Did you know? Zoom meetings always include a dial-in option. So you can call in to participate in Zoom meetings from a land line if you like! If you don’t see the dial-in option offered, ask the meeting manager. But here is a hint... this Chicago number works well:

   +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)

From there you enter the meeting ID and a passcode if one has been provided.

Watch your email for the weekly invite to our Online Friendship Hall meeting at 11 a.m. following the broadcast of Online Church! In addition to the online link, we always offer the dial in option! We hope you can join us!

Thank you to all who tuned in last Sunday for our Video Worship Service. We even had people watching and commenting this week from New Zealand and Ireland! Thank you to our reader, Eric Lejeune, who joined us from his home, and to Peter Black and Elizabeth Estes, who provided music from their homes. If you missed the service, you can watch it here.

This past week, a handful of our church members received a strange email request from an imposter posing as Pastor Sal asking for gift cards for a cancer patient. We alerted the Federal Trade Commission and learned that this scam has been targeting churches in Michigan and across the U.S. for many months now. Imposters pose as religious leaders and reach out to church members to ask for donations in the form of gift cards.  

Please be aware, that anyone who asks for payment by gift card is always a scammer, according to the the Federal Trade Commission...
https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/paying-scammers-gift-cards

If you received one of these emails, just use your email program's method of blocking email addresses to block the imposter email address, delete the email, and be aware that Pastor Sal will never email you to ask for gift card donations, ever.

And if you have already engaged with these scammers, please follow the advice behind this link to report them:
https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/media/video-0171-report-gift-cards-used-scam

It looks as if we will be using masks for a while, and some people are having a hard time sourcing them. Are you making masks? Do you need masks? To match mask makers with people who need them, we have placed a Mask Donation Box in the entryway of the DUCC Retreat House, at the corner of Union and Wall Streets in Douglas. If you are a maker, please place your clean, plastic-wrapped masks in the mask box. If you need a mask or two, please help yourself! We will donate any overflow of masks, to families in Allegan County in need of them. Please be safe, and protect yourself and others by wearing these masks in public. Meanwhile, explore these links to learn how to make sewn and no-sew masks for yourself and your loved ones!

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html?deliveryName=USCDC_2067-DM25135

https://freesewing.org/blog/facemask-frenzy

https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/interior-projects/how-to/a28379/sewing-skills-diy/

https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/how-to-sew-basic-stitches-221433

Several members of our congregation (Hi, Sue and Larry, Ron and Maya, Laurie, Jack and Julie!) have found their own way to share in communion during our Online Church service. They are  bringing their own communion elements to their tables at home (Donut and coffee? Sure! Cracker and Wine, of course! Tea and sourdough? Why not?) when they watch the service, proving we don't have to be under the same roof to celebrate communion together!

Click below to read/download the latest Church Council Minutes and Pastor's Report:

Our thoughts and prayers are with church member, Jim Hopkins, whose sister, Linda Kirby, passed away last week; with church member, Austin Belschner, whose mother died on April 3; and with church member, Peg Donohue, whose sister, Carol, died last month. Cards of condolence would be so appreciated. See our Church Directory for mailing addresses. If you need a directory, please let us know. 

Also, the mailing address for church member, Larry Spencer, whose mother died last week, is no longer correct. Please write to welcome (at) douglasucc.org for Larry's new address. 

Kristen Molitor (Ann Hopkins' daughter), John Willming; Drew Carter; Ferman Sims (father of Duce Sims); Howard McLauchlan (brother-in-law of Dale and Ted); Jeff Cooley (Jo Cooley's brother); Marcia Sullivan (Jo Cooley's friend), Len Lynch (Kathleen Mueller's brother); Curtis Coffin (Marty Coffin's brother).  
​
The caregivers and patients at Mary Freebed Hospital and on the U.S.S. Comfort, and in all of our hospitals and care centers during this Covid-19 pandemic. For the leaders and volunteers in every state and city who are stepping up to take care of people every day. 

All in the military and their families. All who are homeless or addicted or abused or neglected or rejected or hungry; The UCC; the Grand West Association; our Church Council; our Stephen Ministers; our church committees; our communities, our schools, our nation and our planet.
To add/remove a name from the Prayer List, please email julie (at) douglasucc.org

April 19
Attendance for Online Service: 731
Online Giving: $4,842.70
Thank you!! 
​
Your generous giving allows us to sustain our church community and our mission of service. Please consider giving online, which is easily done by clicking ONLINE GIVING.
​
Or you may send checks by mail to:
Douglas Congregational United Church of Christ
56 Wall Street, PO Box 519
Douglas, MI 49406

In the Gospel reading for the 2nd Sunday of Easter, the apostles are in isolation and fear following Jesus's death. But, there in the Upper Room, they experience the Presence of the Risen Christ in their midst. This Sunday during our online video church service, Pastor Sal will be giving an inspiring message about how to more fully experience the Divine Presence, sharing personal stories and photos from his recent sabbatical at Spirit Mountain Retreat. Plus, there will be music from Peter Black and Elizabeth Estes. Tune in on Sunday at 10 AM via our Facebook page, YouTube channel, or right here on our church's website.

Our hearts go out to two of our Douglas UCC church members who are mourning the deaths of loved ones this week. Larry Spencer's mother, Carol Spencer, passed away on Thursday, as did Floyd Fleming's brother, George Fleming. We hold them both in our prayers.

Watch the video above for a brief message from our Church Council Moderator, Peter Mueller.

Thank you to all who are participating in our online Zoom "Friendship Hall" gatherings each Sunday at 11 AM. Here's some of what was shared at Sunday's session:

​

The Easter Bunny paid a visit to Downtown Douglas, giving away free toilet paper!

We heard that our Douglas UCC church members Barb Witt and Louise & Bob Kenny may have lent a helping hand! 

​Thank you!

Listen to our Douglas UCC Church Podcast for all of Pastor Sal's recent messages. You can listen on Google, Apple, Spotify. Even ask Alexa! Thank you to Chris Clark for the updates.

Needing more connection with your church friends? Both the Men's Group and True North, the women's group, are continuing to hold Zoom meetings to stay connected during this season. Connect with Max Brown for details on Men's Group meetings, and with Kathleen Mueller for True North meeting details. 

Here is some good news! The non-partisan Fair and Equal Michigan petitioning group, whose work is to make the Elliot-Larsen Act inclusive for LGBTQ protections, has won the right to gather electronic signatures to their petition!

Click here to be among the first people in history to sign a petition like this. If you haven't signed on yet, add your electronic signature today -- it only takes three minutes!

To sign, you must be registered to vote in Michigan. You'll need your valid Michigan driver's license or state identification card number on hand, as it will be cross-referenced with the state voter file to validate your signature.

