Road to Resurrection:
Family Lenten experience.
Sunday, April 2 | Noon – 2 p.m. | Community Hall
If you enjoyed One Starry Night or find it challenging to talk with the children in your life about Jesus’ death and resurrection, you’ll love Road to Resurrection!
This Lenten experience for families will provide a way to discuss this difficult but important subject on their level. It will be relevant, informative and fun for all ages, even adults, so invite your family and friends. This hour-long event traces the journey Jesus took during the last week of his earthly life, and it is filled with Bible-time experiences to engage the senses — creating and waving palm branches, tasting the Passover meal, visiting the Garden of Gethsemane and more. A kid-friendly lunch will be available for $5 per person ($20 family max) in Community Hall after worship. Registered groups of 8 to 12 will be led to the first of six stations starting at noon and rotating every 15 minutes, with the last group starting at 1:30.
Holy Week
Order lilies by April 2
April 2 is the deadline to order Easter lilies for the Sanctuary. Dedications in honor or in memory of loved ones will be listed in the worship folder on Easter Sunday. Each plant costs $15; order in the church office or at wilshirebc.org/registration.
Lenten series: final session
Wednesday, April 5 | 6 p.m. | Room 1205-L. Join the pastoral residents for the final session of their Wednesday Lenten series, Say My Name: Names We Are Called By God.
Maundy Thursday service
April 6 | 7:30 p.m. | Sanctuary. Always one of the year’s most moving services, this service commemorates the Last Supper and carries through to the crucifixion, ending in darkened silence. In addition to Scripture readings and celebration of the Lord’s Supper, this year’s service will feature music from Nova, Shekinah, Carillon Ringers and a string quartet.
Easter Sunday, April 9
■ Sunrise Service: 6:30 a.m. at White Rock Lake’s T.P. Hill.
■ Columbarium Service of Remembrance: 9:30 a.m. This brief service is geared toward those with a loved one inurned or memorialized in the Columbarium, which will be open on Easter from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
■ Worship in the Sanctuary: Join us at 11 a.m. as the shutters are opened and we celebrate the risen Christ. Wilshire Winds will play the prelude, and Sanctuary Choir will sing a new anthem with a text by poet Malcolm Guite. Handel’s “Hallelujah” chorus will serve as the choral benediction, and Organist Jeff Brummel will close with the Widor Toccata.
■ Flowering Cross: Stop by Easter morning to place a flower into the mesh-wrapped wooden cross outside the Sanctuary. Bring your own fresh-cut flowers or take one from a limited supply provided by the church.
Visit wilshirebc.org/lent for links to our Lenten playlist and devotional guide.
Security update
For the past year the Risk Management and Building and Grounds committees, along with Director of Operations Merik Gillett, have continued to implement new strategic measures to increase the safety and well-being of our congregation. As promised, we wanted to provide updates to the congregation as new measures take effect.
Beginning today, all exterior doors except four will be locked at 11:15 a.m., following the start of worship. The doors that will remain unlocked are the two side entry doors into the Narthex, the door near the main church office and the door entering the North Atrium (between James Gallery and the Sanctuary). Folks arriving after 11:15 will only be able to enter the building through one of these entrances. All doors will still be available for exiting.
In addition, to supplement our security, emergency alarms have been strategically placed around the church campus. The location of these alarms, which are active 24/7, are known to staff and will be shared as appropriate with deacons and certain committee members and volunteers.
As a reminder, it is the policy of Wilshire Baptist Church that but for licensed peace officers, Wilshire is a gun-free campus.
Offering of letters Sunday
The Christian Advocacy Committee invites you to participate in an offering of letters April 2 in James Gallery. Letters will be focused on several of our advocacy priorities, and information on current bills in the Texas legislature will be provided. Stop by before Sunday School (starting at 9:30 a.m.), after Sunday School, or after worship. Volunteers will be on hand to assist you with identifying your state representatives and verifying your voter registration status. The voter registration deadline for the May 6 election is April 6. Confirm your voter registration status at texasimpact.org/take-action-2.
Ramadan dinner is Monday
Wilshire will host Dialogue Institute Dallas for an interfaith Ramadan dinner on Monday, April 3, at 7 p.m. in Community Hall. The event will help us learn from our Muslim neighbors as we break bread together in the holy month of Ramadan. The evening will begin with conversation and a presentation on Ramadan, and our friends will share a home-cooked meal with us at 7:45 p.m., when they break their fast. The dinner is free, but registration is required and space is limited. To sign up, visit dialoguedallas.org/events and look for the April 3 Wilshire event. When registering, you can make a small donation toward earthquake relief efforts in Turkey, or you can enter “0.00” for the donation to reserve your spot at the dinner.
