As Thanksgiving quickly approaches, I want to take a few minutes to thank YOU for being part of such an awesome congregation! Sandra and I get the privilege of seeing the day in / day out activities in the life of Westminster and ultimately all the wonderful relationships that we have with one another. Nothing makes me feel more grateful to be in your midst when I get to see firsthand when one of you reaches out to the other in times of sorrow as well as praises – when we support each other in our everyday lives by attending functions like recitals, basketball games, plays, weddings and  funerals.  I think it awesome when we send cards to those who are suffering and hug those who need a hug.  It is comforting knowing that we have people who gather together  to lift up others in prayer.  I am very grateful of our Sunday morning worship services when we all come together to be spiritually fed by one of Buran’s sermons and hear music from Peter’s music ministry. I am thankful for retreats like the one held a couple of weeks ago on Watts Bar lake for the ladies of our church. It was really powerful to sit at the boat dock and watch all those stars that the Lord paints in the sky. We saw several shooting stars which was totally amazing! I found myself waking up all during the night because I didn’t want to miss out on the Lord’s sunrise over that gorgeous lake. What a gift! The combination of the study, JoAnn Powell’s guitar music, the scenery, and the laughter was a huge treat in my life. And for this – I am thankful!

I hope each of us steps back this Thanksgiving to count all our many blessings in our lives – especially when there is so much sadness in our world. It is easy to forget all the good stuff that the Lord gives us each and every day. I appreciate Westminster from A to Z, 24/7.

Hugs,

Renee Wiesehuegel

Good Afternoon Westminster,

What an eventful week we have had here at Westminster! Calls keep coming in about how awesome our Chancel Choir’s performance of  Brahms’ Requiem was on Tuesday night.  Thanks go out to Peter Van Eenam and the entire choir for gifting us with such a meaningful service! The energy, dedication, and talent that went into such a powerful service is greatly appreciated!  God is Good – All the Time!

Last night’s Stewardship program was also a great time together. I am thankful to Cameron, Byron, Buz, and Tom for all your hard work. The power point presentation was incredible! I liked having the combination of the lighter side of Stewardship (Cameron’s creativity is amazing), the reality of the expenses that we must  incur to keep this vibrant church’s ministry alive, and the impact of our support to the youth when they shared their summer retreat experiences. As I pray and ponder on the selected biblical text for this year’s stewardship campaign (Psalm 116:12) – I realize that it is the combination of both my time and my talents that I need to return to the Lord for all what he blesses me with – day in and day out. 24/7. I see him in worship, in the fellowship, in the music, in the prayers that are lifted up for loved ones in time of need, in the celebrations of newborns, new members and positive test results –  in the sunshine as well as in the rain. I see his involvement in both the CARE team ministry and the Prayer team, his participation in the classes offered on Wednesdays With Westminster, and his guidance in the youth of our church as they journey to have a personal relationship with him. It is exciting to see so many congregational members who give back to this church so freely when they come to maintain the facility and the grounds, to volunteer to teach a class or participate in a choir, to deliver food to the poor, to the flower guild who graciously adorns our sanctuary each and every Sunday, to the people who take care of the refugee family we are sponsoring, to our involvement while building a Habitat house, and to simply come to Westminster and “be”.  We are blessed to serve an incredibly amazing Lord! When we give back to the Lord through our involvement with Westminster, we also get to bless others along the way when we share our facility with a multitude number of community groups that use this place daily for meetings. The Lord’s gift to each of us is a gift that keeps on giving…

Dedication Sunday is this coming Sunday – November 8th. Please place your stewardship pledge in the offering plate. Extra cards will be placed in the pew racks. Extra Time and Talent forms can be found in the Schilling Gallery or you can enter one directly on our website (www.wpcknox.org). My mom always reminded me of the team concept – that many hands do make the load lighter. If we all continue to pull together  - just think what we can give back to the Lord!?!

Hugs,

Renee Wiesehuegel

More food, fellowship and fun at Wednesdays With Westminster!