Douglas Congregational United Church of Christ • Douglas UCC
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Weekly E-Pistle: "1st Sunday of Advent" at Douglas UCC

11/29/2019

 
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This Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent, a time for us to prepare with great expectation for the birth of the Christ Light within us. This Sunday, we will be focusing on the theme of the first Advent candle: HOPE. Come join us this Sunday at 10 AM for an inspiring message of hope from Pastor Sal with special music by Peter Black and Stan Greene. 

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​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.


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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.

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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.

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Christmas Eve Choir rehearsal starts this Sunday at 11:25 AM  in the sanctuary.

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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.

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​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.

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​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.

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​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.

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We hope you will join us for our annual Candlelight Service of “The Lessons & the Carols” on Christmas Eve at 6 PM.

Watch Last Sunday's Music & Message:


Financial Stewardship Report:

November 24:  Attendance: 137   Collection Plate: $4,002.81    Online Giving: $2,044.41
Friendship Hall Use: $250     Total: 
$6,297.22
     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.

Weekly E-Pistle: "Reign of Love" - Sunday at Douglas UCC

11/22/2019

 
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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!

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​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.

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In the Friendship Hall this Sunday is the Christian Neighbors Holiday Giving Tree.

Hanging on the tree are gift requests from families in need in Allegan County. 

Please consider taking a request and purchasing the gift for them.

Place the unwrapped gift in the box next to the tree by Sunday,  December 8.

Thank you, as always, for your generous giving.

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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.

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​Sunday Treat Providers and Treat Coordinator-
​We are looking for a few more people to provide Sunday treats and to help with cleanup in 2020. If you might be able to help, please talk with or email Karen Clark at 
kbclark@iusb.edu.

We are also looking for a new treat coordinator. If you might consider serving in this role, please talk with Pastor Sal or Karen Clark.

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.

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Click below to read the latest editions of the Pastor's Report and Church Council Minutes:
pastors_report_november_2019.pdf
File Size: 125 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

council_minutes_october_2019.pdf
File Size: 95 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File


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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.

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​A Message from our church member, Jane Harrison:

"Dear Friends, I j
ust 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.


Watch Last Sunday's Music & Message:


Financial Stewardship Report:

November 17:  Attendance: 154   Collection Plate: $1,577    Online Giving: $1,218.54   
Total: 
$2,795.54
     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.

Weekly E-Pistle: "A New Earth" - Sunday at Douglas UCC

11/15/2019

 
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​In Sunday's reading from Isaiah 65:17-25, it says: "Listen for the still-speaking voice of God who declares, 'I am about to create new heavens and a new earth.'"  What will this "new earth" look like? Come join us on Sunday at 10 AM, as Pastor Sal talks about Eckhart Tolle's inspirational book, A New Earth, and how we are called to bring about the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth.
Special Music: "The Peace Canon" by Pamela Chappell.

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This Sunday, immediately following our worship service, we will be having a "Groups Fair."
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.

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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!​

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​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.

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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.

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​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.

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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.

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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.


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​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." 


Confused about what’s happening in the Middle East/North Africa?
Interfaith Action is hosting an informal conversation with Imam Mostafa Elsayed of the Islamic Association of SW Michigan to discuss recent political events. What’s going on with Iran, Saudi Arabia and Yemen?  How does Egypt factor in?  How are religious tensions playing out?  Come to discuss these and other questions: December 2 at 6 PM at South Haven UCC, 651 Phoenix Street, South Haven.

Watch Last Sunday's Music & Message:


Financial Stewardship Report:

November 10:  Attendance: 137   Collection Plate: $1,010    Online Giving: $2,465.41   
Retreat House Use: $50      Total: 
$3,525.41
     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.

Weekly E-Pistle: "God of the Living" - Sunday at Douglas UCC

11/8/2019

 
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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).

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Last week, our Douglas UCC Camino Pilgrims gathered at the beautiful home of church members, Betsy York and Demetrhea Terrien, to celebrate walking the Camino de Santiago in  Spain together one year ago.

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We had a blast at author ​Scott Stabile's "Love Yourself Madly” Workshop at Douglas UCC last weekend!

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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!

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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.

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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.

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​It's that time of year again! We will be 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!


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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.

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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. 

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​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. 

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We need volunteers to help with shoveling snow on the front stairs and sidewalks of the church on Sunday mornings before church this winter.  Please sign the sheet in the Friendship Hall if you can help. Thank you so much!

Watch Last Sunday's Music & Message:


Financial Stewardship Report:

November 3:  Attendance: 148   Collection Plate: $1,158     Online Giving: $1,697.66​   
Retreat House Use: $600      Total: 
$3,455.66
     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.

Weekly E-Pistle: "For All the Saints" - Sunday at Douglas UCC

11/1/2019

 
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In Sunday's Gospel, Jesus talks about salvation. The terms "salvation" and "being saved" are very misunderstood. What is salvation? How does one become saved? This Sunday at 10 AM, we'll learn about the history of the church's concept of salvation and get the the Truth of Jesus' message of freedom. And, in honor of All Saints Day, we will conclude our Sunday service in the Memorial Garden behind the church with a "Remembrance of Names," honoring our loved ones who have died. Special Music: Pamela Chappell.

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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.

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​It's that time of year again! We will be 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 the every Sunday in November. Please drop off your bags of flour on the designated table in the Friendship Hall. Thank you!


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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.

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The Douglas UCC Christmas Choir will have a short informational and organizational meeting in the sanctuary directly following the service this Sunday. 

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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.

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​We need volunteers to help with shoveling snow on the front stairs and sidewalks of the church on Sunday mornings before church this winter.  Please sign the sheet in the Friendship Hall if you can help. Thank you so much!

Watch Last Sunday's Music & Message:


Financial Stewardship Report:

October 27:  Attendance: 126   Collection Plate: $1,320     Online Giving: $1,019.41​   
Retreat House Use: $250      Total: 
$2,589.41
     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.

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© 2023. Douglas Congregational United Church of Christ. All Rights Reserved.
  • About Us ▾
    • Meditation Garden
    • Retreat House
    • Our Staff
    • Our Stories
    • About Douglas UCC
  • Connect & Serve
  • Worship & Music Videos ▾
    • Podcast Library 🔊
    • Homily Library 📖
  • Calendar & E-pistle ▾
    • E-pistle
  • Contact
  • Giving