If you've already signed the petition, you can still help: Share this link -- fairandequalmichigan.com -- with your fellow Michiganders and encourage them to sign!

If you aren't registered to vote in Michigan or need to update your registration address, you can do that here. You can then sign our petition!

April 12
Attendance for April 12 Online Service: 1,014
Online Giving: $3,170.05
Thank you!! 
​
Your generous giving allows us to sustain our church community and our mission of service. Please consider giving online, which is easily done by clicking ONLINE GIVING.
​
Or you may send checks by mail to:
Douglas Congregational United Church of Christ
56 Wall Street, PO Box 519
Douglas, MI 49406

Please join us this Sunday at 10 AM on YouTube or Facebook for our Easter Sunday Video Service. Pastor Sal will be giving an inspiring message of hope. Plus, music from Peter Black and Pamela Chappell. The service will also be broadcast on our website: DouglasUCC.org

Wow!! More than 1,000 people viewed our Palm Sunday service on YouTube and Facebook! Thank you to all who watched and commented. If you missed it, you can watch it here.

Watch this 3-minute video from Rev. John Dorhauer, General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ. In it, he offers a Holy Week and Easter message of hope for the Easter people of the world, even as we are in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic.

As most of you know, our church hired Julie Ridl to take care of the church's administrative duties while Pastor Sal was on sabbatical. We can all agree that she did an outstanding job, going "above and beyond" in all she did. 

Last week, our Church Council voted to keep Julie on in this position for at least the next 12 weeks, which will bring us to the end of our church's fiscal year. We are so grateful for Julie's excellent technical and social media skills which are keeping us connected during this time. 

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in a press conference Monday asked residents to wear homemade masks if they have to leave their homes.

We are still urged to continue washing our hands, limit leaving our homes to essential trips and practice social distancing.

The governor’s message follows recent guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and comes with a continued plea to leave N95 and surgical masks for medical professionals already dealing with a shortage of necessary protective equipment.

The CDC now recommends that people should wear nonsurgical cloth face coverings when they go out in public during the pandemic. Wearing some form of covering over your nose and mouth can prevent people who are infected, but not symptomatic, from spreading the virus when they speak, cough or sneeze in public.

Here is the U.S. Surgeon General demonstrating how to make a simple face covering: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPx1yqvJgf4

And here are the CDCs recommendations for wearing and making your own mask:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html

During last Sunday's Online Friendship Hall meetup, Pastor Sal shared with us this exercise to help us calm our anxieties, offered up by spiritual author and speaker Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love). She shared this advice on Instagram recently... "​Dear Ones: To ground yourself in the present moment (and escape the fears and fantasies of the unknown future) try this simple trick..."

Are you looking for a way to reach out, offer help at this time?

​Children's First Lakeshore is spearheading the local effort, along with area churches and our schools to keep feeding school children in need twice a day. They need more funds and volunteers, and are gathering both at this website:
https://childrenfirstlakeshore.org/feedingthegap

Allegan County residents are being helped through local volunteers, the United Way, Community Action, and Allegan County Community Foundation. Volunteers and funding are being collected here:
https://www.feedtheneedallegan.com/  

And the State of Michigan has identified a number of other worthy efforts to help others in our state at this time. Those efforts can be found here:
​https://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus/0,9753,7-406-98178_98811---,00.html

For the first time ever, Michigan citizens – including business, philanthropy, and leaders from both sides of the political aisle – joined LGBTQ advocacy groups to proclaim: Every Michigander should have an equal chance to succeed. This legislative strategy, known as Fair and Equal Michigan, will add LGBTQ protections to the state’s current civil rights law. The initiative seeks to introduce a citizens’ bill in the Legislature after advocates collect 340,047 signatures. The Legislature will have 40 days to adopt (and the law prevents tinkering!) or they can send the question to voters on the November 2020 ballot where 77% of voters support the measure. This history-making citizens’ initiative has the opportunity to increase the state’s talent attraction and grow Michigan’s economy.

But the Covid-19 Stay Home, Stay Safe order is slowing down the effort to gather signatures for this non-partisan ballot initiative. The petition organizers have shifted to "distance organizing," and they are looking for volunteers to call Michiganders and send petitions requested over the phone. At this writing, the May 26th deadline looms closer, and the committee has 200,000 signatures left to collect.

Will you phone bank from home so Fair and Equal Michigan can send petitions across the state? If this sounds like something you can do, call Alex Cross, Volunteer Director for Fair and Equal Michigan at 203.841.9458 to become involved in their phone program. Or register to volunteer today at this address:  https://secure.everyaction.com/IouJeXXEgUG0YjBUTbsoNQ2

Maybe you've been giving to your favorite churches online for years, but did you know there is an app for that?  Yes, the same company we use to process church donations from our website has a phone app, GivePlus. Using it on your phone is so easy:

1. Download the App by following one of the links below from your phone. 
2. Find Douglas UCC, or any other nearby church using this system, in the app.
3. If you have already used the website form, just sign in using your username and password. 
4. Or you will be prompted to set up an account. 

Easy to use, find, and remember!

April 12- Ben Greene, Stan Greene, 13- Bill Klatt, 16- Jerry Coates, 18- Dennis Barnum

Birthday and Anniversary cards are a great way we can continue to reach out to one another during this time. If you wish to mail a card to one of our church members, addresses can be found in our Church Directory. If you don't have a directory, please let us know and we will email one to you.

April 5
Attendance for April 5 Online Service: 1,110
Online Giving: $1,540
Thank you!! 
​
Your generous giving allows us to sustain our church community and our mission of service. Please consider giving online, which is easily done by clicking ONLINE GIVING.
​
Or you may send checks by mail to:
Douglas Congregational United Church of Christ
56 Wall Street, PO Box 519
Douglas, MI 49406

We hope you'll tune in to our Palm Sunday video service, which will be broadcast here on our church's website and on our Facebook page and YouTube channel. Pastor Sal will be giving an inspiring message for the beginning of Holy Week, and there will be music from Peter Black and Nancy Plantinga. You can watch the broadcast on Sunday starting at 10 AM. 

Wow! More than 100 people joined our Zoom Virtual "Friendship Hall" Gathering last Sunday. Thank you. Please join us this Sunday at 11 AM for another virtual gathering.

IMPORTANT CHANGE!!!
Zoom has been having some trouble with "Zoom bombing" (like photo bombing, but ruder), so we will not be displaying the Zoom link on social media, but sending it to your email inbox. ​If you haven't received your Zoom link via email by Friday (be sure to check your spam folder!), we may not have your current email address! Just write to us at onlinechurch@douglasucc.org, identify yourself and request the meeting I.D. And please do not share these meeting IDs on social media or in any way other than email or text with people you know. 

