This page is usually updated Fridays.
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For guests and new members
• Wilshire Welcome is a one-hour session to help you learn about Wilshire. Held in the Prayer Room near McIver Chapel. Upcoming date: Oct. 12.
• Time with Tim is your chance to meet and chat with Senior Pastor Timothy Peoples in an informal group session in his office. Upcoming date: Nov. 16.
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Hymn festival on Oct. 18
The Plymouth Choir from First-Plymouth Church in Lincoln, Nebraska, will be joined by Wilshire’s Sanctuary Choir to present a hymn festival here on Saturday, Oct. 18, at 7:30 p.m. In Sing Glory to the Name of God: A Festival of Hymns, the choirs will bring a message of hope in a program celebrating the many names we offer God. Tom Trenney directs the Plymouth Choir. Ariel Merivil served at First-Plymouth before joining Wilshire as minister of music.
Middle School Bells starts Oct. 19
Middle School Bells is a new opportunity for students in grades 6–8 to learn more about reading music and developing musicianship in a low-pressure setting. Starting Oct. 19, the group will rehearse in the Handbell Room from 1:30 to 2 p.m. on Sundays. Jeff Brummel, who has years of college and private teaching experience, will direct. Contact Jeff with questions at jbrummel@wilshirebc.org. Note: Jeff is on sabbatical until Oct. 13.
Weekly 9 a.m. contemplative service starts Nov. 9 | Read more >
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Deacon Nominations
The Deacon Nominating Committee asks Wilshire members to submit names of persons to be considered for deacon service. Nominations are due Oct. 3. Learn more and make nominations >
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Wednesday Night Live: Oct. 8
Koinonia Café
5 p.m. | Community Hall | Buffet dinner for the whole family with kid-friendly options available. Cash/check/credit accepted at the door. Full Meal: $10 for ages 10 and up; $5 for kids 4 to 9; free for kids 3 and under; $35 household max. Soup & Salad Meal: $7. Oct. 8: Butter chicken, basmati rice, roasted vegetables, hummus and naan, vegetable curry, mango lassi, garam masala cookies, jello. Kids: Chicken, rice and veggies.
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 with every part of themselves. Each week is different! Activities include art, music, recreation, science and more. Kindergartners will have choir as part of KidConnect.
Bible Study series: HERstory
6 p.m. | Community Hall | What do you think of when you think of women and the Bible? Perhaps Mary, mother of Jesus, or the other Mary, who shares the news of the resurrected Christ. This series will highlight the voices of various women in the Bible, using feminist insights to show the expansive ways these women’s unique experiences reveal the work of God and witness to the gospel.
• Oct 8: Esther
• Oct. 15: Deborah and Jael
• Oct. 22: Lydia and Phoebe
• Oct. 29: Vespers in McIver Chapel
November: Next month we will study Kaitlin Curtice’s Living Resistance. Consider deepening your experience by purchasing and reading the book in advance.
Watershed
6:30 p.m. | Grades 6–12 | Wilshire Student Ministry’s weekly time of 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.
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Let’s Organize! meets Oct. 15
Are you interested in working with others to create positive change in our community? Join Abbey Adcox and Georgia McKee on Wednesday, Oct. 15, at 6 p.m. for the next meeting of Let’s Organize!, which will be held in the Parlor the first and third Wednesdays each month this fall.
Next Lunch & Learn is Oct. 15
All are invited at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 1, for a buffet lunch ($10) followed by Bible study. No RSVP needed; pay at the door. Lunch & Learn is held the first and third Wednesdays every month.
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Texas Impact event on state constitutional amendments
On Sunday, Oct. 12, faith-based advocacy agency Texas Impact will host a discussion about several proposed amendments to the Texas constitution. The session will provide an overview of 17 amendments that will appear on the November ballot, helping attendees understand them and what they could mean for our communities. The event will be held at Arapaho United Methodist Church from 12:30 to 2 p.m. and can also be accessed online. Register at arapahoumc.org/texas.
Marriage Connections is Oct. 10
Marriage Connections will be held Friday, Oct. 10, at 6:30 p.m. Free childcare (infant–grade 5) will be provided while parents enjoy a short program at the church and then have the rest of the night, until 9:30, to themselves. Registration is required for childcare and closes Sunday, Oct. 5. Visit wilshirebc.org/events/marriage-connections.
Single, Adoptive, Foster Parents Night Out
Free childcare (infant–grade 5) will be provided for single, adoptive and foster parents on Friday, Oct. 10, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Registration is required and closes Sunday, Oct. 5. Sign up at wilshirebc.org/events/pno.
Preschool Playdate on Oct. 11
Preschoolers and their families are invited to come play with Ms. Kelly at Flag Pole Hill Park (8015 Doran Cir.) on Saturday, Oct. 11, from 9:30 to 11 a.m.
Friday Friends needs volunteers
The Wilshire Friday Friends program is in need of a few additional volunteers for socializing, fun and games. Friday Friends is a respite program for people caring for a loved one with dementia. On the second and fourth Fridays of most months, the caregivers drop off their loved ones with Friday Friends and then have a four hour break from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to have time to themselves. Volunteer duties are simple — stay with the assigned participant, engage them in conversation, encourage them in our activities and just generally enjoy their company. We have a busy four hours, and Wilshire provides lunch for everyone. Because the program’s emphasis is on building friendships and knowing our participants, we ask that volunteers be consistent in their attendance with the caveat that an occasional absence is unavoidable. Expertise with dementia is not required. Training will be provided. To volunteer or learn more, contact Terry Wade at 817-454-5620 or twade2618@aol.com.
