PDF of Sunday, September 16, 2012

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 60 No. 38 u September 16, 2012
Membership
policy opens
wider with
bylaw change
Membership at Wilshire
now is open to anyone who
professes faith in Jesus Christ
as Savior and has experienced
Christian baptism, regardless
of denomination.
Baptism of confessing
believers by immersion will
continue to be Wilshire’s own
practice and preferred expression of faith. However, Christians who have been baptized
by other modes—sprinkling
or pouring, for example—and
those who have been baptized
before making a personal
confession of faith may be accepted into full membership
of the church.
The change was enacted by
a 211-16 vote of the congregation in called church conference on Wednesday, Sept. 12.
“Wilshire has shown wisdom and courage by this significant decision to welcome
Christian sisters and brothers
in our community of faith
without requiring them to
deny their previous Christian
baptism or the churches that
lovingly nurtured them into
faith in Jesus Christ,” said
Senior Pastor George Mason.
“We have affirmed our Baptist
commitment as a believer’s
church. We have recommitted
to our own practice of believer’s baptism by immersion
Continued on back page
Today
Flu shots
8:30 a.m.
9:40 a.m.
9:45 a.m.
11:00 a.m.
11:00 a.m.
12:00 p.m.
3:30 p.m.
3:45 p.m.
4:45 p.m.
5:00 p.m.
Worship
Sunday School
Coffee and
conversation for prospects
Pastor’s Study
Worship
Kindergarten
worship educ.
Deacon Nom.
Committee
Room 1205-H
Carillon Ringers
Shekinah
Youth Choir
and Paradiso
Choral Hall
Nova
Monday, Sept. 17
9:00 a.m.
Women’s fall
Bible study
Room 3301
10:00 a.m. Domino group
Room 1205-G
7:00 p.m.
Wilshire Winds
Choral Hall
7:00 p.m.
Adoption group
Room 1205-L
Wall breaking. Wilshire members Linda Garner, Mike
Imhoof, Mark Wingfield and Nelson Forsyth were among board
members and staff participating last week in a “wall-breaking”
ceremony to mark the beginning of construction on a new, expanded home for Healing Hands Medical and Dental Clinic at
Gaston Oaks Baptist Church. Wilshire is a key partner with the
charity clinic and has been instrumental in working with Gaston Oaks to craft a plan for the property at Royal and Greenville
to become a multi-ethnic ministry center in the future. Dozens
of Wilshire members volunteer at the clinic, which serves the
uninsured. The 5-year-old clinic is launching a capital campaign to fund the renovation and relocation.
Become a KidsHope mentor
Do you have one hour a
week to make a difference in a
child’s life?
KidsHope USA is Wilshire’s
partnership with Stonewall
Jackson Elementary School.
Through KidsHope, adult
volunteers work with one
child for one hour on one day
a week.
“We would love to add new
people for the new school
year,” said Debbie Butler, who
leads the program.
“We are a mentoring pro-
gram, not a tutoring program,
although if that is needed or
suggested by their teacher we
do help out with academics,”
she explained. “Our main goal
is to be a friend to the children, encourage them, listen
to them and form relationships with them. Stonewall
Jackson’s principal and teachers are very supportive of the
program.”
To learn more, contact
Debbie at (214) 821-5527 or
debbielynnbutler@tx.rr.com.
Tuesday, Sept. 18
8:00 a.m.
Bright Fellow.
Bible study
Parlor
9:00 a.m.
4-S Ministry
Room 2375
9:00 a.m.
Computer class
registration
Room 3102
6:30 p.m. Women’s fall
Bible study
Room 3301
6:30 p.m. Stephen Min.
supervision
7:00 p.m.
Sanctuary Choir
sectional
Choral Hall
Wednesday, Sept. 19
Flu shots
9:30 a.m.
New Song
Choral Hall
11:30 a.m. Koinonia Café
Comm. Hall
12:00 p.m. Bible study
Comm. Hall
5:00 p.m. Koinonia Café
Comm. Hall
5:00 p.m. Children’s
handbells
5:45 p.m.
Youth handbells
6:00 p.m. Bible study
Comm. Hall
6:00 p.m. Music and
Missions
Continued on page 2
Another Voice
One
Have you found your one?
The emphasis in August to
find your one place of service
was exciting for many reasons.
