Wilshire in the Park HAS BEEN CANCELLED – Due to a rainy forecast for Sunday, the decision has been made to cancel the church picnic originally scheduled for this Sunday night, May 16.
Coyle-Carrs headed to Kentucky. All are invited to say farewell to Leanna and Aaron Coyle-Carr at a drive-through reception on Sunday, May 16, from 4 to 5 p.m. in the porte cochere. Leanna is finishing her two-year term as a pastoral resident, and Aaron, a Wilshire resident from 2017 to 2019, has accepted the call to become senior pastor at First Baptist Church in Morehead, Kentucky.
We’re Coming Back!! In-person worship starts June 6; but no sign-ups or capacity limits; on-site Sunday School. Beginning June 6, Wilshire will return to in-person worship and Sunday School in the building. Services will be offered at 9 and 11 a.m., and Sunday School for all ages will be held at 10 a.m. Childcare will be available for preschoolers during both worship services. Find more details here.
Preschool Playdate, May 17. The next Preschool Playdate will be held Monday, May 17, in the north parking lot. Choose one of two time slots: 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. or 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. A parent or responsible adult of the parent’s choosing must be with their preschoolers. Sign up to attend here.
In-person Midweek Bible Study is Wed., May 26. Held every other week since its March 31 start, Midweek Bible Study will be offered on a weekly basis starting Wednesday, May 26. The event starts at noon in the Sanctuary. With the loosening of Wilshire’s COVID-19 protocols, it will no longer be necessary to sign up or sit socially distanced, but mask-wearing will still be required. The in-person event lasts about 45 minutes and features prayer, music and Bible study led by Senior Pastor George Mason. On May 26, George will continue his study of favorite Psalms by looking at Psalm 46. Midweek Bible Study is livestreamed on our YouTube channel at noon and will remain on YouTube to be watched later.
Leigh Curl blessing and reception set for May 30. Leigh Curl will be recognized on Sunday, May 30, as she completes her two-year term in Wilshire’s pastoral residency program. The worship service that day will include a time of blessing for Leigh, and all are invited to a drive-through reception at 2 p.m. in the porte cochere. Leigh will soon be moving to North Carolina, where she will be married to Keith Dove on July 18. Keith is set to become a Presbyterian pastor in Greensboro, North Carolina, and Leigh will be concentrating her job search in that area.
Advocacy Committee to screen play on race and identity. All are invited to attend a special virtual screening of Where Did We Sit on the Bus? hosted by Wilshire’s Christian Advocacy Committee. Featuring rap, hip-hop and spoken word, this one-woman show centers around a LatinX kid who, inspired by a lesson on Rosa Parks, begins searching for her own place in history. The story explores issues of growing up in an immigrant family and finding identity in making art. Matt Dickson, nephew of Wilshire member Carol Tommey, directed and co-created the play. We will stream the play via Zoom from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 27. Register to receive the Zoom link at wilshirebc.org/registration. Contact Abbey Adcox at aadcox@wilshirebc.org or 214-452-3127 if you have questions.
Note: The production contains some adult language.
Milton Brasher-Cunningham to serve as Youth Camp pastor. Student Ministry favorite Milton Brasher-Cunningham will serve as camp pastor for Wilshire’s Youth Camp, to be held July 5 – 10 in Little Rock, Arkansas. Brasher-Cunningham is a minister, author, songwriter, poet, teacher and chef who has been part of many Wilshire camps over the years. Registration for Youth Camp is open at wilshirebc.org/registration.
Summer worship volunteers needed. Volunteers are needed to serve as greeters, ushers and childcare workers when Wilshire resumes in-person Sunday morning worship starting June 6. If you can help, contact Barbara Clayton (bclayton@wilshirebc.org). To help in the area of childcare, contact Joan Hammons (jhammons@wilshirebc.org)
Church in the Lot. Join us for the next Church in the Lot in Wilshire’s north parking lot. Graduating high school seniors will be recognized during Church in the Lot on May 23. Bring a chair or stay in your car and listen via FM signal. Free.
Bedding Drive for The Family Place. The Family Place’s largest shelter is still undergoing major repairs for damage caused in February’s snowstorm. Following their stay in Wilshire’s building after the sudden evacuation of their shelter during the storm, we would like to provide bedding sets as a symbol of our care and friendship as they prepare to move back into their facility in June. You can join in this effort by sponsoring a bedding set or two (or more!). Each set costs $30 and includes twin sheets, pillowcase and a bedspread/blanket. Sets have been chosen by the Family Place and will be purchased from their vendor for a cost of $30 each. Wilshire has committed to fund 120 sets. Each client will take their bedding with them as they settle into a new home after leaving the shelter. You may register to sponsor bedding at wilshirebc.org/registration. Individual contribution receipts will be provided. Contact Abbey Adcox with questions at aadcox@wilshirebc.org. The Family Place (familyplace.org) is a nonprofit agency that empowers victims of family violence by providing safe housing, counseling and skills that create independence while building community engagement and advocating for social change to stop family violence. Founded in 1978, it is the largest family violence service provider in Texas, with three emergency shelters providing 177 shelter beds each night.
Library announces open hours. Wilshire’s library will be open every Tuesday and Wednesday in conjunction with the re-opening of the church building on those days. Library hours will be 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesdays. Drive-up service is available on other weekdays. Simply email your book requests to librarian Barbara Peterson at bpeterson@wilshire.org; she will contact you when your items are ready for pickup.
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.
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. A different parable will be studied each week.
WOW! JUNE Garden Brunch (in person) Saturday, June 5, outside in Wilshire Prayer Garden, come and go from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Masks required. Chairs provided. Open to all women of Wilshire.
Book clubs
- The WOW! Brown Bag Book Club meets on Zoom one Thursday a month at noon. On June 3, the group will discuss Muriel Barbery’s The Elegance of the Hedgehog. 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 June 8, the group will discuss The Girl Who Lived by Christopher Greyson. 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.