Tapestry. Vision Day is next Sunday. What s the future?

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1 This Week at Wilshire Tapestry Weekly newsletter of Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas Building a community of faith shaped by the Spirit of Jesus Christ Volume 61 No. 31 u August 11, 2013 Vision Day is next Sunday Your voice needs to be heard next Sunday at Wilshire s Vision Day. Everyone is invited to attend one of three visioning sessions, where congregants will enjoy fellowship around tables, get to know each other and discuss their hopes and dreams for Wilshire s future. This is believed to be the most broad-based process for congregational input ever used for strategic planning in the church s 62-year history. Everyone has a story to tell about what brought you to Wilshire or about what keeps you here, said Associate Pastor Mark Wingfield. As we gather around the tables next Sunday, we want to share those stories and draw inspiration from each other. By understanding what we re doing well, we can better plan for the future. All voices need to be heard. If you ve not already signed up for a session, it s not too late to do so at And if by next Sunday you haven t pre-registered, come on anyway. Walk-ins are welcome at any of the three sessions. Both the 8:30 and 11:00 worship times will be offered as usual. A joint adult Sunday School class will be offered in McIver Chapel, led by Linda Garrett. See the graphic on page 3 for the day s schedule. What s the future? When Wilshire s deacons were asked one of the Vision Day questions, here s a sample of what they said about their desires for Wilshire s future: We need to be loud about the compassionate side of Christianity. When people pass this church, they should know what it is, who we are, not just that it s a pretty building. We need to look more like the demographics of our city. I wish we never had to worry about if we have enough money to do missions. It is so important that youth are treated with respect. Even more than we are, we must become a light to the disengaged in our community. We need to have a more thoughtful voice about issues of social justice. Wilshire should be financially prudent but willing to take risks. Today 8:30 a.m. Worship 9:40 a.m. Wilshire Welcome class Room 1100-C 9:40 a.m. Sunday School 11:00 a.m. Worship 12:00 p.m. Deacon officer ad hoc group Room 1205-H 5:30 p.m. Transit banquet Youth Center 6:30 p.m. Student min. slide show extravaganza Comm. Hall Monday, Aug :00 a.m. 42 Monday Room 1205-G 6:00 p.m. Vision 20/20 steering comm Room 3301 Tuesday, Aug. 13 1:00 p.m. Youth pool party 9315 Trail Hill 1:15 p.m. Joy of Painting Room 3303 Wednesday, Aug. 14 9:30 a.m. A Matter of Balance group Room 1205-L 11:30 a.m. Koinonia Café Comm. Hall 12:00 p.m. This is My Story program Comm. Hall 1:15 p.m. Adventurers Committee Room 1205-L 5:00 p.m. Vision 20/20 Core Team Room :30 p.m. Youth Bible study Youth House Thursday, Aug. 15 1:30 p.m. Knit Unto Others Parlor Saturday, Aug. 17 8:00 a.m. Vision 20/20 hospitality team

2 Stories... Another Voice We have experienced triple-digit temperatures this entire week. When the dog days of summer hit, it seems all anyone can talk about is the weather. I ve had conversations this week about the misery of air conditioners breaking, a friend s car overheating and not starting, about why it may not be good for us always to be air conditioned people. My favorite comment was how bad it is for the ozone that we are running our air conditioners all the time. Through all these weather conversations, I am reminded that people just love to tell stories. We like to share our trivia as well as something about ourselves. With every story, we tell others who we are and what we treasure about life. Wilshire s Vision Day next Sunday is an opportunity to do just that. Telling your story is important for Wilshire s future. Your story can help shape our future, our planning and our vision. Long before the narratives of the Bible became Scripture in its written form, they existed in oral form as stories shared in the faith community and passed down from generation to generation. Even the early written records were regarded as notation for the performance of the stories as oral events. The Vision 20/20 process begins with listening. We will gather for fellowship around tables and get to know each other. We will use a simple interview form to help us tell our stories. We will make new friends, be inspired and identify key themes of our strengths. What a unique opportunity this is for Wilshire. Make plans today to attend next Sunday. We look forward to hearing from each one of you. You voice is an important one. Tiffany Wright Summer Wednesdays at noon in Community Hall Aug. 14 Paula Woodbury Mom, volunteer, Ironman Menu: Lemon-roasted chicken, pesto cheese ravioli, buttered green peas, ratatouille, tomato, feta and onion, Tuscan bread salad, vegetable crudite, fruit with mascarpone cream Aug. 