The
Chimes
A Westminster Publication - Spring 2014
www.westminsterdayton.org
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Invitation to Lent
Dear Friends,
We are, by design, a hungry people. Every morning the first thing we confront is appetite. We hunger not only for food but also for relationships and love, for security and power, for health and for our
dreams to come true. But it does not matter how much we consume of these things; we are never full
for long… All of these hungers point to our deeper hunger for the God in whose image we are made.
The “more” that we really crave is for more of the love of God.
This is a paragraph from our Lenten study book, Temptation in the Desert, by M. Craig Barnes. Hopefully, it makes you hungry to read more of it! Lent is the holy season of forty days plus Sundays prior to
Easter. The number forty comes, in part, from Jesus’ forty days in the wilderness before he began his
earthly ministry, attested to in the three synoptic gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke. “The Temptation to
Be Full,” “The Temptation to Be Certain,” and “The Temptation to Make a Deal with the Devil” are three
of the six chapters we will consider.
We are forming Lenten study groups now, set to begin the week of March 16. Sign up online, use the
QR code below, or in the Narthex on Sunday mornings for a Lenten small group that will meet once
a week for the six weeks leading up to Holy Week, April 13 – 20. Groups will meet during the Adult
Education hour on Sunday mornings and on weekdays. The Participant’s Guide to the group sessions
will be on sale for $5.00 in the Narthex and Church Office, is brief, just 40 pages. We picked a shorter
book this year.
For those who would like a guide for daily prayer throughout Lent, we are also recommending and making available The Awkward Season by Pamela C. Hawkins. Her book includes prayers of invocation,
confession, intercession, and thanksgiving that can accompany you on your journey from Ash Wednesday to Easter. This book will also be on sale in the Narthex for $15.00.
Let these forty days in 2014, beginning on Ash Wednesday, March 5, be a season where you lean
closer to God and grow ever more deeply connected to the only One who can truly satisfy our deepest
longings. Strengthening this divine connection will help not only each of us, but all of us together as we
inch ever closer to fulfilling Jesus’ call to real, life-changing discipleship.
Blessings,
Laurie Brubaker Davis
Associate Pastor for Spiritual Growth
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Lenten Calendar
Ash Wednesday, March 5
12:10 p.m. - Service
12:40 p.m. - Lunch
6:00 p.m. - Service
6:40 p.m. - Light Supper
Two Identical Taizé Services will be held and will include the imposition of ashes for those who desire it. The cost of each meal is $6.00. Childcare will be provided for the evening service.
The liturgy for these services originated with the Taizé community founded in France in 1940. This
community is an ecumenical, intentional community with a twofold purpose: to see communion with
God through personal prayer and the beauty of community prayer; and also to be a leaven of peace
and trust in the midst of humanity. A traditional Taizé service includes listening to God through simple, meditative songs, scripture, prayer and silence, in the beauty of the Westminster Sanctuary.
Taizé Services and Dinner
Wednesdays during Lent, March 12, 19, 26, April 2, 9, 6:00 p.m.
Come and experience a meditative service of songs and prayers in candlelight as we experience the
Lenten journey. The service is followed by a light dinner for $6.00 at 6:40 p.m. in Fellowship Hall.
Palm Sunday
Sunday, April 13, 10:00 a.m.
Celebrate Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
Maundy Thursday
Thursday, April 17,
6:00 p.m. - Light Supper ($6.00, no reservation required)
7:00 p.m. - Service
Communion and Tenebrae Service ̶ Come and experience both the intimate joy of the Last Supper
and the descent into darkness as Jesus is arrested. Childcare is provided.
Good Friday
Friday, April 18, 12:10-1:00 p.m.
Experience the despair and drama of Jesus’ last words through scripture and music.
Easter
Sunday, April 20, 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.
Christ is Risen! Hallelujah!
Two identical services featuring Oakwood Brass with timpani.
The One Great Hour of Sharing Offering will be received.
www.westminsterdayton.org
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The Reverend Susan G. Hamilton
Westminster’s new Pastoral Affiliate for Congregational Care
Sue graduated from California State University with a BA in Music in 1979, received her M.Div. from
Bethel Theological Seminary in St. Paul, MN, in 1984, and a second MA in Christian Spirituality from
Creighton University in Omaha, NE, in 2005. She is currently completing a graduate certificate program in Pastoral Care for the Second Half of Life at the College of Saint Elizabeth in Morristown, NJ.
Sue has held many positions in ministry that suit her well for her
work at Westminster. She is currently serving as one of the Spiritual Directors for first-year students at United Theological Seminary.
