Session Notes: June 2022
Your Session sat, by Zoom, for its regular monthly meeting this week. The agenda was full and one common theme was the management of change.
As we begin our third summer living with COVID, we note that about half of our congregation regularly worships in person and the half online. These numbers don’t vary much week to week. If there’s growth potential, it’s probably attracting more live in-church attendance. Throughout the pandemic, we’ve invested time and talent improving the online service. We’re focusing now on making the in-person service more energizing and life-giving.
Capital Pride Alliance 2022 Parade
Western Presbyterian Church has teamed up with other Presbyterian Churches in the DC area to participate in the Capital Alliance Pride Parade this Saturday, June 11th. We would like to invite members and friends of the Western community to join us in marching in the parade and celebrating Pride!
A Word from Laura: Wearing Red
I will be wearing red the Sundays in June, and I invite you to join me.
In these days when we mourn lives lost – loved ones, victims of violence – we continue to seek God’s Spirit making things right again. Sunday is Pentecost, fifty days after Easter not counting Sundays, when we celebrate the promised gift of the Holy Spirit to Jesus’ followers who had gathered in Jerusalem. Arriving like a giant whoosh, the Spirit gave them the gift of language, so they could speak with those who had come from across the Mediterranean to worship on the festival day. The Spirit was creating community among diverse people; it was a sign that God was at work.
Talking With Children About Gun Violence
How can we help our children understand shootings that we don’t understand ourselves? It’s a conversation no one wants to have, but we must because our children will hear about them from other sources.
Three rules always apply before you speak:
• process your emotions first with a trusted adult,
• start where your child, grandchild, or neighbourhood child is,
• and listen.
A Word from Laura: After Uvalde
Following the apostle’s call to weep with those who weep, this week we have joined with those from Uvalde to Laguna Woods to Buffalo and everywhere in between grieving the senseless loss of lives to gun violence.
Worship Ministry: June Worship
We’re excited to share with you that next month brings some worship services we hope will deepen our connections in faith as a community living into God’s love and justice, and we want you to join us in person!