A Message from the Associate Pastor - Clover Sitesstorage.cloversites.com/westwoodbaptistchurch2/documents... · 2017. 5. 30. · WESTWOOD WORLD June 2017 1 Westwood World A Publication

WESTWOOD WORLD June 2017 1

Westwood World A Publication of Westwood Baptist Church

June 2017 _________________________________________

2017 Edition 6

A Message from the Associate Pastor

Yesterday we observed Memorial Day. While there are many ways to remember and honor the

sacrifices of the men and women of our military who died while serving our country, one way a group of us

from Westwood did so on Saturday was to place flags on graves at Quantico National Cemetery. After

placing the flags, we spent some time reflecting on our experience and on what Memorial Day means to us.

We closed our time at the cemetery with a time of prayer. Part of the prayer I shared included these words

from Father Austin Fleming: “Help us to shape and make a world where we will lay down the arms of war

and turn our swords into ploughshares for a harvest of justice and peace.” In the midst of reflecting on the

sacrifices that so many have made and the grief that those families bear, let us not forget to pray for our role

in bringing peace to the world.

Memorial Day is also often referred to as the unofficial start of summer. As we continue in this time of

transition, I want to remind all of us of a few things. First, there is a full schedule of summer activities and

ministry opportunities before us. I encourage you to get involved and join us whenever your schedule allows,

whether that is joining us for our summer potlucks, summer book conversations, FroYo nights at SweetFrog,

Vacation Bible School, special youth activities, or any of the other opportunities taking place this summer.

You can read more about all these opportunities in the pages that follow. Second, God is still at work and is

calling us to join in! There are opportunities available for you to use your gifts in leadership. Please pray

about taking a leadership position when the Nominating Committee contacts you. And third, the photography

dates for our new church directory are June 19, 20, and 21. Please make your appointment so that we can

have the best pictorial directory possible. This directory will be a great ministry tool for our interim pastor

and for our future senior pastor.

Since the Personnel Committee last addressed the church on May 7, they have scheduled and

conducted three telephone interviews. They were excited by the experience and quality of the candidates. The

Personnel Committee is continuing forward with the selection process by conducting reference checks and

will update the congregation as things progress. The Personnel Committee is committed to working quickly

but deliberately to find the right person to guide us through our transition.

Please continue to pray for the Personnel Committee and for Westwood Baptist Church!

Stephen Gray


In Our Prayers . . .

Al & Carolyn Sanders; Aminata Jalloh and her father; Ann Williamson; Anne Daly; Andy Willetts;

Ariel Williams; Berkley McKenzie; Beth Seay’s father; Bob Shelton, and his sister; Carolyn Dickens’ friend

Teri Furman; Cathy Hallmark’s brothers Pete and Tommy Burrell; Charlene Cozart; Charles Beam; Chuck

Young, and his father; Claire Hix; Dale Yingling and family; Dave Schmitz; Del Purkey’s father; Dennis

Hunt’s father; Ed & Karen Armstrong; Ed Tarlosky; Eddie Maguire’s friends June & Joe Aguello and Angie

Brayboy; Elise Clark; Eric Williams; Ethel Mitchell; Faye Riley; Gary Gillespie; Greisy Acosta’s mother;

Helen Hill; Jackie Weaver; Jim Crupper; Josh Towner*; Joy Earner’s neighbor David Gordon; Joyce and

Augie Taormina; Kathy Boothe; Kathy Freeman’s father and mother; Landon Taylor (El Salvador); LaVonne

Boyer and her daughter; Lee Christensen; Lera League; Lynda Maguire, and her friend Annette Davis; Marie

Skalski; Martha Newman’s sister Mary Ellen; Megan Purkey and Caryn Devine’s aunt Maureen Devine;

Nancy Graham; Olga Teutler’s father-in-law and her friend’s mother; Pam Daly; Pam & Thomas Daly’s

friend Maryann Ridge; Patti Heller; Paul Sonnhalter; Susan Edson; Vernon and Byrdie Fash; Wakie

