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.
2020 End-of-Year Giving Update. Thank you, Wilshire, for your generosity at year-end that allowed the church to cover its actual expenses for 2020. With December giving of $714,352, we reached $3,655,737 in total budget giving for 2020. Expenses through the 4th quarter of the year totaled $3,620,204, creating a year-to-date surplus of $35,533 The Finance Committee is meeting Sunday, Jan. 10, to finalize the year-end statement, which will then guide the committee’s recommendation for a 2021 Unified Budget goal. That goal and budget will be presented at the Annual Church Conference on Sunday, Jan. 24, at 1 p.m. on Zoom.
2020 Unified Budget update
Dec. gifts $714,352
Dec. budget needs $840,500
YTD budget gifts $3,655,737
YTD budget needs $4,100,000
YTD budget income deficit $444,263
YTD expenses $3,620,204
YTD income vs. expense surplus $35,533
Watch for Contribution Statement . Watch your mail or email over the coming week for your 2020 Annual Contribution Statement and Generosity Letter. If you opted to receive yours via email, be advised that the link to your statement is only valid for about a week, so you’ll want to promptly download and save your statement for tax purposes.
Annual Church Conference, Jan. 24. Make plans to attend Wilshire’s annual church conference, which will be held Sunday, Jan. 24, at 1 p.m. on Zoom. Reports will be given on the church’s mission, ministries and finances, a budget will be adopted and deacons and committee members will be elected. Next week’s Tapestry will have more information, including a link to materials and instructions for how to access the Zoom session.
Koinonia Cafe To Go resumes for Jan. 13. Takeout meals from Wilshire’s kitchen are offered for curbside pick-up each Wednesday, and the proceeds help defray the cost of paying our dedicated kitchen staff during the pandemic. Order and pay online by end of day Tuesday, then pick up your food at the church at lunch or dinnertime on Wednesday. Full instructions and ordering link are online.
Faith that Lived First in Your Grandmother. Wednesdays, Jan. 20 & 27, 6 p.m. on Zoom. Led by Pastoral Residents Leigh Curl & Jenna Sullivan. Leigh Curl and Jenna Sullivan will lead a two-week Zoom study exploring the memories and traditions that carry us across generations of faith. Sessions will take place at 6 p.m. over Zoom. Jenna and Leigh will share unique practices of communion that are sacred to them, and you will be invited to participate as well as share your own practices. Reflecting on 2 Timothy 1 :3-7, the group will imagine together how these practices help us commune with one another and the saints who have gone before us. To participate, email Leigh (lcurl@wilshirebc.org) by noon each Wednesday to receive the Zoom link.
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
Book club welcomes author. Local author Harry Hall will be a guest of the WOW! Tuesday Evening Book Club on Jan. 12 at 7 p.m. on Zoom. Hall will join in for a discussion of his book, The Pedestriennes: America’s Forgotten Superstars, which tells the little-known story of a group of late 19th century female athletes who dazzled America with their remarkable performances in endurance walking. Contact Debby Burton at dburton@wilshirebc.org to sign up.
• The WOW! Brown Bag Book Club meets on Zoom one Thursday a month at noon. On Feb. 4, the group will discuss Pam Jenoff’s The Lost Girls of Paris. 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.
Michael Waters book available. Copies of Stakes Is High by Michael Waters are available for $10. In the book, Waters, a local pastor and community leader, “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.” The book can be purchased 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.