Art exhibit is open
Wilshire’s first art exhibit since before COVID is open in the South Lobby and will run through Nov. 15. Fill the Earth with Music celebrates music’s role in the life of faith and features 25 works from six centuries. The show includes pieces by Marc Chagall, Romeyn de Hooghe, Barbara Zuber, Sandra Bowden, Edward Knippers and others.
Voter registration drive Sunday, Sept. 4
Wilshire will hold a voter registration drive Sunday, Sept. 4, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Volunteer Deputy Registrars will be in James Gallery, the South Atrium and the third-floor coffee bar to provide assistance and information regarding voting and redistricting. Registering to vote or changing your voting address should only take five minutes and cannot be done online. You can also pick up free forms to take to friends, family or coworkers. If you’ve voted before, don’t assume you’re still on the voting rolls. Stop by the registration tables to learn how to check your status. The deadline to register is Oct. 11, and Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8. Read more [link to last week’s article]
Rabbi Nancy Kasten is Sept. 4 guest preacher
Rabbi Nancy Kasten is chief relationship officer for Faith Commons, the nonprofit founded by George Mason to promote public discourse rooted in the common values of many faiths. Kasten is a past co-convener of Faith Forward Dallas at Thanks-Giving Square and current chair of FFD’s Task Force on Migrant Status. Ordained by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 1990, Kasten served as Hillel director, associate chaplain and adjunct professor of Biblical Hebrew at SMU, associate director of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations Southwest Council, and campus rabbi and head of Jewish Studies at the Wise Academy, a Reform Jewish Day School. Nancy is married to Rabbi David Stern, senior rabbi of Temple Emanu-El in Dallas, and they have three children.
The Wilshire Pulpit
A diverse lineup of guests will preach at Wilshire during our pastoral transition. Our pastoral residents will also preach about once a month.
Sept. 11: Pastoral Resident Brianna Childs
Sept. 18: Jerusha Matsen Neal is assistant professor of homiletics at Duke Divinity School. A writer, former Methodist missionary and an ordained Baptist minister, she has spent her ministry preaching in cross-cultural spaces and bridging denominational communities. Neal holds an MDiv and PhD from Princeton Theological Seminary.
Sept. 25: Charles Foster Johnson is the founder and executive director of Pastors for Texas Children, a statewide ecumenical organization mobilizing the faith community for public education support and advocacy. He is also founder and co-pastor of Bread, a faith community in Fort Worth, and has served churches in several states during 40 years of ministry.
Oct. 2: Pastoral Resident John Kelly
Oct. 9: Jon Singletary has served as dean of the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work at Baylor University since 2016. He has been a professor in the Garland School since 2010 and first joined the faculty in 2003. His research interests include community development, advocacy and social justice. Singletary holds a PhD in social work from Virginia Commonwealth and an MDiv from the Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond.
■ Full schedule at wilshirebc.org/guest-preachers
Wednesday Night Live, Sept. 7
Koinonia Café
5 – 6 p.m. | Community Hall | Buffet-style Wednesday meals are back! No registration necessary. Cash/check/credit card accepted at the door. Kid-friendly options available. Full Meal: $10 for ages 10 and up; $5 for kids 4 to 9; free for kids 3 and under; $35 household max. Soup & Salad Meal: $7.
Music, Missions & More
6 – 7 p.m. | Age 3 – Pre-K | Fun activities and lessons focused on God’s love and caring for others.
New: KidConnect
6 – 7 p.m. | K – Grade 6 | This all-new children’s experience features a rotation of activities to help kids learn how to love God and others with every part of themselves. Each week will be different, with activities including art, music, recreation, science, puppets and cooking.
WSM Watershed
6:30 – 7:30 p.m. | Grades 7 – 12 | Wilshire Student Ministry’s time of weekly Bible study in the Youth Center.
Resident-led study: Toward Wholeness
6 – 7 p.m. | Sept. 7 – Nov. 9 | 1205-L
Join the pastoral residents this fall for Toward Wholeness: Seeking an Integrated Faith, a series to help us chart a path away from disillusionment toward authentic, embodied spiritual formation through practices of the mind, body and soul. Associate Pastor Darren DeMent will lead the first week.
Sanctuary Choir
7 – 8:30 p.m. | Choral Hall | Wilshire’s primary adult choir is open to all. No audition necessary.
• Childcare for infants to 2-year-olds whose parents are involved in church activities is offered 6 – 7:15 p.m.
We Are Wilshire: Ministry Expo is Sunday, Sept. 11
Make plans to stay after worship next Sunday for We Are Wilshire. Grab lunch from one of three food trucks (tables will be set up outside and in Community Hall) and visit James Gallery to learn about all the ministries Wilshire has to offer. We’ll also be selling brand new Wilshire T-shirts.
New to Wilshire?
The monthly Wilshire Welcome Class, which helps guests and new members learn about the church, meets Sept. 18 at 9:45 a.m. in the Prayer Room near McIver Chapel. To learn more, contact Carolyn Murray at cmurray@wilshirebc.org.
Adopt-a-Book for Wilshire Library the next two Wednesdays
Help the Wilshire Library purchase new books and say thank you to a teacher, minister or staff member by adopting a book in their honor or memory. Stop by the display in the Lower South Atrium the next two Wednesdays, select a book, fill out a form with the name you wish to have placed on a plaque inside the cover and pay the indicated donation. Adopt-a-Book is a great way to honor someone special and give the gift of reading to countless others. Dates: Wednesday, Sept. 7: 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. & 4:40 – 7 p.m.; Wednesday, Sept. 14: 4:30 – 7 p.m.
