This page is generally updated on Fridays.
New pastoral residents named
Amanda Hines and Jordann McMahan, both graduates of Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University, have been hired as Wilshire’s next class of pastoral residents and will begin their two-year terms in August. Read full article>
Child safety training, April 13
Wilshire member Dawn Hallman will lead a child safety training session after worship on Sunday, April 13. The training is open to anyone but is required for those who work with kids under 18, including teachers, volunteers, parents and deacons. The training will be held after worship and will end by 2 p.m. Lunch will be provided. Childcare for preschoolers is available by registration; contact Minister to Preschoolers Kelly Akins (kakins@wilshirebc.org) by April 6.
Easter lily orders due April 13
It’s time to order lilies to beautify the Sanctuary on Easter Sunday, April 20. Congregants are invited to provide the flowers in honor or memory of family members or friends, and dedications will be listed in the worship folder. Each plant costs $20; orders can be made at wilshirebc.org/easter-lilies or in the church office. The deadline for ordering is Palm Sunday, April 13.
Wilshire Welcome to be held April 13
Wilshire Welcome, a one-hour session to help guests and new members learn about the church, will be offered Sunday, April 13, at 9:45 a.m. in the Prayer Room near McIver Chapel. Contact: Carolyn Murray (cmurray@wilshirebc.org)
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Holy Week and Easter
Palm Sunday Worship
April 13 | 11 a.m. | Sanctuary | Music from combined choirs and brass. New this year: everyone gets to wave palm branches; pick yours up when entering the Sanctuary.
Sacred Space gathering
Sundays, March 9–April 13 | 9–9:30 a.m. | McIver Chapel | Join us each Lenten Sunday for a time of quiet contemplation and spiritual practice. Each gathering will begin with a brief prompt, but the focus will be on creating space to quiet your mind and engage in the spiritual practices we’re exploring this season. All are welcome. Led by Associate Pastor Darren DeMent, Minister to Senior Adults Katie Murray and Pastoral Resident Georgia McKee.
Stations of the Cross
Visit McIver Chapel this week for a Stations of the Cross exhibit featuring the art of Scott Erickson. The exhibit, which invites us to reflect as we walk with Jesus on his journey to the cross, can be seen when the church is open through Good Friday at 3 p.m.
Maundy Thursday Service
April 17 | 7:30 p.m. | Sanctuary | This moving service commemorates the Last Supper with readings and Communion, then carries through to the crucifixion, ending in darkened silence. Music by Sanctuary Choir, Nova and Shekinah.
Easter Sunrise Service
April 20 | 6:30 a.m. | T. & P. Hill, White Rock Lake | Offered in partnership with Northway Christian Church.
Service of Remembrance
April 20 | 9:30 a.m. | Columbarium | This brief service is geared toward those with loved ones memorialized in the Columbarium, which will be open for visits from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Easter Sunday worship at 8:30 and 11 a.m.
April 20 | The Sanctuary shutters, closed during Lent, will be opened as we celebrate Easter through word and song. We’ll hear music from Sanctuary Choir and orchestra plus Jeff Brummel’s traditional organ postlude, the Widor Toccata.
■ Flowering Cross. Stop by Easter morning to place a flower into the mesh-wrapped wooden cross outside the Sanctuary. Bring your own fresh-cut flowers or take one from a limited supply provided by the church.
Easter ushers, greeters needed
With two services and large crowds expected, we need more volunteers to serve as ushers and greeters on Easter Sunday, April 20. There are also opportunities to serve in rotation on an ongoing basis. If you can help, please contact Barbara Clayton at bclayton@wilshirebc.org.
Resources at wilshirebc.org/lent:
■ Playlist on Spotify
■ Resource Guide on Spiritual Practices
■ Family Lenten Guide
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Children’s Choir spring session is underway
Kindergartners through fifth graders are invited to “Sing This Spring” by participating in the spring session of Children’s Choirs, which includes four Sunday rehearsals, two times singing in Sunday worship plus a year-end program. Rehearsals will run from 12:30 to 1:15 p.m. after a snack lunch.
■ March 23: rehearsal
■ March 30: rehearsal
■ April 6: rehearsal
■ April 13: sing in worship on Palm Sunday; no rehearsal April 13 or 20.
■ April 27: rehearsal (Pizza Day!)
■ May 4: sing in worship
■ May 7: year-end program and party
Internet safety encore on Zoom
The April 6 Internet safety presentation by Wilshire member Teri Walker will be repeated over Zoom on Wednesday, April 23, at 6 p.m. Teri will again cover how to protect yourself and your information in email, social media, text messaging and more. To find the Zoom link, visit wilshirebc.org/events/internet-safety. If you’ll be at Wilshire for dinner or choir and wish to participate, we’ll have the Zoom running in Room 3103.
