This Lent, you’re invited to Church in the Round, a five-week small group experience of conversation and connection starting Sunday, February 26.

Traditionally Lent is a time for self-reflection and tending our spirituality, as individuals and as communities. Church in the Round offers a chance to do this with others—something to add, rather than something to take away. Groups will meet for an hour each week for five weeks, either in person or online. Some groups will meet Sunday mornings at 9:15, others on Wednesday following midday or evening worship, and some at other designated times.

As we hear sermons each Sunday this Lent at Westminster based on the themes found in the Lord’s Prayer (“Our Father, who art in heaven…”), Church in the Round will provide space for contemplating that Prayer itself and the role of prayer more generally. A weekly gathering will include a short video, a brief reflection or poem, scripture, and discussion. Church in the Round opens space to slow down and think, to consider new possibilities about prayer, to imagine ways of drawing near to God, and to connect with others in the Westminster community.

We all have questions about prayer. We all pray differently—and sometimes not at all. Most of us would admit that prayer can be confusing or difficult. That means we all have something to learn from one another and from our shared reflections. If you’ve been around Westminster for a while, you may remember Lenten Covenant Groups as occasions for similar kinds of gathering and conversation. Church in the Round is similar, but we’ve designed the opportunities for group learning and contemplation to be more engaging and accessible to a variety of people, in person and online. Don’t miss this chance to tend to your spiritual health this Lent.

Register today for Church in the Round! You can do so on Realm or by emailing Michael Gold at the church office. If you have questions, visit the Adult Education section of Westminster’s website or contact the Rev. Margaret Fox or the Rev. Dr. Matt Skinner. Existing groups will have the opportunity to continue together using the Church in the Round program if they wish.

By Angelique Kingsbury, Coordinator, Magnet Center 

This fall, in collaboration with Minneapolis Adult Community Education, Westminster’s Magnet Center offered Sharing Our Wisdom, a 6-week art program for adults 55+ to promote positive wellbeing and socialization. Made possible through a $23,000 Community Wellbeing grant from the Minneapolis Health Department (MHD), the Sharing Our Wisdom program was held at Westminster along with two other sites: Sabathani Community Center in South Minneapolis and North Market in North Minneapolis.  

Each site had a cohort of 12-15 older adults who would meet regularly with a teaching artist and additional facilitator to share in storytelling, exchanging knowledge, sharing wisdom, and creating an individual art piece representing life lessons they wished to share. The teaching artists used different mediums at each site with North Market painting on canvas, Westminster working with sculpture, and Sabathani doing wood burning.  

On January 21, Westminster will host a free exhibition and reception for the public from 2-4 pm with art from all three sites. The exhibition will include art pieces along with words of wisdom from the participants. The teaching artists will also attend and discuss their work. After the exhibition opens at Westminster, it will travel to other locations in Minneapolis. 

For the second half of the Sharing Our Wisdom program, participants and others who would like to join will meet monthly through May with each gathering focused on work from a well-known artist and a small art project.

By Todd Monson

Our Saviour’s Community Services (OSCS), located in the Phillip’s neighborhood in Minneapolis, has two programming components:  an array of housing services and an English Learning Center (ELC).

OSCS operates a 24-7 shelter program with 24 units for single adults. Currently OSCS has 17 shelter residents all of whom have completed housing plans. Through its transitional housing program, OSCS serves up to 10 women who have experienced homelessness and domestic violence. OSCS’s permanent supportive housing program serves more than 100 long-term residents who live with a mental illness, physical disability, or substance use disorder.

Medical respite shelter programs provide a safe place for healing, accessing services, and planning next steps with professionals providing case management and care coordination. The four-month pilot medical respite program OSCS launched in July 2022 proved to be successful and has been extended through June 2023.

The ELC serves more than 150 refugees and 300 immigrant adults annually representing over 25 countries. English, computers, math, and citizenship classes are offered. Beginning in 2020 ELC began providing culturally specific food to some participants facing food insecurity.

OSCS is always looking for volunteers. If you’re interested, visit their website

By Susan Gilmore, Westminster’s Hunger Ministry Team  

During the pandemic Westminster’s Hunger Ministry Team has continued to offer a community meal, Friends Eating and Sharing Together (FEAST), the fourth Sunday of the month in partnership with Plymouth Congregational Church. As the holidays approach we want to offer FEAST guests a gift of new socks, hats, and gloves. Our goal is to have 300 items so each guest can pick 2 items of their choice. You are invited to bring your donations to the church beginning Sunday, November 27, and to leave them in the boxes decorated with Christmas wrapping paper, which will be placed next to the 3 Groveland Food Shelf donation boxes. There is one located by the chapel and two near the entrance doors to the church from the parking ramps. We will collect these items through Christmas Sunday, December 25.  

 Most of our guests are men so look for socks and gloves in large or extra-large sizes. Stocking hats are mostly a generic one size fits all. For female guests, most appreciate a large size in both socks and gloves. Cotton, wool, or a wool blend are most requested for socks. Thank you for your donations!

by Alanna Simone Tyler, Associate Pastor for Justice and Mission

Westminster will welcome close to one dozen vendors to sell a variety of sustainably sourced and fairly exchanged goods at the 2022 Fair Trade Gift Fair, Sunday, November 20. At Westminster we articulate our hope for a just world. In a just world, craftspeople and farmers are paid well and are therefore empowered to preserve their traditions and create better lives for their families and their communities. Each fair trade purchase supports livable wages, skills training, and sustainable business development for our siblings around the world.

Zatoun is a participating vendor this year and will again sell their highly sought-after fair trade extra virgin olive oil and za’atar (a blend of wild thyme, sumac and roasted sesame seeds). According to Zatoun, products of the olive tree are the major source of income for more than 100,000 Palestinian families. In producing olive oil, referred to as “peace in a bottle,” Zatoun seeks for the Palestinians who are farmers, press operators, bottlers, carton makers and shippers to have the greatest economic benefit. The proceeds from selling Zatoun products are used to plant more olive trees.

Support the Fair Trade Gift Fair and invite your family and friends to join you. To learn more email act@wpc-mpls.org.