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Worship: The people of Westwood are committed to the worship of our Lord as our chief and highest duty and our greatest joy. We therefore come together for worship every Sunday at 10:45 am, as well as having special services for holy days. Westwood also participates in community ecumenical services for Good Friday and Thanksgiving. Outreach: Jesus called His followers to reach out both in compassion and evangelism. In obedience to this high calling, at Westwood we reach out to the community in many ways to show the love of Jesus Christ and to proclaim His Good News. Our Deacons and Outreach Committee work hard to oversee these church ministries. In addition to monthly collections for the Serve City food bank and One Way Farm children’s home, we also have a quarterly collection of materials to support the children of Jefferson Elementary School. Additionally, our Deacons oversee a monthly collection of food and personal products to supplement their Christmas project, which reaches out to support local families each December. These supplies are given to families in addition to a generous pile of presents for children and adults alike. The Deacons also support our local Meals On Wheels program and do the hard work of visitation for those in need. The Outreach Committee also supports many of these local ministries financially and by lining up volunteers. Some local missions that receive our support are the Salvation Army, the Community Meal Center and Shared Harvest food bank. The committee also supports the work of evangelism, both in working to equip our own congregation to reach out with the Gospel, and in supporting organizations like Campus Crusade for Christ and Evangel Bible Translators to do this work on a national and international level. In addition, we support missionaries Russell and Jane Johnson in their work with the deaf in India. Besides all this, we also provide our facility for Alcoholics Anonymous each week, and for a HopeKeepers Group meeting each month. We pray that all of these ministries will be blessed by God for the glory of His Kingdom! Spiritual Growth: Westwood is currently working to rebuild its youth program. Each Sunday we offer Sunday School for young people after the children’s sermon, and we occasionally also offer other activities geared toward youth fellowship and education. Our summer Vacation Bible School is always a great success. Adult Christian Education at Westwood is particularly strong. Our Sunday School class meets at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday and studies a variety of subjects. The Wednesday Evening Bible Study, taught by the pastor, draws between 20-30 people each week. A men’s Bible Study, called the “Barnabas Boys”, meets each Thursday at 9:00 am to study God’s Word. The women of Westwood also meet monthly for study and fellowship, either in the morning Ruth-Esther Circle, or the evening Mary-Martha Circle. Special Studies are also offered as a change during the seasons of Advent and Lent. Our prayer ministries are also strong at Westwood. Besides our strong prayer chain, we have two prayer groups which meet weekly on Wednesdays – a morning group at 10:45 am, and an evening group after the Wednesday Evening Bible Study. These groups meet to lift up all manner of prayer concerns, from our prayer concerns list, which is updated weekly, to local, national and international concerns. In addition to these strong and vital ministries, we also have an Annual Twelve-Hour Prayer Vigil on World Day of Prayer each March. Fellowship: In addition to Outreach and Spiritual Growth opportunities, Westwood also offers a variety of other opportunities for fun, fellowship and service. Our church potluck events are always well attended – and we always have more good food than we can eat! Our excellent choir practices each week to prepare for lifting their voices in worship. The Sewing Circle comes together to use their gifts and talents for those in need. The last Saturday of each month holds the Family Game Night, when we come together for cards, games and snacks. Besides all these fun activities, we also come together each year for a church picnic and at least one chili supper. At Westwood, we know the value of fun and fellowship! For more information on any of these ministries, or if you have an idea for a new ministry at Westwood, you can call the church office at 513 868 6011.
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