Time to order Easter lilies. It’s time to order Easter lilies to adorn Wilshire’s Sanctuary on Easter Sunday. The flowers will beautify the Sanctuary for our online Easter service and will also be used for our outdoor Easter worship. As in years past, congregants can provide the flowers in honor or in memory of family members, beloved friends or teachers. Dedications will be listed in the worship folder on Easter Sunday, April 4. Each plant costs $12. The deadline for inclusion in the listing is Palm Sunday, March 28. Sign up at https://wilshirebc.org/registration/
Wilshire Serves Week—March 15 – 21. In place of our typical Spring Break mission trip, we are encouraging everyone to find ways this week to show love to each other and to our community. Our activities may still be a bit limited, but Wilshire’s love is abundant. Below are some ideas on how to be intentional with the week ahead. Challenge your family and friends to participate with you! Share your daily act of service and your photos with us by tagging us on social media with #wbcserves or email them to Abbey Adcox at aadcox@wilshirebc.org. Find all the details here.
Holy Week plans set. Wilshire will hold in-person worship services in the north parking lot on both Palm Sunday and Easter. On Palm Sunday, March 28, there will be two services, at 8 and 11 a.m. On Easter, April 4, services including the Lord’s Supper will be held at 8, 9:30 and 11 a.m. Worship on both days will look and feel like Church in the Lot, with one difference: Wilshire will provide seating; you will not need to bring your own chairs. Worshipers wishing to stay in their vehicles will be able to listen to services via a special FM radio signal. On Easter, the familiar flowering cross will be offered. Stop by anytime and bring flowers to place in the wire-framed cross facing Abrams Road. A limited supply of fresh-cut flowers will be provided. On Easter, Sunday School classes will not meet so that members will have more flexibility to attend an in-person service. Wilshire is also offering prerecorded Palm Sunday and Easter services that will premiere on YouTube at 8:30 a.m. An online Maundy Thursday service will premiere on YouTube at 7 p.m. on April 1. Find more at wilshirebc.org/lent.
Spotify playlist. Pastoral Resident Leigh Curl has curated an eclectic Lenten playlist consisting of 40 songs on the streaming music service Spotify. Search for “Dying to Live – Lent 2021 at Wilshire” on Spotify or just click the link. The basic version of Spotify is free. Songs will also be highlighted on Wilshire social media.
COVID-19 Advisory Task Force Update – March 11, 2021. Find latest report at https://wilshirebc.org/covid/
Wednesday Advocacy Updates. All are invited to join the Christian Advocacy Committee and guests from our advocacy partners in a series of Zoom talks Wednesdays at noon. Each meeting will focus on one of our key priority issues and will include background information, session updates and ways to engage during the current Texas legislative session. These 30- to 45-minute briefings are meant for all who are interested in advocacy, from beginners to experts. Email Abbey Adcox (aadcox@wilshirebc.org) for the Zoom link.
• March 17: Healthcare and Medicaid Expansion
Sign up for advocacy emails. If you’re passionate about a particular advocacy area and would like to stay informed during the Texas legislative session and beyond, you can opt to get email updates from Wilshire. Ministry Assistant Abbey Adcox maintains email lists by issue and sends periodic updates and action items. Email aadcox@wilshirebc.org to be added to the lists you’re interested in, including: Anti-Racism; Criminal Justice; Climate Change; Domestic Violence; Foster Care; Human Trafficking; Hunger; Homelessness; Immigration/Refugees; Payday Lending; Public Education; Religious Freedom.
Refining Faith workshop will explore spiritual questions, Sundays, April 11 – May 16, 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. on Zoom, Facilitator: Annette Miller. Do you have questions about life or God? Are you a spiritual seeker? Would you like a supportive community as you journey? Join Refining Faith, a new six-week workshop led by Wilshire member Annette Miller, to learn a critical thinking process of how to work through a spiritual question to develop a tentative answer. Annette is a writer, contributor to Wilshire’s Facebook blog and a consultant in behavioral assessment and leadership development. Register for Refining Faith at wilshirebc.org/registration. For more information, email Annette at annette.a.miller@gmail.com.
Palm Sunday, Easter help needed. Ushers and greeters are needed for our in-person outdoor services on Palm Sunday, March 28, and Easter, April 4. Email Barbara Clayton at bclayton@wilshirebc.org if you can volunteer.
ECLC seeks director candidates. Wilshire is actively seeking candidates for the position of Early Childhood Learning Center director. The search is being conducted by the Weekday Education Committee along with Associate Pastor Darren DeMent and Minister to Preschoolers Joan Hammons. The ideal candidate will meet the criteria for serving as a center director according to the State of Texas Minimum Standards for Childcare Centers, have five or more years of experience as a center director and be supportive of Wilshire’s mission and ministries. Resumes should be emailed to Joan Hammons at jhammons@wilshirebc.org no later than March 19, 2021. The full job description can be found here. ECLC has not been operating due to the pandemic but hopes to re-open in the fall.
Book clubs
- The WOW! Brown Bag Book Club meets on Zoom one Thursday a month at noon. On April 1, the group will discuss Abbi Waxman’s The Bookish Life of Nina Hill. 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. On April 13, the group will discuss Pachinko by Min Jin Lee. Contact Debby Burton at dburton@wilshirebc.org to sign up.
- The Anti-Racism Book Club will discuss Valerie Kaur’s See No Stranger on Thursday, March 25, at 7 p.m. Register to receive the Zoom link at wilshirebc.org/registration.