Table Talk
WPC's Weekly E-Newsletter (May 19, 2023 Edition)
Celebrating the new Deacon Bereavement Team
This Sunday we're introducing the three-member deacon team who are being charged to service in the area of Bereavement. The three deacons are Anna Baker, Judy Loftis, and Dani Yuhas. The Bereavement Team is responsible for providing bereavement care and support for individuals and families before, upon, and after the occasion of a death, in partnership with the pastor, church staff, and WPC funeral coordinator, including but not limited to visitation, worship services, and ongoing grief support, subject to the direction and/or approval of the Session. This three-member team has been training for their important work since January, and they're honored to begin their season of service this month. (They're also a bit jealous that they had to go last in being recognized and haven't yet received their lanyards like the other deacon teams! Can you guess what color their lanyards might be? See you Sunday to find out and to meet the Bereavement Team!)
My Sermon This Weekend
This weekend I conclude my latest sermon series on leadership. I hope the past four weeks have offered you some food-for-thought as you stand in places of leadership in your own lives. If not, then I hope you at least learned a little bit about the interconnected lives of Samuel and Saul.
If your favorite sermons are short sermons, then you're going to LOVE my sermon this weekend! With Sunday's worship service jam-packed with celebrations--graduation recognition, commissioning the Bereavement Team of deacons, and celebrating the sacrament of baptism--my sermon is going to be short, sweet, and too the point so we finish around 11:30AM. We have a picnic lunch planned after worship, and I don't want to disrupt the plans that the Fellowship committee members have for lunch. So...a short sermon it is! Your welcome!
Fitting Prayer Into a Busy Life
Ever begin a work week feeling immediately behind schedule? Ever wake up first thing in the morning and already feel overwhelmed by the stuff needing accomplished before you get to return to bed in the evening? Yeah, I already know your answers to those questions. We all have days when it feels like were stuck in the wash cycle of responsibility and expectation.
I once saw a book titled, "Too Busy Not To Pray." I don't know if it's a good book, because I haven't had time to read it. Sadly, I have days when I do get too busy to pray. (That's not bragging; it's confessing.) Which, of course, begs the question: How do we fit prayer into our busy lives?
I know there are people who get up at five in the morning, fix themselves a cup of coffee or a very specific kind of tea and then spend an hour with their Bible and notebook in prayer and study. So, that is fantastic…if it works for you. But I'm willing to bet most of us are NOT going to be able to pull that off in the midst of lives that are full to bursting at the seams.
But here’s the frustrating catch. The more full our lives are, the more we NEED prayer time. If you haven’t figured this out yet, we all do much better when we make time to talk and listen to God. Finding time for prayer can seem difficult when we have to work, get kids to dance/football/band practice, do laundry, care for aging parents and live with people who need to eat EVERY day. However, there are ways to fit prayer into an already over-scheduled life.
Here are a few suggestions:
- Schedule it in: If you live and die by your calendar, put prayer in there. You don’t have to spend an hour in prayer; even a few minutes can be enough to connect with God and help you make it through the day.
- Pray on-the-go: Use the time you spend commuting, doing housework, or running errands as time to pray. Pick a thing that you do every day and be intentional about using that time for prayer.
- Start and end the day with prayer: Begin the day with a simple prayer and end the day with a prayer of gratitude. Morning: Thank you God for this day. Let me be a mediator of your love and grace everywhere I go. Evening: Thank you God for getting me through this day. Help me to leave my concerns and worries with You so that I might get a good night’s sleep and be ready to do it again tomorrow. This bookending your day with time to talk to God can really reframe your experience of that day.
- There’s an app for that: If you are never without your phone, use it to remind yourself to pray. Pray! is a free app that allows you to set prompts and reminders. D365 is a prayer app supported by the PC(USA), and I have it on my phone.
- Workout prayer: There are some exercise classes that feel like prayer is a necessary part of making it through, but workout time can be great prayer time. There’s something about being in motion that makes our brains work differently and you may find it easier to pray when you’re walking, running or lifting than it is to connect to God while sitting still.
