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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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
Preschool Playdate on April 18
Preschoolers and their families are invited to a playdate with Ms. Kelly at the Dallas Arboretum on Saturday, April 18, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Contact: Minister to Preschoolers Kelly Akins (kakins@wilshirebc.org)
Firearm disposal event April 18
Wilshire is co-hosting a Guns to Gardens firearm disposal event on Saturday, April 18, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Royal Lane Baptist Church. This is a chance for anyone with unwanted firearms to anonymously and safely dispose of them. The guns will be disabled and later forged into garden tools, art and jewelry. Gift cards are available on a first-come, first-served basis and will be distributed based on the type of firearm brought. Guns to Gardens is a national movement working to reduce gun violence, and Wilshire helped start a local chapter last year. Find details at wilshirebc.org/events/guns-to-gardens.
• Volunteers are needed to staff the event. Sign up. Contact: Pastoral Resident Jordann McMahan (jmcmahan@wilshirebc.org)
Coverage during Timothy’s 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.
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
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.
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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.
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.
Day of Service
Saturday, April 25 | 8:30–10:30 a.m. | Join us for an hour or two of beautifying our campus as we look forward to our anniversary weekend. Coffee and donuts will be available starting at 8:15 in James Gallery, where we’ll all meet and get our instructions. To see the tasks and sign up, visit wilshirebc.org/75 and look for the SignUpGenius link.
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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. Other preachers during Timothy’s sabbatical will be:
• May 3: Pam Durso, president, Central Seminary, Overland Park, Kansas
• 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
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.
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Wednesday Night Live: April 22
Koinonia Café
5 p.m. | Community Hall | Buffet dinner with kid-friendly options. Cash/check/credit. April 22: BBQ pulled pork, buns, beans, coleslaw, potato chowder, apple crumble, cookies and jello.
Bible Study: Sacredly Secular
April 8, 15, 22 | 6 p.m. | Community Hall | Associate Pastor Darren DeMent will lead adults in Sacredly Secular: Reimagining the Sacred-Secular Divide, a three-week series that will invite us to reconsider the categories that have shaped how we understand meaning, purpose and presence in our everyday lives.
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.
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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.
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 brief dedication. The Library will be open during the event.
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.
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
Darwin Payne, author of Behind the Scenes: Covering the JFK Assassination, will be in attendance to discuss the book at the next Men’s Book Club meeting on Tuesday, April 21, at 7 p.m. in the Parlor. 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.