Volume LXIV Number 1 January 2020

a publication of westminster congregational united church of christ

2020

At Westminster’s FUNraiser silentauction, we auction off all sorts of FUN thatyou donate. What is it you love to do thatyou can share with others? The happeningscan occur anytime before next year’sFUNraiser, so plan for when it is convenientfor you.

Our FUNraiser raises money for thechurch budget and, just importantly,creates all sorts of fun connectionsbetween us all year round.

Get a donation form during coffee hour oremail mary.l.rupert@gmail.com

(Full article on page 3)

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monthly newsletter is aWestminster Congregational

United Church of Christ publication.It is usually published around the

28th each month (schedule permitting).

To include something in next month’s edition,email your article to:

or drop it by the church office.

The newsletter deadline is the20th of each month.

Church Staff:

The Rev. Andrea CastroLang

All of God’s People

Verne Windham

Janet Hubbard

Nicolette (Nikki) Rode & Heather Buzby

Andréa Reese Hekimian

John Larson

WESTMINSTER CONGREGATIONALUNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

411 S Washington StSpokane WA 99204-2617

509-624-1366office@westminsterucc.org

westminsterucc.org

For electronic giving:Text to 855-925-0716, and follow theprompts. Or use the donate link on ourwebsite, for one-time gifts or recurring,by bank transfer (preferred) or card, atwestminsterucc.org.

Thank you very much for yourparticipation in our church community.

After the excitement and drama of Advent and Christmas, we come intothe quotidian days.

Days of winter that are so ordinary, so full of drabness, routine, and dailygrind that people fly to Mexico or Hawaii to get away from them!

I can understand that longing, but I also accept that it is in the quotidianthat we often find our brother Jesus.

As we read through the gospels year after year, season after season, wesee both the extraordinary labor of Jesus, and the humdrum ordinarinessof his life like ours.

Walking roads, eating meals, looking for a place to stay, looking for aplace to pray.

I am surrounded by these quotidian realities, too: cooking meals,shopping for meals, commuting to work, then home again. A place tostay, a moment to pray.

We have this quotidian time.

I invite you to make the most of it! I have tried to learn the value of theordinary, the commonplace, the every day. I have tried to send up myprayers at the end of one regular ho hum day after another. Or even moreso, at the end of a particularly, extraordinarily, bad day, too!

This is surely a large task of the Christian soul?

To find God in the tangles of complicated family life, uneasy emotionaltimes, days too long with work, too short on rest. Schoolwork that doesn’twork, jobs that drag, loneliness that hangs about us like our shadow.

If we read between the lines of the gospel stories of Jesus, we can perhapssee Jesus’ struggles with these same human pressures and realities. And Isee as I read, that Jesus had to get to prayer, just like me.

No, life is not all Christmas glitter. Most of our days might seem quiteordinary. And yet, I believe, our lives are gifts of God, too, and sacred, andblessed. Worthy of our prayers of thanks and blessing.

I think that we are blessed with the ordinary…the ordinary gifts of jobs,and families, of sickness and health that returns, of friends that you fightwith, and then make up with. We are blessed with seasons that roll fromone to another, gently reminding us to accept change, growth,blossoming, decay, and even death.

In all this “ordinariness” God breathes on us, and on all creation. And welive because of this extraordinary and powerful gift of life that comes fromGod!

My prayer is that you feel God’s breath and presence in these quotidiandays. And that you can find some way to give your thanks.

In grateful service,

Pastor Andy ~

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At Westminster’s FUNraiser silent auction, weauction off all sorts of FUN that you donate. Whatis it you love to do that you can share with others?The happenings can occur anytime before nextyear’s FUNraiser, so plan for when it is convenientfor you. Our FUNraiser raises money for thechurch budget and, just importantly, creates allsorts of fun connections between us all yearround.

Get a donation form during coffee hour or emailmary.l.rupert@gmail.com

Donation Ideas

Lessons and How-to’sGive a class on how to make or dosomething

ServicesProvide a service or consultation. It couldbe yard work or pet sitting, or somethingmore professional

Fun with KidsCreate an event for kids and parents, orjust kids

Home Cookin’Make something delicious (soup,casserole, cake, pie, etc.) to be delivered byarrangement

Parties & MealsHost an event: Game night, dinner,charades, bowling, BBQ, picnic

Music & EntertainmentProvide music for someone’s event, takesomeone to the symphony or other event

Outdoor AdventuresHikes to see birds, butterflies, wildflowers,geology, historical sites, scavenger hunt,snow shoeing, art walk

Getaways & CabinsRent your cabin or invite some folks tocome for the day

TraveloguesShare some of your travel adventures witha slide show and maybe some typical foods

And more!What are your ideas?!Call a friend, think of something to offertogether

New this year: FUNraiser Free Ride!

· If your budget does not have room fora FUNraiser purchase, you may attendone event free.

· If you would like to attend an event butdon’t have a ride, we’ll make it happen.