My two favorite reasons are
that people found new ministries and some realized they
already had found their one
and embraced the joy they feel
in serving.
I love some
of the stories
that came out of
these two Sundays and our
emphasis. We
had a couple
who found their
one before
they were even
members.
They had been
visiting and
wandered
through the
ministry displays in the Gallery. They signed up to be
greeters first and then joined
the church the next weekend.
We had children sign up to
volunteer in the library, and
numerous individuals are
getting involved with a new
ministry because they felt a
nudge from God.
It’s not too late to find your
place of service. Any minister
at Wilshire can help you find
a place to use your strengths
and time.
An usher shared with me
why she serves each week. She
knows she can’t do everything
and has realized through the
years what brings the most joy
is welcoming guests and just
smiling at people. This usher
looks at each person in the eye
on Sunday morning and gives
the biggest smile possible.
We never know how a warm
welcome can change someone’s day. The usher
used to think
this was a small
thing but now
believes it’s an
important part
of the Sunday
morning worship.
She has embraced
this calling from
God, and it’s an
encouragement to
the individual each
and every Sunday.
It is good to
bring all you have
with you to church and share
the love of Christ. 1 Peter 4:10
says, “Serve one another with
whatever gift each of you has
received.”
I see over and again people
growing spiritually when they
are involved with hands-on
ministry and service. God
changes us as we serve. May
you each continue to find your
place inside and outside of
Wilshire where God can use
you to make a difference.
—Tiffany Wright
This Week at Wilshire
Continued from page 1
Briefly …
u Financial Peace. A new session of the popular Financial
Peace University is beginning at Wilshire. The class will
meet on Wednesday evenings from 6 to 7:30 p.m. through
Nov. 14. Cost for enrollment is $50 per household, and couples are encouraged to attend together. To register, contact
Sheri Brooks at sherirb@sbcglobal.net or (214) 663-8868.
u Post-adoption group. The post-adoption group will
meet Monday, Sept. 17 from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m., in room
1205 L. Adoptive families are welcome to join us. Adoptive
parents will be in one group and adopted children will be in
another group. The cost is $20 per family.
u Texas Faith Forum. Senior Pastor George Mason will
be a featured panelist at the next Texas Faith public forum
on Thursday, Sept. 27. He and the five other panelists will
address the question, “How is the 2012 election helping to
define the national good, and how can the campaigns do
that better?” Location is Prothro Hall at SMU’s Perkins
School of Theology. Time is 7 to 8:30 p.m.
u Living Your Strengths. Two sessions of the Living Your
God-given Strengths class will be offered at Wilshire this
fall. This short-term class uses the Gallup StrengthsFinder
assessment to guide participants to understand the positive ways God has uniquely created them for service in the
world. A Sunday evening session will begin Sept. 23 and
conclude Nov. 4. It will meet from 4:45 to 6 p.m. and will be
facilitated by Marilyn Spaulding. A Sunday morning session
will begin Sept. 30 and conclude Nov. 11. It will meet during
the Sunday School hour, from 9:40 to 10:40 a.m. and will
be facilitated by Jerry Bryant. Pre-registration is required.
Go to www.wilshirebc.org/register.
u Computer classes. A new semester of free computer
training classes will be offered at Wilshire, beginning with
registration on Tuesday, Sept. 18. Anyone interested is
invited to Room 3103 that day at either 9:30 a.m. or 6 p.m.
Beginning and intermediate classes will be offered in basic
computing, Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. All
classes have instruction on the Windows7 operating system,
Internet, and email basics.
Women’s Ministry
Brown bag book discussion
Wednesday, Sept. 19
6:00 p.m. MOPS steering, Room 3203
6:00 p.m Grief and Loss Center board meeting, Room 2370
6:30 p.m. Watershed, Youth Center
7:00 p.m. Sanctuary Choir, Choral Hall
7:00 p.m. Centering prayer group, Parlor
Bring a lunch and enjoy these fall book discussions.
No reservation required, and guests are welcome.
In the Parlor from noon to 1 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 20
1:30 p.m. Knit Unto Others, Parlor
See the complete calendar online at www.wilshirebc.org.
