 In This Week's E-Pistle, You Will Find:BEING THE CHURCH
BEING THE CHURCHThis Week's Service: Eighth Sunday after Pentecost -- Fool! In most versions of the Bible he's called a rich fool or something close to that. Pretty strong language for someone who ran a successful agricultural enterprise. One translation of the story found in the 12th chapter of Luke calls him a Greedy Farmer. I have issues with that! This unnamed, hard-working man of the soil just wants to build up and expand his business by tearing down the old barns and storage sheds in favor of new ones. On the surface, it makes good business sense. Ancient capitalism at its best. Living the American dream. Or is it? This Sunday also begins a memorable week that occurred 80 years ago. On August 6th & 9th, we dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing more than 200,000 Japanese civilians. That devastation ended WW II. We won the war... and we're still paying the price. Please join us on Sunday at 10am in our Sanctuary, or online, live on our Youtube Channel. Message: Rev. Dan Plasman Music: Peter Black, Jeff Spangler, Nancy Plantinga You will always find our latest church bulletin and service music at Bit.ly/DUCCBulletin 
Last Week's Service: Seventh Sunday after Pentecost -- Cleanliness is Next to Godliness? Last week Jody wondered, what if complicating the narrative or nuancing the story is a more helpful way to investigate the world? She points to our habit of wringing the meaning away from our world and each other in our simplistic organization of everything into binaries. Our text for last week spoke of clean and dirty and light in the darkness. Instead we imagined the value of light and dark, what is clean and dirty. And everything in between. Click above for the whole service, below for Jody's reflection. Jody and Dan's Office Hours This Week
Save These Dates: Social Justice Team Conversations Our Social Justice Team has been busy making connections, and inviting local thought leaders to come to our church and help us understand current challenges to Justice For All in our communities. Here are the upcoming dates and times already scheduled. Stay tuned for more from the SJT. Thurs August 14, 6:15 pm, Mark Neidlinger, Saugatuck Public Schools Superintendent Thurs Sept 11, 6:15 pm, Jane Dickie, Indivisible Thurs Oct 9, 6:15 pm, Claudia Berry, League of Women Voters Thurs Nov 13, 6:15 pm, Lighthouse Immigration Services Representative to speak All events are scheduled for our beautiful new Friendship Hall. All are welcome! Listening Ear: Do You Need to Be Heard? Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash Our Listening Ear service has been a great help to our congregation during a tumultuous time, and so, after a successful trial period, this highly trained team of empathic folks -- Paul Burdick, Pat Denner, and Doug Sipsma -- will be continuing the service. Their premise is, everyone goes through rough patches in life. Sometimes stress can feel overwhelming. Talking to a caring human helps in so many, sometimes immeasurable, sometimes mystical ways. Our listeners are available at the Isabel Graham conference room on Thursday afternoons from 1 to 3 pm. Inquirers? New Members? Let's Get You Ready. Photo by Getty Image on Unsplash DUCC will be receiving new members on Sunday August 24 during the worship service. If you haven't taken an Inquirer's Class but would like to join the Church, please reach out to Jody ([email protected] or 616-706-3549) or fill out a welcome card from the back of the pews in the sanctuary, and put it in the Offering Plate, so we can get you ready. Thanks! Can You Help Us With Cleanup After Service?  We are looking for a few new folks to help with coffee hour clean up. Specifically, with the glass communion cups. We have a new process in place that takes just a little extra time. If you can help once a month or so, please make your availability known by signing up in the Isabel Graham Center during coffee hour. Thanks! Prayer Requests Lucille Corbin; Jean Hotwagner (Annie Hotwagner's Mom); Nancy VanDyke; Debra Carr and Carr Family; Orie Hawkes; Tony & Stephanie (Wendy Hamlin's family); Maciek (Matt) Wozniak (Robert Fisher's partner); Family of Fred Hamlin; Elinor Hite (Virginia Stuart’s sister); Dave Lawson; Christine Kerney; Nancy Plantinga and her family; Dan McGavin and Family of Carol Brown; Rev. Marchiene Rienstra Family; Ann and Jim Hopkins; James