Our Douglas UCC family welcomed Pastor Sal home from sabbatical with this video surprise!
Thank you to all who participated, to Kathleen Mueller for the idea, and to Chris Clark for putting it all together. Sal and Gregg were very touched. There may have been tears! 

Our very own Pastor Sal will be a guest this Saturday on the "Morning Grind" Radio Show. He will be talking about coping spiritually with the coronavirus and finding balance during this time of great uncertainty. Tune in to 92.7 FM, "The Van," at 7 AM.

Last Sunday was our final Sabbatical speaker. Watch as Dr. Greg Sherman of our Pastoral Relations Committee gives a powerful message for the 5th Sunday of Lent. Greg is a clinical psychologist in private practice in Grand Rapids. Previously, he was the Director of Clinical Services at a faith-based outpatient mental health clinic in Grand Rapids. His work involves helping people sort through the obstacles and conflicts they encounter in their emotional and spiritual journeys. He and his wife, Kristine, became members of Douglas UCC in 2014.​

Now is the perfect time to either start or deepen a daily meditation practice. Watch as Pastor Sal shares his "Centering Prayer" practice with us from his meditation room at home.

Elizabeth Estes and Peter Black have found another way to collaborate while Staying Home and Saving Lives. Watch as Elizabeth (singing to us with Peter Black's piano track playing on her speakers) performs the beautiful song, "Blessings," from her home in Saugatuck.

Three members of our Douglas UCC family are sharing their art online during the Covid-19 crisis. Nancy Plantinga and Dan Pierce have created YouTube channels to share their music with us during this time. And Jack Ridl is live-streaming his Thursday Poems at 9am on Facebook. We are grateful to them all for uplifting our spirits with their gifts and talents. 

Feedtheneedallegan.com is our local resource for finding and offering help during the Covid 19 pandemic. If you need help, dial 211, or go to this website. If you can offer time and expertise to help in this crisis, go to this site to learn all the kinds of help and donations needed right now by various local agencies. Of course if you need urgent medical help, always dial 911.

Your Church is working hard to provide for you and your spirit during this pandemic.
Without a Sunday collection plate, we are asking church members to please think about
​a new habit of giving to the church: either online or by mail.
It's so easy to give online from our website. ​Just click here. 
Or please consider mailing a check to: 
Douglas UCC, 56 Wall Street, PO Box 519, Douglas, MI 49406.
We are so very grateful for your continued support of our church, especially during this time.

March 29- Julie Myers, 30- Ann Hopkins, Rachel Overweg, 31- Pamela Chappell,
April 1- Nancy Plantinga, 3- Karen Prins, 4- Bill Klatt & Jim McHugh,
8- Jim McHugh, Dan Dow, 10- Jack Ridl

As we learn to live in our Stay Home, Stay Safe, Save Lives, we are also learning to create meaningful church experiences that work for as many people as possible. This website and
E-pistle are built to work well on smartphones and tablets and computers, so if you don't have WIFI, but do have a smart phone, we hope you can make it to online church through your cellular connection.

We heard you: You want a printable bulletin. So this week we have uploaded the bulletin (linked just above and here) for the March 22 -- this past Sunday -- service, including readings and home-made communion in what we hope is a handy and printable document.

The bulletin includes all the links you see above, including the music videos Peter Black has lovingly created (he spends hours and hours getting the lyrics timed to his piano track!) at his home so you can sing along to the hymns he chose for the service in our homes. 

We hope you enjoy following along and feel your church with you, always.

On Sunday mornings, we are holding coffee hour in our Online Friendship Hall. This Sunday, March 29, Pastor Sal will join in our Online Friendship Hall at 10a.m. at this link:
​ https://zoom.us/j/953967901

If you follow that link now, you can get the Zoom app working on your phone, tablet, or computer early, and be ready for Sunday.

On Palm Sunday, April 5, Pastor Sal and the music team will be broadcasting a complete online church service, and we will gather in the Online Friendship Hall after the service.  Watch next week's E-pistle for more news about that!

In a recent email, fellow congregant Stan Greene writes, "Earlier this week, I thought about a line from Dr. King's Letter from a Birmingham Jail, 'What else can one do ... other than write long letters, think long thoughts and pray long prayers?' That's a manifesto for these times."

He went on to say that he uses every opportunity to re-read this great piece of American liturgy and shared history, so resonant in this time -- recommended reading for times when we are forced to be quiet and are facing a tough path. Here are several ways to read or listen to it with fresh ears:

https://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html

https://bit.ly/birminghamletteraudible

https://bit.ly/LetterBirminghamKindle

Some background: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letter_from_Birmingham_Jail

If you'd like to discuss this reading, bookclub-style, via Zoom, just write to Julie. We can make that happen.

If you are in Michigan and have need of food, home heating or electricity, dial 211.
If you are in urgent need of medical assistance, dial 911.
​
Stay home. Stay safe. Save lives. To combat the spread of COVID-19 in Michigan, Governor Whitmer signed the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” executive order on March 25. For at least the next three weeks, all Michigan businesses and operations must temporarily suspend in-person operations that are not necessary to sustain or protect life, and all Michiganders must stay in their homes unless they’re a part of that critical infrastructure workforce, engaged in an outdoor activity, or performing tasks necessary to the health and safety of themselves or their family, like going to the hospital or grocery store.

YOU CAN:

• Go to the grocery store or pick up take-out food.
• Go to the pharmacy to pick up a needed prescription.
• Engage in outdoor activities like walking, hiking, running, biking.
• Go to the hospital or secure any care necessary to address a medical emergency or to preserve your health or the health of a loved one.
• Fill your car with gas.
• Return to Michigan to a home or place of residence from outside the State.
• Leave the State for a home or residence elsewhere.
• Walk your pets and take them to the veterinarian for needed medical care.

YOU MAY NOT:

• Leave the home to work unless your employer designates you as a critical infrastructure worker.
• Participate in any public gatherings.
• Visit someone in the hospital, nursing home, or other residential care facilities (with limited exceptions).
• Go to the mall or to restaurants.

BUSINESSES THAT REMAIN OPEN FOR IN-PERSON WORK MUST TAKE AGGRESSIVE STEPS TO MINIMIZE THE VIRUS’S SPREAD. THEY MUST:

• Promote remote work to the fullest extent possible.
• Restrict the number of workers present in-person on the job.
• Keep employees at least six feet from one another to the maximum extent possible and enabling social distancing for customers who are standing in line.
• Any other social distancing practices and mitigation measures recommended by the Centers for Disease Control.

Information around this outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.   

For those who have questions about the state’s actions to mitigate the spread of coronavirus, please call the COVID-19 Hotline at 1-888-535-6136 between 8AM - 5PM daily. 