Thursday, Nov. 1
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
Thursday, Oct. 4
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
For more information, contact Tiffany Wright
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
Deacon Nomination Form
The Deacon Nominating Committee is asking Wilshire members to submit names of persons to be considered for deacon
service either as a new deacon or by returning to active service after being a deacon in reserve. Nominees should be individuals who have been church members for at least one year who have modeled consistent, faithful service and leadership in
the life of Wilshire. You may nominate as many individuals as you desire. Those chosen will serve a three-year term beginning January 2013. Please note that a deacon in reserve is not automatically considered by the committee; reserve deacons
must be nominated to return to active service.
Although an exhaustive list is not necessary, please indicate for each nominee the qualifications you believe most important
for the committee to consider (e.g., participation in church ministries, examples of spiritual leadership, etc.):
Deacon Nominee: _____________________________________________ Qualifications:
Deacon Nominee: _____________________________________________
Qualifications:
Signature: ___________________________________
The Deacon Nominating Committee sincerely appreciates your prayers and your thoughtful suggestions.
Travis Keath, chair Erin Basden Mark Blackwood Kile Brown
Fred Cullum
Barbara Floyd Mike Imhoof LeAnn Hampton Barbara Nelson
Return completed nomination form to Debby in the church office or place in the offering plate by Sept. 30, 2012.
Ordained deacons
Akins, Allan
Akins, Kelly*
Allen, Ken
Alloway, Paul**
Alverson, Kathy
Anderson, Andy**
Armstrong, Don
Armstrong, Jerilynn*
Ashby, Nancy*
Atkinson, Ray
Austin, Jim
Baker, Ken
Ballinger, Bill
Banta, Rob
Barner, Claudia
Bateman, Marshall**
Bateman, Mike
Bateman, Mindy*
Beilue, Bobby
Bennett, Terry
Blackwood, Mark*
Bratcher, Tom**
Brookshire, Gail*
Brookshire, Steve*
Brown, Chad
Brown, Dennie
Brown, Dorrell*
Brown, Kile*
Bruster, Bill
Bruster, Charlotte
Bryant, Jerry*
Buchanan, Barry
Bullock, Stan
Burgin, Charles
Burns, Alvin**
Burns, Dwight
Burton, David
Burton, John
Cabaniss, Carol*
Cabaniss, Joni
Cabaniss, Kevin*
Caperton, Richard
Capps, Michael
Carter, Les
Carver, Mary*
Clanton, David
Clay, Steve*
Coffman, Sue
Coleman, David
Coleman, Judy
Coleman, Bob*
Conner, Dale**
Conner, Steve
Crain, Gaylen**
Crain, Kelly
Crosland, Randy*
Cullum, Fred
Cullum, Pat*
Dodge, Nathan*
Dodgen, Jack
Dunsworth, Arlet
Eggert, Mark
Elliott, Susan*
Farner, Nathan*
Floyd, Don*
Forsyth, Nelson
Francis, Ed
Francis, Linda
Garner, Linda*
Garrett, Linda
Granberry, Jill*
Granberry, Larry*
Hagler, Al**
Hamilton, Dean
Hamon, Richard
Hampton, Jeff
Hampton, LeAnn*
Hanie, Bob
Harty, Bob**
Hayes, Charles*
Herold, Clairene**
Herold, Fred**
Hill, Ann*
Hill, Doug*
Hill, Mary Ann
Hinton, Grady
Hodges, Jack
Hodges, Stacy
Hollis, Bill
Hollis, Lauren*
Imhoof, Mike*
Jernberg, Bill*
Johnson, Johnny
Jones, Jeff *
Keath, Travis*
Kimball, Don
Kirkham, Daryl*
Kolenovsky, Gladys
Krause, Tim
Laquey, Phil**
Laux, Dot**
Law, Bob
Lawson, Gayle
Lee, Don*
Lewis, Brad*
Lindley, Bob
Logsdon, Rick
Malcik, Michael
Martin, Gloria
Martin, Lester
Martin, Phill
Mason, George Sr.**
McCane, George*
McCoy, Byron
McCray, Jim**
McDougal, Cary
McKeever, Carl**
Meripolski, Debbie*
Mirochna, Janell*
Moorhead, Shaeron*
Morgan, Tim
Morris, Brenda*
Morris, Gwin*
Mosley, Meredith
Moudy, Mellissa
Murray, Carolyn*
Musick, Virgil**
Nation, Jim*
Nelson, Barbara**
Newsom, Asa
Newsom, Kent
Newsom, Kirk
Nuckels, Jim **
Perry, James*
Phillips, Fran*
Phillips, Tom
Plunk, Michael
Post, Max**
Powell, Carol
Powell, Scott*
Ramsour, David*
Rivera, Juliana Moore
Rosamond, Mike*
Self, Jim**
Shelby, Tom
Shilling, Gerald*
Short, Judy
Simons, Don
Skelton, Paul
Slater, Estelle**
Smith, Bob **
Smith, Dennis*
Smith, Garland**
Smith, Guy
Smith, Larry*
Smith, Laura
Smith, Stuart
Stafford, Allan
Stone, Henry*
Strickland, Carolyn
Swint, Galen*
