Waging Peace author event Oct. 29. Wilshire will host Diana Oestreich, author of Waging Peace: One Soldier’s Story of Putting Love First, in a Zoom conversation Thursday, Oct. 29, at 7 p.m. Oestreich is an activist, veteran and sexual assault nurse who serves as Key Relationships Officer with global missions partner Preemptive Love Coalition. She first heard God’s call to love her enemies on the battlefield of Iraq, and is using her story of solider turned peacemaker to empower us to identify our own rural, urban, political or religious divides, to cross our own “enemy lines” in order to remake the world and heal all that’s tearing us apart. Reading the book is encouraged, but all are welcome. Sign up at wilshirebc.org/registration to receive the Zoom link. Contact Abbey Adcox at aadcox@wilshirebc.org for more info.
Facebook Live Bible Study. Various teachers lead the Facebook Live Bible Study Sundays at 10:15 a.m. on our Facebook page. Pastoral Resident Jenna Sullivan teaches Oct. 25.
Nabors announces retirement plans. David Nabors, Wilshire’s Director of Business Administration, has announced his plans to retire at the end of February, 2021. He and his wife, Joan, will remain at Wilshire, where they attend Cord of Three Class and David sings in Sanctuary Choir. Associate Pastor Doug Haney says, “Since I transitioned to my new Associate Pastor role, David has been an enormous help as I’ve learned about the financial systems of the church. He has been an able partner in managing our facilities, kitchen and IT staffs. I’m grateful for his ministry among us and his always positive spirit.” David came to Wilshire in 2014 after working as senior vice president and chief financial officer at First Private Bank of Texas. He was previously CFO and treasurer of the Baptist General Convention of Texas and spent 21 years with Bank of America. He and Joan have two adult sons and two grandchildren. David will be honored with a time of recognition during the Feb. 28 worship service. Meanwhile, Wilshire’s Personnel Committee will review the church’s administrative structure before steps are taken to fill David’s position.
Lori Gooden marks 5 years on staff. Accounting Manager Lori Gooden will celebrate five years as a Wilshire staffer on Oct. 26. Lori handles, in her words, “all things finance” for the church, including managing income, expenses and payroll. Director of Business Administration David Nabors says Gooden is “the glue that holds Wilshire’s financial book together. Every aspect of the church’s finances requires daily accurate touch points, which she provides to the penny.” Lori joined the staff in 2015 after learning about Wilshire’s open position from then-associate pastor Mark Wingfield, whom she met while planning the funeral of her mother, Wilshire member Glenna Romans. “It just kind of fell into place,” Lori says, “and I have found such community and love here. Taking care of the finances of the church with transparency and integrity is a calling and a ministry to me. I love it and I love Wilshire and I look forward to many more years.” You can drop Lori a note of congratulations at lgooden@wilshirebc.org.
COVID-19 Task Force launches October survey. The COVID-19 safety trends in our community are not good, as Dallas County’s recent move back into the red threat-level zone indicates. But there are causes for hope, and progress is being made, especially in treatments for the virus and evolving best practices for staying safe while wading back into public spaces. Read the rest of the October report and find the survey link at wilshirebc.org/COVID.
Thanksgiving baskets for the Wilkinson Center. Are you, your Sunday School class or another group you’re part of interested in providing Thanksgiving baskets to families in our community? Wilshire has committed to providing 75 baskets to our missions partner, the Wilkinson Center. The baskets will go to families with someone enrolled in one of the center’s adult education classes. Each basket costs $50 to $75 to put together. To participate, sign up at wilshirebc.org/registration. Full instructions and a list of recommended items can be found at the registration link. Baskets should be delivered to Wilshire on Wednesday, Nov. 18, between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. under the porte cochère. Contact Abbey for more info at aadcox@wilshirebc.org.
Sweet news: Koinonia Cafe To Go adds dessert choices. By popular demand, the Koinonia Café To Go takeout meal service will now offer two dessert choices each week. They will appear as separate, individually-priced menu items that can be added to your order if you wish. And, honestly, who wouldn’t? Find menu and ordering link here.
Canned Food Drive. In lieu of our traditional Thanksgiving Food Sacks, Wilshire is collecting canned goods to benefit our mission partner White Rock Center of Hope. Items should to be delivered to the church by Wednesday, Nov. 18. Donations will be collected during the Koinonia Café To Go pickup times on Nov. 4, 11 and 18. Those not picking up a meal can leave donations on the cart outside the office door in the south parking lot. To order canned goods to ship directly to White Rock Center of Hope, an Amazon link is available at wilshirebc.org/registration, or email Abbey Adcox at aadcox@wilshirebc.org. White Rock Center of Hope is a non-profit, ecumenical organization that makes a difference in peoples lives by providing a place where the community can share God’s blessings by satisfying basic human needs.
Donation collection dates and times: Wednesdays, Nov. 4, 11 and 18, 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 – 6 p.m. Additional dates and times TBA
Requested Items:
Canned ham, chicken and tuna
Chef Boyardee canned meals
Chili
Boxed Stuffing
Macaroni & Cheese
Cranberry Sauce
Green Beans
Online Book Fair benefits library. From Oct. 12 through 25, you can buy books for your own family and help Wilshire’s library get new books at the same time. During that timeframe, every dollar you spend at Usborne Books via Usborne consultant and Wilshire member Rachel Laird, will result in a 50% matching gift in books for the Wilshire library. Shop here: https://d6902.myubam.com. For help or more info, contact Rachel at rachel.laird.ubam@gmail.com or Wilshire librarian Barbara Peterson at bpeterson@wilshirebc.org.
