First Sunday in Season of Creation

9/4/2026

Photo by Timo Volz on Unsplash

In This Week's E-Pistle, You Will Find

This Week's Service: The Great Work and the Little Work
Two Summer Services - 8:15 & 10:15! Please, Join Us
Jody, Dan & Claire's Office Hours This Week
DUCC Campus Custodian Needed
Second Sunday Luncheons Are Back!
Auditions for The Best Christmas Pageant Ever Play at DUCC
Social Justice - Saugatuck Public Schools, Gas & Food Card Drive
Creation Justice - Native Plant Restoration Project & Looking for Copies of Refugia Faith
Memorial Garden Updated on Find A Grave
Prayer Requests
Birthdays & Anniversaries This Week
Update on Our Financial Reporting
Financial Stewardship
Coffee Hour Volunteers Needed
Last Week's Service: Recognizing Burning Bushes When You See Them
Church Calendar

THANK YOUs

Many Thanks for DUCC's Generous Summer Food Donations!

UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST NEWS

Grand West Association Prayer Circle, Park Congregational UCC
First Park Congregational Church 190th Anniversary Celebration, Sept 11-13

CLASSES

Qigong & Tea! Tuesdays at 3pm, Friendship Hall

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Out of the Darkness Walk for Suicide Prevention in September & October
Thanks for Ladders of Hope & Carolyn Moen!
Soul Collage September 19, Finding Resilience to Meet the Autumn Season
DUCC's Afghan Family is Growing - A Used SUV/Minivan is Needed
Stand in Protest - Holland, Fridays from 12-1pm
Men's Coffee and Conversation

This Week's Service: The Great Work and the Little Work

Photo by Akshat Vats on Unsplash

In 1989 Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios I proclaimed September 1 as a Day of Prayer for Creation for the Eastern Orthodox Church. In 2007 the Third European Ecumenical Assembly proposed extending the single day into a multi-week observance. In 2008 the World Council of Churches invited Christian communities worldwide to observe a "Time for Creation." In 2015 Pope Francis established September 1 as the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation in the Roman Catholic Church. Today, the season is widely embraced across Orthodox, Catholic, Anglican, and Protestant traditions, supported by an ecumenical steering committee that provides yearly themes and liturgical resources. We honor the Season of Creation for the month of September in light of the ongoing concerns of climate change.

This month we will be looking back at the themes in the Book Refugia Faith by Dr. Debra Rienstra, a DUCC book read in 2022. Refugium are places where, in the midst of disturbances, life continues to not just survive, but flourish with hope for the future. Our wondering together will be, how do we become refugia as a faith community, looking to creation as our teacher.

Please join us, Sunday at 8:15 or 10:15 am in our Sanctuary, or 10:15 am online, live on our Youtube Channel.
Message: Rev. Jody Betten
Music: Peter Black, Jeff Spangler, Lauri Donaldson

DUCC Bulletin/Hymns September 6
File Size:	1718 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

Last Sunday for Two Services - 8:15 & 10:15

Jody, Dan & Claire's Office Hours This Week

JODY'S EMAIL

DAN'S EMAIL

For The Week of September 6:
Tuesday: 3-8pm, Jody
Thursday: 10-4, Dan & Jody
Friday: 10-3pm, Dan

Claire's Office Hours:
Tuesday: 9-4pm
Wednesday: 8-3pm
Friday: 9-4pm

Dan and Jody each work half time. Some of their hours each week are worked in their home office. Some of their hours are spent in Douglas. Some of their hours in Douglas are in the office and some are in the community. If you would like to meet with one of them, please contact them directly by text or email to set up a time.
Jody: 616-706-3549; Dan: 616-828-2293;

If you receive an email from Jody or Dan asking for money, this is a scam.

DUCC Campus Custodian Needed

DUCC is looking for a reliable, detail-oriented person to help care for our campus.
The Campus Custodian helps keep our church buildings and grounds clean, safe,
welcoming, and ready for Sunday activities, programs, meetings, rentals, and
community guests.
We’re looking for someone who:

Takes pride in doing quality work
Can work independently and reliably
Has custodial, housekeeping, or related experience
Is comfortable with a flexible schedule, including evenings and weekends
Enjoys helping create a welcoming environment for others

This is a contract position, with the schedule, services, and compensation established
by agreement.
Interested—or know someone who might be a great fit? Please contact Dan Plasman for more information or to express interest.

