Friday, December 1: Westminster Performing Arts Series presents A Christmas Carol
5:45 | Westminster Hall | Christmas Dinners | Purchase Tickets

Saturday, December 2: Westminster Performing Arts Series presents A Christmas Carol
1pm | Westminster Hall | Matinee performance with Cookies | Purchase Tickets
5:45 | Westminster Hall | Christmas Dinners | Purchase Tickets

Sunday, December 3: Advent 1 
8:30am | Chapel and Livestream | Worship with the Rev. Dr. Meghan Gage-Finn preaching
10:30am | Sanctuary and Livestream | Worship with the Rev. Dr. Meghan Gage-Finn preaching
11:30am | Advent Coffee Hour (fresh greens and Advent devotionals available) 

Tuesday, December 5: Service of Remembrance
6pm | Chapel and Livestream | Worship with the Rev. Dr. David Tsai Shinn preaching
7pm | Meisel Room | Dinner

Wednesday, December 6: Advent Organ Recital
Noon | Chapel | Andrew Jacob (Organist and Co-Director of Music, Augustana Lutheran Church); the Rev. Alexandra Jacob, mezzo soprano

Sunday, December 10: Advent 2 
8:30am | Chapel and Livestream | Worship with the Rev. Dr. Meghan Gage-Finn preaching
10:30am | Sanctuary and Livestream | Worship with the Rev. Dr. Meghan Gage-Finn preaching

Wednesday, December 13: Advent Organ Recital
Noon | Chapel | Kenneth Vigne, organ; Joseph Trucano, cello (Organists, Westminster Presbyterian Church)

Sunday, December 17: Advent 3, Festival Sunday 
9am | Sanctuary and Livestream | Advent Lessons & Carols with the Rev. Dr. Meghan Gage-Finn preaching
11am | Sanctuary and Livestream | Pageant with the Rev. Dr. Meghan Gage-Finn preaching

Wednesday, December 20: Advent Organ Recital
Noon | Chapel | Dr. Stacie Lightner, organ (Cantor, St. Paul Reformation Lutheran Church); Dr. Donna Hyrniewicki, flute

Sunday December 24: Advent 4 & Christmas Eve 
10:30am | Sanctuary and Livestream | Worship with the Rev. Dr. Meghan Gage-Finn preaching
4pm | Sanctuary and Livestream | Family-centered Christmas Eve Worship with the Rev. Alexandra Jacob preaching
8pm & 10pm | Sanctuary and Livestream | Candlelight Christmas Eve Worship with the Rev. Dr. Matthew Skinner preaching

Sunday, December 31: First Sunday after Christmas 
10:30am | Westminster Hall and Livestream | Worship with the Rev. Alexandra Jacob preaching

by Kelsey Crouch-Dodson, Director of Stewardship

As Minneapolis began to consider its changing downtown population in 2010, Westminster leaders began reimagining what it meant to be an urban congregation. Then in 2011, the adjacent property to the church was for sale, drastically expanding the possibilities for Westminster’s future.

Guided by six principles and values (see below), the Open Doors Open Futures campaign began with a goal to expand the church’s building. Last year, the Enduring Hope campaign continued the work by building a sustainable financial future for Westminster.

With Open Doors Open Futures, we expanded and increased accessibility to our building; developed welcoming, public green spaces; and increased our support of local and global organizations with $8 million of new investments. Through Enduring Hope, we added $2.2 million more in support for our global, national, and local partners; renovated the chapel; and established a sustainable financial future for the church. All of these efforts will help our congregation continue to grow and thrive for the next 100 years.

In October 2023, we reached the conclusion of this decade-long project. We are excited to announce that as campaign pledges are paid in coming years, the church will have the resources to meet our financial obligations to lenders and our mission partners.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to these campaigns. Each of you has played a part in opening the doors to Westminster’s thriving future. Even as the campaigns conclude, our congregation will continue to live out the bold vision that guided us through Enduring Hope: Compelled by God’s call, Westminster’s enduring hope is for a sustainable future for our church, and justice in our city and beyond.

The six principles and values that guided the Open Doors Open Futures planning:

1. Ministries of the church will be enhanced
2. Long-term access to Westminster will be ensured and improved
3. Environmentally responsible development will be pursued
4. Decision making will be transparent and inclusive, with input from church and community
5. Quality of life for our neighbors will be enriched
6. Design will be welcoming and inspiring

by Amanda Weber, Director of Worship and the Arts

For decades, Westminster has gathered for a special holiday feast the first weekend of December. From the first Christmas Dinner, which featured a reading of A Cup of Christmas Tea, to last year’s Amahl and the Night Visitors presented by the James Sewell Ballet, this tradition remains an important part of the Advent season at Westminster. This is an “all hands on deck” event, which is a large part of what makes it so special. Westminster members are actors, singers, servers, and more as we all come together to celebrate.

This year the dinners will be Friday, December 1, and Saturday, December 2, and will feature a staged reading of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, led by former Artist-in-Residence Sam Bardwell and with a cast of 15 Westminster members. Evening performances will be accompanied by a sumptuous meal by Breaking Bread Catering, an enterprise of Appetite for Change, which is an organization supported in part by Westminster. Breaking Bread’s delicious food celebrates the roots and honors the legacy of Black Americans while also helping to build health, wealth, and social change in North Minneapolis. 

Evening performances are on Friday, December 1, and Saturday, December 2, and will feature a pre-dinner social time with cash bar and musical entertainment starting at 5:45pm, and dinner seating will begin at 6:30pm. Tickets for dinner and the performance are $50 per adult and $25 per youth. 

There will be a matinee performance on Saturday, December 2, at 1pm with Christmas cookies and hot cocoa. Tickets for the matinee performance are $25 per adult and $10 per youth. 

Learn more and purchase tickets online

By Tim Hart-Andersen, Senior Pastor

I am pleased to announce exciting news! Last fall, Westminster launched the Enduring Hope campaign to pay down debt, support mission, and renovate the Chapel. In early August, we reported that the campaign funding gap was still more than $10 million. The finish line seemed far away.

By the end of August, the gap had dropped to $7.5 million. Thanks to a major gift in mid-September and the generosity of many members, I am delighted to report that we are now $3.1 million away from the finish line of the campaign! The Enduring Hope Steering Team and I invite the congregation to help Westminster close the gap. All gifts –no matter the size – make a difference. With everyone’s help we will complete the campaign and open the door to a thriving future. Be part of creating Westminster’s sustainable future by:

• Making an outright gift to the campaign
• Making a multi-year commitment
• Increasing your existing pledge by emailing Kelsey Crouch-Dodson

We hope to have all commitments by Sunday, October 15. Following the 10:30am worship service, we will celebrate the conclusion of the Enduring Hope campaign during a short program in Westminster Hall.

If you would like to discuss your giving in more detail, please reach out to Kelsey Crouch-Dodson. Thank you for supporting the church’s vitality and helping our congregation continue to thrive for the next 100 years!