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.
Mission partner meet and greet
Whosoever Wilshire Class will host a meet and greet with a Wilshire mission partner on Wednesday, Oct. 8, at 6 p.m. in Room 3105. Tammy Johnson, founder and executive director of Empowering the Masses, will tell the story of the nonprofit — when it was founded, who it serves and what it does, from training classes in phlebotomy to job application help to a market for food-insecure families. All are welcome to come meet Tammy and mingle with the “Whosoevers.” Light refreshments will be served.
Gaston Center open house
Mission partner Gaston Christian Center will hold an open house on Sunday, Oct. 19, from 2 to 4 p.m. All are invited to tour the facility, meet staff and board members and learn how GCC is a resource hub for the community. The center is located at 8515 Greenville Ave.
Heather on panel for SMU event
Associate Pastor Heather Mustain will be one of four panelists discussing the intersection of faith, housing and human dignity at SMU on Thursday, Oct. 23. The event will be held from noon to 1:30 p.m. in Moody Hall on the SMU campus. Learn more about the event and register at bit.ly/4nm7H1W.
Adventurers event on Oct. 29
Wilshire Adventurers will enjoy lunch ($10 ea.) and a presentation from Texas Master Gardener Fran Powell at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 29. No reservation required. In “Language and Legends of Flowers,” Powell will share about the rich symbolism of flowers as inspired by myths, legends, religion, world cultures and literature. Adventurers is a fellowship group for anyone 60 and up.
WOW: Bubbles, Bites & BWNA
Join Women of Wilshire on Thursday, Oct. 30, for a casual evening with friends while learning about the work of Baptist Women of North America and their Education Equity Program, which provides period products in Africa. The come-and-go (or come-and-stay) gathering will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the home of Carolyn Murray (9930 Caribou Tr.). Please RSVP at wilshirebc.org/events/bwna.
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Library help needed on Sundays
Librarian Barbara Peterson is looking for Library volunteers to work Sundays from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. a few times a year in rotation with others. Tasks include shelving and checking out books. Contact Barbara (bpeterson@wilshirebc.org) if you can serve.
New in the Wilshire Library
NonFiction
• Going Eight Rounds: Fighting Parkinson’s and Lewy Bodies, Mark Drewan
• History Matters, David McCullough
• Pinholes of Light, Jerry McElveen
• Strong Ground: the Lessons of Daring Leadership, the Tenacity of Paradox, and the Wisdom of the Human Spirit, Brené Brown
Biography
• 107 Days, Kamala Harris
• Awake: A Memoir, Jen Hatmaker
Fiction
• Buckeye, by Patrick Ryan
• Circle of Days, by Ken Follett
• The Iron Storm: Clive Cussler, Jack Du Brul
• The Secret of Secrets, by Dan Brown
• Smuggler’s Cove, Fern Michaels
• The Girl With Ice in Her Veins, Karen Smirnoff
Book Club Books
• Little Bee: a Novel, Chris Cleave
• The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot, Marianne Cronin
• The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan
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Medical personnel sought
Parish Nurse Linda Garner is compiling a list of Wilshire medical personnel to serve in case of an emergency or to simply be a resource. If you are a physician, registered nurse, nurse practitioner or any kind of healthcare professional, please contact Linda at lgarner@wilshirebc.org.
A note from the parish nurse on flu and COVID vaccines
It is time to get your flu and Covid-19 shots. Both illnesses are still present and can make you miserable for several days. It is safe to get both vaccines at the same time. This year, not all pharmacies are giving them, so call before you go to be sure you can get it at your usual place. The vaccines are recommended for all adults over 65 and those with chronic health problems. Other adults need the vaccines as well, even though some official recommendations have changed. They are also recommended for children. If you have symptoms, you can get tested. Stay home until you are fever free for one day. Then if symptoms are getting better you do not have to stay home, but wear a mask for five days.—Linda Garner
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Save the date for 75th anniversary
Wilshire will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2026, culminating with special events on Saturday, June 13, and Sunday, June 14. Planning is underway, and more information is coming soon about how you can get involved. For now, mark your calendars for next June 13 and 14, and plan your summer vacation so you don’t miss the festivities.
Men’s Book Club
Oct. 21 | 7 p.m. | Parlor | Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. Contact: Mike Meripolski or Scott Spreier.
Women of Wilshire
• Tuesday Evening Book Club | Oct. 14 | 6:30 p.m. | Parlor | Year of Wonders by
Geraldine Brooks. Contact Debby Burton.
• Brown Bag Book Club | Nov. 5 | Noon | 1205-L | The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margo by Marianne Cronin. Contact Carolyn Murray.
Elevator update
The replacement of the north elevator is now projected to take place in early 2026. Needed parts will not arrive until late this fall. Once the project begins, it should take four to five weeks to complete. Thanks for your continued patience as the elevator remains out of service.
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.