#WECHOOSEWELCOME
Westminster Church is a community where all people are welcome and respected. Our Mission is to be a Christian community of welcoming and nurturing faith.
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IN THIS EDITION OF THE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:
- From the Pastor's Desk
- The Virtual Church, Our weekly Online Activities
- This Week at Westminster
- Family Ministries
- Youth Group info and Calendar
- Music Matters
- Mission/Outreach opportunities
- Westminster Announcements
- Prayer Concerns
- Stewardship Update and more!
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WARNING: THIS PASSAGE MIGHT BE DETRIMENTAL TO YOUR RETIREMENT
Wouldn’t it be helpful if the writers of the Bible would give us bold signs like this before we read sections, if nothing more than to prepare us for what is most likely an uncomfortable read. This passage is one of those uncomfortable reads, especially for the preretirement people. Because at first glance this passage seemingly goes against the very principles of retirement, to save so that you can live comfortably in your retirement. Going deeper into this passage we can see that the warning has very little to do with our retirements and everything to do with our relationship with God.
The characters that we have in this pericope are Jesus speaking to two brothers who are feuding over their inheritance. Jesus tells this parable that shows a farmer who looks to be a great farmer and businessman. In fact, he is so good that he is able to build and store enough goods to last him well into a long retirement. The problem that the parable shows is that the man in his pursuit to gain his wealth forgot to remember God. And, while he attained great wealth and comfort in this world, he would not be rightfully prepared for the next.
So, the problem that the passage lays out is not a warning about what we store up for our retirement, rather it is about our faithfulness to God — or rather, where have we given ourselves over so that we might be able to do work for God. This is the root of what we call “Social Justice.” While the term Social Justice is loaded with various meanings, in our tradition Social Justice refers to the things we do for others and our world as an expression of faith to God.
When theologians talk about grace and salvation, they do so in terms of a simple fact that God has given us grace. But we have a responsibility that comes with the gift of grace and that is to give back. In fact, one of the great errors of the farmer is the fact that God had given him a talent for caring for the land and raising crops so that he might be able to feed his community. Instead, the farmer used the gifts God gave him for his own greedy agenda.
I wrote my warning at the beginning of the passage to be provocative despite anything else, and as you can see from this article the warning is not really accurate. The real warning is both much deeper and more far-reaching. In actuality, the warning should read:
WARNING: THIS PASSAGE REQUIRES YOU TO GIVE AS MUCH AS YOU GET
Think of how you share the gifts which God has given to you. Do you store them up for you own comfort, or do you share them with others?
In Christ,
Bryan
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Are you ready for some Football!
Join us August 12 for our Annual 49ers outing
The Green Bay Packers vs. the 49ers
at Levis Stadium
Game starts at 5:30
tickets $40
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Weekly Activities at Westminster
Sunday Morning Worship
at 10:30 am
In person and online. All worship services have on-site infant/child care available in our Family Room and programs for children and youth.
Bulletin and music
(complete bulletin available on Friday) |
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Children and Youth
Sunday School
In person
Sundays at 9:45 am
Wednesday Logos
Paused over the Summer
Friday Youth Group
Virtual on Zoom
Fridays at 5 pm
Sunday Youth Group
In Person
Sundays at 5 pm
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Adult Education
Morning Bible Study
Wednesday Evening Bible Study
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Confirmation Classes are Back This Fall at Westminster.
Youth in 6th grade through High School are welcome to join this class. If you know someone interested please contact Bryan or Oliver before the end of August.
Click here for more information |
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Family Ministries
Dear Parents,
Our summer Gear Up academic program was a blast! The kids had a wonderful time learning math, reading, science, and writing in a fun and engaging way. At the end of the day, they often said how they couldn’t wait for tomorrow! Thank you for all the prayers and support of the congregation. Thank you also to our Gear Up team: Judi, Mary Anne, Christy, Eric, and Oliver for their heart to serve and show God’s love to our community and children. We are excited and looking forward to growing this ministry next year!
Please join us for Sunday School at 9:45-10:15 a.m. We follow the sermon series and learn how the different lessons apply in our children’s world. Some of the things we’ve been learning are how we can show kindness, love, and serve others. Along with the lessons, we include interactive activities such as arts, crafts, and games. Hope to see you soon!
Don't forget to invite your friends to our upcoming event this summer!
Upcoming events:
Summer Bible Blast is on the week of August 8th
Blessings,
Neneth
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Westminster Youth Group meets every Sunday at 5 p.m. in the Hiding Place at the Church, and every Friday at 5 p.m. online. All Youth grades 6th-12th are invited for an evening of fun and fellowship!
