Tapestry. Save the date for Wilshire s first ZIP Code Social: Saturday, Jan. 24, from 4 to 6 p.m.

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1 This Week at Wilshire Tapestry Weekly newsletter of Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas Building a community of faith shaped by the Spirit of Jesus Christ Volume 63 No. 2 u January 11, Budget surpasses expectations Wilshire s first attempt at a Unified Budget exceeded expectations, as year-end giving surged past the $2.5 million six-month goal. As a result, the Operating Budget was fully funded, as were the four special incentive buckets billed as part of the new unified approach. Those buckets support Pathways to Ministry, a new Missions Plus Fund, the Building Reserve Fund and new initiatives related to Vision 20/20. Wilshire s six-month transitional budget was built on our members vision for what we want to do as a church to further God s work in our community and world. Our financial giving to fund that vision confirms we are all in with that vision, said Gladys Kolenovsky, co-chair of the Vision 20/20 Sustain initiative. The overflowing buckets remind us that God s vision and provision are greater than even our most ambitious plans. Thanks be to God. Added Andrew Warden, incoming chair of the Finance Committee: Once again, our congregation has demonstrated our commitment to both mission and missions. We are thrilled that in a year of big dreams, grand vision and many changes, we have risen to the occasion and provided Continued on page 3 Save the date for Wilshire s first ZIP Code Social: Saturday, Jan. 24, from 4 to 6 p.m. What is a ZIP Code Social? These new churchwide fellowship opportunities for 2015 bring members and guests together in the parts of town where they live. You and your family will receive a postcard inviting you to a come-and-go fellowship time at a Wilshire member s home in your ZIP Code. Finger food and beverages will be served. All ages are welcome. This is a simple way to meet and greet other members in your area. Host homes are still needed, both for the January launch and for the three other dates in 2015, which are April 25, July 25 and Oct. 24. Contact Tiffany Wright, minister for care ministries, at (214) or twright@wilshirebc.org. Today 8:30 a.m. Worship 9:40 a.m. Sunday School 9:40 a.m. Wilshire Welcome McIver Chapel 9:45 a.m. Coffee and Conversation with George Room :00 a.m. Worship 12:00 p.m. Worship and Music Committee Room 1205-L 12:00 p.m. New deacon luncheon 2:30 p.m. Nova 4:00 p.m. Youth Choir 4:00 p.m. Carillon Ringers 5:00 p.m. Paradiso 5:30 p.m. Shekinah Monday, Jan :00 a.m. 42 Monday Room 1205-G 7:00 p.m. Wilshire Winds Choral Hall 7:00 p.m. All My Sons rehearsal Room 1205-L Tuesday, Jan :30 a.m. Adventurers game day and program 6:00 p.m. Stephen Min. training Room 1205-L Wednesday, Jan. 14 9:30 a.m. New Song Choral Hall 11:00 a.m. Koinonia Café 11:10 a.m. Gentle Voices 12:00 p.m. Bible study 1:15 p.m. Adventurers Committee Room 1205-L 5:00 p.m. Children s bells Room :00 p.m. Koinonia Café 5:00 p.m. Spanish as Second Language, Room :00 p.m. Preschool and children s choirs Continued on page 2

2 Deacon ordination falls today on the Sunday in the church year that is called Baptism of the Lord. It s a fitting pairing, since all Christians are ordained to ministry in their baptisms. Jesus began his public ministry when John baptized him in the Jordan River. The symbolism in our baptism ritual of salt and light is meant to emphasize that the water that breaks to give new birth initiates one into a life of service. We are all meant to live as witnesses in the midst of a world that is passing away to the new world God is bringing. Sometimes we view our two ordained offices ministers and deacons as separate categories, dividing the body of Christ into two classes: clergy and laity. But Baptists view these offices functionally. We are all laos the people of God. Some have the function of ministering to the ministers (the clergy), and some have the function of being exemplars of service among the body (deacons). In the letter I send to new deacons, I include these words: Ordination in a Baptist setting is a celebration By George! Saints by the church of your demonstrated character and spiritual giftedness. It is a calling to exemplary service among the congregation. One writer has said of identifying saints in the church what we try to do with identifying deacons : The process of recognition is a discernment of the Spirit moving in the intuition of the community, which realizes in this paradigmatic figure its own best impulses. Hopefully the witness of such persons does more than stir our hearts with admiration. Hopefully it inspires and challenges us to go and do likewise. The deacons to be ordained today are worthy of our admiration, not because they are transcendent figures but because they are just like us as our better selves. And on a personal note, it s both gratifying and humbling to be a father