Volume LXIV Number 7 July 2020

a publication of westminster congregational united church of christ

In this pandemic time of disease and the threat of disease,where do you turn for help, support and comfort?

Crucial friendships happen, old relationships arestrengthened, and new companions are found!

This has been my recent experience as a pastor, striving toserve my congregation and my community, in this time ofpandemic. I am deeply grateful for my UCC colleagues andtheir voices of wisdom, support and encouragement. I havea renewed appreciation for their smiling faces on Zoom,their shared conversations about every aspect of church life:

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http://www.westminsteru

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monthly newsletter is aWestminster Congregational

United Church of Christ publication.It is published by the preceding Friday to the first

Sunday, 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.

from pastoral care concerns, to building use issues , from discussionsabout drive-by worship, to conversations about finances and how to doZoom better with various pieces of technology added in to it!

I have a deeply renewed sense of gratitude for our ConferenceMinister, Mike Denton and our Conference Minister for ChurchVitality, Courtney Stange-Tregear. They have been leading the wideranging conversations regarding church life, that have consumed mycolleagues and I over the past few months. Meeting after meeting theyhave been unstinting in sharing their time and their depth ofinformation; from the national setting of the UCC, to the governor’sguidelines to the churches, counties and communities of Washingtonstate. They have provided pastoral care to us as pastors, and to our layleaders. They should be exhausted, and they might be. Every day theyneed to care for their own families and themselves in this strange time.They field meetings, phone calls, necessary trips around town, andchildcare needs, just like the rest of us, all while serving the 82churches of our Conference and our ecumenical and interfaithrelationships, and working with the various offices in our nationalsetting. All they do is supported by Our Church’s Wider Mission,money that we give, each year.

I have a profound sense of gratitude for the gift of N-Sid-Sen as ourcamp and retreat center on Lake Coeur d’Alene, as I have gone theremultiple times for rest and renewal in the midst of the hectic activityduring this season of COVID19. When “vacation” is just another day athome, the camp has given me a beautiful space for respite andrestoration. I am profoundly grateful for the gracious and creativehospitality of Mark Boyd, the camp’s director. All he does is supportedby camp users, and our donations.

NEVER have I been more aware of our deep connections to oneanother, to serving, supporting, protecting and nurturing our churchesand ministries TOGETHER as the Pacific Northwest Conference of theUnited Church of Christ.

I encourage you to support them. I assure you, Jim and I do , and we willcontinue to give even more, for the powerful witness of our leaders, ourcolleagues, our camps and our ministries.

The link to the Pacific Northwest Conference website is here:pncucc.org and I urge you to give in support of these vital ministries.

In grateful service,Pastor Andy ~

Continued from cover

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Your Church Council met on June 25, and what anenergized group it is! In the middle of a pandemic,every board and committee is full of ideas and plansfor us to sustain our beloved community and our workin the greater world. We have formed a Racial Equitytask force to draft a statement of support and planother actions. Our Education and Spiritual GrowthBoard will meet this summer to plan activities forchildren and adults in the new church year, which willcertainly include some anti-racism offerings.Meanwhile the Music & Arts Board has some zany funplanned for the Fall. Serving Our Neighbors (SON) hasbeen posting our community partner’s needs on

Facebook for your consideration. Deacons persist inlooking for ways to keep us connected. Our WestCATteam continues its important involvement in theSpokane Alliance, and our Immigration Task Force hasalmost completed a draft mission statement forCouncil approval. As promised, your Church Councilreassessed the issue of reopening our church building,and once again concluded that we cannot safely oreasily reopen now, and we do not know when we willbe able to do so. Nevertheless, WE are the CHURCH,and we continue to meet in song and prayer, in joy andsorrow, by Zoom every Sunday, and in our variousother gatherings, like Happy Hour, Book Club, etc.

With love,Mary Rupert, Church Moderator

PS: Most Boards and the Church Council will take abreak in July.

FUNRaiser note: As summer warms and restrictions lift,please consider if your delayed FUNraiser event could be

safely held outdoors. A little FUN would do us some good!