21 Wilshire friends from North Africa Hear an update on our CBF partners Menu: Chicken lettuce wrap, beef stir fry, fried rice, steamed broccoli, glazed turnips, bread basket, Thai noodle salad, tapioca Wilshire Adventurers presents... The AChord Trio George Gagliardi, BJ Maclin, Anne Clarke Passport to Adventure Enjoy a musical tour around the world in just one hour Tuesday, Aug :30 a.m., Community Hall Lunch served for $6 followed by table games Tapestry (USPS ) is published weekly except Christmas week by Wilshire Baptist Church, 4316 Abrams Rd., Dallas TX Periodicals postage paid at Dallas, TX. Telephone: (214) Website: Editor: Mark Wingfield. Contributing writer: Sue Coffman. Postmaster: Send change of address to 4316 Abrams Rd., Dallas TX

3 Next Sunday, Aug. 18, is Vision Day at Wilshire. Here s the schedule for the day. Find your place and share your story. Pre-register at VISION DAY OPTIONS 8:30 to 10:45 a.m. Vision Day Session A Location: James Gallery Refreshments served Child care provided 9:45 a.m. to noon Vision Day Session B Location: Community Hall Refreshments served Child care provided 12:15 to 2:30 p.m. Vision Day Session C Location: Community Hall Lunch served Child care provided WORSHIP AND BIBLE STUDY 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Morning Worship Location: Sanctuary 9:40 to 10:45 a.m. Sunday School for preschoolers, children and youth Location: Normal classrooms 9:40 to 10:45 a.m. Combined Sunday School option for adults Location: McIver Chapel Teacher: Linda Garrett 11 a.m. to noon Morning Worship Location: Sanctuary 3

4 Wilshire bookstore now open online By John Jay Alvaro I love bookshelves. For years we had a hand-me-down shelf in our house that was so worn and old each shelf sagged in the middle. Every time we move houses, the first thing I imagine is where I should put the books. You can visualize my own personal growth by looking at what I read. Wilshire was given an opportunity to partner with FaithVillage to create an online bookstore curated by our ministers. We asked our ministers to share their favorite books: both the books that shaped their ministry and the books that they keep on the end table as personal favorites. Now, we invite you to take a look at the storefront and see what the ministers at Wilshire have been reading. These books are a great resource to What has God created you to do or to be? That s one of the questions addressed individually in Wilshire s Living Your God-given Strengths Class, which will start a new session this fall. This class, uniquely crafted at Wilshire, draws upon the Gallup StrengthsFinder assessment to help each participant identify his or her top five strengths and how to harness those effectively. Unlike other spiritual gifts inventories or personality tests, this A few openings still remain in a new option for in-depth adult Bible study that will launch this fall at Wilshire. The first-level series of Disciple Bible Study will be offered on Wednesday evenings beginning Sept. 4. This is a 34-week study that is highly structured and requires commitment to the full term. The class will meet weekly from 6 to 7:30 p.m. and will 4 share with friends looking for a new favorite book. In curating this collection, I personally have a dozen new books to add to my reading queue. The ministers of Wilshire Baptist Church are a wellread group. This is reflected in the careful and thoughtful work pursued in all areas of ministry. Please take some time and see what books have been important to your ministers. You might find a new favorite yourself. Through the Wilshire bookstore in FaithVillage, you may purchase books for home delivery, just like ordering through Amazon. The church receives no financial incentive from the purchases; this is simply provided as a service to our congregation. You may access the bookstore by going to Fall Strengths Class offered class uses a positive methodology to identify what you re good at, not to shine a light on what you re bad at doing. Class size is limited, so advance registration is required. The fall session will be led by Geri McKenzie, who is a certified Strengths Coach by Gallup. The class will meet on Wednesdays from 6:15 to 7:15 p.m., from Sept. 4 through Oct. 16. Register at or in the front office. Briefly... x O Brien to be honored. Wilshire member Bill O Brien will be honored this fall by the group Mission to Unreached Peoples. He will be honored alongside Keith Parks, with whom he worked at the Southern Baptist Foreign Mission Board. The annual award is given to a Christ-follower who has enhanced the spreading of the gospel, especially among those people groups who have no access to the gospel. Wilshire friends are invited to the banquet on Thursday, Oct. 24, beginning at 7 p.m., at the Marriott Hotel at Legacy Town Center. Keynote speaker will be Jim Denison. To learn more or to register for the event, contact Lloyd Wiede, lww@gcnow.org, (469) x Class for newly marrieds. Wilshire