Creative Arts Camp this week
Approximately 80 kids in kindergarten through grade 6 will participate in Wilshire’s Creative Arts Camp July 12–16. Registration is closed and the camp is completely full. The camp, led by Candy McComb and themed Listen to Your Art, will feature music, drama, dance, visual art, video production and more. Families and guests are invited Friday at 5:30 p.m. for a pizza dinner ($3 a person) and a 6:30 p.m. performance and art showcase.
Restroom construction underway
Construction has begun on the project to renovate and enlarge the restrooms on the first floor near the library. These restrooms are closed. The hallway between the library and the preschool hall entrance will be open but somewhat narrowed due to plastic sheeting put up for construction. In addition, parking in the lot south of the Sanctuary will be impacted by the presence of a construction dumpster. Work is estimated to conclude in late September. If you have concerns or questions, contact Facilities Manager Dale Pride, Director of Operations Randy Crosland or notify any church staffer.
New online giving platform coming soon.
Wilshire’s online giving platform will have a new look and a friendlier, more modern user interface when the church transitions its member database from ACS/Access to a new system called Realm. The conversion is planned for the week of July 19. If you are already set up with online giving, you do not need to take any action. Your information should transfer seamlessly and securely to Realm, and recurring contributions will continue uninterrupted. When the transition is complete, you’ll receive an email inviting you to log in to the new system. With Realm, users will easily be able to:
- Review giving history.
- Make a new one-time gift.
- Set up a recurring donation.
- Look over year-to-date giving.
- Print or save contribution statements.
And Realm isn’t just about giving. While it primarily serves the administrative needs of our staff, it will also offer exciting opportunities for Wilshire members and groups to connect with the church and each other. For example, event registration will be greatly improved in Realm. Watch for more information about Realm as we roll out more features in the coming weeks and months. If you have questions, reach out to Director of Finance Lori Gooden at 214-452-3131 or lgooden@wilshirebc.org.
Make the switch to online giving
Thank you to those who took the time to switch their way of giving from check to online ACH this week. We are still having trouble with the mail arriving in a timely manner. Because fees for online ACH are less than the cost of a paper check deposited to the bank, your online ACH gift allows the church to use more of your gift toward ministry. If you need help moving to an online payment, contact Lori Gooden at 214-452-3131 or lgooden@wilshirebc.org.
Book club welcomes Collin Yarbrough on July 15.
The Anti-Racism Book Club welcomes Wilshire’s own Collin Yarbrough to its next meeting for a discussion of his new book, Paved a Way: Infrastructure, Policy & Racism in an American City. The meeting will take place Thursday, July 15, at 7 p.m. on Zoom. In Paved a Way, Collin tells the stories of five neighborhoods in Dallas and how they were shaped by racism and economic oppression. North Dallas, Deep Ellum, Little Mexico, Tenth Street and Fair Park look nothing like they did during their prime, and Collin argues that their respective declines were intentional — that their foundations were chipped away over time. Sign up for the Zoom link and purchase the $20 book (while supplies last) at wilshirebc.org/registration.
Summer Keys: A Concert of Organ-Piano Duets
Sunday, July 11 • 6:30 p.m. • Sanctuary
Plus reception with free shaved ice
Don’t miss Wilshire’s first live music event since returning to the building. Summer Keys: A Concert of Organ-Piano Duets will be held in the Sanctuary on Sunday, July 11, at 6:30 p.m. Associate Minister of Music and Organist Jeff Brummel will be joined for the concert by Jonathan K. Merritt, organist at Pulaski Heights Baptist Church in Little Rock, where former pastoral resident Matt Dodrill is pastor. Wilshire member Amy Pottkotter will also sing. Stick around after the concert for a social event on the church grounds. Get a free shaved-ice treat from the Big D Kona Ice food truck and enjoy a set of live music from Al and Brian — Wilshire’s own Brian Stinecipher and his musical partner Al Peterson.
Preschool Parents Night Out
Wilshire is offering a Parents Night Out for preschool families on Friday, July 16. Parents can drop off children at the church starting at 6:30 p.m. and pick them back up by 9 p.m. There is no charge but registration by Tuesday, July 13, is required. Register at wilshirebc.org/registration. Siblings are welcome as long as they are registered. Another Parents Night Out will be held on August 20.
Wilshire history book available.
Blest Be the Tie, a hardcover book covering the history of Wilshire, is available free of charge. Copies can be found in high-traffic areas of the building, and you are free to take one if you don’t already have it. The book contains informative text and hundreds of photos covering Wilshire’s history from its 1951 founding until the 2011 publication of the book.