DAN'S EMAIL

Second Sunday Luncheons are Back!
Next Luncheon is September 13

Second Sunday Luncheons are back! Please join us, & help us continue to create community while sharing a meal together. Bring what you are able (entrees, salads, desserts, bread etc...) and if you can't bring anything, please bring yourself. All are welcome!

If you are interested in helping with set up, clean up, please email Karla Block.

KARLA'S EMAIL

Auditions at DUCC for The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER
READER’S THEATRE PRODUCTION
Directed by Tom Fahlstrom

If you are interested in being part of this performance which will be on either Sunday afternoon, December 13 or 20th here at DUCC, please sign up on the form in Friendship Hall. Auditions will be on Tuesday, September 8th in Friendship Hall 6:30-8:30. Rehearsals will be on Tuesdays from 6:30-8:30 with one or two more the week of the show, especially Saturday, Dec. 12 or 19th. Parts for 8-10 people. Ever want to let your inner child come forth and have some fun. This is your chance!

Reader’s Theatre is exactly what it says. It is taking a piece of literature and interpreting it using the voice and body. It is read, so there is no memorization required. You will have the script in a black folder and a stool to sit on when you are not reading. There will be some movement to different locations in the setting. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at 734-657-6273 or email.

Synopsis: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson tells the story of the Herdman siblings, notorious for their misbehavior, who unexpectedly take on the roles of Mary, Joseph, and the Angel in the church's Christmas pageant. Their unconventional interpretation of the Christmas story challenges the community's perceptions and ultimately leads to a heartfelt and authentic portrayal of the nativity. The pageant becomes a transformative experience for both the Herdmans and the audience, highlighting the true spirit of Christmas.

TOM'S EMAIL

Social Justice - Saugatuck Public Schools, Gas & Food Card Drive

Last May, during a meeting with Superintendent Mark Neidlnger, of the Saugatuck Public Schools, we learned that the families of up to 30% of the students attending our public schools may face food or housing insecurity or difficulty affording gas. We asked for ways we could help address these challenges and Mark provided 4 ideas our team members subsequently voted on. Two ideas emerged as top vote getters and now we would like to ask for your support for the first initiative.

We will be holding a collection for 2 weeks this September (September 13th and 20th) where DUCC members can donate cash or checks and note they are to be directed to the SPS( Saugatuck Public Schools ) Family Support Fund. We will then use the cash and checks we collect to purchase gas and food cards. These donations can be placed in an envelope in the offering plate during the Sunday service or sent directly to the office PO Box 519, Douglas, Michigan, 49406. Please note that donations to this SPS Designated Ministry Fund can be claimed as a tax deduction.

We are currently working out logistics around purchasing the gift cards which we will deliver to Superintendent Neidlinger to distribute at his discretion to families facing food insecurity or unable to afford gas. We would also love to see you spread awareness of the many Saugatuck Public Schools' families who could use our help among your friends in the community and keep them in your prayers.

If you have questions, please reach out to Pat Denner, Lisa Titus, Bill Briggs or Anne Dooley.

Creation Justice - Native Plant Restoration Project & Looking for Copies of Refugia Faith

Native Plant Restoration Project
The Creation Justice Team is spearheading a project to restore a piece of our land to a prairie. If you were one of the 30 people who visited Anne Dooley’s garden, you have some idea of how it might look. If you happen to see the area around our local Saugatuck Douglas Library or the area around the Holland Aquatic Center, you have an idea of what the area will look like in a couple of years.
Lawns are fun for kids to play in, but they are considered wastelands for birds, butterflies and other creatures. The CJT has spent about a year researching good proposals and settled on Outdoor Discovery Center to make the plan, prepare the space, plant the plants, and maintain the area. It will take about a year to remove the lawn and begin to plant plugs. It will look like a pile of weeds and dead plants. Not very appealing at first. But after a while, the native plants will slowly take over and produce a beautiful array of native plants, inviting to butterflies, and birds. Our expectation is that this space can be an education tool for our members and the larger community. There will be signage explaining what is happening, articles in the Commercial Record, maybe even a radio interview or two. We are certain this project will make a great addition to our campus and hope you will enjoy watching as it comes to life.

