This page is usually updated Fridays.
Maggie Morey called to Omaha church | Read more >
Summer 2026 camps for children and preschoolers. | Read more >
Timothy Peoples sabbatical, April 21–May 24. | Read more >
Pathways Director Charlie Fuller to retire. | Read more >
Next class of pastoral residents named. | Read more >
Speaker named for 75th anniversary service. | Read more >
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Kids Friendship Party is April 24
Children in kindergarten through grade 5 are invited to a party with crafts, games, music and a movie on Friday, April 24, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friends are welcome. Please register Wilshire kids and friends by April 22 at wilshirebc.org/events/kids-friendship-party.
David Stern and George Mason lunch dialogue on April 26
Rabbi David Stern, senior rabbi of Temple Emanu-El in Dallas, will be featured in conversation with George Mason, Wilshire’s senior pastor emeritus, over a free lunch in Community Hall on Sunday, April 26. Rabbi Stern will preach in Wilshire’s 11 a.m. service that day, the first Sunday Senior Pastor Timothy Peoples will be away on sabbatical. Register for lunch and preschool childcare at wilshirebc.org/events/stern-mason-lunch. Lunch available while supplies last; priority will be given to those who registered.
Music event set for April 26
Sing and Ring Our Song of Praise: A Choral and Handbell Vespers will be held Sunday, April 26 at 4:30 pm in the Sanctuary. Join us for an evening of music and community as the handbell and sanctuary choirs of Northridge Presbyterian, Lake Highlands United Methodist and Wilshire come together as combined choirs to offer praise in song and sound. The congregation will also be invited to raise their voices in a community hymn sing. All are welcome.
Adventurers Arboretum outing
The Wilshire Adventurers will visit the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden on Monday, April 27, from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. to see Bunnies, Birds & Butterflies, large-scale installations by artist Hunt Slonem. Tickets are free; optional picnic lunch available ($5 ea.). Carpool from Wilshire at 9:30 a.m. Please register at wilshirebc.org/events/arboretum by April 22.
Wilshire Welcome meets Sunday, May 17
Wilshire Welcome, a casual one-hour session to help guests and new members learn about the church, will meet Sunday, May 17, at 9:45 a.m. in the Prayer Room near the chapel. No RSVP needed. Contact: Carolyn Murray
Timothy on sabbatical
Senior Pastor Timothy Peoples will be on sabbatical from April 22 through May 26. If you have emergency pastoral care needs during this time, contact Katie Murray (kmurray@wilshirebc.org). Timothy’s assistant, Chelsea Hopkins (chopkins@wilshirebc.org), can help with any other matters.
Pam Durso preaches May 3
Pam Durso, president of Central Seminary in Overland Park, Kansas, will preach for the 11 a.m. service on May 3. Before joining Central in 2020, Durso spent 11 years as executive director of Baptist Women in Ministry. An expert on Baptist history, Durso is the author or editor of 10 books and has taught at Campbell University Divinity School and McAfee School of Theology. Other guest preachers during Timothy’s sabbatical will be:
• May 10: Meredith Stone, executive director, Baptist Women in Ministry
• May 17: Greg Garrett, professor of literature and culture, Baylor University
• May 24: George Mason, senior pastor emeritus at Wilshire
Library anniversary event May 3
Wilshire’s Library will mark its 73rd anniversary and dedicate its renovated space with an event on Sunday, May 3. “The Library opened two years after the church started, and it’s very rare that a church library this old still exists and is as vibrant and utilized as ours,” said Librarian Barbara Peterson. “We recently completed a major renovation with shelving donated by Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas. We thought it appropriate to celebrate on May 3 when Pam Durso, president of the seminary, is here to preach.” After 11 a.m. worship, all are invited to James Gallery for cake and a dedication. The Library will be open during the event.
Building projects update
• As you may have noticed, progress is being made with our water intrusion project. The north side of the Narthex has been reopened, and work has progressed to the front steps and the south side. Some spots in the south parking lot will be unavailable while work continues, but this part of the project should not take long.
