WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHDo Justice • Love Kindness • Walk Humbly

January 4, 2017

Westminster Presbyterian Church is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA).

In this IssueConcerns & Celebrations 2

NMT Update + January Collection 2Give the Gift of Music to Mexico! 2One Day a Month: January 2017 2

Join the Prayer Shawl Ministry 2Traditional Haitian Meal 3

Congregational Meetings 3Final "Envisioning Our Future" 3

Aperture: Third Wednesdays 4Sacraments Series 4

Save the Date 4In the Library 4

The Christmas Pageant 5A Thank You 5

Welcome, New Members! 5Church Finance Overview 6

Sign Up for Wednesday Dinner 6One Day a Month: Trip 1 6

SNAP: I Fought the Challenge... 7Community Opportunities 7

Preaching Schedule 8Worship Volunteers 8

Friends and fellow disciples,

Every New Year begins in anticipation.

What will this year be like?

What will happen?

What new challenges will we encounter?

We make New Year's resolutions, and promise we'll do things like go to the gym more often, eat better, spend more time with our families, work a little less. Sometimes we resolve to go to church a

little more, to pray more regularly.

I'd like to suggest two resolutions for us, the saints and sinners of WPC, in 2017.

Take a risk. This can take many different forms. It might involve listening a little more carefully to someone with whom you disagree, someone from a different neighborhood, of a different race or religion. See where those conversations may lead. Speak up for justice. Be joyful. Invite someone over for dinner. Linger a little when getting the mail, ask how your neighbor is doing, and mean it. Pay careful attention to the people around you – who gets left behind as we all move in so many different directions so quickly? The world needs people of faith to risk understanding and compassion.

Step up. Again, this will look different for everyone. Give one day a month on a trip down east for disaster relief. Volunteer at your local school. Think prayerfully about your giving, and make an extra gift to the church or to the wonderful agency of your choice. Join a team. Sign up for a class. Say YES. “But I’m so busy,” we say. True. No one has time to do these things. No one does. But we get to decide what matters, and pursue it.

I begin this year, as our mission statement says, “with hope and confidence in God's purpose,” grateful to share this journey with you.

Blessings on the beginning of this year for you and yours.

In Christ,

Chris

thank YOU!Deep thanks to all

who contributed to theChristmas Eve offering.You donated $26,453!

Your generosity is making aprofound impact on

the efforts of:

WPC Disaster Relief Fund

Harriet Henderson's sonDon & Deborah Hertzog's friend's brother

Jackie JonesNick Kredich

Judy Lamon's friend

The death of Jeanne LockheadDavid McQuay's friend

Becky WalkerCarol Walker's friend

January 4, 2017

- 2 -

Volunteer Opportunities and more

Concerns & Celebrations Please remember the following in your prayers this week.

— Give the Gift of Music to Mexico! —Your old sheet music can help musicians at two different seminaries in Mexico. The Berea Presbyterian Seminary is run by the presbytery in Chiapas. The seminary has been a Bible School since about 1968, but recently upgraded to seminary level.

Seminary San Pablo is the largest Presbyterian Seminary in Mexico. It has a school of theology and a school of music. The music students learn choral direction, composition, voice, and instrument. Both schools could use any sheet music, but classical and religious music for piano or guitar are preferred.

If you have ever been on one of our mission trips to Mexico, you know what an important part music plays in their worship services. If you have music to donate, contact Dottie Bartholomay (919-383-2745, billanddottieb@aol.com) by Saturday, January 7. The Berea Seminary is also in need of a piano and several keyboards. Talk with Dottie if you would like to make a contribution toward these items.

NMT Update + January CollectionThanks to the generosity of church members and youth, the Neighborhood Mission Team (NMT) donated more than 50 sweatshirts to Hope Valley Elementary and Githens Middle School in December! We also collected several items for the Githens food pantry.