Lunch & Learn resumes Sept. 7
All are invited to Community Hall for lunch, fellowship and a program the first Wednesday each month starting Sept. 7. Lunch & Learn begins at 11:30 a.m. and ends around 12:45 p.m. Lunch is buffet-style and costs $10 per person. No reservation required. On Sept. 7, Wilshire member Larry Link will speak on the topic, As We Age ….
Single, Adoptive and Foster Care Parents Night Out, Sept. 9
Wilshire will offer free childcare (infant – grade 6) for single, adoptive and foster parents on Friday, Sept. 9, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Registration is required and closes today, Sept. 4; visit wilshirebc.org/registration. This childcare is offered the second Friday during the school year, with the exception of December and March.
Marriage Connections, Sept. 9
A new year of Marriage Connections begins Friday, Sept. 9, at 6:30 p.m. In this monthly event, free childcare (infant – grade 6) is provided while parents enjoy a short program and then have the rest of the night, until 9:30, to themselves. Marriage Connections provides an opportunity for time with other couples or for just the two of you. Registration is required for childcare and closes today, Sept. 4; visit wilshirebc.org/registration. Contact Abbey Adcox at aadcox@wilshirebc.org to learn more.
Valarie Kaur events, Sept. 8 & 9
Activist and writer Valarie Kaur will be in Dallas Sept. 8 and 9 for two events presented by Faith Commons and co-sponsored by Wilshire. Kaur, the author of See No Stranger and leader of the Revolutionary Love Project, will lecture and sign books at Temple Emanu-El (new location) on Thursday, Sept. 8. On Friday, Sept. 9, she will lead a workshop at Paul Quinn College.
Buy tickets at faithcommons.org.
Faith in Democracy, Sept. 11
Faith in Democracy, Texas Impact’s annual civic engagement training event, will be held Sunday, Sept. 11, from 2 to 5 p.m. at St. Paul United Methodist Church. Attendees will hear from Dallas faith leaders and learn about Texas Impact’s plans for the 2023 legislative session. To learn more, see the events section of Texas Impact’s Facebook page or contact Abbey Adcox at aadcox@wilshirebc.org.
Computer classes start soon
Wilshire’s free Computer Education Program will begin its fall term with registration events on Tuesday, Sept. 13, in Room 3103. Choose 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. or 6 to 8 p.m., whichever is more convenient. Classes begin the following Tuesday and will run for six weeks. Topics include Windows, iPad, iPhone, Android devices and how to avoid scams and viruses. To learn more, contact Max Post at mpost7@tx.rr.com.
New Song choir resumes Sept. 14
“We are never too old to make a new friend or learn a new song,” is a favorite motto of New Song Community Choir, which resumes weekly rehearsals on Wednesday, Sept. 14. The choir rehearses in Choral Hall from 9:30 to 11 a.m. but on the 14th will begin with a brunch in the Parlor at 9. Directed by Sarah Stafford, New Song is a nurturing, supportive group of senior adults who love singing together for fellowship and outreach. Church membership is not required, and the group sings about once a month in the community. New members are welcome. No audition necessary. More at newsongchoir.org.
MOPS starts new year Sept. 16
Wilshire MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) will start a new year on Friday, Sept. 16. MOPS offers encouragement and spiritual nourishment to mothers of children from birth to kindergarten. Made up of both Wilshire members and non-members, MOPS meets select Fridays from 9 a.m. to noon in James Gallery for brunch, fellowship, crafting and a presentation. Childcare is provided. MOPS also has playdates and adult socials. To learn more, email wilshiremops@gmail.com.
Flu, COVID vaccine event Sept. 17
Wilshire will offer flu shots and COVID-19 boosters in a drive-thru event in the north parking lot on Saturday, Sept. 17, from 9 a.m. to noon. Parish Nurse Linda Garner says “it is crucial to get flu shots during the pandemic since both the flu and COVID-19 are contagious respiratory illnesses,” and that it’s ok to get both immunizations at the same time. Flu shots are free for those with Medicare or most Medicare Advantage replacement insurance. Registration is required and is available, along with full instructions and consent forms, at wilshirebc.org/registration. Contact Linda at lgarner@wilshirebc.org or 214-926-1125 with questions.
John Kelly ordination Sept. 18
Second-year Pastoral Resident John Kelly will be ordained to the ministry on Sunday, Sept. 18, at 2 p.m. in the Sanctuary. Wilshire residency alum John Jay Alvaro, a mentor to John, will preach the homily. John earned an MDiv from California’s Fuller Theological Seminary in 2021.
Women of Wilshire book clubs
■ The WOW! Brown Bag Book Club meets one Thursday a month at noon in Room 1205-L. On Oct. 6, the group will discuss Kristin Hannah’s Night Road. Contact: Carolyn Murray (cmurray@wilshirebc.org).
■ The WOW! Tuesday Evening Book Club meets in the Parlor monthly at 6:30 p.m. On Sept. 13, the group will discuss Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. Zoom option available by request. Contact: Debby Burton (dburton@wilshirebc.org).
■ WOW! Fall Book Study. Women of Wilshire will study Amy-Jill Levine’s The Difficult Words of Jesus this fall. Meetings will take place at 7:30 p.m. on six Mondays: Sept. 12, Sept. 26, Oct. 10, Oct. 24, Nov. 7 and Nov. 28. Joannah DeMent will host at her home in Lake Highlands. Register at wilshirebc.org/registration.