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 64 No. 14 u April 3, 2016 Easter Sunday full of joy About 1,300 people attended morning worship at Wilshire on Easter Sunday, filling the Sanctuary to capacity at 11:00 and to more than half capacity at 8:30. Despite the threat of wind and rain, 150 people turned out for the Easter Sunrise service at White Rock Lake, where a golden orange sunrise greeted worshipers right on cue. As always, the flowering cross in front of the Sanctuary was a popular place for family photos. Video clips of Easter worship music and the sermon are available on Wilshire s YouTube channel and Facebook page. Today 4th 6th grade retreat 8:30 a.m. Worship 9:40 a.m. Living Your God-given Strengths Room 1100 9:40 a.m. Sunday School 11:00 a.m. Worship 12:00 p.m. Inclusion and Diversity Study Group roundtable dialogue 12:00 p.m. Church Weekday Education Committee Room 1205-G 2:30 p.m. Nova 4:00 p.m. Youth Choir and Paradiso 5:30 p.m. Shekinah Monday, April 4 10:00 a.m. 42 Monday Room 1205-G 11:30 a.m. Cardiac support group Room 1205-L 2:00 p.m. Rusty Caboose exercise class Room 3211 7:00 p.m. Wilshire Winds Tuesday, April 5 8:00 a.m. Bright Fellow. Bible study Parlor 11:15 a.m. Chair yoga Room 3208 12:15 p.m. Yoga Room 3208 6:30 p.m. Stephen Min. supervision Wednesday, April 6 9:30 a.m. New Song Choral Hall 11:00 a.m. Koinonia Café 12:00 p.m. Bible study 5:00 p.m. Children s handbells Room 2001 5:00 p.m. Koinonia Café 5:00 p.m. Spanish as a Second Lang. Room 3202 Continued on page 2
The voice The cursor keeps blinking as I stare blankly at the screen. I ve written three different versions of this article and decided I didn t like any of them. Maybe I ll just write about how hard it is to write these things I say to Heather in the next room. I m only half-way joking. I even try sitting in a different chair in my office so I can stare out Darren s window across the hall. Apparently even the trees and blue sky have nothing to offer. I start wondering, If I don t turn something in will they just print my picture on page 2 of the Tapestry surrounded by an empty text box? How can I possibly have nothing to say? The irony that the Christian advocacy specialist would struggle to find something to say is not lost on me. When Sunday School classes ask me to come teach a lesson about Christian advocacy, I talk about the role of using your voice. Advocacy, at its very core, is about speaking up for the needs of your neighbor. While there can be different ways to communicate a message, one of the most effective is through the use of voice. Often using our voices in this way can be a vulnerable thing to do. We fear being asked a question we can t answer or being challenged by someone with a different Another Voice position. Speaking up involves risk, and we would prefer to leave the speaking up to experts. I spoke at a conference this past week with the Christian Life Commission about advocacy in the church. One of my suggestions to congregations was to become better storytellers. We know the power stories have to share experiences and bring truth to light. Our own Scriptures, filled with stories about God and humanity, speak to this point. We might not be experts on how to end hunger or strengthen public schools, but we can share the stories of the students we mentor and feed during the summers. We can empower someone who has taken out a predatory loan to share their experience with their member of Congress. Stories are more compelling than facts and help put a face to statistics. What stories have you heard and been transformed by that need to be told? This work could use Another Voice will you lend yours? Katie Murray This Week at Wilshire Continued from page 1 Wednesday, April 6 6:00 p.m. Music and Missions and Bible Skills 6:00 p.m. Gallery Café, James Gallery 6:00 p.m. Bible study: Revelation, Room 1205-L 6:00 p.m. Good and Beautiful God, Room 3206 6:00 p.m. Parenting the Love and Logic Way, Room 3303 6:00 p.m. MOPS Steering, Room 3201 6:15 p.m. Cord of Three monthly prayer, Room 1205-H 6:15 p.m. Yoga class, Room 3208 6:30 p.m. Watershed, Youth Center 7:00 p.m. Sanctuary Choir, Choral Hall Thursday, April 7 11:15 a.m. The Bridge/Stew Pot 1:30 p.m. Knit Unto Others, Parlor 2:00 p.m. Rusty Caboose senior adult women s exercise Room 3211 Friday, April 8 9:00 a.m. Empowered to Connect simulcast, 6:30 p.m. Marriage Connections, James Gallery Saturday, April 9 9:00 a.m. Empowered to Connect simulcast, This Wednesday at Wilshire Come join the seven-week study of the book of Revelation at noon or at 6 p.m. In the evening, there s a new parenting class called Love & Logic, and the study of the book The Good and Beautiful God continues. Wednesday evening programs for preschoolers, children and youth are all back to regular schedules. Koinonia Café on Wednesdays April 6: Carved roasted turkey, meatloaf with mushroom sauce, garlic mashed potatoes, vegetable medley, peas and tomatoes, steamed carrots, macaroni salad, ciabatta bread, pecan pie. Condolences to: x Barry and Kim Bonar on the death of Barry s mother, Patricia Bonar, of Ada, Okla., March 27. x Paul Fort on the death of his father, John Fort, March 27. New member: x Sam Schaal Tapestry (USPS 022025) is published weekly except Christmas week by Wilshire Baptist Church, 4316 Abrams Rd., Dallas TX 75214. Periodicals postage paid at Dallas, TX. Telephone: (214) 452-3100. Website: www.wilshirebc.org. Editor: Mark Wingfield. Contributing writer: Sue Coffman. Postmaster: Send change of address to 4316 Abrams Rd., Dallas TX 75214. 2