​Dear DUCCies,

Well, life has changed rather dramatically for us for the time being. Sunday morning church services are suspended until the threat passes, and meetings of 10 or more people are going online or being suspended. 


And it hasn't been easy, has it? At Lent we are always asked to go inward, be still, be contemplative. But perhaps not quite this inward? 

I know this is much harder for those of us who are grieving, who live alone, who are coping with illness. Who are extroverts. Please remember we are still here, still together in spirit, and we are finding ways to check in on one another, visit, pray, find some ways to laugh. 

Three of our church members in the official virus risk group (over 60) in my neighborhood just had our first Zoom video chat yesterday. It was super easy and really helps! Others are using their phones' video calling services -- Facetime, Skype, Facebook Messenger/Video, Google Duo -- to check on one another and neighbors and kids and grandkids, to call for no special reason at all, just to hear voices and see faces. It's not the same, but can relieve feelings of isolation. Please make time to check with those you know might be struggling with this. Meanwhile, I've scheduled Zoom Cafe meetups for us for 10am on Sunday mornings. Here is the link. Or you can find it by clicking on this event on our Church Calendar.

And as always, if you are having a hard time, or need help, or someone to talk with, drop a note to your Congregational Care Team. We are here for you!

This E-pistle will look and act just a bit different for the rest of these Sabbatical weeks, and then when Pastor Sal returns, we will think again about how to be the church in this time.

Rest assured, Sal will be back. He is safe. Gregg is safe. 

This E-Pistle carries our first experiment in Home Churching, after the announcements, including our readings, prayers, and  Sabbatical speakers' homilies, a kind of online kit for Being the Church. These elements will be delayed by four days in lectionary time. That is, last Sunday's service is in this E-Pistle, this coming Sunday's next week, etc. 

If we need to reach out to you quickly, we will use email, as we did last week. If you did not get our announcement about services by email last week, it's because I don't have your correct email address. Please feel free to drop me a line if you want to be sure to get these more urgent email notes from us.

Meanwhile your Church Council has been meeting online and in person. They are staying abreast of Federal, State, and Local updates and recommendations to citizens and churches about how to mitigate the spread of the virus, #FlattenTheCurve, and keep our whole community safe.

If you wonder whether a church group or event is scheduled or suspended, the best place to keep up is our online calendar. Click on events to get all the details. 

Peace and Grace on your hearts and homes, beloved DUCCies.
I love you all so much (said Dorothy, and),
Julie

One Great Hour of Sharing® is one of four special mission offerings of the United Church of Christ. This Lenten Offering supports the disaster, refugee, and development ministries of the UCC.  The suggested offering date for the One Great Hour of Sharing offering is March 22, 2020, but since most of the UCC churches in this country won't be meeting on Sunday, please either click right here any time, to give securely online or mail your gift today to One Great Hour of Sharing - United Church of Christ, 700 Prospect Avenue, Financial Services, 6th Floor, Cleveland, Ohio 44115. Thank you for caring for all of God's people.

In these early days of social distancing, it can be awkward, socially, to figure out how to renegotiate personal space. Practicing some old fashioned and newfangled social cues are necessary here. Making way for others on the sidewalk, at doorways, gesturing to allow people in front of you, holding up a hand to remind dear friends to stop -- all of these gestures and habits will help us all remind each other to keep 6-to-10 feet from one another. It's an automatic gesture to reach out to shake hands, but try hard to develop a new habit, touching your heart and giving a slight bow, or use the Namaste signal, or cross your arms over your heart and make eye contact. Or... wear a really, really big hoop skirt! Whatever it takes. We can do what it takes.

THE COORDINATED COMMUNITY RESPONSE TO FEED SCHOOL FAMILIES DURING THE COVID-19 SCHOOL CLOSURE. 

Saugatuck Public Schools and Fennville Public Schools will make two meals a day available to all students during the State of Michigan mandated school closure.

Up to two meals a day are available for each student according to the schools’ regular meal service. A coalition of community partners, spearheaded by Children First Lakeshore and Community Church of Douglas, will provide supplemental meals distributed through the delivery routes of each school district. Beginning this week, both school districts will offer meal delivery along bus routes as well as at pick-up sites during the week.

Children First Lakeshore and partners will provide weekend and supplemental food also delivered by the school districts. The supplemental food is designed to feed students beyond the two meals the school districts are providing. The delivery schedules and pick-up information is different for each school district. 

We are Working to Raise 120K to Feed the Gap!

• Raised: $6,000
• New Goal: $114,000

If you can help contribute to this cause, click here.
If you can volunteer to help feed the kids click here.

If you would like to send a paper check, send it here:
Children First Lakeshore, PO Box 980 Douglas, MI 49406
For more information email info@childrenfirstlakeshore.org

The area churches are supporting our government offices, police departments and fire departments, all first responders, by gathering and mobilizing a team of volunteers who can help out with various tasks and needs of community members. If you are healthy, mobile, and willing to help in this way, go to SDVolunteers.com, and add your name to this list.

Happy Birthdays and Anniversaries
March 16- Gemina Petruzzelli,  17- Peter Black, Dan Mack

Financial Stewardship Report:
March 15 
Attendance: 0
Easter Flowers: $60
Collections by mail: $870 
Online Giving: $875
Total: $1,805

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

At this time, without our in-service collections, our church especially needs you to consider giving online, which is easily done by clicking here to our website.  

Or sending your checks by mail to:
Douglas UCC, 56 Wall Street, P.O. Box 519, Douglas, MI, 49406

(For home churching, you may wish to light candles, put on some soft, wordless music, find a place in your home where you will be undisturbed, silence your cell phones and computers... )

Unison Prayer
Deep within me is a deep and insistent craving for that which the Christ Spirit alone can give. In the past, I may have wrongly interpreted this craving as a thirst for success or material things. Now, I clearly understand that my thirst is for a greater consciousness of God's love and for a greater expression of Divine wisdom. My true desire is to have more of the character of God made manifest in my every thought, word, and deed. I know the Christ Spirit can give me what nothing else can give. Therefore I nourish my thirst, knowing it is leading me to that complete awareness of Christ which satisfies completely at all times. Amen.

Assurance of Grace and Peace

One: Peace be with you.
Many: And also with you.
One: Let us offer one another a sign of Peace.

(Here you may wish to hold your hands toward a window in your home, and send the peace and light out into the world.)

Passing the Peace

Spirit of life come unto me. 
Sing in my heart all the stirrings of compassion.  
Blow in the wind, rise in the sea,
move in the hand, giving life the shape of justice.
Roots hold me close – wings set me free. 
Spirit of life come to me, come to me.  

