Wimberley Presbyterian Church

Wellborn Gregg, Elder

The Christian Education Committee selects and trains Sunday School teachers, sets up Sunday School classrooms, orders curriculum for classes of all ages and sizes, furnishes the nursery and toddler room, works with Personnel Committee to provide a staff for the nursery and toddler room, plans new classes for the church, develops Bible study or topic groups, works with the youth group, supports Kids of the Kingdom Choir, provides scholarships to workshops and conferences, plans and helps staff Vacation Bible School, oversees the Church library committee, and plans Christian Education events.

Committee Members: Ben Boles, Suzette Connell, Pam Drake, Margie Fogleman, Dawn Kidd, Betty Kudla, Jean McMeans, Pastor David Slyter, Mitzi Stevenson, Beth Watson, Lynn Williams     

Van Fund Update (2/1/2008)... As many of you know, there is a church van fund for the purchase of a new van for the church.  Our goal is $40,000 which will purchase a 15 passenger van with tow package and dual rear wheels for safety purposes as well as making the van insurable.  Currently, we have reached another milestone in the fund as we have reached over $30,000, leaving less than $10,000 to go.  The van will be used for youth trips and retreats as well as other church activities in which people can carpool together setting an example of good stewardship of God’s creation.  On a personal note, this is my second campaign for a van in a church, and I am very excited that we are so close.  I saw great uses of the van in the ministry of the church and I think we have the same possibilities here at WPC.  Help us make the van a reality and may God bless its use in the ministry of  this church.                                                                                                      ...Pastor David

THE 411 ON THE VAN FUND... The latest update on the WPC van fund is that the fund is growing!  We have had generous donations from several families in the congregation and we are excited for the contributions made to the fund.  If you have been keeping up with the van fund chart found in the fellowship hall, you will see that we are about 1/5th the way towards our goal for a new van for the church.  The van will be used for youth and children events, women and session retreats, shuttle to the church picnic at John Knox every year, and other church related happenings.  If you would like to contribute to the van fund, please make your checks out to WPC and write van fund in the memo line.  

Van 101...As many of you know (or may not know) WPC has begun a campaign to raise funds to purchase a new 15 passenger van for the church. So far, we have $3,000 towards the fund and are in need of more. We (CE committee at this time) realize that this is a process and could take a while to raise the necessary $40,000 to purchase the van. We are ok with that and understand that it may take a while. CE committee is merely sponsoring the fund raising for the van and the van will fall under the supervision of property once it is purchased.

Uses for a van of this type are numerous. From the youth perspective we would have one vehicle to travel to and from in to youth events (such as Midwinter retreat, renting only one van for mission trips, and local youth events). Use of the van for church related activities are numerous. It can be used for women’s conferences, church picnic shuttle to John Knox Ranch, Sunday school outings, etc.

The van would need to be reserved for events in advance and there would be “certified” drivers, who have taken a so-called driving test, to let them feel comfortable with a larger vehicle so that we keep straight fenders on the van.

There will be a poster in the fellowship hall concerning the van and where we are in the fund raising status. We would hope that you would prayerfully consider how you can contribute to the van fund to make this wish come to fruition for this church.

...Christian Education

Judy Padgett, Elder

Clerk of Session generally acts as scribe, historian, correspondent and representative of the Session in the congregation and at the Presbytery level -- specifically: reads, routes and responds to church correspondence; keeps active membership book (going and coming, baptisms, deaths, weddings); stores membership book in safe, accessible place; maintains Session Minutes Book in safe accessible place, with duplicate copy for an attendance at Annual Review by Presbytery; backs up church membership data base to disk for storage in safe deposit box (at least quarterly); keeps backup paper copy of church membership book (preferably also on computer); issues certificates of baptism, confirmation, and elders; writes requests for and/or sends Letters of Transfer as requested, secures substitute elder to serve as clerk in case of absence; works with Pastor on agenda for session meetings, completes church's annual report on membership and mails before Jan. 31; oversees maintenance and organization of church files; periodically (at least annually) reviews church rolls, and advises Session of those members not in regular attendance in order to trigger visitation and/or placing on inactive rolls; develops opportunities to educate congregation on church polity; keeps record of church committees, membership and responsibilities.

Jimmy Connell, Elder & Chair

Oversees communications with the WPC congregation and maintains the WPC web site.  For more details, click here. 

Committee Members: Richard Barnett, Pastor Anne Beall, Jim Beall, Suzette Connell, Pastor David Slyter, Jim Spitzer (WPC Webmaster) 

We are hard at work on a new Web Site for WPC.  It has "gone live" as of mid-October, but we still need authors and editors to keep it current and interesting.  Please contact Jimmy Connell or Jim Spitzer if you can help us.

