In This Week's E-Pistle, You Will Find:
This Sunday's Service — Easter Sunday:
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Last Sunday's Service — Palm Sunday: "Everybody Loves a Parade"
Last Sunday marked the beginning of Holy Week, the most sacred time on the Christian Church calendar. On that Palm Sunday, we focused on two processions: one of cheers and palms (Jesus's procession into Jerusalem)...and one of jeers and pain (Jesus's procession to the cross). Please enjoy last Sunday's service, led by Reverends Doug Petersen and Jim DeVries.
Message: .Rev. Doug Petersen. Music: Peter Black and Jeff Spangler
Message: .Rev. Doug Petersen. Music: Peter Black and Jeff Spangler
This Sunday, Welcome Church Member Rev. Linda Knieriemen
Rev Knieriemen came to Douglas UCC after retiring from 16 years as pastor/head of staff at the First Presbyterian Church of Holland. Previous calls included 10 years as Associate Pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Grand Rapids, (both churches LGBTQ+ advocates and allies) and 2 years at the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York City as Interim Associate Pastor. She holds degrees from both U of M’s (Minnesota and Michigan) and an MDiv from Princeton Theological Seminary. Her first career was in Nutrition and Dietetics and took her to hospitals in Des Moines and Minneapolis and motivated her to serve as a Peace Corps Health Volunteer in Fiji. Friends used to quip “once you fed bodies and now you feed souls.”
Living in Holland, Linda works a few hours a week at the Carolyn Stich Studio in Holland and volunteers for the Food Club at Community Action House. She is also a student of Russian Orthodox Iconography.' Married to David Walter for 20 years, Linda was widowed in 2020 and maintains contact with some of David’s 11 adult grandchildren. Her 7 year old Springer Spaniel, Porter, provides companionship and never-ending energy around her home.
Living in Holland, Linda works a few hours a week at the Carolyn Stich Studio in Holland and volunteers for the Food Club at Community Action House. She is also a student of Russian Orthodox Iconography.' Married to David Walter for 20 years, Linda was widowed in 2020 and maintains contact with some of David’s 11 adult grandchildren. Her 7 year old Springer Spaniel, Porter, provides companionship and never-ending energy around her home.
Easter Message from UCC's General Minister, Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson
Here our denomination's general minister, Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson celebrates that we we are a people of resurrection: “On Easter, we will gather at the empty tomb and experience again the large stone which was rolled away. We will marvel with the women who were the first to know that Jesus was alive and had triumphed over death. We will remember and give thanks for the stones that have been removed from the tombs of our lives.”
Still, Thompson says, we cannot forget those for whom that kind of hope is far away. “May our witness be stronger than the forces that hold others back from flourishing,” praying that the power of the Holy Spirit will bring an abundance of hope for all.
Still, Thompson says, we cannot forget those for whom that kind of hope is far away. “May our witness be stronger than the forces that hold others back from flourishing,” praying that the power of the Holy Spirit will bring an abundance of hope for all.
Looking for Church Council Candidates
Photo by Mark Pan4ratte on Unsplash
Two of our council members have served out their terms, and Council is now accepting nominations for two posts. We are looking for a new Trustee, who coordinates the care and upkeep of our campus, as Kelly Wright completes his term, and a Councilor-at-Large as Stan Greene retires from that position. Many thanks and blessings to Kelly and Stan for their amazing service to our church. If you are someone or know someone who might take on these important roles in the church, please email administrative assistant Julie Ridl.
Opening on the Grant Proposal Committee -- Help us help the people?
Photo by micheile henderson on Unsplash
Our Grant Proposals Committee has an opening! This group meets to receive and review requests for grants from the community and makes recommendations to our Church Council for approval. Our church member Sue Fleming has stepped down from the committee (Thank you for your years of service, Sue!). If you would like to be considered for the post, contact our church administrator, Julie Ridl, or our church member, Mike Mok.
