Current news at westminster
November/December newsletter here
Advent
In December, we celebrate the Advent season with four "mini-dramas," a traditional Christmas pageant shared in installments during the Advent wreath-lighting portion of the worship service. Over the four Sundays of Advent, you will see adults, youth, and children reenacting the unfolding story of Jesus birth: the Prophecy, the Appearance of the Angel before Mary, the Birth of Christ, and the Worship of the Shepherds. The story will also be told through the display of four banners which were created by church members.
Greening of the Church
Adults and families are invited to the annual Greening of the Church on Friday, December 6, beginning at 5pm to put up trees, garlands, wreaths, and decorations in the social room, narthex, sanctuary and chapel. A post-greening party follows at the home of Tony and Linda Gero.
Deacons Brunch
The Deacons brunch is Sunday, December 8, following worship. Enjoy good food and fellowship in the Great Hall following worship. It's free and everything is provided! Wear a Christmas tie for the annual photo!
Christmas Giving Tree
The tags on the Christmas Giving Tree in the narthex represent the needs and wishes of 22 people whose holidays will be brighter because of your caring. Please select a tag, purchase and wrap the present with ribbon, and tie the 2-part tag to the present. Return to the church by Sunday, December 8.
Longest Night
The joy and excitement of the Christmas season can often overshadow the pain and hurt many experience during this season, when the world's merriment puts their grief and sorrow in stark relief. One of the gifts that Westminster offers to its members, friends, and the community is a service which acknowledges that Christmas can be both a time of pain and a time of hope. The Service of the Longest Night takes place on the longest night of the year, December 21. It is a time to recognize, in the midst of all the gaiety of the holidays, that many are experiencing loss, darkness, and doubt. The hope offered in the Service of the Longest Night is that in every succeeding day there will be a little more light. The beautiful message of John 1:5 is "The light shines in the darkness and the darkness shall not overcome it." Please join us for The Service of the Longest Night on Saturday, December 21, at 7pm to hear a message of hope, expressed in the light which came to live among us in the form of a baby called Emmanuel "God with us."
Children's Worship Center
The Children's Worship Center offers an age appropriate worship experience for children ages 3 years old through grade 2, based on the Montessori model. Children learn to experience God's presence through hearing Bible stories and responding to them. Storyteller Noel Lardeo presents bible stories using wooden figures, with a trained greeter assisting. Children respond with wondering questions, art, "feast," and are dismissed with a blessing.
Wednesday Noon Study
The Wednesday-noon conversation and Bible study group is studying prayer: what it is, how we do it, its place in the bible and in our lives, and different spiritual practices of prayer. Bring a bag lunch, and join Patrick in the conference room 12-1pm every Wednesday.
Elder Care Circle
Westminster's Elder Care Conversation Circle is a support group for people who are caring for aging parents, exploring the unique challenges of "parenting your parents" as they face medical issues, dementia, difficulties living independently, and more. The group meets the last Tuesday of each month for conversation, sharing, and support. The next meeting is January 28 at 7pm in the social room.
Refresh
The Refresh women's group meets the third Saturday of each month at 10am. The December meeting will be a Christmas gathering at Ann Wiley's home on December 21.
Westminster Women
The Westminster Women's annual Christmas party will be held in the church social room on Tuesday, December 17, at 1:30pm. Each person is asked to bring one dozen Christmas cookies for sharing and a wrapped gift for the gift exhange (value in the $10 range; handmade gifts are welcome).
Contemplative Hikes
Monthly contemplative hikes offer renewal as hikers reconnect with God, the earth, and themselves. Led by Rev Patrick Heery, the December hike will be Saturday, December 14, 1-3pm, at the Cayuga Community College Nature Trail. For details, RSVP with Patrick at 315-253-3331 or pastor@westminsterauburn.org.
