Fourth Sunday of Easter

4/24/2026

Photo by Boston Public Library on Unsplash

In This Week's E-pistle, You Will Find:

This Week's Service: Fourth Sunday of Easter - A Winsome Community
Jody, Dan & Claire's Office Hours This Week
Inquirers? New Members? Let's Get You Ready, April 26 and May 10
Friends of Christian Neighbors Spring Benefit, Save the Date, Sunday, May 3
Nominating Committee Update: An Invitation to Shared Leadership
Listening Ear: Do You Need to Be Heard?
Prayer Requests
Birthdays & Anniversaries This Week
Financial Stewardship
Last Week's Service: Had I Been Jesus’s Manager, I Would Have. . .
Deadline for Announcements for the May 1 E-Pistle - New Date *April 25
Church Calendar

THANK YOUS

What a Fun Pancake Breakfast! Thanks to All! Special Thanks to John Willming!
Thank You Creation Justice Team for the Night Magic Book Read!

UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST NEWS

Grand West Association Prayer Circle for All Churches

CLASSES

Qigong & Tea! Tuesdays at 3pm, Friendship Hall
Next Financial Series Session Scheduled, May 6

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Soul Collage May 9, The Story of Hands - What We Hold, Treasure & Need to Release
Walking for Hungry Neighbors, CROP Walk, May 17
Shamanic Experience - Reflections on the 8 C’s & Our Process of Centering, May 17
Can You Support Team Donovan in MS Walk for a Cure on May 30?
DUCC's Afghan Family is Growing - A Used SUV is Needed
Stand in Protest - Holland, Fridays from 12-1pm
Men's Coffee and Conversation

This Week's Service: Fourth Sunday of Easter
A Winsome Community

Photo by Markus Kammermann on Unsplash

An Easter Community, what might that look like? What do a vibrant, attractive group of faithful people do? What makes them attractive? Finding favor with the world, drawing others to them, according to our story for Sunday. Some descriptors; winsome, vital, compelling, inspiring. What else? What do you look for in a place to gather? What might others, who are different from you, look for? Bring your ideas to the conversation on Sunday, and your friends!

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

DUCC Bulletin/Hymns April, 26
File Size:	1741 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

Jody, Dan & Claire's Office Hours This Week

For The Week of April 26:
Monday: 4:30-7:30pm, Jody
Wednesday: 10- 3pm, Dan
Thursday: 10-1pm, Jody
Friday: 12- 4pm, Jody & Dan

Claire's Office Hours:
Monday: 9-4pm
Claire will be out of the office 4/28 - 5/4.

Please note, Jody and Dan will respond to emails during office hours.
If you get an email asking for money from Jody or Dan, this is a scam. Do not reply.

Reminder: if you need to see Dan or Jody, please make an appointment with them. At times they are in Douglas but not at the office.
Please call to schedule an appointment:
Jody: 616-706-3549; Dan: 616-828-2293;
Office: 269-857-2085

Inquirers? New Members? Let's Get You Ready!
Dates: Sunday, April 26 and May 10

Photo by Getty Images on Unsplash

Sundays April 26 and May 10 for those who are interested in becoming a member of Douglas UCC or who just want more information, please join us for these informative sessions on The United Church of Christ, Progressive Christianity, and Membership in Douglas UCC. Please sign up on the Welcome Card in the seat rack, or email Jody of your interest.

JODY'S EMAIL

Friends of Christian Neighbors Spring Benefit
Save the Date, Sunday, May 3

Please mark your calendars for Sunday May 3, 2026
1-3 PM at the Saugatuck Yacht Club.
A $75 donation (or more), per person, is requested.
All proceeds benefit Christian Neighbors (501c3).

This year, the annual fundraiser for Christian Neighbors is coordinated by our Douglas UCC, in cooperation with several local churches. We are still looking for volunteers on the committee to plan and/or staff the event; logistics, food, publicity, sponsorships, etc... One or two meetings a month is all it takes. Attending the Benefit without volunteering is very important also! If interested, please contact Bert Hallewas by email below, or 248-462-9345.

For all payments: please write in memo line: "2026 Spring Benefit".
Checks can be written to "Christian Neighbors" at the event, or mailed ahead of time to: DUCC PO Box 19 Douglas, MI 49406. Electronic payments are possible by debit/credit card, PayPal and Zelle. Please use the QR codes below.

BERT'S EMAIL

Nomination Committee Update
An Invitation to Shared Leadership

At our Mid-Year Congregational Meeting, DUCC affirmed a desire to move toward a more transparent and intentional process for identifying Church Council leadership. In response, a Nominating Committee has been formed to guide this effort in a spirit of prayerful discernment and shared ministry.
The Nominating Committee includes:

Wayne Titus (Chair, Council Representative)
Bernice Lopata (Council Representative)
Linda Page - McWebb (Congregational Representative)
Barbara Lucier (Congregational Representative)

Over the coming weeks, the Committee will be inviting the congregation into a thoughtful process of discernment—seeking to match the gifts, experiences, and sense of calling within our community to the leadership needs of DUCC.
At-Large members of Church Council play an important role in our shared leadership model. They serve as connectors—helping strengthen communication between committees, Council, and the congregation, while participating in the ongoing work of guiding our church’s mission.
This is an exciting time in the life of DUCC as we continue to grow as a shared leadership community.
If you feel a nudge—or even a quiet curiosity—about serving in this way, we warmly invite you to reach out to any member of the Nominating Committee. We would welcome a conversation with you as you explore whether this might be a place where your gifts and sense of calling could serve the life of our church.
We look forward to this journey of discernment together.

