Hotline CURRENT/UPCOMING ADULT FAITH FORMATION OPPORTUNITIES. Westminster

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1 Hotline Volume XVIII, Issue 2 February 2018 CURRENT/UPCOMING ADULT FAITH FORMATION OPPORTUNITIES Westminster Presbyterian Church 2155 University Ave. Dubuque, IA website hal@wpcdbq.org Inside this issue: Adult Faith Formation 1 2 Youth CE 3 Church News Mission Grants Mission News Lunar New Year Celebration Gospel of John 2 Calendar 7 Worship Scripture 8 FROM YOUR WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH FOUNDATION: You can give... beyond your life... through a bequest to Westminster Presbyterian Church in your will. 4, Conversations with Scripture continues through February 18 after worship in the Board Room. Hal Murry facilitates a preview of next Sundays worship Scripture. ALL are welcome! Feb. 4, "The Man Born Blind" (John 9:1-41) Feb. 11, "Jesus Raises Lazarus" (John 11:1-44) Feb. 18, Scripture to be determined Spring Bible Study on the Letter of James How do we live out our Christian faith with integrity in our everyday lives? What impact does (should?) our faith have on things like: Our speaking to and about other people? Our economic pursuits? Our experience of trials and temptations? Our attitude and behavior toward others (rich and poor)? Our life together in the Christian community? Our prayer life? The Letter of James addresses these questions and offers advice as relevant for us today as it was for the early Christian community. Marsha Wilfong will be leading three groups of Bible study on James this Spring. All are welcome to join any group: Tuesdays, 6:30 p.m. February 20 April 10; WPC Conference Room Wednesdays, 2:00 p.m. February 21 April 11; Bethany Home Sundays, 10:45 a.m. March 4 April 29; WPC Board Room Exploring the Mind/Body Connection: A Three Session Sampler on Mindfulness Suzanne Hockley Murry will lead this small group in the Church Library, three Sundays after worship, beginning on March 11. Pick up new, powerful, easy to use skills: body scanning, guided imagery, visualization, chanting, mindful eating, breath control. Potential positive outcomes: find calm amidst chaos quiet a "busy" mind get "unstuck" gain a new perspective live in the moment improve overall well-being If you'd like to take this class, please see Suzanne in the Narthex before or after worship on any Sunday in February.

2 Volume XVIII, Issue 2 Page 2 All the way through Easter, Hal Murry's sermons will be based on the Gospel of John. Here is a brief introduction to John taken from Hal's January 7 sermon, "Stairway to Heaven": "In the beginning..." was the dream of God for the world. It's always been there. God's dream became human in Jesus. God's great breakthrough for humanity came in Jesus of Nazareth. That's the profound theology that is the basis for the Gospel of John. It's different than the other three Gospels: Matthew, Mark and Luke. The language in those Gospels is simpler, more direct. They read more like history. And there's lots of overlap in those Gospels. Sometimes the same stories about Jesus are told using the very same words. In our language today, we might say it's almost like the stories were cut and pasted from one gospel to another. But the Gospel of John is different. The language and style of writing is different. It's more like an impressionist painting with lots of symbolism that you try to figure out. The stories it tells about Jesus are unique. Most scholars now believe John was the last of the gospels to be written, probably in the decade of the 90s, near the end of the first century. So the community from which the Gospel of John emerged had decades -- two generations or more -- to reflect on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, and... to try to figure out how best to best convey who he was. CENTER STAGE FOR THE GOSPEL OF JOHN It's the Gospel of John that tells the world in powerful imagery that the "Word of God" became flesh in Jesus of Nazareth; that Jesus is the embodiment and the revelation of what can be seen of God in a human life. that Jesus reveals the character and passion of God. In churchy language this idea is known as the doctrine of "Incarnation." Use that word at brunch..."incarnation"... if you need to prove that you've been to church or if you just want to end the conversation. Practically speaking, what "incarnation" means is that God is "all in" with humanity. John's Gospel says that IN Jesus of Nazareth, who lived in a particular place, at a particular time, God came to be with us. So, John says, if you want to know what it looks like for a human being to live fully for the Kingdom of God on earth -- take a look at Jesus. Hear what he says. Think about what he does. Continued from page 1 MEN'S LENTEN FELLOWSHIP/BIBLE STUDY?????????? If you would be interested in participating in a weekly Lenten (six week) Men's Group that meets for fellowship, a Bible Study (led by Hal) and probably food(!) please see Rich Henderson in the back of the Sanctuary on February 4 or February 11. To be determined: day of the week, time and place. DACU (Dubuque Area Congregations United) Delegate Meetings are held the 4th Tues. each Month Next Meeting is Tues., Feb. 27th - 7:00 p.m. At Dubuque Rescue Mission, 398 Main St. Program: Poverty, Urban Farming & Food Justice Presenters: Lynn Sutton & Ashley Neises OFFICE NEWS: Mary Kay, our church administrator, will be on Vacation from Feb. 8th - Feb.16th. Becky Jenkins will be in the office Mon.-Thurs. from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Fridays until noon. Please contact Lisa Fast regarding information for the bulletin. They will be able to assist you.