There is no right or wrong way to pray, nor is there a prayer practice that works for everyone. But everyone DOES need to find a way to work prayer time into our lives. Faith life is real life and our whole lives go better when we make time to pay attention to God’s presence.
Onward and upward!
See you in church,
Pastor Adam
"Mapping Your Exit" by Glenn M. Gordon, MD (1924-2018)
This short essay is meant to convey the main points of that planning - things to do that make the transition easier for you - and more importantly for members of your family who will be involved with your affairs after you are gone! These are items you need to document in a notebook, and show to family members, so that your choices are carried out!
1. CHOSING A PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE ─ TRUSTEE
This very important person should be someone well known to you, who will have the important decisions to make regarding handling the estate, and other personal matters. Your choice, and their acceptance, should be documented in a form letter. That letter does not need notarization.
2. WHOM TO NOTIFY
Make a list that includes your primary doctor, family kin, personal representatives, mortuary, church, attorney, professional and social organizations of interest.
3. ALL YOUR STUFF AND WHERE YOU WANT IT TO GO
This difficult process should be done before your departure. Make a list of major items that you possess, and with the help of family members determine their ultimate location. Clean out cupboards and drawers of non-essential clutter and dispose appropriately. Identifying old pictures will be very helpful. The list goes on - get rid of stuff now!
4. YOUR PAPER TRAIL, ASSETS, LIABILITIES, ETC.
Your important papers (your will, trust, property deeds, mortgage and other documents) may be in your home file, your attorney’s office or in a safety deposit box. The locations of these documents should be known to your personal representative and family members.
5. YOUR FINANCIAL MATTERS
Your CPA will have copies of your tax records, but you may have assets and liabilities known only to yourself. Family members should be made aware of where such papers are kept - personal files or safety deposit box.
6. MEMORIAL SERVICE PLANS AND WISHES
Your wishes regarding the kind of service to be observed after your death should be discussed ahead of time. This may be, however, beyond your control, since your family will have the last word! A variety of venues are possible, and the content of services varies considerably.
7. YOUR FINAL DISPOSITION
Burial or cremation - possible organ donation? Arrangements should be made before death. Choosing a mortuary well ahead of time is important.
8. YOUR HEALTH CARE AND MEDICAL DIRECTIVE
Perhaps the most important thing you should do, as soon as possible, is to document your choices about end-of-life care. By filling out a POLST form (Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment), and being sure that your doctor and family are aware of your desires, you can be more at ease contemplating the future. A similar document, Advance Medical Directive, accomplishes the same thing. It states your medical treatment wishes, should you be unable to speak for yourself. An Advance Directive can be used to a) Appoint a Health Care Representative; b) Provide Health Care Instructions; or c) Both of these things - worth filling out and discussing with family. A document certifying your choice of a person as your Power of Attorney for Health Care Decisions needs to be notarized.
My wife, Sue, passed away in 2011. So I lived through the process described above. I found it extremely helpful, and commend it to your consideration. ‘Getting rid of Stuff’ was the most vexing - but ended up happily when all seven children got together on a weekend, and chose by lot among themselves, the items most important to each one! Is it time to ‘MAP YOUR EXIT?’ Good Luck!
A useful website: www.aarp.org/home-family/caregiving/end-of-life.html
[Editor’s Note: Those of us who have lost a parent or dear friend, and served as executor of their estate know just how difficult and emotionally draining it is to settle the final affairs of a loved one. Back in 2010, Dr. Glenn Gordon taught a 6-week series at Central Presbyterian Church in Eugene, Oregon, on “Mapping Your Exit” which many of us found very useful to reduce the eventual, inevitable burden on our loved ones, and helped us experience the freedom of facing our own mortality.]
An article shared from the Presbyterian Older Adult Ministries Network.
Join Our Prayer Network
Send an email note to: rgibbs22@zoominternet.net to become part of our fellowship of pray-ers, who hold in prayer both the joys and concerns of our faith community.
Volunteer Opportunity—Helping with the Annual Book Sale
Volunteers are needed and appreciated as we do the ongoing work of sorting donated books for our yearly sale. Use the lower level parking lot and entrance doors.