• Regarding the south elevator: There are multiple issues that need to be resolved, and instead of doing it piece by piece, we made the decision to do these repairs all at once. We are waiting for parts and hope to have this work completed as soon as possible. In the meantime, the elevator can be used by choice, but we will continue to move any programming that requires the use of the elevator to the first floor.
• We have upgraded our Internet infrastructure and added new WiFi access points to help support our church’s needs; this equipment will also make our network more secure. If you notice any difference, good or bad, please let me know.—Heather Mustain, associate pastor
Kitchen hiring for three roles
The Wilshire kitchen is seeking applicants for three roles. Find the full job descriptions at wilshirebc.org/employment and send resumes to Holly Irvin at hirvin@wilshirebc.org.
• Sous Chef (full-time): Second in command in the kitchen, the sous chef monitors ingredients for cooking, monitors inventories, ensures food quality and consistency and cleans and sanitizes food prep areas.
• Prep Cook (part-time): The prep cook prepares ingredients for cooking, monitors inventories, ensures food quality and consistency and cleans and sanitizes food prep areas.
• Steward (part-time): The steward cleans and organizes, monitors inventory of chemicals, ensures food setups are accurate, cleans and sanitizes food prep areas and assists with coffee preparation and event setups.
Save the date for church picnic
Wilshire in the Park, our annual churchwide picnic, will be held Sunday, May 17, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Flag Pole Hill. The church will provide fried chicken, rolls and drinks. The rest of the meal is potluck by last name: A–F, salad; G–M, dessert; N–S, fruit; T–Z, veggies. Volunteers are needed, and we could use a truck or two. Sign up to help at wilshirebc.org/events/picnic.
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Wilshire’s 75th anniversary
Wilshire will mark its 75th anniversary this year, culminating in a festive June weekend, and we need your help! From planning to hosting, there are lots of ways you can be involved in our milestone celebration. Visit our SignUpGenius and see where you can plug in.
Your voice wanted!
• What’s something Wilshire has taught you to appreciate?
• Who have you known the longest at Wilshire?
• When was a time you felt loved at Wilshire?
These are a few of the questions you may get asked by Darren DeMent or others who will be roaming the building looking for congregants to share their thoughts on video. It’s all part of our 75th anniversary celebration, and the videos will be edited and shared on our social media platforms. There’s no pressure to participate, but we’d love to capture as many of your thoughts as possible.
75th anniversary shirts, caps
New Wilshire T-shirts commemorating our 75th anniversary have arrived and are available for purchase. Adult and youth sizes cost $15; toddler sizes cost $10. Baseball caps are also available for $20. Items will be for sale from 9 to 10 a.m. Sundays (no sales April 19) and on Wednesday nights. Contact Carolyn Murray.
75th anniversary weekend
• Saturday, June 13 — Homecoming Celebration
4:45–7:30 p.m. | Catch up with friends, explore the building and browse history displays at featured stops, with reflections and remembrances in the Sanctuary at 6.
7–10 p.m. | Extended fellowship at Times Ten Cellars. 6324 Prospect Ave.
• Sunday, June 14 — Worship Celebration
11 a.m. | Our 75-minute service in the Sanctuary will include a message by Rev. Kelly Brown Douglas.
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Wednesday Night Live: April 29
Koinonia Café
5 p.m. | Community Hall | Buffet dinner with kid-friendly options. Cash/check/credit. April 29: Tilapia Veracruz, mac and cheese, broccoli, potato and poblano soup, salad, flan, brownies, jello.
Resident-Led Vespers
April 29 | 6 p.m. | McIver Chapel | Join the pastoral residents for the final vespers service before summer break as they explore the topic of Christlike sabbath. Jordann McMahan will preach and lead communion, and we will practice a sabbath examen. This space will allow us to turn our attention to rest, delight and everything in between as we approach a season that will be slower in some ways and busier in others.
Preschool Music & Missions
6 p.m. | Age 3–Pre-K | Preschool choir plus fun activities and lessons focused on God’s love and caring for others.
KidConnect
6 p.m. | K–Grade 5 | A rotation of activities to help kids learn how to love God and others.