Book Group
The Westminster Book Group meets monthly on the third Thursday at 7pm to discuss books which are suggested and led by group members, which leads to a diverse and fascinating array of literature and rich conversation. Upcoming book selections are:
December: no meeting
Read ahead in Doris Kearn Goodwin's Leadership in Turbulent Times, which will discussed in segments in January, February, March and April. The May 2020 book will be Island of Sea Women, by Lisa See.
LGBTQ+ Support
The Q Center/ACR Health is partnering with Westminster Presbyterian Church to bring their support services to Cayuga County. The Q Center is in Auburn every 2nd and 4th Monday from 3pm – 7pm. The Q Center meets in the youth room on the first floor of Westminster's Education Building. Have additional questions? Call the Q Center at (315) 475-2430 or email qcentercny@acrhealth.org.
Property Workdays
The Property Committee holds Property Work Days on the third Saturday of each month. The hard-working committee members always have a list of projects, which include work for skilled and unskilled workers alike. They always welcome additional volunteers on these workdays. Please consider volunteering on a workday. Talk to Robyn Warn if you have questions, or if you have free time at other times to work on some projects.
Children and Worship
Children are always welcome in worship at Westminster, but we also offer childcare with Chelsea Cater and Ethan Reilley in the social room for young children (newborn through age 2) following the pastor's time with children. Older children worship with their families; each week there are lectionary-related worksheets and other resources, including a variety of children's bibles, available to engage children in worship.
Citizen Column
Westminster is featured in a monthly column in the Auburn Citizen. Here are:
Patrick Heery's November 3 column: "We should love God's earth better"
Shavonn Lynch's October 6 column: "A place to come alive"
Jill Fandrich's September 8 column: "What does 'All are Welcome' really mean?"
Kimberly Patch's August 11 column: "Creation Care is Self-Care"
Jill Fandrich's July 14 column: "Worship God outdoors"
Patrick Heery's June 16 column: "The pastor is proudly LGBTQ affirming"
Kimberly Patch's May 19 column: "Can God be mother as well as father?"
Jill Fandrich's April 21 column: "Living the Easter faith through service"
Patrick Heery's March 24 column: "Why the cross is a sign of faith"
Chris Patch's February 24 column: "Why is Westminster offering kids' culinary classes?"
Patrick Heery's January 27 column: "It's ok to be faithful failures"
Jill Fandrich's December 29 column: "The Work of Christmas"
Patrick Heery's December column: "Is it Christmas yet?"
Jill Fandrich's November 4 column: "The ordinary holy lives of saints"
Patrick Heery's October 7 column: "How paternity leave made me a better father"
Jill Fandrich's Sept 9 column: "How storytelling helps us believe"
Jill Fandrich's August 12 column: "The good side of evangelism"
Jill Fandrich's July 15 column: "The Radical history of Sunday School"
Patrick Heery's June 17 column: "What would Jesus say about school shootings?"
Jill Fandrich's May 20 column: "How families can pass faith on to children"
Patrick Heery's April 22 column "When God calls your name"
Jill Fandrich's March 25 column "Telling the Holy Week stories to children"
Patrick Heery's Feb 25 column "Lent: The time is now"
Jill Fandrich's Jan 28 column "Westminster grant supports show based on neo-Nazi rally"
Audrey McNally's Dec 31 column "How sacred music has shaped my faith"
Patrick Heery's Dec 3 column "Where you'll find God this Christmas Eve"
Jill Fandrich's Nov 5 column "What comes after 'thoughts and prayers'?"
Patrick Heery's October 15 column "Finding the strength to fix our democracy"
Jill Fandrich's September 10 column "Church starting new caregivers group"
Patrick Heery's August 13 column "New Hiking Ministry Offers Renewal"
Jill Fandrich's July 16 column "The Redefinition of Missionaries"
Patrick Heery's June 18 column "Sabbath: a bus pass to paradise"
Patrick Heery's May 21 column "How does a pastor grieve?"
Jill Fandrich's April 23 column "The Gospel According to Flatland"
Audrey McNally's March 26 column "Discovering the Psalms"
Patrick Heery's Feb 26 column "Lenten Journey: Death and Beyond"
Jill Fandrich's Jan 29 column "Are We Ready For Another Reformation?"
