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The Journey (WPPC adult Sunday School class meeting in Room 3) is serving up a new diet for all who choose to join us. Each Sunday we reflect from a faith perspective on something current in the church or the world at large. Informative, stimulating, interactive, and dialogical: these words describe the nature of this adult class. Each week (by Thursday evening) a brief piece is posted on the WPPC web blog page, under "The Journey (Issues)" which forms the core of our discussion for the coming Sunday. This piece may be drawn from any number of sources (recent news, book review, editorial, PCUSA news, etc.) A few questions are added as starters. Each person can visit this site to get a quick look at what we will engage. We hope you will consider joining us for The Journey.
by Martha Hopson Please join the WPPC Sanctuary Choir for a special Tenebrae service on Palm/Passion Sunday, March 16 at 7:00 pm.
Because of a considerable loss in the music budget for 2008, we come to you with an opportunity to help make this possible for our faith community at West Plano. The budget for that event will be between $1400 - $1500 depending on some minor variables. Contributions may be made in honor of or in memory of a loved one. Any contribution in any amount will greatly appreciated. If you can be a part of this, please contact Martha Hopson.
Lenten Evening Services
Passion/Palm Sunday
Tenebrae service
Maundy Thursday
Good Friday
The Great Vigil of Easter
Easter Sunday
Momentum is gathering and the plans for our 15th Annual Youth Mission Trip are coming together. June 28-July 6th are our dates for seeing God and serving in the world in new ways. By the time you read this, Debbie Stubbe and Betty Weckerly will have visited our host church, Harvey Browne Memorial Presbyterian Church in Louisville, Kentucky. An important facet of the mission of Harvey Browne is to provide housing and support for youth in mission. We will have opportunities to serve in locations like the Cabbage Patch Settlement which provides shelter and support for those in need; at the “backside” of Churchill Downs where we will provide worship and dinner for the behind the scenes folks of that historic location; and several other various locales including a wide range of servant tasks through the Salvation Army. The Louisville area is one which has been impacted by extreme weather ranging from tornadoes to severe icing and flooding in the past year. Being in the Ohio River valley, the socioeconomic base ranges from extreme poverty to some wealth, though most are quite poor. The youth and adults who participate in this unique adventure in service will experience a very different type of people and culture from those with whom we have served on previous trips. In addition to serving the people of greater Louisville, we will have the unique opportunity to work alongside youth and adults from rural, northeastern Ohio. We will be partners in mission with the Ashtabula Cluster of Presbyterian Churches youth mission trip. This will be their fifth annual mission trip and we all look forward to experiencing the greater church in action. “Wherever two or more of you ...” comes to mind again and the concept of two or more church groups working together for the common good of God's world is exciting! Look elsewhere in this newsletter and watch the Sunday announcements for ways to support our 15th Annual Youth Mission Trip!
by Charles Taylor The last of our 2007-2008 Wednesday Night Live study series, entitled "Hospitality: Strangers No More," begins Wednesday, March 26, the Wednesday after Easter, and continues for five more Wednesday nights through April 30, 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm in Fellowship Hall. This six-week series will be a biblical and theological look at what hospitality means for resurrection people, Easter people, in a world of fear, as co-writers Steve Clapp and Fred Berhnhard put it in their book, "Hospitality: Life in a Time of Fear." Five other titles on the subject cover my desk at home as I write this article. One, by Linda L Pickens-Jones, is called "Hospitality as Mission: Strangers Into Friends." It redefines the whole of the church's mission for our day as hospitality that transforms stranger and host alike. "Hospitality: The Heart of Spiritual Direction," by Leslie A. Hay, a spiritual director and regional area coordinator in Texas for Spiritual Directions Incorporated. She bases her work on biblical and theological insights that help 21st century Christians understand and live by hospitality according to the Rule of St. Benedict. The other three titles are equally engaging and insightful. They are "I Was a Stranger: A Christian Theology of Hospitality" by Arthur Sutherland,” Untamed Hospitality: Welcoming God and Other Strangers" by Elizabeth Newman, and "Making Room: Recovering Hospitality as a Christian Tradition" by Christine D. Pohl. Each session of our study will be based on a specific biblical text, how we understand it in its own context and interpret it in our day. Theological reflections on the texts will be excerpted from one of more of the six titles above in addition to our PC(USA) Book of Confessions and statements by our PC(USA) General Assembly. According to at least two resurrection stories in the gospels, hospitality played a major role in discerning the risen Christ's presence. Two disciples first recognized the risen Lord in or near Emmaus through the hospitable act of inviting the "stranger" to have supper with them, when suddenly he became the welcoming host and broke bread for them, and then at least seven disciples recognized him from the boat when the risen Jesus called to them about fish they may have caught and which he would add to the bread and fish he already had for the hospitable act of preparing breakfast for them on the beach. Could it be that hospitality in our time could also play such a powerful role by not only confirming the risen Lord's presence, but us as his Easter people as well? Come enjoy the hospitality at Wednesday night dinners and the growth in inquiring about hospitality in our time. Dinner begins at 6:00 pm, Wednesday, March 26.
