas Lunch | December 6 | 11:30 am All women of the church are welcome to join us to sing carols, eat delicious food, and enjoy fellowship together. We also will present the Presbyterian Women Lifetime Achievement Award to four deserving Westminster members. We’ll gather in the Meisel Room. Cost is $10; parking is free at Central Lutheran. RSVP to Deb Wagner, dwagner@wpc-mpls.org.

WestConnect Christmas Party | December 15 | 7 pm Every year our young adults gather for a Christmas Party at a fun location around the city, and this year is no exception. We will meet at the home of Taylor and Kelsey Crouch-Dodson, who have generously rented their downtown apartment building party room. We’ll gather for beverages, appetizers, a white elephant gift exchange, and then head out on the town for more merriment! This year, we will dress up in sparkly, festive Christmas attire. Please email Sarah Brouwer at sbrouwer@wpc-mpls.org for more details, or watch the WestConnect Facebook page for updates.

Christmas Quiet Worship | December 16 | 9 am You are invited to gather around the fireplace in the Bushnell Room for a time to become still with quiet music and familiar words from Scripture. Rev. David Shinn leads worship.

WPCHappenings Daily PhoneDEVOTIONS612.332.7087

December1 Psalm 80:1-7, 17-192 1 Corinthians 1:3-93 Mark 3:24-374 Psalm 795 Revelation 18:1-106 Luke 21:34-387 Isaiah 40:1-118 Psalm 85:1-2, 8-139 2 Peter 3:8-13a10 Mark 1:1-811 Psalm 2712 Acts 11:1-1813 Luke 1:5-1714 Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-1115 Psalm 12616 1 Thessalonians 5:16-2417 John 1:6-8, 19-2818 Psalm 12519 Acts 3:17-4:420 Mark 9:9-1321 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 1622 Luke 1:46b-5523 Romans 16:25-2724 Luke 1:26-3825 Isaiah 9:2-726 Psalm 14827 1 John 5:1-1228 Isaiah 61:10-62:329 Psalm 14830 Galatians 4:4-731 Luke 2:22-40

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BIRTHAïda Hope

Wondemagegnehu November 1, 2017

DEATHSMargaret Anderson

October 30, 2017

Lorraine Bendix October 31, 2017

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Mads Benishek is a member under care of Westminster, a graduate of Macalester College and Princeton Theological Seminary, and a candidate for ordination in the PC(USA). Mads and other seminary students receive much-needed support thanks to the mission component of Open Doors Open Futures.

At a gathering at a friend’s apartment in late April someone asked me what my plans were after I graduated from seminary. I was very honest and blunt: “I have no idea.”

Little did I know that the same evening I would meet my future boss and have my first interview with her as we walked home. A few days and another interview later, I

was hired as the general manager for Feed Truck Ministries Inc. (FTMI). FTMI is an entrepreneurial ministry that builds relationships between congregations, college students, and area non-profits through making and serving tasty local food out of our food truck and pop-up cafes. In this role I’m learning lots of new skills, including how to drive a manual transmission box truck that’s older than I am!

However, the greatest post-seminary gift has been the time and space to hear the Spirit. In the midst of the chaos and crisis around us, I sense the Spirit calling us, God’s people, to cultivate, build, and create in a new way. In my conversations with

artists, litur-gists, authors, entrepreneurs, and others, I’ve sensed a common call to become co-creators with the Spirit through the cultivation of the land, the arts, and worship. I wonder what the Spirit would do if all these people were gathered together and encour-aged to live into that call, a call to common work, common worship, common life, and a common vision of flourishing in the world. I wonder what would happen. I wonder what would be created. I can’t wait to see.

College Fellowship Gathering by Meghan Gage-Finn, Executive Associate Pastor

As college students are busy wrapping up their semesters, we are busy plan-ning gatherings for when they return

home for winter break. Our first event is the annual Senior High/White Elephant Christmas Party the evening of December 16. Treasures from past years and new finds are pawned off and traded while we reconnect with leaders and friends.

Wednesday, December 20, college students are invited to meet at church at noon for lunch, and Wednesday, January 10, at 2 pm for coffee.

Tentatively, we plan to have a special, behind-the-scenes tour of the new building on Thursday, December 21, at 3:30 pm for students who have missed all the construction over the past months.

Additional details about all of these events are available on the Westminster College-Age Ministries Facebook page.