s Beginnings Class, a six-week group for nearly married or newly married couples, will meet on Sundays from Sept. 8 through Oct. 13. The class meets during the Sunday School hour, from 9:40 to 10:40 a.m. Facilitators will be Sam and Susan Schlehuber. Topics include communication, family of origin issues, conflict resolution, finances, spirituality in a marriage, and understanding the five love languages. To register, or for more information, contact Tiffany Wright, minister for care ministries, at (214) or twright@wilshirebc.org. x Alvaro named McIver Fellow. Pastoral Resident John Jay Alvaro has been named a McIver Fellow at Wilshire, creating an extension of his work here for up to one year. The Personnel Committee approved this appointment last week, upon recommendation of the Pathways to Ministry program leadership. x Volunteer receptionists needed. A few more good men and women are needed to be the face and voice of Wilshire on Wednesday mornings and Thursday afternoons. Also needed are additional substitutes for mornings or afternoons, Mondays through Fridays. Wilshire members offer their time at the reception desk, providing a courteous first impression for guests and saving the church personnel expense. If you would like to come and watch an experienced volunteer to understand what s involved, or for more information, contact Sandy Allen, volunteer receptionist coordinator, at sgallen@wilshirebc.org or (214) x Nova seeks singers. Nova, Wilshire s adult vocal chamber ensemble, is seeking interested singers. The group sings once a month for worship and rehearses on Sunday evenings from 5 to 6:15 p.m. The new year begins Aug. 25. Parents of Youth Choir members could bring their students to choir and then come up to the third floor for Nova. Contact Jeff Brummel at jbrummel@wilshirebc.org. Sign up today for new Disciple Bible Study class be led by Wilshire member Gary Looper, who is an experienced small-group facilitator. Each participant will receive a workbook with weekly reading assignments and questions for thoughtful reflection. When the group convenes on Wednesdays, each class will begin with a short video introduction presented by a leading theologian. Then the group will work through a discussion of that week s material. Over the course of 34 weeks, the study will span the Bible s narrative, from creation in Genesis to the New Jerusalem of Revelation. Disciple Bible Study is a curriculum published by the United Methodist Church and has been used in small groups around the world. It has Texas roots, being created by a group of Christians in Flower Mound in There is no cost to participate in this class, but advance registration is needed because the size of the group must be limited. To indicate your interest or to learn more, contact Mark Wingfield at (214) or mwingfield@ wilshirebc.org.

5 I Am Wilshire Elsa Sanchez In the first five years of her marriage, Elsa Sanchez and her family didn t attend church, but several factors brought them to Wilshire. We are not from here, but everybody has opened their arms and welcomed us as equals, she said. We feel like we belong. We are very happy here. Elsa and her husband, Enrique, were raised in the Roman Catholic Church. After they married, she wanted to attend a Catholic church, but he didn t, and they couldn t reach a compromise. In Mexico I was always surrounded by church, and here I felt spiritually lonely, Elsa said. A friend who is an evangelical was very involved in her church, and I started craving that. I also wanted my kids, Kevin and Julissa, to be involved in church. At that time we lived at Skillman and Lovers Lane, and I always noticed that Wilshire s parking lot was full, she recalled. We also received the Advocate magazine and learned more about Wilshire. We visited Wilshire one Sunday and were welcomed, and that was it. They attended the annual church picnic and felt at home there also. Then we talked to George. He said that we had to be baptized in order to become members, she said. Elsa struggled with that, but when I stepped into the water, I was sure. She taught 3-year-olds in Sunday School for six years and is a member of Seekers Class. She has helped with Vacation Bible School, serves on the Preschool Committee and for four years has been involved in the prayer group that serves during the 11:00 worship service. Her favorite Scripture is Philippians 4:6-7: Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Those verses have taken on special meaning in recent years, as Elsa has worked through a number of immigration issues in order to keep her job in Dallas and keep her family together here. Elsa was born in the city of Camora in the Mexican state of Michoacán, fairly close to Guadalajara, and she lived there until she came to Dallas in She went to private Catholic schools. My dad was a high school principal for 11 years, and then he was in charge of the high schools in the state of Michoacan, she said. My mother was a homemaker