Words of Integration & Guidance, by Bishop John Shelby Spong  

Almost any poll of regular church goers will reveal that their favorite book in the New Testament is the Gospel of John. Yet, I suspect that these devotees of John’s Gospel would be both shocked and angered by contemporary insights into this treasured book. Among the conclusions that I have reached in my intensive study of John’s Gospel are these: There is no way it was written by any of the disciples of Jesus. The author of this book is not a single individual, but is at least three different writers/editors, who did their layered work over a period of 25 to 30 years. Not one of the miracles recorded in this book was, in all probability, something that actually happened. This means that Jesus never changed water into wine, fed a multitude with five loaves and two fish or raised Lazarus from the dead.  Many of the characters who appear in the pages of this book are literary creations of its author and were never intended to be understood as real people, who actually lived in history. John’s Gospel seems to ridicule anyone who might read this book as a work of literal history. For example, Jesus says to Nicodemus: “You must be born again.” Nicodemus, the literalist, says: “Born again? How can I crawl back into my mother’s womb?” Jesus says to the Samaritan woman: “I will give you living water.” The Samaritan woman, a literalist, responds: “Man, you don’t even have a bucket!” The Council of Nicea in 325 C.E. leaned on John’s Gospel as literal history in order to formulate the creeds and ultimately to undergird such doctrines as the Incarnation and the Holy Trinity. John’s Gospel is not a literal history, but rather a symbolic text to describe the experience of the human breaking the boundaries of consciousness and entering into the transformation available inside a sense of a mystical oneness with God. Christianity is not about the divine becoming human so much as it is about the human becoming divine. That is a paradigm shift of the first order.

The Words of Holy Scripture
One: A Reading of Scripture from Exodus 17:1-7
From the wilderness, the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages,
as God commanded. They camped at Rephidim,
but there was no water for the people to drink. The
people quarreled with Moses, and said,
"Give us water to drink," Moses said to them,
"Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test God?"
But the people thirsted there for water; and the
people complained against Moses and said,
"Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and
our children and livestock with thirst?"
So Moses cried out to God,
"What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me."
God said to Moses,
"Go on ahead of the people,
and take some of the elders of Israel with you;
take in your hand the staff with which you struck
the Nile, and go. I will be standing there in front of you
on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock,
and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink."
Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel.
He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and
tested God, saying,
"Is God among us or not?"

One: Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.
Many: Thanks be to God.

The Gospel Lesson
One: The Holy Gospel according to John 4:5-42
Many: Glory to you, O Christ.
Jesus came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his
son Joseph. Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon. A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." The Samaritan woman said to him,  "How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a
woman of Samaria" (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.) Jesus answered
her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,'  you
would have asked him, and he would have given you living water." The woman said to him,
"Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you
greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank
from it?" Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those
who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will
become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life." The woman said to him, "Sir, give
me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water." Jesus
said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come back." The woman answered him, "I have no
husband." Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying, 'I have no husband' for you have had five
husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!" The
woman said to him, "Sir, I see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this
mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem." Jesus said to
her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship God neither on this
mountain nor in Jerusalem. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know.
But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship God in spirit
and truth, for the God seeks such as these. God is spirit, and those who worship God must
worship in spirit and truth."

One: Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.
Many: Praise to you, O Christ.

​Max moved from Kalamazoo to Douglas in 2015 with his husband, Doug, and their dog, Harry. They now have adopted a cat named Pansy. Max spent 45 years as a hairdresser beginning in Los Angeles, later St. Joseph, MI, then Kalamazoo, and now Saugatuck. Max was a theatre major at WMU, and he was in pre-ministerial training with the Unity Church in the 1990’s. He enjoys painting and is actively involved in our church community.

Celebration of Holy Communion
One: God be with you.
Many: And also with you.
One: Lift up your hearts.
Many: We lift them up to God.
One: Let us give thanks to God.
Many: It is good to give God thanks and praise.

And now we prepare the gifts of bread and wine in Holy Communion with
our unseen, but fully felt congregation.

In the United Church of Christ, we say, “No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, please know that you are invited, welcome, and worthy to receive these gifts.” And, so, with great joy, let us join our voices together and sing:

Creation’s Praise
Santo, santo, santo, mi corazon te adora.
Mi corazon te sabe decir, santo eros Dios.
Holy, holy, holy, my heart, my heart adores you.
My heart is glad to say the words, you are holy God. 

(Take a section of the communion bread in your hands and say:)

At the last meal that Jesus shared with his friends, he took some bread, and he said,
“Thank you” to God for it. As he broke the bread, Jesus said to his friends,
“This bread is my body. Whenever you eat it, remember me.”

(Hold the section of the bread up high for a moment after you say this)

(Then, pour your juice or wine into a cup, and say...)

(Then, place both your hands over the bread and wine and say...)

And, so, we call upon the Holy Spirit to bless these gifts of bread and wine, and to
bless all those who approach this table to receive these gifts this morning, that they
may recognize that the Presence and the Power of the Christ dwells
with them and within them.

Breaking of Bread – Let Us Be Bread
Let us be bread, blessed by the Lord,
broken and shared, life for the world.
Let us be wine, love freely poured. 
Let us be one with the Lord. 
Say:  I receive the Bread of Life.
(Eat.)

Say: I receive the Cup of Love, the Drink of Compassion.
(Drink.)

See your normal place in the congregation. See yourself holding the hands, and all the hands, holding hands. linking us all together. Breathe that in for a minute. And then say...

Prayer of Thanksgiving & the Lord’s Prayer
Our Mother/Father, always and everywhere, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
​For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Benediction
Our worship this morning has come to a close, but now our service in the world continues. So, let us go forth to live fully, to love wastefully, and to have the courage to be all that God has created us to be. We are a grateful people, and so it is. Amen.

Our church council held an emergency meeting Thursday morning and voted to follow advice from the Centers for Disease Control, our governor, and Michigan's Department of Public Health and cancel Sunday services until the threat of passing along the coronavirus has lessened to the degree that large meetings are deemed safe.

We encourage everyone to practice social distancing, stay home if you are sick, wash your hands regularly, avoid touching your face, and do everything you can to help mitigate the spread of this disease.

We are taking this step out of an abundance of caution and love and concern for the welfare of our congregants and our community. 

Here in the E-Pistle, starting next week, we will begin to share our Sunday messages and readings, allowing each of us to enter into worship together even as we are separated physically. 

If you know of anyone who does not or cannot receive the E-pistle, please let us know, so we can help them feel less isolated from their faith community during this time.

Even as we back away from large gatherings for now, our service in the world continues. If you are struggling with social distancing, with finding the supplies you need, and especially with any illness itself,  please write to welcome@douglasucc.org. Your church is here for you, and we will help.

