$3,500 given on Christmas Eve
Attendees at Wilshire’s Christmas Eve services gave about $3,500 in a special offering. The funds will provide 31,500 meals through North Texas Food Bank, which was able to triple gifts given at year-end. Thanks for your generosity.
Zoom with George on Jan. 13
All are invited to join Senior Pastor George Mason in a Zoom conversation on Wednesday, Jan. 13, at 6 p.m. There will be no agenda; the session will provide a forum for George to share thoughts and for you to ask questions as 2021 gets underway. If you’d like to attend, send an email to pastor@wilshirebc.org; you’ll receive the Zoom information closer to the event.
MOPS spring registration open
Our theme this year is Decide to Rise. As mothers of preschoolers, we have had to make some tough decisions for ourselves and our families during this pandemic. So how do we Decide to Rise? MOPS has identified three steps: Be strong. Do your work. Chase joy. We are committed to doing this by providing a meaningful and engaging experience for our group — no matter the times. Find out more here.
Book clubs
• The WOW! Brown Bag Book Club meets on Zoom one Thursday a month at noon. On Jan. 7, the group will discuss Sejal Badani’s The Storyteller’s Secret. Contact Abbey Adcox at aadcox@wilshirebc.org or Carolyn Murray at cmurray@wilshirebc.org to sign up.
• The WOW! Tuesday Evening Book Club meets on Zoom monthly at 7 p.m. For its next meeting, Jan. 12, the club will be joined by local author Harry Hall for a discussion of his book, The Pedestriennes: America’s Forgotten Superstars. Contact Debby Burton at dburton@wilshirebc.org to sign up.
• Wilshire’s Anti-Racism Book Club will discuss White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity by Robert P. Jones on Jan. 28 at 7 p.m. via Zoom. Register at wilshirebc.org/registration.
Benevolence gift cards
If you selected a Giving Tree tag for a Wilshire benevolence gift card, don’t forget to purchase the gift card and return it to the church. Gift cards can be returned at any time to the secure black mailbox outside the main church office.
Epiphany Yoga with Jenna
The introductory yoga class being taught on Zoom by Pastoral Resident Jenna Sullivan is full. If you’d like to get on a waiting list in case a spot opens up, email Jenna at jsullivan@wilshirebc.org. Class sessions will be held Sunday afternoons at 3 p.m. starting Jan. 10 and ending Feb. 14.
PEP Christmas Project
Wilshire member Jeanne Spreier coordinated a holiday project for the Prison Entrepreneurship Program with support from fellow members of Epiphany Class and her coworkers at UTD’s Naveen Jindal School of Management. Each resident living in PEP’s two Dallas houses received a Christmas gift bag filled with about 20 items, including a fleece scarf, personal care items, an inspirational book, knit cap, socks, UTD mug, Wilshire Roots CD and more. Wilshire chef Elizabeth Ferguson prepared a catered holiday meal for each house to enjoy together for their Christmas party on Dec. 19. Established in 2004, PEP is a nonprofit organization that connects business leaders with convicted felons with the goal of preventing recidivism, maximizing self-sufficiency and transforming broken lives.
MLK Day of Service – Monday, Jan. 18
Wilshire’s annual MLK Day of Service will continue this year with a variety of opportunities for individuals and families to safely serve in accordance with our COVID-19 protocols. We will host one mission effort on site at the church and partner with other agencies around the city to provide for small group opportunities. In addition to assembling hygiene kits outside at Wilshire for our unhoused neighbors, we are partnering with For the Love of the Lake, Meals on Wheels, Mission Oak Cliff and Pleasant Grove Elementary. Additional opportunities will be confirmed over the next week, and all are invited to sign up at wilshirebc.org/registration beginning Sunday, Jan. 3. Please read the details for each opportunity carefully as start times may vary and some assignments require additional paperwork.
Hygiene Items Needed: All members are encouraged to donate hygiene items that will be used to create hygiene kits on Jan. 18 at Wilshire. We hope to assemble 250 kits for our unhoused neighbors. Items may be dropped off at Wilshire in the collection bin in the south parking lot just outside the main office doors on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays until Friday, Jan. 15.
Requested items include:
Hand/body wipes
Deodorant (travel size)
Toothbrush
Toothpaste (travel size)
Lip balm
Lotion (travel size)
Comb
Tissues (travel size)
Gloves
Handwarmers
Sunscreen
Band-Aids (travel size)
Warm socks
Protein snacks
Notes of encouragement
Coming in early 2021
Mark your calendar and watch for more details on these upcoming regular and special events.
- Epiphany Vespers, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 6 p.m. Facebook Live.
- Midweek Update & Reflection video, resumes Wednesday, Jan. 6.
- Sunday Night Live! Kindergarten through 6th grade. Second and fourth Sundays each month, resuming Jan. 10. 3:30 – 5 p.m., Prayer Garden.
- Koinonia Café To Go – resumes Wednesday, Jan. 13.
- Zoom with George, Wednesday, Jan. 13, 6 p.m.
- MLK Day service projects, Monday, Jan. 18. Signups coming soon.
- Resident-led Wednesday study, starts Wednesday, Jan. 20, 6 p.m., Zoom.
- Annual Church Conference, Sunday, Jan. 24, 1 p.m., via Zoom.
- Faith in 3D– Scenes from The Living, livestream performances on Feb. 4, 5, 6.
- Alternative Souper Bowl of Caring, Sunday, Feb. 7.