Westminster Presbyterian Church                                                                                                                    

Minutes: Worship Committee Meeting: Tuesday, 7:00 pm, 3/6/07: Room 6 (lower level)

Opening Prayer: Lectionary: Psalm 34, read responsively

Members present:  Alex Thornburg, Harriet Vander Meer, Bill Owens, Joel Jones, Joe Chrisman,

Mary Ihlenfeldt, Walt Pridham, Margo LaPerre, Rod Johnson, Carol Wright

Approve Minutes: 2/13/16/07 Meeting

I.                     Examen: Introduction to the Book of Common Worship, pages 33 – 47, which outlines basic movement of the service of the Lord’s Day and used to compared the Westminster liturgy to the liturgy presented in the book. Discussed the different sections of our liturgy: The Gathering, Proclaiming, Responding, Bearing and Following the Word to understand what is included in each section and why.

II.                    Worship Components

A.   Final preparations for Lent:

a.        Sunday services: Theme of Beatitudes

b.       Palm Sunday – distribution of palms to children and congregation. Communion on Palm Sunday will have a somber mood, reflecting the victory as well as the passion of Christ during Holy Week. Communion will be served.

c.        Mid-Week Worship Services during Lent:

- Wednesday Vespers: Underway using prayer practices. The new arrangement in the Chapel was received well and worked well in the Vespers service.

- Maundy Thursday: April 5: 7:00, Fellowship Hall – communal communion; servers will not be needed. Harriet will contact people involved.

- Good Friday: April 6: 7:00, Sanctuary – black cloth on cross.

B.    Preparations for the Season of Easter  

1.        Theme –

2.        Liturgical Elements –

                                                White: cloth on cross, table, lectern and choir stoles

                                                Acolytes – who, why, where and how: Alex will develop a plan. Choir members are being used during Lent. Need two acolytes for Sunday.

                                                Liturgists – to be determined  

                                                                Processional – to be determined    

Communion –

                - 8:15 and 10:15 Easter services: communion by intinction

- review serving the elements; review all documents:

- Discussed our present communion practices to determine if the instructions are up to date. A subcommittee – Carol Wright, Margo LaPerre and Harriet will discuss some changes and update the server instructions. Goal is to have changes in place for Palm Sunday.

3. Flowers – report from Kathy Waggener

a. Palm leaves ordered for children and congregation;

b. Order 2 palms and 3 new green plants for Palm Sunday;

c. 25 lilies @ 13.50 each and 6 mums; contributors: charged $12. for each lily;

d. 2006: 39 contributors; 2007: 25 contributors will cover cost;

e. Announcement will go in next newsletter and insert in one bulletin

3.        Bulletin color, format and content

a.           White for Easter

b.           New format to accommodate all the stuff that goes in the bulletin. Large –

easier to read; all inclusive

c.           Develop a separate handout specifically for announcements and church calendar.

d.           Idea to consider in future: purchase pew copies of Sing the Faith Hymnal.

4.        Communication items: Newsletter and Bulletin board

a. Discussed what specific items should we include in the newsletter.  Lay out a plan for the rest of the year to include instructions for communion, a new bulletin format and other items of interest and instruction for the congregation.

b. Worship Committee will use one of the bulletin boards in Fellowship Hall. Boards should be attractive, timely and changed periodically. Harriet will develop some ideas on how the board could be used as educational tool for the congregation and begin to implement them possibly at the beginning of the Easter liturgical season.

III. Report/Review:  

a. Snow policy – Joe Chrisman brought samples of snow policies from different churches. Members will read and be prepared for discussion at the next meeting. Continue working on a policy for Westminster to recommend to Session as well a process for the cancellation of a Westminster Sunday worship service.

b. Use of the sanctuary for the annual meeting of the congregation:

                The Committee agrees that the location of a congregational meeting is a Session responsibility and the Committee will support whatever the Session decides. The Committee agrees that the congregational meeting can, in fact, be held in the sanctuary. The Committee does consider Fellowship Hall to be a less formal setting, where ideas could be expressed more freely, be heard more clearly, and allow people to move after church instead of staying the sanctuary for a long time. Fellowship Hall also allows for more community and fellowship; the annual meeting might be the time when the most people join together outside of the sanctuary. The Committee feels that the Session needs to determine what are the main purpose and the desired outcome it wishes to achieve from the annual congregational meeting; that will help determine its location.

c. Hymnals and Bibles:

Session approval of letter and it will be in the next newsletter.

d. Lectern and pulpit banner: Karen Brodie Alpha and Omega design: Final approval from Session. A $250.00 check – first installment and more dimensions have been sent to Karen. Viewed the sketch and final dimensions of the pieces.               

IV. Budget Items:

Discussed the monies authorized by Session to be disbursed among committees during 2007 for requests specific to specific committees. At the next meeting, the Worship Committee will begin  discussion of its mission and goals to see if there are purchases that would expand and further those goals.    

Date of next meeting: Thursday, March 29, April, 2007 - 7:00 pm, Room 6

Closing Prayer: Reading from Daily Lectionary Evening Psalm 25