This Sunday, for the "Third Sunday of Advent," we'll light the pink candle, which symbolizes "JOY."  There is good news of great joy for all people: the Light is on its way!  Come join us this Sunday at 10 AM for an inspiring message from Pastor Sal and uplifting music from Nancy Plantinga and Peter Black. 

There will be a short meeting on Sunday, December 22, at 11:30 AM in the church for all Sabbatical Worship Volunteers. 

​Please feel free to bring any Christmas cookies and other treats to share during coffee hour on Sunday, December 22.

​Douglas UCC will be holding a Vigil for Victims of Gun Violence on Saturday, December 14 
at 5 PM in our sanctuary. This vigil is held every year on the anniversary of the Newtown school shooting to remember the lives lost to gun violence. Thank you to Hannah Huggett and members of our church's Social Justice Team for coordinating. We hope you will join us.

Next month, we hope to begin training a new group of Stephen Ministers. Stephen Ministers are members of our congregation who go through 50 hours of training in order to serve as lay ministers, visiting our church members in need.  If you'd like to learn more, we hope you will join us on Thursday, January 9, at 6 PM in our Friendship Hall for "A Taste of Stephen Ministry."  Please sign the sheet in the Friendship Hall on Sunday if you plan on attending.

December 8:  Attendance: 133   Church Use: $200  Advent Devotionals: $55   
Ornaments: $191  Collection Plate: $2,025   Online Giving: $4,224  
Total: $6,695
        
Thank you for your generous giving which
allows us to sustain our church community and our mission of service.
​​You can also give securely online by clicking ONLINE GIVING.

Please join us in the Friendship Hall after our Sunday service for our
​"2nd Sunday of the Month" Potluck. Please bring a dish to share. 
Also, we are in need of one or two people to help with clean-up afterwards. Thanks!

Thank you to our church's Art Guild for the beautiful Advent installation:
Bud Baty, Jim Bailey, Jodi Berault, Floyd Fleming, Greg Harvath, Chris Maitner.

We are excited to announce that our church member, Julie Ridl, will be serving as our church's Administrative Assistant while Pastor Sal is on sabbatical this winter.  Julie will be handling all of the administrative tasks that Pastor Sal usually handles, and she will be maintaining office hours at Pastor Sal's office in the Retreat House. 
She can be reached at julie@douglasucc.org.

We're so excited to announce our next church trip: “A Still-Speaking Journey through the Holy Land,” including a two-day spiritual discovery hike along the Jesus Trail through Galilee. Led by Pastor Sal, the trip is from October 21 – 28, 2020.  For all the details, please email David Geen at david@villasandvines.com or call him at 313-492-9574. 

Thank you to Leith Letcher and Jim Shewell for the beautiful Thanksgiving display on the altar at last Sunday's service. We are grateful for their talents and service to our church.

Wow! Thanks to your generous giving, our church was able to donate 920 pounds of flour to Christian Neighbors Food Pantry for Thanksgiving Boxes to families in need!! Our goal was 700 pounds, and we far exceeded that number!!  Thank you so very much for your generosity, and thank you to our church members Alan Weathers, Carey Idema, Wendy Hamlin, and Garnet Lewis for helping with the delivery and distribution.

Thank you to all who took slips of paper from our Christian Neighbors Giving Tree last Sunday. These gift requests were given by families in need. Please purchase the gift request written on the paper and then place the unwrapped gift inside the "Holiday Box" in the Friendship Hall by Sunday, December 8.  There are still some requests left on the tree.  Thank you, as always, for your generous giving.

​The beautiful Douglas UCC Christmas ornament (pictured above) is now available for sale. Designed and crafted in Poland, the ornament depicts the front of our church. The cost is $25. We will be selling them in the Friendship Hall after Sunday worship until December 22.

​The Lakeshore Community Chorus will celebrate its 10th anniversary during the upcoming 2019-2020 choral season. Under the artistic direction of Nancy Plantinga, with accompanist Vivian Boot, the festivities begin with LCC’s holiday concerts on December 7 and 8, called “A Season to Remember.” The concerts will feature music from LCC’s past nine years of holiday performances, including pieces which chorus members voted as their favorites from prior years. The chorus will be accompanied on several selections by instrumentalists from Grand Valley State University, featuring LaAlma, an all women’s choir, directed by Pamela Pierson. Both holiday concerts will be held at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts (SCA). The SCA has received compensation for the venue space for this event, benefitting the Lakeshore Community Chorus, a non-profit organization. Purchase tickets now at the SCA box-office (400 Culver Street in Saugatuck) or by calling 269-857-2399. You can also purchase tickets ONLINE.