Upcoming Book Sorting Dates: May 22, June 5 & 19, 9-11AM
Day of Pentecost, May 28
Sacrament of Holy Communion & a special Pentecost sermon—“An Unfinished Story”
Bring Your Kids to Church This Summer. They’re Going to Have a Blast!
Need a break from your kids who are now home all day on summer vacation? Be sure to bring them to church every Sunday this summer for their revamped Children’s Church Summer Programming where they will have some fun in the sun! Beginning Sunday, June 4th, children ages 4-10 will be checked-in at the Children's Sunday School Room (use the CCW Academy entrance) every Sunday before the 10:30 am worship service. Each Sunday FOR THE ENTIRE WORSHIP HOUR your children will enjoy summer outdoor activities such as water days, recess games, Bring Your Bible to Church Day, and much, much more! Indoor activities will also be planned in case of a rainy Sunday morning. It’s going to be a blast for them and a worshipful break for you!
Sunday Morning Adult Group--Sermon Preview & Discussion
Parlor Room, 9:15AM
Led by Pastor Adam, we are going to be previewing the morning's Bible reading and sermon, while also discussing some of the main points and/or questions Pastor Adam will be addressing in the current sermon series.
Youth Ministry @ WPC—Wednesday Evenings in May
Jr. and Sr. High meet Wed evenings (6PM) at Bevin's home for a dinner and meeting. (6184 Circle Drive, Poland, OH 44514) Contact Bevin for info 330-774-0809, talk/text
Young Adult Women’s Group
We have an active young women's small group at our church, and you're welcome to come join us. Tuesday evenings, 6:30PM @ Panera on South Ave. Want to come? Have some questions? Call/text Lindsay 724-893-6243.
Men's Bible Study
Morning Bible Study meets for Breakfast on Fridays, 6:30a. We meet at IHOP on Rt. 224, 833 Boardman Poland Rd. We meet the 1st, 3rd and 5th Friday of each month. Any other questions, contact Tim Meehan 330-758-7535. Next Gatherings: May 19
Young Adult Men’s Group
We're an informal group who meet when our schedules lineup to share what's going on in our lives and to read through the Gospels one chapter at a time. Bibles provided. Interested? Text Pastor Adam 724-893-6244
Recovery Groups @ WPC
- Al-Anon—Sundays, 7PM
- AA—Wednesdays, 7PM (Closed Meetings)
- GA—Fridays, 7PM
- Al-Anon, AA, and GA meetings held in the lower level of the church building OR the outside pavilion.
- Overeaters Anonymous (OA)—Mondays, 7PM
- OA meets in library on main level. Use CCW Academy entrance.
Contemporary Christian Issues Discussion Group, Wednesdays, 1PM
Want to participate? Text 330-507-9232 or email @ ssher77@sbcglobal.net.
~ Susan Sheridan, Group Facilitator.
The Contemporary Christian Issues Discussion Group will meet on Wednesday, May 24 at 1:00 p.m. in the church parlor and continue their discussion of free speech as it intersects with academic freedom. Our discussion will focus on three articles from the New York Times and will offer some suggestions for solutions and a sign of hope. From Pamela Paul we offer, "The Most Profound Loss on Campus Isn't Free Speech. It's Listening;" from David French, "The Moral Center Is Fighting Back on Elite College Campuses;" and from Christina Paxson, "The Gravest Threats to Campus Speech Come From States, Not Students." Articles are available on the counter in the church office.
Go Outside and Join Other WPC Folks for Bocce!
Did you know we have our very own bocce court at WPC? It’s located behind our pavilion at the back of the church property. With summer right around the corner it’s time to begin the bocce season. Our kickoff evening is Tuesday June 13th, 6:00PM, and you are invited to join in on the fun! Our bocce season is for ALL AGES and ALL SKILL LEVELS. Although we do throw some balls around, just being out in the fresh air with fun people is a great way to spend an evening. Hope to see you at the court behind the Pavilion! Questions: Call Church Office or Jan Pickens, Joe Parsons, or Barb Gibbs
Go Have Coffee with Pastor Adam This Summer
Curious about the Christian faith or what it means to be Presbyterian? Been coming to WPC for a while and still have some big questions? Got some church trauma and don’t want to add any more to it? We get it. If you want, just text our pastor 724-893-6244 and tell him you’d like to grab a drink and chat and he’ll try his best to book a meetup in the next two to three weeks. No sales pitch, but he’ll shoot straight with any questions you have and hopefully get to hear a bit of your story (everyone’s got one).
