UPCOMING WORSHIP

The deadline for the May Kirk Courier is Friday, April 21.

Please note the deadline for copy is always the third Friday of the month

prior to publication. Articles submitted after the deadline may not be

published. The editor reserves the right to edit for content and space.

The Kirk Courier is mailed on the second Thursday of each month.

It is e-mailed to subscribers the first week of the month. To subscribe to

receive the weekly and monthly e-newsletters sign-up at www.mywpc.org.

April 2 Fifth Sunday in Lent

Communion Sunday

Ezekiel 37:1-14

Dry Bones, Breath, Open Graves

April 5 7:00pm Mid-Week Lenten Service/Giving

April 9 Palm Sunday

Matthew 27:11-54

Compelled to Carry His Cross

April 13 7:00pm Maundy Thursday

Communion will be served.

April 14 7:00pm Good Friday Tenebrae Service

April 16 8, 9:30 and 11am Easter Sunday Services

John 20:1-18

You Have Been Raised With Christ

April 23 Second Sunday of Easter

Pastor Harold McKeithen is preaching

April 30 Third Sunday of Easter

Luke 24:13-35

Eyes Wide Open

May 7 Fourth Sunday of Easter

Communion Sunday

John 10:1-10

Life Abundantly

OUR PASTOR’S PERSPECTIVE

As I have been reflecting on our Lenten theme of “Walking Together,” I was reminded of an exercise I have used in groups with a ball of yarn. The group stands in a circle and one person starts with the ball of yarn. They identify someone in the circle, tell them what they appreciate about them and then throw the ball of yarn across the circle holding on to the end. This continues until all have received the yarn, held on to the end, and we have all had the opportunity to give and receive it. The visual of the yarn web connecting the group together is symbolic of our connections and appreciation for one another.

Imagine if we did this exercise with our whole congregation in one big circle. I think it would be amazing to see the connections we have with one another. Those wonderful connections are there, but sometimes we forget or do not realize how we are tied together in the web of our relationship with Christ and with one another.

I also think our connections are like the rope mountain climbers use for safety on dangerous ascents. Each climber is attached to the rope by a carabiner secured to their harness. During the climb, if anyone looses their footing or grip and falls, the rope catches them and the other climbers hold on tight until the one who has fallen can be rescued. There are times in the church where we support those who have fallen, and our connection with one another is what gives us the strength to help them and keep the rest of us from falling. We can all probably think of a time when we have fallen and the church has caught us, or when we have helped a fellow climber to get back on a secure footing.

In these last days of Lent as we walk together, I would encourage you to think of the connections you have with your brothers and sisters in Christ at Williamsburg Presbyterian Church. You may also decide you would like to make more connections and meet some new people you would like to know better. I also encourage all of us to make sure our carabiner is securely attached, so that if we fall, others will be able to catch us, and if another falls we will be able to support them.

Remember we all connected to Christ by our connection to one another. Paul says in Colossians 1:17, “He [Christ] himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” ~Peace, John

Worshipping from Wherever God Leads You!

For those days when you cannot attend Sunday morning worship services, you can LIVESTREAM from

mywpc.org the 9:30am service (or watch it at your convenience until the following Sunday) or LISTEN to the

11:00am service on two stations, FM 97.7 and AM 740. The worship bulletin is available on our website to view

or print.

New Submission Date for Announcements

Effective immediately, announcement requests must be submitted to the Church Office by COB on Monday prior

to the Sunday of publication. These announcements will also be included in our weekly online e-Newsletter. The

subject line should only read “BULLETIN ANNOUNCEMENT” and nothing else. Please include in your email the

dates you would like your announcement printed in Sunday’s insert. Announcements without a date will only be

printed once. Items for the Kirk Courier Newsletter should be sent in a separate e-mail with the subject line

reading “KIRK COURIER NEWSLETTER. Thank you for your cooperation.

CHRISTIAN OUTREACH

WPC Hosts Winter Homeless Shelter

From March 5 - 12, WPC hosted the Community of Faith Mission

(COFM) winter emergency shelter program. COFM is a faith-based,

non-governmental emergency shelter ministry that provides emergency

shelter and food to those in need in the Williamsburg area from

November to March. The shelter rotates among local churches on a

weekly basis.

During WPC's week, our church hosted 30 different guests during the

week with an average of 21guests per night. We opened our doors at

6:00pm each day and provided a home-cooked dinner, showers, a devotional time, a warm and secure place to

sleep, and a hot breakfast before our guests left at 7:00am the next day. The shelter operated in the basement area

of the church. Our guests were men and women of all ages and races and they were generous in their expressions

of gratitude for the warmth and hospitality displayed every night by WPC members and by the volunteers from

our partner churches.