The Michigan Department of Public Health is recommending that groups of 10 or more who serve at-risk populations should consider canceling their meetings, staggering them (meeting in smaller groups at different spaces and times) or using distance-meeting platforms (Zoom Google Hangouts, Uberconference) where possible. At-risk groups are: older adults, and people who have serious chronic medical conditions like: Heart Disease, Diabetes, Lung Disease.

As church groups made up of older adults and serving older adults, each of us needs to continue our work in the world as well and as safely as we can. Consider ways to promote social distancing while you reach out to the community. Please have this conversation with your groups via email, and work together to decide how best to continue your work in the world. 

Of course if you feel unwell, please stay home from group meetings.

If you need to schedule or unschedule space on campus, please email Julie: julie@douglasucc.org

"What a lovely service we had last week! KUDOS to church member Emily Tieman for her inspiring and brave message: "The Wind of the Spirit, and to all of our volunteers and service leaders!

KUDOS to church member Larry Fuerst who has been honored with a very special award to recognize his 50 years piloting aircraft. On March 6 Larry received the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award from the Federal Aviation Administration at the West Michigan Regional Airport in Holland. The Master Pilot Award is awarded by the FAA and recognizes pilots who have contributed and maintained safe flight operations for 50 or more consecutive years of piloting aircraft. See the article in the Holland Sentinel detailing Larry's award. It's a lovely tribute.

Our 2020 Lenten Devotionals are a great way to observe Lent and bring your church home with you during our Coronavirus break. The devotionals are on sale in the Friendship Hall. They are $5 apiece. If you need help getting one, just write to us at welcome@douglasucc.org, and we will make sure that happens.

​A remembrance of Jesus' last supper with his friends, and a powerful service each year, Maundy Thursday Service will be held on April 9. Space is limited for the simple meal served at 6:30 pm in the Friendship Hall before the service, so please sign up on the special Maundy Thursday meal board in the Friendship Hall. All are welcome to the service in the Sanctuary, which begins at 7:30 pm.

On Easter Sunday, we hope to have our altar filled with Easter Lilies!  Please consider purchasing an Easter Lily plant for $15. We are happy to take this order by mail or at the church office from 10am to 1pm weekdays. You can do so in honor or memory of a loved one, whose name will appear in the bulletin on Easter Sunday. You can take the plant home after our Easter service. Thank you so much!

As we will not be meeting at the church during this coronavirus season, we humbly ask that you consider making your regular donations to the church through our online  giving system.
It's easy and fast, and helps keep the work of the church going.
Thank you for remembering DUCC in your giving!

​March 8:  Attendance: 91
Collection plate:   $495
Easter flower orders:   $45
In kind (Stephen Ministry training materials): $100
Other unspecified cash receipts:  $44
    Online Giving: $2,274
Total: $2,958
​
Thank you for your generous giving which
allows us to sustain our church community and our mission of service.
​​You can also give securely online by clicking ONLINE GIVING.

KUDOS to the Social Justice Team, moderator Elizabeth Estes, and church member Max Brown  for hosting a powerful, informative, action-oriented, and well attended forum on Domestic Violence in our community on Sunday, March 01. Watch the E-Pistle and Facebook page for posts on actions we can take to help reduce violence in our homes and help the people who experience it. Special thanks to our visitors from Sylvia's Place and Resilience, who work the front lines of this issue every day. Please consider supporting these organizations with your donations. 

(If you still have clocks to set, then) please set your clocks to "Spring Forward" 1 hour when you head to bed Saturday night so that you won't miss the lovely March 8 service we've planned for you!

After church this week, please join us in the Friendship Hall for our 2nd Sunday of the Week Potluck! Bring a dish to share!

As new cases of the coronavirus are reported in other countries and across the United States, United Church of Christ leaders are urging education, caution and common sense -- sharing a few basic guidelines to enable congregations and other UCC organizations to find useful, relevant information to plan their course of action.

Coronavirus (CoVid-19) is a respiratory illness that causes flu-like symptoms. As of Feb. 27, there were 60 reported cases of coronavirus in the U.S. Doctors at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said that while they expect to see the number of cases increase as the disease spreads, they stress that the immediate risk of contracting the disease remains low.

Typical symptoms of coronavirus include fever and a cough that may progress to pneumonia, causing breathing difficulties, including shortness of breath. Most people who get it will contract a mild to moderate illness, a bit like flu. Generally, coronavirus can cause more severe symptoms in people with weakened immune systems, older people, and those with long-term conditions like diabetes, cancer or chronic lung disease. Presently the death rate is low, around 2 percent, which is a little above the death rate for flu. More information is available in this video, "5 Things to Know About COVID-19," from the CDC.

"Understandably, there are many questions circulating regarding appropriate precautionary measures around the coronavirus as news of this health threat continues to unfold," said the Rev. Traci Blackmon, UCC associate general minister, noting that the basic information shared below should not be construed as medical advice, but as best practices and basic precautions. "Because this is a rapidly changing situation, it will be crucial to keep checking the latest guidance and information from the CDC."

Some of these everyday precautions, focused on good hygiene measures, are common sense -- helpful to keep in mind anytime and especially during colds and flu season. It's also important to note that this information, gathered from a number of sources, is far from complete. Continue to check the reliable sources noted below -- the CDC, the World Health Organization – to keep abreast of situation in the U.S. If transmission of the coronavirus changes significantly, changes in hygiene protocols may be suggested to optimize protection.

Here are a number of precautionary measures the UCC Human Resources Department shared with staff in the national offices.
• Stay home if you are feeling sick.
• Wash your hands frequently.
• Avoid touching your face with unwashed hands.
• Disinfect surfaces used regularly.
• Use hand sanitizer.
• Avoid close contact with someone who is sick.
• Practice these precautionary measures at home and pass this information along to family and friends.

If you have traveled internationally during the last 14 days, feel sick with fever or cough, or have difficulty breathing the CDC has several recommendations:
• Seek medical advice. Call ahead before you go to a doctor's office or emergency room.
• Tell them about your recent travel and your symptoms.
• Avoid contact with others.
• Do not travel while sick.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve when coughing or sneezing.
• Clean your hands often by washing them with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains 60%–95% alcohol immediately after coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose. Soap and water should be used if hands are visibly dirty.

UCC Disaster Ministries has developed a web section for congregations that includes a word from Blackmon, a bulletin insert and an excellent resource from the Southern New England Conference UCC, with a checklist and advice for community engagement, worship (e.g. communion, offering, passing the peace), communications, leadership backup, pastoral care and even fiscal concerns.
"I believe that, as the faith community, we have a special responsibility to care for our fellow congregants and communities," Blackmon writes. "When we are prepared, we are in a better position to help others. Our demonstration of love of neighbor also requires us to counter scapegoating and prejudice such as already has been shown to some Chinese and Chinese-Americans. They are not to blame for the coronavirus!"