ZIP Code Socials are now Wilshire Night Out. Mark the date on your calendar for April 23 and plan to participate. The ZIP Code Socials were a big hit in 2015, but the Churchwide Social Committee learned it is a challenge to have a social in everyone s ZIP Code because of Wilshire s far reach in the DFW Metroplex. The revised plan is called Wilshire Night Out, which will be offered three times this year. The dates are April 23, July 23 and Oct. 15. At least one week prior to the event, all Wilshire members will received postcards in the mail inviting you to attend a social in a member s home. This home will be easily accessible, but may not be located within your ZIP Code. The committee hopes Wilshire Night Out will provide more flexibility while continuing to provide members and guests the opportunity to meet new people. The April 23 kickoff will be held in various homes from 4 to 6 p.m. Be on the lookout for your invitation in a few weeks. If you would like to open your home to others on one of these dates, contact Tiffany Wright, minister for care ministries, at (214) 452-3107 or twright@wilshirebc.org. All couples and especially young couples are invited to Wilshire s monthly Marriage Connections events. This is a marriage enrichment group that meets eight times a year. It is specifically designed for parents of younger children from birth through fifth grade. Free child care is provided at the church while couples have a chance to learn from a speaker s brief presentation, and then couples are sent away to enjoy a meal on their own before picking up their children. The event begins at 6:30 p.m., and child care runs until 9 p.m. This Sunday, April 3, is the deadline to reserve child care for the next Marriage Connections, which will be Friday night, April 8. Child care is free but reservations must be made with Joan Hammons at jhammons@wilshirebc.org. The April 8 Marriage Connections will begin with get-to-know-you activities in James Gallery before couples head to dinner offsite. The May 13 Marriage Connections will include child care at church but dinner and fellowship for couples at the home of Mike and Carol Plunk. The meal will be catered, and the speaker will be Susan Leonard, a Wilshire member and marriage and family therapist. To learn more, contact Tiffany Wright, minister for care ministries, at (214) 452-3107 or twright@wilshirebc.org. Mental health seminar to be offered May 1 Mental Health: Questions and Answers for Caregivers will be the topic of a special information session to be offered during the Sunday School hour on May 1. The seminar will be led by John Dornheim, special projects manager for the Dallas chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. No reservation is required, and the presentation is open to the community. It will be held in Community Hall from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. This session will offer an overview of mental health issues and resources available to help those needing personal assistance as well as those helping family members and friends. There will be time for questions, and based on needs expressed that day, additional classes may be offered at Wilshire in the future. John currently serves as president of the Texas affiliate of NAMI, serves on the Community Board of Dallas County Adult Protective Services, and is co-chair of the North Texas Suicide Prevention Coalition. He holds dual degrees in journalism and English from Southern Methodist University and previously worked as the community liaison and continuing education administrator for Green Oaks Hospital. Inclusion and Diversity Study Group resources available Today is the final of four roundtable dialogues offered by the Inclusion and Diversity Study Group. All interested adults and youth are invited to Community Hall today for lunch and dialogue around tables. No reservation is required, and child care will be provided for preschoolers and children. Inclusion and Diversity Study Group Seminar Wilshire Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas The complete text of presentations made by the Study Group at the recent Information Seminars has been published in booklet form. These seminars discussed the cultural context of addressing same-sex attraction, the biblical background, genetic knowledge, adolescent development and a range of views within today s church. Copies of the booklet are available in the front office or may be downloaded from www.wilshirebc.org. A video of the Information Seminar now is available at wilshirebc.org under the Learn tab. 3