Terry, Steve
Thompson, Hank*
Tobey, James
Trevino, Art**
Tucker, Ann
Tucker, Jim
Vigil, Julian
Wakefield, Harry*
Wallis, Sondra*
Waters, Bill**
Wilkinson, Sam
Williams, Everett
Williams, Nelda*
Wilson, Megan*
Wilson, Stevan
Woodbury, Jason*
Woodbury, Paula
Yarbrough, Judy*
Yarbrough, Charles*
Yarbrough, Charles,
Sr.**
* Currently serving
(do not nominate)
** Deacon Emeritus
(do not nominate)
3
Church committee form
Wilshire’s Committee on Committees is beginning its work to nominate members of 2013 committees.
The form below may be used to (a) volunteer yourself for consideration or (b) suggest someone else for
consideration by the Committee on Committees. All names received will be considered and evaluated
against current openings and needs. The Committee on Committee’s final report will be presented to
the church in conference for approval. Please place the completed form in the offering plate or return it
to the church office promptly.
Ed Francis, chair
Gail Williams
Charlie Burgin
Ginny Booth
Tom Bateman
Allison Brown
Bill O’Brien
Mark Ferguson
Lydia Perry
A. I am willing to serve on a church committee, and my
preferences and comments are:
B. I would like to suggest the following people to serve on
church committees:
1. 1. _____________________________________
______________________________________
__________________________________________
___________________________________________
2. 2. _____________________________________
______________________________________
__________________________________________
___________________________________________
3. 3. _____________________________________
__________________________________________
______________________________________
___________________________________________
My name: ______________________ Phone: ______________ E-mail: ________________
Committees
ADULT EDUCATION:
Reviews performance of Adult
Education program and makes
recommendations to the minister to adults for improvement.
The committee also promotes
growth in adult classes, reviews
curriculum, evaluates space
and resource needs, identifies
leadership, assists with training
and recognition.
BUILDING & GROUNDS:
Assists staff with maintenance
and repair of church property
by developing plans for the
future to improve the efficient
use of the church premises and
enhance the security of the
church property.
CHILDREN’S EDUCATION:
Reviews performance of the
children’s education program
and makes recommendations
to the minister to children.
The committee also promotes
growth in the program, reviews
curriculum, helps recruit and
retain teachers, and establishes
policies to ensure safety of children in all church activities.
4
CHURCHWIDE SOCIAL:
Organizes church social events.
DEACON NOMINATING:
Makes annual recommendations for selection of deacons.
ENDOWMENT & MEMORIAL: Promotes planned giving to the church and allocates
undesignated estate gifts.
FINANCE: Develops the church
budget and works with the business administrator to monitor
income and expenses, approving
monthly financial statements and
reporting them to the church.
HISTORY: Maintains archives
of church to preserve a record
of our history together.
INTERIOR DECOR: Consults
with other committees to coordinate decor of interior public
spaces.
LIBRARY: Advise and support
library administration and
events.
MISSIONS: Supports and
promotes partnership missions
by developing and maintain-
ing relationships that provide
opportunities for Wilshire to be
on mission.
NEW MEMBER: Helps new
members become assimilated
into the church family by supporting the Connections Class,
assisting with new member
fellowships, greeting new members upon joining and presenting them with new member
packets.
PATHWAYS: Coordinates and
supports work of Pathways to
Ministry program, including
pastoral residency.
PERSONNEL: Establishes
duties and responsibilities
of all ministry staff positions
and maintains the Personnel
Manual. The committee has ultimate responsibility for recommending new ministry staff to
the church. It also recommends
ministry staff compensation.