​Douglas UCC will be holding a Vigil for Victims of Gun Violence on Saturday, December 14 
at 5 PM in our sanctuary. This vigil is held every year on the anniversary of the Newtown school shooting to remember the lives lost to gun violence. Thank you to Hannah Huggett and members of our church's Social Justice Team for coordinating. We hope you will join us.

This Sunday (the last Sunday in Ordinary Time and the Sunday before Advent) is known as "Reign of Christ" or "Christ the King" Sunday. On this feast day, we celebrate Jesus as fully human and fully divine. Come join us this Sunday at 10 AM, as we explore Jesus as man, myth, and Messiah. ​We will also be celebrating Thanksgiving, too!  Special Music: Nancy Plantinga.

Last Sunday, we held our 1st Annual Douglas UCC "Groups Fair."  It was such a great success! All of our church groups gave out information about their group and signed up new members. It was such an informative (and fun) way to raise awareness about our groups and to get new people involved. We are grateful for such an active church community!

​Wow!! What a great turnout at Douglas UCC for Tuesday’s screening of the Climate Change documentary, “Paris to Pittsburgh.” Thank you to all who attended and to our church’s Creation Justice Team for facilitating. To learn more about our Creation Justice Team, visit their blog.

Douglas UCC was proud to co-sponsor the local "Transgender Day of Remembrance" Candlelight Vigil this week. Thank you to all from Douglas UCC who attended.

Our Pastor Sal and Douglas UCC church member, Derek Hoehn, recently appeared in this great TV news segment on LGBTQ life in small-town America. Click above to watch.

Click below to read the latest editions of the Pastor's Report and Church Council Minutes:

This Sunday is the last Sunday to bring in 5 lb. bags of flour for the Christian Neighbors Thanksgiving Baskets. We are so close to our goal of 700 lbs. of flour!  Thank you to all for your generous giving.

​A Message from our church member, Jane Harrison:

"Dear Friends, I just received another cancer diagnosis, Lung Cancer, which is my 4th cancer since 2013. For 7 years, I have been battling this disease. Not only is this battle exhausting emotionally, but also financially. I have created a " shopping bazaar" in my home, with paintings, antique English furniture pieces, decorative items, plus crafts, all marked with Sale Tags!! I am hoping that you will stop over and do some holiday shopping for yourself or someone on your list. I am available at my home at
417 Summer Grove Dr. in Douglas, all the time.  Stop over, or call/text me at 516 982-3405.  This sale is on-going. Thank you.

We are collecting 5 lb. bags of flour for Thanksgiving Baskets that will be distributed to families in need through Christian Neighbors. Our church's goal this year is to donate 700 pounds of flour! We can do this! We will be collecting every Sunday in November. Please drop off your bags of flour on the designated table in the Friendship Hall. Thank you!​

​On Tuesday, November 19, our Douglas UCC Creation Justice Team will host another Movie Night, this time screening the documentary, “Paris to Pittsburgh.” Doors will open at 6:30 PM for popcorn. Bring your own Beverage. Movie starts promptly at 7 PM. Named Inc. Magazine’s "Best Business Documentary" of 2018, "Paris to Pittsburgh" focuses on the incredible action individuals, communities, businesses and local governments in the U.S. have undertaken to combat the threat of climate change in their own backyards in the wake of the US withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement. The film explores the very real social and economic effects of climate change-fueled disasters – from America’s heartland to the nation’s coastlines and the island of Puerto Rico. Please sign the sheet in the Friendship Hall if you plan on attending.

The Lakeshore Community Chorus will celebrate its 10th anniversary during the upcoming 2019-2020 choral season. Under the artistic direction of Nancy Plantinga, with accompanist Vivian Boot, the festivities begin with LCC’s holiday concerts on December 7 and 8, called “A Season to Remember.” The concerts will feature music from LCC’s past nine years of holiday performances, including pieces which chorus members voted as their favorites from prior years. The chorus will be accompanied on several selections by instrumentalists from Grand Valley State University, featuring LaAlma, an all women’s choir, directed by Pamela Pierson. Both holiday concerts will be held at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts (SCA). The SCA has received compensation for the venue space for this event, benefitting the Lakeshore Community Chorus, a non-profit organization. Purchase tickets now at the SCA box-office (400 Culver Street in Saugatuck) or by calling 269-857-2399. You can also purchase tickets ONLINE.

PFLAG Holland/Lakeshore and Gender SAFE Meetings- Friday, November 15

At the PFLAG meeting, Amy Bailey and Ben Kaiser will describe the work of Arbor Circle, one of the few foster care/adoption agencies in Western Michigan that actively recruits foster/adoptive parents from the LGBTQ community.  We begin at 7 PM with a business meeting and support, followed by a time for refreshments at 7:50 pm. Afterwards, the program will begin at 8:10 pm. Bring a snack to share, if you can.

