New Officers to be Ordained and Installed – February 12

During the worship service on February 12, new Elders and Deacons will be ordained and installed.   This is a special time and members and visitors are encouraged to be present.  New Elders: Mitchell Odum, Jane Whitehurst, Joette Steger, Joe Burmester, Jacob Milchuck.  New Deacons: John Bayne, Linda Pressley

New Member Classes Offered in February

Sign up for our version of WBPC dinner club. Starts in February 2012. This will be the sixth year of bringing members together in a informal setting and getting to know each other over dinner. The groups are designed to combine singles, and couples of all ages. Our staff has the knack of getting the right mix for a great time of fellowship. Members of the group decide where to go for dinner. Sign up on clipboards in Narthex and Fellowship Hall.   Please sign up by February 5, 2012.

New Group – LUNCH OUT

 This year we will add a new lunch out group. Please sign up on the Lunch-Out clipboard sheet in the Narthex or Fellowship Hall.   These groups will be six or eight in size and will rotate members each year. Members of the group will take turns deciding where to dine.  The group members will select a date and join together at different places for a fun time.  Please sign-up by February 5 if you are interested.  Singles and couples of all ages are welcome.

Do you enjoy singing Christmas Carols ?  On Wednesday December 21 at 6:00 pm bring a pot of soup to the Fellowship Hall to share.  At 6:30  pm we’ll head out and go caroling around the neighborhood.  All ages are invited to participate in this fun activity.  Bring a flashlight to help you find your way and wear comfortable shoes. Friends and neighbors are welcome.  There will be plenty of soup so invite others to join you and come and have a fun time.  After serenading our neighbors, we will return to the church to warm-up with cookies and cider. 

Looks like the weather will cooperate. WBPC will be Christmas caroling on Wednesday, December 21.  The weather forecast is for light showers both Wednesday and Thursday so we will plan to go ahead with caroling Wednesday evening.  Dinner will be held in the Fellowship Hall from 6 – 6:30 p.m.  Bring soup to share! We’ll get organized and leave for caroling about 6:45. Bring a flashlight. Weather will be warm, but bring your rain gear, just in case. We’ll walk or drive to our destinations come light rain or shine. Afterwards, return to the church for light refreshments. Hope you can join us. Invite your friends!

If  you placed an order for a heavy density Fraser fir Christmas tree, these trees will be available to be picked up at the following times.  Friday December 2, 2011 – 4:00 – 6:00 pm and Saturday December 3 – 8:00 – 12:00 am.  Payment should be made at time of pickup.  Make checks to WBPC with "Christmas Tree" in the memo line.    The trees are a WBPC fundraiser to upgrade our safety by improving lighting around our property.  

Tree size and Price                Quantity  Ordered

5-6 ft tree $25                         ____________

6-7 ft tree $30                        _____________

Don’t miss the fun fall festival at WBPC.  Bring a friend and come check out Ron Pittman’s version of "stewin of the frogs."  Actually there will be no frogs in the stew, just yummy shrimp, corn, potatoes and sausages.  Weather permitting there will be outdoor games for all ages__Bocci, cornhole, string golf, face painting, dodge ball, board games, BINGO, etc.  If the weather fails to cooperate, games will be in the Fellowship Hall with fun for all ages.  Following dinner the evening will close with music.

 There is no charge for this event; but please bring a side dish or a dessert and make reservations by Wednesday, October 19.  Vegetarians should bring vegetarian dishes.   Invite neighbors and friends to join us for this fun event.

WBPC sent a team of ten people to Haiti in July.  They had an amazing trip and  such a sense of accomplishment.  Pictures and slides were shown at WNL September 14^th.  The evening will began with dinner prepared by Ron Pittman and others.   Below is a brief report by Kathy.  Hopefully, another team can go next summer to continue the work.