· Just contact Mary Rupert for your FreeRide

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AIRLINE TRAVEL

Airline travel has come under attack by some climatescientists recently as being a major source of carbonpollution. Climate author Peter Kalmus writes thatairplane travel contributes not only to CO2 emissions,but also NO & NO 2 emissions (which form ozone in thetroposphere), and cloud formations which preventthermal radiation from escaping our planet, alsocontributing to global warming. 1 Others have claimedthat airline travel is only responsible for 3% of currentemissions; the best guess is that only CO2 emissions areconsidered. When it comes down to it, the effect ofairplane travel depends on how often an individual fliesand whether or not they travel by first or business classor coach.

For those who do fly (frequently or infrequently) thereare ways to mitigate their carbon footprint. These

websites offer ways to achieve that mitigation.2 Otherscan be found by doing an online search.

TripleZero.com works with Expedia. When booking ahotel in the Expedia Network, TripleZero takes acommission to fund projects such as “reforestation inKenya and wind turbines in Indiana”.

OffCents.com calculates how many pounds of CO2 a tripwill emit, whether you travel by car or by air. You canthen purchase carbon offsets by contributions to variousclimate protection sites.

Glooby.com allows you to compare different flights andhotels for their fuel efficiency and sustainability.

__________________________________

1. “Being the change”, Peter Kalmus, New Society Publishers, 2017

2. “Best websites for eco-friendly travel” The Week magazine,November 15, 2019

“Making It Happen”- Eastern Washington Legislative Conference

Saturday, January 25, 2020 • 8:30 am - 3:30 pmSpokane Valley United Methodist Church

TO RSVP Send suggested donation of $20 to:The Fig Tree • 1323 S Perry St • Spokane WA 99202

call (509) 535-4112 • 535-1813

All that stuff getting someattention in the statelegislature, where is the voice ofthe faithful? An excellentsource for what is up forconsideration is the upcomingLegislative Conference. Issuessuch as guns, the environment,housing, and so much more arecovered. Complete with billnumbers and contact info forwho represents you. How mucheasier can it get? You will learn a lot in thebreak-out sessions, as well asover lunch, with other church

folks who give a dam. You willleave with a full brain about theissues to share, as well as a fullbelly from lunch, and ready todo your part to make thisdemocracy work. It takesinvolvement from "We thePeople" for issues to move withour voices heard. A full day wellspent to increase yourknowledge of issues inWashington state. You won't bedisappointed; it will be my 3rdyear and I’m still learning. Ittakes you and me for TRUEdemocracy. See you there!

Cathy Gunderson ~

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The women'sJoanna Chapter

meets the second Wednesdayof each month at

South Hill Village at 11:30 a.m.

If you would like to be amember, contact Linda Stephens

at (509) 893-1550.

SON Committeeis asking for your help with a

‘Winter Coat Drive’

Feeling cozy this fall? Let's share thewarmth! The SON Committee is organizinga coat drive for our local homelesscommunity. Please donate new or usedcoats in the bin in the narthex. All of thecoats stay in our downtown communityhelping men, women and children in need.

December 16 "On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous"by Ocean Vuong. Facilitated by Mary Mackay atthe home of Linda Crowe.

January 20 "Lilac Girls" by Martha Kelly.Facilitated by Nada Morse at the home of MaryMackay.

February 17 "A Pilgrimage to Eternity" by TimothyEgan.

March 16 "News of the World" Paulette Jiles.

April 20 "The Warmth of Other Suns" IsabelleWilkerson.

The Book and Salad Clubcontinues to meet the 3rdMonday of each month atnoon, in the homes ofparticipants. As always, allare welcome. You need nothave read the book toparticipate, however asalad is appreciated.

Want more information?You can call Marilynne at747-0659; or talk with anymember of the group.

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December Attendance

12-1 12-8 12-15 12-22 12-24 12-29

73 81 77 98 85 66

OddJobbers - Affordable HomeServices by College Students

Finding reliable andaffordable help for simple homeservices has long been a problemfor many homeowners, but now,there’s an app for that. Well, notquite an app yet, more like amobile-optimized website.

OddJobbers is an onlineplatform that connects people inSpokane looking to get thingsdone around their home (orbusiness) with college studentswho need to make money to payfor school.

The platform allowscustomers to get help withanything from yard work tomoving help to house cleaning.Customers are able to choose howmuch they are willing to pay for

each job and students can acceptjobs accordingly. It creates a win -win because customers pay fairvalue for their job and studentsget to make an above-averagewage to help them pay for school.Since starting in April 2018,students on OddJobbers havecompleted over 1,000 jobs in theSpokane area.

Getting help is really simple.Customers go to OddJobbers.comto describe their Odd Job andcreate a brief account. Studentsthat are available will reach outand get the Odd Job done in atimely manner. Students thencharge customers over the websiteand everyone walks away happy!