Previously, she served as the Pastor for Care at Southminster Presbyterian Church in Centerville for nearly four years. Earlier in her
career, while her husband was on active duty in the Air Force, Sue
held a variety of pastoral and spiritual care positions in churches
in Nebraska, Alaska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and California. She also
completed a nine-month program in clinical pastoral education at
Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Sue and her husband, Steve, reside in Sugarcreek Township and are the parents of two grown children.
Sue and Steve are no strangers to Westminster. They regularly worshiped here on Sundays when Sue
was not preaching elsewhere.
The Deacons Share Christmas Cheer
By Jennifer Grass
On Sunday, December 15, at 2:00 p.m., members of the Board of Deacons met at One Lincoln Park
to sing Christmas carols to church members and other residents. After singing there, we relocated to
Bethany Village and again offered Christmas cheer. The singing was made even more joyous with the
accompaniment on guitar by Deacon Vail McGuire. Many of those visited sang along with us! It was
especially meaningful to have sung to Mim Clute at One Lincoln Park and to Evelynn Thomas at Bethany Village, who have both passed away since our visits to them. Christmas caroling to our homebound
members at local nursing homes is one of the ministries of the Board of Deacons, and we do this in lieu
of a regular December meeting of the Board.
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Pastor Nominating Committee Progress Report
by Pat Torvik, Chairperson
We have competed our first year as a Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC). During that time, we have
reviewed applications from approximately 70 candidates and studied information from 40 other people
who had not formally applied for the position of Pastor/Head of Staff, but were recommended to us by
various individuals. Some of these candidates were
particularly interesting, and we met with them a number of times both in Dayton and in their home cities.
We have focused on learning as much as possible
about our candidates, so as to discern the one individual God is guiding toward Westminster. We try to
stay focused on what is best for our church, rather than what each of us might prefer as an individual.
We have met a varied group of candidates - male and female, younger and older, married and single,
great preachers and good preachers, great administrators and good administrators, bold personalities
and quiet personalities, and each of them has different passions, gifts, and interests. The one characteristic they all have in common is a love of God and a strong call to be a pastor. We remain confident
God is leading us to the right candidate. Shared devotions and prayer are an important part of our
discernment process, as are your prayers for us.
Each of us has grown through the pastor search. Through talking to candidates, we learn more about
ourselves and our faith. We hear about the books and articles our candidates are reading. This information enriches our own reading and study. We believe all of this study, conversation, and exploration
will lead us to the person God wants for our next Pastor/Head of Staff at Westminster.
Thank you for your support and for your prayers as we continue our journey. If you have questions
about the PNC, please contact me at torvikpa@gmail.com.
www.westminsterdayton.org
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Kori Phillips Ordained and Installed
On December 1, 2013, Kori Phillips was ordained as
Teaching Elder to the Ministry of Word and Sacrament
during an afternoon service hosted by the Presbytery
of the Miami Valley. She was joined by family members, friends, and mentors, including her new Head of
Staff, The Reverend Dr. David Gray, who also grew up
and was ordained here at Westminster. Kori and David
now serve at the Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church in
Bethesda, Maryland.
Kori accomplished her four year candidacy for ordination under care of the Session of Westminster Presbyterian Church and the Presbytery of the Miami Valley. During this time she completed her preparation
for ministry which included graduating from Princeton
Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity Degree,
accomplishing a concentration in Women’s Studies,
field education training in a local church (Watchung
Avenue Presbyterian Church in North Plainfield, NJ),
clinical pastoral education in a hospital setting (Kettering Medical Center), and completing ordination exams
in Bible Content, Biblical Exegesis, Theology, Worship,
and Polity (church governance). Following graduation
from seminary, Kori served as Associate for Youth and
Mission here at Westminster and as the Director of
Adult Education at Vanderbilt Presbyterian Church in
Naples, FL, before accepting the call in September to
serve as Associate Pastor at Bradley Hills Church.
Kori invited The Reverend Gloria Nohemy Ulloa Alvarado, of the Presbyterian Church in Colombia, to preach.
It was particularly significant that Gloria was present for
this service, not only as a friend, but as a representative of the longtime mission partnership Westminster
has with the church in Colombia. Gloria’s sermon on
the persistent widow (Luke 18:1-8) encouraged Kori in
her calling and the body assembled to work persistently
for justice. Gloria is the recently named World Council
of Churches President for the Caribbean/Latin Ameri6
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can region, the President of the Reformed University, and
Pastor of Fourth Presbyterian Church in Barranquilla, Colombia.
The service was a beautiful celebration and affirmation of
God’s call in Kori’s life. There were people present from
every step of Kori’s journey: family, friends from elementary, junior high and high school, college, Westminster,
Colombia, Peru, seminary, and Bradley Hills.
On Sunday, January 26, Kori was installed as the Associate Pastor at Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church. Nancy
Hodgkins and Sandy McConnel both participated in the
service hosted by National Capital Presbytery.