CoVid-19, first detected in China in December, has now been documented in patients in Iran, Italy, South Korea, France, Germany and Japan. According to the Washington Post, Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Nigeria have just reported their first cases, all which have links to Italy, WHO officials said.

"Our greatest enemy right now is not the virus itself. It's fear, rumors and stigma," WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a daily briefing on Feb. 28. "Most cases can still be traced to known contacts or clusters of cases. We do not see evidence as yet that the virus is spreading freely in communities. As long as that's the case, we still have a chance at containing this virus."

Tedros said that more than 20 vaccines are in development globally, and several anti-viral drugs are in clinical trials. Health officials expect the first results in a few weeks.
Bookmark these resources for developing information:

• CDC COVID-19 updates.
• CDC New travel alerts.
• World Health Organization updates.
• WHO Preparedness resources.
• Coronavirus resources from the UCC.
•  Ohio Department of Health information.
• FEMA, general disaster guidance for Houses of Worship.

In addition to last week's recommendation that we do not shake hands, hug, or kiss during Passing of the Peace, UCC recommends, and our Church Council approved, these changes to communion to reduce virus transmission, until the threat of CoVid 19 is lifted: 

• Eliminating intinction -- we will no longer dip bread into wine or sip from a chalice, but will use disposable cups for the wine as we do for juice.
• Asking communion leaders and juice/wine prep folks to use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer before preparing the gifts of bread and wine.
• Asking communion leaders to drop the bread into open, cupped palms rather than allowing congregants to help themselves from the plate.

We appreciate everyone's help in reducing possible exposure by making our weekly communion tradition healthier for all of us.

On Easter Sunday, we hope to have our altar filled with Easter Lilies!  Please consider purchasing an Easter Lily plant for $15. You can do so in honor or memory of a loved one, whose name will appear in the bulletin on Easter Sunday. You can take the plant home after our Easter service. To purchase a plant, please use the special "Flower Offering" envelopes in the pews these next Sundays. Please be sure to write the name of your honored/loved one clearly on the envelope with your own name. Thank you so much!

​Walk for Warmth 
Walk for Warmth is right around the corner and Community Action is looking for sponsors, as well as participants.
 
Community Action believes that when families get the right resources at the right time, our community becomes stronger and more resilient. Community Action is excited to join the statewide effort to raise awareness concerning people experiencing heat-related emergencies with our 3rd annual “Walk for Warmth” 5K Run/Walk at The Lynx in Otsego on March 21, 2020 from 9am to 11am. Their “Walk for Warmth” will shine a spotlight on the need for emergency utility assistance in Allegan County and raise funds for families in Allegan County facing shut-off notices.
 
This year the state has cut utility assistance for many agencies, ours alone was cut by nearly 70%. Last year we were able to raise $6,350.  Come support the event and help us double that amount so we can help even more families struggling throughout the Allegan County.

We are inviting you to join us in 2020. Sign up can be done online by going to, https://runsignup.com/Race/MI/Otsego/CAAC2019WalkforWarmth or by completing the form attached and returning it to Community Action of Allegan County. Registration cost is $35 for adults and $15 for children with children under 5 being free.  Also included is a continental breakfast and a really awesome long sleeve ¼ zip ‘tech shirt’ for adults.
Documents: 

• Registration form 
• Sponsorship packet 
• Information flyer 

Peace and Blessings,
Sue Fleming

A remembrance of Jesus' last supper with his friends, and a powerful service each year, Maundy Thursday Service will be held on April 9. Space is limited for the simple meal served at 6:30 pm in the Friendship Hall before the service, so please sign up on the special Maundy Thursday meal board in the Friendship Hall. All are welcome to the service in the Sanctuary, which begins at 7:30 pm.

​March 1:  Attendance: 131
Collection Plate: $1,253    Online Giving: $1,269.91
Total: $2,522.91

Thank you for your generous giving which
allows us to sustain our church community and our mission of service.
​​You can also give securely online by clicking ONLINE GIVING.

Our Pastor Sal is currently on sabbatical, and we have an amazing lineup of inspiring speakers through the end of March (see schedule here). This Sunday, our church member Jack Ridl will give the message, with special music programming by Nancy Plantinga and the Huggett Family and Peter Black. 

Poet Laureate of Douglas Jack Ridl is the author of nine award-winning collections of poetry, several collegiate textbooks and anthologies, and a weekly blog at www.ridl.com. He was named Michigan's Teacher of the Year by The Carnegie Foundation, and more than 90 of his students are now published authors.  Please join us Sunday for 10am service!

Thanks to Tim Buszka and everyone who participated in making the February 23 service for our church. Well done, team!

Thanks go to Greg Harvath, Floyd Fleming and Jim Bailey for their vision and hard work to dress the sanctuary for our Season of Lent. Awakening, going inward, seeking the light, together...

​Our Social Justice Team Recommends all of the works by author Bryan Stevenson, and encourages you attend this powerful documentary showing in Holland.  TRUE JUSTICE: BRYAN STEVENSON’S FIGHT FOR EQUALITY examines his personal journey as a public defender in Alabama and director of the Equal Justice Initiative, who is working to bring justice to the incarcerated, wrongfully convicted and disadvantaged. This film weaves together Stevenson’s own story, those of his clients, and a history of injustice and complicity by our justice system to reveal how a narrative of racial inequality emerged in this country. Bryan challenges us to seek the truth, confront it, and work towards reconciliation.

Nancy Plantinga and participants will be journeying through the book “A Course in Miracles Made Easy (Mastering the Journey from Fear to Love), by Alan Cohen.

A Course in Miracles, also referred to as ACIM and The Course, is a self-study system of spiritual awakening that teaches the way of inner peace and healing through the power of love and forgiveness. Alan Cohen has been a practitioner and teacher of the Course for 35+ years. The original version of ACIM includes a 600+ page textbook, 365 daily lessons, and a Teacher's Manual. Cohen has taken some of the major teachings of ACIM and brought them into a shorter and more easy-to-understand version. This is a perfect way to begin the journey of ACIM!

• There is no financial cost to attend this discussion group, however, you will need to purchase the book and a notebook/journal to help process through your journey of self-discovery.
• The discussion group will begin meeting in the Spring Street House on Tuesday, April 14 at 6:30 in Spring Street House, and will continue meeting on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month through September, or until the entire book has been processed.

Nancy says, "I have started ACIM a few times and gotten bogged down and frustrated with its lengthy text and far-reaching concepts. Yet, the message that I/we need to move from fear to love, from darkness into the Light, truly resonates with me. When I was preparing for my recent talk “Out of Darkness, Into the Light,” I felt strongly guided to get back into my personal journey through the Course. This book by Alan Cohen came forward as well as the desire to form a discussion group to do the same. I'm looking forward to taking this journey with members of my spiritual family!"