The Youth Group also has it's own Newsletter! It goes out every Friday, and is the best way to keep up with Youth Group activities. Email Oliver if you'd like to be on the newsletter, and aren't already.
Our Young Adult Small Group currently meets on Tuesday nights at 7pm, at the church. Please reach out to Oliver if you or someone you know is interested.
For questions on anything Youth/Young Adult related, email our Assistant Minister, Oliver Page, at: oliver@westpres-sj.org.
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Music Matters
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Mark Your Calendars!
Sunday, August 28 Last Summer Singers
Sanctuary Choir Rehearsals Resume
Thursdays beginning September 1
7-8:30 pm
Choir Room
Ages 13-Adult
Back in worship on Sunday, September 11!
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UPCOMING EVENTS at WPC
Mark your Calendars!
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Westminster is once again participating in the interfaith booth at Silicon Valley Pride!
Pride will be the weekend of August 27th and 28th, and we will be looking for volunteers all weekend. Sign-Ups will be open soon, so please add the festival to your schedule if you plan on participating!
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LOGOS returns on Wednesday, September 7th!
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New Adult Study
The History of Religion in California
with guest presenter
Dr. Robert M. Senkewicz
Professor of History Emeritus, Santa Clara University.
September 7 -October 5
7pm-8pm
On Zoom
Join us for this 5 week survey of California history that will dive into the history of religion in California.
In this course we will examine the role of religion in shaping the development of California. While there are many well-known factors that have contributed to forming the California in which we all live– such as Spanish colonization, the gold rush, the transcontinental railroad, the progressive era, World War II, and immigration– the equally significant role of religion has been less widely understood.
Religion played an important role in Spanish colonization, a process that combined church and state from the time of Columbus until well into the nineteenth century. We will look at the way in which traditional Spanish Catholicism interacted with the varieties of indigenous and settler spiritualities throughout New Spain, especially in California. The popular form of Mexican Catholicism that emerged here contributed much to life and culture before the US invasion in 1846.
After California became part of the United States, evangelical Protestantism, shaped by a series of early nineteenth century revival movements east of the Mississippi River, became the dominant religion. The Manifest Destiny orientation that was so central a part of US revivalism played a large role in the denigration of non-Protestant (Mexican and Irish Catholics) and non-Christian (Chinese) inhabitants of 19th-century US California.
In the twentieth century, California religion was marked by strong evangelical and revivalist currents, symbolized by the African-American led Azusa Street revival in the 1910s and subsequent preeminent role of Aimee Semple McPherson and her Church of the Foursquare Gospel in Los Angeles. California revivalism became influenced by the rise of Hollywood in the 1920s and that influence was largely responsible for the rise of the mega-church movement in the twentieth century. But older patterns still persisted. For instance, Chinese exclusion at the end of the nineteenth century led to their being replaced as dangerous “others” by the Japanese.
The increased immigration from Asia and Latin America as a result of the 1965 Immigration Act made California a much more diverse place yet contemporary California still bears the imprint of these earlier religious-oriented patterns. Understanding them will help us understand more deeply the dynamics that continue to form contemporary California society.
This class will be taught by Robert M. Senkewicz, Professor of History Emeritus. Santa Clara University. Bob is a renowned expert in California history and the Series editor for: Early California Commentaries (Documentary Series), Before Gold: California under Spain and Mexico (Monograph Series) and the University of Oklahoma Press.
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Do you have an hour or two to help around the church? If you can help please pick one or two and let Bryan, Linda or Ron know.
Thanks!!!
Church Projects:
Cleaning:
- Washing Windows (Monthly)
- Dust Sanctuary (Monthly)
- Clean out the stairwell areas (Monthly)
- Pick up trash around the Church (Weekly)
Maintenance:
- Patio sun-cover (replace ties and covering where needed) (annually)
Grounds:
- Build a wall/gate under the ramp off of Shasta to discourage sleeping under the ramp. (One-time)
- Powerwash sidewalks (twice a year)
- Touch-up paint around the building (annually)
- Patio Plants and flowers (Monthly)
- Touch up paint in Choir loft area (One time)
Creative:
- Design new banners for in front of the church (annually)
- Assess signage around the church, design and recommend signs that need to be replace or added. (biannual)
- Re-arrange notices taped to the window off of Shasta to look more professional. (one-time)
- Update bulletin boards inside the church (refresh backings and suggest the materials to populate the boards) (twice a year)
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STEWARDSHIP UPDATE
Help support the ministries of the Westminster Presbyterian Church through your donation today!
Click Here and donate through PayPal today.
Help me spread the word about Westminster Presbyterian Church. Together we can make a difference.
Please note that using you credit card does incur a fee, which is deducted from the donation.
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Office Hours:
10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Monday-Friday
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