today looking up to his son as a model of Christian service. But then, in the church, we are really brothers first and last. Fraternally, This Week at Wilshire Continued from page 1 Wednesday, Jan. 14 6:00 p.m. Foster care and adoption class, Room 1205-G 6:00 p.m. Making Sense of the Bible, McIver Chapel 6:00 p.m. Bible study, Community Hall 6:00 p.m. When Enough is Enough, Room 1205-L 6:00 p.m. Gallery Café, James Gallery 6:00 p.m. MOPS Steering Comm., Room :15 p.m. Cord of Three prayer group, Room 1205-H 6:15 p.m. New member fellowship 6:45 p.m. Children s Bible skills/missions 6:30 p.m. Watershed, Youth Center 7:00 p.m. Sanctuary Choir, Choral Hall Thursday, Jan. 15 1:30 p.m. Knit Unto Others, Parlor 4:00 p.m. New Song program Friday, Jan. 16 9:00 a.m. MOPS Mothers of Preschoolers, James Gallery 7:00 p.m. Celebrate Girls, James Gallery This Wednesday at Wilshire Come enjoy lunch from 11 a.m. to noon, followed by Bible study in Community Hall. In the evening, dinner service begins at 5 p.m., followed by a wide assortment of classes for preschoolers, children, youth and adults. Koinonia Café Jan. 14: Carved pot roast, roasted chicken quarters, scalloped potatoes, steamed broccoli, carrots & leeks, fried okra, tomato & basil salad, wheat yeast rolls & butter, pecan pie. New members x Thomas York x Daniel Pearson x Juan Briones x Adam Scheurmann x Franci Brenner Condolences x Sarah York x Katie Pearson x Velma Briones x Leighanne Scheuermann x Glenna Romans on the death of her husband, Bill Romans, Jan. 4. x Beryl Goodland on the death of her husband, Pat Goodland, pastor emeritus of Gorsley Baptist Church, Gorsley, England. Tapestry (USPS ) is published weekly except Christmas week by Wilshire Baptist Church, 4316 Abrams Rd., Dallas TX Periodicals postage paid at Dallas, TX. Telephone: (214) Website: Editor: Mark Wingfield. Contributing writer: Sue Coffman. Postmaster: Send change of address to 4316 Abrams Rd., Dallas TX

3 Stay for Wilshire Academy next Sunday Next Sunday s Wilshire Academy will highlight the Vision 20/20 strategic plan, with information and updates on each of the five strategic initiatives. Anyone who is interested in getting involved in a Vision 20/20 team, would like to learn more about the work or who already has served on a team is invited to participate. This will serve as the beginning of a new year of work on the five initiatives: Grow, Learn, Serve, Transform and Sustain. Other options during Wilshire Academy include the Connections Class for new members, led by Tiffany Wright, and an introduction to a parenting seminar, led by Julie Girards. The parenting session will introduce a DVD-based curriculum called Have a New Kid by Friday, by Kevin Leman. He is the bestselling author of Making Children Mind without Losing Yours. The seminar is designed to help parents change their children s attitude, behavior Serve other through research By Linda Garner Parish Nurse Another way of giving is to participate in medical research that will benefit not only yourself but others. The Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine at Texas Health Presbyterian seeks healthy participants for a study to determine the effects of physical activity on brain function and the role of exercise on the aging brain. To qualify, you must: (1) Be between the ages of 60 and 79; (2) Have no chronic health conditions, such as uncontrolled high blood pressure or diabetes; (3) Exercise no more than 3 times per week; (4) Be willing to complete a 12-month exercise intervention program. Study participants will receive comprehensive brain imaging, brain function testing, a 12-month exercise intervention and monetary compensation for their time. Contact Marcel Turner at (214) or marcelturner@ texashealth.org; or Jonathan Riley at (214) or jonathanriley@texashealth.org. Another study seeks to determine the effects of body weight on breathing during exercise. Benefits for those participating include breathing and exercise tests, body fat measurements, compensation for your time, and a 12-week exercise and weight loss program. To qualify you must be between 65 and 75 years of age, either male or female, and a non-smoker without asthma or diabetes. Contact Jonathon Stickford at (214) or JonathonStickford@texashealth.org. and character. Wilshire Academy is a twice-a-year training event open to any interested learners. The first session is offered from 11 a.m. to noon, followed by a free lunch, and then the second session from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Child care is available. Most of the seminars will be offered twice. See the adjacent chart. The Vision 20/20 sessions will highlight the following work and opportunities: Grow. This is the team charged with envisioning ways to make Wilshire a church without borders. If you are interested in hospitality, welcoming new members, expanding Wilshire s presence both internally and externally, working toward diversity in the congregation, this is the