All are invited to sing with our Summer Choir, which provides anthems for worship through September 1, rehearsing only on Sunday mornings at 9:00am. Whenever you are in town, please plan to join us. Bring your friends and family members along, too. Children are welcome to sing, but those under age 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Summer Choir is a great way to sample choral singing with minimal time commitment, while providing a great service to your church. Join us!
Contact: Monica Rossman
Worship volunteer sign-ups for 2019-2020 are happening now! Sign up after worship or online using the links below.
Acolytes Bringing in the Light of Christ
Serves four Sundays per year on a team of two
Acolytes light the candles in the Sanctuary at the start of the 11:00am service (10:00am in summer). They must be at least 8 years old or a rising third grader. Acolytes receive training from the Acolyte Coordinator. Signup: http://bit.ly/2019-20Acolytes
Lectors Proclaiming the Word of God
Serves four Sundays per year
Lectors lead the congregation in specific readings during worship. They help set a rhythm that allows us to experience more fully the act of worship. Signup: 8:30am Lectors – http://bit.ly/2019-20Lectors830am 11:00am Lectors – http://bit.ly/2019-20Lectors11am
Ushers Welcoming All to Worship
Serves four Sundays per year on a team of four to six
Ushers serve together to greet and usher worshipers. They are often the first friendly face that a new guest encounters!
Signup: 8:30am Ushers – http://bit.ly/2019-20Ushers830am 11:00am Ushers – http://bit.ly/2019-20Ushers11am
Welcome Team Connecting Visitors to Westminster
Serves five to seven Sundays per year on a team of two
The Welcome Team offers hospitality and information on WPC to visitors, newcomers, and members alike. Volunteers receive training from the Welcome Team Coordinator. Signup: http://bit.ly/WPCwelcome
Sound Technicians Creating a Seamless Sound in Worship
Serves eight to ten Sundays per year
Sound techs operate the audio system for worship and other special events. Volunteers receive training from the Sound Tech Coordinator. Please contact Lee Katrincic to sign up.
Offering Counters Helping Us Be Good Stewards
Serves four to five Sundays per year on a team of two
Offering counters count and record Sunday offerings after each service. Counters receive training from the Business Manager.
Online sign-up for Offering Counters is coming soon!
At its May 22 meeting, the Session received the reports and affirmed the work of the Fellowship Hall Building Committee and the Commitment Committee. After reviewing all the information, the Session voted unanimously to approve the Fellowship Hall project.
This project began five years ago with a committee formed to study the congregation’s needs for the campus. The new Fellowship Hall will answer the call that the committee heard from you.
Thanks to the generosity of this congregation during last year’s Capital Campaign, three-quarters of the funding needed for this project has already been raised and secured. Detailed estimates have been prepared by a team of expert architects, engineers, and builders, and we are pleased to report that those cost estimates are in line with our Capital Campaign estimates.
The Fellowship Hall project will entail the need for about $1.1 million in financing. This figure may decrease as construction estimates finalize over the next several weeks. Interest rates are currently at historically low figures. Just like in our own homes, most of us can’t afford to buy a house with cash on hand, but we already have commitments from the Capital Campaign for the majority of the money needed.
The building of the new Fellowship Hall will not affect our operating budget, and we will continue to fund both local and global missions the way we do now.The Session has set the date of Sunday, June 16, for a Congregational Meeting to approve financing. Prior to that, we’ll hold a series of Information Sharing Sessions for the congregation to hear and ask questions about the project and receive updates on the progress. These sessions will be held in the Fellowship Hall on Wednesday, May 29, at 5:30pm; Sunday, June 2, at 11:15am; and Wednesday, June 5, at 5:30pm.
Northeast Rendering of Fellowship Hall
The new Fellowship Hall will be beautiful and functional but, in keeping with Westminster, not “over the top,” as the Fellowship Hall Building Committee is watching every penny.
We are not renovating the old building, but demolishing it and putting the larger, new and improved building in the same place. It is our hope that demolition of the old building will begin in mid-July and that construction of the new building will take about a year to complete.
There is a precedent in Westminster’s history of this congregation coming together to raise the money, embark on construction, and secure and pay off the financing in a modest amount of time. In mid-1990s, the church embarked on a capital campaign to raise money to expand the Mission Center. The new Mission Center was dedicated in 1997, and shortly thereafter the congregation raised money to pay off the construction loan. We are confident this will be the case for the Fellowship Hall project, as well.
It is an exciting time to be at Westminster as this new phase of our church’s history begins. We encourage you to take part in the Information Sharing Sessions to learn more about the Fellowship Hall project.
Fellowship Hall Building Committee
Jeff Furman, Pete Jones, Dana Lange (chair), Lucy Stokes, Nathan Swiggett, Jeremy Trantham, and Edwin Yarbrough
Commitment Committee
Bill Coppridge, Rebecca Joyner, John Messick, Michael Page, Chick Palermo, Dave Pottenger (chair)
Families Moving Forward needs our help! Please consider donating the following:
You may drop your donations in the yellow bin in the Mission Center. Thank you!
Want to support Families Moving Forward while enjoying delicious food prepared by a distinguished local chef?
Chefs for Change is a fundraising dinner series that pairs the burgeoning Durham food scene with the needs of families experiencing homelessness. This is more than a dinner – this is a fine dining experience with a purpose. Get details, dates, and tickets at fmfnc.org/chefsforchange.
All ages invited to help “rock” the church on Saturday, June 8! Projects for the day include cleaning out the garage in preparation for storing items from the Fellowship Hall and “rockin’” the new property on Old Chapel Hill Rd next to the cabin. We need to clear rocks from the cleared section of the lot so it can be mowed. Bring buckets, carts, wheelbarrows, work gloves, and a happy heart to help.
Sign up for a morning or afternoon shift: http://bit.ly/rockin-workday.
