Last day for Search Committee survey
Sunday, April 3, is the last day to complete the Every Body Speaks Congregational Survey created by the Pastor Search Committee. Every adult engaged at Wilshire, regardless of membership status, is invited to take the online survey. Hard copies are available in the church office. The survey should take about 20 minutes, and responses are anonymous. The online survey must be completed in one sitting.
Operations, facilities roles realigned
Wilshire is restructuring some staff roles in light of Facilities Manager Dale Pride’s retirement. The director of operations position, which has been a part-time role held by Randy Crosland, will be expanded to a full-time position with oversight of property management and technology. Randy will fill the role in an interim capacity until a suitable candidate can be hired. Randy has expressed a desire to step aside when feasible; he and his wife, Carolyn, are committed to volunteer work this summer at Glorieta Camps in New Mexico. Holly Irvin, currently hospitality manager, will take on additional responsibilities in a newly-expanded role as director of hospitality. She will oversee staffers in the facilities and food service areas while continuing to manage the church calendar, copy and mail room and volunteer receptionists. These changes are budget-neutral and are being implemented with the approval of the Personnel Committee.
Robinson called to Georgia church
Second-year Pastoral Resident Ashley Robinson has been called to Oakhurst Baptist Church in Decatur, Georgia, as Interim Pastor, Christian Education and Community Engagement. Along with teaching and outreach, Ashley will preach frequently and will be able to apply for the permanent position after an interim period. Ashley interned at the Atlanta-area church before coming to Wilshire. “Oakhurst is a dear congregation to me,” she says, “a church that walked with me during seminary and ordained me to the ministry. I’m thrilled to be going home.” Wilshire will recognize Ashley with a time of blessing during both services on Sunday, April 3.
Youth Choir Spaghetti Lunch & Silent Auction
Sunday, April 10, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. • Community Hall
After a one-year absence that feels longer, the Youth Choir Spaghetti Lunch and Silent Auction returns next Sunday. It’s the main fundraiser for the choir’s summer trip to Denver to sing and serve. It’s also one of Wilshire’s signature churchwide events, so all are invited for a tasty meal and fellowship. There are seatings at 11 a.m. and noon, and the silent auction closes at 1. Donate any amount for lunch. There will also be a bake sale in James Gallery starting at 9:30 a.m. Cash, checks and credit cards are accepted. Some of the items up for bid: a Cajun meal made by the DeMents, a songwriting session with George Gagliardi, handmade quilts and SMU football and basketball tickets. To donate items or services to the auction, contact Carolyn Murray at cmurray@wilshirebc.org. Suggestions include restaurant gift cards, new household items and event tickets. If you’re a musician, tutor, photographer, baker, designer, accountant or have a service to provide, donate a gift certificate of your time or service.
Author event April 3
Kristin Du Mez, author of the New York Times bestseller Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation, will speak at Wilshire on Sunday, April 3, at 3 p.m. in the Sanctuary. The event is presented by CitySquare and co-sponsored by Wilshire and Faith Commons. Du Mez is a professor of history and gender studies at Calvin University. Her research focuses on the intersection of gender, religion and politics. She has written for the New York Times, Washington Post, Religion News Service and Christianity Today. The event is free, but RSVP is requested via wilshirebc.org/registration.
Items needed for Gateway of Grace Easter egg hunt
We have two opportunities to support mission partner Gateway of Grace and their annual Easter egg hunt for the refugee families they serve.
- Plastic eggs and supplies. Sign up at wilshirebc.org/registration to provide fillable Easter eggs, wrapped fun-size candy or snack packs. No marshmallows or candy containing gelatin, please. Items may be dropped off in containers located outside the church office, north entrance, and second-floor education office suite by Sunday, April 3.
- Baked goods. Sign up at wilshirebc.org/registration to provide baked goods for Gateway’s cake walk. Items should be packaged in clear wrapping. Recommended items include one dozen cookies, half-dozen brownies and lemon bars. Items should be dropped off on Wednesday, April 13, on tables outside the church office.
- All ages are welcome as we assemble the eggs and baskets for our First Wednesday: Called to Care event on April 6 at 6 p.m. in Community Hall.
Wednesday Night Live: April 6
Family Dinner
5 p.m. • James Gallery. Wednesday nights at Wilshire begin with a chance to eat together. Bring your own food or, better yet, order Koinonia Café To Go. Drinks and dessert will be provided by the church.
