Church in the Lot. Join us by registering on this sign-up for Sunday, April 25, at 5 p.m. for the next Church in the Lot. This will occur outside in Wilshire’s north parking lot. Masks are required and social distancing will be observed. One spot on the sign-up is equal to up to four people. Bring your own chair or blanket or sign up to view/listen from your vehicle. Free. The date and signup for May 23 is here.
Virtual Ramadan Dinner with Dialogue Institute Dallas • Monday, April 19, 7 p.m. Free. Wilshire is co-hosting a virtual Ramadan dinner with Dialogue Institute of Dallas on Monday, April 19, at 7 p.m. via Zoom. The holy month of Ramadan, which begins on April 12 this year, is a period of fasting and spiritual growth for more than 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide, and the Dialogue Institute has a two-decade-long tradition of celebrating this spiritual and charitable month at fast-breaking dinners with interfaith partners at various places of worship, including Wilshire. While the event can’t be held in person this year, we can still share friendship and make meaningful conversations online. A free Ramadan dinner (dates, beef sauté, rice with chickpeas, mashed potatoes, vegetable salad, Kemel Pasha dessert) prepared by the Institute will be available to pick up at Wilshire between 5 and 5:55 p.m. on the 19th, but this is optional; you are welcome to join the event without picking up a meal. Dialogue Institute Dallas (dialoguedallas.org) is a nonprofit organization that promotes mutual understanding, respect and cooperation among people of diverse faiths and cultures by creating opportunities for direct communication. Register for the Ramadan dinner via wilshirebc.org/registration.
Wilshire in the Park, – Churchwide Picnic, Sunday, May 16 • 5–7 p.m., Flag Pole Hill (8015 Doran Cir.) Bring the family and join us for a Wilshire Reunion at our annual churchwide picnic! We’re excited to be able to meet in person for fellowship and live music. We won’t be serving food, but feel free to bring a meal or snack for yourself and your family. Water and an individually-packaged treat from the Wilshire kitchen will be provided. Wear your mask and bring your own chairs or blankets. Social distancing will be observed and sign-up is required.
Church office open Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Beginning Tuesday, April 20, the church building and offices will be officially open every Tuesday and Wednesday during the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. All visitors must wear a mask, sign in and out and enter and exit only through the doors off the south parking lot near the main church office. All other exterior doors will be locked. Staff will be working in the office on Tuesdays and Wednesdays as the church transitions back to a more normal mode of operation.
Personalized offering envelopes discontinued. With so many members having switched to online giving, Wilshire no longer meets the minimum quantity required to print personalized offering envelopes. If at any time you need offering envelopes to mail in your gifts, please contact Director of Finance Lori Gooden (214-452-3131 or lgooden@wilshirebc.org. She will be happy to mail you a packet of envelopes.
COVID-19 Task Force Update. What a joy it was to see each other and gather on Palm Sunday and Easter. We were encouraged by the great turnout for these in-person opportunities that provided a safe way to begin transitioning back to corporate worship. These services, along with the introduction of Midweek Bible Study and youth and children’s programming, have served as the first aspect of our phased approach to safely returning to indoor activities as outlined in our March report (available at wilshirebc.org/covid). Beginning April 20, the next phase commences with church office hours resuming on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. As we continue to monitor COVID-19 statistics in Dallas relative to vaccinations and risk level, we are simultaneously solidifying plans for returning to worship services in the Sanctuary on June 6. We are looking forward to sharing specific plans for summer in-person worship and protocols in the coming weeks. Stay tuned as we provide the plan for return that upholds the SEE principle of providing a Safe Experience for Every Body.
WOW! Spring Bible Study, Thursday mornings, April 22 – May 27 via Zoom, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Open to all women. In this wise, entertaining, and educational book, Amy-Jill Levine offers a fresh, timely reinterpretation of Jesus’ narratives. In Short Stories by Jesus, she analyzes these “problems with parables,” taking readers back in time to understand how their original Jewish audience understood them.
WOW! Garden Brunch (in person) Saturday, May 1, outside in Wilshire Prayer Garden, come and go from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Masks required. Chairs provided. Sign up by April 23. Open to all women of Wilshire.
Thank-you notes and privacy Wilshire’s deacons and Finance Committee will be sending thank-you notes in the near future to express gratitude for those who have given to the church this year. Rest assured that the amount you have given will always remain private. The note writers will will only know that you have given, not how much.
Wedding shower for Leigh Curl to be held April 24. All are invited to a drive-through wedding shower for Pastoral Resident Leigh Curl and her fiancé, Keith Dove. The shower will be held Saturday, April 24, from 10:30 a.m. to noon in the porte cochere (circular drive) on the south end of the building along Ravendale Lane. Guests are asked to wear a mask and stay in their vehicle. Leigh and Keith are planning a July wedding in Durham, N.C. You can view their gift registry
In-person Midweek Bible Study is Wed., April 28. All are invited to a new in-person Bible Study that will be held in the Sanctuary at noon every other Wednesday. The 45-minute experience will include Bible Study led by George Mason as well as prayer, Scripture and music — although there will not be congregational singing for now. Complete details can be found in this participant’s guide.
Sign-up required.
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.
Book clubs
- The WOW! Brown Bag Book Club meets on Zoom one Thursday a month at noon. On May 6, the group will discuss Ann Patchett’s The Dutch House.. 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 So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo on Thursday, May 20, at 7 p.m. Register to receive the Zoom link at wilshirebc.org/registration.