Fourth Sunday of Pride

6/26/2026

Photo by Cameron Helwege on Unsplash

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

This Week's Service: Jesus & Congregational Meetings
Two Summer Services - 8:15 & 10:15! Please, Join Us!
Jody, Dan & Claire's Office Hours This Week
Annual Congregational Meeting, This Sunday, June 28
New Members Made Welcome
Next Douglas Social, July 18 - Looking for Volunteers
Social Justice - Summer Food Ministry
Creation Justice - Recycling Textiles ... and More!
Archives Team - The Search is On!
Message from Campus Steward
Prayer Requests
Birthdays & Anniversaries This Week
Financial Stewardship
Coffee Hour Volunteers Needed
Last Week's Service: What Happens When You Set Love Loose
Church Calendar

THANK YOUs

Thank You to Anne Dooley & Kurt Wittenberg for Sharing Their Prairie Journey
Kudos to All Who Helped with the Garden Clean Up

UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST NEWS

Grand West Association Prayer Circle, UCC Michigan Conference Staff

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH!!

All Things Holland Pride

CLASSES

Qigong & Tea! Tuesdays at 3pm, Friendship Hall

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Prayers for Peace, Monday, July 6 at First Reformed Church in Holland
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:
Jesus & Congregational Meetings

Photo by Dan Plasman

Jesus & Congregational Meetings is not a worthy title for the reflection this Sunday, but it is what it is. So, I'm sticking with it. Jesus said some outrageous things like: "Do not think I have come to bring peace . . . I have come to bring a sword . . . Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me . . . and whoever loves one's child more than me is not worthy of me . . . Those who find their life will lose it." With a little digging, there's some good news in all this, plus a whole lot of great music! Hope you can join us either in-person or on-line.

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. Dan Plasman
Music: Peter Black, Jeff Spangler, Max Brown

DUCC Bulletin/Hymns, June 28
File Size:	746 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

Two Summer Services - 8:15 or 10:15am
All Are Welcome!

Jody, Dan & Claire's Office Hours This Week

For The Week of June 28:
Tuesday: 12-8pm, Jody & Dan
Friday: 10-3pm, Jody

Claire's Office Hours:
Tuesday: 10-4pm
Wednesday: 10-4:30pm
Thursday: 10-4:30pm (work from home)
Friday: 10-4pm

If you need to see Dan or Jody, please make an appointment with them.
Please call to schedule an appointment:
Jody: 616-706-3549; Dan: 616-828-2293;
Office: 269-857-2085

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

Annual Congregational Meeting
June 28, after Sunday Services

Annual Congregational Meeting – Council Slate and Proposed Budget
At our Annual Congregational Meeting on Sunday, June 28, the congregation will be asked to approve the proposed slate of candidates for the DUCC Church Council. We are grateful for the willingness of the following members to share their time, gifts, and leadership in service to our church:

Betsy York – At Large Member
Anne Dooley – At Large Member
Steve McFadden – Campus Steward

We would also like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to our outgoing Council members, Larry Feurst, Lynne Snyder, and Kathleen Mueller (who completed her term earlier this year), for their faithful service and dedication to DUCC over the past two years. Their leadership, commitment, and willingness to share their gifts have helped support the ministry and mission of our congregation.
Please also note that the proposed 2026–2027 budget will require congregational approval at the Annual Meeting. If you have any questions regarding the proposed budget, please reach out to Wayne Titus prior to the meeting so that your questions can be addressed in advance.

WAYNE'S EMAIL

New Members Made Welcome

On Sunday we welcomed our July 2026 Class of new members! Always such an honor to make covenant in this way. New Members left to right: Madison Bowes, Kate Raue, Cindy Rau, Steve McFadden.

Next Douglas Social, July 18
Looking for Volunteers

Douglas Socials are an evening of gathering with a community of friends! We've been invited to host one more this summer. Very grateful to all the volunteers who helped with the Social on June 18! The next one is on July 16 at the History Center. We need a couple people available to coordinate this last one. Are you available? There are experienced people who have done this before who can help with all the logistics and lots of folks willing to volunteer for the event.
There is a sign up sheet in the Friendship Hall. Email Jody if you have questions.

JODY'S EMAIL

Social Justice - Summer Food Ministry

We are so grateful for the generosity of the DUCC congregation. We have been able to fill 20 bags of groceries for each of the first 2 weeks. Thank you. We are hoping to sustain this generosity throughout the summer months. For the next couple of weeks we are requesting:
.
* 1 lb bag of dried pinto beans (40 bags)
* 1 lb bag of white rice (40 bags)
* 1 small btl vegetable oil. (40 btls)
* 1-2 cans of diced/sliced fruit (20)
* 1/2 dozen potatoes (3 or 5# bags)
* 1/2 dozen yellow onions. (3-5# bags)
* small tooth paste (20-40)
* a dozen or so corn tortillas.(5-8 30ct bags)

The St Felipe De Jesus volunteers have also requested men’s t-shirts (new or mildly used) size M & L. Contact Rich Marth or Pete Mueller with any questions. Thank you!

Creation Justice - Recycling Textiles ... and More!