Patrick Heery's Jan 1 column "When the Holidays Hurt"
Jill Fandrich's Dec 4 column "Need for Community and Conversation"
Annette Bell's Nov 6 column "Saints Among Us"
Patrick Heery's Oct 9 column "Does Auburn need a hero? No, it needs you"
Patrick Heery's Sept 11 column "Seeing Beyond Doom" (15th anniversary of 9-11)
Jill Fandrich's August 14 column "Auburn Youth Reflect on Triennium"
Patrick Heery's July 17 column "Where is God in times of violence?"
Jill Fandrich's June 19 column "Ordinary Time"
Patrick Heery's May 15 column "Why I Have Come to Auburn"
Jilll Fandrich's April 24 column "Church Doors Open Out,"
Dwain Lee's March 27 column "Saying Goodbye to Westminster."
Church App!
Check out Westminster's “app” to access events, calendar information, photos, lectionary readings, Facebook and Twitter posts, and more on your smartphone or tablet. To get the church app, search for Church App Tithe.ly in the App Store on your phone or tablet. Download the app (it’s free!), and then search for Westminster by zip code 13021.
Children and Worship
All ages are welcome in worship, and we also provide options for young children in nearby locations to the sanctuary. Older children (grade 3 and up) worship with their families in the sanctuary; there are lectionary-related worksheets, books, and other resources available at the back of the sanctuary to engage children in worship. Chelsea Cater and Ethan Reilley provide loving care for infants and toddlers in the social room. We also have a Baby Corner in the sanctuary with rocking chairs to provide a cozy spot for parents to cuddle with their infants and be in worship together.
Coat Tree
The Mission and Stewardship Committee has set up the Coat Tree in the hallway of the Education Building again this season to provide coats, gloves, hats and scarves to members of our community in need of warm winter clothes. If you have gently used, clean coats (adult’s or children’s), please consider donating to the coat rack. Winter hats, gloves and scarves can be placed in the boxes below.
Advent
In December, we celebrate the Advent season with four "mini-dramas," a traditional Christmas pageant shared in installments during the Advent wreath-lighting portion of the worship service. Over the four Sundays of Advent, you will see adults, youth, and children reenacting the unfolding story of Jesus birth: the Prophecy, the Appearance of the Angel before Mary, the Birth of Christ, and the Worship of the Shepherds. The story will also be told through the display of four banners which were created by church members.
Greening of the Church
Adults and families are invited to the annual Greening of the Church on Friday, December 6, beginning at 5pm to put up trees, garlands, wreaths, and decorations in the social room, narthex, sanctuary and chapel. A post-greening party follows at the home of Tony and Linda Gero.
Deacons Brunch
The Deacons brunch is Sunday, December 8, following worship. Enjoy good food and fellowship in the Great Hall following worship. It's free and everything is provided! Wear a Christmas tie for the annual photo!
Christmas Giving Tree
The tags on the Christmas Giving Tree in the narthex represent the needs and wishes of 22 people whose holidays will be brighter because of your caring. Please select a tag, purchase and wrap the present with ribbon, and tie the 2-part tag to the present. Return to the church by Sunday, December 8.
Longest Night
The joy and excitement of the Christmas season can often overshadow the pain and hurt many experience during this season, when the world's merriment puts their grief and sorrow in stark relief. One of the gifts that Westminster offers to its members, friends, and the community is a service which acknowledges that Christmas can be both a time of pain and a time of hope. The Service of the Longest Night takes place on the longest night of the year, December 21. It is a time to recognize, in the midst of all the gaiety of the holidays, that many are experiencing loss, darkness, and doubt. The hope offered in the Service of the Longest Night is that in every succeeding day there will be a little more light. The beautiful message of John 1:5 is "The light shines in the darkness and the darkness shall not overcome it." Please join us for The Service of the Longest Night on Saturday, December 21, at 7pm to hear a message of hope, expressed in the light which came to live among us in the form of a baby called Emmanuel "God with us."