Thanks to Pat Bardsley and Jack and Nancie Nunan for hosting our first party of 2008. We had lots of people which was great, though not so many called in their RSVP. By the time this comes out, the February party at Tino’s will be over since it is early this month — February started on a Friday so the 4th week comes up early.
March details:
Yep, can you believe it, it is time to consider participating in any of the many camp opportunities that are available during the summer. We are fortunate to have a very active Camp Committee at the Presbytery level and many options available. There are a variety of weeks and locations ranging from a three day mini camp to a two week Music and drama camp. Dates for the camp sessions begin as early as June 18 and as late as July 20. These resident camping opportunities are for children and youth ranging in age of 6-16. Age is based on camper’s age as of Sept. 1, 2008. You can either get brochure from Betty or you may check the Grace Presbytery website for more information and forms. So join in the fun and head out for Gilmont or Prairie Valley for some great summer adventures. There is a discount of @$25 for registrations before April 1. In addition to these great weeks for kids, there is a terrific family opportunity at Mo Ranch called "ART@Mo 2008." This week offers creative mini courses, for all age groups including everything from childcare for little ones age 2-Kindergarten, art classes for adults and kids and even an Outdoor Adventure Class for 5th-12th graders. If interested, see Betty for a flyer. There are also two weekends set aside, one in the spring and one in the fall, for Photography Workshops at Mo Ranch. The weekends are April 4-6 and October 17-18. These weekends focus on digital photography and working with images with Photoshop applications. Again, see Betty if you are interested. The cost of these weekends is $360 including lodging or $272 for commuters (includes lunch, supper, and tuition).
Preparations are being made and YOUR help is needed to make this year's Silent Auction the best ever! Our PYM crew is getting ready to auction whatever wonderful things you might want to donate! This year's auction will be Saturday, April 12 through 1pm April 13. We need everything imaginable from appetizing gift certificates to zebra painted xylophones. You may bring your donations to the church beginning April 10. Please let Betty, Hilary Hutson, or Beth George know of your donation plans. Our PYM crew will be heading to our fifteenth annual Mission Trip with thanksgiving for your involvement in this fun event!
Volunteer opportunity at Grace Presbyterian Village
Mission Trips, March
All the men of West Plano are invited to a breakfast on the second Saturday of each month September through May. It is a time of good food, fellowship, and fun. Donations to offset the cost of the food are appreciated. Breakfast is served about 8:30 a.m. Come early so you can help set up and entertain the cooks. We promise not to tell wives or doctors what or how much we eat!
Mark your calendars:
These words heard so often from the biblical prophets voices God’s concern for human society. These words are also spoken in our liturgy. Each 2nd Sunday of the month (coming next as March 9) WPPC families and individuals share from what we have with the poor in our community. This giving has become a strong point of intersection between the Table of the Lord from which we are fed and God’s call to us to feed the hungry of the world. Thus, two tables are joined: one sacramental and the other, a table of blessing for the poor of the earth. Gordon Lathrop has written: “As long as a meal remains the primary act of Christian worship and as long as Christian believers see the connection between that meal and our daily tables, issues of world hunger and of the distribution of resources that people need to live will not disappear from the agenda of Christian daily life (Schattauer, Thomas H. General Editor. Inside Out: Worship in an Age of Mission. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1999, 209.). Often we sing the truth of this connection from our own hymnal. Let us continue to live the truth of our baptismal identity as disciples of the Lord. Today we all are called to be434 Presbyterian Hymnal Text: © 1989 H. Ken Carmichael (Ken is a retired Presbyterian pastor from Duarte, California. It was written in 1985 for the Support Agency (now the Stewardship and Communication Development Ministry Unit) of the (P.C.U.S.A.) as part of the 1986 Stewardship campaign entitled “Called to Be Disciples.”
Even as you read this, pictures are being collected for the Baby Picture Contests that will be part of this year's Silent Auction. There will be two contests; one for Baby Pictures of our Church's charter members and one for Baby Pictures of our Session members. Get ready to vote!
The Youth of our Presbyterian Youth Ministries cordially invites everyone to two very special events: Sunday, March 30 at 9:30 am – Come to a breakfast/theater in Fellowship Hall where you will be treated to great food and a wonderful dramatic presentation as the PYM gift to you! You will enjoy the vision of new life that is unique to our Quasimodo Sunday Special Congregational Event. Saturday, April 12 at 6:00 pm – You and all your family and friends are invited to the kickoff dinner evening for the 14th Annual Silent Auction. Live entertainment with special stars and great food await you!