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How are the families at FamilyPromise doing during this pandemic?Without the church rotation, life isdifferent. Being housed at the mainshelter on E Mission or at the DayCenter on E Hartson. There are still

ways to assist them: advocate, volunteer, meetwith the families, intern, give, donate financially orbe creative. Create a Welcome-Home Kit, aCleaning Supply Kit, Office supplies, KitchenBasics, and Kitchen Essentials or purchase suppliesfor both shelters, or check the Amazon wish list.The needs are vast.

We don't have dinners with the families, but we canstill build community by being a friend. How abouta Zoom call with a family? We know the value ofcommunity, it starts small. Contact:familypromiseofspokane.org to learn more. Yournew neighbors are waiting.

Cathy Gunderson ~

We are planning a fun Talent Sharing event

after worship service on September 13. Would

you, or someone in your household like to

share something with the rest of the

congregation? Read a story or poem, sing a

song, play a tune, draw a doodle, show us how

to make a mask. E-mail your ideas to the

church office and our own Verne Windham will

coordinate and Emcee the program. There will

be a preview every Sunday, right after we sing

our Song at Parting, just to inspire you!

Karen Wilson-Bell ~

A lot has happened since the February Climate Cornerarticle about issues related to Climate Change. TheCOVID19 pandemic and recent demonstrations related tothe killings of unarmed black men and women, havedominated our lives.

While these things still grab the headlines and fill muchof our consciousness, Climate Change is still an importantissue to consider. This month, this column examines a fewissues of fossil fuels and the climate.

We humans are quite addicted to fossil fuel. According toan article in B U Today (published by Boston University),80% of people use fossil fuels in their cars and homes, aswell as to run their favorite toys and gadgets

Our economy is deeply tied to fossil fuels. Most of ouragriculture, mining and manufacturing rely on fossil fuelsfor production. Some companies, such as Avis and Googlehave been certified carbon-neutral. Many othercompanies are pledging to become carbon-neutral in the

future. Good indeed. Still, there is a lot of work to be donein these areas.

In addition, our economy is vulnerable to fuel supply andprices. Fossil fuel prices are low during a recession andreturn to peak prices as the economy recovers. In addition,fossil fuel corporations are among the largest and mostprofitable in our economy. What a challenge it is tobecome less vulnerable to these fuels.

Can human beings reverse this dependence? It is possible,although difficult. Around 2016, it was estimated that atleast two-thirds of fossil fuel reserves need to be left inthe ground if catastrophic global warming is to be avoided.Driving less; turning home heating down by two degrees,or air conditioners up by two degrees; supportingcompanies that are carbon-neutral; writing to ourlegislators and letters to the editor are just a few.

Doris Holdaway ~

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BIDE A WHILEby Gina

The summer days are fluttering by like brilliant butterflies,The darkest clouds are banished from out the bright blue skies,

And only in the darkest hours may they return againTo nourish summer’s blooming flowers with softly falling rain.

And , oh ! the joy of summer days. And, oh ! how my heart thrillsTo see the sunlight streaming down on the surrounding hills

And sparkling in the winding stream that ripples merrilyBetween it’s banks of grassy green, meandering to the sea.

Oh halcyon days, if only they could never fade at all;But e’er too long the summer’s song will be cut off by fall;

Then butterflies will disappear and blooms wither away;And summer’s leaves will fall from trees, and blue skies turn to grey.

From summer breeze to autumn wind and then to winter’s reign;Then we must bide a while inside till summer comes again.And so in life, when all is strife, and joy is drowned by pain,

We must abide a while inside, till summer comes again

Hello good people, I want to acknowledge something I believe weall know but may not want to. With the constantly shifting worldwe find ourselves in, we are not going to be able to hold events as we have in thepast.So let me make it official, the Westminster/Colville/Chewelah weekend will not behappening in 2020.

We will continue to offer rental cabins and lodges through the month of Septemberthrough our Families at Camp program. I have attached some information for you(links are to the right).

