A DUCC Tradition: The Burning Bowl This Sunday is the final Sunday of the year. As is our year-end tradition, we at Douglas UCC will be participating in a very powerful "end-of-year" ritual: The Burning Bowl ceremony. It's a ceremony of purification, transformation, and renewal. We hope you will join us this Sunday at 10am as we let old things pass away so that all things can be made new. Message by Pastor Sal. Special Music: "Letting Go" by Nancy Plantinga. Christmas Eve Candlelight Service:Our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service of the "Lessons & Carols" was so beautiful. Almost 200 people were in attendance! Thank you to our Art Guild; our Volunteer Coordinator, Mike VerMerris; our greeters and readers. And, a very special thank you to our Director of Music, Peter Black; our song leader, Stan Greene, and our amazing Douglas UCC Holiday Choir. 2019: A Year in the Life of Douglas UCCWow! 2019 was such an amazing year in the life of Douglas UCC! Please enjoy this end-of-year video slideshow. Our Sabbatical Time:From January through March, our church will be in sabbatical time. While our pastor goes into retreat for exercise, rest, writing and study, our congregation will take on the services as a way of growing together in community. If you're wondering where Pastor Sal is headed, this video gives a great view into the Spirit Mountain Retreat in Idyllwild, California. Holy Land Trip Information Meeting David Geen, our Holy Land Trip organizer, will have a meeting after service on Sunday, December 29, at 11:30 AM at the Spring Street house for all who are interested in the Holy Land Trip in October. Thank You! Thank you to all who contributed to last Sunday's special collection of the UCC's Christmas Fund. Thanks to your generous giving, we collected $387, which our church will match for a total of $774 to the United Church of Christ. Mid-Year Congregational Meeting Jan 5, 11:30amCongregational Meeting: A Congregational Meeting will be held in the Friendship Hall on Sunday, January 5, 2020, at 11:30 AM. We will be approving updates to the Church Constitution (copies are currently available for review in the Friendship Hall), as well as viewing architectural plans for potential church campus expansion. All church members are strongly encouraged to attend. Can't make it? We will livestream the event on Facebook, or you can dial in! Email welcome@douglasucc.org for details. A Taste of Stephen's Ministry: January 9 at 6 PM 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. Watch Last Sunday's Music and Message:
Financial Stewardship ReportDecember 22: Attendance: 156 Fundraiser, Ornaments: $203.00, Retreat House Use: $2000.00 Misc. Income: $250.00 Collection Plate: $5,072 Online Giving: $2,484.41 Total: $10,009.41 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'll focus on Mary, the mother of Jesus, but not on the mythical virgin, meek and mild. Instead, we'll consider the real Mary, courageous, radical and revolutionary. We'll also light the 4th and final Advent candle for "Love." Special music by Hannah Huggett. Christmas Greetings from the UCCPlease Consider our Christmas Church Fund This Sunday, we will be taking a special collection for the UCC's Christmas Fund. Since 1902, the Christmas Fund –– today one of four UCC Special Mission Offerings –– has provided assistance to clergy and lay employees who, after years of service to others, now find themselves facing unexpected needs. Please use the special "Christmas Fund" envelopes in the pews this Sunday to contribute to this fund. To learn more, visit UCC Christmas Fund. Spring Street Men's Group Christmas BowlThe Spring Street Men’s Group met for their Christmas party and bowling fest! Gratitude for our Gun Violence VigilSpecial thanks to Hannah Huggett and our church's Social Justice Team and to all who attended our Gun Violence vigil on December 14, including service speakers and volunteers, Jack Ridl, David James, Beverly Hawkes, Mike VerMerris, Ava Fink, and Pamela Chappell. Sabbatical Worship Volunteer Meeting There will be a short meeting on Sunday, December 22, at 11:30 AM at the Spring Street house for all Sabbatical Worship Volunteers. Christmas Treats Potluck, December 22 Please feel free to bring any Christmas cookies and other treats to share during coffee hour on Sunday, December 22. Our Ornament Available through Dec. 22 The beautiful Douglas UCC Christmas ornament is now available for sale. Designed and crafted in Poland, the ornament depicts the front of our church in winter. The cost is $25. We will be selling them in the Friendship Hall after Sunday worship until December 22. Christmas Eve Candlelight Service We hope you will join us for our annual Candlelight Service of “The Lessons & the Carols” on Christmas Eve at 6 PM. Holy Land Trip Informational Meeting David Geen, our Holy Land Trip organizer, will have a meeting after service on Sunday, December 29, at 11:30 a.m. at the Spring Street house for all who are interested in the Holy Land Trip in October. A Taste of Stephen's Ministry 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. Congregational Meeting: January 5Congregational Meeting: A Congregational Meeting will be held in the Friendship Hall on Sunday, January 5, 2020, at 11:30 AM. We will be approving updates to the Church Constitution (copies are currently available for review in the Friendship Hall), as well as viewing architectural plans for potential church campus expansion. All church members are strongly encouraged to attend. Can't make it? We will livestream the event on Facebook, or you can dial in! Email welcome@douglasucc.org for details. Watch Last Sunday's Music and Message:
Financial Stewardship ReportDecember 15: Attendance: 129 Collection Plate: $1,070 Online Giving: $944.91 Total: $2,014.91 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, 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. Sabbatical Worship Volunteer Meeting There will be a short meeting on Sunday, December 22, at 11:30 AM in the church for all Sabbatical Worship Volunteers. Christmas Treats Potluck, December 22 Please feel free to bring any Christmas cookies and other treats to share during coffee hour on Sunday, December 22. True North: The Masks We Wear The True North Women's Group held a mask-making workshop this month. Our church member, artist, Maryjo Lemanksi, and local artist Priscilla Lynch led the workshop. Each participant placed a strand of white in her mask. As we age, we embrace the color white. It enhances our lives as this strand of white will enhance our masks. In many Native American cultures, the color white is the symbol of North, Elders, Winter, Peace and Happiness. After the mask-making, church member, Josephine Berault, led a meaningful conversation about the masks we wear.  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.
 We hope you will join us for our annual Candlelight Service of “The Lessons & the Carols” on Christmas Eve at 6 PM.  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.  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. Click HERE for all the details, and watch this short video from "CBS This Morning" about the Jesus Trail: Watch Last Sunday's Music and Message:
Financial Stewardship Report: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.  Our Gospel reading for this Sunday (the 2nd Sunday of Advent) has John the Baptist proclaiming: "Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord!" Join us this Sunday at 10 AM, as we explore together what it means to "Prepare the Way." Message by Pastor Sal. Special Music by Gloria Larrieu. We will also be lighting our 2nd Advent wreath candle for "Peace."  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.  More exciting news! We are now a podcast! Yes, you can now listen to an audio library of Pastor Sal's inspiring messages from 2016-19 right on your phone, while working-out at the gym, or driving in your car. We're available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Spotify. Visit www.douglasucc.org/podcast for all the links. Thank you to our church member, Chris Clark, for all of his hard work in making this happen!  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.  The beautiful Douglas UCC Christmas ornament (pictured left) 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.  We hope you will join us for our annual Candlelight Service of “The Lessons & the Carols” on Christmas Eve at 6 PM.  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. Watch Last Sunday's Music & Message:
Financial Stewardship Report:December 1: Attendance: 137 Collection: $1,174 Online: $1,269.91 Total: $2,443.91 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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