Teresa Ward, Elder

The Elder Nominating Committee, which is constituted by and acts in accordance with the Book of Order, is composed of a representative group of active members of the church.  The committee is responsible to establish criteria for the offices to be filled, determine qualifications of potential candidates, choose a slate of nominees, and make a final report to the congregation of those persons found qualified to be nominated to fill vacant active elder positions on the Session.  At a called Congregational Meeting, the congregation at large shall have the opportunity to vote on the slate of elder nominees.

Committee Members for 2008: Melissa Connell, Eric Eskelund, Dallas Laumbach, Margaret Rawlings, Bettye Webb

Geoffrey Goetz, Elder

Generally, the Fellowship Committee is responsible for the generation of events which allow large and small groups in the congregation to come together for fun, fellowship and sharing. Specifically responsible for: after-worship fellowship; keeping kitchen stocked with regular items (like coffee and paper goods required in the kitchen area, and may also work with Property Committee on supplies for remainder of building); organizing committee nights, church picnics, and special holiday events; organizing decorating for Christmas; planning additional fellowship events that help strengthen relationships in the community (such as  women's retreats or all-church retreats); maintaining church bulletin boards; exploring other ways to have fellowship (e.g. day trips, overnight retreats, hobby classes, young women's day outing.)

Committee Members: Becky Barrows, Enell Bunting, Linda Petty, Ginny Butterfield, Shirley Edwards, Madge Liscomb, Chris Callow, Ronnie Boggs, Joan Goetz, and Jeanelle Street

On your mark...get set...GO-O-O:  dust off the ole’ crock pot, grab your spices and get ready for the fourth annual Chili Cook-Off!  We will gather in the fellowship hall on Wednesday, January 8 (Committee Night) at 6:00PM to stir and sample the wonderful varieties of that delectable dish - beans or no beans? - that YOU prepare.  So please join us and remember, you don’t have to go to Terlinqua to get good chili!!  Don’t forget to sign up.

......Becky Barrow

The Fellowship Committee is short-handed and would really appreciate any person interested to join us.
           Ginny Butterfield, Committee Member

David Junkin, Elder

Nominates a Church Treasurer; in conjunction with Stewardship Committee, prepares and recommends budget for the current year (Session elects Treasurer and adopts budget); establishes accounts and accounting procedures for church finances; prepares timely (periodic and annual) reports on status of accounts for Session and Congregation, collects and deposits weekly all receipts, and pays bills and makes reimbursements as requested, based on authorized payment forms; signs checks.

Committee Members: John Easley, Kim Hyde, Margaret Kimbell, Laura Peyton, Liz Rathbun, Mac Stevenson, Wellborn Gregg

We are delighted to welcome Kim Hyde as the new Church Treasurer.  She was confirmed by the Session at the June 26, 2007 Session meeting.

Jimmy Connell, Elder

The Ministry Support Services Committee coordinates the technology infrastructure of WPC, and utilizes technology to communicate our message to the congregation and to the Wimberley Valley community.  These functions are currently supported by the Technology Sub-committee and the Communication Sub-committee.

Committee Members:  Members of the Communication and Technology Committees. 

…Cleon Dunham, Chair

    Mission Committee

Cleon Dunham, Elder

This committee seeks to express the conviction that we are a part of the Body of Christ and proclaim the gospel by word and deed locally and to the world at large.  Our task is to involve the whole congregation in this challenge, motivating and nurturing all of our people to understand and be involved in our mission program. 

Committee Members: Jan Allison, Richard Barnett, Emily Junkin, Stephen Peyton, Jim Spitzer, Gracie Whisenant, Patrice Wilton

Crisis Bread Basket  - 

The holidays have emptied the shelves at the Crisis Bread Basket and they need our help to restock them.  They need canned goods of all kinds, rice, pasta, peanut butter, coffee, hot and cold cereal, canned meat such as tuna and salmon.  Also, a reminder about Super Sunday. The Youth of the Churches in the community all collect goods for the Crisis Bread Basket on Super Bowl Sunday.  It is a tremendous help for the Bread Basket, but in the meantime they need our help.  
 
If each family would bring just one item each Sunday we could fill the baskets.  What a great way to start the New Year by helping our neighbor.

......Jan Allison

Heifer Ranch Youth Trip - We still need 7 more youth to participate in the Global Gateway Village experience. Please see Pastor David or sign up and get information sheets in the fellowship hall. The Trip is scheduled for March 9-12, 2008.