team for you. Learn. This is the team working to create a new Forum for Theological Dialogue and to foster lifelong learning. If you are interested in education, discipleship, spiritual formation, the visual arts, music, theater or thoughtful dialogue on contemporary topics, this is the team for you. Serve. This is the team that seeks to encourage service both inside the church and in the community. If you are interested in missions, community service, helping others find places of service or encouraging those who serve, this is the team for you. Transform. This is the team focused on community transformation, combining both missions and Christian advocacy. If you are interested in life-changing missions, social justice issues such as payday lending or hunger or education, educating members about these causes, or creating action plans, this is the team for you. Sustain. This is the team charged with envisioning a sustainable financial future for the church and its mission. If you are interested in finance, generosity, estate planning, facilities or the Pathways to Ministry program, this is the team for you. Continued from page 1 the financial contributions to make that vision happen. Final income for the bundled parts of the Unified Budget was $2,743,759 against a budget goal of $2,534,089. That means giving exceeded budget projections by more than $200,000. On top of that, expenses related to the Operating Budget are expected to come in under budget, which will effectively add to the surplus. The Finance Committee will meet later this month to determine how best to allocate the unbudgeted income. Adopting the Unified Budget was a goal of Vision 20/20. The new approach was launched in a six-month transition, July 1 through Dec. 31, in order to move the church s fiscal year back to a calendar year. To set this in context, Wilshire never before has given more than $3.8 million to an annual budget. And yet, our new pattern annualized would be CLASS OPTIONS GROW TEAM LEARN TEAM SERVE TEAM TRANSFORM TEAM SUSTAIN TEAM 12:30 only PARENTING CLASS CONNECTIONS CLASS Begins at noon in Parlor Budget passes goal more than $5 million, Senior Pastor George Mason said. Because of your generosity, our Missions Committee will face an unprecedented opportunity: The ability to bless worthy causes with $100,000 worth of incentive grants and one-time allocations to do things beyond what the normal missions budget allows. Because of your generosity, Wilshire already has met the 2015 goal for the Baugh Foundation matching grant that benefits Pathways to Ministry. Because of your generosity, our Building Reserve Fund will be appropriately filled for the year, allowing us to begin a new pattern of life without capital campaigns. Because of your generosity, we now have money set aside to fuel the creative ideas emerging from our Vision 20/20 initiatives, ideas like One Starry Night, the Christian advocacy work and our Forum for Theological Dialogue. 3

4 Blessing future generations Dot Laux loves Wilshire, where she has been a member for more than 50 years. Her love and commitment for Wilshire led her to make some financial decisions that will provide for her during her lifetime and provide financial stability for Wilshire for future generations. Here is her story. I love my church, and as I drive down Abrams Road I see the steeple pointing to the sky. When I drive into the north parking lot I see the beautiful flowers in the garden. If I come from the south I see the peaceful Columbarium. As I walk inside the building I observe the sparkling clean facilities that are tastefully decorated. The classrooms are equipped with the latest equipment and supplies needed for teaching and training. Our Community Hall is as lovely as any country club in the city of Dallas, and we have an excellent chef who prepares tasty meals for us. Entering the Sanctuary and Chapel you can see or hear the finest musical instruments to be found anywhere (both gifts in memory of former members). Our Sunday morning services are live streamed so those who are not able to attend can tune in for a worship experience. If I ever have a need, there is a staff member ready to help. Wilshire provides mis- 4 sion trips, summer camps, retreats and many other activities for our members. All I have described is wonderful, and I am proud to be a member of a church like that. But, it is expensive. It takes money and lots of it to be that kind of a church. That is why I give as generously as I can always at least a tithe. I was taught to tithe by my parents when I was a young child. We always filled out our offering envelopes on Saturday night in preparation for Sunday morning. When I graduated from Baylor University and had my first job, I continued to tithe my income. When I married Ed Laux in 1943, I was blessed with a husband who had been taught the same principles of giving when he was a child. Ed s father was a pastor, and when Ed was growing up they lived in a small town in