Bakers Welcomed: Communion Unleavened Bread Bakers Wanted!
For many years, our church member and friend Elaine Troehler has baked the unleavened bread for our communion service. She has decided it is time to hand this good work over to one or more people in the congregation, and is happy to teach anyone willing to perform this service for the church, alone or as part of a team of bakers. There is a sign-up sheet in the friendship hall for those who wish to learn to bake our communion bread. Let us know if this is you, and we will find a date for our Unleavened Bread class.
Social Justice Team Presents: And They Were Wonderful Teachers: How the History of LGBTQ+ Teachers Informs Current School Battles, April 11 and May 31
Our DUCC Social Justice Team, together with the Saugatuck-Douglas District Library, presents a two-part program featuring historian Karen L. Graves:
Part 1: Douglas Congregational United Church of Christ, April 11, 7:00 p.m.
"They Were Wonderful Teachers: How the History of LGBTQ+ Teachers Informs Current School Battles"
Part 2: Saugatuck-Douglas District Library, May 31, 4:30pm
"The Fight Isn't Over": How the History of LGBTQ+ Teachers Informs Current School Battles"
Education historian Karen Graves will highlight elements from the history of LGBTQ+ educators that put our current school battles in historical context.
On April 11th she will discuss the most intense state purge of LGBTQ+ teachers on record, detailing the impact of the Florida Legislative Investigation Committee (1956-1965).
On May 31st she will discuss how LGBTQ+ educators across the nation turned to the courts to protect their jobs, beginning in the late 1960s.
In both talks Graves will discuss why schools have been fierce battlegrounds in the fight for LGBTQ+ civil rights.
Karen Graves is Professor Emerita at Denison University. Her book, And They Were Wonderful Teachers: Florida’s Purge of Gay and Lesbian Teachers, was awarded a 2010 Critics Choice Book Award from the American Educational Studies Association. Other publications include Mad River, Marjorie Rowland, and the Quest for LGBTQ Teachers’ Rights, co-authored with Margaret A. Nash; Girls’ Schooling during the Progressive Era: From Female Scholar to Domesticated Citizen; and Inexcusable Omissions: Clarence Karier and the Critical Tradition in History of Education Scholarship, co-edited with Timothy Glander and Christine Shea.
In 2020 the History of Education Society (HES) named Graves’ 2012 article, “‘So, You Think You Have a History?’: Taking a Q from Lesbian and Gay Studies in Writing Education History,” among the Top 10 list of articles from the 60-year archive of the History of Education Quarterly. Graves is a Past President of HES and a former Vice-President in the American Educational Research Association (AERA), Division F: History and Historiography. She is a past recipient of the Charles and Nancy Brickman Distinguished Service Chair and the Charles A. Brickman Teaching Excellence Award at Denison. In 2013 Graves was recognized as a recipient of the Education Alumni Association Distinguished Alumni Award at the University of Illinois. In 2015 AERA recognized her with its Queer Studies Body of Work Award.
Part 1: Douglas Congregational United Church of Christ, April 11, 7:00 p.m.
"They Were Wonderful Teachers: How the History of LGBTQ+ Teachers Informs Current School Battles"
Part 2: Saugatuck-Douglas District Library, May 31, 4:30pm
"The Fight Isn't Over": How the History of LGBTQ+ Teachers Informs Current School Battles"
Education historian Karen Graves will highlight elements from the history of LGBTQ+ educators that put our current school battles in historical context.
On April 11th she will discuss the most intense state purge of LGBTQ+ teachers on record, detailing the impact of the Florida Legislative Investigation Committee (1956-1965).
On May 31st she will discuss how LGBTQ+ educators across the nation turned to the courts to protect their jobs, beginning in the late 1960s.
In both talks Graves will discuss why schools have been fierce battlegrounds in the fight for LGBTQ+ civil rights.
