Lenten Connections, Finance Ministry

RELEASE BAG MISSION

The Finance Ministry of Westminster is excited to offer an opportunity to share the Love of Christ to the least of these in our community.  Several years ago, a need was identified to the session of Westminster to provide the most basic living essentials to individuals who were being released from the Middle River Regional Jail.  The Spirit spoke to and moved the ministry to meet this need by producing and distributing bagged kits of clothing, hygiene products, and a gift card to the jail to offer to newly released clients.  They are often released with short notice, having only the clothes on their back and little money.  It is the hope of this mission to provide dignity and necessities in a time of difficult transition. 

The Finance Ministry understands that the demand for release bags is constant.  What began as a yearly project in Advent has evolved into a continuing act of love from this congregation to the releasing clients at the jail, showing them that God’s Grace is available to them, and we care.   As Jesus said in Matthew 25:40, Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. Please join us in supporting this mission by making a designated donation to the “Release Bag Mission” directly in the offering, in the mail to the church office, or in the church giving software, Realm, using the drop-down selection for the mission.

ETHICAL WILLS PRESENTATION 

By Rev. Erin Skinner, Ministry Relations Officer, Presbyterian Foundation.

Have you ever thought about what really matters to pass on to the next generation? We all know that a regular will legally divides all your “stuff” around to heirs and charities after you are gone.  On the other hand, an ethical will is a document that describes the essence of who you are, what you believed, your principles, and stands as a testament to how you lived your life and what mattered to you.  It allows YOU to define yourself and how you are remembered in future generations.  We may not be able to pen our own memoir, however, an ethical will may well be within our grasp to give families a tangible legacy/record of the whole person to be cherished for generations to come.

Please join the Finance Ministry of Westminster in welcoming Erin Skinner from the Presbyterian Foundation to Westminster during the Sunday School hour on April 13, 2025, Palm Sunday in the Chapel.   She will give an enlightening presentation on ethical wills.