In this week's E-Pistle, you'll find:
In this week's E-Pistle, you'll find:
 In this week's E-Pistle, you'll find:
In this week's E-Pistle, you'll find:
This Sunday: The Good Shepherd
In Sunday's Gospel reading, Jesus instructs his disciples to follow the shepherd's voice. Our UCC motto is "God is Still Speaking." How do we hear God's voice in our lives today? Join us online this Sunday at 10 AM for our Video Worship Service, as we learn how to listen more closely to our inner G.P.S. (God Positioning System), the Divine Voice within which is always leading us to pastures of plenty. Message: Pastor Sal. Music: Peter Black & Nancy Plantinga.
Tune in on Sunday at 10 AM via our Facebook page, YouTube channel, or here on ourwebsite. Weekly Zoom Meeting Invitation:
We are sending out emails each week with the post-church Friendship Hall Zoom address. If you aren't receiving the emails, please check your Spam folder/filter. If you find nothing there, write to Julie at Onlinechurch@douglasucc.org to check to see if we have your correct email address.
Zooming our Friendship Hall isn't perfect, but has been the best way for us to:
Wow! This past month, our Douglas UCC videos have had more than 11,000 views on YouTube, and we've added 115 new subscribers to our channel. Thank you to all for your support.
Watch Last Sunday's Service:
Thank you to all who tuned in last Sunday for our Video Worship Service. We even had people watching and commenting from South Africa and the UK! Thank you to our reader, Lynne Snyder, who joined us from her home; to Peter Black and Stan Greene for providing the music; and to Gregg Smith for recording it. If you missed the service, you can watch it here.
SAVE-the-DATE: Join us online on Friday, May 15, at 7 PM, for "United in Song: Music of Hope and Inspiration," a free Video Concert from our Douglas UCC Musicians.
Our Work in the World Continues...
During our Zoom Online Friendship Hall this past Sunday, we learned of the work in the world our fellow congregants are engaged in. Here's a round-up. Please follow the links or connect with these members if you have interest in helping out or learning more:.
We discussed the Governor's requirement that we wear masks in public -- we need more makers to place masks in the Retreat Hall Mask Box please. And Linda Charvat showed us her no-sew, effective, double-layered, filtered mask from old t-shirts (schematic above). See the #Masks4All explanation video and the instructions behind this link. Hannah Huggett and Gail (Gigi) Babel and their team are organizing the West Michigan Mutual Aid Network, and have a couple of first projects in mind for helping families in Fennville. Stay tuned for more news! Kirt Oliver and Larry Fuerst are raising concern that the blood banks need more blood to help treat Covid-19 patients, while many blood drives have been canceled. They ask us to please consider giving blood if we can. Click here to find the Red Cross' listings for local times and locations. Sarah Swift reported that the Creation Justice Team has been busy re-designing their offerings for distance learning and distance action. The local highway and beach cleanups have been canceled, but the team encourages you to mask-and-glove and clean the parks and roadways near you. Here are safety guidelines you can adapt to pick up trash on the beaches, hiking trails, and roads around you. Also, stay tuned for a re-designed Rain Gardens program, and a re-designed local food/local farmers program and book read. We shared a wish that Farmers' Markets would open up this weekend. While we wait, look at Pennyroyal Cafe and Provisions website and Facebook page for the CSA boxes they are offering, full of local farmers' and local food producers' goods. Also the Holland Farmers' Market has made this handy poster (download below) of local farms and food producers who are offering curbside pickup of their goods. The websites and Facebook pages of many of our local restaurants are featuring wonderfully creative ways they are responding to the pandemic. Check them out! 
Help Us Grow
Your Church is working hard to provide for our community and our spirit during this pandemic, continuing to do our peace and justice work. Without a Sunday collection plate, we are asking church members and friends to consider adopting a new habit of giving to the church: either online or by mail. It's so easy to give online from our website. Just click here. Or please consider mailing a check to: Douglas UCC, 56 Wall Street, PO Box 519, Douglas, MI 49406. We are so very grateful for your continued support of our church, especially during this time. Happy Birthdays & Anniversaries:May 1- Max Matteson & Bud Baty, 6- Luke Brunette, 7- Cathy North Birthday and Anniversary cards are a great way we can continue to reach out to one another during this time. If you wish to mail a card to one of our church members, addresses can be found in our Church Directory. If you don't have a directory, please let us know and we will email one to you. 
Congratulations to our church members, Bud Baty and Max Matteson, who are celebrating their 50th Anniversary this week! We are so grateful for their inspiration and for all they do in service of our church and our community. Prayer List
Phyllis Wallis (Kathy Austin's mother); Kristen Molitor (Ann Hopkins' daughter), John Willming; Drew Carter; Ferman Sims (father of Duce Sims); Howard McLauchlan (brother-in-law of Dale and Ted); Jeff Cooley (Jo Cooley's brother); Marcia Sullivan (Jo Cooley's friend), Len Lynch (Kathleen Mueller's brother); Curtis Coffin (Marty Coffin's brother).
Our educators, the caregivers and patients at Mary Freebed Hospital and on the U.S.S. Comfort, and in all of our hospitals and care centers during this Covid-19 pandemic. For the leaders and volunteers in every state and city who are stepping up to take care of people every day. All in the military and their families. All who are homeless or addicted or abused or neglected or rejected or hungry; The UCC; the Grand West Association; our Church Council; our Stephen Ministers; our church committees; our communities, our schools, our nation and our planet. To add/remove a name from the Prayer List, please email julie (at) douglasucc.org Financial Stewardship
April 26
Attendance for Online Service: 691 Weekly Online Giving: $2,394.23 Mailed-in Donations for the Month of April: $5,275 Thank you!! Your generous giving allows us to sustain our church community and our mission of service. Please consider giving online, which is easily done by clicking ONLINE GIVING. Or you may send checks by mail to: Douglas Congregational United Church of Christ 56 Wall Street, PO Box 519 Douglas, MI 49406 |
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56 Wall Street • Douglas, Michigan 49406
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