Karen Graves is Professor Emerita at Denison University. Her book, And They Were Wonderful Teachers: Florida’s Purge of Gay and Lesbian Teachers, was awarded a 2010 Critics Choice Book Award from the American Educational Studies Association. Other publications include Mad River, Marjorie Rowland, and the Quest for LGBTQ Teachers’ Rights, co-authored with Margaret A. Nash; Girls’ Schooling during the Progressive Era: From Female Scholar to Domesticated Citizen; and Inexcusable Omissions: Clarence Karier and the Critical Tradition in History of Education Scholarship, co-edited with Timothy Glander and Christine Shea.
In 2020 the History of Education Society (HES) named Graves’ 2012 article, “‘So, You Think You Have a History?’: Taking a Q from Lesbian and Gay Studies in Writing Education History,” among the Top 10 list of articles from the 60-year archive of the History of Education Quarterly. Graves is a Past President of HES and a former Vice-President in the American Educational Research Association (AERA), Division F: History and Historiography. She is a past recipient of the Charles and Nancy Brickman Distinguished Service Chair and the Charles A. Brickman Teaching Excellence Award at Denison. In 2013 Graves was recognized as a recipient of the Education Alumni Association Distinguished Alumni Award at the University of Illinois. In 2015 AERA recognized her with its Queer Studies Body of Work Award.
Caregivers Support Continuing, Tuesdays through May
photo by Tyler Nix on Unsplash
Tuesday mornings through May: 10:30 to noon at Retreat House
If you are actively caregiving a loved one, you are welcome to meet at the Retreat House every Tuesday morning through May from 10:30 to noon. Come as you are, and you will be welcomed with an opportunity for caring and sharing.
Caregiving for a loved one is challenging work - physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Often, the only person who can offer understanding and support is another caregiver. Someone who can share experience and learning, and give us strength to continue our journey. We can be that support for each other. No sign up needed. Our schedule as caregivers needs to be really flexible. Just show up when you can. Rev. Marty and other caregivers will be waiting to embrace and support you.
Also: Caregivers Lunch at Evergreen Commons! Tuesday, April 2nd at 12:30
Following our Caregivers Support meeting on Tuesday, April 2nd, our group will travel to Evergreen Commons in Holland to share a lunch of fellowship. A representative of Evergreen Commons will be on-hand to answer questions about their mission and programs. There will be an opportunity to take a tour, if interested.
What is Evergreen Commons?
Evergreen Commons is a nonprofit community center serving Ottawa and Allegan counties. Evergreen provides services to clients in their home, including respite and homemaking. Services located at Evergreen’s campus include adult day programming, and a senior recreational center. For more information, contact Rev. Marty at: [email protected]
If you are actively caregiving a loved one, you are welcome to meet at the Retreat House every Tuesday morning through May from 10:30 to noon. Come as you are, and you will be welcomed with an opportunity for caring and sharing.
Caregiving for a loved one is challenging work - physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Often, the only person who can offer understanding and support is another caregiver. Someone who can share experience and learning, and give us strength to continue our journey. We can be that support for each other. No sign up needed. Our schedule as caregivers needs to be really flexible. Just show up when you can. Rev. Marty and other caregivers will be waiting to embrace and support you.
Also: Caregivers Lunch at Evergreen Commons! Tuesday, April 2nd at 12:30
Following our Caregivers Support meeting on Tuesday, April 2nd, our group will travel to Evergreen Commons in Holland to share a lunch of fellowship. A representative of Evergreen Commons will be on-hand to answer questions about their mission and programs. There will be an opportunity to take a tour, if interested.
What is Evergreen Commons?
Evergreen Commons is a nonprofit community center serving Ottawa and Allegan counties. Evergreen provides services to clients in their home, including respite and homemaking. Services located at Evergreen’s campus include adult day programming, and a senior recreational center. For more information, contact Rev. Marty at: [email protected]
It's Not Too Late to Try Living the Questions!