Paganelli; Wallace and Phyllis Brinkley’s friend Skip Gallagher; and Yvonne Bryant. *Active Duty Military

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page Page

Westwood Member News 2 Thank You, Westwood! 3 Summer 2017 Calendar 4 Vacation Bible School 2017 5 Community Involvement 6 Women on a Mission 6 Church Life 7-8

Preschool & Children’s Ministry 9 Green Team 10 www.GO Older Adults Ministry 10 CBF General Assembly 10 Adult Education 11 Youth Ministry Summer Activities 11 Youth Ministry 12

Westwood Member News

Quarterly

church

conference

Sunday, june 11 7 pm

music suite


There are a number of words and phrases used to signify

the experience of retirees. One I have often heard is “over

the hill.” I don’t know that the concept is wholly correct in

its assumptions, for life is a series of peaks and valleys that

confront us at every stage and season of life. There may be

some truth in that routines and opportunities may be

different as one reaches a pinnacle in one’s work or

vocation that will most likely not be repeated again. In that

context, I suppose I could say I stood at the pinnacle of that

hill on April 30 as we shared our last Sunday together.

Indeed, the entire weekend could be described as a

mountaintop experience. Friday night’s “drop-in” in the

courtyard was a wonderful opportunity to simply talk with

folks, some we had seen the Wednesday night before, and

some we had not seen in years! The blessings and

remembrances shared made the time go by so quickly, and

the last conversation of the evening took place with a starry

sky overhead.

The United States Army Chorus concert Saturday was, I

believe, one of their best at Westwood. Of course, the

inclusion of “My Old Kentucky Home” may have swayed

my judgment a bit, but their kindness in making special

recognition of us was greatly appreciated. Sgt. Bob

MacDonald sang a tribute to the Chorus’ biggest fan and

supporter, Virginia Hole, but that sentiment pretty much

said it all for us, as it was truly an unforgettable event!

Thank You, Westwood!

The doughnut fellowship, worship service, and luncheon on

Sunday capped off the weekend. I must say, in practicing

with the Purkeys and the Singing Preachers, meeting with

the baptismal candidates, and trying to greet some of the

folks in the fellowship time, I missed the doughnuts!! (My

family reported to me, however, that they were very good.)

To sing with the Purkeys and the Singing Preachers was a

great blessing and a lot of fun for me. I greatly appreciated

the extra effort they all gave to share in the service. To

celebrate the baptisms of Brian, Evelyn, Massie, Alex,

Simon, and Mindy was a special gift of the day. The kind

words and generous gifts offered by the Personnel

Committee and others who shared on your behalf touched

our hearts, and I am grateful for each one. The beautiful

anthem provided by the Sanctuary Choir, Handbell Choir

and other instrumentalists, duet by Olga and Cindy, and

Olga’s beautiful piano offertory — which I requested —

made the day even more special. I held it together pretty

well until Clayton spoke, but in such a moment, most

parents probably would have lost it as I did. Through the

years, you have blessed him in so many ways, and I am

grateful for the way you welcomed and encouraged him,

Cindy, and me.

Those three days in late April were a mountaintop

experience for us. If I am inching over the hill, the view

from that lofty perch of April 28-30 is one I will cherish

whenever I think of Westwood. Through fifteen and one-

half years, we shared many moments of laughter, tears,

blessing, and challenge. I am grateful to God for the

privilege of service, grateful to my family for their faithful

love and encouragement, and grateful to you, our

Westwood family, for walking beside us in ministry,

friendship, and love. To survey all that has been and trust

God for all that is yet to be is to stand in a lofty place of

faith…unmistakably, a place of blessing!

With love and gratitude,

Jim, Cindy, and Clayton

Jim Abernathy with the League family. Photo by Chet Griffin.


Summer 2017 Calendar

Get out your planning books—we’ve got a busy summer ahead! Watch for details in upcoming Sunday bulletins and the Westwood Express.