Wyoming. The family had a garden and produced more than they could use. Ed took the excess, loaded it in his wagon and sold it to the neighbors. On Saturday night his mother would have him put his earnings on the kitchen table and together they figured out his tithe. All of our married life we at least tithed every dime we ever made. When Wilshire began our first capital campaign, Ed and I discussed what we could do financially. What we decided on I thought was very generous, but I wrote a check for that amount. At the time Ed was in a nursing facility for a short time. I went early every morning and spent the entire day with him. One morning when I walked in the room he said to me, We need to talk. I said, OK, what do we need to talk about? Well, he said, Do you think we could double our gift to the capital campaign? I gulped real hard and replied, If that is what you want to do, we will do it. So I wrote another check. A few days later when I walked into the room, Ed asked the same question with a twist. Do you think we could triple our gift to the capital campaign? My answer: Absolutely not. But the gifts I gave to Wilshire then and continue to give today do not end. I have designated a part of my estate to Wilshire in my will. Wilshire has blessed my life, and I want to continue to be a blessing to others through Wilshire even after I am gone. I hope you will join me in giving your tithes and offerings to Wilshire now and that you will consider putting Wilshire Baptist Church in your will. This will ensure Wilshire s continue ministry through the years to come. To learn more about how to include Wilshire in your will, contact David Nabors, director of business administration, at (214) or dnabors@wilshirebc.org FEBRUARY FEBRUARY FEBRUARY Resident Reunion Greet alumni at Wednesday Bible study Ash Wednesday Faith in 3-D Scenes from Arthur Miller s All My Sons with dessert and dialogue Find your place in MLK Day of Service Once again, Wilshire members will fan out across the community to participate in the Martin Luther King Day of Service as part of Martin Luther King Day. The date is Monday, Jan. 19. Choose from three service opportunities, then meet back at the church for a pizza lunch in James Gallery. Volunteers will celebrate with each other by sharing their experiences. x Meals on Wheels of Dallas County. Volunteers are needed to cover six routes, which will require 12 to 18 people. This is a great opportunity to serve the elderly, medically challenged and homebound. To participate, contact Katie Murray by Jan. 12 to reserve your route and for more information: kmurray@ wilshirebc.org or (214) x Help serve a hot meal to parade watchers at Cornerstone Baptist Church, 1819 Martin Luther King Blvd. Wilshire has agreed to provide 20 volunteers from 10 a.m. to noon. Contact Heather Mustain by Jan. 13 to reserve your spot: hmustain@ wilshirebc.org or (214) x Help serve a hot meal and play bingo with senior adults residing in care facilities in the Fair Park Area. These residences are part of the ministry of Cornerstone Baptist Church. Wilshire has agreed to provide 14 volunteers from 10 a.m. to noon. Contact Heather Mustain by Jan. 13 to reserve your spot: hmustain@wilshirebc.org or (214)

5 a pat h way s s e r v i c e BLUEGRASS JANUARY 25, :30 P.M. McIVER CHAPEL BRING A DESSERT TO SHARE CHILD CARE PROVIDED 5

6 The Vision 20/20 Steering Committee in December gave final approval to a new vision statement and a set of descriptive values that round out the church s strategic planning identifiers, complementing the existing mission statement. The Wilshire vision is to become a bold witness to the way of Christ in our time. The Wilshire mission is to build a community of faith shaped by the Spirit of Jesus Christ. 6 Wilshire s four practices that are expectations for membership are: Worship. We highlight the importance of corporate worship. Give. Christian community requires all believers to give financially as they are able and as the Lord has provided. Learn. Every person of every age ought to be part of a small group learning community. Serve. We point to the biblical truth that faith without works is dead. Wilshire values are: Inclusion. Every person is created in the image of God, gifted by God for service, called by God to salvation and thus worthy of our acceptance and hospitality. Service. Serving others in the name of Christ is the fruit of our faith, as we actively engage others in Dallas, in Texas and around the world, through missions and ministries that transform lives. Learning. We seek not just to know, but to grow, being confident in our core beliefs yet open to new ideas as the Holy Spirit leads us into all truth. Excellence. Whatever we do, we will strive for excellence because the Lord is worthy of our best offerings. In this pursuit we collaborate with others who share our values. Stewardship. We give generously of time, talent and treasure as faithful stewards of all God has entrusted to us.