Michael Petty, Elder

The overall goal of this Committee is to help visitors and new members to feel welcomed and cared for, and to help them find their place in the church family. The Committee seeks to welcome and integrate visitors and new members into the life of our congregation by doing the following:

Visitors

1. Maintain and date the Friendship Registers each week.
2. Maintain visitor materials in the pew racks.
3. Recruit, assign and train greeters to greet both visitors and members as they enter the church for each Sunday service.
4. Give first-time visitors visitor cards to fill out, and ask visitors to wear the name tags so they can be greeted by name.
5. Collect the Friendship Registers at the end of each service and give the pages for that Sunday to the church secretary.
6. Prepare and distribute a weekly Visitors Report based on the Friendship Registers and personal observation.
7. Prepare and deliver to the home of each new visitor a loaf of bread and a bag of church information as early in the week following the visit as possible.  Secure homemade bread for the bread supply.
8. Send a note of welcome to first-time visitors.

New Members

1. Keep the New Member Packets updated, and present them to new members when they are received by Session.
2. See that the New Member Information Sheets are given to the Clerk of Session for recording and distribution.
3. Take pictures of new members and see that the pictures are given to the Nurture Committee for the Church Life bulletin board.
4. Interview and write a biographical article on each new member for the church newsletter.
5. Follow up with new members within two months, assisting them in becoming integrated into church activities and service.
6. Host semi-annual receptions for new members to allow them to become better acquainted with each other and with members of the Session.

 
Additional Duties

1. Coordinate special social gatherings (e.g. Date for 8, Corral Theatre movies, and EmilyAnn Shakespeare plays) to allow visitors and new members to meet and fellowship with other members of the congregation.
2. Provide, maintain and update children's Friendship Bags, and make sure they are available for Sunday services.
3. Coordinate the annual publication of a church directory.  When a professional directory is published, coordinate photo sessions, provide text, and edit the proofs prepared by the publishing company.

Committee Members: Bettye Webb, Annanette Harper, Jim Beall, Mary Goulden, Mary Southwell, Marilyn Nienow,  Mariana Kerr

T. J. Prince, Elder

The Nurture Committee extends care and support to members and regular visitors. Specifically for CRISES: cards, prayers, food, calls, visits, and support, including notifying the prayer chain. CELEBRATIONS: cards, prayers, calls and sharing in people's joys and accomplishments, including submitting newsletter items. SHUT-INS: responsible with Pastor, for members of the church who cannot attend worship, or who might if transportation is provided. DEVELOPMENT: other kinds of support programs for members of the congregation; responsible for Presbyterian Women's Circles; supports Community of Hope and Presbyterian Cursillo.  INACTIVE MEMBERS:  responsible for contacting inactive members.

Committee Members: Sarah Badal, Marcia Easley, Shirley Gallaher, Janice Gibbs, Sandra Gregg, Anne Kenter, Rosalie Laumbach, Margaret Rawlings, Janice & Andy Rogers, Grace Stavrand, Mary Williams.

Mary Northern, Elder

The overall goal of this Committee is to help visitors and new members to feel welcomed and cared for, and to help them find their place in the church family. The Committee seeks to welcome and integrate visitors and new members into the life of our congregation by doing the following:

Visitors

1. Maintain and date the Friendship Registers each week.
2. Maintain visitor materials in the pew racks.
3. Recruit, assign and train greeters to greet both visitors and members as they enter the church for each Sunday service.
4. Give first-time visitors visitor cards to fill out, and ask visitors to wear the name tags so they can be greeted by name.
5. Collect the Friendship Registers at the end of each service and give the pages for that Sunday to the church secretary.
6. Prepare and distribute a weekly Visitors Report based on the Friendship Registers and personal observation.
7. Prepare and deliver to the home of each new visitor a loaf of bread and a bag of church information as early in the week following the visit as possible.  Secure homemade bread for the bread supply.
8. Send a note of welcome to first-time visitors.

New Members

1. Keep the New Member Packets updated, and present them to new members when they are received by Session.
2. See that the New Member Information Sheets are given to the Clerk of Session for recording and distribution.
3. Take pictures of new members and see that the pictures are given to the Nurture Committee for the Church Life bulletin board.
4. Interview and write a biographical article on each new member for the church newsletter.
5. Follow up with new members within two months, assisting them in becoming integrated into church activities and service.
6. Host semi-annual receptions for new members to allow them to become better acquainted with each other and with members of the Session.

 
Additional Duties

1. Coordinate special social gatherings (e.g. Date for 8, Corral Theatre movies, and EmilyAnn Shakespeare plays) to allow visitors and new members to meet and fellowship with other members of the congregation.
2. Provide, maintain and update children's Friendship Bags, and make sure they are available for Sunday services.
3. Coordinate the annual publication of a church directory.  When a professional directory is published, coordinate photo sessions, provide text, and edit the proofs prepared by the publishing company.
   