The Spirit Keeps Moving by Mads Benishek

Westminster Welcomes New Director of Facilities by Tim Hart-Andersen, Senior Pastor

PJ Eichten joined Westminster in November as Director of Facilities. This new position has been cre-ated in anticipation of the need to strengthen Westminster’s capacities around building maintenance and event support. PJ brings many years of experience with building main-tenance and property management. He comes to Westminster from the Downtown YMCA, where he has worked for several years as a maintenance technician.

The Director of Facilities leads the facilities staff team and is responsible for keeping the building clean and in good working order. In his first weeks at the church, PJ learned the new systems installed with Open Doors Open Futures. He also will be a part of the new events team, the group that will manage the many programs in the church’s facilities once the building is open in early 2018.

We are grateful to have PJ on board. Be sure to welcome him!

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God in the Bible and Our Relationship with God Dr. Terence E. Fretheim Sundays December 3 & 10 9:15 am

What kind of God do you believe in? What kind of God does the Bible portray? What does it mean to be in a relationship with this God? We will look at a number of claims, especially from the Old Testament, that raise issues regarding divine power, divine suffering, and the shape of the future.

Confirmation through an Adult Lens Rev. Meghan Gage-Finn Dr. Carmel Tinnes Wednesdays through December 20 6:30 pm | Knox

Rev. Meghan Gage-Finn and Dr. Carmel Tinnes will lead this series of classes at Knox exploring the content covered in the Confirmation Class. Parents of current confirmation students and all people who would like to explore their faith in new ways are invited to attend. Come with your questions and musings.

DecemberAdult Education

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January All-Church Book Readby Carmel Tinnes, Director, Educational Ministries

Wagon Wheels by Barbara Brenner (easy reader or read-to-me book)

Sarah Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan (grades 3 and up)

My Ántonia by Willa Cather (young adult and adult book)

Originally published 100 years ago, My Ántonia tracks the diverging paths of protagonists Jim Burden and Ántonia Shimerda, who arrive as chil-dren—one an orphan, the other an immigrant— in Black Hawk, Nebraska, toward the end of the 19th century. As years go by, Ántonia’s fate keeps her tied to the land while Jim’s moves him away and into other lives, with professional tasks, relationships, and concerns that fall quite far from the prairie values of his youth. On a return to Nebraska from New York, the adult Jim, now a successful lawyer, comes to see his old friend Ántonia as embodying the life-giving rural values he and, he fears, his nation, have left behind. Is this tribute to his friend just? And meaningful? Or is it somehow self-serving?

Family discussion questions can be found on the back of the All-Church Book Read 2018 bookmark. Discussion can happen among all ages no matter which or how many of the books have been read; participate in as many opportunities to explore the themes of these books as you can!

Book Read Events:

• His Ántonia: Jim Burden’s burden with Peter Balaam | January 7

• Small group book discussion | January 14

• Immigrant panel | January 21

• Book read film: Sweet Land (PG), Wednesday | January 24

• Small group discussions | January 28

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penned seasonal text.

• The Global Choir exploring world music reminding us that we are one human family held in God’s loving hand.

• The Westminster Choir usher-ing in the season singing André Thomas’ powerful arrangement of Rise Up Shepherd and Follow. See more about Westminster’s Christmas Festival music below.

• The Westminster Choir bringing the good news that “Jesus is coming to live with us” in Brad Holmes’ Noel with percussion,

joyous claps, and stomps on Christmas Festival Sunday.

• The Westminster Choir col-laborating with renowned Twin Cities vocalist Alyssa Schwitzer from The Bellows will perform Mark Hayes’ arrangement of Jesus, What a Wonderful Child on Christmas Festival Sunday.

The season is never complete without Michael Sutton who will be playing marvelous Mozart on December 3. The traditional Lithuanian carol, What A Wonder, will be sung December 17.

Please plan to join us!

Christmas continued from cover. Zero-waste Dinners at Knox a Sign of Things to Comeby Rick Person, Eco-Justice Ministry Team

The Eco-Justice Ministry Team (EJMT) is undertaking a num-ber of sustainability projects at Westminster:

• Our zero-waste Wednesday dinners at Knox Presbyterian are going well. Everyone is participat-ing and the 100% clean-organics waste stream is being composted through the City of Minneapolis program.

• In collaboration with Hennepin County, Westminster is purchasing 22 new recycling/organics-only bins for the new wing. Our goal is to increase overall WPC recycling rate to at least 75%.