Darren DeMent brings music, stories to Lunch & Learn
Associate Pastor Darren DeMent will sing songs and tell stories as the featured guest at Lunch & Learn on April 5 at 11:30 a.m. Held in Community Hall the first Wednesday each month and open to all, Lunch & Learn includes a meal, fellowship and a program. Lunch costs $10 per person. No reservation needed. Contact: Barbara Clayton (bclayton@wilshirebc.org)
Baked goods still needed
Sign up at wilshirebc.org/registration to provide baked goods for mission partner Gateway of Grace’s cake walk, to be held in conjunction with their Easter egg hunt. Items should be packaged in clear wrapping or clear containers. Recommended items include one dozen cookies, brownies, bars or cupcakes. No recipes containing gelatin or marshmallow, please. Items should be dropped off on Wednesday, April 5, on tables outside the church office.
Wednesday Night Live: April 5
Koinonia Café
5 – 6 p.m. | James Gallery this week | Buffet-style dinner for the whole family. Pricing at wilshirebc.org/wednesdays.
Music, Missions & More
6 – 7 p.m. | Age 3 – Pre-K | Fun activities and lessons focused on God’s love.
KidConnect
6 – 7 p.m. | K – Grade 6 | This 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 is different. Activities include art, music, science, puppets and cooking.
Lenten series: final session
6 p.m. | Room 1205-L | When the world shouts with a million voices around us, we can count on the voice of God to call us by our true names. Join our pastoral residents as we discuss how to tune into that voice.
Coming soon: A Brown Girl’s Epiphany
April 12, 19, & 26 | 6 p.m. | Join the pastoral residents for a series on Aurelia Dávila Pratt’s book, A Brown Girl’s Epiphany: Reclaim Your Intuition and Step into Your Power. All are welcome, even if you haven’t read the book. Aurelia, who preached here last summer, will join us by Zoom on April 26.
Also on Wednesdays
■ Watershed | Grades 7 – 12 | 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. | Youth Center
■ Sanctuary Choir | 7 – 8:30 p.m. | Choral Hall | No audition
Childcare for infants to 2-year-olds whose parents are involved in church activities is offered 6 – 7:15 p.m.
Limited edition shirts for sale
In celebration of Pride Month (June), Wilshire has created a special rainbow version of the familiar “We Are Wilshire” T-shirt. These limited edition shirts will be sold for $20 each, and proceeds will go to Color Splash, an inclusive summer camp for LGBTQ+ youth operated by the United Church of Christ. Visit wilshirebc.org/registration to find the ordering link. The order deadline is April 17.
New to Wilshire?
■ The monthly Wilshire Welcome class helps guests and new members learn what Wilshire is all about. Sessions are held Sundays at 9:45 a.m. in the Prayer Room (1100-B) near McIver Chapel. Dates: April 23, May 14.
■ Time with Tim is an informal chance for guests and new members to meet and visit with Senior Pastor Timothy Peoples. The next session will be held Sunday, April 30, at 9:45 a.m. in Community Hall.
■ Questions about these events? Contact Carolyn Murray at cmurray@wilshirebc.org.
Marriage Connections, April 14
The “Not So Newlywed Game” will be the focus of the next Marriage Connections on Friday, April 14, at 6:30 p.m. In this monthly event, free childcare (infant – grade 6) is provided while parents enjoy a short program in James Gallery and then have the rest of the night, until 9:30, to themselves. Registration is required for childcare and closes Sunday, April 9; visit wilshirebc.org/registration. Contact: Abbey Adcox (aadcox@wilshirebc.org)
Single, Adoptive and Foster Care Parents Night Out, April 14
Wilshire will offer free childcare (infant – grade 6) for single, adoptive and foster parents on Friday, April 14, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Registration is required and closes Sunday, April 9; visit wilshirebc.org/registration.
Pray Away film screening
On Sunday, April 16, Wilshire will co-host a free screening of Pray Away, a documentary film about the harmful practice of “conversion therapy.” The 3:45 p.m. screening at Life in Deep Ellum (where former pastoral resident Jenna Sullivan is pastor) will be followed by a panel discussion with survivors, faith leaders, LGBTQ advocates and mental health experts. The film aims to elevate the conversation on conversion therapy and inform the public — particularly religious communities, where the practice is most prevalent — about its lasting harm and devastating persistence. Register and learn more at tinyurl.com/padallas.
Adventurers lunch will feature expert on aging faithfully
The Wilshire Adventurers will enjoy lunch and a presentation from author and speaker Missy Buchanan on Tuesday, April 18, at 11:30 a.m. in Community Hall. Buchanan writes and speaks on the subject of aging faithfully, and her books include Living with Purpose in a Worn-Out Body and Dry Bones to Living Hope. Lunch costs $10 per person. No reservation necessary. Adventurers events are open to anyone 60 and above. Contact: Barbara Clayton (214-452-3125 or bclayton@wilshirebc.org).