Rangers game outing, August 1.
Join us for a churchwide outing to the new Globe Life Field to see our Texas Rangers play the Seattle Mariners on Sunday, August 1, at 1:35 p.m. We’ll leave Wilshire around 12:15 p.m. on a charter bus and return after the game. Our group seats are located in the Upper Box section. Don’t worry about the heat; this new state-of-the-art venue is fully enclosed and air-conditioned. Tickets cost $20 per person and need to be ordered by Monday, July 26. Sign up at wilshirebc.org/registration.
Midweek Bible Study – Wednesdays at noon in the Sanctuary.
Join us weekly for a time of announcements, prayer, music and Bible study in the Sanctuary. The event lasts about 45 minutes and is livestreamed on our YouTube channel and will remain on YouTube to be watched later. NEW: Enjoy your Koinonia Café To Go lunch in James Gallery after Midweek Bible Study.
Love Your Neighbor meets July 18
The new Love Your Neighbor Class will hold its next meeting on Sunday, July 18, with Bryan Reece as guest speaker. Reece is an assistant professor of philosophy at the University of Arkansas and will speak about the nature and importance of wisdom. A native of Fort Worth, Reece previously held fellowships at the University of Chicago and Harvard University. His research and teaching focus on how philosophers of the past can help us raise and answer the most pressing questions about the nature of reality and our place in it. Love Your Neighbor is a Zoom-based class that meets the first and third Sundays each month at 1 p.m. To get the Zoom link, email loveyourneighbor@wilshirebc.org.
ECLC reopening in August
After being closed for the last school year due to the pandemic, Wilshire’s Early Childhood Learning Center (ECLC) is reopening and will begin on August 16. We have openings for children from 3 months through Pre-K and would be glad to have your family as part of our program. Families from the community are welcome. Our program is available Monday through Thursday and runs from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. If you would like a tour, please call Kelly Akins at 214-452-3139 or email kakins@wilshirebc.org. For more information, visit wilshirebc.org/eclc.
Blood drive here July 28
Carter BloodCare will have its bus in Wilshire’s north parking lot on Wednesday, July 28, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Parish Nurse Linda Garner reports that there is still a critical need for blood and that the supply of blood is at a 30-year low. Each blood donation has the potential to save three lives or more. See page 16 for more information and a QR code you can scan to make an appointment. You can also find the appointment link at wilshirebc.org/registration.
The WOW! Brown Bag Book Club meets one Thursday a month at noon in Room 1205-L. On July 8, the group will discuss Graeme Simsion’s The Rosie Project. 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 July 13, I Think You’re Wrong (But I’m Listening) by Beth Silvers and Sarah Stuart-Holland. Contact Debby Burton at dburton@wilshirebc.org to sign up.
Preteen Camp
Wilshire kids in completed grades 3–6 will attend Passport Kids! Camp from Saturday, July 24 through Tuesday, July 27. We’ll depart by bus at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday and will stay at the Heart of Texas Baptist Camp and Conference Center in Brownwood. Students will participate in worship, Bible study, creative recreation, missions and other activities. Activities will be led by Passport staff; we will provide one chaperone for every five campers. Chaperones are needed. We’ll return to Wilshire around 4:30 p.m. on July 27. Open to the community. Register at wilshirebc.org/registration.
Preschool Friends Camp
Monday, July 12, is the deadline to sign up for Preschool Friends Camp, which will be held July 19–23 from 9 a.m. to noon. Themed “I Can Care About Others,” the camp is open to preschoolers who turned 3 years old through 5 years old by September 1, 2020, but have not completed kindergarten. Open to the community. Register at wilshirebc.org/registration.
Enroll for summer piano lessons.
Wilshire’s Academy of Fine Arts is enrolling piano students for the summer. The cost is $40 per 30-minute lesson. To sign up, contact Jeff Brummel at jbrummel@wilshirebc.org.
Wilshire Welcome Meet & Greet Sunday, July 25 • 9:15 – 10:45 a.m.
Are you a guest or new member? Maybe you joined during the pandemic and don’t yet have a full picture of everything this faith community has to offer. Mark your calendar for our Wilshire Welcome Meet & Greet on July 25 in Community Hall. This informal session will help you learn about Wilshire, with topics ranging from Sunday morning options to volunteer and advocacy opportunities, plus a Q&A time with Senior Pastor George Mason. The Wilshire Welcome Class will begin meeting weekly during Sunday School this fall.