June Tuesday, June 6 Child Protection Training Friday, June 9 Westwood Night at the Nationals Sunday, June 11 Child Protection Training Sunday, June 11 Quarterly Church Conference Wednesday, June 14 Church-wide Potluck Fellowship Saturday, June 17 MACBF: The Great Obstacle Race Monday-Wednesday, June 19-21 Church Directory Photos Thursday, June 22 Family FroYo Night at SweetFrog Saturday, June 24 Youth Attend King’s Fest Tuesday, June 27 Summer Book Conversation Thursday, June 29 Youth Disc Golf @ Burke Lake Park

July Monday-Thursday, July 3-6 PASSPORTkids! Camp Friday, July 7 Youth at Flight Trampoline Park Sunday, July 9 Child Protection Training Monday-Friday, July 10-14 Vacation Bible School Thursday, July 13 Youth Lunch and Movie at University Mall Sunday-Saturday, July 16-22 Impact Mission Camp in Appomatox Wednesday, July 19 Church-wide Potluck Fellowship Sunday, July 23 “Westwood’s Got Talent” and Ice Cream Social Tuesday, July 25 Summer Book Conversation Thursday, July 27 Family FroYo Night at SweetFrog Friday-Saturday, July 28-29 Youth Lock-In

August

August Sundays at Westwood Worship at 9:45 a.m. Thursday, August 3 Youth Hiking Old Rag Thursday, August 10 Youth Ultimate Frisbee @ Burke Lake Park Wednesday, August 16 Church-wide Potluck Fellowship Thursday, August 17 Youth Mini Golf @ Monster Mini Golf in Chantilly Tuesday, August 22 Summer Book Conversation Thursday, August 24 Family FroYo Night at SweetFrog Friday-Sunday, August 25-27 Youth Retreat Wednesday, August 30 Church Family Night Kickoff

TBA Preschool & Children’s Swimming Preschool & Children’s Bowling

Red—Activities especially for Youth Green—Activities especially for Children

Black—Open to Everyone

Dates

Subject to

Change!


MAKER

FUN

FACTORY Created by God

Built for a Purpose

Dates: July 10-14

Time: 9:30 AM to 12 PM

Ages: 4 years by Sept. 30, 2017 through finished

6th grade

Pre-Register Online TODAY!

Volunteers are needed! Talk to Pam Bryson, Randa Gray,

Ginger Schiffner, or Rebecca Larson.

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL 2017

NEW HOURS!


Thank You!

Thanks for contributing to the Letter Carrier Drive to

Stamp Out Hunger, which was conducted on May 13.

ECHO received 18,332 pounds of food from this

collection effort.

June Is ECHO Focus Month at Westwood

Each June, Westwood remembers its long association with

the Ecumenical Community Helping Others (ECHO) by

conducting a special collection of items to support ECHO

in its ministry to our neighbors who need help to live in

high-cost Fairfax County. Westwood was one of eight

churches who formed ECHO in 1968 and today is one of

25 faith communities providing goods and financial

support to folks who need it in Springfield and Burke.

Rather than conduct the usual food drive this June, we are

going to try to fill in some items that are needed by clients

but are not often contributed in the large food drives in

November and May.

The ECHO food room also distributes personal care items

and is quite low on these items at this time. These items

are needed by our clients but cannot be purchased under

the Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

There are also a few food items which are not normally

contributed during the large food drives.

We will collect the items in the large gray tub in the corner

of the narthex each Sunday in June beginning June 4. The

list of items listed below will be available at the Welcome

Center and the Information rack in the narthex.

Community Involvement

Thank You!

Thank you so much for all of the prayers and support you have given to Westwood’s Women on a Mission over this past

program year. Due to your help and generosity, we have been able to give mission support to people in our community, our

nation, and our world. What a privilege it is to be a part of such a caring and supportive church family.

New programs await in the fall!