• Virtually all waste generated in the future will be organics/recyclables after implementation of a new caterer policy. Non-perishable food items will continue to be collected at events and donated to Groveland Food Shelf.

• Westminster has incorporated more than 50 other sustainability features into the new wing, including a system to capture stormwater for reuse in toilets, irrigation, and the plaza foundation; a green roof; and high-efficiency heating and air conditioning systems. Westminster also has signed a contract to buy all future electric power from a solar garden to be constructed by Abel Energy in 2018.

More Christmas Festival MusicNoel - arr. Brad Holmes | Betelehemu - Wendell Whalum, arr. Barrington Brooks

The imitative horn-like vocal duets in this arrangement will open our Christmas Festival Sunday with authority. The choir helps usher in the good news that “Jesus is coming to live with us” with joyous claps and stomps throughout the piece. This piece features heavy percus-sion, and our own Jeffrey Gram will be leading that effort. We will follow the good news with Wendell Whalum’s classic arrangement of Betelehemu. This epic choral work was originally written by a Nigerian percussionist named Babatunde Olatunji. Born in the village of Ajido, in southwestern Nigeria, Olatunji was a member of the Yoruba people, who are known for their progressive drumming tradition. Olatunji received a scholarship in 1950 and relocated to the United States to attend Morehouse College. It was there that he met Dr. Whalum, the school’s Glee Club director, and the two collaborated on Betelehemu. Dr. Whalum brought this arrangement to the Morehouse Glee Club more than 65 years ago, and since its inception, thousands of choirs across the globe have performed this choral staple.

Jesus, What a Wonderful Child - arr. Mark Hayes

We’ve featured the African-American Spiritual, traditional African Christmas Anthems, and now we plan on taking the congregation to church with Mark Hayes’ soul-stirring arrangement of the gospel standard, Jesus, What a Wonderful Child. This piece is one of the most action-packed, three-plus minute anthems you’ll hear the Westminster Choir sing all year long. Alyssa Schwitzer, renowned Twin Cities vocalist and lead singer from The Bellows, will be our guest soloist with the choir and I am certain that the spirit will fill our sanctuary during this exciting collaboration.

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Westminster is a lov-ing community. On Sunday mornings,

we express our love for God and our care for each other when we gather for worship, education, and fellowship. Because of life changes, some of our beloved members have become home-bound and are no longer able to be present for worship and fellowship with us; yet, they are not forgotten.

Each year during the season of Advent, we invite our com-munity to respond and express our love for our homebound members by delivering a poin-settia to their residences. This is

a special opportunity to share our lives. As a pastor, it is often an intimate moment of privilege and honor to visit Westminster members.

Plan to pick up a beautiful poin-settia on December 10 and 17 after worship services in Heller Commons. The plants will have cards with names and addresses. Please pray and ask God to lead you in this outreach and con-nection with our homebound members. Let them know how much God loves them and how much we all love them, too.

Questions? Please contact David Shinn, dshinn@wpc-mpls.org.

Coat Drive for Saturday Hospitality Guests by Bob Leick, Saturday Morning Hospitality Team

Every Saturday, 20 to 30 men and women come to Westminster for coffee, conversation, and a respite from the weather. A dedicated team of volunteers led by Bob Leick

and including Dan Strom, Sam Folin, and Walt Melin provides hospitality and resources. Bob maintains four bulletin boards that include information about job fairs, computer training, resume writing, medical care, meal sites, clothing, substance abuse treat-ment programs, VA services, and more.

As cold weather approaches, Westminster again will collect winter coats for our Saturday morning guests, as well as financial dona-tions directed to this program.

We need men’s and women’s coats in large sizes and new knit hats, gloves, and scarves. Look for the collection area in Heller Commons or near the main desk. We look forward to another successful drive this year at Westminster, starting immediately due to the early cold weather.

Stable Project to Benefit Nicollet Square Residents by Wendy Ott, Westminster member

This year’s stable col-lection will benefit Nicollet Square, one of

Westminster’s Community Partners, offering 42 studio apartments with supportive services designed for youth ages 16-21 who have experienced homelessness or who are exiting the foster care system.

Residents are in need of a variety of items when setting up their first apartment, ranging from bedding to kitchen items. When they arrive, they are able to choose items from the supply available.

For a list of specific items needed, visit the stable during Advent or contact Wendy Ott, iamwendyo@gmail.com. Collection will continue through Christmas Eve.

