 This Sunday is "Ascension Sunday." We'll hear all about Jesus' Ascension, and we'll also learn the path to our own personal ascensions. We'll also uncover the "12 Symptoms of Spiritual Awakening." We hope you can join us for an inspiring message and uplifting music as we celebrate Ascended Master Jesus and our own personal "Ascension Sunday." Special music: "Higher Place (Up Up Up)" by Nancy Plantinga.  Please join us TOMORROW, Saturday, June 1, at the first-ever GAY PRIDE event in Douglas! The event takes place from 1 to 5 p.m. at Beery Field in Downtown Douglas. Our church will have a booth there, serving hot dogs, chips, pop and water, and handing out rainbow wristbands. We hope you can come out for all or part of the time to help at our booth, or just to join us in the festivities. We especially need people to help with set-up. We'll be meeting in the Friendship Hall on Saturday at noon to start bringing things over to Beery Field.  Thank you to Hayden and Dylan who did an awesome job ringing the church bell last Sunday!  27 of our Douglas UCC church members were among those who packed Saugatuck City Hall this past Tuesday, as the City Council officially proclaimed June as LGBTQ Pride Month in the city. Saugatuck’s Mayor Trester presented the proclamation to Douglas UCC’s church member, Garnet Lewis, who spoke along with our own Fred Hamlin. You can watch the video: HERE.  Thank you to Dick and Barb Lucier for inviting the Men's Group to their home on Memorial Day.  The Saugatuck/Douglas MahJong Club meets in our church's Friendship Hall every Tuesday from 1 - 4 p.m.. Newcomers and beginners are always welcome. Contact Julie Ridl for details.  If you are interested in becoming a member of our church, we will be holding a New Members Class THIS SUNDAY, June 2, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at 88 Spring Street, the house behind the church. All are welcome to attend. (If you would like to become a member, but are unable to attend the class, please email Pastor Sal at pastor@DouglasUCC.org).  Our church’s Annual Meeting is going to be held on Sunday, June 16, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Friendship Hall. Our Church Council, Investment Advisory Council, Facilities Team, and Pastoral Relations Committee will all be giving us updates, and the proposed budget for the new fiscal year will be presented for approval. (Copies of the proposed budget will be available in the Friendship Hall two weeks prior for review). All church members are strongly encouraged to attend.  Thank you to all who expressed interest in the AED/CPR Training. The class will be offered three different times: Saturday, June 15 from 9 -11:30 .a.m. and from 12:30 to 3 p.m. and Saturday, June 22 from 9-11:30 a.m. Please sign the designated sheets in the Friendship Hall for the session you wish to attend. The cost is $20. Upcoming:
Enjoy last Sunday's music and message:
Financial Stewardship Report:May 26: Attendance: 152 Collection: $902 Online: $1,332.44 Total: $2,235.44 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  Sunday's gospel reading (John 5:1-9) is all about the miraculous healing of the man at the Pool of Bethesda. Are there really such miraculous places of healing? Come join us this Sunday as we explore the miracles in the gospels, and how we can, too, can experience miracles in our own lives. Special music by Elizabeth Estes.
Thank you to our Douglas UCC church members, Floyd Fleming, John Kerr, and Bill Kelleher, for beautifying Downtown Douglas this week.  Such a joy to celebrate the baptism of baby Kian last weekend at Douglas UCC!  June is Gay Pride Month. Please join us on Saturday, June 1, for the very first ever Pride event in Douglas! It will be held at Beery Field from 1 to 5 p.m.. Our church will have a booth there, serving hot dogs, chips, pop and water, and handing out rainbow wristbands. We hope you can come out for all or part of the time to help.  If you are interested in becoming a member of our church, we will be holding a New Members Class next Sunday, June 2, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Retreat House. All are welcome to attend. (If you would like to become a member, but are unable to attend the class, please email Pastor Sal at pastor@DouglasUCC.org).  Congratulations to the Lakeshore Community Chorus and its director, Douglas UCC church member, Nancy Plantinga, for such a wonderful Spring Concert last weekend. We're pretty proud of our Pastor Sal, too, for emceeing the event.  A member of our congregation needs weekly rides to/from doctor’s appointments each week. Three members of our congregation have already been providing rides for him, but would like to have a few more volunteers to help. For the details, please contact Cindy Winkler at winkler.cindy@yahoo.com  Our church’s Annual Meeting is going to be held on Sunday, June 16, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Friendship Hall. Our Church Council, Investment Advisory Council, Facilities Team, and Pastoral Relations Committee will all be giving us updates, and the proposed budget for the new fiscal year will be presented for approval. (Copies of the proposed budget will be available in the Friendship Hall two weeks prior for review). All church members are strongly encouraged to attend.