Copy of Refugia Faith Wanted

We're looking for used copies of Refugia Faith from the book read back in 2022. If you have one you wouldn't mind donating to the Creation Justice Library, please bring it to the Friendship Hall and place it on the Creation Justice shelf. Thanks!

Memorial Garden Update on Find A Grave

The Douglas UCC Memorial Garden is now much better represented on the Find a Grave website. Thirty-two memorials were added, and they can be found by family historians and genealogists around the world.
Find a Grave is a free, volunteer-run resource with more than 265 million memorials. Now that the basic information is in place, anyone who wishes can add photographs, biographies, or other memories to a loved one’s memorial. If you’d like help doing that, Chris Clark can assist—or you can create a free Find a Grave account and make the additions yourself.

CHRIS'S EMAIL

Coffee Hour Volunteers Needed

Photo by Cindy Fernandez on Unsplash

Remote sign up method for DUCC coffee hour volunteers.
The coffee committee is hoping to get more volunteers involved in staffing the coffee hour after Sunday services. Making coffee takes only about 10-15 minutes of your time prior to church, or helping with the cleanup can take about 30 minutes. Once or twice a year, or as often as you'd like, helps to avoid burnout of the current volunteers.
You will be paired with a "buddy" to show you the ropes (and the coffee grinds!).
And now you can sign up remotely, from anywhere at any time. Easy peasy!
Many hands make light work. For any questions, please email Bert Hallewas
To sign up (or just to "look at") the remote sign up sheet, please click below, or use the QR code:

BERT'S EMAIL

Prayer Requests

August 30 Service: Gordon and Kirsten joy for their new home, Kelly joy for daughter's new venture, Wayne and Lisa joy for new life coming in their family, Paul concern for biopsy after 3 years in remission, Linda concern for Tedd in later stages of dementia, Carol concern for Steve tour in Middle East extended, wife and children at home, Tom prayers for auditions for Christmas Readers Theater, Lynne prayers for Bill diagnosed with cancer, Rich and Linda prayers for friend having surgery for lung cancer, Demetrhea prayers for Claudia and family, death of sister

Ongoing Prayers: Hugo, Carmen & Hannah (Greg & Kris Sherman's family); Anne Hopkins and the family of Jim Hopkins; Bev & Orie Hawkes; Jenny O'Neal (friend of Laurie VanDenBelt & Shirley Lawson); Family of Alan Gibson (Kirsten Stannis's Father); Adelle Van Daalen and the Family of Jay Van Daalen; Charlene Burdick (Paul Burdick's mother); Elinor Hite (Virginia Stuart’s sister); Dave Lawson; Christine Kerney; Ruth Fahlstrom (Tom Fahlstrom’s daughter); Mikey (friend of Ruth Fahlstrom); Eric Cooley (Jo Cooley's brother); Ian Blumer (C. Blumer's nephew); Park Congregational UCC

Birthday's & Anniversary's This Week

BIRTHDAYS
September 8: Dave Bohn
September 10: Jack Dunn
September 11: Anne Petersen

ANNIVERSARIES
September 8: Pamela Chappell & Pete Wehle

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.

Update on Our Financial Reporting

Photo by Michiele Henderson on Unsplash

An Update on Our Financial Reporting: As part of our ongoing efforts to make DUCC's financial reporting clear, useful, and meaningful, Church Council recently agreed to make a change in the financial information we publish regularly to the congregation.
Going forward, we will no longer publish a comparison of year-to-date offerings to the annual budget throughout the year.
There is a practical reason for this change: the way people give to DUCC is changing. While some members continue to give weekly or monthly, others make larger gifts periodically during the year. Some make quarterly gifts, annual gifts, gifts of appreciated assets, or Qualified Charitable Distributions from their IRAs. Giving also naturally varies by season. As a result, comparing offerings received at a particular point in the year with a straight-line percentage of the annual budget can give an incomplete—and sometimes misleading—picture of our financial position.
This change does not mean less financial oversight. The Treasurer and Church Council will continue to receive and review detailed financial information, including income and expenses compared with budget, cash and reserve balances, investments, designated and restricted funds, and other information needed to monitor the church's finances. Our goal is to provide the congregation with financial information that is understandable, relevant, and appropriate to the decisions members are being asked to make.
DUCC remains in a strong position to continue improving how we manage, oversee, and communicate about the financial resources entrusted to our church. We believe these changes will help us focus our reporting on information that provides a more complete picture of our finances and supports thoughtful stewardship and good governance.
Of course, questions about DUCC's finances are always welcome. Please email or contact Wayne by phone at 734-673-2810.