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4 Page 4 Committee Highlights Church News Hotline PROPERTY COMMITTEE MEETING HIGHLIGHTS (1/8/18): Unanimously commended Westminster's custodian Tim Till for his tireless dedication to the upkeep and safety of Westminster's building and grounds. Tim is at his best in helping us cope with the challenges of winter weather. Security matters: three additional cameras are in the process of being installed to enhance Westminster's video security system; a wireless "panic" activator has been added to the alarm system. Re-elected Mark Oberhoffer as Moderator and George Hellert as Secretary. Current members of the committee are: Mark Oberhoffer, Don Keller, Arden Woodrum, Firtz Cabalka, Jeff Oberhoffer, George Hellert, Bud Monson Wally Brown and Bill Porter. "Membership" is open to any member or friend of the church who would like to participate. Regular meeting time is 3:00 p.m. on the first Monday of the month. HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE JANUARY 25th MEETING OF THE SESSION (Westminster's Governing Council) Reviewed, discussed and approved the Ministry Information Form (MIF) written by the Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC). The MIF is the document that will interpret Westminster's pastoral leadership opening to prospective applicants. Next, the MIF goes to the Presbytery's Committee on Ministry (COM) for review/approval in early March. Following COM approval, the MIF is posted online and the PNC will begin receiving applications. Re-elected Lois Pearce and Tom Stovall as Session Co-Clerks. Re-elected Tom Stovall and Norma Smith as Church Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer, respectively. PASTOR NOMINATING COMMITTEE (PNC) UPDATE Following the Session's approval (Jan. 25) of the Ministry Information Form (MIF) drafted by the PNC, the document next goes to the John Knox Presbytery Committee on Ministry (COM). In Presbyterian governance, the COM provides oversight for congregations and ministers in its geographic region. It is expected that the COM will consider Westminster's MIF at its March 1 meeting. The most common actions taken by the COM related to MIFs: approval approval with suggestions for minor improvements referral back to the church with a request for significant changes to the document, to be resubmitted to the COM at a later date If approved, the document is posted online via the PC(USA) Church Leadership Connection for review by prospective applicants for pastor. Westminster's PNC expects to be reviewing resumes from pastors this spring. Members of Westminster's PNC: Pam Adams, Jennifer Klinkhammer, Steve Peake, Tom Stovall, Deb Seiffert, Dan Tabraham, Arlys Williams and Norma Smith (alternate and PNC Moderator). The Presbytery's liaison to the PNC is Rev. Gary Catterson, Pastor of Community Presbyterian Church, Postville, IA. THE MISSION TEAM is now accepting Mission Grant Applications for Contact either Deb Seiffert or Linda Stovall for more information. The application is on WPC s website also.

