Wednesday Night Live resumes Jan. 12. Here’s a look at what’s happening this month.
Jan. 12
5 p.m. Family Dinner, Community Hall
6 p.m. Music, Missions and More for preschoolers and children
6 p.m. Town Hall with George. Begin the new year by attending a town-hall-style discussion with Senior Pastor George Mason in Community Hall.
6:30 p.m. Watershed for grades 7 through 12 resumes and continues weekly, Youth Center.
7 p.m. Sanctuary Choir rehearsals resume and continue weekly, Choral Hall.
Jan. 19
5 p.m. Family Dinner, Community Hall
6 p.m. Grant Halliburton Foundation presentation for K – 12 students and parents. See page 11 for more information.
No 6 p.m. programming other than the Grant Halliburton event. Parents, teachers and anyone interested in childhood or teen mental health are encouraged to attend.
Jan. 26
5 p.m. Family Dinner, Community Hall
6 p.m. Music, Missions and More
6 p.m. Resident-Led Vespers, McIver Chapel
Childcare for infants to 2-year-olds whose parents are involved in Wednesday evening church activities is offered from 6 to 7 p.m.
First Wednesday: Called to Care Called to Carse will be held this spring on Feb. 2, April 6 and May 4. On those days, children and adults will gather at 6 p.m. for an easy, hands-on mission or service project.
Koinonia Café To Go continues in January Takeout meals from Wilshire’s kitchen will continue to be offered for curbside pickup on Wednesdays during January as we further evaluate the return of buffet-style meal service. Koinonia Café To Go will resume on Jan. 12 and operate just as it has been: order through the church website by end of day Tuesday and choose from two Wednesday pickup times: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 4:30 to 6 p.m. Community Hall will be open at 5 p.m. each Wednesday for those wishing to eat together on-site. Bring your own food or pick up Koinonia Café To Go on the first floor and bring it to Community Hall. A microwave will be available.
Monthly lunch for seniors planned Wilshire Adventurers will begin offering a lunchtime gathering with fellowship, a meal and a program the first Wednesday of every month in Community Hall. The first gathering is planned for Feb. 2, but only if COVID-19 conditions allow for the resumption of buffet-style meal service. Watch for updates in the coming weeks.
Expenses met for 2021 Senior Pastor George Mason reported in a Dec. 27 email to the congregation that Wilshire gave enough at year-end for the church to cover its expenses for 2021. “Thank you again for your generosity,” George wrote. “You never cease to amaze me.” Watch the Tapestry in coming weeks for a final report on 2021 numbers.
Masks strongly encouraged inside building. Given the emergence of the highly contagious COVID-19 omicron variant, Wilshire is strongly encouraging everyone to wear a mask while in the church building, regardless of vaccination status. A section in the back pews of the Sanctuary will continue to be roped off for those wishing to practice a greater degree of social distancing. Our COVID-19 Advisory Task Force continues to monitor and evaluate local data and will revisit and adjust policies and protocols as needed. Associate Pastor Heather Mustain talked about this renewed emphasis on masking in a video released Wednesday. You can find it on our YouTube channel; visit youtube.com/wilshirebaptist and look for the video titled “Pastoral Update from Heather Mustain.”
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue to try to keep every body safe.
Schedule reminders
ν The church offices will be closed Monday, Jan. 3.
ν No Wednesday activities or Koinonia Café To Go on Jan. 5.
Save the date for annual church conference, Jan. 23. Make plans to attend Wilshire’s annual church conference, to be held in Community Hall after the 11 a.m. service on Sunday, Jan. 23. 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. Lunch will be provided. The option to join the conference via Zoom will be available. More details to come.
Volunteer for homeless count. Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance (mdhadallas.org) is inviting community members to volunteer the night of Jan. 25 at 5 p.m. for their annual Point in Time Count, an opportunity to count sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness. The annual count, a requirement under federal law, helps communities understand the extent of homelessness and changing trends and is an important reminder that everybody counts. Small groups of volunteers will be assigned to different census tracts to seek and survey those experiencing unsheltered homelessness. We would love to have a couple of teams from Wilshire serve. If you are interested in being on or even leading a team, contact Abbey Adcox at aadcox@wilshirebc.org.
MLK Teach-In. George Mason will be a panelist for the fifth annual King Teach-In at Friendship-West Baptist Church on Saturday, Jan. 15, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Other speakers include Friendship-West pastor Freddie Haynes, Texas House Rep. Jasmine Crockett and activist Brittany Packnett Cunningham. Themed “Where Do We Go From Here: Democracy or Oligarchy?,” the teach-in will be livestreamed at friendshipwest.org as well as on Friendship-West’s YouTube channel and Facebook page.
MLK Day Meal Packing Event. Wilshire is partnering with the nonprofit Rise Against Hunger to host a Meal Packing Event on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, Jan. 17. All ages are invited to register and join us from 10 a.m. to noon to pack meals, with time for pizza and socializing afterward. Volunteers are also needed to register and assist with set-up starting at 8:30 a.m. (strong backs needed) and cleanup starting after the event. All volunteers will be required to be masked in accordance with Rise Against Hunger’s current policy. Find the link to register or donate at wilshirebc.org/registration.
Town hall on racial equity. Wilshire will host a town hall meeting on the subject of racial equity on MLK Day, Monday, Jan. 17, at 7 p.m. in Community Hall. Dallas City Council Member Casey Thomas is organizing the event, which will also be attended by Council Members Paula Blackmon, Gay Donnell Willis and Paul Ridley. The discussion, billed as a “Racial Equity Audit Report,” will focus on redressing racial inequities in Dallas housing and community development.