Briefly x CPR class scheduled. A CPR/First Aid class is scheduled for Saturday, April 23, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Participants may opt for CPR only or CPR with First Aid. Cost is the same for both options to cover materials used for CPR practice: $20 for Wilshire members or $25 for non-members. Registration is required at www.wilshirebc.org/registration. Bring a lunch to eat while watching the First Aid DVD. For more information, contact Parish Nurse Linda Garner at (214) 452-3151 or lgarner@wilshirebc.org. x Strengths class offered on Sundays. The Living Your God-given Strengths Class will be offered on seven Sunday mornings beginning today and concluding May 15. Class size is limited to 12, so preregistration is required. This class will be led by Geri McKenzie, a certified Strengths Coach by the Gallup Organization, creator of the StrengthsFinder inventory. The class will meet from 9:45 to 10:45 weekly. Register online at www.wilshirebc.org/registration or contact Geri at (214) 452-3159 or gmckenzie@wilshirebc.org. x Perot Museum outing. Families with preschoolers are invited to visit the Perot Museum together on Saturday, April 23, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Cost is $8 per person with a $20 family maximum. Register online at www.wilshirebc.org/registration, by Monday, April 4. Limited spots are available. Families with a Perot membership may use their membership for admission but still should register. Easter sunrise. Last Sunday s Easter Sunrise service at White Rock Lake was greeted with a beautiful sunrise before a cold front blew in. About 150 people gathered for the 7 a.m. service sponsored jointly by Wilshire and three other area churches. This year for the first time, the outdoor service included the celebration of the Lord s Supper. x Correction. The Tapestry editor made a mistake in last week s issue regarding year-to-date giving. The point of the Did You Know item was correct, but incorrect data was used. Here is the correct information with additional updates included. Giving to all causes through Wilshire in March 2016 has exceeded the same period for any of the previous three years. After March 27, total giving for the month was $611,815, up from $462,793 last March. For the first quarter of the year, giving to all causes currently is on pace with the patterns set in recent years, even though giving in January and February initially was slower than in previous years. x PBJ drive. Wilshire s sixth graders who meet for Globetrekkers missions education on Wednesday evenings recently studied hunger and homelessness. As a result, they became concerned about finding ways to help hungry people in Dallas. The sixth graders decided they would conduct a drive to collect peanut butter and jelly to benefit the Wilkinson Center, one of Wilshire s local missions partners. The students will collect donated jars of peanut butter and jelly (no bread, please) from April 3 through April 24. Marked collection boxes are located around the church. Food Truck Sunday April 17 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. 4 x Hank Williams musical. Senior adults are invited to join Wilshire Adventurers to see the musical theater production Hank Williams: Lost Highway on Sunday, April 17, at Garland Civic Theater. The show starts at 2:30 p.m., and the group will ride the DART rail together; the train stop is within easy walking distance of the Granville Theater. This is the musical biography of the legendary singersongwriter who was one of the great innovators of American popular music. Sign up for this outing at the Wilshire Adventurers table in James Gallery on Sunday mornings or in Community Hall on Wednesdays at noon.
The numbers Report for March 27 Sunday School Officers...17 Preschool...84 Children... 96 Youth... 78 Young adult... 111 Median adult... 241 Senior adult... 178 Total present... 805 Total previous week... 763 Total last year... 840 Generosity Unified Budget received $43,018 Unified Budget projected $98,205 Unified Budget YTD $1,014,954 Unified Budget projected $1,203,023 Pathways Endowment received YTD $17,608 Pathways Endowment current fund value $3,389,034 December 31 goal $4,910,290 December 1 goal $4,296,503 November 1 goal $3,952,783 October 1 goal $3,559,960 September 1 goal $3,216,240 August 1 goal $2,798,865 July 1 goal $2,406,042 June 1 goal $1,988,667 May 1 goal $1,546,741 April 1 goal $1,203,071 March 1 goal $810,198 February 1 goal $466,478 Unified Budget For Mark Murphy, the guiding hand of God has always seemed to be there. When opportunities have happened, I ve felt a hand moving through me and taking care of me, he said. Mark grew up in Guyton, Ga., near Savannah. In high school he participated for four years in the Model United Nations program. Participants were assigned different countries, and we researched what the country believed, he explained. We debated a specific issue, such as women s rights, at a conference and were graded on what the countries believed. Mark also worked for his electrician uncle, helping with renovations at a local college and projects in private homes. That experience helped show him the path to his future profession. Upon high school graduation in 1996, he won two scholarships and chose to attend Georgia Tech. The Hope Scholarship came from lottery money, he said, and the other one was awarded by