Children's Worship Center
The Children's Worship Center offers an age appropriate worship experience for children ages 3 years old through grade 2, based on the Montessori model. Children learn to experience God's presence through hearing Bible stories and responding to them. Storyteller Noel Lardeo presents bible stories using wooden figures, with a trained greeter assisting. Children respond with wondering questions, art, "feast," and are dismissed with a blessing.
Wednesday Noon Study
The Wednesday-noon conversation and Bible study group is studying prayer: what it is, how we do it, its place in the bible and in our lives, and different spiritual practices of prayer. Bring a bag lunch, and join Patrick in the conference room 12-1pm every Wednesday.
Elder Care Circle
Westminster's Elder Care Conversation Circle is a support group for people who are caring for aging parents, exploring the unique challenges of "parenting your parents" as they face medical issues, dementia, difficulties living independently, and more. The group meets the last Tuesday of each month for conversation, sharing, and support. The next meeting is January 28 at 7pm in the social room.
Refresh
The Refresh women's group meets the third Saturday of each month at 10am. The December meeting will be a Christmas gathering at Ann Wiley's home on December 21.
Westminster Women
The Westminster Women's annual Christmas party will be held in the church social room on Tuesday, December 17, at 1:30pm. Each person is asked to bring one dozen Christmas cookies for sharing and a wrapped gift for the gift exhange (value in the $10 range; handmade gifts are welcome).
Contemplative Hikes
Monthly contemplative hikes offer renewal as hikers reconnect with God, the earth, and themselves. Led by Rev Patrick Heery, the December hike will be Saturday, December 14, 1-3pm, at the Cayuga Community College Nature Trail. For details, RSVP with Patrick at 315-253-3331 or pastor@westminsterauburn.org.
Book Group
The Westminster Book Group meets monthly on the third Thursday at 7pm to discuss books which are suggested and led by group members, which leads to a diverse and fascinating array of literature and rich conversation. Upcoming book selections are:
December: no meeting
Read ahead in Doris Kearn Goodwin's Leadership in Turbulent Times, which will discussed in segments in January, February, March and April. The May 2020 book will be Island of Sea Women, by Lisa See.
LGBTQ+ Support
The Q Center/ACR Health is partnering with Westminster Presbyterian Church to bring their support services to Cayuga County. The Q Center is in Auburn every 2nd and 4th Monday from 3pm – 7pm. The Q Center meets in the youth room on the first floor of Westminster's Education Building. Have additional questions? Call the Q Center at (315) 475-2430 or email qcentercny@acrhealth.org.
Property Workdays
The Property Committee holds Property Work Days on the third Saturday of each month. The hard-working committee members always have a list of projects, which include work for skilled and unskilled workers alike. They always welcome additional volunteers on these workdays. Please consider volunteering on a workday. Talk to Robyn Warn if you have questions, or if you have free time at other times to work on some projects.
Children and Worship
Children are always welcome in worship at Westminster, but we also offer childcare with Chelsea Cater and Ethan Reilley in the social room for young children (newborn through age 2) following the pastor's time with children. Older children worship with their families; each week there are lectionary-related worksheets and other resources, including a variety of children's bibles, available to engage children in worship.
Citizen Column
Westminster is featured in a monthly column in the Auburn Citizen. Here are:
Patrick Heery's November 3 column: "We should love God's earth better"
Shavonn Lynch's October 6 column: "A place to come alive"
Jill Fandrich's September 8 column: "What does 'All are Welcome' really mean?"
Kimberly Patch's August 11 column: "Creation Care is Self-Care"
Jill Fandrich's July 14 column: "Worship God outdoors"
Patrick Heery's June 16 column: "The pastor is proudly LGBTQ affirming"
Kimberly Patch's May 19 column: "Can God be mother as well as father?"
Jill Fandrich's April 21 column: "Living the Easter faith through service"
Patrick Heery's March 24 column: "Why the cross is a sign of faith"
Chris Patch's February 24 column: "Why is Westminster offering kids' culinary classes?"