Thank you to all who attended our Visioning Sessions last week with the Mayotte Group Architects. More than 70 people took part in these discussions! Thank you for sharing your dreams and visions! And, thank you to our church’s Facilities Team for all of their hard work.  Thank you to all who expressed interest in the AED/CPR Training. The class will be offered three different times: Saturday, June 15 from 9 -11:30 .a.m. and from 12:30 to 3 p.m. and Saturday, June 22 from 9-11:30 a.m. Please sign the designated sheets in the Friendship Hall for the session you wish to attend. The cost is $20. Enjoy Last Sunday's Music & Message:
Financial Stewardship Report:May 19: Attendance: 112 Collection: $1,328 Online: $2,448.82 Total: $3,776.82 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  Proverbs 29 says, "When there is no vision, the people perish." This Sunday, we will be exploring the "Power of Visioning." Jesus, the prophets, and other great visionaries all understood this spiritual power and were able to put it into action. What is your highest vision for your own life and for the future of church? Come join us this Sunday at 10 a.m. as we vision, dream, and explore the "Spiritual Visioning Process" together.  Douglas UCC has hired Mayotte Group Architects to explore possibilities about the expansion of our church facilities. All invited to join us this Sunday at 12:30 p.m. in the Friendship Hall for a visioning session with the architects. Come share your input as we vision our future together.  Thank you to everyone for such a lovely Mother's Day service. Pamela Chappell and friends (Gloria Larrieu, Nancy Plantinga, Mary Fechtig) performed the song, "O Mother God," and everyone received carnations thanks to the generosity of Stacy Honson and Dick Bont.  This week, members of our Douglas UCC Creation and Social Justice Teams met with Rev. Dr. Sid Mohn, director of Interfaith Action - SW Michigan Peace & Justice Collaborative to learn and collaborate. Thank you to Pennyroyal Café & Provisions for accommodating our group.  We officially welcome new church members just twice a year: once in June and once in November. If you are interested in becoming a member of our church, please sign the sheet in the Friendship Hall on Sunday or email Pastor Sal at pastor@DouglasUCC.org  Thank you to all who expressed interest in the AED/CPR Training. The class will be offered three different times: Saturday, June 15 from 9 -11:30 .a.m. and from 12:30 to 3 p.m. and Saturday, June 22 from 9-11:30 a.m. Please sign the designated sheets in the Friendship Hall for the session you wish to attend. The cost is $20. 
 Sunday Coffee Hour Treats for May 26 If anyone can provide coffee hour treats and help with set up and clean up on Sunday, May 26, please contact Karen Clark at kbclark@iusb.edu or call 574-276-1264.  Groovy! Our very own Pastor Sal will be emceeing this weekend's Lakeshore Community Chorus Concert “Oldies But Goodies,” a concert featuring music from the 50’s and 60’s with special guests, the Holland Windmill Barbershop Chorus. Performances are: Saturday, May 18 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, May 19 at 4 p.m. at the 1st Congregational Church in Saugatuck. Tickets are $20/Adults, $10/Students. Tickets available online at www.lakeshorecommunitychorus.org or at Scooter’s Café in Saugatuck.  Patrice and Stan Greene invite you to a reception celebrating the grand opening of The Vintage Bee Company, a boutique that represents a new life for the former Gerstner's Hardware at 6988 114th Avenue in Glenn. The event will be in the store on Thursday, May 23rd, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.  TONIGHT: PFLAG Holland/Lakeshore Meeting: Cathy Wyatt, Great Lakes Regional Director for National PFLAG, will share with us some PFLAG trends across the US, including successes, challenges, and concerns. PFLAG meets on the ground floor of Grace Episcopal Church, 555 Michigan Avenue, across the street from Holland Hospital. We will begin with a business meeting and support at 7:00 pm. After a time for refreshments at 7:50 pm, the program will begin at 8:10 pm. Bring a snack to share, if you can. Prior to the PFLAG meeting, Gender SAFE (Supporting All For Equality) meets 6:00 to 8:00 pm (note the longer meeting time), also on the ground floor of Grace Episcopal Church. This is a support group that is open and welcoming to all people who are or who love someone who is transgender or gender diverse (TGD). We also welcome those who are gender affirmative and who are interested in learning about the TGD community. We hope you will join us!