Judi Kern and Joy Earner

Women on a Mission

Items Most Needed by ECHO

Personal Care Items

Deodorant Facial Tissue Shaving Cream Razors Adult OTC Pain Relief Children’s OTC Pain Relief Laundry Detergent Paper Towels

Food Powdered Milk Jelly 6 oz. Tomato Paste Bag Beans Bag Rice Canned Meat Juice (Large Cans) Coffee/Tea Vegetable Oil Flour/Sugar (2# preferred) Pancake Syrup


Child Protection Training

Planning to help out with VBS? FunDay School? Every

two years, each volunteer with the children’s ministries at

Westwood must take a one-day training in child safety.

Check the list at the Welcome Center to see if you’re up-

to-date on CPT training.

The one-day CPT course will be offered on three dates:

Tuesday, June 6 at 10 a.m.; Sunday, June 11 at 9:45 a.m.;

and Sunday, July 9 at 9:45 a.m.

Church Directory Photography

Appointments

It’s time — at last! — for a new

church directory to be made.

Lifetouch will be at Westwood on

three days, Monday, Tuesday and

Wednesday, June 19, 20 and 21,

from 2-9 p.m. You can make an

appointment online at the link below, or sign up in the

narthex on Sundays, or speak to Elizabeth Colley.

Every person who sits for a photograph will receive a

portrait and a directory FREE. Additional portraits will be

available to order.

Use this link to book your appointment: https://booknow-

lifetouch.appointment-plus.com/y1y1bxtv/

Graduate and Forester Scholarship

Recognition

In morning worship on June 11, we will celebrate with

graduates and their families. High school graduates will

receive gifts from the church to mark this important

achievement. This year’s recipients of the Don Forester

Scholarships will be announced, and college graduates will

be remembered as well. This is always a special service, so

plan to be present and be part of this blessed celebration.

Westwood’s Got Talent & Ice Cream Social

The stars will be out when Westwood’s performers take the

stage on Sunday, July 23 at 7 p.m. Whether you are a

performer or a spectator, don’t miss this annual celebration

of fellowship. After the show, we’ll gather in Whitten Hall

for an ice cream social.

Church Life

Congratulations to Our Congratulations to Our Congratulations to Our Congratulations to Our

2017 Graduates2017 Graduates2017 Graduates2017 Graduates

High School Julianna Williams

Robinson Secondary School

Walter Robinson

West Springfield High School

Casey Mooney

——————

Belmont University

Eric Morrison

Christopher Newport University

Mary Robertson

Virginia Commonwealth

University

Michaela Mishoe

Virginia Tech

Courtney Ann Morris


Westwood Night at the Nationals

Friday, June 9, at 7:05 p.m.

See the Washington Nationals take

on the Texas Rangers!!

_______

Outfield reserved seats in Section

102 are $35 each. See Rev. Gray.

Juggling! Dancing!

Prestidigitation!

Singing! Dramatic

Recitations! Hopscotch

Competition!

DO NOT MISS THE

FUN!!!

Watch for details. For

more information,

contact Rebecca

Larson.

Sunday, July 23 AT 7 PM

“Westwood’s Got Talent!”

& Ice Cream Social

On May 14 we celebrated Women in Ministry Sunday.

Members of the congrega!on brought over 100 photographs

of “Important Women in Our Lives” which were displayed in

the narthex and sanctuary.

Church Life (cont’d)

SUMMER POTLUCKS

June 14

July 19

August 16

Wednesdays at 6 pm


Preschool & Children’s Ministry

Westwood’s Summer Reading Adventure

Fairfax County’s summer reading

program is a great way for babies

through high schoolers to

experience a summer of reading

for fun (and getting prizes for

doing so!). Westwood children

and preschoolers will work as a group to complete the

program’s goals for the appropriate age. Once

complete, we’ll meet and “cash in” one of the prizes

together! More information on the program goals and

prizes, visit:

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/srp

Parents of interested children and preschoolers should

contact Megan Purkey for more details and so the

C&P Ministry team can help kids log in books read at

church.