from a small town. Elsa wanted to be a translator after she graduated from high school, but there were no schools with that course nearby, and Mexico City was too far away. She studied English and French at a private school for two years, as she d always wanted to learn other languages. She stayed with her father s family while studying. Returning home, she was forced to major in education by her father, she explained. He said I was very patient with children, such as my cousins, so he told me to become an earlychildhood teacher. I obeyed, and it became my passion. Elsa worked in the mornings as an English teacher for children ages 3 to 6 at a private Catholic school in her hometown. In the afternoons she took classes at a private Catholic college. My plans were to go to France to work as an au pair, but by the time I graduated, the program had been canceled, she said. Fortunately, a friend who lived in Dallas invited Elsa to take a job as a bilingual teacher here. She practically adopted me into her family and let me live in her house, and she introduced me to my husband, Elsa said. She came to Texas from Mexico on a tourist visa. It took three years for my papers to go through, and then I applied for a change of status with the help of the Dallas Independent School District, but the process took several years, she said. She now has a work visa and is applying for permanent residency, and her goal is to become a United States citizen. Elsa s first position was as a bilingual kindergarten teacher at Margaret B. Henderson Elementary School in Oak Cliff; the next year she taught bilingual prekindergarten and ESL for ages 4 and 5. The bilingual classes are for Spanish speakers only, and in ESL the children know more English, she explained. From there she went to the John F. Kennedy Learning Center and City Park Elementary School, and she now teaches prekindergarten classes at Highland Meadows Elementary in North Dallas, close to home. I like the children s willingness and eagerness to learn, she said. They have lots of energy and are little sponges. By the numbers Financial report for Aug. 4 Weekly Ministry Fund projected... $70,312 Weekly Ministry Fund received... $80,935 Annual Ministry Fund projected... $270,354 Annual Ministry Fund received... $376,134 Annual ahead/behind... $105,780 Crossings campaign this week...$6,625 Crossings campaign total received... $3,372,936 Pathways Endowment this week... $915 Pathways Endowment total received... $1,978,348 Special missions for year... $10,420 Sunday School Aug. 4 Officers Preschool Children Youth...56 Young adult...91 Median adult Senior adult Total present Total previous week Total last year Condolences to: Scott and Audrey Dickison on the death of his father, Doug Dickison, Aug. 6. Clemmie and Bill Waters on the death of her sister, Virginia Waters, Aug. 3. John McLaughlin on the death of his sister-in-law, Louise Wallace, Aug. 2. Cathy King Lawson on the death of her stepfather, Steve Nelson. JoLee and Cliff Schaaf on the death of her sister-inlaw, Barbara Rotton, Aug. 4. 5

6 Wilshire contacts To any member of the Wilshire staff, use the first initial with the full last name and then To phone staff, dial (214) and the three-digit extension: Pastoral offices George Mason (132) Debby Burton (132) Mark Wingfield (128) Kathi Lyle (130) Pathways to Ministry Geri McKenzie (159) John Jay Alvaro (154) Austin Almaguer (155) Brent Newberry (152) Britt Carlson (153) Business offices Paul Johnson (157) Teresa M. Newtown (131) Susan Kimball (108) Dale Pride (101) Sandy Allen (150; sgallen) Lauren Crain (111) Age-graded ministries Jessica Capps (129) Darren DeMent (102) Julie Girards (103) Joan Hammons (141) Holly Irvin (106) Care ministries Tiffany Wright (107) Debby Burton (132) Missions offices Heather Mustain (110) Sandy Allen (150) Music offices Doug Haney (123) Sarah Stafford (121) Barbara Clayton (125) Jeff Brummel (122) Food services John Jost (117) Weekday Education Mary Browder (115) Parish nurse Linda Garner (151) Library Jeri Baker (114) Wilshire Baptist Church 4316 Abrams Rd Dallas TX New class of residents. Wilshire s new class of pastoral residents is on the job. Joining second-year resident Austin Almaguer (left) are Brent Newberry, who hails from Mississippi and is a recent graduate of Truett Seminary at Baylor University, and Britt Carlson, who hails from Portland, Ore., and is a recent graduate of Duke University Divinity School. PERIODICALS RATE Blessings. Last Sunday, Wilshire offered its blessings to Annette Thornburg, who has just completed the pastoral residency and is preparing to begin Clinical Pastoral Education chaplaincy work at Methodist Hospital in Dallas. Today, Annette is being ordained to the ministry by the First Baptist Church of Chicago, where she attended and worked during her seminary days. Wilshire will benefit from Annette s continued presence. Have you thought of funding Wilshire s Pathways to Ministry Endowment through your will? 6