Thanks as well to Barbara Rynerson, who is serving as a volunteer in the media center at Githens. Githens would love more volunteers in the media center or serving as math tutors. Contact Susie Hill if interested (919-560-3966, Susie.hill@dpsnc.net). It only takes 30 minutes to an hour a week to make an impact! You may even be able to volunteer on the way to work, as school starts at 7:30am.

In January, the NMT is collecting the following for our neighborhood schools:

• Hats and gloves for kids age 6-14• Clorox wipes • Kleenex tissues• Gently used coats (sizes 10 - adult large)

Please bring items to the yellow collection bin in the Mission Center. Thanks as always for your generosity! Join the Prayer Shawl Ministry

The Prayer Shawl Ministry is a group of women (men are welcome!) who knit or crochet shawls for those who are experiencing difficult times. We gather monthly to work on our shawls. When we finish a shawl, we bless it in a short ceremony as a group. Shawls are then made available for the pastors to give to people they visit.

The prayer shawl recipients feel the tangible warmth of the shawls and the intangible prayers that we have said while creating and blessing the shawls. As they wrap the shawls around themselves, they can feel God’s love and the love and caring of our church community.

If you are interested in becoming part of this ministry, contact Laurie Leadbetter (ltleadbetter@gmail.com, 919-490-0754).

One Day a Month: January 2017The people of Tarboro, Princeville, Pine Tops, and the surrounding area are in need of a great deal of assistance following Hurricane Matthew. WPC’s first group of responders traveled down east on December 16. See page 6 for a recap of the December trip. Cleaning out damage is underway, and rebuilding will start soon.

We need folks who are skilled with building tools, and those who are not. There are tasks for everyone. They estimate it will take 2-3 years to complete the recovery, and they need our help to do it. This is a good (and fun) way to spend a day helping our neighbors. Please join us in January:

Teams depart from WPC at 7am. Contact Dorene Palermo or Eileen McAvoy (eileenmcavoy1@gmail.com, dorenepalermo@gmail.com) to sign up or sign up in the Mission Center for the first team by January 5. Please complete and return the forms at www.bit.ly/wpc1Day to finish the sign-up process.

• Tuesday, January 10• Saturday, January 14

• Tuesday, January 24• Saturday, January 28

- 3 -

Westminster Presbyterian Church

Traditional Haitian MealSunday, January 22 | 12:15pm in the Fellowship Hall

The most recent Haiti Mission Team invites the congregation to join them for a traditional Haitian meal in the Fellowship Hall immediately following the 11am service on Sunday, January 22. Sign up at www.bit.ly/myWPCevent by Wednesday, January 18.

While you eat, members of the Haiti Mission Team will share their experiences in the clinic and on the road where we visited CODEP, an environmental restoration effort; a Birthing Center in the rugged mountains; Wings of Hope, a home for severely disabled children; and the wonderful school children in Pastor Leon’s schools.

Experience a little bit of what the enormous generosity of Westminster is doing. Learn about the many opportunities we have to work with the wonderful people of Haiti as they raise themselves from poverty and past natural disasters.

This is a great opportunity for us to say THANK YOU to the many members and friends of WPC who supported us on our mission, and to encourage people of ALL skills and interests to consider being a part of this again, either by their time and talents at home or in Haiti. We had a great trip. Come experience a bit of Haiti, listen, and think about the possibilities for yourself!

Upcoming Congregational MeetingsA congregational meeting will be held at the 11am worship service on Sunday, January 22. The Nominating Committee (Chair: Anne Vann; Vice-chair: Bonnie Derr; Diaconate Representative: Louise Holland) will deliver its slate of candidates for four at-large members (Walt Beckwith, Laurel Trantham, Fritz Simonson, and Paul Garcia) to the 2017 Nominating Committee during this meeting.

A second meeting will be held at the 11am service on Sunday, January 29, to elect candidates to the committee. Nominations may be made from the floor at either meeting. Once elected, the 2017 Nominating Committee will gather nominations and discern who is called to serve next as elders and deacons. If you feel called to serve as an elder or a deacon, please know you are invited to submit your own name for consideration.