On Super Bowl Sunday, The Junior High youth collected 104 food items and $2,580.96 to support the Souper Bowl
of Caring. All food and money was given to the Dayton Foodbank to help fight hunger in our community.
www.westminsterdayton.org
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Faith in Action
The week before Christmas, twelve people participated in the
Young Adult Mission Trip to Nashville, Tennessee. The group
worked with Westminster Home Connection, a ministry of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Nashville.
This ministry grew out of the disaster relief
work Westminster was doing with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance after flooding
in 2010. Westminster members realized
through this experience that there are many people in their community that continue to need assistance making their homes safe and secure.
Our Westminster team built a ramp, worked on drywall, tile and painting, and
helped to move furniture and clean for a woman being evicted from her home.
Please visit our website to learn more about the Intergenerational Mission Trip to do Hurricane Sandy
Relief on Staten Island, June 15-21, 2014.
Prayer Shawl Ministry
The Prayer Shawl Ministry at Westminster began in 2007, and since then over 400 shawls have been
knitted, crocheted or woven. These shawls have touched the lives of church members, friends, and
neighbors, and also homeless women and their families at the Dayton YWCA. Prayer shawls have
provided an extension of care on Westminster mission trips. The following comment was recently received from one of our members; “My husband passed away unexpectedly and soon after I was in the
hospital myself and found a prayer shawl from Westminster on my bed. I asked the nurse if it was for
me and she assured me that it was indeed for me! It came at a time in my life when I needed it very
much. It did and still is giving me the feeling of God’s love and presence in my life and also the love of
my church family.”
The Prayer Shawl Ministry Team is in need of yarn and would greatly appreciate donations so that this
ministry of encouragement can continue to bless those in need of comfort. Receiving donations of yarn
will allow many more prayer shawls to be made and shared in the coming year. A member of the Prayer
Shawl Ministry Team is in the Resource Center each Sunday morning from 9:15 to 9:45 and would be
happy to answer any questions.
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Small Group Leaders’ Retreat Fortifies our Small Group Ministry
by Laurie Davis
On January 24 and 25, our Small Group Leaders went on retreat at Kirkmont Center’s Croft House for
refreshment, inspiration, new ideas, community building, and great food. The theme chosen by the
leaders was, “The Anatomy of Grace and Hope as Antidotes to Sin and Fatigue.” The group dug deep
into the story of Cain in Genesis 4:1-16, where the first mention of the word “sin” occurs in the Old
Testament.
We have 10 Small Groups and are currently forming a new one for women. The leader will be Jo Ann
Woodcock. Some of our Small Groups have been meeting for over 15 years. Their primary purpose
is spiritual growth through study, prayer, and service. They meet twice monthly, often in members’
homes. If you are interested in becoming a part of a Small Group, contact Laurie Davis (laurie@
westminsterdayton.org). Some of our current groups are looking for new members, and we are always ready to begin new Small Groups as the need arises.
Samaritan Homeless Clinic Cooking Classes
by Sandy Vining
Offered as a ministry through Westminster Presbyterian Women (WPW), we teach persons qualified for
services through the Samaritan Homeless Clinic the basics of cooking, cleanliness, and the importance
of healthy eating. We are fortunate to have for our classes at the Clinic a new kitchen graciously donated
in Jim Eschbach’s memory.
Often persons in permanent supportive housing have only a hot plate, or perhaps a shared kitchen
for preparing their food. Upon completion of four cooking classes, students receive a number of basic
kitchen items and an electric skillet provided by WPW to assist them with cooking. These items make all
the difference in our students’ ability to use what they learn through the classes.
A “graduate” of the program recently wrote a letter of appreciation to WPW summing up her personal
experience: “I learned a great deal and plan to follow all of the suggestions. The material distributed
will be most helpful, and I look forward to sharing information about the program with others who were
unaware of the program or unable to attend. There is a definite need among the homeless to become
better informed on this topic. This seminar provided an excellent forum for us to ask questions and learn
healthy cuisine options on a budget.”
If you are interested in learning more about this worthwhile ministry and be positively changed as we
have been, please contact Dorothy Lewis (434-8557), Robbie Nash (426-1706), Ruth Neely (296-0520),
or Sandy Vining (426-1678).
www.westminsterdayton.org
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E. J. Brown Update
By Jim Henry
Our educational partnership with E. J. Brown Elementary
School (formerly Van Cleve) dates to 1996 and continues
to benefit students, their families, and their teachers. Since
the opening of school in August, our people have activated
their faith by giving generously to the EJB Special Offering,
by donating school supplies and uniforms, by tutoring, and
by making Christmas a special occasion through our annual “Gifts From the Heart” program. Thank you to all who
have made a difference in the lives of our EJB children.