If you or someone you knowneeds help with their Odd Jobs,don’t hesitate to go toOddJobbers.com, email the teamat info@oddjobbers.com, or callat 509-795-2700.

1/8 Donna Simanton

1/10 Wes JohnsonScott Marquis

1/13 Delia ThurberDru Powers

1/21 Dianna Beers

1/23 Taylor Counts

1/24 Joanna McPherson

WESTMINSTER CONGREGATIONAL UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

November2019

MonthlyBudget

MonthlyDifference

YTD2019

YTDBudget

YTDDifference

Total Income 12,322.49 14,450.00 (2,127.51) 213,970.28 158,950.00 55,020.28Less Total Expenses 32,303.20 20,597.67 11,705.53 274,859.79 233,674.37 41,185.42Net Income (Loss) (19,980.71) (6,147.67) (13,833.04) (60,889.51) (74,724.37) 13,834.86

2019 Pledge Information as of December 4, 2019:

2019Total

Pledges

2018Total

Pledges

2018PledgesReceived

2019PledgesReceived

2019Pledges

Outstanding

2019 AnnualPledgeBudget

YTD PledgeBudget

difference124,104.60 104,530.12 101,165.12 98,456.76 25,647.84 100,000.00 6,790.09

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I covenant with you, members and friends ofWestminster Congregational United Church ofChrist:

Westminster Congregational United Church ofChrist embraces a spirit of hospitality founded inthe gospels of Jesus Christ & a willingness to liveout that welcome in meaningful ways.

As an Open and Affirming Church, ourlongstanding culture of welcome extends to allpeople regardless of sexual orientation,race/ethnicity, gender, physical ability,socioeconomic status or faith background.

In this digital age, the church takes many pictures ofbaptisms, choir performances and concerts, worshipservices, mission trips, special presentations, SundaySchool, fellowship activities and community outreachprojects. We use these pictures to record, to promote, andto celebrate our church ministries. Pictures are used onbulletin boards, in slide shows and PowerPointpresentations, in publications, and on our church website.

However, some persons may choose not to have theirphotos, or photos of their children, used and we respecttheir wishes. Therefore, we are providing a Media Opt-Outform for individuals or families who prefer NOT to havephotographs of themselves used by the church. This formcan be obtained through the church office.

If you have no objection to church use of your photograph,you DO NOT need to sign or return one of these forms.

Liturgist: Marian Whitfield

Deacons:Gary Allan, Kyle Lehman,Kelly Cox, Doris Holdaway

Hospitality: Everyone - potluck

Liturgist: Lorraine Freeman

Deacons: Francie Light, Tevita Fakasiieiki

Hospitality: Joanna Chapter

Liturgist: Lorna Kropp

Deacons: Gary Allan, Kyle Lehman

Hospitality: Book & Salad

Liturgist: Linda Stephens

Deacons: Kelly Cox, Doris Holdaway

Hospitality: Music & Arts

Liturgist: Stephanie Kuffel

Deacons:Hazel Kotlan, Mary Seaton,Gary Allan, Kyle Lehman,

Hospitality: Everyone - potluck

1 Wednesday New Year’s Day 5:30 pm Eleventh Step AA group 6:30 pm SON Committee2 Thursday 5:30 pm Yoga 6:30 pm AA Group4 Saturday 10:30 am Bible Study 1:00 pm Immigr. & Amnesty Task Force5 Sunday Epiphany

10:30 am Communion Sunday 11:30 am WestCAT 3:00 pm AA group6 Monday 7:00 pm bell choir practice8 Wednesday 11:30 am Joanna Chapter 5:00 pm Sustainability 5:30 pm Eleventh Step AA group9 Thursday 5:30 pm Yoga 6:30 pm AA Group11 Saturday 10:30 am Bible Study12 Sunday 12:30 pm Education & Spiritual Growth 3:00 pm AA Group13 Monday 7:00 pm bell choir practice15 Wednesday 5:30 pm Eleventh Step AA group 6:30 pm Trustees16 Thursday 5:30 pm Yoga 6:30 pm AA Group18 Saturday 10:30 am Bible Study19 Sunday FUNraiser Auction thru Feb 9 3:00 pm AA group20 Monday Martin Luther King Jr. Day 10:00 am MLK Jr March (gather at 9 am) 12:00 pm Book & Salad 7:00 pm bell choir practice21 Tuesday 2:00 pm Poetry22 Wednesday 5:00 pm Council 5:30 pm Eleventh Step AA group23 Thursday 5:30 pm Yoga 6:30 pm AA Group25 Saturday 10:30 am Bible Study 1:30 pm John Weekes Memorial26 Sunday 12:30 pm Deacons 3:00 pm AA Group27 Monday 7:00 pm bell choir practice29 Wednesday 5:30 pm Eleventh Step AA group30 Thursday 5:30 pm Yoga 6:30 pm AA Group

Martin Luther King Jr. Day MarchJanuary 20 at 10: am

Westminster marches with the city!Meet at 9 am to march with us.