A Letter and Video from Pastors Bill and Ellen
Click to view WPC Video about the Days Ahead.
Dear Westminster Family,
In light of the evolving situation with Coronavirus, WPC’s session voted Monday night to suspend in-person worship services and all on-campus events until further notice. Though we will not be able to meet in person, we will continue to be the body of Christ and remain connected in community in a variety of ways.
Join us for worship on Sunday morning at 11 am. We will livestream a half-hour worship service from https://www.facebook.com/wpcaustin/. You don’t need a Facebook account to watch the service. Simply click on the link a few minutes before 11 am and you’ll see a video box pop up when we begin recording. If you miss seeing us live, a video of the service will remain on our Facebook page so you can watch anytime. Consider forwarding the link to a friend who might like to worship with us!
Stay connected to members of our church family. Consider picking up the phone and chatting with someone who you’ll miss seeing in person. We are working on other ways to connect virtually. One simple way is to join our revived members-only Facebook group. If you have a Facebook profile, you can request to join this group and share anything from ideas for keeping kids busy while schools are closed to prayer requests. Click here to join the group.
Meet with your study group or committee via Zoom video call. The church has created a Zoom account so that we can host virtual meetings. If you are the chair of a committee or the leader of a study group, our officer administrator Ann Tucker will reach out to you about your upcoming gatherings. In the meantime, consider downloading the Zoom app on your smartphone to prepare.
Continue to Practice Generosity. We obviously won’t be able to pass the offering plate around, but our ministries need your continued financial support. You can give by making an online donation, texting wpc$ to 73256, setting up an electric funds transfer, or by mailing a check to the church office. Contact Michelle at the church office for more information.
Love your neighbor. Our neighbors experiencing homelessness or food insecurity are especially vulnerable at this time. If you are able, please consider doing one of the following:
- Support Manos de Cristo so they can stock their food pantry in this time of high demand. Use one of the online giving methods above and choose “Manos de Cristo” in the drop down menu, or send a check to the church office made out to WPC with “Manos de Cristo” in the memo line. Stay tuned for possible upcoming volunteer opportunities.
- Volunteer with Drive-A-Senior West Austin to take seniors to critical appointments, deliver groceries, or make reassurance calls. If you are able to volunteer, please email westaustin@driveasenior.org (volunteers are asked not to call the Drive-A-Senior office at this time). If you are a senior in need of help, call (512) 472-6339.
- Volunteer at the Central Texas Food Bank. Click here to sign up.
All of you are in our thoughts and prayers during this tumultuous time. If you become isolated because of illness or are aware of other members and friends of Westminster who have become isolated, let us know how we can help. Please reach out to any member of our pastoral staff if you need care, assistance using the new technologies we’re implementing, or just a friendly voice on the other end of the line.
With love and hope,
Bill Ellen