Easter is always a joyous occasion with praise and thanksgiving. Festive music with hymns, psalms, choir, cantors, organ, woodwinds, brass and timpani multiplies the exuberance of the liturgy. All pieces are in place for this year except the budget to underwrite the instruments. A shortfall in our budgeting process for 2008 calls us to give you the opportunity to help make this possible. If you would like to "donate a player", that will be $350 which includes a two hour rehearsal and two liturgies that will require a commitment on Easter from 8:00 am to 12:45 pm. The total will be $1900. Contributions may be made in honor of or in memory of a loved one. Any contribution in any amount will greatly appreciated. If you can be a part of this, please contact Martha Hopson.
Presbyterian Women met in January for a dinner meeting and heard compelling information about the Collin County Children’s Advocacy Center from guest speaker Caralee Gurney. Caralee is the community educator for CCCAC. She gave us a thorough overview of their services and highlighted opportunities for our group to contribute beyond the Teddy Bears we donated in November. Less than 17% of the center’s budget comes from government and affiliated organizations. One of their special services is the Rainbow Room. The Rainbow Room is a wonderful and efficiently run resource center that provides emergency items for children served by the center including, but not limited to clothing, toiletries, car seats, school supplies, shoes and other items for their clients. All items within the Rainbow Room are brand new, and many are donated directly by the community. The Rainbow Room provides an excellent opportunity for the community to make in-kind donations of new clothing, shoes or other items. Children often contribute by organizing various drives or generously sharing gifts received at special events like birthday parties. Their donations are true reflections of children helping children! Cash donations, donated gift cards and donations of brand new clothing are greatly appreciated. (Please check out the information on our bulletin board across from the kitchen.) Presbyterian Women voted to adopt the Rainbow Room as our mission for the coming year. We have a covered basket designated for donation gathering and will distribute items to the CCCAC as received. This month the center is in need of Jeans (All Sizes), Toys (sports balls, baby dolls), Toddler Girls and Boys Underwear (Sizes 2-4). As you prayerfully consider this request, we ask that you contemplate the following: Every 10 seconds a child is victimized by abuse or neglectDon’t forget to join us for our breakfast meeting at the church on Saturday, April 5th at 9am. All women are invited.
There will be a meeting on Sunday, March 9 at 2 pm for everyone either considering or already planning to go on this year’s Youth Mission Trip to Louisville, Kentucky. All youth, any friends, and even college age participants must be represented by one parent. All adults thinking about volunteering to be sponsors for this trip must also attend. Much information regarding the time between now and the trip, the trip itself, and post trip plans will be shared. Every effort will be made to have all questions answered so that informed decisions about being a part of this adventure in service can be made in a timely manner. The youth will be having lunch together after 11am worship that day and the meeting will be part of the PYM gathering.
A special workshop for all interested persons: March 29 (8:30 am) by David Batchelder We all know personally the increasing economic pressure that impacts what we are able to do in our personal lives. This has an obvious affect upon the church’s mission and ministry. How has it happened that the middle class is shrinking? Where did these pressures come from? What can be done about it? How might we work for change that protects the viability of the vast numbers of us in the middle class? It is no surprise that the economy is a hot topic in this year’s presidential primaries. Dallas Area Interfaith has identified this concern as a priority among churches and families for 2008. With its help, our local leadership team (Priscilla Kimery, Joyce Jones, Joyce Leraas, Cheryl Helmick, and myself) has prepared this workshop. Join us for this special workshop on Saturday March 29 at 8:30 am at WPPC. We invite you to come and to bring a friend with you.
Are you interested in being a part of Youth Ministries?? Contact Betty to get involved!!
With our changing times comes a change in the way we consider campaigns for such things as our annual PYM YOUTH MISSION TRIP. As the PYM group, the CNE Committee, and Session reflect on new ways to garner support for our efforts, we do have this information for your consideration. Beginning with this year, the youth will no longer solicit financial support through the sale of stock for the Mission Trip. Instead, we will rely on the Silent Auction, possible specified financial giving, and other means of acquiring the needed funds. We ask for the participation of the whole church as Mission Trip partners through prayerful support, your positive energy and your encouragement. News regarding events which will include the larger Plano community will be forthcoming. Thanks in advance for your continued support for God's ministry through WPPC.
Trekking to Sherman this year was a breeze! I have traveled to Austin College for SHYC in the past through nasty ice and snow, so I was really thankful for the great weather and of course the wonderful company! The energy and enthusiasm the kids displayed was spectacular. God's Spirit moved among and through us as we worshipped, shared, studied, laughed, sang, played, and rested. The joy of the good news of Jesus Christ was celebrated in friendships old and new. The theme of "Between the Trees" caused us to think about this moment in relation to the trees at the beginning of time and the tree of life in God's Kingdom. As a faith community, you have much for which to be proud in the ways that our delegates, Amanda Robinson, Shelby Stubbe, and Lauren Fleming represented their families and our church. Along with sponsor, Jeanie Denzin, all five of us enjoyed being a part of the greater church.
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