• Council Member Thomas will also be interviewed in worship on Jan. 16 to talk about his work promoting racial equity in Dallas through new housing policies. Thomas has represented District 3 on the council since 2015 and was elected to serve as Mayor Pro Tem in 2018. He serves as chair of the Housing and Homeless Solutions Committee and vice-chair of the Workforce, Education and Equity Committee. He is a Dallas native and a graduate of Skyline High School and the University of North Texas.
New here?
ν The monthly Wilshire Welcome Class helps guests and new members learn what Wilshire is all about, from our philosophy of worship to Bible study options, missions and advocacy efforts and more. The class will meet Sunday, Jan. 16, at 10 a.m. in the Prayer Room (1100B) near McIver Chapel.
ν Coffee and Conversation with Senior Pastor George Mason will be held Sunday, Jan. 23, at 10 a.m. This informal time in George’s study (Room 2203) gives guests and new members a chance to ask questions about Wilshire.
ν Questions about these events? Contact Carolyn Murray at cmurray@wilshirebc.org.
Sing with choir for Faith in 3D. You are invited to join with Sanctuary Choir to sing choral parts for the 2022 Faith in 3D video production, “To Whom It May Concern.” Parts will be rehearsed during the choir’s normal Wednesday night practice starting Jan. 12 and continuing weekly until the Faith in 3D video shoot on Saturday, Feb. 26. Songs for the musical will be rehearsed at the beginning of the 7 p.m. rehearsals so that participants may slip out before the choir moves on to other material. The video of Faith in 3D will premiere in Community Hall on Sunday, April 24, after worship. Questions? Contact Doug Haney at dhaney@wilshirebc.org.
January Sunday School series will give Biblical overview. Associate Pastor Darren DeMent will present an overview of the Bible in a four-week Sunday School series starting Jan. 9 and ending Jan. 30. The lessons will consider the who, what, when and where of the Bible, providing a refresher on the order of events, major figures, and how they relate to a broader historical timeline. This limited series will be a good option for anyone not connected to a class or for those new to the idea of Sunday School. Existing classes may choose to attend to give their regular teachers a four-week break. The series is also perfect for anyone looking to brush up on their Biblical literacy. The class will meet in McIver Chapel at 10 a.m.
Marriage Connections, Jan. 14. Marriage Connections returns Friday night, Jan. 14, and the deadline to register for childcare is Sunday, Jan. 9. In this monthly event, free childcare (infants – grade 6) is provided at Wilshire while couples hear a presentation before having dinner out on their own. January’s speaker will be Wilshire member and pediatrician Rhonda Walton. The same childcare is available for Single Parents’ Night Out and Adoption/Foster Care Ministry Night Out. Register at wilshirebc.org/registration.
Women’s Retreat: Feb. 11–13, 2022. Find community, encouragement and time with God at the 2022 Women’s Retreat. Pastoral Residents Ashley Robinson and Jenna Sullivan will serve as camp pastors. Registration will close on Monday, Jan. 10. Learn more and register at wilshirebc.org/registration.
Women of Wilshire book clubs
ν The WOW! Tuesday Evening Book Club meets in the Parlor monthly at 6:30 p.m. On Jan. 11 the group will discuss Patti Callahan’s Becoming Mrs. Lewis. Zoom available by request. Contact: Debby Burton (dburton@wilshirebc.org).
ν The WOW! Brown Bag Book Club meets one Thursday a month at noon in Room 1205-L. On Jan. 13 the group will discuss The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah. Contact: Abbey Adcox (aadcox@wilshirebc.org).
Valerie Kaur coming in February. Author Valerie Kaur will be in Dallas for two events presented by Faith Commons and co-sponsored by Wilshire. Kaur will deliver a lecture Wednesday evening, Feb. 2, and lead a workshop Thursday morning, Feb. 3. Details to come. Kaur is an author, activist, filmmaker, lawyer, educator and faith leader. She is the founder of the Revolutionary Love Project and the author of the 2020 book See No Stranger.
ECLC 2022-23 Registration. It’s almost time to enroll for the 2022-2023 school year at Wilshire’s Early Childhood Learning Center! We are so pleased with the way this year is progressing and plan to continue building on all the good things that are happening in our rebuild year. Wilshire members will have the opportunity to register beginning at 7 am on Monday, Jan. 24. The registration form will be available to view ahead of time, but you will be unable to submit until this date. Registration is on a first come, first served basis. Please note: Your “in-line” number is guaranteed until 2:30 p.m. on Jan. 25. If your non-refundable registration fee ($400) is not received in time, your submission will be placed at the back of the line and not counted until your check is received. If you have questions, please contact the ECLC office or visit wilshirebc.org/eclc.
Free session for K–12 students and parents on adolescent mental health, Wed., Jan. 19, 6 p.m. at Wilshire. Join us for this important presentation for all children, youth and parents. Grant Halliburton Foundation will present four concurrent age-based sessions on adolescent mental health and well-being. Participants will meet in four groups: K – grade 3; grades 4 – 6; grades 7 – 12; and parents. This event will take the place of regular Wednesday activities. For more information, contact Minister to Children Julie Girards at jgirards@wilshirebc.org. Grant Halliburton Foundation is a Dallas-based nonprofit working to raise awareness and understanding of adolescent mental health and suicide prevention.
For K–3 students. RISE: Change Your World! is an interactive presentation designed to help students reframe their thinking and behavior related to bullying.
For grades 4–6 and 7–12. #SAFE is an interactive presentation designed to educate young people about mental wellness and encourage them to speak up concerning their mental health.
For parents. You’ll learn to recognize signs of stress and depression, promote adolescent brain health and mental wellness, foster strong coping skills in youth and more. Parents, teachers and other adult influencers welcome.