Choral scholar recital
Choral Scholar Wayne Mkhize, a graduate student at SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts, will perform a voice recital in Wilshire’s McIver Chapel on Sunday, April 28, at 6 p.m.
Advocacy project Stolen Lives: T-shirt making April 28
All are invited to Community Hall after worship to make a T-shirt for the Stolen Lives advocacy project. Box lunches will be provided. This project of advocacy agency Texas Impact aims to build awareness and reduce gun violence through public installations where T-shirts are used to memorialize gun violence victims. Each colored shirt will show the name, age and death date of someone in Dallas County who died of gun violence in the last five years. Each white shirt will represent a suicide and show a crisis hotline number. Our 200 shirts will be displayed at Wilshire in late May and will be shown alongside those from other churches outside the National Rifle Association convention in Dallas on May 18. The campaign will culminate next year when all shirts are displayed at the state capitol. More details.
Spring Valley Elementary support
Wilshire is supporting RISD’s Spring Valley Elementary during Field Day and Teacher Appreciation Week in May. Wilshire’s Shana Gaines is assistant principal at SVE, which will close due to consolidation after this school year.
■ Notes of gratitude may be written or dropped off at tables in James Gallery and near the office through Sunday, May 5. Our goal is to collect at least 130 notes.
■ On Field Day, Friday, May 10, we will provide classroom coverage from 11 a.m. to noon so staff can enjoy lunch together. Volunteers will provide supervision while students eat lunch and participate in an activity. Spanish speaking is a plus but is not required. Sign up.
Minister to preschoolers sought
Wilshire is actively seeking applicants for the position of minister to preschoolers, a part-time ministerial role. Senior Pastor Timothy Peoples said, “Last year we began a process of intentionally assessing our ministries from birth to age 18. With learnings from guest speakers, surveys and all-church listening sessions, we now feel we are in a better spot to begin searching for a minister to preschoolers. This doesn’t mean we’ve finished listening or dreaming, but it’s time to bring in someone with great expertise to help us continue planning for the future.” In accordance with Wilshire’s personnel policies, the Personnel Committee will work with Associate Pastor Darren DeMent in the hiring process. A job description and instructions for applying can be found at wilshirebc.org/employment. Applications will be accepted through June 1.
Jones and Garrett books for sale
Books remaining from our April 13 and 14 events with Robert P. Jones and Greg Garrett will be on sale Wednesdays in Community Hall during lunch and dinner and on Sundays in the main office while supplies last. Titles available are The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy and the Path to a Shared American Future (Jones), White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity (Jones) and The Gospel According to James Baldwin: What America’s Great Prophet Can Teach Us About Life, Love and Identity (Garrett).
Graduate info needed by May 8
Wilshire will recognize its 2024 high school graduates during worship on May 19, and their photos will be printed in the worship folder along with those of church members who received a bachelor’s degree from June 2023 to May 2024. To be included, please submit your information by Wednesday, May 8, via a form at wilshirebc.org/graduates. Contact: Sarah Yodh
Realm Help Desk
Still not sure what Realm is all about? Need help downloading your giving statement? Wilshire staffers will be available at the times listed below to answer your Realm questions and offer hands-on training. If needed, they’ll even take your photo and help you upload it.
■ Sundays, April 14 and May 5, from 9:15 to 9:45 a.m. in James Gallery.
■ Wednesdays, May 1 and May 8, from 11 to 11:30 a.m. in Community Hall.
Realm is a secure online platform connected to our member database. Wilshire members use it for giving and event registrations. It also serves as our church directory, so having your photo there is helpful to new members and staff members. You can access Realm through a web browser or the free Realm Connect mobile phone app.
WILSHIRE WEDNESDAYS
Lunch & Learn: For everyone. Now every week.
Join us each Wednesday 11:30 a.m.–12:45 p.m. in Community Hall. All ages are welcome for a buffet lunch ($10 each) and minister-led Bible study. Pay at the door. No RSVP needed. Contact Barbara Clayton. June 5: The last Lunch & Learn before a summer break will feature New Song Community Choir’s end-of-season concert.
Wednesday Night Live: May 1
■ Koinonia Café | 5–6 p.m. | Community Hall | Buffet-style dinner for the whole family. Pricing at wilshirebc.org/events/wnl. May 1: Scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, hash brown casserole, biscuits and gravy, fruit salad, pancakes, cinnamon rolls, yogurt parfait. Kids: Cereal and milk.
■ Music, Missions & More | 6–7 p.m. | Age 3–Pre-K | Preschool choir, plus fun activities focused on God’s love.
■ KidConnect | 6–7 p.m. | K–Grade 6 | A rotation of art, music and more to help kids learn how to love God and others.
■ New Bible Study Series: The Gospel of Aretha Franklin | April 3–May 1 | 6–7 p.m. | Community Hall | On Aretha’s album Amazing Grace, her father, Rev. C.L. Franklin, said “she has never left the church.” He chose these words to calm those unhappy with her choice of music styles. Join us as we investigate the songs of the Queen of Soul and notice how in our own secularities we too have not left the sweet soundings of the church — and how each song spoke to the time, ensuring “Good News.”