You may submit nominations to the box on Barb Schmidt’s desk in the Mission Center, to any member of the Nominating Committee, or to nominatingcommittee@wpcdurham.org before Sunday, February 26. Please do not ask those you nominate about their willingness to serve; the Nominating Committee will do that at the appropriate time.

Final "Envisioning Our Future" Session The last “Envisioning Our Future: A Facilities Plan Feedback Session” will be held this Sunday, January 8, at 12:15pm in Room 105. Come learn about the Facilities Master Plan, ask questions, and share your feedback and ideas.

Your voice matters!

March 16, 2016January 4, 2017

- 4 -

In the Library The Christian Wallet: Spending, Giving, and Living with a Conscience by Mike Slaughter with Karen Perry Smith

Every Christian knows that we are called to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. But what about our wallet? We are asked to open it every Sunday when the offering plate comes by and are told that giving is a way of being a "good steward," but what about spending money at a restaurant or grocery store? Best-selling author Mike Slaughter offers a comprehensive look at how Christians use their money in "The Christian Wallet." Slaughter explores today's culture of consumerism and the impact of what we buy, asking difficult questions about morality and money. The Christian Wallet helps Christians grapple with important questions about stewardship: how we spend, how we live, how we save, how we give, and what it all means.

Christian Education news – Sacraments Series –Westminster will offer a two-part series on the sacraments of baptism and communion for children who are currently in 2nd grade or older and at least one parent. Lunch will be included in our time together and childcare is available for younger siblings upon request.

Please register yourself and your child for the class and childcare, if needed, at www.bit.ly/myWPCevent by this Friday, January 6. Contact: Heather Ferguson (heather@wpcduahm.org)

• Sunday, January 8, 12:15-1:45pm, Parlor & Sanctuary (Lunch included) – Remembering Your Baptism: You Are God’s Beloved

• Sunday, January 22, 12:15-1:45pm, Room 105 & Sanctuary (Lunch included) – Welcoming Children to the Lord’s Table: Communion

Aperture: Third WednesdaysJennifer Thompson on Wednesday, January 18

6:30-8pm | Music Room

Our guest speaker for Aperture this month is Jennifer Thompson of Healing Justice. Healing Justice facilitates restorative justice and reconciliation in cases involving exonerations; organizes volunteer service providers to provide direct support and assistance in the aftermath of exonerations; and creates opportunities to unify the diverse voices of those affected by wrongful convictions. While there are many organizations across the country dedicated to identifying and freeing innocent people in prison and preventing future wrongful convictions, only Healing Justice is focused on what happens after an exoneration occurs: from the reentry needs of the exonerees, to the lingering injustices to crime survivors and victims, to the permanent destruction done to both sets of families.

Jennifer Thompson founded Healing Justice after her experience with a failed criminal justice process that sent an innocent person to prison and left the true perpetrator free to commit additional crimes. Jennifer’s ordeal with the criminal justice system began in 1984, when she survived a brutal attack as a college student in North Carolina. In 1995, DNA testing led to the identification of her attacker and proved the innocence of Ronald Cotton, who spent 11 years in prison after being wrongly convicted of the crime. Together, Jennifer and Ronald co-authored a joint memoir, New York Times best-seller "Picking Cotton," which recounts their journeys and the tragedy that brought them together.

Join us on January 18 to hear about the amazing work being done by Healing Justice.

Aperture: Third Wednesdays brings speakers to help us focus more on God’s truth all around us. It meets on third Wednesdays from 6:30-8pm at Westminster. Dinner will be available beforehand, beginning at 5:45pm in the Fellowship Hall. Please sign up for dinner at www.bit.ly/myWPCevent by the Monday before to help us prepare. No sign-up is required for Aperture.

Save the Date: Spring Women's RetreatMarch 24-26

The 2017 Spring Women's Retreat will again be held in Wrightsville Beach. Stay tuned for more details and mark

your calendar now!