Watch Last Sunday's Music & Message:
Financial Stewardship Report:May 12: Attendance: 161 Collection: $1,527.25 Online: $1,601.94 Retreat House: $150 Total: $3,279.19 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  This Mother's Day Sunday, we will explore "God as Mother." Most of us grew up being told that God was a man, our Heavenly Father. How would our world be different if we viewed God not as an authoritative, judgmental male, but as our gentle, nurturing Heavenly Mother? Come join us this Mother's Day Sunday at 10 a.m. as we continue to explore the question: Who is God? Special music: Pamela Chappell and friends!  Join us this Sunday immediately following our worship service for our "2nd Sunday of the Month" Potluck. Please bring a dish to share. We are also in need of people who can stay afterwards and help clean up. If you can help, please contact Karen Clark: kbclark@iusb.edu  Pastor Sal and Peg Donohue presented a $7,500 check on behalf of the church to board members and volunteers of Ladders Of Hope Food Pantry in Fennville to pay for a new generator. Ladders of Hope is an all-volunteer non-profit that helps individuals and families in Allegan county with food assistance. Last year alone, they helped more than 6,000 people.  Thank you to our church's Social Justice Team for hosting author Anna-Lisa Cox last week. Every seat was taken in our Friendship Hall for Dr. Cox's inspiring presentation on 19th Century race relations in Michigan.  Kudos to one of our youngest Douglas UCC churchgoers, eighth grader, Hannah Huggett, who organized the first-ever recycling event at Tulip Time. Hannah was assisted by Douglas UCC members: Sarah Swift (pictured above with Hannah); Kathy Klage; Gail and Denny Babel; as well as by her sisters, Hailey and Molly Huggett. Hannah, you rock!!  The Artz & Gardenz Studio Tour is this Saturday, May 11 and Sunday, May 12 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.. Among the seven unique stops on the tour is Summerhouse Lavender Farm (owned by our church members, Dan McGavin and Carol Brown), where our own Mike VerMerris will be displaying and selling his artwork.  Great turnout this past Tuesday night for “Bee Informed" at Douglas UCC. Anne Marie Fauvel from the Bee Informed Partnership spoke to us about the honey bee population and what we can do to help them thrive. Thank you to our Creation Justice Team for facilitating.  Congregational Care is a ministry extended to all in attendance at Douglas UCC. This outreach offers rides to doctor appointments, light meals during an illness, and a member who is a nurse has offered to oversee bandage and tube changes when needed. Please do not hesitate to contact Cindy Winkler at winkler.cindy@yahoo.com if Congregational Care can assist you during your time of need. Congregational Care is always in need of volunteers to help with this ministry. If you’d like to be a part of the team, please let Cindy know.  Douglas UCC has hired Mayotte Group Architects to explore possibilities about the expansion of our church facilities. All involved in our Groups and Committees are invited to join us on Thursday, May 16, at 7 p.m. in the Friendship Hall for a sharing of ideas with the architects, and everyone is invited to join us on Sunday, May 19 at 12:30 p.m. for another visioning session with the architects. Come share your input as we vision our future together.  Thank you to all who expressed interest in the AED/CPR Training. The class will be offered three different times: Saturday, June 15 from 9 -11:30 .a.m. and from 12:30 to 3 p.m. and Saturday, June 22 from 9-11:30 a.m. Please sign the designated sheets in the Friendship Hall for the session you wish to attend. The cost is $20. Scholarships are available and observers are welcome to attend for free.  On Saturday, May 18, Margret Bazany, a Shamanic Practitioner and Douglas UCC church member, will be teaching an "Introduction to Shamanism" workshop in the Friendship Hall from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.. The cost is $50. If you are interested in attending, please contact Margret at margretbazany@gmail.com
