Christmas Dinner 2011

On December 2 and 3, over 400 guests gathered for Westminster's annual Christmas Dinner. All enjoyed a wonderful meal, gracious and artful decor, carol singing and much merriment. The highlight of the evening was The Night Before Christmas, 1944, a dramatic portrayal of the moving wartime story of Henry "Hank" Andersen, told as a 1940s radio drama. The story was penned by Hank's son -- and our pastor -- Tim Hart-Andersen. (Many thanks to Ian Futterer for the photos.)

Merry Christmas!

All Earth is Hopeful...

By the Rev. Tim Hart-Andersen, taken from his "Dear Friends" letter in the December 16 issue of the Westminster News. Read the entire issue here.

Ever since Sunday, December 4, when the youth of the church presented Las Posadas—the Mexican folk tradition of Mary and Joseph going from inn to inn to find a place to stay—the refrain we sang as they moved around the sanctuary has been ringing in my ear and resounding in my heart… All earth is hopeful.

This is the season when hope is born anew. The birth in Bethlehem signals that a new era has dawned. God has chosen to come among us to fulfill the longing of all the earth. The desert will bloom, the lion will dwell with the lamb, the rough places will be made plain.

All earth is hopeful…

As Westminster moves toward the close of 2011, I am filled with hope for what lies ahead. We are ending the year in strength. Our stewardship program is showing the best results we've seen in years. (If you haven’t done so already, please turn in your pledge online here or through the mail.) Worship attendance has shown a slight upswing. Membership continues to grow incrementally. Our mission outreach is as deep and wide as it’s ever been.

The search for a leader for the new Uptown ministry in partnership with Grace-Trinity Church is moving along well. We have interviewed several candidates and should reach a decision soon. There is growing excitement about this new start-up in one of the most vibrant neighborhoods of the city.

All earth is hopeful…

A year ago at this time, the downtown interfaith congregations joined with the business community in an innovative program to help residents in the Currie Avenue shelters move into supportive housing. With a state-funded program, over 150 individuals have now moved from being homeless to living in apartments. The downtown clergy have just been invited again to join the business community, this time to focus on helping homeless youth and young adults living at the Currie Avenue shelters. We will respond in early 2012. Westminster finds itself at a unique confluence in its life as a congregation. We are an historic community, yet we find ourselves with many new opportunities to serve and reach out in the name of the one whose birth we celebrate.

And so we sing… All earth is hopeful…

Grace and peace to you and yours. See you in church this Christmas Eve.
Family worship and pageant at 4:00pm.
Candlelight worship at both 8:00 and 10:00pm.
Read more about these and other upcoming worship services.

Giving Thanks at the Corner of 12th and … Hope

During the Stewardship season, Westminster has a tradition of inviting members to speak from the pulpit during a worship service. In this Moment for Stewardship, folks have spoken of how their faith has been impacted by Westminster and its programs and the importance of keeping those programs healthy, vibrant and successful.

On November 13, Stewardship Program Co-Chairs Katherine Youngblood and Jim Carter spoke to us about Thanksgiving and of giving thanks as we count our many blessings. They spoke of Westminster's place in the City and being a place of heritage, of heart, of horizon... and of hope. 

Listen now! Take just a minute to listen to Katherine and Jim as they spoke during worship on November 13. Click on the link at the bottom of this journal post.

Participating in our Westminster Stewardship Program is a  thanksgiving celebration. We are, in fact, giving thanks to God for the many blessings that have been ours as a part of this community. Our blessings are many!

Katherine and Jim urge all of you to join them and so many others by participating in the 2012 Stewardship Program. You should have received a pledge card in the mail recently, and many of you turned them in yesterday during worship. Thank you!

If you haven’t pledged yet, please consider doing so now, in this week of Thanksgiving. It’s easy: simply click here to make your 2012 pledge online now. Or if you prefer, call the church office at 612.332.3421 to request that a pledge card be sent to you.

Now is the time to count our blessings, and to make our blessings count.

Youngblood & Carter Moment for Stewardship

A Place for Our Family

The Niebuhr familyDuring the Stewardship season, Westminster has a tradition of inviting members to speak from the pulpit during a worship service. In this Moment for Stewardship, folks have spoken of how their faith has been impacted by Westminster and its programs and the importance of keeping those programs healthy, vibrant and successful.

On Sunday, November 6, Leigh and Jess Niebhur, together with their daughters Mae and Elle, all talked about their search for just the right church for their family and the blessings that they count since becoming part of the Westminster community. Click on the link below to listen to their story!

Moment for Stewardship

Counting Our Blessings Slideshow

This slideshow was created from the many images that have been used throughout the Counting Our Blessings: Stewardship 2012 program. We received such positive feedback about the slideshow on Festival Sunday that we decided to post it on the Counting Our Blessings blog website. Hope you enjoy the show!