Bolsinger, Franklin headline Perkins Convocation. Anyone can register for the Perkins School of Theology Fall Convocation, which will take place online on Nov. 15 and 16. Keynote speakers are author Tod Bolsinger and Grammy-winning gospel artist and Fort Worth native Kirk Franklin. Bolsinger is the author of Canoeing the Mountain: Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory. Senior Pastor George Mason told Baptist News Global that Bolsinger wrote the book “for Christian leaders who find themselves in uncharted territory needing to improvise constantly. Our pastoral residents and I are reading ahead, preparing for his visit to Perkins.” “Kirk Franklin Speaks from the Heart about Leading into Change” is the theme for Franklin’s presentation on Sunday night, Nov. 15. Bolsinger will present three sessions on Monday, Nov. 16. The convocation also offers a Monday morning worship service and several workshops on Monday afternoon. Registration for the full conference is $85 with an option of Sunday night only for $15. Learn more and register here or call 214-768-3664.
Adopt-a-Polling-Site Initiative. This year’s election will be unlike any other due to COVID-19 and the removal of the straight party ticket voting option from the ballot. This could result in longer wait times than normal and could serve as a deterrent for people getting out to vote. COVID-19 concerns, efforts to cast doubt on the integrity of the election and threats of voter intimidation have also increased anxiety about showing up to vote. For this reason, community partners and congregations are being asked by faith organizers to assist in providing resources to counter these narratives, create a spirit of welcome and encouragement at polling sites and encourage our networks and congregations to vote with confidence. The Adopt-a-Polling-Site Initiative focuses on providing the following key resources for polling locations to help ensure open, trouble-free, equitable and safe voting: Hospitality and encouragement, Water and snacks, Personal protective equipment (masks, sanitizer, gloves, etc.), Poll monitoring and observation. As an Adopt-a-Polling-Site congregation, we would be responsible for securing resources and volunteers to support a polling place on Election Day, Nov. 3, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. If you’re interested, contact Abbey Adcox aadcox@wilshirebc.org. We are looking for hourly volunteers as well as snack donations (bottled water and prepackaged snacks).
Anti-Racism Book Club hosts author Michael Waters, Nov. 19. On Nov. 19, Wilshire’s newest book club will be joined by Rev. Dr. Michael Waters for a discussion of his book, Stakes Is High. A local pastor, civil rights historian, activist and community leader, Waters can be expected to bring words of hope and empowerment. Stakes is High “blends hip-hop lyricism and social justice leadership, creating an urgent voice demanding that America listen to the suffering if it hopes to redeem its soul.” Reading the book is encouraged, but all are welcome. You can register for the discussion and buy the book for the discounted price of $10 at wilshirebc.org/registration. Questions? Contact Abbey Adcox at aadcox@wilshirebc.org.
Church in the Lot. On Sunday evening, Oct. 11, Wilshire held its first in-person worship gathering since the pandemic forced the church to shift to 0nline-only worship in March. If you missed it, you can still watch on our YouTube channel. Another Church in the Lot service is planned for Nov. 15.
WOW! Book Clubs
The WOW! Tuesday Evening Book Club meets on Zoom monthly at 7 p.m. Upcoming dates and titles: Nov. 10, The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd; Dec. 8, A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg. Contact Debby Burton at dburton@wilshirebc.org to sign up.
The WOW! Brown Bag Book Club meets on Zoom monthly on Thursday at noon. On Nov. 5, the group will discuss Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate. Contact Abbey Adcox at aadcox@wilshirebc.org or Carolyn Murray at cmurray@wilshirebc.org to sign up. WOW! suggests ordering through Bookshop.org to support independent book sellers or ordering through a Black-owned bookstore such as The Dock Bookshop or Pan African Connection.
Stephen Ministry – Expressing Christ’s Care for Others. Stephen Ministers bring distinctively Christian care to those in need. They express Christ’s care for others by listening and comforting, calling on their training and employing the tools of faith. If this description interests you, consider joining our next free training class starting in January, 2021. To find out more, contact Linda Garner at lgarner@wilshirebc.org or 214-452-3151 or Michele Blaker at mgblaker@sbcglobal.net or 214-843-1865. The deadline to apply is Nov. 1. Fill out and return this Stephen Minister Application by mail to Wilshire Baptist Church, ATTN: Linda Garner, 4316 Abrams Road, Dallas, TX 75214 or by email to lgarner@wilshirebc.org.Learn more at wilshirebc.org/care/stephen-ministry.
Free Senior Adult Webinar. Seniors will focus on unlocking the “depth of love that is within you” during Fellowship Southwest’s Second Half of Life webinar, Oct. 29 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. on Zoom. The event will feature Sherrye Bass, a mindfulness meditation teacher and Christian spiritual director, and Andy Stoker, senior minister at First United Methodist Church in Dallas and also a mindfulness meditation teacher. “There is a depth of love that is within you. Learn ways of unlocking the love so that you can stand with courage, act with faith and pronounce that love in every moment,” Bass and Stoker said. “The second half of life is a journey within to discover ‘The One Who Knows’ through a Way of the Heart, a mindful contemplation method.” Register here for the Zoom link.
Fall Prevention Sessions (Community Wellness Project) . Physical therapy students from Texas Woman’s University will host a six-week exercise and wellness education program via Zoom for Wilshire’s older adults. Community members are also welcome. Classes will be held Mondays from Oct. 12 to Nov. 16 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Each class will begin with an exercise program followed by an educational topic and Q&A. Topics include exercise and meditation, stress management and mental health, nutrition, sleep hygiene, fall prevention and proper use of assistive devices. Each participant will receive a folder with exercise bands and weekly handouts. Distribution will be announced later. Please register by Oct. 11 at wilshirebc.org/registration. To learn more, contact Linda Garner, parish nurse, at 214-452-3151 or lgarner@wilshirebc.org.