Lakeshore Community Chorus Concert- presents “Oldies But Goodies,” a concert featuring music from the 50’s and 60’s with special guests, the Holland Windmill Barbershop Chorus. Our own Pastor Sal will serve as the narrator. Performances are: Saturday, May 18 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, May 19 at 4 p.m. at the 1st Congregational Church in Saugatuck. Tickets are $20/Adults, $10/Students. Tickets available online at www.lakeshorecommunitychorus.org or at Scooter’s Café in Saugatuck. 4 Paws Lakeshore Benefit - 10th Annual “4 Paws” Gala is on Friday May 24, 2019 at Laketown Golf & Conference Center in Saugatuck. Benefits the Wishbone Pet Rescue Alliance. Tickets are $100 per person, which includes cocktails, dinner, and entertainment by Kelly Carey. This year’s theme is "Sonny & Cher.” Purchase tix: www.4pawslakeshore.org Enjoy last Sunday's Music & Message:
Financial Stewardship Report:May 5: Attendance: 144 Collection: $1,991.22 Online: $1,905.19 Total: $3,896.41 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  This Sunday, we are excited to welcome MIKAH MEYER to Douglas UCC. Just this week, Mikah became the youngest person to visit all 419 national park sites in one trip. You may have read about Mikah this week in the Washington Post or watched his interview on the "Today" show. This Sunday at our 10 a.m. worship service, Mikah will be sharing stories about his journey, and he'll also be speaking about his spiritual journey as a gay Christian.  Last Sunday, Pastor Sal introduced our brand-new Douglas UCC logo. Designed by Meraki Social, the new logo symbolizes the expansion of our church's growth; our open and inclusive welcome; our open-mindedness to new ways of thinking; and our outreach far beyond our church walls. We are grateful to the team at Meraki Social for their talents and vision.  Thank you to all who helped clean-up the church grounds last weekend: Bud Baty, Dick Bont, Chris Clark, Jerry Coates, Anita Halcyon, Mary Harris, Bob Kenny, Dick Lucier, Peter Mueller, Jack Ridl, Sue Scott, Sarah Swift, Kristi Van Howe, Alan Weathers, Elinor White, Mike White, Cindy Winkler, Betsy York, Mark Zancanaro. And, thank you to Linda Charvat and Lazaro and Edward from Rosebay Nursery who planted new rhododendrons and azaleas.  Last week, Pastor Sal presented a $2,000 check on behalf of our church to the Sundance Center in Fennville to support Art and Horse Assisted Healing and Empowerment.  Thank you to all who expressed interest in the AED/CPR Training. The class will be offered three different times: Saturday, June 15 from 9 -11:30 .a.m. and from 12:30 to 3 p.m. and Saturday, June 22 from 9-11:30 a.m. Please sign the designated sheets in the Friendship Hall for the session you wish to attend. The cost is $20. Scholarships are available and observers are welcome to attend for free.  Douglas UCC has hired Mayotte Group Architects to explore possibilities about the expansion of our church facilities. All involved in our Groups and Committees are invited to join us on Thursday, May 16, at 7 p.m. in the Friendship Hall for a sharing of ideas with the architects, and everyone is invited to join us on Sunday, May 19 at 12:30 p.m. for another visioning session with the architects. Come share your input as we vision our future together.
 The Artz & Gardenz Studio Tour is Saturday, May 11 and Sunday, May 12 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.. Among the seven unique stops on the tour is Summerhouse Lavender Farm (owned by our church members, Dan McGavin and Carol Brown), where our own Mike VerMerris will be dsiplaying his artwork.
School Bond Meeting– All are invited to a coffee chat at Uncommon Grounds in Saugatuck on Monday, May 6 at 5 p.m. to ask questions and to learn more about the upcoming School Bond Proposal. Introduction to Shamanism: On Saturday, May 18, Margret Bazany, a Shamanic Practitioner and Douglas UCC church member, will be teaching an "Introduction to Shamanism" workshop in the Friendship Hall from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.. The cost is $50. If you are interested in attending, please contact Margret at margretbazany@gmail.com Saugatuck HS Band Concert - Tonight: Friday, May 3 at 7 p.m. at Saugatuck Center for the Arts. This is a fundraiser to benefit the band program. Tix are $27 and available at sc4a.org Potluck on May 12– Our 2nd Sunday of the Month Potluck is on Sunday, May 12 after our worship service. Please bring a dish to share. We are also in need of one or two people who can help clean-up afterwards. If you can help, please contact Karen Clark: kbclark@iusb.edu Financial Stewardship Report:Last Sunday, April 28: Attendance: 124 Collection Plate: $3,693.50 Online Giving: $1,037.94 Total: $4,731.44 Thank you for your generous giving which allows us to sustain our church community and our mission of service. Enjoy last Sunday's Music and Message:
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