Also this evening, Gender SAFE meets from 6 to 8 PM. Gender SAFE (Supporting All For Equality) is a support group that is open and welcoming to all people who are or who love someone who is transgender or gender diverse.

Both PFLAG and Gender SAFE meet on the ground floor of Grace Episcopal Church, 555 Michigan Avenue, across the street from Holland Hospital.

​THEM: Images of Separation is a traveling exhibit courtesy of the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia that showcases items from popular culture used to stereotype groups of people. This exhibit will be on display at the Holland Museum from November 15 till February 22. 

And, on November 21 from 7 - 8:30 PM, Dr. Fred L. Johnson III from Hope College will be speaking on "A Deal too Good to Refuse" at the Holland Museum. He will be discussing the short story and film, "Space Traders." 

In Sunday's Gospel, Jesus says: "God is not the God of the dead, but of the living," meaning there is life after death. But what does life after death look like?  Will we be in physical form?  We will be reunited with our loved ones?  Come join us this Sunday at 10 AM, as we explore these questions and more together.  Special Music by Stan Greene.  Followed by our "2nd Sunday of the Month" Potluck (see details below).

KUDOS: Thank you to our church member, Barb Lucier (pictured left) who is stepping down after many years of service from her role as our Christian Neighbors Board Member, and thank you to church member, Wendy Hamlin (pictured right) for her willingness to take over and represent our church in this role.  We are grateful!

We're excited to announce that Vita, our service dog in training, is being placed as a Service Dog in Arizona. Vita was raised and housed by our church members, Bob and Louise Kenny.

Congratulations to our church member, Jack Ridl, Poet Laureate of Douglas, who had one of his poems published in last Sunday's New York Times Magazine. 

​The Season of Advent begins on Sunday, December 1.  Copies of the 2019 UCC ​Advent Devotional, A New Earth, are now available in the Friendship Hall for $5.  A New Earth includes a biblical text, reflection, and prayer for each day of Advent.  Plus, new for 2019: this popular resource now includes daily readings through Epiphany. 

Thank you to all who helped with last weekend's Fall Clean-Up Day at the church: Larry Fuerst, Leith Letcher, Peter & Kathleen Mueller, Dan & Barb Witt, Alan Weathers, Chris Clark, Mike White, David Bohn & Brad Hopkins. We are grateful for their service and good stewardship.

Douglas UCC is proud to be a co-host with ​Gender S.A.F.E. (Supporting All For Equality) of this year's Transgender Day of Remembrance Candlelight Vigil on November 20 at 7 PM at Herrick District Library in Holland. This vigil will be held to recognize and remember the lives of transgender people who have been violently killed in 2019 due to anti-transgender violence. We hope you will join us for this important event.

Pastor Sal will be on sabbatical from January thru March 2020.  He will be spending time at Spirit Mountain Retreat Center in Idyllwild, California. Please watch the above video to learn more about the center.

Last Sunday at the UCC Grand West Association Meeting, our Pastor Sal was among the UCC clergy installed as Officers and Committee Members. Pastor Sal will continue to serve on the GWA Planning Committee. We are grateful to our Association leaders for all their hard work.

How's your "30-Day Gratitude Challenge" coming along? Here's some ideas to keep you going:

A sold-out crowd at last night's "Poetry & the Spirit" event at Douglas UCC! 
​Such an inspiring conversation with Pastor Sal and Jack Ridl, Poet Laureate of Douglas.

We're so proud of our Douglas UCC church member, Pete Wehle, whose essay was recently published on Progressive Christianity.org.  Click the link to read.

​We are excited to be welcoming best-selling author Scott Stabile (Big Love) back to Douglas UCC on Saturday, November 2. Scott will be facilitating a workshop entitled, "Love Yourself Madly."  Scott says, "In this workshop, we are going to look at ourselves honestly and love ourselves madly. We'll learn how to shift our self-abusive thoughts into self-loving ones, and how to empower ourselves with our thoughts and actions. We'll shift the focus of our inner critics and turn them into our inner cheerleaders."  To learn all the details, cost, and registration, please visit www.ScottStabile.com.  Scholarships are available.

​Save-the-Date: On Sunday, November 17, we will be having a "Groups Fair" at Douglas UCC, immediately following our worship service.  Our church groups will be spread out across our church campus. Each group will have its own table, where they'll give out information about their group and have sign-up sheets for new members.  It'll be a great (and fun) way to raise awareness about all of our groups, as well as to get new people involved.

In Sunday's gospel, Jesus tells the disciples a parable, which has become known as the "Parable of the Persistent Widow."  In the parable, a widow fighting for justice refuses to give up in her quest to be heard. She, like many of the bold women in the Gospels, inspires us to speak our truth, even if our voices are shaking. Come join us this Sunday at 10 AM, as we explore together how to "Ask Boldly & Live Justly."  Special Music: "If I Were Brave" by Nancy Plantinga and Brenda Marcy.