PRESCHOOL EDUCATION:
Reviews performance of the
preschool education program
and makes recommendations
to the minister to preschoolers.
The committee also promotes
growth in the program, reviews
curriculum, helps recruit and
retain teachers and establishes
policies to ensure safety of children in all church activities.
RISK MANAGEMENT:
Works with staff to reduce and
manage safety and liability
risks.
STEWARDSHIP: Seeks to
expand Christian stewardship
individually and church-wide
through education, communication and goal setting.
WEEKDAY EDUCATION:
Sets policies and governs
Wilshire’s Early Childhood
Learning Center.
WORSHIP AND MUSIC:
Works with staff on special
worship programs, including
Advent and Lent. The committee also gives counsel to
the minister of music on the
church’s ministries of worship
and arts.
WILSHIRE ADVENTURERS: Plans fellowship activities
for older adults.
I Am Wilshire
Victoria Powers
As a ministry intern from
August 2011 until May 2012,
Victoria Powers got to explore
almost every Wilshire ministry. She worked on care teams,
completed Stephen Ministry
training, taught adult and
young adult Sunday School
classes and served as a YourCall mentor.
Victoria also preached at
The Corner, a young adult
service held on Thursday evenings; taught a women’s Bible
study; and led interfaith dialogue sessions with Wilshire
and Temple Emanu-El.
Last February she participated in a mission trip to the
Dominican Republic, where
Wilshire members support a
community transformation
center. She also was involved
in Wilshire’s Vacation Bible
School, led in worship, attended staff meetings and helped
with Wilshire’s grief ministry.
The internship was part
of her required work for the
master of divinity degree at
Brite Divinity School of Texas
Christian University. She
graduated last spring.
“As someone who’s called to
ministry,” she is pleased that
“Wilshire nurtures that type
of calling. I feel supported
and affirmed,” Victoria said,
and Wilshire provides “the
opportunity for me to grow as
a minister.”
Victoria was born in Midland and lived there until about
age 3, when the family moved
to Lubbock. When she was 15,
the family resettled in Texarkana, Texas, where she graduated
from high school in 2005.
Following in her older
sister’s footsteps, she was involved in ballet from ages 4 to
18. “I danced for companies in
San Francisco; Washington,
D.C.; Kansas City, Missouri;
and Austin,“ she said. “Auditions were held
across the country
every winter with
different companies,” she said.
“I grew up in a
very active Baptist family and
was involved in
youth ministry,”
she said. She discipled seventhgrade girls on
Sunday nights
and was a camp
counselor for middle-school
girls through high school.
“When I was 16, I felt a call
to ministry, so when I graduated from high school, I went
straight to Baylor University,”
where she had a double major
in philosophy and religion.
While at Baylor she was a
member of Calvary Baptist
Church. “I joined Calvary
because the church supported
my call to ministry more
fully,” Victoria said. “There I
was part of LifeGroup. As the
heartbeat of Calvary, this intergenerational group, which
is held in homes, is the best
way to get involved in Bible
study and fellowship.”
She participated in worship by reading Scripture and
offering prayers, and she also
was part of a ministry team
that held youth events, both
preaching and teaching, on
Wednesday evenings in surrounding cities.
In the spring semester of
Victoria’s junior year, she studied the philosophy of religion
at the University
of St. Andrews
in Scotland. “It
was one of the
best experiences
I had,” she said.
“There’s no better
place to study rich
church history.”
While there
she also walked
the original golf
course in St. Andrews and spent a
week touring London, Oxford,
Cambridge and Canterbury.
On spring break she toured
for a week in France, Spain
and Italy. “Italy was probably
my favorite,” she said.
While at Baylor, Victoria
worked for three years as a
waitress at a steakhouse, where
she met her husband, Matt, in
2007. “He was the manager,
and he hired me,” she said.
When he graduated and
moved to Fort Worth, they
started dating, and they were
married in June 2010. He now
works for GuideStone as a
financial manager. “Matt is very
supportive of my call,” she said.
After her graduation from
By the numbers
Baylor in May 2009, she enrolled at Brite Divinity School.
“I picked Brite because it is
very supportive of women in
ministry and honors diversity.
