Westminster Presbyterian Church 2155 University Ave. Dubuque, IA 52001 563-583-1729 www.wpcdbq.org—website

From Allie Hinga, Elder 1

Youth Ministries 3

Book Club 3

Hunger Outreach

Mission News

4

Church News 2

Worship 6

Poinsettia Memorials for

Deacons

5

Inside this issue:

January 2021 Volume XXI, Issue 1

FROM YOUR

WESTMINSTER

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH FOUNDATION:

Planning ahead is part of effective stewardship. Plan your will now - and include a bequest to Westminster Presbyterian Church.

God is still with us...

Each week when the junior/senior high youth group meets, we go around and have each member of the group share their “highs and lows” – something good that happened in their week and something that was hard for them.

At a recent youth group, I told our teenagers that my high for the week was buying a half-gallon of milk that expires in 2021. Even my grocery purchases were telling me that the end of 2020 was near.

With a year like the one we’ve had, I’ll take just about anything as a sign of hope.

Like a lot of people I know, I’ve been waiting for this year to be over. Something about turning a page and starting a new year feels hopeful – like if I can just get to the finish line of 2020, then surely, next year will be better.

To be sure, there are things to be hopeful about in 2021: a vaccine that should soon be widely available, declining local COVID-19 cases (as of this writing) and an eventual return to some sense of normalcy. But there are a lot of things that have happened in the past year that can make it hard to feel hope going into 2021 – people we have lost, parts of our old lives we still miss and the general uncertainty about what comes next that we have all learned to live with this year.

The thing that gives me comfort right now is this: God is with us on days when we feel hopeful about the new year. God is also with us on the days we do not feel that way.

One thing 2020 taught us is how quickly all the things we thought we knew can change. The things we thought were certain turned out to be things we took for granted. But our faith reminds us that God’s love for us does not change and is al-ways certain. And God’s love is not dependent on us or on our own ability to mus-ter up the strength to feel it. God meets us where we are and loves us as we are.

These words from Romans come to mind:

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. –Romans 8:38-39

However this new year finds you – whether you are hopeful, hurting or some-where in between -- I pray you all know that God loves you and is with you as you go into 2021.

Stay tuned for more information and updates from the Session as we chart a course toward finding a new pastor, finalizing our budget and finding new ways for us to connect with one another both in-person and virtually. We pray that 2021 brings us all together again in-person sooner rather than later, but no matter what happens, we know God is still with us. -Allie Hinga, Session member

Volume XXI, Issue 1 Page 2

Thank you from Mission

On Call Pastoral Care Schedule:

Church News

The Sympathy of the Congregation is extended to

the family and friends of:

• Arden Woodrum, member

• Warren Peterson, member

• Ruth March, member

• Member Kris Cary’s brother, Scott Armitage

Financial Stewardship through December 28, 2020

(numbers rounded to the nearest 1,000)

Year-to-Date Operating Budget $391,100 2020 Income 353,301 2020 Expenses 338,515 Income Over Expenses 14,786

Thank You. To God be the Glory!

A Gift Made in Your Honor

A donation to Heifer International in WPC’s

honor has been made by John Knox Presby-

tery. Thank you for hosting the Presbytery

Meeting Video Conferences. We appreciate it

very much! Blessings in 2021!

DUE TO YOUR CHRISTMAS SPIRIT…

Your generosity has helped:

11 families with 3 kids

1 family with 2 kids

1 family with 1 kid

4 high schoolers and 1 middle schooler

5 Residents at Bethany Home

“I am starting to become the person that I’ve always longed to be. More

importantly, I am becoming the mother that my children deserve.”

~ Rachel, Teresa Shelter resident

Opening Doors is truly grateful for the generous donation of gift cards and gifts for the women and children that we serve at Maria House and Teresa Shelter. Blessings to you

all in the coming year. Ann Lorenz, member & Development. & Marketing Director

A special thank you to everyone that knitted/crocheted or bought hats and scarves that were given out at the Mission Team's Hunger Outreach Event on December 19th. We gave out more than 250 hats and scarves to women, men and children. The people were very excited to receive them. We gave the gift of warmth.

Linda M. Stovall, Mission Chair

Also, we have a small supply of masks here at church. If you need a new one or want an extra to have...come check them out. They are on the bench in the hallway.

Shirley Meriwether, Chair

Jan. 3-16 - Rev. Dan Emmert

Jan. 17-30 - Rev. Dr. Marsha Wilfong

Jan. 31-Feb. 13 - Rev. Dan Emmert

Please call the office at 583-1729 during office hours or if it’s after office hours or on the weekends call Marsha at 563-583-6571 or Dan at 515-370-4906.

Youth Faith Formation

TOO COLD OUT?

Watch Sunday’s Worship Service online.

Go to www.wpcdbq.org and click on the

purple Worship with Us Online button…

it’s that simple!

Camp Wyoming 2021

Interested in summer camp? Summer will be here before you know it!

Start your Camp Wyoming plans now. www.campwyoming.net.

See Lisa Fast for more details

NEED AN UPDATED DIRECTORY?

If you call, stop in or email Mary Kay … she is willing to print the most recent directory for you. However, to keep costs down...the new directory should be picked up. Mary Kay’s email address is: marykay@wpcdbq.org

Westminster Book Club

Page 3

A Very Zoom Christmas Pageant Many kinds words and some notes of appreciation have been

shared by the congregation expressing how much they enjoyed watching The Very Zoom Christmas. Thank you for your

continued support of the youth program! If you missed the live stream or would like to watch it again you can! Simply go to the

church website and click On-Line Services. Once again thank you to the music staff, tech team and writer.