Our guesthouse accommodations were par excellent even though Kathy and Ed had to change rooms 3 times.  Devotions around the pool each evening was an added bonus.  The children at Yahve Jire Orphanage are well and happy and thriving.  The highlight of our trip was getting to spend time coloring, putting together puzzles, playing soccer, jumping rope, playing “rock, paper, sissors”, thumb wrestling, and hanging out with the kids.  At the orphanage under construction site, we were able to landscape the new dormitories by putting in a walkway around the domes, we built a swale to help with the water runoff to Ed’s specifications, the ladies put in a 60’ by 60’ parking lot, the men raised a 30’ water tower, we picked up trash and construction debris, and we all put in plant beds and planted coconut palm trees and Australian pines.  On the last day we were blessed with a request from Chedlin, the director, to leave our handprint in the front steps of the new orphanage. 

The need is still great.  We presently send a check for $1,000/month to buy food and medical care for the children.  We need to send at least $2,000 per month just for food.  This does not include salary for the staff or salary for the teachers.  Two more of the children, Wilkey and Didley, have passed their government exams and are ready for high school. Daphnee passed her first year studies in High School that would have not been possible without the help of a kind donation by one of our congregation. They cannot go to high school next year unless we can help with their tuition costs.  It is $1800 per year for one child; this includes their books, uniform, one meal/day, tap tap (taxi) fare and their education.  The younger children are educated at home and we are happy to report that they all passed their end of year testing.  The Bible Chapel in Pittsburgh, PA has done wonderful fundraising and has supplied all of the construction costs thus far.  We were able to leave funds with Chedlin to add to the money the children of WBPC raised for a well to purchase the water pump needed for the new orphanage!  We all hope you will consider “adopting” the children and staff at Yahve Jire by making a pledge to contribute monthly to the Haiti fund.  We will have pledge cards at WNL in September. Above all, thank you WBPC for your love, your support and your prayers.  With God’s continued blessing of our mission work in Haiti we will bring hope to these children that all things are possible.

Western Boulevard has an AED(Automated External Defibrillator) to be used in cardiac emergencies.  In order for the church to keep this and have people trained to use it, everyone needs to attend a retraining CPR event.  The American Heart Association has updated the guidelines for administration of CPR and it is time for all of us to update and review our skills.  Linda Clayton, a wonderful instructor, is available to offer these classes.  The classes are open to new Lifesavers as well as those who have previously taken the course.  The registration cost is $10.  You may purchase a workbook for $12.00 or borrow one and return on class day.  Please contact the church office or Joyce Smith if you can attend these classes.  Reminder: you must be physically able to perform CPR for two minutes to participate in the class.  Please try to attend one of these important classes.

Class Dates and Times

Saturday, August 13          8:30 am – 12:30 pm
Tuesday, September 27    6:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Saturday, October 8           8:30 am – 12:30 pm

All classes will be held in the WBPC parlor.

Vini Ayiti! (Come to Haiti!) Our first mission team to Haiti is on the way!

http://yahvejirekids.blogspot.com/

Click on the link above to see the blog of the Mission Team.

Information from the Haiti Team:  Had good trip down.  Enjoying delicious food and working hard.  Little access to cell phones or internet.  Sunday news: Team has enjoyed being able to pick fresh fruit.  The team returned Tuesday, June 28  around midnight.  The group accomplished a lot while they were there.  They enjoyed getting to know the children in the orphanage and worshipping with them on Sunday. They completed a water tower,  planted some trees and prepared  garden plots.

We would love for everyone to follow us on our blog while we are in Haiti.  We will try and post each day about our day.  Here is the blog site.  To blog you will need a google account but you can read their entries without an account.    If you are friends with Western Blvd. Presbyterian Church or friends with Kathy Wojo or Kevin Fischer you will be able to read the daily blogs.     Please come join us in Haiti!

We hope to build a water tower and plant some Morenga Trees for shade and nutrition.

The Haiti Misssion Team: Kathy, Ed, John, Kate, Dana, Joe, Mollie, Katie, Kevin and Daniel