Poinsettias for the Homebound by David Shinn, Associate Pastor

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Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus aren’t the only ones looking for hospitality on a cold winter’s evening. We need volunteers to help welcome and serve a meal to our guests at FEAST

(Friends Eating and Sharing Together) on Sunday, December 24 (Christmas Eve). Set tables, serve our guests, and clean up from 4–7 pm at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 519 Oak Grove St. It’s a great activity for families.

If you can’t help that night, please consider donating a pair of new socks so that each of our guests can leave with a gift from our congregation. The best socks are 100% wool or wool blend. If possible, try to avoid socks made of cotton as they do not wick moisture.

Sign up to help or drop off socks at Westminster’s reception desk on Sundays starting December 3. Contact Elaine Wilson, wilson.elainem@gmail.com, or Drew Smith, dsmith@wpc-mpls.org, in the church office for more information.

FEAST in December by Elaine Wilson, Hunger Ministry Team

As we once again anticipate and prepare for Christmas, we’re

surrounded by a marriage of tradition and new birth. We remember Christmases past and conduct some of our celebrations in the same ways we have for years, finding comfort in the familiarity of it all. At the same time, we are caught up in the promise that God is always up to new things, as we are called to live into the lives God imagines for us and others.

That’s the spirit of our Christmas Joy offering. Since the 1930s, this offering has been a part of our annual Presbyterian celebration. Yet, the gifts we give are always used in new ways to bring new life to our siblings in need. Half of the offering is distributed to the Board of Pensions to assist retired and active church workers facing difficulties. The other half supports education and lead-ership development through scholarship funding for our historic schools and colleges.

The Christmas Joy offer-ing will be received at Westminster’s “A Christmas from Africa to America” Sunday, December 17. An envelope for this offering is included in your packet. You are invited to be generous with your support.

Christmas Joy Offering by Matthew Johnson, Interim Associate Pastor

Service of Remembrance | December 5 | 6 pm Join us for the annual Service of Remembrance, when we will receive the gifts of music, the comfort of the living Word of God, a lit candle to remember loved ones who have died, and support from the community. Following worship, we will gather in the Meisel Room for a hot meal. Let Deb Wagner know if you plan to stay for dinner, dwagner@wpc-mpls.org. Parking will be provided. Join us as we remember loved ones, give thanks to God, share our weary hearts, and offer our hands to each other.

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All-Church Arts Month by Carmel Tinnes, Director of Educational Ministries

April (post-Easter) is arts month for all ages. This schedule allows us time to

live into the new spaces (and time for furniture to get placed). Our theme is “Lost and Found,” using the three “lost” stories from Luke 15 to guide our exploration: the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son (prodigal).

The arts month team seeks artists willing to serve on an artist panel on April 15 during Adult Education to talk about the connection be-tween their faith and their art. We also are looking for artists willing to lead a class or a series of classes with children and/or adults. If you are interested, contact Carmel, ctinnes@wpc-mpls.org.

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December 10, 9:15 am

All are welcome to join us in the Nursery for a pint-sized version of Lessons and Carols. This annual event, now in its fifth year, celebrates the birth of Jesus in word and song and will be led by Jim Tucker, Janice Teliczan, and Rev. Brennan Blue. Join us for this special celebration, complete with holiday treats. Everyone is welcome!

Nursery Lessons and Carols by Marie Kruskop, Coordinator of Early Childhood and Family Ministries

“See you again!” are the words uttered last month by one of our littles when saying good-bye to one of our “just in case” Moms Group childcare group of WOW women. This group of five women – Elaine Dietrich, Jan Beske, Shirley McKinney, Margaret Michaelson and Phyllis Miller – agreed at the beginning of the program year to provide childcare alongside our regular staff after their morning of Bible study, “just in case” we were short-handed.

Due to illness and changes in staffing, our “just in case” need has occurred more frequently than we anticipated and these women have been there to support this need each time they’ve been asked. While WOW now means Westminster on Wednesday, I think the definition of the word—“expressing aston-ishment or admiration”—applies to this group! They are wonder-ful and we are grateful. They are acting on our baptismal promise “to love, encourage, and support” not only our littles, but their mothers, too.

Further, these women and our littles are forming important relationships, becoming church family members, as evidenced by the joy behind the words “See you again!” WOW!

WOW Bible study meets Wednesdays at 9:30 am and Moms Group meets at 10:30- childcare is available for both.