WPC's Christian Outreach Ministry (COM) coordinated the program led by site leaders Joe Avellar, Jim Winthrop,

Carolyn Weeks, and Jim Kirkpatrick. Nancy Harwood and Hazel Whitney were at the church every night as our

kitchen coordinators. The following WPC members and friends staffed the shelter for at least one night:

Tom and Ruth Cobb Ned and Barbara Cooke

Steve Maurer George Brush

Jim Austin Bob Taylor

Ray Whitney Paul Zak

Sarah Houghland Mary Ann Kimminau

Bob and Louise Despres Martha Rex

Dorothy Geyer Pam Maloof

Graham and Nancy Rose Carolyn Lodzieski

Nate Green Kim Silver-Perry

Lauren Eby Larry Foster

Ric Cheston Rob Brown

Dave Folsom

Many other members provided cookies and food, while members of the Thoughtful Christian Sunday School class

helped set up and take down the shelter. Several youth of the church also participated in the program in various

helpful ways. Additionally, staff members Ed Brock and Dennis Joyal did a wonderful job keeping the shelter area

clean and neat for our guests. Finally, First Baptist Church, Williamsburg, Baptist Church, Stonehouse

Presbyterian Church, Church of the Latter Day Saints, and the Life Church were our shelter partner churches;

each church provided food and volunteers for one night during WPC's week. The week was genuinely an

opportunity for WPC to build Williamsburg's Community of Faith.

PCUSA Announcement:

Board of Pensions Commits $100 Million to Environmental Markets

PHILADELPHIA (March 13, 2017) — The Board of Pensions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is significantly expanding its commitment to environmentally responsible investing by retaining Impax Asset Management Group, a London-based investment manager that specializes in resource efficiency markets.

The Investment Committee of the Board of Directors of the Board of Pensions voted Friday to commit $100 million to the Impax Leaders Strategy. The Leaders Strategy is a fossil fuel-free portfolio that invests worldwide in resource efficiency and environmental markets.

“Bringing on Impax as a manager within our $8.6 billion portfolio supports church investment in companies that are responding to climate change while generating positive investment returns for our members,” said the Reverend Frank C. Spencer, President of the Board of Pensions. He noted that this investment would result in tangible outcomes for our planet:

13,400 tCO2 emissions averted

5.8 billion gallons of water saved or treated

34,500 megawatts of renewable energy generated

17,800 tons of material recovered or waste treated

“That’s every year, year after year!” Rev. Spencer said, referring to the outcomes, based on historical results of the Impax Leaders Strategy as assured by Ernst and Young.

The Board’s Balanced Investment Portfolio primarily comprises the assets of the church Pension Plan and Death and Disability Plan. Investment managers are retained for each asset class in the broadly diversified portfolio, including U.S. and international stocks, bonds, and private partnerships.

“This investment represents the best in a balance between socially responsible investing and return for our members,” said Rev. Spencer. “The investment returns of the Leaders Strategy have been consistently strong, outperforming the MSCI All Country World Index and the FTSE Environmental Opportunities All-Share Index for the last five years.”

Impax Asset Management Group has received numerous sustainability honors, including the Queen’s Award for Enterprise: Sustainable Development. Impax invests in companies that are active in resource optimization markets, which it considers rapidly growing and inefficiently priced. Among its investment sectors are energy efficiency, alternative energy, water infrastructure/technologies, and food, agriculture, and forestry.

“The Board continues to work with others in the Church to use our investment power to drive toward positive change,” Rev. Spencer said. “It is urgent that we collectively address climate change, which has already brought great suffering to the world’s less fortunate. We do that through engagement, advocacy, and supporting innovation. We cannot shy away from this challenge. It is a matter of social justice.”

About the Board of Pensions The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is a connectional church. The Board of Pensions, one of six agencies of the General Assembly of the PC(USA), fulfills a unique role in the community by upholding the commitment made by congregations to care for installed pastors and by providing ways for churches and other Presbyterian-affiliated employers to care for other teaching elders and other employees. The Board administers the church Benefits Plan, serving about 20,600 pensioners and survivors, 12,900 active plan members, 18,300 dependents, and 8,700 inactive members (those with vested pension credits who are not actively participating in the plan).

West Virginia Mission

Last June a devastating flood hit the state of West Virginia leaving many people without homes. Therefore, our church is planning a mission trip to help with the repairs and reconstruction of homes in the Lewisburg area.

We will be working with working with PDA and West Virginia Ministry of Advocacy and Workcamps (WVAMW)

We plan to stay with friends in the Ronceverte Presbyterian Church. You will be sleeping on cots, and "yes" they have showers.

COST: Each person is asked to give no higher than $240 (likely to be less). Includes food, lodging, transportation and contribution to WVAMW. Funds are available for those who can use a little help.

SIGN-UP: If interested then contact the church office or Jim Kirkpatrick (757-903-7241 or jkirkpatrick4@juno.com).

Williamsburg Walk The Talk (WWTT)

Volunteer Opportunity

Karol and I moved to the Williamsburg area from St. Louis in mid 2016 and joined WPC in November, 2016. During our residence in St. Louis I had a great experience, through our Presbyterian Church and Project COPE, mentoring ex-offenders after their release from prison. I brought this up to Jim Kirkpatrick when I joined the Hunger and Homeless Committee as a GWOM representative. Jim hooked me up with Williamsburg Walk The Talk because of my past background. WWTT is a small group of local Williamsburg people (10-12) who

mentor ex-offenders being released from the Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail here in Williamsburg. We have both men and women on the WWTT team and ex-offenders are assigned based on common sex. Many ex-offenders upon release have no resources (no family, no transportation, no food and no place to stay).

