Ministries & Teams (Page 3)
A Letter From Our Stewardship Ministry, at the End of Our Pledge Drive
Greetings WellSprings! The Stewardship Ministry is wrapping up our annual pledge drive, and we would like to provide an update on the results. We are inspired by our congregation’s generosity and sincerely thank everyone who made a pledge commitment to WellSprings for the fiscal year July 2023 to June 2024. Our stewardship goals were: We have now received $206,383 in pledge commitments, which is 78% of the way to the requested goal. We have given the total pledge amount to…
Here’s What’s Happening at Our Congregational Meeting This Year
Each year at WellSprings, the Board of Trustees hosts a Congregational Meeting where members are invited to hear important updates, vote on initiatives, and participate in a Q&A session. This meeting will be taking place after Sunday service on June 4th. If you are joining us in Bell Hall, simply stay to participate. If you are joining us online, stay tuned to the service livestream. WHAT TO EXPECT During the meeting you will hear an update from the Board regarding our…
Our May Message Series: The Muppet Theory of Everything
In 2012, a writer for Slate magazine made a provocative suggestion… that everyone in the world can be classified into one of two categories: Order Muppets, and Chaos Muppets. Order Muppets (think Bert, Kermit, Sam the Eagle) keep things organized and on track, while Chaos Muppets (Ernie, Cookie Monster, Gonzo) bring big bursts of energy and creativity. The world needs both in balance, of course – some of the oldest wisdom stories are about finding ways to resolve that eternal…
A New Member Welcome, and an Update from Our Stewardship Ministry
This past Sunday, we celebrated Belonging Sunday, where we welcome new members who have joined our congregation over the past year. We were happy to welcome five new families, as well as two individuals who joined us the prior year, in 2022. Each new member is given a gift bag with a few symbolic gifts: a little Energizer Bunny to represent our charged-full mission; and sunflower seeds, to represent how we hope our members will come to us on “rainy…
Welcome to Our 2023 Pledge Drive!
Greetings to WellSprings! WellSprings is a unique community. And your support is essential. This past November, the Board of Trustees reached out to us to ask for additional financial support, given budget shortfalls in the current fiscal year. Our community responded by giving $28,700 that greatly assisted WellSprings! Thank you! WellSprings celebrated its 16th birthday this year! It was fortunate in early years to be supported by major financial grants from other institutions as a startup congregation. In recent years,…
Resource Guide for our “What Would [____] Do?” Message Series
Join us as we begin our new message series for Spring: “What Would [_____] Do?” The phrase “what would Jesus do” was everywhere in the early 1990s – a question Jesus-followers were encouraged to ask themselves, when faced with modern problems. But what do we think Jesus would do, if he were alive today? Would he be a teacher and healer? A carpenter? An activist? A leader? Would we know his name at all? What about the Buddha, or the…
Get Centered this Spring With Mindful Meditation
This Spring, we’re thrilled to offer this relaxing and centering small group workshop. Whether you’re brand new to mindful meditation, or if you’ve been practicing for years, this group is for you. Through discussion and practice, participants will explore mindfulness of the breath, body, emotions and thoughts. We will also concentrate on heart practices and bringing your practice out into the world. This SpringBoard will take place Mondays at 7 pm via Zoom, March 6th through April 10th. You can…
Congregation Potluck Lunch: February 26th, After Service!
As we explore the “recipe” for Making a Life this winter, let’s share some of our favorite recipes with each other at a Pot Luck lunch, after service on Sunday, February 26th! You can pitch in with cooking, setting up, or cleaning up (and, of course, eating). We’ll gather in the Dining Hall, and our YouthBridge Ministry will have board games available as an opportunity for intergenerational connection. This is an all-ages, family-friendly event! Come lend your skills and talents – or just bring your appetite…
Resource Guide for our “Making a Life” Message Series
Our relationship to work can be… complicated. Human beings long to be useful, to see the value and meaning behind what we do in the world. Yet we know, on some level, that we’re not here just to “earn a living.” The poet Maya Angelou said “making a living is not the same as making a life.” In this series we’ll explore our experiences with work – and examine what it truly means to make a life. Making a Life…
All-Ages Connection Event This Sunday!
The YouthBridge Ministry is offering another opportunity for WellSpringers of ALL ages to come together for a fun activity after service on Sunday, January 29th! We hope you can join us for in-person service, then stay a bit, and enjoy this chance to connect with folks from ages 1 to 101. YouthBridge has put together an all-ages activity to explore some ideas for Making a Life, to tie in with our current message series. Each group will also have a mystery…
HeartWorks Partners with Better Days Ahead for MLK Day of Service in Center City
On Sunday, January 15th, the WellSprings HeartWorks Team worked with Chris Brickhouse from the Better Days Ahead organization to provide unhoused people in Philadelphia with food, clothing and other necessities. The turnout was overwhelming. Many recipients expressed their gratitude to all who helped make their winter a little easier. The Heartworks team members were humbled by the experience and appreciate all the hard work done by our congregation and the members of our community. A special thanks to the Phoenixville…
A Letter of Appreciation to Our Volunteer Leaders
We do not say it enough: thank you volunteer leaders for your work to nurture our spiritual well-being as you also manage the functions of WellSprings. The Leadership Development (LD) Ministry would like to express our deep appreciation to WellSprings volunteer leaders for their support during the year 2022. Every Sunday last year we saw and valued the remarkable work of our WellSprings staff – Carol Breslin our YouthSpirit Director, Jessica Heichel our Membership & Communications Coordinator, and Paula Bower our Office Coordinator. Their flexibility and resilience…