Marriage Connections
The final Marriage Connections of the school year will be a celebration of outgoing mentor couple Patty and Paul Latham on Friday, May 9. Free childcare (infant–grade 5) will be provided at the church from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Registration for childcare is required by May 4. Visit wilshirebc.org/events/marriage-connections.
Single, Adoptive and Foster Parents Night Out
Wilshire will offer free childcare (infant–grade 5) for single, adoptive and foster parents on Friday, May 9, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Registration is required and closes May 4; register at wilshirebc.org/events/pno.
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Wednesday Night Live: April 16
Koinonia Café
5 p.m. | Community Hall | Buffet dinner. Cash/check/credit accepted. See prices at wilshirebc.org/events/wnl. April 16: Panko encrusted pork chops, mashed potatoes, green beans, corn chowder, carrot cake, chocolate chip cookies, jello. Kids: Pork chops, mashed potatoes and green beans.
Preschool Music & Missions
6 p.m. | Age 3–Pre-K | Preschool choir plus activities and lessons focused on God’s love.
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.
April Bible Study Series: Mystics & Misfits
6 p.m. | Community Hall | Christians throughout history have sought God in radical ways — some by locking themselves in solitude for a life of prayer, others by leaving behind comfort to serve the poor and challenge injustice. Through contemplation and bold action, these mystics and cultural misfits saw God in ways that changed the world. In this series, we’ll explore their stories and what they can teach us about faith today.
■ April 16: Howard Thurman. Before the marches and speeches of the Civil Rights Movement, there was a quiet force shaping its spiritual foundation. Senior Pastor Timothy Peoples will introduce us to Howard Thurman, a theologian and pastor whose deep well of contemplative prayer nourished the vision of leaders like Martin Luther King Jr.
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 | New singers are always welcome in our main adult choir. No audition.
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Free yoga classes
Wilshire member Mary Lu Hare will lead free yoga class in the Youth Center on three Saturdays: March 15, April 19 and May 17. The one-hour sessions will start at 10 a.m. and are suitable for all experience levels. Bring a yoga mat, water and a friend.
Grocery distribution
Join a team that will distribute groceries in partnership with Catholic Charities and the Vickery Meadow Youth Development Foundation on the last Friday of each month from 8:30 to 11:45 a.m. Contact Associate Pastor Heather Mustain (hmustain@wilshirebc.org) if you’re interested in serving.
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Summer 2025 — Children and Preschool
Save the dates for these Children’s and Preschool summer events. Registration is open>
• Vacation Bible School | June 9–13 | 9 a.m.–noon. | Older preschool–grade 5
• Cooking Camp | July 7–11 | 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m. | Grades 1–5
• Listen to Your Art! | July 7–11 | 12:30–5 p.m. | Grades 1–5
• Full-day Cooking and Art available for grades 2–5
• Kindergarten & Preschool Camp | July 7–11 | 9 a.m.–noon | Older preschool–Kindergarten
• Passport Kids! Preteen Camp | July 20–23 | Overnight camp in Glen Rose, Texas for grades 3–5
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Lunch & Learn
All are invited to Community Hall the first and third Wednesdays every month at 11:30 a.m. for lunch ($10 ea.) and Bible study. See the spring schedule at wilshirebc.org/events/lunch-learn.
David Clanton art exhibit
The digital photography of Wilshire member David Clanton will be featured in “A Celebration of God’s Gift of Seeing” in the South Lobby through Easter. David says the exhibit “seeks to deepen our understanding of how we see, how we perceive and how our vision of the world is shaped by our faith in God.” The 33 images in the show combine representational and abstract elements, which David likens to “the dual nature of our sight — the physical, which connects us to the world around us, and the spiritual, which connects us to the eternal.”
Men’s Book Club
The Men’s Book Club will discuss Frank Bruni’s The Age of Grievance on Tuesday, April 15, at 7 p.m. in the Parlor. Contact: Mike Meripolski or Scott Spreier.
Women of Wilshire
■ Tuesday Evening Book Club | May 13 | 6:30 p.m. | Parlor | The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon. Contact Debby Burton.
■ The Brown Bag Book Club has canceled its April 3 meeting and will next meet on May 1 for a discussion of Leila Meacham’s Dragonfly. Contact Carolyn Murray.
■ A WOW Mini-Retreat will be held Saturday, April 12, at the church from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Register>
■ Evening knitting group. Anyone who enjoys knitting is invited to Peggy Tinsley’s Garland home one evening each month, usually the third Thursday, to work on their projects in fellowship with others. The group is open to knitters of all skill levels. Contact Sara Tinsley for more details.
North elevator update
Wilshire is soliciting bids to replace the elevator on the north end of the building. The current elevator, which is decades old, has proven increasingly unreliable despite repeated repair attempts, and for safety reasons it will remain out of service until the new one can be installed. The process could take several weeks. We apologize for the inconvenience.
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.