■ Watershed | 6:30–7:30 p.m. | Grades 7–12 | Bible study and music in the Youth Center.
■ Sanctuary Choir | 7 p.m. | Choral Hall | No audition. New singers welcome.
■ Looking Ahead | On May 8, the final WNL before summer break will include an open house in KidConnect rooms and a “Stump the Ministers” Q&A session in Community Hall. Preschool Music, Missions & More will not meet May 8, but childcare will be offered.
■ Childcare for infants to 2-year-olds whose parents are involved in church activities is offered 6–7:15 p.m.
WOW: Women of Wilshire
■ Spring Brunch | May 4 | 10 a.m.–noon | James Gallery | Join us for flower arranging and guest speaker Tammy Johnson, founder and executive director of mission partner Empowering the Masses. Register at wilshirebc.org/events/wow-spring-brunch.
■ Tuesday Evening Book Club meets May 14 at 6:30 p.m. in the Parlor to discuss Whiskey in a Teacup by Reese Witherspoon. Contact Debby Burton.
■ Brown Bag Book Club meets May 2 at noon in Room 1205-L to discuss The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. Contact Carolyn Murray.
■ Let’s play mahjong! Join Women of Wilshire for mahjong the first Friday each month at 10 a.m. and the second Wednesday each month at 6 p.m. Please sign up.
■ 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.
Children’s, Preschool Choirs year-end program
Children’s and Preschool Choirs will present a year-end program on Sunday, May 5, at 5 p.m. in the Sanctuary.
Kids Music & Missions Fun Day
Any child (K–6) who has participated in choir or KidConnect this school year is invited for a Music & Missions Fun Day on Saturday, May 4. The group will meet at Wilshire at 9:30 a.m. and carpool with chaperones to Fair Park, returning at 2:30 p.m. Activities will include Texas Discovery Gardens, Butterfly House and Insectarium, Art in the Park, a picnic lunch and the Leonhardt Lagoon Nature Walk. Register by April 28 at wilshirebc.org/events/mmfunday.
Marriage Connections is May 10
Timothy Peoples and Valerie Lott are hosting a gathering at their home for the final Marriage Connections of the school year on Friday, May 10. Free childcare (infant–grade 6) will be provided at the church from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Registration is required by May 5; visit wilshirebc.org/events/marriage-connections.
Single, Adoptive and Foster Care Parents Night Out, May 10
Wilshire will offer free childcare (infant–grade 6) for single, adoptive and foster parents on Friday, May 10, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Registration is required and closes May 5; visit wilshirebc.org/events/pno.
Save the date for picnic: May 19
Wilshire in the Park, our annual churchwide picnic, will be held Sunday, May 19, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Flag Pole Hill. More details to come.
Sign up for May 8 Blood Drive
The Carter BloodCare bus will be at Wilshire for a blood drive on Wednesday, May 8, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Walk-ins are welcome but appointments are recommended. Visit wilshirebc.org/events/blood-drive for the appointment link.
Adventurers to Meadows Museum on May 16
The Adventurers will tour the Meadows Museum at SMU on Thursday, May 16, at 10 a.m. Parking is free, and the group will gather at the entrance at 9:50. After the docent-guided museum tour, the group will have lunch nearby. A $10 per-person cost covers museum entry. Register by May 13 at wilshirebc.org/events/meadows-museum.
Children and Preschool Summer Camps
Find all the details on our summer offerings for children and preschoolers at wilshirebc.org/summer-camps.
■ Vacation Bible School | June 10–14 | 9 a.m.–noon | Three-year-olds through grade 6
■ Cooking Camp | July 8–12 | 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m. | Grades 1–6 (Sold out; waitlist available)
■ Listen to Your Art Camp | July 8–12 | 12:30–5 p.m. | Grades 1–6
■ Full day Cooking/Art option available for grades 2–6, July 8–12 (Sold out; waitlist available)
■ Passport Kids Camp | July 27–30 | Overnight camp in Brownwood | Grades 3–6
■ Kindergarten and Preschool Camp | July 22–25 | 9 a.m.–noon
ECLC enrolling for fall
Wilshire’s Early Childhood Learning Center is enrolling for the 2024–2025 school year. ECLC is a licensed early care program offering a comprehensive approach to education for infants to Pre-K. Learn more at wilshirebc.org/eclc.
Subscribe to sermon podcast
Sermons from Timothy Peoples and other Wilshire preachers are available as a weekly audio podcast on all major podcast platforms. Search for “Wilshire Baptist Church” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music or iHeartRadio.
Chronic illness support group
Wilshire’s support group for those experiencing a chronic or undiagnosed illness meets on Zoom the second and fourth Tuesdays every month at 7:30 p.m. To learn more, contact group leader Annette Miller.