Rev. Linda Knieriemen invites anyone interested in delving into the last section of Living the Questions to join her group. Beginning April 14 and ending May 19 right after church (11:30-ish), Rev. Linda will cover the section titled: Transformation.
Topics will include: Social Justice, Incarnation, Prayer, Compassion, and Creative Transformation.
Even if you haven’t participated in earlier chapters, don’t be shy: join us! The last section covers fewer than 100 pages, but offers an opportunity to dig into the beauty and mysteries of Progressive Christianity.
If you have questions, contact Linda by email.
Topics will include: Social Justice, Incarnation, Prayer, Compassion, and Creative Transformation.
Even if you haven’t participated in earlier chapters, don’t be shy: join us! The last section covers fewer than 100 pages, but offers an opportunity to dig into the beauty and mysteries of Progressive Christianity.
If you have questions, contact Linda by email.
International Dark Sky Week begins on Tuesday, April 3
International Dark Sky Week begins on Tuesday, April 3. Darkness is good for our emotional and spiritual wellbeing and going outdoors at night can help you focus inward and listen for the Christ. Most people in our area can still see a beautiful starry sky at night, but that’s changing very quickly. Bad lighting continues to be installed and we needlessly direct light upwards at night. It’s not only ugly, it’s also wasteful, dangerous, and unhealthy. Because God asked us to take care of this earthly garden, the Creation Justice Team wants you to become a citizen scientist. You’ll need a smartphone, but you can do this at your own home and it only takes fifteen minutes. Here’s what you do: go outside on a cloudless night after 9:30 and use our easy directions to find the constellation Leo. Compare what you see with a screen on your phone and tap the screen a couple of times. That’s it! Printed instructions will be available during the Coffee Hour on Sunday, March 31 or you can download them here. People around the world have made more than 200,000 measurements this way and researchers use the data to update a public map of light pollution. We hope you’ll join us in this little project. Learn more about bad outdoor lighting on the team’s dark sky web page.
Can You Support Team Donovan in MS Walk for a Cure on April 20?
Each year, Team Donovan hits the road, raising money to fuel research for a cure and treatments for people with Multiple Sclerosis, like our church member Sarah Donovan. Sarah and her team invite you to walk with her, and/or support her team on their April 20 walk in Grand Rapids. It's so easy to donate online here:
Will You People the Holland Pride Booth?
Pride Month Planning is in the air, and Douglas UCC plans to support our events here in Douglas, of course, as well as the Holland Pride celebration. The question is, shall we also have a booth at the event in Holland on June 29? The answer is: That depends on You! If we have enough booth volunteers... yes! If you think you could work the pride booth in Holland on June 29, email Julie Ridl to let her know! And stay tuned for our Douglas Community Pride News!
Healthy Aging from a Neuropsychological Perspective, Online, April 13
On April 13, The Well Spirituality Center in Chicago is hosting our church member Dr. Shannon Connell, giving her talk on the Neuropsychology of Aging. If you missed Shannon giving this program here at DUCC, here's a chance to catch up with her, and get an update while also supporting The Well Spirituality Center.
Topics addressed will include the process of normal aging from a neuropsychological perspective, normal and abnormal cognition, healthy habits for a healthy brain, and tools for maintaining a vibrant mind/body/spirit connection. The positive impact of spiritual and physical practices will be explored. Discover ways in which continued enrichment of the mind and body may be maintained.
Participants have the option to meet In-Person at The Well or to join on Zoom
Registrants will receive Zoom sign-in information via email upon registration + a reminder the day before the program.
Dr. Connell has served as the Coordinator of Neuropsychology at Mercy Health’s Memory Clinic, Muskegon, MI for five years. She has maintained a private practice since 2008. Research areas include: cognitive health, resilience, and mindfulness-based meditation. Dr. Connell conducted a trial study for The Alzheimer’s Association in mindfulness meditation, resilience, and psychological well-being in caregivers of persons with dementia.