Tip: When texting Pastor Adam, let him know when you’re usually available.
Weekday happy hours, 5 pm - 8 pm
Weekday lunch time, 11:30 am - 1:30 pm
Weekday morning coffee, 8:30 am - 11 am
This summer, our Sunday worship times will remain unchanged, offering both the 8:15A chapel service & 10:30A sanctuary service.
A “Thank You” for our Music Ministry
Please take time to express your gratitude for all the Chancel Choir has accomplished this year. They presented a beautiful anthem and response each week. They sang a Christmas Cantata of favorite carols accompanied by instrumentalists. They participated in a hymn sing at Boardman United Methodist Church in May. Please thank the children and their parents for singing in worship both alone and with the adults on multiple occasions this past year. They are a delight and a joy to work with, teaching them songs and encouraging their talents. Please thank the instrumentalists that helped to enhance worship: Emma Hamilton, Kaylee Goldsboro, Sandy Stuart, Rod McEwan, Lani Calder and Jamie DiSibio. Please thank those that played bells in worship as well. It is difficult and awesome to stand in front of the congregation playing music. The bells are taking a hiatus and being refurbished this summer by a technician that specializes in White Chapel Bells.
Musicians Wanted
Musicians are needed to fill the sanctuary with beautiful sounds during the summer hiatus of the Chancel Choir beginning June 4. There is a sign-up sheet on the piano in the choir room. Please consider sharing your talents with the congregation.
Music in the Atrium
“Music in the Atrium” is being resurrected this summer. This is a fun and relaxing time for congregants to gather prior to worship and hear some great music. We’re looking for musicians /groups of musicians to play/sing for about 20 minutes at 10:00 am. You may use the same sign-up sheet located on the piano in the choir room and indicate if music is for the atrium or sanctuary (or both)! There’s a keyboard available for use.
A “Thank You” for Those Who Give Through Volunteering
This weekend, we extend heartfelt gratitude to the members and friends of WPC for your hours spent volunteering, for your unwavering dedication and selfless service. Your commitment to the ministry and mission of the church has touched the lives of countless individuals and strengthened our faith community. From organizing events to leading ministries, your contributions are immeasurable and truly make a difference. Your time, talents, and compassion exemplify the teachings of Christ and inspire us all. Thank you for sharing your gifts, for being the hands and feet of Christ, and for embodying the spirit of love and service. May God bless you abundantly as you continue to bless others!
Can We Pray for You?
Have a joy? We’d love to celebrate with you. Have a concern? We’d love to encourage and support you. Don’t hesitate to share your joys and concerns with Pastor Adam OR send a note to our beloved email prayer chain: rgibbs22@zoominternet.net
Pray for Your Brothers and Sisters...
This list is an invitation for you to hold your WPC siblings & friends in prayer. Names added to this prayer list will remain on the list for one month or whenever you request it be removed, whichever comes first. After a name has been removed, we will gladly add it to the list again if such a request is made.
Byron Harnishfeger
Ken Kossuth
Tom Motheral
Alison Dobro
Janet Carole, mother of Ivy Hennon
Cleo Dietrich
Pete Kisak
Gary Camp
Wish Someone a Happy Birthday!
May Birthdays
May 19 Mollie Turner
May 22 Eleanor Miller
May 23 Beverly Gibson
May 23 Dianna Meehan
May 24 Lorana Crowe
May 24 James Hardwick
May 25 Karen Townsend
May 29 Austin Bayer
May 30 Cynthia Soller
May 31 Joseph Palumbo
Contact the Church Office
Email: westch2@zoominternet.net
Website: www.wpcboardman.com
Location: Westminster Presbyterian Church, Stadium Drive, Youngstown, OH, USA
Phone: 330-758-4513
Contact CCW Academy Preschool
Location: 119 Stadium Drive, Youngstown, OH, USA
Phone: 330-755-7041
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CCWacademyPreschool