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Souper Bowl of Caring: Feb. 8
The annual Souper Bowl of Caring will be held Sunday, Feb. 8, at noon in Community Hall. Join us after the 11 a.m. service for soup and all the fixings and donate an amount equal to what you would spend at a nice restaurant for lunch. | Learn more about this year’s event
Spaghetti Lunch is March 1; auction items needed
The annual Youth Choir Spaghetti Lunch and Silent Auction will be held Sunday, March 1, in Community Hall after the 11 a.m. service. This event will help fund the group’s summer mission tour to Kansas City to sing, serve and sightsee.
• Your donated items and services are needed for the silent auction. Suggestions include restaurant gift cards, new household items, sporting equipment and event tickets. Professional services make great donation items, so if you’re a musician, tutor, photographer, baker, designer, accountant or have a service to provide, consider donating a gift certificate of your time or service. Donations are kindly requested by Sunday, Feb. 15. Visit wilshirebc.org/events/slsa for donation information and contribution forms, or email wycauction@gmail.com.
Faith in 3D is coming March 4 & 7
Wilshire’s Faith in 3D team will present Songs of the People: Life’s Lessons from Folk Songs on March 4 and 7. The show will include a wide array of songs, from the lighthearted to the intense, the obvious to the symbolic, the personal to the universal, and the secular to the sacred. Nancy Poynter and Ralph Manuel return as director and musical director, respectively, with musical help from Jeff Brummel, Darren DeMent, Ariel Merivil and Amy Pottkotter. Songs of the People will be presented Wednesday, March 4, at 6:30 p.m., and Saturday, March 7, at 2:30 p.m. The three Ds in Faith in 3D stand for drama, dialogue and dessert.
Two Ash Wednesday services on Feb. 18
Noon | McIver Chapel
6 p.m. | Sanctuary
Wilshire will offer Ash Wednesday services at noon and 6 p.m. on Feb. 18. Both will include the imposition of ashes. The 6 p.m. service will be held in lieu of regular faith formation offerings; children and youth are encouraged to attend the service. Childcare will be available for preschoolers. Koinonia Café will be offered at 5 p.m.
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 at chopkins@wilshirebc.org.
Get in on the 75th anniversary fun
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.
Save these 75th anniversary dates!
Saturday, June 13 | 4:45–7:30 p.m. | The church will be open for you to come, see and gather. At 6 we’ll meet in the Sanctuary for reflections and remembrances.
Sunday, June 14 | 11 a.m. | 75-Minute Worship Celebration.
Adventurers Boston trip has room
Sign-ups are underway for the Adventurers’ Sept. 20–25 trip to Boston, and we still have room for a few more travelers. Visit wilshirebc.org/events/boston-trip to learn more and email Barbara Clayton (bclayton@wilshirebc.org) to learn how to register through our travel partner, Road Scholar. Adventurers is a fellowship group for anyone 60 and above.
Faithworks to hold conference
Advocacy partner FaithWorks (formerly Fellowship Southwest) will hold its Compassion and Justice Conference on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 20 and 21, in Austin. Racial justice will be the focus, and speakers will include Malcolm Foley, Agustín Quiles, and Robert P. Jones. Wilshire members can use the code “FWChurch” to get 40% off the registration fee. Learn more and register at faithworks.com.
Your voice matters in primaries
Texas primary elections in March determine which candidates appear on the November ballot, yet only about 10% of Texans participate. Several important dates are approaching: the voter registration deadline is Monday, Feb. 2; early voting runs Feb. 17–27; and Primary Election Day is Tuesday, March 3. Check your registration status, see a ballot preview and find polling locations at marchmatters.org.
Marriage Connections is Feb. 13
Marriage Connections will be held Friday, Feb. 13, 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 by Feb. 8. Visit wilshirebc.org/events/marriage-connections.
• The same childcare is available to single, adoptive and foster parents. Register at wilshirebc.org/events/pno by Feb. 8.
Preschool Playdate on Feb. 28
Preschoolers and their families are invited to a Preschool Playdate on Saturday, Feb. 28, from 9:30 to 11 a.m. at the home of Jessica and Andy Brookshire. Contact: Minister to Preschoolers Kelly Akins (kakins@wilshirebc.org)
Water intrusion project
Be aware that work has begun on the north side of the Sanctuary to resolve our long-standing water intrusion issues. During the project, you will likely not be able to enter the building using the North Atrium doors. The doors from the Prayer Garden to James Gallery should not be impacted. Thank you for your patience.
Historical photos, video wanted
Planners for Wilshire’s 75th anniversary celebration are hoping church members, especially those who’ve been around a while, can help us gather Wilshire-related photos and video from bygone decades. If you have anything, even if it’s not digitized, reach out to Communications Director Mark McKenzie.
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Wednesday Night Live: Feb. 11
Koinonia Café
5 p.m. | Community Hall | Buffet dinner with kid-friendly options. Cash/check/credit. Prices at wilshirebc.org/events/wnl. Feb. 11: Chili bar with toppings, buttered corn, cornbread, salad, chocolate cake, cookies, jello.
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.
Bible Study: Ecotheology
6 p.m. | Community Hall | Genesis 1 and 2 are the only accounts of creation in the Bible, right? Well, maybe not. Join Timothy and the residents for a study of creation accounts in Scripture from Genesis to John. This study, which ends Feb. 11, will look at Scripture through the lens of ecotheology and consider what creation has to say about the Creator.
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Lunch & Learn
Everyone is invited to Community Hall the first and third Wednesdays every month at 11:30 a.m. for a buffet lunch ($10) followed by Bible study. The next Lunch & Learn will be held Feb. 18.
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 | Feb. 10 | 6:30 p.m. | Parlor | The Correspondent by Virginia Evans. Contact Debby Burton.
• Brown Bag Book Club | Thursday, Feb. 5 | Noon | 1205-L | How to Read a Book by Monica Wood. Contact Carolyn Murray.
Men’s Book Club
Tuesday, Feb. 17 | 7 p.m. | Parlor | New Seeds of Contemplation by Thomas Merton. Contact: Scott Spreier (swspreier@gmail.com) or Mike Meripolski (meripolski@att.net)
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.