Watershed
6:30 p.m. | Grades 6–12 | Bible study and
music in the Youth Center.
Sanctuary Choir
7 p.m. | Choral Hall | Wilshire’s main adult choir rehearses weekly. New singers are always welcome, and there’s no audition.
May 6 is final WNL this spring
On May 6, the final Wednesday night of the school year, Koinonia Café will be followed at 6 p.m. by a year-end program for Children’s Choirs, KidConnect and Preschool Music & Missions. Watershed will meet one more time, on May 13. Sanctuary Choir rehearsals will continue.
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Lunch & Learn meets May 6
Generally held the first and third Wednesdays every month in Community Hall, Lunch & Learn features a buffet lunch ($10) followed by Bible study. Everyone is invited.
Graduate info needed by May 10
Wilshire will recognize 2026 high school graduates in worship on May 17; their photos will be printed in the worship folder along with those of church members who received a bachelor’s degree from June 2025 to May 2026. To be included, email Carole McClung (cmcclung@wilshirebc.org) with the student’s name, school name, future plans and a photo by May 10. For college grads, submit a photo plus the college name and degree or major.
Sharing Sacred Spaces site visit on May 12
Wilshire is participating in a local interfaith cohort through the national organization Sharing Sacred Spaces. The mission of SSS is to overcome bias, misunderstanding and polarization through immersive education and training that makes vivid our common humanity. Participating faith communities are invited to host the cohort and other guests for a meal and a discussion of the history and architecture of their sacred space. Wilshire will host on Tuesday, May 12, from 6 to 9 p.m. Cohort member David Giles said, “Please join me in welcoming and witnessing our Baptist Christian faith. I’ve learned so much visiting other sacred spaces and can’t wait to share our space and a wonderful meal as we learn and love each other with God’s perfect love.”
• Register to attend at sharingsacredspaces.org/events.
• Associate Pastor Heather Mustain is looking for 10 volunteers to help with hospitality. Contact Heather.
Monthly service opportunities
• A Wilshire group serves the fourth Friday morning each month at the Vickery Meadow Youth Development Foundation’s Mobile Food Pantry. If you can help, contact Charlie Estee at cesteedallas@gmail.com.
• Cindy Estee coordinates volunteers to serve as food pantry assistants at the Wilkinson Center the third Tuesday each month from noon to 3:45 p.m. Contact Cindy at
cesteedallas@aol.com.
• A team of Wilshire volunteers serves lunch at The Stewpot on the second Thursday every month. Contact David Cossum at dc@cossum.com to join the team or learn more.
Women of Wilshire Book Clubs
• Tuesday Evening Book Club | May 12 | 6:30 p.m. | Parlor | American Gospel by Jon Meacham. Contact Debby Burton.
• Brown Bag Book Club | Thursday, May 7 | Noon | 1205-L | The Briar Club by Kate Quinn. Contact Carolyn Murray.
Men’s Book Club welcomes author
Tuesday, May 19 | 7 p.m. | Parlor | Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation by Kristin Kobes Du Mez. Contact: Scott Spreier (swspreier@gmail.com) or Mike Meripolski (meripolski@att.net)
Baptism Team seeks larger pool of volunteers
Looking for an easy way to serve? The Baptism Ministry Team is seeking volunteers. Team members are contacted as baptisms are scheduled and may serve as a baptism host — meeting with the individual being baptized, showing them to the baptistry and lighting the candle — or by helping with robe and towel laundry afterward. These roles require minimal time but offer meaningful support to those being baptized. For more information or to sign up, contact Chelsea Hopkins.
Adam’s Baskets
Wilshire’s Adam’s Baskets ministry, created in memory of Adam Malcik upon his passing in 1987 by his parents Vy and Michael Malcik, provides members the opportunity to keep our food pantry stocked. Our small pantry meets immediate needs when a neighbor stops by for assistance. Wicker baskets are located around the church, and you can place nonperishable items into a basket at any time. Proteins, peanut butter and pop-top canned goods are most needed. Items are collected from the baskets on the second Sunday each month.