Westminster Presbyterian Church Westminster Presbyterian Church

- 5 -

A Thank You Dear Westminster Presbyterian Church Family,

On behalf of the North Carolina Central Campus Food Pantry, I would like to thank you for allowing me to come in and speak to you about food insecurity on our campus. We appreciate the kindness you showed. What a great idea of putting our list of needs on grocery bags. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to spread awareness and your willingness to help out.

With donations like yours, you are making such an impact on our local community. Your church is truly giving back and shining the light of the Lord.

In Christ with Joy,Neils Teer Barringer and NCCU Campus Food Pantry

You all donated 34 bags of groceries to the food pantry!

welcome, new members!Eleanor & Jon Meredith moved to Durham in 2011 from St. Simons Island, Georgia. Eleanor is a Reading Specialist who tutors at area schools and Jon is the Middle School Director at Durham Academy. They have two children, Cecile and Clay. Cecile is currently in confirmation class at Westminster and Clay is attending 5th grade Church School classes. The Merediths have been attending services at Westminster off and on since settling in Durham and are excited to officially make it their church home.

The Christmas Pageant"The pageant is a signal to me that the Christmas season is here, NOW. I love all aspects of it – from the opening procession to the twinkling stars at the end. The pageant choir exuded joy and delight (thank you, Monica) with their heartfelt singing. Where else can one experience, not only the main actors and readers, but friendly beasts, obedient shepherds, dancing angels, and the Magi in one performance? The evening was a joyful gift from Westminster's children to those of us in attendance. Plan to come next year if you missed it. You will leave feeling blessed."

- Marge Enberg

March 16, 2016January 4, 2017

- 6 -

Sign Up for Wednesday Dinner by Monday!

Don't miss the delicious dinners we have planned for upcoming Wednesdays. Please sign up for dinner by the Monday night before at www.bit.ly/myWPCevent so we can assist our preparers and be good stewards of the food.

January 11: Chicken Parmesan, noodles, saladJanuary 18: Fried chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes, salad

(catered by TROSA)January 25: Soup, salad, bread

Dinner is $5 per person; $20 max per family. Sign up to volunteer on a food set-up crew at www.bit.ly/myWPCserve or email Jennifer Feiler (jafeiler@yahoo.com).

Church Finance OverviewWestminster shares an overview of its finances in the newsletter each month.

November Financials YTD Actual YTD BudgetIncome: $961,497 $1,057,079 Expense: $1,012,855 $1,057,032

This time of year, there is generally a gap between the budgeted and actual income. Please help WPC be good stewards of our resources by paying your 2016 pledges by December 31. Contact Elizabeth Takla with questions (elizabeth@wpcdurham.org; 919-489-4974, ext. 122).

One Day a Month: Hurricane Matthew Disaster Relief in Tarboro - Trip 1

A group of 11 very hearty souls traveled down east on Friday, December 16, for our first trip to help the people there recover from Hurricane Matthew. It was 22 degrees when we assembled at 7am in the WPC parking lot, so we didn’t waste much time standing around talking. Ninety minutes later we found ourselves in the hallway at St. James United Methodist Church in Tarboro awaiting our work instructions.

We had been told that we'd be pulling up floors, so we were a bit surprised to discover that we also had the opportunity to drag insulation out from under houses. All of us took a step backward when the request for the insulation work came, but at last some very generous souls agreed to do the dirty deed. We divided into two groups, heading into quite different directions. It was a measure of our inexperience (and the cold!) that we did not take the time to split the tools and equipment for the two groups. Next time we will know better!

At one site, the hazmat suits were used to actually protect the user from the insulation; at the other site, hazmat suits were used to stay clean and a little warmer… perhaps a not-so-important use of the gear, but appreciated anyway. The Insulation and Floors Group (Bill Burig, Sally Goettel from Cary Pres, Eileen McAvoy, Jules Taylor, and Pru & Richard Meyer), was very productive and successful in their tasks. We all give kudos to the three souls who braved the dark and cramped crawlspace to drag out the old insulation. That was not a pretty sight.