a friend of his father. I knew that I wanted to be an engineer, and I chose electrical engineering, Mark said. I enjoy working with building owners and architects to develop systems related to power, such as lighting. At Georgia Tech he was active in the Boy Scout service fraternity. Our projects included working with Habitat for Humanity. When I was service chair, we did something different working with an organization that helped abandoned cats. For two summers during college, Mark won internships with Amoco and British Petroleum. His responsibilities included doing electrical studies and checking equipment that might need replacement. Because of his fluency in German, he was chosen to spend the summer before his senior year in Dusseldorf, Germany, studying business German. I also took side trips to Berlin, Aachen and Cologne to see the sites and I Am Wilshire Mark Murphy learn about German history, he said. Mark met his wife, Ellen, in the coed language dorm, where the residents practiced speaking a particular language. She lived on the Spanish hall, and I lived on the German hall, he said. We met when I was a sophomore, and we were married in 2001, the year after I graduated. She already had begun working in Jacksonville, Fla., and he took a position there as a graduate engineer. I designed building systems for architects. I had some really good mentors, my direct bosses. They showed me how to be professional, take pride in my work and not be quick to anger. Mark worked there until 2009. After the recession, Ellen was laid off, and we started looking at Texas, he said. I took a job with a small consulting engineering firm in San Antonio, and she followed early in 2010. After about 19 months, they moved to Dallas, where he became a supervising electrical engineer with the Dallas office of the company he had worked for in Florida. Since 2012 he has been a consulting engineer for Syska Hennessy. We work on large commercial buildings such as hospitals and hotels, he said. I enjoy working with our clients and our architects, who are very creative in bringing their inspirations to fruition. I changed jobs to have more time with our three sons, he emphasized. My job involves less traveling and weekend work, and the office is just two miles away. The Murphys sons are Josh, 9; Paul, 7; and Richard, 5. Mark is a Cub Scout den leader for Paul, and the Murphys enjoy camping as a family. This summer they ll be showing the boys the Grand Canyon. Mark grew up Baptist, later attending a Methodist church where his uncle was a member. When he and Ellen became serious about dating in Jacksonville, they joined Hendricks Avenue Baptist Church, a CBF congregation where her parents had been members. He was baptized there, and the Murphys were married there. In San Antonio they joined Woodland Baptist Church, where former Pastoral Resident Garrett Vickrey is now pastor. Our pastor in Jacksonville told us when we moved to Dallas that Wilshire was the only church for us, Mark said. When we visited, we fell in love immediately, and we joined a few weeks after Easter in 2011. The members immediately made us feel welcome, and we enjoy the music and programs for the children. The Murphys are members of Avodah Class, and Mark has served on the Building and Grounds Committee. He appreciates that Wilshire members live in the real world. He also appreciates the church s bravery in addressing the issue of inclusion and diversity. Because he sometimes experiences stress at work, he especially enjoys Wednesday evening dinners at Wilshire. It s a place of peace and a place to relax, have a good dinner and enjoy listening, he said. Although mathematics and science are his chief interests, Mark also enjoys European history, especially World War I and World War II. I ve also done five marathons, the first about 2002, he said. I began running during college. It gives me quiet time to relax and pray. And on top of that, he even took bagpipe lessons for a while. 5
Wilshire contacts To e-mail any member of the Wilshire staff, use the first initial with the full last name and then add @wilshirebc.org. To phone staff, dial (214) 452- and the four-digit extension: Pastoral offices George Mason (3132) Debby Burton (3132) Mark Wingfield (3128) Kathi Lyle (3130) Pathways to Ministry Geri McKenzie (3159) Erica Whitaker (3156) Matthew Broyles (3154) Timothy Peoples (3153) Joshua Thiering (3155) Business offices David Nabors (3157) Lori Gooden (3131) Susan Kimball (3108) Dale Pride (3101) Holly Irvin (3150) Beverly Faubion (3111) Adam Scheuermann (3136) Age-graded ministries Jessica Capps (3129) Darren DeMent (3102) Julie Girards (3103) Joan Hammons (3141) Carol Cabaniss (3106) Care ministries Tiffany Wright (3107) Debby Burton (3132) Missions/advocacy offices Heather Mustain (3110) Katie Murray (3126) Abbey Adcox (3127) Music offices Doug Haney (3123) Sarah Stafford (3121) Barbara Clayton (3125) Jeff Brummel (3122) Food services Chris Terry (3117) Weekday Education Mary Browder (3115) Parish nurse Linda Garner (3151) Library Barbara Peterson (3114) Reception desk (214) 452-3165 Wilshire Baptist Church 4316 Abrams Rd Dallas TX 75214 PERIODICALS RATE 6