Higgins (friend of Shane Anderson and Michael Tuleja), Joe Scarpone (friend of Tom Fahlstrom); John Kerr; Ruth Fahlstrom (Tom Fahlstrom’s daughter); Mary Westenbroek; Jerry Elpers and family (Beth Howley's dad); Max Matteson; Eric Cooley (Jo Cooley's brother) Birthdays & Anniversaries This WeekBirthdays August 5: Paul Kerney August 9: Bob Kenny Anniversaries August 6: Shane Anderson & Michael Tuleja 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. Grant Committee Application Online Photo by Micheile Hendersen on Unsplash Our Grant Committee -- the group who review grant requests from area non-profits for funds from our Isabel Graham fund and congregational offerings, has worked to make the grant application process more accessible to more area organizations. Please make your favorite non-profits aware of this funding source by sharing the link and/or QR code below to your favorite local non-profit groups. Both the link and the code will take them to the online form where they can submit their request. The online address for the grant request form is here: bit.ly/IG-Grant-App Or share this QR code to navigate to the online form:  Financial StewardshipIn-Person Attendance, July 27: 96 Total Views for July 27 worship videos: 102 Collection Plate & Mailed Donations: $4,907.00 Online Giving: $1,434.30 Douglas Social: $200.00 Total, General Support: $6,541.30 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. Church Calendar When you have events to schedule anywhere on campus, click the button below, scan the calendar for a spot, then contact [email protected] to make your reservation. Reservations are first come, first served. Emailing is always best so she can keep track of requests. VOLUNTEERING & GIVINGLetters for Gaza Here's an opportunity to add to our prayers for Gaza: A letter-writing campaign to participate in and share with your friends and neighbors. It's always a good time to demand action from our representatives. The power of now is joining in a national movement to do so. CLASSESQigong! Photo by Sajad Nori on Unsplash Once again Kat VanHammen will be offering Qigong at the backyard of the Retreat House on Tuesdays at 3pm. Qigong is a wonderful 5,000 year-old practice from China, very much like Tai Chi. It involves simple movements that build strength, flexibility, balance and well being. It also employs visualization, breath, and mindfulness to integrate the body, mind, and spirit and develop our felt sense of Interbeing. Class is one hour long and involves both sitting and standing practice although it can be done sitting if needed. There is a requested donation of $10 per class but for those of you on limited incomes, any amount will be gratefully received. Save the Date, September 25, Line Dancing! Photo by Polina Kuzofkova on UnSplash Thursday September 25, from 6:30 to 8pm, the church is holding an evening of Line Dancing with instructor, Linda Booker. See Shannon Connell, Virginia Stuart, or Betsy York for questions. More details to follow! AROUND TOWNLibrary Used Book Sale, August 14-16 The Friends of the Saugatuck-Douglas District Library raises money for special projects not in the library budget. They are holding a sale of used books, at the Library, in mid-August. All proceeds will help the library with special programming. August 14, 12 to 6 pm August 15, 10 to 6 pm August 16, 10 to 2 pm Drumming the Dream Banners with Kat VanHammen Are you good with cloth? Stitching? Quilting? Our pal Kat is participating in a drum meeting in Washington DC on September 13th. Prayer flags will hang all around this gathering, and we are invited to create our own dream banners to be included in this happening. Kat will be happy to deliver and hang them if you can finish yours by September 5. See poster above for all the info. West Shore Aware White Party -- Mardi Gras Carnival! -- August 16 They are going fast (13 tickets left as I type this), but still a few seats available at the summer's big funder for West Shore Aware -- the folks who have been making things better for our LGBTQIA+ community for more than 20 years. Hit their website to learn about their history and see all the amazing organizations this funder supports. Follow the button below to snap up these last seats! DUCC Men's Coffee & Conversation |
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56 Wall Street • Douglas, Michigan 49406
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