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Dear Westminster Sisters, Brothers and Friends in Christ,

Words cannot adequately express my gratitude for the beautiful sendoff you gave me on Sunday, February 11, as I concluded 8+ years of pastoral ministry with you! I cannot thank you enough.

Thanks to all who made it possible to combine worship services for my final Sunday at Westminster: the staff, the choir, the contemporary music team, the worship support volunteers and the children’s ministry team who flexed to make this happen.

It meant the world to me to be able to gather at the same time to worship and glorify our Lord. I am grateful for everyone’s contribution to this profoundly meaningful service. I am eternally blessed by the laying on of hands and the beautiful sending offered as I stood at the center of the sanctuary following the benediction.

Thank you for the amazing celebration and reception in Spellman following the service. You blew me away! Your mindful attention to the details of theme, food, decoration, and hospitality blessed me immensely. Thank you to all who organized and contributed to make this a wonderful celebration! Reading your messages printed in cards and reflections, as well as your spoken words, have touched me in ways you’ll never know.

Thank you to the Westminster children and children’s ministry team for the gift of dandelions and the sweet painting presented to me with colorful fingerprints, reminders of seeds of faith that may have been planted in children’s lives during my time at Westminster. I pray that those seeds will take root and flourish over the coming years.

Thank you to the congregation for the thoughtful gifts of backpacks and walking sticks to be used for travels and adventures that lie ahead. And thank you all for the VERY generous financial gift given to me that will enable those travel adventures to happen.

It has been my joy and honor to serve in Christ’s ministry at Westminster along with an amazing staff and congregation. I could not have asked for a better church family in which to complete 41+ years in pastoral ministry. You are loving and faithful witnesses to our Lord Jesus Christ, serving as his disciples to one another, to the wider community and to God’s world. The light of Christ shines through you!

As I enter retirement, I carry each of you with me in my heart and prayer. I repeat what I said to you in my final benediction at Westminster: “I love you. God be with you. And remember who (and whose) you are!”

With much gratitude and love,

Jennie

We’ve setup a lost and found table in Café 10 West until February 25. All items not claimed at that point will go to the Westminster Thrift Shop. We have shirts to stuffed animals. Please collect anything that is yours.

For 75 years, One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) special offering has provided avenues of partnership with those who have the least. The ministries supported by OGHS – Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Presbyterian Hunger Program, and Self-Development of People – work in a variety of ways to rebuild and restore the lives of families and communities. OGHS is the single, largest way Presbyterians come together to work for a better world by advancing the causes of justice, resilience, and sustainability. Each donation to OGHS helps change the lives of people who are in these challenging situations. Please consider donating during the season of Lent. Click here to donate to One Great Hour of Sharing. Thank you for your generous support!

Monday-Friday June 24 – 28 (8 am – 12 pm with optional afternoon component from 12-4 pm)

We are excited to announce the launch of a NEW summer children’s program, Camp SPARK (Spiritual Practices And Recreation for Kids)! This camp will share the worship, ministry, and mission of Westminster with our community. We hope you’ll join us! The morning activities will focus on Worship Arts or things you experience in worship while the afternoon will focus on Westminster’s ministry and mission.

The morning: Bible storytelling/drama, drumming/percussion, liturgical movement, singing/music, worship tech, creative reading, freeze frame/tableaux. 

The afternoon: Baking, wood projects, weaving, knitting/crocheting, gleaning garden & care of creation, pickle ball, outreach projects, games/rec, and more. 

Pricing*: 

• $150/child for morning only camps (Family max – $250)
• $250/child for full day camp (Family max- $500)

*Scholarships/Sponsorships available as needed
*Discounts available for adult family members who volunteer

Register: 

• Register for Full Day Camp SPARK (Rising K-5th Grade)
• Register for Morning Only Camp SPARK (Rising K-5th Grade)
• Register for Pre-K (4&5 year olds)

*Scholarships/Sponsorships available as needed

*Discounts for adult volunteer families

Questions or for more info, contact Jill Reichert.

We also need volunteers! Click here to see some roles needed. Adults will need background clearances; we are glad to help you through the clearance process!

April 19 & 20 • Westminster Presbyterian Church

This year we are again holding our women’s retreat on site at Westminster. Women of all ages, 16 years and older, are invited to slow down, breathe deeply and enjoy a rich time of fellowship and spiritual renewal. Our theme is “Soul Tending at the Threshold.” When the life we’ve known gives way, and it’s not yet clear what will emerge, we’re at a threshold. The threshold is a space in-between which can be disorienting and unsettling. Yet, it can also be energizing, ripe with possibility and full of creative potential.  At the threshold, practices of soul-tending deepen our engagement with each other and awaken our curiosity, that we may be drawn into the current of God’s love. Come as your schedule allows – for the full retreat on Friday and Saturday, or only for Friday or Saturday. 