It’s a good learning environment,” she said.
Her academic focus was the
biblical theologies of exile “because my mother is a Mexican
immigrant, so I’m interested
in conversations about immigration, and I like to utilize
my dual cultural identity to
my advantage in ministry.
“I speak conversational
Spanish, and I maintain my
cultural roots and visit my
family in Mexico,” she said.
Most of her extended family
lives in California.
After graduating from
Brite, she began a paid chaplaincy residency program at
Baylor University Medical
Center in downtown Dallas.
Her assigned clinical area is
maternal child health. “I spend 40 to 60 hours a
week doing clinical work and
taking classes,” she said. “This
program will benefit me in
whatever I do” after graduation.
Victoria and Matt attended
Broadway Baptist Church in
Fort Worth when they were
dating and were encouraged
to check out Wilshire after
they were married and moved
to Dallas in 2010. They joined
in August of that year.
“Wilshire is a true teaching church, like a Timothy
church,” she said.
Condolences to:
Financial report for Sept. 9
Sunday School Sept. 9
Weekly Ministry Fund projected.............. $60,704
Weekly Ministry Fund received................ $51,388
Annual Ministry Fund projected.............. $611,043
Annual Ministry Fund received................ $598,173
Annual ahead/behind.............................. -$12,869
Crossings campaign this week...................... $3,328
Crossings campaign total received........... $3,025,503
Pathways Endowment this week............... $470
Pathways Endowment total received........ $1,929,316
Special missions for year.......................... $8,184
Officers............................ 21
Preschool....................... 99
Children........................136
Youth...............................97
Young adult................... 94
Median adult............... 244
Senior adult................. 239
Total present.............930
Melissa and Galen Swint
on the death of Melissa’s
grandmother, Millie Linhart, Sept. 5.
Wanda Veal on the death of
her son, Steven Ellenwood,
Sept. 5.
New members:
Hugh Atkinson
Melissa Atkinson
Total previous week......765
Same week last year..... 909
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) 452-3 and
the three-digit extension:
PERIODICALS
RATE
Wilshire Baptist Church
4316 Abrams Rd
Dallas TX 75214
Pastoral offices
George Mason (133)
Debby Burton (132)
Mark Wingfield (128)
Kathi Lyle (130)
Pathways to Ministry
Geri McKenzie (159)
Scott Dickison (156)
John Jay Alvaro (154)
Annette Thornburg (153)
Austin Almaguer (155)
Samuel Gunter (152)
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
Mindy Logsdon (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)
6
Bylaw change approved on membership
Continued from page 1
for those who come to faith
among us or request such baptism. At the same time we are
now showing respect for and
welcome to those believers who
wish to join us by confessing
their faith and affirming their
prior Christian baptism.
“I believe we have found
a way—as other Baptist
churches increasingly are—to
hold together our essential
convictions with a spirit of
generosity and hospitality,”
he added. “This is a good day,
and once again I am proud to
be the pastor of this remark-
able church.”
The change in policy was
ratified through a bylaw
amendment recommended
to the church by the deacon
body. The bylaws now state
that the church has one class
of membership, which may be
entered by “making or having
made a profession of faith
in Jesus Christ as Lord” and
having experienced baptism
by immersion or by affirming
previous baptism in another
Christian church.
Those entering membership who desire to make a
public reaffirmation of their
previous baptism may elect to
participate in a new ceremony
to be offered periodically at the
conclusion of Sunday morning
services. Much like the church’s
practice on the Baptism of Our
Lord Sunday each year, these
new members will be invited to
confess their faith in Christ and
touch their fingers to water in a
basin as a sign of remembering
or affirming their baptism.
For more information
about becoming a formal
member of Wilshire, please
contact Debby Burton at
(214) 452-3132 or dburton@
wilshirebc.org.
It’s time for spring cleaning this fall
Wilshire’s Youth Choir is planning a church-wide parking lot sale on Saturday, Nov. 3. Proceeds from the sale will offset the cost for the Youth Choir summer mission tour. You can
help by sorting through your house, attic or storage facility for items you no longer need or
want. What better way to get rid of your old furniture, appliances, kitchenware, recreational
equipment, baby items, clothes and books? Items will be accepted beginning Oct. 28. More details will follow as the date nears. In the meantime, happy cleaning.