Adventurers Charleston trip
From Nov. 6 to 11, the Wilshire Adventurers will spend five nights and six days touring in Charleston, South Carolina. Led by Rob and Pam Banta, the group will see and experience antebellum homes and estates, local cuisine, culture and architecture, a nighttime harbor cruise with dinner, a fine arts museum, Fort Sumter, Old City Market, Charleston Tea Garden and more, all accompanied by private guides. See full details at wilshirebc.org/registration or in a brochure available in the church office. The trip will accommodate a maximum of 50 participants and will require a minimum of 35. Registration is first come, first served.
Women of Wilshire book clubs
■ The WOW Brown Bag Book Club meets one Thursday a month at noon in Room 1205-L. On April 6, the group will discuss Ann May’s Jacqueline in Paris. Contact: Carolyn Murray (cmurray@wilshirebc.org)
■ The WOW Tuesday Evening Book Club meets monthly at 6:30 p.m. in the Parlor. On April 11, the group will discuss Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger. Contact: Debby Burton (dburton@wilshirebc.org)
Homelessness panel, April 18
Wilshire will host a panel discussion on affordable housing and homelessness on Tuesday, April 18, at 6:30 p.m. in Community Hall. Associate Pastor Heather Mustain will moderate the event, themed Homelessness, Housing & Me. Panelists are Joli Robinson, president of Housing Forward; Mark Melton, founder of Dallas Eviction Advocacy Center; and Ashley Flores, senior director of Child Poverty Action Lab.
Sunday School series on prayer
Prayer will be the topic of a three-week Sunday School series led by Pastoral Resident John Kelly from April 23 to May 7. The class, which will meet in McIver Chapel at 9:45 a.m., will be a good option for anyone not connected to a class or those new to Sunday School. Existing classes may attend to give their regular teachers a break. John writes, “Prayer is as nebulous as it is transformative. For as many answers as it seems to provide, it offers us just as many new questions to ponder. Too, as often as our faith changes and grows, so does our understanding of what it means to have a ‘prayer life.’ As quickly as our understandings of Scripture, community and God grow, though, we often forget to consider how practices that have nurtured our faith might evolve as well. Join us as we discuss prayer together — what it is(n’t), how it works and its practical value for all people of faith.”
Dietitian to speak April 25
Award-winning dietitian and nutritionist Meridan Zerner of the Cooper Clinic will speak on the topic of “Aging with Better Health” on Tuesday, April 25, at 7 p.m. in Community Hall. Zerner is a certified health and wellness coach and uses behavioral change skills to help support long-term lifestyle changes. This free event is geared to those 55 and older, but all are welcome. No registration needed.
Art exhibit through April 19
Who Is My Neighbor? is the theme of an art exhibit that will be on display through April 19 in Wilshire’s South Lobby. The show is a collection of etchings, lithographs, woodcuts and paintings that give visual insight into Jesus’ Parable of the Good Samaritan. It includes the work of 22 artists from the last four centuries, including Rembrandt, Ernst Barlach, Tanja Butler, Ed Knippers and John August Swanson, plus political cartoons and illustrations that demonstrate the parable’s continued societal relevance.
Concert on Doug’s last day will benefit Grief and Loss Center
Sanctuary Choir and guest artist Ken Medema will be featured in a 6:30 p.m. concert on Sunday, April 30, Associate Pastor Doug Haney’s last day at Wilshire. The concert, themed “Wrap Me in Song,” will benefit the Grief and Loss Center of North Texas, a nonprofit organization based at Wilshire. Selections will include excerpts from Gabriel Faure’s Requiem and Howard Goodall’s Eternal Light. Ken Medema is a singer, songwriter and pianist who has released over 40 albums since the 1970s. Blind from birth, Medema is known for his ability to improvise songs in concert. Admission is free; an offering will be received.
Summer events for children and preschoolers
Registration is open at wilshirebc.org/summer-camps.
Vacation Bible School
June 12 – 16, 9 a.m. – noon,
Older preschool – Grade 6
Full Day: Cooking Camp & Creative Arts Camp
July 10 – 14, 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Grades 2 – 6
Cooking Camp
July 10 – 14, 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Grades 1 – 6
Listen to Your Art! Creative Arts Camp
July 10 – 14, 1 – 5:30 p.m., Grades 1 – 6
Passport Kids! Preteen Camp
July 22 – 25, Grades 3 – 6
Preschool Friends Camp
July 31 – Aug. 4, 9 a.m. – noon
New for completed kindergartners: Creation Station
July 31 – Aug. 4, 9 a.m. – noon