First Wednesday: Called to Care
6 p.m • Community Hall. The first Wednesday each month, all ages work together on a service project at 6 p.m. On April 6 we’ll fill plastic eggs and assemble baskets for Gateway of Grace’s Easter Egg Hunt. We’ll also make Easter trail mix bags for Austin Street Center. Our youngest hands can decorate trail mix boxes with stickers and color Easter pages for Austin Street clients. Note: Masks, gloves and a head covering will be required for the food-assembly project. Gloves and hair nets will be provided, or you can wear a baseball cap.
- Childcare is offered, 6–7 p.m., for infants to 2-year-olds whose parents are involved in church activities.
Koinonia Café To Go
Takeout meals from Wilshire’s kitchen are available for curbside pickup on Wednesdays, and on-site dining is offered at 5 p.m. in Community Hall. To eat your evening meal at the church, pick it up on the first floor. A microwave is available to heat your entrée.
■ Ordering for April 6 is open now on the church website. Order and pay by end of day Tuesday, April 5, then pick up your food Wednesday.
■ Pickup times: 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. & 4:30 – 6 p.m.
■ Email eferguson@wilshirebc.org for information about meatless and allergen-friendly options.
■ Full instructions at ordering link.
Embracing Beauty:Lent 2022
Devotional Guide
Join the Wilshire family as we journey toward Easter using Vincent van Gogh and the Beauty of Lent. In this new devotional, the words of Scripture and the paintings of van Gogh will be our guides, and each entry includes powerful practices to try on your own or with others. Download the guide as a PDF at wilshirebc.org/lent or pick up a printed copy from the church office. The PDF has links to online images of the referenced paintings.
Wednesday study: Embracing Beauty with the Residents
Wednesdays, March 9, 23 & 30, April 13 at 6 p.m. • Parlor. Join Wilshire’s pastoral residents as they help us prepare our hearts for Holy Week. In each session, a resident will facilitate a spiritual practice and conversation using the paintings of van Gogh as inspiration. Postcard-sized prints of the paintings will be available to take home for further reflection. The residents will also expand from the weekly written meditations available through the Vincent van Gogh and the Beauty of Lent devotional guide. We will expand our imagination and practice embracing God’s beauty in this season of repentance and reflection.
Spotify Playlist
Wilshire has created an eclectic Lenten playlist on the streaming music service Spotify. The basic version of Spotify is free to use, and you can find a link to the Wilshire playlist at wilshirebc.org/lent.
Churchwide outing to Immersive van Gogh Exhibit
As part of our Lenten exploration of Vincent van Gogh, Wilshire will take a group outing to the Immersive van Gogh Exhibit at Lighthouse ArtSpace on Saturday, April 16. This cutting-edge digital experience utilizes animation and large-scale projections of the artist’s work, and has been called a completely new way of encountering art. The cost is $43 per adult ticket, and a bus will depart from the church at 2 p.m. for a 3 p.m. entry to the exhibit, which takes 60 to 90 minutes to enjoy. Reserve your spot at wilshirebc.org/registration.
Holy Week videos
A brief devotional video will be released each day of Holy Week on Wilshire’s YouTube channel and social media platforms.
Maundy Thursday service
April 14, 7:30 p.m. • Sanctuary. Featuring Sanctuary Choir’s presentation of “The Seven Last Words” by John Michael Trotta.
Easter Sunday, April 17
■ Sunrise Service, 6:30 a.m., T.P. Hill at White Rock Lake.
■ Worship in the Sanctuary, 9 and 11 a.m.
■ Service of Remembrance in the Columbarium, 10 a.m.
■ The Flowering Cross. Stop by anytime Easter Sunday and place flowers in the wire-framed cross outside the Sanctuary near Abrams Road.
New to Wilshire?
■ Coffee and Conversation with Senior Pastor George Mason will be held Sunday, April 24, at 10 a.m. This informal time in George’s study (Room 2203) gives guests and new members a chance to ask questions about Wilshire.
■ The monthly Wilshire Welcome Class, which helps guests and new members learn what Wilshire is all about, will meet Sunday, May 1, at 10 a.m. in the Prayer Room (1100B).
■ Questions about these events? Contact Carolyn Murray at cmurray@wilshirebc.org.
Time to order Easter lilies
It’s time to order Easter lilies to adorn the Sanctuary on Easter Sunday. Congregants are invited to provide the flowers in honor or in memory of beloved family members, friends or teachers. Dedications will be listed in the worship folder on Easter, April 17. Each plant costs $15, and orders can be made at wilshirebc.org/registration or in the church office. The deadline for inclusion in the listing is Palm Sunday, April 10.