See You Again! by Family, Youth, and Children Staff

Another year, another fall middle school youth lock-in! There’s nothing quite like sharing a Friday night bonfire on Westminster’s courtyard here in the heart of the city.

Groveland Food Shelf Contributions Westminster members are invited to consider contribu-tions for the Groveland Food Shelf. Contributions ensure that food is available to Groveland clients during the holiday season.

Checks may be made out to Westminster with the memo “Groveland Food Shelf.” You may also give online at grovelandfoodshelf.org.

Any level donation will be helpful to those in need.

17th Annual Groveland Food Shelf Benefit My Fair Lady UpdateAbout 200 people attended the benefit screening of My Fair Lady at the Heights Theater on November 5, which raised more than $2,150 for Groveland Food Shelf, one of Westminster’s Community Partners.

Additional donations are welcome and may be sent to directly to the Groveland Food Shelf at 1900 Nicollet Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, 55403.

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Super Bowl Volunteers Needed by Sarah Brouwer, Associate Pastor

You might have heard, but the Super Bowl is coming to Minneapolis! Okay, you’ve definitely heard. But, you may not know that Westminster, given its downtown location

and beautiful new wing, will likely be host to many visi-tors the week before February 4.

We will need vol-unteers to welcome people into our building, pour coffee, share a sand-wich, give tours, and just be a friendly face. There will be parking for volunteers, and opportunities for differ-ent shifts throughout the week. Please let Sheila Delaney know if you would like to be a part of a welcoming, warm, telling presence in the city during the Super Bowl.

The Westminster Abbies rehearsing before leading our community in worship. For more information about our youth vocal and instrument choirs, contact Ryan LaBoy at rlaboy@wpc-mpls.org.

We live in dis-turbing times. Witnessing natural disasters, violence, govern-mental upheaval, consequences of systemic racism,

health care crises, and more, we have seen and can imagine the suffering of many people. That which is often pushed to the background—destruction, death, pain and suffering—seem all around us, globally and sometimes personally. We may be responding—and must—although there have been hopeful signs, we can see a long road ahead.

It is in this context that we also are in a season in which we are reminded of joy, with family, friends, and congregation mem-bers invited into the Christmas story. The season brings long darkness as well, reflecting the sadness and grief of some of us. As we look at our world, does it seem incongruous to experience joy in the face of the suffering of so many?

No, say two religious leaders who have experienced great suffering, oppression, exile, and rebuilding a country. In The Book of Joy, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and His Holiness the Dalai Lama discuss the congruence that comes with accepting the reality of suffering, doing whatever one can to alleviate it, and at the same time engaging in deep meditative prayer and communal practices. These keep one immersed in the presence of the Holy and lead to joy, and more joy and hope lead

one back into the struggle. A view of the book’s back cover catches their joy and connectedness as they move and dance.

Some of the practices (“Joy Practices”) can lead to an ability to calm anxiety and overactive brains. They include, for example, deep breathing, mindfulness,

journaling, and contemplative prayer. These reflect the “best practices” that we therapists practice and in which we coach clients.

Consider inviting someone to share three things that bring them joy, and be ready to share yours. Have a joyful season!

Continually Be Reminded of Joy by Susan Thornton, M.A., M.Div., LP

Advent is a season of waiting for the birth of the Christ Child. Turmoil

in the affairs of the world—both when Christ was born and also the present day—finds us in a time of uncertainty and worry for the future. The hope that we receive from God’s grace is neces-sary to sustain us as we live into tomorrow.

The Westminster Gallery’s exhibi-tion An Advent of Hope retells the familiar story beginning with the little prophet’s foretelling and ends with the baptism of Jesus. Worship, music, and art are always inspiring at Westminster, and especially during Advent and at Christmas. Each Sunday, the Westminster Choir will of-fer music from the African and African-American repertoire, so it only seems fitting

that this exhibition includes many of the African crèches from the Martha Rogers Crèche Collection. You will also see a selection of Wise Men from the collection given by Susan McKinley.

May the unfolding Advent story told through beautiful art be an inspiration to you and instill a sense of hope as you traverse your own Advent journey. The exhibi-tion opens December 3 and runs through January 7.

An Advent of Hope by Rodney Allen Schwartz, Director Westminster Gallery & Archive

Crèche from Zambia, gift of Cathie Fischer & Nancy Slaughter