WAYNE'S EMAIL

Financial Stewardship

August 30 Onsite Attendance : 8:15 = 23, 10:15 = 66
August 30 Total Online Views: 88

Total Offerings: $4090
Native Plant Restoration: $200

Thank you!!
Your generous giving allows us to sustain our church community
and our mission of service in the world.

Last Weeks Service: Recognizing Burning Bushes When You See Them

Photo by Dan Plasman

Last Sunday Pastor Dan spoke about the story of Moses and the burning bush in Exodus 3. It's a story that invites a host of questions: Are we listening? Where do I find God? Does God speak to me? What task am I being called to do? What does it mean to say "Here I am?" Can I say NO? I love this quote from artist Jan Richardson, "You will know your path not by how it shines before you but by how it burns within you."

FULL SERVICE

DAN'S MESSAGE

Church Calendar

Photo by Elena Mozhvilo on Unsplash

EXPLORE THE CALENDAR

THANK YOUs

Many Thanks for Your Generous Donations to the Summer Food Drive!

Photo by Campbell's Photography on Unsplash

UNIITED CHURCH OF CHRIST NEWS

Grand West Association Prayer Circle

Photo by Maxwell Andrews on Unsplash

September - Park Congregational UCC Church

The Grand West Association Council of the Michigan Conference UCC
facilitates a prayer circle for all our churches.

Thank you for keeping Park Congregational UCC Church in your prayers.

PARK UCC

First Park Congregational Church
190th Anniversary Celebration - Sept. 11-13

PARK UCC WEBSITE

CLASSES

Qigong & Tea, Tuesdays from 3-5pm

Photo by Brad Switzer on Unsplash

Qigong Winter Class
Tuesdays, 3pm - 4 pm
Followed by Tea/Chat 4 - 5pm
Friendship Hall
Led by Kat VanHammen

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.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Suicide Prevention Walks throughout Michigan in September & October

INFORMATION & DONATE HERE

Thanks for Ladders of Hope & Carolyn Moen!

We give thanks for Ladders of Hope, a non-profit organization dedicated to serving individuals and families facing food insecurity in Allegan County. Ladders of Hope staffed by committed volunteers who have strived to provide food and other needs to the community. We also thank Carolyn Moen chair of their Board and past Director for sharing their ministry with us.

Ladders of Hope offers these opportunities for volunteers:
Truck Driver - Mondays and Fridays (and other possible days) to pick up food from Feeding America and Trader Joes (truck provided)
Volunteers to distribute food to clients on Mondays from 10a - 2p and Thursdays from 3 - 7p
Volunteer to receive donations on Tuesdays from 5 - 7p
IT person - hours at your convenience
Part-time Co-Director - hours flexible
Monetary donations toward a new building

LADDERS OF HOPE

Soul Collage September 19,
Finding Resilience to Meet the Autumn Season

DUCC's Afghan Family is Growing
A Used SUV/Minivan is Needed

Photo by ObjectType RAW on Unsplash

A Used SUV is Needed. DUCC’s Afghan Family is a growing family of 6 and they have an immediate need for a larger vehicle than their Prius. If you are considering selling a used SUV at a reasonable price, they would be grateful to be considered. If you can assist, please contact Bob (312-636-7657) or Louise (847-800-4236) Kenny. Thank you.

Stand in Protest

Photo by Sandra Seitamaa on Unsplash

The protests against Huizenga and the Trump administration continue each Friday from 12-1 pm at 170 College Ave., the corner of College and 7th in Holland. We need more to demonstrate, so please come join us as we continue to bring attention to the wrong doing going on in our country. Looking forward to seeing you there

Men's Coffee and Conversation

DUCC MEN, JOIN US!
Men's Coffee & Conversation
1st and 3rd Wednesday @ 10am

New Dates: September 2nd and 16th
No Reservations
Blue Star Barns Coffee and Bikes
3483 Blue Star Hwy
Saugatuck, Michigan 49453