5 Mission News Volume XVIII, Issue 2 Page 5 The registration deadline is February 15.

6 Page 6 Westminster Vital Statistics Average Sunday Worship Attendance for January We are saving a seat for YOU! Financial Stewardship 2017 Operating Budget Final Report (numbers rounded to the nearest 1,000) 2017 Operating Budget $398, Expenses 366, Income 386,000 Income over Expenses 20,000 Thanks for your faithfulness! To God be the glory! 2017 CONTRIBUTION STATEMENTS New Interns WERE MAILED LAST WEEK Call Becky at if you did not receive yours. Scrip donations were included in your annual statement of giving. Please note that this amount is NOT included in the total. Let your tax preparers know to add the scrip donation to the grand total listed. More Church News The Sympathy of the Congregation is extended to the family and friends of: R. Spencer Lewis, father of Bonnie Sue Lewis, member Beth Degree-Mueller, daughter of Marge Degree, member Brian Beadle, brother of Robin Beadle, member The family of Bonnie Comer want to thank you for your prayers honoring our dear mother. The entire service was lovely. The words were heartfelt, the pianist was exceptional, and the hand bell medley was beautiful. Our mother loved Westminster and she would have been deeply touched. We also want to thank each volunteer who took time out of their day to help serve the luncheon. You were all so gracious and kind. Finally, we want to thank Mary Kay and Pastor Hal for guiding my brothers and I through this very difficult process. With gratitude and blessings, Wendell and Wayne Comer, Nancy and Marty McNamer and the entire family of Bonnie Comer Finance Intern: Ed Harris Started 2/1 Ed will be interning and filling in for Becky Jenkins, our Financial Secretary, while she is on Maternity Leave. Ed is looking forward to this opportunity and to meeting some of you as you call or come in to the office. Ed is a native of Chicago. His family moved to Dubuque when he was 10. Ed is a graduate of Dubuque Senior High School and is currently a Senior at the University of Dubuque majoring in Business Administration with a minor in accountancy. Ed plans to attend graduate school in the fall for a Masters of Science in Finance. Hello Westminster Family, you may have seen me in the choir loft, with the youth group, or in the congregation these last two years at Westminster. I am a second year seminary student at the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary and the first Young Adult Ministry Scholar of the seminary. Westminster has been my home since day one of my stay in Dubuque. I fondly remember the hospitality and sense of home I felt when you hosted the seminary students. My hometown is Beaver City, Nebraska. Don't let the name fool you: its not exactly a city, and its beaver population is currently in the negative. It is a small rural community. My home church is First Presbyterian Church of Beaver City. My parents are both elementary teachers, and I have two younger sisters. I am engaged to Erin Petry, a senior at Hastings College who will be student teaching this semester and joining me in Dubuque this Fall. I attended a consolidated high school, and then went to Hastings College, a Presbyterian College. My major was Religion with an emphasis in Christian Ministry and a minor in Psychology. While I am at seminary I am studying and discerning God's call for me in this world and community. Seminary Intern: Logan Ellis Starts 2/5

7 Volume XVIII, Issue 2 Page 7 February Calendar go to website for a larger version

8 Westminster Presbyterian Church 2155 University Ave Dubuque, IA NONPROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID DUBUQUE, IA PERMIT NO. 577 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Mark Your Calendars: Westminster s ANNUAL MEETING Of the Congregation Sun., February 25th Following 9:30 Worship February 4 Sacrament of the Lord's Supper Rev. Hal Murry preaches Scripture: John 4:1-42 Music: Adult Choir; Adult Handbells February 11 Ordination/Installation of Ruling Elders: Karen Heidenreich, Steve Peake and Lois Pearce Rev. Hal Murry preaches Scripture: John 9:1-41 Music: Timbrel and Lyre; Youth Choir and Handbells 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, February 14 at Blades Hall (UD Campus) Ash Wednesday Worship: Sacrament of the Lord's Supper; Imposition of Ashes Rev. Dr. Marsha Wilfong preaches Musician: Dr. Luke Tyler February 18 First Sunday in Lent Rev. Hal Murry preaches Scripture: John 11:1-44 Music: Church Band; Adult Choir February 25 Second Sunday in Lent Guest Preacher: Logan Ellis Music: Timbrel and Lyre Westminster's Annual Meeting of the Congregation follows worship Join Us for Worship at Westminster 9:30 a.m. Sundays Immediate Seating Available! Contact Information 2155 University Ave Dubuque, IA (563) Join us for Communion at Bethany Home Feb. 18th at 1:30 p.m.