Committee Members: Marlynn Butler, Mary Goulden, Annanette Harper, Marilyn Nienow, Sally Pool, Mary Southwell

Many of you already know that we have a group of fine artists within our church family, but do you know that many have their work on display at the Art Gallery in the Community Center!  ...And that these paintings are changed every two months?

Each gallery exhibit is kicked off by a preview party, which is an event in itself, and open to the public. This Artist's Gallery grew from the vision and hard work of the members in the Artist's League, and many of these members are also a part of our own church family; Rosalie Laumbach, who paints in oils and acrylics; Alfredo Sanchez, oil painter and installer for the Gallery; Susan Cranshaw, a gifted textile artist. Gina Casarez, who paints in oil, also does scheduling for the Gallery. Mike Petty is a watercolor artist. Tom Bender is a photographer, who has visited our church many times with his wife. Suzette Connell is a portrait artist and Mac Stevenson makes jewelry and is an oil painter. Grace Stavrand creates Textile Art, and her daughter's textile studio at Old Oaks Ranch was on the Studio Tour on September 21 and 22. Ann Merritt is also an artist in the league. There will be a new Show at the Gallery on October 5, and the annual Holiday Gift Show and Sale of the Artist's League will be on November 2 and 3 in the big hall of the Community Center. Why not go and see what our friends have been up to?

Mary Northern

Johnna Dennis, Elder

The Personnel Committee develops and implements personnel policy, including job descriptions, wage and salary administration, and performance reviews; acts as intermediary in personnel matters.

Committee Members: Joel Barks, Pastor Anne Beall, Ginny Butterfield, Jud Prince, Laura Russell, Pastor David Slyter

Rob Peyton, Elder

The Property/Building and Grounds Committee secures supplies for cleaning and maintenance of grounds and building; coordinates repair, maintenance and cleaning of church complex; accepts and screens proposals for improvements or upgrades to the church property, and makes recommendations; regulates and maintains cooling and heating equipment; maintains/waters plants and shrubbery in conjunction with the sexton; installs and maintains play equipment; assesses proposals for use of the building by outside groups and makes recommendations to the Session; oversees duties of sexton/custodian in weekly care of plant and facilities.

Committee Members: Ronald Bunting, Tim Dobbs, Geoffrey Goetz, Edward Liscomb, Michael Petty, Jim Rutherford

WPC will not be receiving the previously announced newspaper recycling bin. The company, Aritibi Recycling, decided that this area is already saturated with bins and were not willing to place another one in our parking lot. If you have been saving your newspapers there are bins located at each of the WISD campuses and at the Katherine Porter School. Aritibi has agreed to revisit the proposition of giving us a bin in the future and we will let the congregation know if they change their corporate position.

Rob Peyton

Jan Allison, Elder

The Stewardship Committee is responsible for planning and executing the annual Stewardship Drive each fall. In addition, the Committee works throughout the year on educating and informing the congregation of the many ways that they can become better stewards of the gifts God has blessed them with, including their time, skills and talents, as well as their financial resources. The Stewardship Committee also works closely with the Finance Committee in arriving at proposed annual budgets for WPC.

Committee Members: Teresa Junkin, Jud Prince

Jim Spitzer, Chair

Oversees church technology:  computers, copiers, phone system, web site.

Committee Members: Jim Beall, Jimmy Connell, Judy Padget

2007 was a productive year.  We set up a new "client-server" computer architecture for the church.  It provides a better multi-user environment, provides central database storage, and permits frequent back-ups of important files, which are then archived off-site. It also provides an integrated e-mail environment and calendaring system.

We collaborated with the Communication Sub-committee in providing a new WPC website which "went live" in mid October. 

Finally, we worked with the Software TaskForce to develop a new architecture that will integrate our QuickBooks financial software with our membership software, thus providing better reporting to our several Session committees.

Teresa Ward, Elder

The Worship Committee obtains supply pastors and lay liturgists as needed; gives dates for communion to preparers; secures elders for communion; buys communion cups, candles, and flowers; arranges special services; secures and trains ushers; obtains attendance count for worship services; recommends and implements policies concerning all formal services, including Sundays , Holy Days, weddings, and funerals; provides Session with schedule of communions for approval; operates and maintains sanctuary sound system and operates sanctuary lighting for services; supports the Kids of the Kingdom Choir; conducts the scheduled worship and communion at Deer Creek.

Committee Members: Paul Barrows, Jimmy Connell, Allen Hennig, Clyde McMakin, Jim McMeans, Laura Russell, Barbara Vansant, Bill Ward, Gay Wilkerson

Contemporary Worship Services
1st & 3rd Sundays, at 8:30 a.m. Communion will be served.