If you are interested in being part of this discussion group, please contact Nancy Plantinga. Email her at createpeace4us@gmail.com or call her  616.405.3399

A remembrance of Jesus' last supper with his friends, and a powerful service each year, Maundy Thursday Service will be held on April 9. Space is limited, so please sign up on the special Maundy Thursday board in the Friendship Hall. 

​Please join us in the Friendship Hall after our Sunday service for our "2nd Sunday of the Month" Potluck. Please bring a dish to share, and come hungry! If you can plan to help with cleanup afterwards, that will make shorter work for everyone. 

Potlucks are so much fun, so delicious, such a great place to collect recipes. And then there's the clean-up! The best part of all! If you want to be part of the few, the proud, the pot-luck clean-up brigade, there's a sign-up sheet for that. In the Friendship Hall. We are looking for new recruits and leaders! ​

This coming week marks the beginning of 50 hours of training for four people who have committed themselves to learning the skills of caring ministry.  On Monday the training concerns “The Person of the Caregiver,” and trainees will consider five foundational characteristics of a caregiver.  On Saturday morning the  trainees will be considering the subject of “Feelings: Yours, Mine, and Ours.”  In this presentation they will be talking about the importance of recognizing and accepting all the feelings people have.  And on Saturday afternoon, the trainees will be learning “The Art of Listening;” and honing their listening skills and finding out that listening well is extremely helpful and caring but also hard work. These people are a blessing to Douglas UCC, and we wish God’s blessings upon them.  Keep them in your prayers.

Our Pastor Sal is currently on sabbatical, and we have an amazing lineup of inspiring speakers through the end of March (see schedule below). This Sunday, our church member Tim Buszka-Hoehn will give the message, with special music programming by Pamela Chappell and Peter Black. 

Tim grew up in a conservative community in Indiana where he lived his life constantly torn between who he was inside and who society wanted him to be. He escaped the battle by finding solace in Douglas, a community which released the chains of self-doubt and has pushed him further than he imagined he could go. He now has a wonderful husband, family, home, and career, sponsored by those who came before him and those who remind all of us to be all we were made to be.

Please join us for 10am service!

Nancy Plantinga and participants will be journeying through the book “A Course in Miracles Made Easy (Mastering the Journey from Fear to Love), by Alan Cohen.

A Course in Miracles, also referred to as ACIM and The Course, is a self-study system of spiritual awakening that teaches the way of inner peace and healing through the power of love and forgiveness. Alan Cohen has been a practitioner and teacher of the Course for 35+ years. The original version of ACIM includes a 600+ page textbook, 365 daily lessons, and a Teacher's Manual. Cohen has taken some of the major teachings of ACIM and brought them into a shorter and more easy-to-understand version. This is a perfect way to begin the journey of ACIM!

• There is no financial cost to attend this discussion group, however, you will need to purchase the book and a notebook/journal to help process through your journey of self-discovery.
• The discussion group will begin meeting in the Spring Street House on Tuesday, April 14 at 6:30 in Spring Street House, and will continue meeting on the 2ndst and 4th Tuesday of each month through September, or until the entire book has been processed.

Nancy says, "I have started ACIM a few times and gotten bogged down and frustrated with its lengthy text and far-reaching concepts. Yet, the message that I/we need to move from fear to love, from darkness into the Light, truly resonates with me. When I was preparing for my recent talk “Out of Darkness, Into the Light,” I felt strongly guided to get back into my personal journey through the Course. This book by Alan Cohen came forward as well as the desire to form a discussion group to do the same. I'm looking forward to taking this journey with members of my spiritual family!"

If you are interested in being part of this discussion group, please contact Nancy Plantinga. Email her at createpeace4us@gmail.com or call her  616.405.3399

For those who wish to observe Ash Wednesday: 

All Saints Episcopal is holding Ash Wednesday services at 8am, noon, and 7 pm. The evening service will have hymns. All three Services will offer the imposition of ashes (optional) and Holy Communion (also optional - but all are welcome!). 

Ashes-To-Go, with Pastor Sarah from the First Congregational Church, in Downtown Saugatuck
As we begin our Lenten season, open yourself to a "holy interruption"- to be stopped in your tracks and asked: How do you see the Christ at work in your life? Pastor Sarah will have an Ashes-To-Go station set up downtown (look for her near Saugatuck Drug or by the post office.)

Lenten Devotionals for 2020 are on order from the UCC bookstore. They will go on sale for $5 each in the Friendship Hall as soon as they are delivered. 

Potlucks are so much fun, so delicious, such a great place to collect recipes. And then there's the clean-up! The best part of all! If you want to be part of the few, the proud, the pot-luck clean-up brigade, there's a sign-up sheet for that. In the Friendship Hall. We are looking for new recruits and leaders! 

  

​

​In Matthew 25, Jesus says, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink,
I was a stranger
and you invited me in…” 

We have many opportunities to respond to Jesus’ great love by showing that love to others.  Stephen Ministry is one of the ways the people of DUCC show love to people who have deep needs for care. We will soon begin our training course for new Stephen Ministers. Please contact Paul Burdick or Laurie Van Den Beldt if you would like to apply to be part of this important ministry.

Stephen Ministers care for those who are experiencing... 

• Hospitalization
• Loneliness
• Terminal or chronic illness
• Loss of a loved one
• Retirement changes
• Discouragement
• Job loss or change
• Separation and divorce
• Childbirth
• Spiritual crisis

We also care for those who are:

• New Church Members
• Homebound
• Looking for a caring, Christian friend

​Stephen Ministers are lay members selected, trained and supervised to provide effective care.   At present, three of our lay ministers are engaged in one-to-one caring and confidential relationships with people in our community.  Additionally,  we have three more ministers now available to provide this kind of love and support to those who are hurting.   And, beginning March 2, four or five more church members will begin their training to become Stephen Ministers. 
 
Everyone goes through difficult times.  Having someone to care, to listen, and to share God’s love with you can help you get through the experience.  If you, or someone you know, might benefit from having a Stephen Minister, please call our church office to get in touch with one of our Stephen Ministry Leaders.  When referring a friend or family member, please receive their permission for a contact to be made.

Language has been filed with the state Board of Canvassers to expand Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to include a ban on discrimination against the LGBTQ community. The Fair and Equal Michigan committee has until May 27 to collect at least 340,047 signatures from valid registered voters in the state to qualify for the 2020 ballot. watch for your chance to sign this non-partisan petition in the Friendship Hall after services in the coming weeks.