Patrick Heery's January 27 column: "It's ok to be faithful failures"
Jill Fandrich's December 29 column: "The Work of Christmas"
Patrick Heery's December column: "Is it Christmas yet?"
Jill Fandrich's November 4 column: "The ordinary holy lives of saints"
Patrick Heery's October 7 column: "How paternity leave made me a better father"
Jill Fandrich's Sept 9 column: "How storytelling helps us believe"
Jill Fandrich's August 12 column: "The good side of evangelism"
Jill Fandrich's July 15 column: "The Radical history of Sunday School"
Patrick Heery's June 17 column: "What would Jesus say about school shootings?"
Jill Fandrich's May 20 column: "How families can pass faith on to children"
Patrick Heery's April 22 column "When God calls your name"
Jill Fandrich's March 25 column "Telling the Holy Week stories to children"
Patrick Heery's Feb 25 column "Lent: The time is now"
Jill Fandrich's Jan 28 column "Westminster grant supports show based on neo-Nazi rally"
Audrey McNally's Dec 31 column "How sacred music has shaped my faith"
Patrick Heery's Dec 3 column "Where you'll find God this Christmas Eve"
Jill Fandrich's Nov 5 column "What comes after 'thoughts and prayers'?"
Patrick Heery's October 15 column "Finding the strength to fix our democracy"
Jill Fandrich's September 10 column "Church starting new caregivers group"
Patrick Heery's August 13 column "New Hiking Ministry Offers Renewal"
Jill Fandrich's July 16 column "The Redefinition of Missionaries"
Patrick Heery's June 18 column "Sabbath: a bus pass to paradise"
Patrick Heery's May 21 column "How does a pastor grieve?"
Jill Fandrich's April 23 column "The Gospel According to Flatland"
Audrey McNally's March 26 column "Discovering the Psalms"
Patrick Heery's Feb 26 column "Lenten Journey: Death and Beyond"
Jill Fandrich's Jan 29 column "Are We Ready For Another Reformation?"
Patrick Heery's Jan 1 column "When the Holidays Hurt"
Jill Fandrich's Dec 4 column "Need for Community and Conversation"
Annette Bell's Nov 6 column "Saints Among Us"
Patrick Heery's Oct 9 column "Does Auburn need a hero? No, it needs you"
Patrick Heery's Sept 11 column "Seeing Beyond Doom" (15th anniversary of 9-11)
Jill Fandrich's August 14 column "Auburn Youth Reflect on Triennium"
Patrick Heery's July 17 column "Where is God in times of violence?"
Jill Fandrich's June 19 column "Ordinary Time"
Patrick Heery's May 15 column "Why I Have Come to Auburn"
Jilll Fandrich's April 24 column "Church Doors Open Out,"
Dwain Lee's March 27 column "Saying Goodbye to Westminster."
Church App!
Check out Westminster's “app” to access events, calendar information, photos, lectionary readings, Facebook and Twitter posts, and more on your smartphone or tablet. To get the church app, search for Church App Tithe.ly in the App Store on your phone or tablet. Download the app (it’s free!), and then search for Westminster by zip code 13021.
Children and Worship
All ages are welcome in worship, and we also provide options for young children in nearby locations to the sanctuary. Older children (grade 3 and up) worship with their families in the sanctuary; there are lectionary-related worksheets, books, and other resources available at the back of the sanctuary to engage children in worship. Chelsea Cater and Ethan Reilley provide loving care for infants and toddlers in the social room. We also have a Baby Corner in the sanctuary with rocking chairs to provide a cozy spot for parents to cuddle with their infants and be in worship together.
Coat Tree
The Mission and Stewardship Committee has set up the Coat Tree in the hallway of the Education Building again this season to provide coats, gloves, hats and scarves to members of our community in need of warm winter clothes. If you have gently used, clean coats (adult’s or children’s), please consider donating to the coat rack. Winter hats, gloves and scarves can be placed in the boxes below.