Zoom Break

Rise & Shine it’s time for a Zoom break.

Our 11:30 am and 2:30 pm Zoom classes will

resume on January 17th. Story Time with Miss

Kris will resume January 10th at 7:00 pm.

Have a wonderful holiday break.

Now that the holidays are over, this is a great time to join the Westminster Book Group. The next

title we are reading is The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich. Based on the extraordinary life of National Book Award-winning author Louise Erdrich’s grandfather who worked as a night watchman and carried the fight against Native dispossession from rural North Dakota all the way to Washington, D.C., this powerful novel explores themes of love and death with lightness and gravity and unfolds with the elegant prose, sly humor, and depth of feeling of a master craftsman. Sited in several sources as Best Book of the Year for 2020, this is bound to be a great read.

When: January 27th

Where: Join Zoom Meeting at the link below

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86799169335?pwd=M2hHcURnWFJPV0RWSUwyZGNSSnl2Zz09

Meeting ID: 867 9916 9335 Passcode: 862652

Care Notes

With appreciation to a Westminster Foundation Grant there are now CareNotes available in the narthex. CareNotes are short 10 page pamphlets with subjects such as grief, alzheimers and dementia, prayer and care giving. Meant as a resource for all church members that may be kept for yourself to use or given to someone in need. Envelopes for mailing are behind some pamphlets in this time of Covid 19. The 16 topic rack can be found in the narthex, along the north window. Please take a look next time you visit church and use them freely.

Lisa MacNaughton, Care Team and Caregiver Support Group Coordinator

Mission News

Volume XXI, Issue 1 Page 4

“For I was hungry and you gave me food!”

A great big THANK YOU! to all who helped with our December 19th food distribution. It was very successful thanks to over 30 folks who stepped forward to put their faith in action and demonstrate God's love in our community. Special thanks to our brothers and sisters from First Baptist Church that joined us in this ministry. We also got great help from the Dubuque Police Department and City Engineering Department. Here are the results:

171 cars came through our parking lot 222 families received food 673 people were in those families Over 250 hats and mittens were given out

Again, thanks to all and God's blessings to all. Tom Stovall

Page 5

Jim & Sue Huff In thanksgiving to our staff who are working hard to keep WPC connected and functioning.

Jim & Sue Huff In memory of our parents; Guy & Katherine Huff and Trygve & Virginia Strand

Elaine Woodrum In memory of Arden Woodrum

Bill & Janet Porter In memory of Myrtle & Clarence Porter and John “Jack” Porter.

Carol Chesterman In memory of my parents, Frederick & Helen Chester-man.

Marge Nauman In memory of Dick Nauman

Ann Lorenz In memory of my father, Howard Lorenz

Mike & Betty Jozefowicz In memory of our grandson, Marques Jozefowicz

Jeff Oberhoffer In memory of Paula Oberhoffer & Mark Oberhoffer

Ross & Sally Madden In memory of our parents, Polly & Ken and Art & Felice.

Bruce Hallahan In memory of Tyler Hallahan

Don & Denise Reyerson In honor of our families

Lois & Doug Pearce In memory of our parents, brother & sister who we espe-cially miss at Christmas

Arlys J. Williams and In memory of Dr. Del Williams M.D. and

Les Sonksen In memory of Beverly Ann Sonksen

Joyce Bausman In loving memory of Marlyn & Jodi Bausman

Lorrie Etheredge In memory of my mother, Marilyn Lambert.

Judy Schuster In honor of our family

Gerda Preston Hartman In memory of Walter Hartman & parents; Donald & Vineta Preston and Earl & Bernadine Hartman

Carolyn Dausener In memory of the deceased members of the Bastian family.

Tom & Vernett Jirsa In memory of Kevin Jirsa and our parents.

Dave & Lana Arnold In memory of loved ones.

Jim & Pat Edwards In honor of our family, 37 strong!

POINSETTIAS THIS CHRISTMAS WERE GIVEN BY:

We will be hosting weekly Zoom fellowship times on Sunday mornings before service. Join us on Zoom from 9 to 9:30 a.m. to connect with your friends from church. Bring your own coffee and donuts :) You can join us on Zoom by

clicking on the following link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86519233226?pwd=L2lCeHJlckt1dy9aUzN6RTJkNFlHQT09

January 3 - Online

Sacrament of the Lord's Supper Guest Preacher: Rev. Dan Emmert

January 10 - Online

ORDINATION/INSTALLATION SERVICE

Guest Preacher: Rev. Dr. Marsha Wilfong

January 17 - Online

Guest Preacher: Dan Emmert

January 24 - Online

Guest Preacher: Kenzie Brister

January 31 - Online

Guest Preacher: Kate Meyrick

NONPROFIT ORG

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PAID

DUBUQUE, IA

PERMIT NO. 577

Westminster Presbyterian Church

2155 University Ave

Dubuque, IA 52001

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

Contact Information:

2155 University Ave. Dubuque, IA 52001

563-583-1729

Join Us for Worship at Westminster

9:30 a.m. Sundays Online

Committee Chairs:

All Annual Reports are due to

Mary Kay in the office by

Thurs., January 28th. Thank

you! marykay@wpcdbq.org