Douglas UCC partnered with Interfaith Action on Monday night for a "Symposium on Gun Violence Reduction," featuring a keynote address by Dr. Bill Durston of Americans Against Gun Violence, as well as a panel of physicians, police, educators, clergy, and students. More than 100 people were in attendance! Thank you to our church's Social Justice Team, Beverly Hawkes, and Julie Ridl for organizing this event. The Holland Sentinel newspaper was there and wrote a front cover story on the event, too!  Watch the video of the event on our Douglas UCC YouTube channel.

More than 50 people packed the Friendship Hall on Wednesday night, as our church member, Dr. Shannon Connell of Neuropsychological Associates of West Michigan spoke to us about "Healthy Aging."  We are so grateful to Shannon for sharing her wisdom with us.

In the latest edition of his podcast, "Into the Mystic," our UCC President, Rev. John Dorhauer, reflects on the spirituality of the fall season. Listen HERE for an inspiring 5-minute reflection.

Please join us on Saturday, October 26, from 9 AM till Noon for our "Fall Clean-Up Day." We will be cleaning up the church grounds. Bring garden tools, if you have them. Please sign the sheet in the Friendship Hall if you can help. Thank you.

​A BIG THANK YOU to our church members, Michael Bojko and Patricia Denner, for their very generous donations to help us purchase a new video camera for our church.  We are so very thankful for their thoughtfulness and generosity. 

Save-the-Date: On Sunday, November 17, we will be having a "Groups Fair" at Douglas UCC, immediately following our worship service.  Our church groups will be spread out across our church campus. Each group will have its own table, where they'll give out information about their group and have sign-up sheets for new members.  It'll be a great (and fun) way to raise awareness about all of our groups, as well as to get new people involved.

We are excited to be welcoming best-selling author Scott Stabile (Big Love) back to Douglas UCC on Saturday, November 2. Scott will be facilitating a workshop entitled, "Love Yourself Madly."  Scott says, "In this workshop, we are going to look at ourselves honestly and love ourselves madly. We'll learn how to shift our self-abusive thoughts into self-loving ones, and how to empower ourselves with our thoughts and actions. We'll shift the focus of our inner critics and turn them into our inner cheerleaders."  To learn all the details, cost, and registration, please visit www.ScottStabile.com.  Scholarships are available.

Click below to download the latest editions of our Pastor's Report and Church Council Minutes:

In this Sunday's Gospel story,  Jesus ministers to 10 people, but only one of them comes back to say, "Thank You."  Jesus is letting us know that gratitude is such a powerful spiritual tool with life-changing effects. Come join us this Sunday at 10 AM, as we learn how to cultivate an "attitude of gratitude."  Special music: Elizabeth Estes. Followed by our 2nd Sunday of the Month Potluck.

Wow! We are so very proud of our Douglas UCC CROP Walk Team who raised more than $3,700 at last Sunday's CROP Hunger Walk in Saugatuck/Douglas!!  We had more walkers and raised more money than ever before! Thank you to our team and to all who sponsored their efforts. The monies raised help fight hunger here in Allegan County and around the world. 

Please join us this Sunday, immediately following our worship service, for our 2nd Sunday of the Month Potluck in the Friendship Hall. Please bring a dish to share. We are also in need of one or two people to stay afterwards and help clean up. Thank you. 

We had such a wonderful evening on Thursday night, as we welcomed award-winning author, Frank J. Cunningham, to Douglas UCC to discuss his book, Vesper Time: The Spiritual Practice of Growing Older.  More than 20 people were in attendance for an inspiring discussion.

​Please join us on Wednesday, October 16, at 6:30 PM, as Dr. Shannon Connell of Neuropsychological Associates of West Michigan (and a Douglas UCC church member) will be speaking on "Healthy Aging: A Neuropsychological Perspective." This event is free and open to the public. Please sign the sheet in the Friendship Hall if you plan on attending.

All are welcome to attend our UCC Grand West Association fall meeting on October 20 in Grand Rapids, but advance registration is required. Please let Pastor Sal know if you are interested in attending. You can email him at Pastor@DouglasUCC.org.

We are excited to welcome back best-selling author, Scott Stabile, to Douglas UCC on Saturday, November 2. Scott will be facilitating an uplifting and empowering workshop, "Love Yourself Madly."  Watch Scott's video below, then click HERE to register.

​THANK YOU!!
Thanks to all who contributed to last Sunday's special collection for the UCC's Neighbors in Need Fund. We collected $321, which our church will match for a total of $642 to help our church's wider mission. Thank you, as always, for your generous giving.