Monthly lunch event for seniors debuts Wednesday
April 6 is the date for the first-ever Wilshire Adventurers Lunch & Learn, a midday gathering with fellowship, a meal and a program in Community Hall. The event will be held the first Wednesday each month from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Lunch will be served buffet-style at a cost of $10 per person, and the April program will feature Pastoral Residents Ashley Robinson and Jenna Sullivan. No reservation necessary. April 6 menu: chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, green beans, salad, dessert. Future dates: May 4 with Associate Pastor Darren DeMent; June 1 with New Song Community Choir. Adventurers events are open to those age 60 and up. Questions? Contact Jessica Capps at jcapps@wilshirebc.org or 214-452-3129.
WOW! Let’s Take a Hike!
Join with Women of Wilshire as they spend time in nature exploring Dallas’ parks and hiking trails. Their first adventure will be Thursday, April 7, at 5:30 p.m. at the Oak Cliff Nature Preserve (2875 Pierce St.). Monica Mullins will coordinate this low-impact hike. Contact Monica with questions or to RSVP. Future dates: May 7, June 12.
Marriage Connections, April 8
Friday, April 8, is the date for the next Marriage Connections, and the deadline to register for childcare is Sunday, April 3. In this monthly event, free childcare (infants – grade 6) is provided at Wilshire while couples attend a program and then dine out on their own. April’s program will be “The Not So Newlywed Game.” The same childcare is available for Single Parents’ Night Out and Adoption/Foster Care Ministry Night Out. Register at wilshirebc.org/registration.
CRT, Book Bans and Me, April 19
Join us Tuesday, April 19, at 6:30 p.m. in Community Hall for a panel discussion regarding recent conversations around Critical Race Theory, book bans and how our local school districts are being impacted. Confirmed panelists include Charlie Johnson of Pastors for Texas Children and Casey Boland, Lake Highlands High School history teacher.
Women of Wilshire book clubs
■ The WOW! Tuesday Evening Book Club meets in the Parlor monthly at 6:30 p.m. On April 12, the group will discuss Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library. Zoom option by request. Contact: Debby Burton (dburton@wilshirebc.org).
■ The WOW! Brown Bag Book Club meets one Thursday a month at noon in Room 1205-L.
On April 7, the group will discuss Peace Like a River by Leif Enger. Contact: Abbey Adcox (aadcox@wilshirebc.org).
CBF General Assembly in Dallas
Registration is open for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s 2022 General Assembly, which will be held in Dallas June 28–30. CBF is Wilshire’s primary global partner for missions and ministry, and General Assembly is CBF’s annual gathering for learning, worship, inspiration and fellowship. Sessions will be held at the Hyatt Regency downtown. Learn more and register at cbf.net/general-assembly.
Adventurers trip almost full
The Wilshire Adventurers will travel to Chicago, Grand Rapids and Mackinac Island on Sept. 1–8. The trip will begin with three nights in downtown Chicago, a river cruise, a lake cruise and history and arts tours. The group will then travel to Grand Rapids to see the Gerald Ford Presidential Museum and Meijer Gardens before heading to Mackinac Island for three nights. Find the details at wilshirebc.org/registration or in a brochure available in the main office. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis, with only 50 seats available.
Children’s Ministry interns sought
Wilshire is offering two paid ($12/hr.) Children’s Ministry internships this summer. Internships will run May 23 to July 31 or May 31 to Aug. 7, and will entail 25 to 30 hours weekly plus a four-day overnight camp. Interns will work with church staff and volunteers on programs including Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, Preteen Camp and special events. Most hours will be weekday mornings and Sunday mornings. Hours are flexible except for camp dates. Candidates should have completed at least one but preferably two or more years of college and have experience working with children and a desire to explore the opportunity to serve in a ministry position. To learn more, contact Minister to Children Julie Girards at jgirards@wilshirebc.org.
Remembering Black Dallas tour
You are invited to participate with fellow Wilshire members on a bus tour highlighting local Black history on Saturday, May 14. This chartered bus tour, operated by the nonprofit Remembering Black Dallas, will explore the sites of several Freedman’s towns in the Dallas area, highlighting the importance of these settlements that were created by force during reconstruction. Participants will be led through a journey of how the landscape and racial divide came to be in Dallas County. Registration information and more details are coming soon.