Photo by Deniz Demirci on Unsplash

Most clothing, towels, and bedding are NOT biodegradable. A 2025 report says polyester alone accounts for 59% of global fiber production.
If you want to clear out items that are not good enough to be reused, please take them to Goodwill. They bundle the material and sell it to after-market vendors who repurpose the textiles as rags, insulation, and other products.

The Creation Justice Team has a web page, that tells where to recycle batteries, tires, appliances, tech, paper, light bulbs, prescription drugs, plastic bags, packing materials, and more. Also, see Kathy Klage if you have large chunks of styrofoam.

CREATION JUSTICE'S WEB PAGE

The Archives Team - Requests for Archives

The search is on!
The Archive Committee (Karen Clark and Betsy York) are looking for items that might belong in the church archive. Check your attics, basements, and old shoeboxes. Any important documents, artifacts, or other items that have historical or legal information will be accepted and later sorted.

Please label the outside of the box with a list of contents. Drop them off at IGC during Claire's office hours. The boxes can be left in the common room in the corner.
Thank you.

Photo by Olivia Pedler on Unsplash

Note From the Campus Steward
Door Codes Changing

Photo by luis alfonso orellana on Unsplash

The Campus Steward is resetting all door codes this coming week. If you believe that you need a code to do the work of the church, please contact Steve McFadden.

STEVE'S EMAIL

Prayer Requests

From the 6/21 service - From Carol for sister Jean making decisions, for Anne after the death of Jim, sympathy to Mary Jo & Tim Lemanski in the recent death of Mary Jo’s mother Joan,
from Doug and Leigh for a niece with cancer, from Madison accepted into GVSU and for the means to attend, from Greg and Sheryll for friend Doug whose partner John died.

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; For Anne & the family of 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); Michigan UCC Conference Staff

Birthday's & Anniversary's This Week

BIRTHDAYS
June 28: Dick Riekse
June 29: Jodi Berault
July 2: Greg Harvath

ANNIVERSARIES
June 28: Jodi Berault & Chris Maitner

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

June 21 In-Person Attendance : 8:15 = 34, 10:15 = 61
June 21 Total Views for worship videos: 46

Weekly Offerings: $9,885
Weekly Budget: $4,615
Weekly to Budget: +$5,270

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

Coffee Hour Volunteers Needed

Photo by Cindy Fernandez on Unsplash

New 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 QR code:

BERT'S EMAIL

Last Weeks Service: What Happens When You Set Love Loose

Photo by Murek Studzinski on Unsplash

Last Sunday Pastor Jody pointed out the more important things to do than respond to other people's annoyances, anger, bad behavior. The more important things to do than respond to other people. (Of course, there are exceptions to this "rule" when injustice is affecting our friends we need to NOT let them!) We need to live love! Jesus sent the disciples out to the communities to tell everyone the good news of God's inclusive, extravagant, merciful love for all people! And what happens when people are captivated by that love?
View full service, or Pastor Jody's message below.

FULL SERVICE

JODY'S MESSAGE

Church Calendar

Photo by Warren Umoh on Unsplash

EXPLORE THE CALENDAR

THANK YOUs

Thank You to Anne Dooley & Kurt Wittenberg

Great turnout for Creation Justice Event! Nearly 30 people showed up at Anne Dooley and Kurt Wittenberg's house to learn about changing grass yards to pollinator friendly prairie yards. Fellowship after was delightful on this beautiful day.

Garden Clean Up - Successful!
Thanks to All Those Who Helped!

UNIITED CHURCH OF CHRIST NEWS

Grand West Association Prayer Circle

Photo by Martin Bennie on Unsplash

June UCC Group of the Month - Michigan UCC Conference Staff
July - Muskegon First 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 the Michigan UCC Conference Staff in your prayers

MUSKEGON UCC CHURCH INFO

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH!!

Holland Pride Festival, June 27, Kollen Park

HOLLAND PRIDE INFORMATION

CLASSES

Qigong & Tea, Tuesdays from 3-5pm

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.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Prayers for Peace in Holland, July 6
All Are Welcome

First Reformed Church, 630 State Street, Holland
Hosting a "Prayers for Peace" service
Monday, July, 6 from 5:30-6:00-PM.
All members of the Holland/Zeeland/Saugatuck community
are invited to join together to pray for peace
in the United States and around the world.

What to expect at our Prayers for Peace service:
Prayers for Peace services are casual, but structured. We generally have between 25 and 50 attendees from across Holland/Zeeland/Saugatuck who meet in the First Reformed Church sanctuary. Each service focuses on a particular issue in need of God’s peace (for example, the Middle East).
The service begins with a hymn and scripture reading appropriate for the day’s topic followed by a short topical message (less than five minutes). Most of the service is a time of prayer, starting with a short aloud prayer by the leader, followed by a period of silent and extemporaneous prayers by those in attendance. The service closes with a chorus or the doxology.
In the message and the prayers we focus on the humanitarian impact of conflicts, and strive to avoid political issues. Thank you! Reach out if you have questions.

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

Photo by Pranav 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 DJ Paine 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: July 1st and 15th
No Reservations
Blue Star Barns Coffee and Bikes
3483 Blue Star Hwy
Saugatuck, Michigan 49453