Join us for Sunday School at 10:00 am each Sunday. The current classes being offered for adults:

Parents’ Class:

Does your family seem frazzled by busy schedules? Join us for a study of The Hurried Family: Help for the Hurried Home by Dr. Tim Kimmel, based on his book, Little House on the Freeway. Dr. Kimmel brings help to the hurried home by sharing positive ways to overcome one’s hectic lifestyle. In eight sessions with practical applications, The Hurried Family video study explores the symptoms of a hurried family and provides counsel for restoring calmness and giving the gift of rest to others.

Bible Class :

“Majoring on the Minor Prophets” – This week we will study the prophet Joel. The book of Joel has been called “one of the most disturbing and heart-searching books of the Old Testament.” What is “the great and terrible day of the Lord?” How will God “restore to you the years the locust has eaten?” Come and discover with us what God has to say through Joel!

Faith Growth:

NOOMA is here! The NOOMA video series are short films that explore our world from a perspective of Jesus. NOOMA is an invitation to search, question, and join the discussion. NOOMA features Pastor Rob Bell. Come and experience a new and refreshing spirit!

Wednesdays With Westminster, starting at 5:45 pm with supper

Dr. Phillips is resuming his class on Presbyterian perspectives on faith. In the final 5 sessions, we will look at topics such as the paradox of predestination, forgiveness, biblical justice, and what Presbyterians think about the end of the world. In the first class, however, we will unravel the mystery of evil in about 40 minutes or so! We are using a copy of the magazine, Presbyterians Today and are beginning on page 30, “The Problem of Evil.” If you still have your magazine from the Fall series, bring it. If not, or if you are new to the class (and it’s okay to jump in at any point), copies of the article are available in the narthex and the church office. If you want to download the material yourself, this week’s lesson can be found at http://gamc.pcusa.org/ministries/today/evil/.

Please join us as we host the Davidson College Symphony Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble this coming Saturday night at 7:00 pm in the Sanctuary.

We return to our regular worship schedule (9:00 and 11 am) with Sunday School beginning at 10 am.

New Sunday School Offerings for Adults begins January 8

• Parents Class – Library –  “The Hurried Family:  Help for the Hurried Home” by Dr. Tim Kimmel
• Bible Class – Prayer Room – “Majoring on the Minor Prophets”  
• Faith Growth – McKinnon Room – NOOMA is here!!  – The first video is titled “Rain”.  Come and experience a new and refreshing spirit!

Wednesday’s With Westminster starts back up on January 11. Dinner is served at 5:45 pm and the “All Church Epiphany Party” will begin at 6:30 pm. Join us!!!

We hope that you will make plans to join us for one of our two Christmas Eve Services. They are held at 5 and 11 pm; both include a candlelight service and the celebration of communion. A nursery is provided at the 5 pm service. On Christmas Day, our worship services will be combined to one service at 11 am. On New Years Day, our worship services will be combined again for one service at 11 am. We hope that you are having a peace-filled Advent Season!

Westminster Presbyterian children and youth will present A Charlie Brown Christmas on Sunday, December 11 – 6:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. We hope that you will make plans to join us!

“Songs and Carols of Advent and Christmas” will be presented by Waterfriends on Friday, December 2^nd at 8:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary. Come and enjoy the music of Bach, Handel, Praetorius and modern composers, with a carol sing-along. A free-will offering will be collected to benefit Living Waters for the World.

The Chancel Choir and soloists, accompanied by strings, oboe, trumpet, and organ, will sing Antonio Vivaldi’s Gloria as part of our observance of Christ the King Sunday. There will be one service that morning, at 11:00. We hope that you will join us this coming Sunday!

In addition to the special worship service, our Mission Service Ministry Team is hosting an Alternative Christmas Bazaar. Critters, craftwork, and Christmas cards will be featured at the yearly Alternative Christmas Bazaar on Sunday, November 20. Each of the items available is connected in some way to a deserving cause, so that we can be assured that our gifts embody the true meaning of Christmas. At the event, the following will be available for purchase:

• Extra virgin, cold-pressed, fair-trade organic Olive Branch Olive Oil, supporting Palestinian olive farmers.
• Gift cards for FISH Hospitality Pantries, where a $5 card will help feed a family of four for three days.
• Life-supporting purchases of farm animals from the Heifer Project.
• Gift cards for Habitat for Humanity donations.
• Handcrafted cloth bags from Africa Bags, based in Malawi.
• Handcrafted quilted potholders made by Westminster’s own Robin Greeson, to benefit cleft palate repair.
• Peruvian and African crafts from Partners for Just Trade.
• Coffee, cocoa, chocolate and tea provided by Equal Exchange, also known as the Presbyterian Coffee Project.
• Christmas cards from Rachel’s Lament, an organization that provides schooling and job-training for very poor children in Kenya.

Bring your Christmas list to church on Sunday and help those less fortunate in purchasing your gifts this year!!!

Bring your stewardship pledge to the 9:00 or 11:00 a.m. service, signifying your financial commitment to the work and mission of Westminster Church for 2012. The Stewardship Ministry Team has worked hard over the last three months teaching us several great ways to be a good steward. Our theme this year grows out of reflection on part of our new mission statement, to be a place --Where faith and life connect. Ephesians 4:11-12 gives us a clue or two as to how this connection can be made:

The gifts God gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.

If you need a pledge card, you can obtain one in the church pew rack or come by the church office. In addition, if you would like to know where you are in fulfilling your 2011 pledge, please contact Renee Wiesehuegel in the church office (renee_wpc@comast.net or 584-3957, ext. 100).

We will celebrate worship this coming Sunday, October 2, at 11:00 am (the 9:00 am service will resume on October 9). Then at 3:00 pm, there is a concert in the Sanctuary. “Songs of Heaven” is a tribute to the great African-American Concert Spirituals. Please join us!

As we welcome in the first day of Autumn tomorrow, I rejoice in the knowledge of all the new and exciting events happening at Westminster! When you have a few minutes to spare, check out our calendar to get all the latest events added to our already eventful program!!

I thought last night’s kickoff to our Wednesdays With Westminster was awesome. The Loaves and Fishes Ministry team did a fantastic job in preparing our meal. Every morsel was eaten – Marlene sure has raised the bar when it comes to serving a dinner at church. It was SO yummy!  I thought the youth did an outstanding job describing their summer experiences both at Montreat and Operation Backyard. I got the opportunity to spend a few hours at both of these events – I am incredibly proud of them!!! Next week’s presentation of the mission trip that involved installing a water system as well as work at an eyeglass clinic will be very interesting! I hope you make plans to join us!

The Fellowship Ministry Team has several events coming up:

September 25 at 6:30 pm – Ceilidh! (fiddle music and some contra dancing) – Fellowship Hall

October 1 at 9:00 am – Breakfast in the Smokies at Metcalf Bottoms – RSVP in Schilling Gallery

October 16 from 4 to 7 pm – Fall Festival – at Carl Cowen Park off Northshore Drive, just west of Pellissippi Parkway

October 22 – Race for the Cure