See You At Camp,Mark A BoydManaging DirectorN-Sid-Sen Camp & Conference Center36395 S Highway 97 | Harrison, ID 83833208-689-3489

S.O.N. will not be meetingin July or August.

~

Trustees will meet in theevent of an emergency,but not otherwise.

~

Council will not bemeeting in July.

~

Pastor Andy will be onvacation from July 13through August 3,returning to the office onTuesday, August. 4.

Expectations

Open Dates

Rates

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Check the schedule (below), each month for most current info onmeeting expectations. For Zoom meetings, Click / tap here!

July and August “ . . .And Ladies of the Club” by HelenHooven Santmyer. . .

● July 20: Chapter 1880 to page 789. – We will try to meet in Linda Crowe’s backyard.We will keep our zoom appointment in case ofinclement weather. Social distancing is expected.

● August 17: Chapter 1898 to end.

September 21 “Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly.October 19 "Rising Out of Hatred" by Eli Saslow.November 16 "The Butterfly Girl" by Rene Denfield.December 21 "Finding Scrooge" by Jason McDonald.Facilitators and locations tba.

The Book and Salad Clubcontinues to meet the 3rdMonday of each month at1:00 pm, 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.

WESTMINSTER CONGREGATIONAL UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

May2020

MonthlyBudget

MonthlyDifference

YTD2020

YTDBudget

YTDDifference

Total Income 17,772.3 14,219.1 3,553.2 183,923.3 80,595.7 103,327.6Less Total Expenses 21,071.9 22,079.3 (1,007.42) 122,058.1 110,463.8 11,594.3Net Income (Loss) (3,299.58) (7,860.24) 4,560.66 61,865.21 (29,868.08) 91,733.29

2020 Pledge Information as of June 10, 2020:

2020Total

Pledges

2019Total

Pledges

2019PledgesReceived

2020PledgesReceived

2020Pledges

Outstanding

2020 AnnualPledgeBudget

YTD PledgeBudget

difference115,834.44 129,114.88 111,784.88 57,949.30 57,885.14 118,000.00 8,782.63

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June Attendance

6-7 6-14 6-21 6-28

72 56 70 61

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.

7/4 Pat Jordan

7/7 Megan Schindler

7/8 Patty Ferguson

7/9 Phyllis Northrop

7/13 Cynthia Shinaberger

Nick CastroLang

7/16 Roger Stephens

7/17 Verne Windham

7/21 Robin Mc Lain

Hannah Phillips

Shane Bell

7/24 Rachel Plut

7/26 Jim McPherson

Sophie Kuffel

7/29 Marian Whitfield

Currently, the Westminster church facility isclosed to all meetings.

Join us Sundays for virtual worship at 10:30am, via livestream on Zoom! See the link atright for this and other Westminster churchmeetings!

Although the facility is closed, getinvolved in other church and communityactivities! Stay informed through ourwebsite (westminsterucc.org), our facebookpage (Westminster United Church of Christ),or Pastor Andy’s Hotsheet by email (seewebsite footer to ‘Sign-up for our emails!’).And pay close attention to other emails fromyour Church Moderator, Mary Rupert andPastor Andy.

Please note . . .The church office has new COVID19 hours:WED & THU 10:00 am – 2:00 pmEmail is monitored afternoons, Tuesday -Friday.

ZOOM SCHEDULE

Westminster WorshipSundays at 10:30 am

Westminster Youth GroupSundays at 1:00 pm

Adult ForumSundays at 3:00 pm

Westminster Happy HourWednesdays at 5:00 pm

Deacons4th Sundays at 12:30 pm

Book & Salad Club3rd Mondays at 1:00 pm

Serving Our Neighbors1st Wednesdays at 6:30 pm

Trustees3rd Wednesdays at 6:30 pm

Church Council4th Thursdays at 5:00 pm

Click on the meeting title (it’s a link!) tobe brought to Zoom. Enjoy!

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Please continue to give . . .By text 855-925-0716, by postal mail

or Donate/ Pay online at westminsterucc.org(see page 2 for contact info)