7 The numbers Report for Jan. 4 Sunday School Officers Preschool Children Youth Young adult Median adult Senior adult Total present Total previous week Total last year Generosity Unified Budget received $32,572 Unified Budget projected $114,221 Unified Budget YTD $32,572 Unified Budget projected $114,221 Pathways Endowment received YTD $26,205 Pathways Endowment current fund value $3,047,820 December 31 goal $5,076,475 December 1 goal November 1 goal October 1 goal September 1 goal August 1 goal July 1 goal June 1 goal May 1 goal April 1 goal March 1 goal February 1 goal Unified Budget I Am Wilshire Vivian Jimenez-Carn Styled by her sister as a church junkie having been involved in Lutheran, Catholic and American Baptist congregations at various stages of her life Vivian Jimenez-Carn has found a home at Wilshire. Growing up, I didn t go to church at first, she said. My father was a Lutheran; my mother was Catholic. I was baptized Lutheran. After my biological father left when I was young, I went to a Catholic church within walking distance and learned the catechism. Her aunt, who is married to her father s brother, has been a Christian role model. She is a true Christian, Vivian said. She took care of us when my parents divorced when I was 11. She instilled in me the need for Christ and for humility. For about 20 years while living in San Antonio, Vivian was a member of a Missouri Synod Lutheran church. I was very involved, she said. I worked with a leader like Wilshire s Minister for Care Ministries Tiffany Wright. I also did simultaneous translations of worship services, and at Advent and Lent, I translated worship materials into Spanish. Some of these translations were passed on to Spanish-speaking churches in the Rio Grande Valley. She was trained to be a Stephen Minister there and has been trained to be a trainer of Stephen Ministers. Also a deaconess, she worked with the homebound, providing communion once a week, and she was a leader of several small-group Bible studies. She also assisted the church s chef. In Dallas I hopped from one church to another, mostly Lutheran at first, then some Baptist churches, Vivian said. Last year a friend suggested that I try Wilshire, and I immediately knew I was in the right place. Wilshire is very similar to my church in San Antonio, she said. I adore George because of his Lutheran background, and he has the same demeanor as my pastor in San Antonio. Vivian finds the congregation sincere and genuinely friendly in welcoming people and not just the first time they visit. It s very much a community, she said. She prefers the church s less-conservative theology and the fact that Wilshire gives women opportunities for service. I also like the way that Wilshire handled the Ebola crisis. Coming to Dallas was a very big culture shock, she said. For this reason she has had a hard time finding avenues for volunteering, both inside and outside the church. She is a member of Foundations of Faith Class and ushers at Wilshire s early worship service. Vivian was born in a small Puerto Rican town. As a child she enjoyed beach and island trips with her family, including two sisters and one brother, and she loved drawing and painting. After graduating from high school in 1980, she majored in education at a local college for three years. Then she transferred to the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, earning a bachelor s degree in fine arts and marketing in I had to take a year of English classes before starting, she said. To finance her education, she took out loans and did work-study on campus on weekends. In her first job after graduation, Vivian was an art director for Dillard s in San Antonio, doing display design for its in-store shops. Not finding this type of work her calling, she followed a friend s suggestion and trained to become a Montessori teacher. I trained while working in Michaels framing department, and in 1989 I began teaching 3- to 6-year-olds, she said. She also developed educational materials for public schools and trained teachers in the Montessori approach, mostly in South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley. Montessori takes a very different approach, she said. Children