The Floor and Staples Group (Dottie Bartholomay, Marge Enberg, JoAnn Lytle-Olson, and Chick & Dorene Palermo) was somewhat less so, pulling out staples from floor joists and studs – a necessary but not very glamorous task – while Chick and a local volunteer tried to remove more flooring. Bill Burig stayed overnight and returned the next day to finish the job of removing the flooring after they got some better tools for the work.

Both groups ended the day early because of the cold (it was still only 33 degrees at 3pm) and headed home. We did a little, learned a lot, and want to do more next time. Everything thing we did – big and little – was necessary to help the people of Tarboro start the long road to recovery. Many thanks to this terrific first team!

We will take at least four teams a month, starting in January, alternating a weekend and a weekday: Tuesdays, January 10 and 24, and Saturdays, January 14 and 28. If folks want to work two days in a row (Bill Burig did that and recommends it), we can make those arrangements as we go. If a group wants to go another date, just talk to Eileen McAvoy or Dorene Palermo (eileenmcavoy1@gmail.com, dorenepalermo@gmail.com). See page 3 for January trip sign-up details.

Westminster Presbyterian Church Westminster Presbyterian Church

- 7 -

Community Opportunities

SNAP: I Fought the Challenge, and the Challenge Won (with apologies to the Bobby Fuller Four)

In October, WPC members Kenzie Brannon and Chuck Byrd challenged the youth of Westminster to take the SNAP Challenge, who in turn challenged the congregation (see the October 5 newsletter). Here's how Chuck fared on the challenge:

Captain’s log: October 10-14, 2016; Star Date 47634.44.

It started out badly. On day one I overshot the allowance by $1.08, although I rationalized my excess by thinking I overdid it for the greater good. Monday supper we had leftovers from Sunday night, and I had to eat them. To pitch them would have been more wasteful than SNAP. Unfortunately, my boeuf Provençale dish that night was $1.50 all by itself. I did spare the landfill.

After that, my major downfall was my inability to avoid fruit, fresh vegetables, and cheese (French-learned habits die hard). My excuse is that I need to eat those foodstuffs for my digestive health. I am pleased to report that one day (October 12) I did meet the budget by spending only $4.17, with only $1.11 on meat protein: 1 egg, 1 anchovy filet, and 4 oz. of baked chicken, from a whole baked chicken spread over 8 servings. That’s a pretty good deal on the chicken, and tasty.

The most encouraging aspect of my failure to beat the Challenge is that I didn’t save that much money. Averaging grocery costs over three months (after subtracting paper, cleaning, and toiletry products and my hungry son’s twice weekly visits to our table and dividing by two to exclude my wife’s expenses), I spend only $34.82 on food every five days. Subtracting my SNAP Challenge expenses ($5.28 x 5 = $26.4) from my average expenses means that I undershot my normal home food budget by only $8.42 for 5 days, which is 32%.

I suppose this means I owe $8.42 to CROP, plus the penalty I will impose on myself for overshooting the $4.20 per day SNAP budget. How much per penny excess? That will remain confidential between me and the NCAA. My transgression is, after all, due to lack of institutional control.

Final confession: Normally I eat out three or so times a week and, there, food expenses go through the roof. The next time you see me in Westminster’s Courtyard, I’ll be the one in sackcloth and ashes.

DCIA NewsHere are some upcoming community events from Durham Congregations in Action (DCIA):

• January 16, 10am: MLK Annual March from NC Mutual Life Building (411 W. Chapel Hill Street) to First Presbyterian, where there will be a program.

• January 19, 7pm: Annual Community Service of Prayer for Christian Unity at First Presbyterian Church

• January 24, 5:30pm: DCIA Annual Banquet at Trinity Avenue Presbyterian (927 W. Trinity Ave); the topic will be immigration and refugees; the cost will be $14/person. Please email dcia@dcia.org to RSVP.