Creation Justice

With the leadership of Chris Clark, and the support of the Creation Justice Team, 5 events were part of the Dark Sky Week. This special week takes place all over the world. The champion organization is International Dark Sky based in Tucson. Darksky.org. Today, a special Google group set up by Chris to include both people from our church and people from the community called, Friends of the Dark Sky, has 43 names. If you would like to join this group, see Chris Clark. Thanks everyone for a very successful week. Betsy York, Chair

Listening Ear: Do You Need to Be Heard?

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

Our listeners are available at the Retreat House
In Person, or by Phone
Thursday afternoons from 1 to 3 pm.

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, Mike Valdez, 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.
P. Burdick @ 616-856-1372, M. Valdez @ 616-990-1126, D. Sipsma @ 269-998-5112

Prayer Requests

Jenny O'Neal (friend of Laurie VanDenBelt & Shirley Lawson); Martha Longpre Dooley (Anne Dooley's mother); Virginia Stuart; Family of Alan Gibson (Kirsten Stannis's Father); Adelle Van Daalen and the Family of Jay Van Daalen; Charlene Burdick (Paul Burdick's mother); Orie Hawkes; Elinor Hite (Virginia Stuart’s sister); Dave Lawson; Christine Kerney; Ann and Jim Hopkins; Ruth Fahlstrom (Tom Fahlstrom’s daughter); Mikey (friend of Ruth Fahlstrom) Mary Westenbroek; Eric Cooley (Jo Cooley's brother); Ian Blumer (C. Blumer's nephew); Lakeview UCC

Birthday's & Anniversary's This Week

BIRTHDAYS
April 28: Susan Song
April 30: Jennifer Keogh-Schwarb

ANNIVERSARIES
April 30: Linda & Matthew McWebb
May 1: Bud Baty & Max Matteson

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.

Financial Stewardship

April 19 In-Person Attendance : 75
April 19 Total Views for worship videos: 81

Weekly Offerings: $6,503
Weekly Budget: $4,615
Weekly to Budget: + $1,888

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

Last Weeks Service: Third Sunday of Easter-
Had I Been Jesus's Manager, I Would Have. . .

Photo by Dan Plasman

Easter is a season, not merely a day. Last Sunday we continued with another post-Easter appearance of Jesus as he walks alongside two disciples (one named Cleopas) on their way to an obscure village called Emmaus. They invite Jesus to join them for a meal. At the supper table, Jesus blesses and breaks bread, and in that moment they “recognized” him.
It’s a quiet and cozy story, which causes me to wonder: Why didn’t Jesus put on a bigger show — more public appearances, more elaborate displays to prove he was alive? Had I been Jesus’s manager, I would have . . . Last Sunday, Pastor Dan shared with us more about if he were Jesus's manager. Click below for the full service and/or Pastor Dan's message.

FULL SERVICE

DAN'S MESSAGE

Deadline for Announcements for May 1 E-Pistle
**New Date Saturday, April 25

Photo by Yaniv Knobel on Unsplash

Claire is taking a few days off. Therefore, the deadline for announcements to go into the May 1
E-Pistle is Saturday, April 24, 2026. Thank you!

Church Calendar

Photo by Samuel Regan on Unsplash

EXPLORE THE CALENDAR

THANK YOUs

What a Fun Pancake Breakfast! Thanks to All!
Special Thanks to John Willming!

Thank you to everyone who showed up, cooked, cleaned and donated. Huge thanks to our volunteers for making this possible--you are the syrup to our pancakes! A Huge Shout, and Thanks to John Willming for going the extra miles, getting supplies, hauling the heavy stuff so our breakfast was delicious! Wonderful to see our hall filled with laughter and community.

Big Thanks to Our Brilliant Creation Justice Team - Dark Sky Week was Over the Moon!

Thank you to the Creation Justice team for a stellar Dark Sky Week!
We closed this star-studded week with the book read - Night Magic. Just Amazing!!
Special Thanks to, "Comet King", Chris Clark!

UNIITED CHURCH OF CHRIST NEWS

Grand West Association Prayer Circle

Lakeview UCC - April Church of the Month

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

LAKEVIEW UCC

CLASSES

Qigong, Tuesdays at 3pm - Friendship Hall
Tea Time Afterwards at 4pm

Photo by Enzo Sanches 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.

Financial Literacy Series
Next Session This Wednesday, May 6

Next session is on Wednesday, May 6 2026
In the Friendship Hall
January through June (not April)

It’s not too late to join in and become financially wiser! Invite a friend, if you like.
Sign up for one or all of them in the Friendship Hall.
Wayne can send you preparatory information.

AROUND TOWN

Soul Collage, May 9, The Story of Hands
What We Hold, Treasure & Need to Release

Walking Together to Fight Hunger
CROP Walk, May 17

For over 50 years, CROP Hunger Walks have fought hunger locally and worldwide. Our goal is $10,000 by May 17—and we’re already halfway there. Help push us across the finish line: donate, raise funds, walk, or all three! One-quarter of what we raise stays local, supporting food banks. Make a difference today.

TO DONATE

Shamanic Experience with Ruth Zwald
The 8 C's & Our Process of Centering, May 17

Can You Support Team Donovan in MS Walk for a Cure, May 30?

TO DONATE

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

Photo by Karson Chan 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 Alex Radelich 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: May 6th and 20th
No Reservations
Blue Star Barns Coffee and Bikes
3483 Blue Star Hwy
Saugatuck, Michigan 49453