Family FroYo Night

Join us for a tasty treat at SweetFrog this summer! We

will meet at 7 p.m. at the SweetFrog in the Whole

Foods shopping center on three Thursday evenings—

June 22, July 27, and August 24.

July 3July 3July 3July 3----6, 20176, 20176, 20176, 2017

Montreat, NCMontreat, NCMontreat, NCMontreat, NC

Sw

ee

tFro

g

FAMILY FROYO

NIGHTS

Thursdays

June 22

July 27

August 24

@ SweetFrog

PASSPORTkids! Camp

PASSPORTkids! Camp is coming July 3-6 in

Montreat, NC, and there may still be room for you!

Contact Rebecca Larson today.

Rebecca Larson Director of Preschool & Children’s Ministries


Caring for God’s Gift

In a previous Westwood World article I wrote about

“investing” in terms of spending now to reap rewards in the

future. I continue that topic here as we cover taking care of

God’s creation and relationships in a local and global

context. In his book Environment: An Interdisciplinary

Anthology, National Humanities Medal recipient Wendell

Berry writes:

The Promised Land is not a permanent gift. It is

“given,” but only for a time and only for so long as it is

properly used. It is stated unequivocally and repeated

again and again that “the heaven and the heaven of

heavens is the Lord’s thy God, the earth also, with all

that therein is.” (Deuteronomy 10:14) What is given is

not ownership, but a sort of tenancy, the right of

habitation and use: “The land shall not be sold forever:

for the land is mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners

with me.” (Leviticus 25:23)

Berry addresses how we are to respond given this great

gift:

First of all, we must be faithful, grateful, and humble;

we must remember that the land is a gift: “When thou

hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the Lord thy

God for the good land which he hath given thee.”

(Deuteronomy 8:10) Second, we must be neighborly.

We must be just, kind to one another, generous to

strangers, honest in trading, etc. These are social

virtues, but, as they invariably do, they have ecological

and agricultural implications. For the land is described

as an “inheritance”; the community is understood to

exist not just in space, but also in time. Since we can

have no direct behavioral connection to following

generations, the only neighborly thing we can do for

them is to preserve their

inheritance: we must take care,

among other things, of the land,

which is never a possession, but

an inheritance to the living, as it

will be to them.

Dave Schmitz Green Team Chair

Green Team

Canasta

2nd & 4th Tuesdays from

1-3 p.m. in Greenspring

Village Towne Center

Join us June 13 and 27 for fun

and fellowship. Canasta is a great game that’s fun and

easy to learn.

www.GO Older Adults Fellowship

CBF General Assembly

June 26-30 in

Atlanta, GA

http://www.cbf.net/general-assembly/workshops


Summer book Summer book Summer book Summer book

discussionsdiscussionsdiscussionsdiscussions

Tuesdays @ 7 pM In the Tuesdays @ 7 pM In the Tuesdays @ 7 pM In the Tuesdays @ 7 pM In the

Music SuiteMusic SuiteMusic SuiteMusic Suite

* June 27 *

Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family

and Culture in Crisis

by J.D. Vance * * * * * * *

* JULY 25 *

Jackie Robinson: A

Spiritual Biography:

The Faith of a

Boundary-Breaking

Hero

by Michael G. Long and Chris Lamb

* * * * * * *

* August 22 *

Hallelujah Anyway:Hallelujah Anyway:Hallelujah Anyway:Hallelujah Anyway:

Rediscovering Rediscovering Rediscovering Rediscovering

Mercy Mercy Mercy Mercy

by Anne Lamott

Books are available for purchase Books are available for purchase Books are available for purchase Books are available for purchase

at the welcome center.at the welcome center.at the welcome center.at the welcome center.

Youth Mission Trip to

Appomattox, Virginia July 16-22

To register or for information,

contact Tom Kern.