New Hope Camp & Conference Center News

The cold weather doesn't seem so bad when you are planning for summer camp 2017 season! Online registration began in December. New this year – rising 4th graders can participate in a full week of overnight camp. In addition, we are offering mini camps for your child. Visit www.newhopeccc.org to learn more.

Hiring for staff, counselors-in-training, and lifeguards has started. There is a new application process online for staff. Please review the information online and complete an application. Our Program Director will follow up once the application has been received.

Our retreat business continues to grow and groups continue to enjoy the natural surroundings that are special for many events.

Please consider a donation to our summer camp scholarship program. We'd love to support more children in our community. Thank you for your continued support.

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH3639 Old Chapel Hill RdDurham, NC 27707Phone: 919-489-4974Fax: 919-493-4553westminster@wpcdurham.orgwww.wpcdurham.orgwww.facebook.com/wpcdurham

The next WPC newsletter will be published on January 18. The deadline to submit material is January 11.

To submit material for publication, contact Communication Coordinator Kara Pearce (kara@wpcdurham.org; 919-489-4974, ext. 101).

The newsletter is emailed. If you would like to receive a paper copy by mail, please contact Kara Pearce.

ACOLYTES 1/8 Luke Hale, Peter Soloe1/15 Kaitlyn Simonson, Shannon Wylie1/22 Grace Ferguson, Sam Meyen1/29 John Paul Hanczaryk, Logan McElory

LECTORS1/8 8:30 Mike Bunch 11:00 Natalie Wolf1/15 8:30 David McQuay 11:00 Mark Hill1/22 8:30 Linda Van Gombos 11:00 Rachel Meyen1/29 8:30 Lee Murphy 11:00 Barbara Rynerson

OFFERING COUNTERS1/8 8:30 Adella & Carl Boxberger 11:00 Tali Benignus, Harriette Frank1/15 8:30 Adella & Carl Boxberger 11:00 Tali Benignus, Harriette Frank1/22 8:30 Volunteers Needed 11:00 Tali Benignus, Harriette Frank1/29 8:30 Lois Bender, Gary Carr 11:00 Tali Benignus, Harriette Frank

Worship Volunteers for January 8, 15, 22, 29

USHERS1/8 8:30 Dean Lanier; Cheryl, David & Lily Duling 11:00 John, Sarah, Alex & Rachel High; Anne & Eric Wolf1/15 8:30 Lois Bender, Gary Carr, Herb Fritz, Brendan Turner 11:00 Katie, Mark, Lily & Graham Donoway; Eleanor & Thomas Hill1/22 8:30 Andy & Shirley Collins, Andy & Erik Dunk 11:00 Barb & Bill Burig, Frank & Margaret Falkovic1/29 8:30 Mike & Kathryn Bunch, Jim & Susan Ketch 11:00 Monica, Neal, Lauren, Ella & Ava Nichols

NURSERY Every Sunday: Infants, Toddlers, 8:30 2-5 yr olds - WPC Nursery Staff1/8 2-3: Katie Donoway, Margaret Falkovic; 4-5: Amy & Fritz Simonson1/15 2-3: Carol Mansfield & Dave Mountain; 4-5: Suzanne & Rebecca Graham1/22 2-3: Jennifer & Mike Feiler; 4-5: Anne, Ashley & Kelly Vann1/29 2-3: Carolyn Holmes & Jennifer Whitman; 4-5: Ray England, Rebecca Owensby

SOUND TECHNICIANSJanuary 8:30 1/8 Lee Katrincic 1/15 Doug Wellmeyer 1/22 Derek Leadbetter 1/29 Derek Leadbetter 11:00 Blair Chesnut

Visit www.bit.ly/myWPCserve to see available dates and sign up for a 2016-2017 worship volunteer team.

Preaching ScheduleJanuary 8 - Baptism of the Lord/EpiphanyPreaching: Chris Tuttle

January 15Preaching: Betty Berghaus

January 22Preaching: Chris Tuttle

January 29 - Birthday SundayPreaching: Haywood Holderness

January 4, 2017

Westminster Presbyterian Church is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA).