Second Sunday in Season of Creation

9/11/2026

Photo by Johannes Plenio on Unsplash

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

This Week's Service: The Leaves of the Trees are for the Healing of the Nations
Jody, Dan & Claire's Office Hours This Week
This Sunday, September 13, Second Sunday Luncheon. All Are Welcome!
Cast List for The Best Christmas Pageant Ever & Thank you to All Who Auditioned
DUCC Campus Custodian Needed
Social Justice - Saugatuck Public Schools, Gas & Food Card Drive
Creation Justice - Native Plant Restoration Project & Have a Copy of Refugia Faith
Memorial Garden Updated on Find A Grave
Prayer Requests
Birthdays & Anniversaries This Week
Update on Our Financial Reporting
Financial Stewardship
Want to Add Flowers to Our Chancel?
Last Week's Service: The Great Work and the Little Work
Church Calendar

THANK YOUs

Many Thanks for DUCC's Generous Summer Food Donations!

UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST NEWS

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

CLASSES

Qigong & Tea! Tuesdays at 3pm, Friendship Hall

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Out on the Lakeshore, Building Belonging All Year Long
Out of the Darkness Walk for Suicide Prevention in September & October
Soul Collage September 19, Finding Resilience to Meet the Autumn Season
DUCC's Afghan Family is Growing - A Used SUV/Minivan is Needed
Stand in Protest - Holland, Fridays from 12-1pm
Men's Coffee and Conversation

This Week's Service: The Leaves of the Trees are for the Healing of the Nations

Photo by Dan Plasman

Our speaker this week is no stranger to Douglas United Church of Christ. Dr. Debra Rienstra is the daughter-in-law of beloved member Rev. Marchiene Rienstra. She spoke here before when DUCC used her book, Refugia Faith: Seeking Hidden Shelters, Ordinary Wonders, and the Healing of the Earth (Fortress) as a Book Read in 2022. Professor Rienstra received her bachelor of arts in English literature in 1987 from University of Michigan. She graduated with Highest Honors and Highest Distinction. She completed her graduate studies at Rutgers University, receiving an MA in English literature in 1991 and a PhD in literatures in English in 1995. She joined the Calvin University English department in 1996. She has written 3 other books, 2 of which have received awards. Professor Rienstra writes for The Reformed Journal. Her essays are archived here. She also writes the Refugia Newsletter, a newsletter about faith and climate change. For more information, visit her website. Dr. Rienstra says the trees are calling to her. Join us Sunday morning at 10:00am to find out what they might be saying.
Please join us, Sunday at 10:00 am in our Sanctuary, online, live on our Youtube Channel.
Message: Dr. Debra Rienstra
Music: Peter Black, Jeff Spangler, Lauri Donaldson

DUCC Bulletin September 13
File Size:	973 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

Jody, Dan & Claire's Office Hours This Week

JODY'S EMAIL

DAN'S EMAIL

For The Week of September 13:
Jody & Dan will be on vacation for a few days next week. Please call or text if you have an emergency. We will be back in the office Friday: 10-4pm, Dan & Jody

Claire's Office Hours:
Tuesday: 12-4pm
Wednesday: 9-4pm
Thursday: 10-5pm
Friday: 9-4pm

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

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

This Sunday, September 13, Second Sunday Luncheon! All Are Welcome!

Second Sunday Luncheons are back! This Sunday, September 13 after the 10:00am Sunday Service we will have our first Luncheon of the season. Please join us, & help us continue to create community while sharing a meal together. Bring what you are able (entrees, salads, desserts, bread etc...) and if you can't bring anything, please bring yourself. All are welcome!

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

KARLA'S EMAIL

Cast List for The Best Christmas Pageant Ever &
Thank You to All Who Auditioned!

CAST LIST FOR
THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER
Thank you to everyone who tried out.What a talented group you are!
Specific roles will be assignedat our first read through
Tues. 9/22 6:30-8:30.

Jody Betten
Patrick Bickel
Paul Burdick
Lewis Corbin
Bert Hallewas
Jim Kern
Bernie Lopata
Paul Lucas
Linda Knieriemen
Doug Sipsma
Virginia Stuart
Demetrhea Terrien
Betsy York

The show could use two or three more women, so if you had hoped to audition and didn’t, call Tom Fahlstrom to talk about your interest bySunday. 734-657-6273

DUCC Campus Custodian Needed

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

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

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

DAN'S EMAIL

Social Justice - Saugatuck Public Schools Family Support Drive

Last May, during a meeting with Superintendent Mark Neidlnger, of the Saugatuck Public Schools, we learned that the families of up to 30% of the students attending our public schools may face food or housing insecurity or difficulty affording gas. This is consistent with an NPR article from last week stating that millions of children across the US are members of families who have recently lost SNAP benefits and the results of a new survey from the Federal Reserve which found " a remarkable increase in food insecurity in the US".

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

We will deliver these cards to Superintendent Neidlinger at the end of September and he will distribute them at his discretion to families facing food insecurity or unable to afford gas. We would also ask you to keep Superintendent Neidlinger and the SPS faculty , students and families in your prayers.

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

Native Plant Restoration Project
The Creation Justice Team is spearheading a project to restore a piece of our land to a prairie. If you were one of the 30 people who visited Anne Dooley’s garden, you have some idea of how it might look. If you happen to see the area around our local Saugatuck Douglas Library or the area around the Holland Aquatic Center, you have an idea of what the area will look like in a couple of years.

Lawns are fun for kids to play in, but they are considered wastelands for birds, butterflies and other creatures. The CJT has spent about a year researching good proposals and settled on Outdoor Discovery Center to make the plan, prepare the space, plant the plants, and maintain the area. It will take about a year to remove the lawn and begin to plant plugs. It will look like a pile of weeds and dead plants. Not very appealing at first. But after a while, the native plants will slowly take over and produce a beautiful array of native plants, inviting to butterflies, and birds.

Our expectation is that this space can be an education tool for our members and the larger community. There will be signage explaining what is happening, articles in the Commercial Record, maybe even a radio interview or two. We are certain this project will make a great addition to our campus and hope you will enjoy watching as it comes to life.

Looking for Refugia Faith

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

Memorial Garden Update on Find A Grave

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

CHRIS'S EMAIL

Prayer Requests

September 6 Service: Joy, huge thank you for the 241 bags of groceries that were filled for the summer food ministry, Anne joy thanks for Rich & Pete & team at San Felipe de Jesus for stewardship of summer ministry, Peter & Kathleen concern for Jesse & family diagnosis of glioblastoma, Chris joy for Wendell Berry & his life & works, joy & gratitude for the members of DUCC & their generosity, Paul joy for negative biopsy & still in remission.

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

Birthday's & Anniversary's This Week

BIRTHDAYS
September 14: Rich Marth
September 19: Matthew Blasco

ANNIVERSARIES
September 17: Lynn DaCosse

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.

Want to Add Flowers to Our Chancel?

Photo by Brigitte Elsner on Unsplash

Flowers bring life and beauty to our sanctuary! If you would like to bring flowers for the sanctuary, there is a sign up sheet in the Friendship Hall. Sign up for a Sunday to honor a loved one or celebrate a special milestone.

Update on Our Financial Reporting

Photo by Micheile Henderson on Unsplash

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

WAYNE'S EMAIL

Financial Stewardship

September 6 Onsite Attendance : 8:15 = 18, 10:15 = 63
September 6 Total Online Views: 96

Total Offerings: $5,251
SPS Family Support Drive: $470

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

Last Weeks Service: The Great Work and the Little Work

Photo by Akshat Vats on Unsplash

Last Sunday Pastor Jody shared places of safety where life can survive, heal and begin again - "refugia". She reminded us that we also can create refuge for one another, & the natural world.
We honor the Season of Creation for the month of September in light of the ongoing concerns of climate change.
This month we will be looking back at the themes in the Book Refugia Faith by Dr. Debra Rienstra, a DUCC book read in 2022. Refugium are places where, in the midst of disturbances, life continues to not just survive, but flourish with hope for the future. Our wondering together will be, how do we become refugia as a faith community, looking to creation as our teacher. Watch full service and/or Pastor Jody's message below.

FULL SERVICE

JODY'S MESSAGE

Church Calendar

Photo by Elena Mozhvilo on Unsplash

EXPLORE THE CALENDAR

THANK YOU

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

Photo by Adam Winger on Unsplash

UNIITED CHURCH OF CHRIST NEWS

Grand West Association Prayer Circle

Photo by Maxwell Andrews on Unsplash

September - Park Congregational UCC Church

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

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

PARK UCC

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

PARK CHURCH

CLASSES

Qigong & Tea, Tuesdays from 3-5pm

Photo by Brad Switzer on Unsplash

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

Qigong is a wonderful, 5,000 year-old practice from China, very much like Tai Chi. It involves simple movements that build strength, flexibility, balance and well being. It also employs visualization, breath, and mindfulness to integrate the body, mind, and spirit and develop our felt sense of Interbeing. Class is one hour long and involves both sitting and standing practice although it can be done sitting if needed. There is a requested donation of $10 per class but for those of you on limited incomes, any amount will be gratefully received.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Out On The Lakeshore
Building Belonging All Year Long

Out On The Lakeshore is a Holland-based LGBTQ+ nonprofit working to create a more inclusive, connected, and welcoming Lakeshore. While many people know us through Pride, our work happens all year through community programs, support groups, youth resources, education, advocacy, partnerships, wellness initiatives, and our Community Center.

A big part of our focus right now is building more sustainable community support through our League of Allies. League of Allies members are individuals (and businesses sponsor levels) who choose to support our work monthly at whatever level feels right for them. Even $5, $10, or $25 a month becomes incredibly meaningful when a whole community chooses to show up together.
If you believe in the work we are doing and want to help us keep showing up all year long, we would love for you to consider joining the League of Allies as a monthly supporter.

COMING SOON: We are also excited to be growing Neighbor to Neighbor, a grassroots initiative centered around a simple idea: neighbors have knowledge, skills, and resources that other neighbors need. Through upcoming Neighbor to Neighbor events, local businesses, nonprofits, volunteers, and community members will come together to share practical skills, make connections, and help people more easily find trusted resources.
If you would like to stay connected to what is happening at Out On The Lakeshore, we would also love to have you join our newsletter for updates on programs, events, resources, volunteer opportunities, and ways to get involved.

Thank you for being part of a community that continues to make room for everyone.

JOIN LEAGUE OF ALLIES

Suicide Prevention Walks throughout Michigan in September & October

INFORMATION & DONATION

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

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

Photo by Object Type RAW on Unsplash

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

Stand in Protest

Photo by Sandra Seitamaa on Unsplash

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

Men's Coffee and Conversation

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

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