learn individually and at their own pace. I compare this teaching approach to juggling. While living in San Antonio, Vivian earned a master s degree in counseling from the University of Texas at San Antonio. I never intended to be a counselor, but I wanted a master s degree, she explained. What I learned helps me with both children and parents. I also did a lot of volunteer counseling in Michigan, where I lived from 2008 to 2011, for several organizations. While living in Michigan, she taught Montessori to 6- to 12-year-olds in Elkhart, Ind., not far from South Bend. She came to Dallas after receiving an offer to teach 3- to 6-year-olds at the Montessori Children s House and School in Lake Highlands. Vivian s hyphenated surname merits some explanation. In Puerto Rico, children take both their father s last name and their mother s last name, she explained. When I came to the U.S., I started hyphenating it to prevent confusion. I never changed my name after my marriage. She has a 19-year-old son, Lucas, who graduated from Canyon Lake High School, southwest of Austin, and lives with his father. 7

8 Wilshire contacts To any member of the Wilshire staff, use the first initial with the full last name and then To phone staff, dial (214) 452- and the four-digit extension: Pastoral offices George Mason (3132) Debby Burton (3132) Mark Wingfield (3128) Kathi Lyle (3130) Pathways to Ministry Geri McKenzie (3159) Brent Newberry (3152) Britt Carlson (3153) Erica Whitaker (3156) Matthew Broyles (3154) Business offices David Nabors (3157) Teresa M. Newtown (3131) Susan Kimball (3108) Dale Pride (3101) Sandy Allen (3150; sgallen) Beverly Faubion (3111) Age-graded ministries Jessica Capps (3129) Darren DeMent (3102) Julie Girards (3103) Joan Hammons (3141) Holly Irvin (3106) Care ministries Tiffany Wright (3107) Debby Burton (3132) Missions/advocacy offices Heather Mustain (3110) Katie Murray (3126) Sandy Allen (3150) Music offices Doug Haney (3123) Sarah Stafford (3121) Barbara Clayton (3125) Jeff Brummel (3122) Food services Chris Terry (3117) Weekday Education Mary Browder (3115) Parish nurse Linda Garner (3151) Library Jeri Baker (3114) Reception desk (214) Wilshire Baptist Church 4316 Abrams Rd Dallas TX Briefly x Adventurers program and game day. All senior adults are invited to participate in a special program, lunch and game day on Tuesday, Jan. 13, in Community Hall. The program begins at 10:30 a.m. with a presentation by David Simmons, Viking River Cruises consultant. Lunch will follow for $6 per person, and table games will be played after lunch. Come for one part or all. No reservations required, just show up. x Adoption and foster care ministry. Are you an adoptive or foster parent? Are you interested in adoption or foster care? You are invited on Sunday, Jan. 25, at noon, for a report on what Joan Hammons learned during her recent sabbatical, which focused on adoption and foster care. After the report, the group will engage in a roundtable discussion about how this type of ministry should unfold at Wilshire. x Free computer classes. A new round of free computer classes will begin at Wilshire on Tuesday, Jan. 20. Choose from one of two registration and information sessions PERIODICALS RATE that day, either at 9:30 a.m. or 6 p.m. Leaders have expanded classes to included instruction for smart phones (iphones or Androids) and tablets (such as ipads), as well as laptops and desktops, both PC and Apple. Registration will be held in Room For more information, contact Max Post at (214) x Library open house. The Wilshire Library invites all in the congregation to an open house on Sunday, Jan. 18, from 9:30 to 10 a.m., in honor of the Library s 61st anniversary. Now 14,000-items strong, the Wilshire Library was founded in 1954 with a $107 donation. The open house will feature refreshments, an art display and a drawing for prizes. x Wilshire Reads. For this new year, all adults and older youth in the congregation are encouraged to participate in reading the Adam Hamilton book Making Sense of the Bible. Hardcover copies of the book are available for purchase in the front office for $10, and several copies are available for checkout from the Wilshire Library. 8