Tutoring always has been the lynchpin of our partnership,
and although our numbers were down in the fall, they are
steadily increasing. Currently, we tutor eighteen students
in grades three through eight and utilize twenty-eight tutors, six substitutes, three bus drivers, two craft teachers,
and one assistant. We work with a wide range of students
academically, offering enrichment and inspiration to those
with excellent test scores, and offering remediation and encouragement to those who struggle.
Thanks to the following Westminster members for their
time and effort at tutoring: Linda Arnhart, Judy and Vic Barnett, Kay Berg, Stan Hirtle, Brent Manley, Pam McGinnis,
Don Nowak, Amanda and Debbie Price, and Katie Whitlock. Thanks to the following members for serving as substitutes: Sally Dyer, Jo ellen Haney, Sue Merz, Dave Roderick, and Donna Shell. Our three bus drivers are George
Bayless, Bill Davis, and Les Ferguson. No drivers means
no tutoring; thanks, men. Also, hats off to Shelly Burden
and Linda Lane for their wonderful pre-tutoring craft projects. I can’t omit Wayne King and Marvin Fleming for all
the work they do to support tutoring, from setting up and
taking down the tables and chairs to emergency bus driving. Thanks to everyone for all you do for our children! If
you want to enjoy some of the blessings these people have
enjoyed in working with our E. J. Brown students and have
one hour a week to give, see Jim Henry.
Another exciting facet of our partnership has been the Book
Fair held annually at the school. We collect books throughout the year and distribute them to the students, with most
of them receiving three to four books. The children are so
excited to learn that they can have books to call their own
and are thrilled to be told that they do not have to return
the books, that they are theirs to keep. You should see the
smiles! If you would like to help in this endeavor, we will
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be hosting our annual book sale on Palm Sunday, April 13,
in Fellowship Hall. Barnes and Noble will again be here to
sell discounted books for donation to the school. Plan to
purchase a book or three! Your kindness will provide summer reading for students who love books.
The annual Youth Lock-in was held on Friday, January 31. While enjoying a sleepless evening
of fellowship, games, movies, snacks, and fun, the group baked cookies for 45 care packages
that were sent to our Westminster college students.
www.westminsterdayton.org
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Advent-Christmas Dinner
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Placemats crafted by women attending W.I.N.G.S. event on Feb. 12 at the Y.W.C.A.
to give to the Oncology Unit at Children's Hospital for their Valentine's Day Dinner Trays.
The Annual Cookie Walk sponsored by the Westminster Presbyterian Women raised
$2,000 to support Kirkmont Center and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance.
www.westminsterdayton.org
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New Members Welcomed February 23
Winter New Members Recognized in Worship on Feb. 23, 2014: (from left to right) Donna
Jenkins, William (Buzz) Goodwin, Melissa and Steve Orozi, Sharon Norton, Erika Oberer
and Alex Deady; back row, Maxfield Shea. Not pictured, Cherie Paddock.
Children’s CrossRoads-Education for the Journey Parable Place workshop acting out the
Tale of the Three Trees in December
Calvin Fellowship (3rd - 6th Grade) enjoy an
evening at the Shrine Circus on February 9.
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Among Our People
Births
Morgan Olivia Deck
Deaths
June Aileen Perrin
Betty Jean McCready
Miriam S. Clute
Evelynn Elizabeth Thomas
Margie Jane Yowell
Norma Kathleen Harvey
Dean Vaughn
Lucille Schaefer
Weddings
December 7, 2013
December 11, 2009
December 6, 2013
December 29, 2013
January 4, 2014
February 10, 2014
February 11, 2014
February 23, 2014
February 25, 2014
Alice Tenny and Sandy McConnel
Baptisms
Carter Thomas Kight Anderson Edward Preisser
Colin Stewart Dorris
Alyssa Louise Dorris
Daughter of Carson and Lindsey Deck
February 8, 2014
December 8, 2013
December 29, 2013
December 29, 2013
December 29, 2013
Son of Sara and Thomas Kight, Jr.
Son of Rachel and Jonathan Preisser
Son of Amanda and Andrew Dorris
Daughter of Amanda and Andrew Dorris
Members of the Fellowship Committee getting ready for the Chili Round-up following the Annual
Meeting on February 23. Delicious chili, cornbread, and the fixin's were enjoyed by over 200 people.
www.westminsterdayton.org
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• Done in a Day April 26
• Youth Sunday May 4
Visit www.westminsterdayton.org for more information on these and other events.
Westminster Presbyterian Church
125 N. Wilkinson St.
Dayton, Ohio 45402
www.westminsterdayton.org
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Distribution Date: Friday, February 28
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