Mandatory Impact Training Dates:

Sundays at 4:30 pm June 4, 11, 25

Thank you, members of the Westwood congregation, for

supporting Youth events to raise funds for Youth Missions!

Adult Education Youth Ministry Summer Activities

Saturday, June 24

2 0 1 72 0 1 72 0 1 72 0 1 7


Youth Ministry From Will

It was just a couple of weeks ago that the youth ministry of Westwood led worship. I hope

you enjoyed the experience as much as I did, hearing stories from the students and the

volunteers who are here every week of how the Holy Spirit has moved in their lives through

this ministry of our church. Their stories were amazing, funny, powerful, profound, and

engaging, like any good story should be. Not only did they pour themselves into the events

they recounted for you, they worked very hard to craft and consider what that story means in

the context of their relationships with God.

We have been talking about “story” recently on Sunday nights. When I was growing up,

there was this mythology that attempted to cast good storytelling as something that was

folksy, reflecting our rural setting, or regional, catering to our particular locale. I’ve learned

since then that stories are not that unique to any one place or group of people. As long as

there have been human beings, they have been telling stories, whether they paint them on the

walls of caves, craft them into songs for the minstrels, arrange them into poetry, write them

in books, or put them in media like movies and TV. Narrative is how we experience our

existence as created beings of God.

If you have watched the documentary Fastball on Netflix, you can even see how humanity’s

reliance on narrative works in the smallest of experiences. The time it takes for a 100 mph

fastball to reach a hitter is too short for our brains to gather all the information coming at the

hitter. Instead, their eyes absorb information in chunks, and their brains then piece together a

quick, linear expression that fills in the blanks. In those moments where the ball is moving

faster than the hitter expects, hitters such as Hank Aaron talked about how the ball

“disappeared” right before their eyes. It’s not because that is what actually happened, but that

is how the information they took in was arranged for them.

Needless to say, narratives are important to our existence as human beings. Our holiest

Scriptures are narratives that tell us of the experience our forebears in the faith had with God.

How unfortunate it is that we take the Scriptures, sometimes, and break them into such small

chunks. What do we lose when we pick out little things and lose our larger stories?

As we prepare for the summer, and all the great stories that happen when there is no school

and we go on grand adventures, we are going to continue to talk about this idea of telling

stories. Part of that experience is going to be reading the stories of God found in our

Scriptures. We will read them in chunks and just ruminate on them like we would any other

story. Also, we will tell stories of the experiences we have had with God in the community of

those brothers and sisters we call Christians. You should join us on a Sunday night or during

one of our summer events. Maybe you have stories to share, or maybe you just want to come

and hear some of these incredible stories for yourself. In the end, we will all say, “Thanks be

to God.”

Rev. Will Thomas-Clapp Interim Minister with Youth

Weekly Youth Schedule in June

Sundays Cafe 9:30 am Sunday School 9:45 am Worship 11 am Youth Singers 5 pm Youth Dinner 6 pm Sunday Night Live! 6:30-7:45

pm

SNL Meals June 4 Freeman June 11 Gray June 18 No SNL/Father’s

Day June 25 Moody

Important Dates Impact training dates – June 4, 11, 25, 2017 @4:30

Stay In Touch https://rallyhood.

com/westwood-

baptist-church-

youth-ministry

https://www.face

book.com/

Westwood Youth

https://twitter.com/

WestwoodYouth

http://www.

westwood-baptist.

org/youth

Will.Clapp@west

wood-baptist.org

Items for the June Westwood World are due by Thursday, June 15 and should be sent to

[email protected]

Westwood Baptist Church, 8200 Old Keene Mill Road, Springfield, VA 22152 703-451-5120 www.westwood-baptist.org

Documents

A Message from the Associate Pastor - Clover Sitesstorage.cloversites.com/westwoodbaptistchurch2/documents... · 2017. 5. 30. · WESTWOOD WORLD June 2017 1 Westwood World A Publication