Retreat Schedule

5:00 – 8:00 pm Friday
Dinner, conversation, and opening reflection on Soul-Tending At the Threshold.

8:45 am – 5:00 pm Saturday 
Light breakfast, connecting with others in small groups, deepening our
reflection on our retreat theme through Scripture small group conversation, and engagement with contemplative practices designed to tend our souls at the threshold.  After lunch, there will be more small group time, a closing reflection on ‘Crossing the Threshold’, and closing worship with communion. 

Meet Cheryl Galan 
Women’s Retreat Speaker
Cheryl is a Presbyterian minister who recently retired from the role of Interim Executive Presbyter with Carlisle Presbytery.  In more than 40 years of ministry, she also served as a Director of Christian Education at Derry, Faith and Market Square Presbyterian churches, as a pastor with congregations in NY, Kansas, and Wisconsin and as Transitional Leader with the Presbytery of Elizabeth in NJ.  A graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary and Grove City College, Cheryl is drawn to practices of relationship-building and spiritual formation. Through words and images, in body, mind and spirit, she seeks connection with the life-giving, community-forming, world-healing Spirit of Christ.  In retirement, Cheryl enjoys walking in nature, yoga, and dabbling in watercolor. She and her husband Jack also savor time with family and friends.

Pricing:
Friday ($35/person)
Saturday ($40/person) 
Friday & Saturday ($50/person) 

Meals:

Friday, April 19, 2024
Catered by Arianna’s. All sandwiches/wraps come with BLT Pasta side..

• Cobb Salad w/Turkey
• Gourmet Chicken Salad
• Turkey Croissant w/Cran Mayo
• Roasted Vegetable Wrap
• Dilled Tuna Salad on Honey Wheat

Saturday, April 20, 2024
Catered by Dixie Picnic. All Sandwiches come with fruit side. All selections have a deviled egg and Upcake… 

• Goat Cheese Praline Salad
• Nutty Chicken Salad
• Caesar Salad w/chicken.
• Roast Turkey Sandwich on Sourdough
• Virginia Baked Ham w/Swiss on multigrain

Click here for more info. Click here to register. Questions? Contact Jennie Clark.

We are launching a new summer program this summer! Camp SPARK (Spiritual Practices And Recreation for Kids). Monday-Friday (June 24-28) 8am-12pm with optional afternoon component (12-4pm).

Ages: Pre-K (4-5, one year prior to Kindergarten) – Morning Only
K-5 (rising) – Morning and Optional Afternoon

We need LOTS of adult and youth volunteers to help workshop leaders in the morning and afternoon, and just general help to keep the cogs turning throughout the day:

Morning Workshops: Creative Words in Worship, Drumming, Music/Chorus, Dance/Movement, Worship Technology, Storytelling/Drama

Afternoon Workshops: Baking, Knitting/Weaving, Wood Projects, Gleaning Garden/Care of Creation, Art, Outreach/Service Projects, Rec/Games, Pickleball

If you can help a workshop leader or offer general help, please sign up TODAY!

• Register to volunteer for Full Day Camp SPARK
• Register to volunteer for Morning Only Camp SPARK
• Register to help with Pre-K

All adults must have background clearances completed. Please connect with Jill Reichert. We are excited to share the worship, ministry, and mission of Westminster with our community. We hope you’ll join us!

April 12-14 • Sandy Cove Retreat Center
Getting from here to there in a car is a near-universal (and sometimes frustrating) experience for us. Led by Steve Clark, the retreat’s theme is Driving Lessons: Guidance for the Road(s) Most Traveled. We’ll take a look at the challenges and surprises we encounter on those journeys, and reflect on what they can teach us about navigating the path of walking with Christ. (Spoiler alert: expect a lot of “recalculating” along the way.) Click here for more info. Click here to register. Questions? Contact Gerry McShane.

This month bring in items for ACT in Faith of Greater West Chester, which is an interfaith organization that helps individuals and families with immediate needs. Staff and volunteers work to stabilize households, encourage self-sustainability, and build community.  Please bring in full-size items of bar soap, toothpaste, deodorant (male/female/unisex) during the month of February and place them in the marked bins located in Café 10 West. Questions? Contact Ann Hatfield