After assignment, WWTT team members first meet with the mentee in the jail to get to know them and assess their needs upon release. Once released WWTT team members pick up the mentee, and, using the many great community resources available, get them settled as much as possible. This process can take several days with further contacts possible on an as needed basis by mutual agreement. After orientation and training by experienced WWTT team members and studying the WWTT Training Manual, I went to the jail and went through their training and certification process so I was able to meet ex-offenders while they are still in the jail. I received my first assignment in late January, 2017. I spent a full two days with my mentee making the rounds of community services and dealing with his special needs. After several more meetings in the following weeks he has a job at Busch Gardens and is not homeless. He is a sharp young man with many challenges involving drug addiction, but has dedicated himself to reclaiming his life.

This is a great volunteer opportunity for members of WPC who want to be of service to some of the residents of Williamsburg who have the greatest of needs. WWTT is especially in need of female volunteers as half of the ex-offenders being released are females. If you are interested please get in touch with me at sibleyj@sbcglobal.net or call 757-378-3568. ~Jerry Sibley

There’s a VBS App for That!

Vacation Bible School has gone high tech!

This year’s VBS will take place at Williamsburg Presbyterian Church from

Monday, June 26 - Friday, June 30, from 9am to noon.

Our theme this year is Hero Central: Discover Your Strength in God, and

there is a FREE app available for families to become more involved with

the theme! Take pictures in the photo booth, play some Hero Central

games, and check out the Cokesbury website for more VBS fun.

The app is available in the for Apple, and for Google play store.

Registration for volunteers and students will open after Easter.

PRESBYTERIAN MEN

WPC Presbyterian Men May Fellowship Breakfast

On Saturday, May 6th our Presbyterian Men’s’ Fellowship will have its last

breakfast meeting of the spring season. The guest speaker will be Peggy

Bellows, Editor, Virginia Gazette. Peggy has been a news journalist for more

than 35 years. She has keen insight into the transition of news media from

paper to electronic forms. Come and compare notes with Peggy about how

we can get reliable news today – and tomorrow.

The meeting begins at 8:00 in Stevenson Hall with fellowship and breakfast.

All men and women of the Williamsburg community and guests are welcome. There is a time for

fellowship, a great home cooked meal, and a hymn sing. Please make your reservations by Wednesday,

May 3rd at the church Welcome Center so that we can prepare enough home cooked food for all. A

donation of $5.00 will be requested at the breakfast.

What will be your legacy...

...to Williamsburg Presbyterian Church? As Christians we

rejoice with faith in the resurrection. Yet we also know the

passage from life to death can be stressful on those who

survive us. Some of that stress could be eased by acting now

to put your estate plan in order. By creating a will or living

trust, your heirs will have peace of mind, knowing that you

already prepared for the distribution of your estate. Your

Endowment Committee would be happy to help you with

resources to guide you. Please contact the church office

(757-229-4235; secretary@mywpc.org).

VISIT WWW.MYWPC.ORG

Are You or Someo ne You Know Graduating This Year? Please tel l us about it! This includes al l graduates from high scho ol, col lege, or any higher e ducatio n. We would like to include informatio n about al l our graduates in the June newslet ter. Also, o n Sunday, May 7, we wil l be ho noring al l graduates as part of our 11:00am worship with a s pecial Bles sing. Please plan to at tend this s pecial service. Please have al l informatio n submit te d to the church of fice by Tuesday, April 25. You may complete this form or e-mail the informatio n to: secretary@mywpc.org.

NAME ________________________________________________________________

ADDRES S _____________________________________________________________

E-MAIL _______________________________________________________________

CONTACT NUMBER ____________________________________________________

WHAT SCHO OL ARE YOU GRADUATING FROM?

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WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS? _______________________________________

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CHILDREN’S PAGE

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MOPS in APRIL AT WPC!

It’s hard to believe that our second year of MOPS at WPC is winding down! But we still have a few

months left! At our April meeting, we’ll be talking FOOD! Busy moms know that meal prep when

you have young kids need to be QUICK. We’ll share our favorite recipes, and possibly make a

freezer meal or two as a group to take home. If you have a favorite 30-minutes-or-less recipe that

you’d like to share with our MOPS group, please send it to Jodie Davis (jdavis@mywpc.org).

And, finally, in May, we will evaluate and celebrate our successful second year, and look ahead to the

fall. By the time you read this, the 2017/2018 MOPS theme will have been released! Check out the

bulletin board in Stevenson Hall, and keep your eye on the electronic message board in the back

hallway, the Kirk and our Facebook page for updates!

Haven’t joined MOPS yet? Are you a mom with kids from birth (or before!) through kindergarten?

Feel free to join us for our April meeting on April 19, from 5:30 to 7:30pm, and/or May meeting on

May 17, from 5:30 to 7:30pm, for a preview of next year. We’d love to have you!

Questions? Comments? Ideas for next year? Contact Jodie Davis (jdavis@mywpc.org).

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