Topics addressed will include the process of normal aging from a neuropsychological perspective, normal and abnormal cognition, healthy habits for a healthy brain, and tools for maintaining a vibrant mind/body/spirit connection. The positive impact of spiritual and physical practices will be explored. Discover ways in which continued enrichment of the mind and body may be maintained.
Participants have the option to meet In-Person at The Well or to join on Zoom
Registrants will receive Zoom sign-in information via email upon registration + a reminder the day before the program.
Dr. Connell has served as the Coordinator of Neuropsychology at Mercy Health’s Memory Clinic, Muskegon, MI for five years. She has maintained a private practice since 2008. Research areas include: cognitive health, resilience, and mindfulness-based meditation. Dr. Connell conducted a trial study for The Alzheimer’s Association in mindfulness meditation, resilience, and psychological well-being in caregivers of persons with dementia.
Prayer Requests
Rev. Marchiene Rienstra Family; Fred Hamlin; Debra Carr; Ann and Jim Hopkins; The Chappell-Wehle Family; Carol Brown and Dan McGavin; David Miedema, his parents and family; Karl Fahlstrom (Tom Fahlstrom's brother); John Kerr; Mike Mok; Dave and Shirley Lawson; Clark McMillion (Chris Clark's friend); Ruth Fahlstrom (daughter of Tom Fahlstrom); Nancy Grib (Friend of Pamela Chappell); Stuart Family; Charlene Burdick (Paul Burdick's Mother); Diane Carr (Debra Carr's Sister); Myron (Wendy Hamlin's grandson, Fred Hamilin's great-grandson); Mary Westenbroek; Brian Aikens; Jerry Elpers and family (Beth Howley's Dad); Edie Plantinga (Nancy Plantinga's mother); Max Matteson; Eric Cooley (Jo Cooley's brother); Nicole and John (Wendy Hamlin's daughter-in-law and son)
Birthdays & Anniversaries
Birthdays: March 31- Pamela Chappell, April 1- Nancy Plantinga
Anniversaries: April 4- Bill Klatt & Jim McHugh
Birthday and Anniversary cards are a great way we can reach out to one another. If you wish to mail a card to one of our church members, addresses can be found in our Church Directory.
Anniversaries: April 4- Bill Klatt & Jim McHugh
Birthday and Anniversary cards are a great way we can reach out to one another. If you wish to mail a card to one of our church members, addresses can be found in our Church Directory.
Stewardship Drive
Stewardship Drive Giving Week ending March 24
Pledges to Date = $228,800.00
Pledge Fulfillment to date = $122,036.53
Thank you to all who pledged toward our Campus Stewardship Drive. Weekly Stewardship Drive totals are posted here and on the giant ‘thermometer’ poster in the Friendship Hall. If you have not received a pledge card, you can pick one up in the Friendship Hall. Or you can help us reach our goal of $275,000 by giving online here:
Pledges to Date = $228,800.00
Pledge Fulfillment to date = $122,036.53
Thank you to all who pledged toward our Campus Stewardship Drive. Weekly Stewardship Drive totals are posted here and on the giant ‘thermometer’ poster in the Friendship Hall. If you have not received a pledge card, you can pick one up in the Friendship Hall. Or you can help us reach our goal of $275,000 by giving online here:
Financial Stewardship
In-Person Attendance, March 24: 70
Total Views for March 24 worship videos: 198
Collection Plate & Mailed Donations: $1,473.00
Online Giving: $3,693.60
Total, General Support: $5,166.60
Thank you!!
Your generous giving allows us to sustain our church community and our mission of service in the world. Please consider giving online, which is easily done by
texting your donation amount to 844-931-2849.
Total Views for March 24 worship videos: 198
Collection Plate & Mailed Donations: $1,473.00
Online Giving: $3,693.60
Total, General Support: $5,166.60
Thank you!!
Your generous giving allows us to sustain our church community and our mission of service in the world. Please consider giving online, which is easily done by
texting your donation amount to 844-931-2849.
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