Seventh Sunday of Pentecost

7/10/2026

Photo by Anna Samoylova on Unsplash

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

This Week's Service: Womb Wrestling
Two Summer Services - 8:15 & 10:15! Please, Join Us!
Jody, Dan & Claire's Office Hours This Week
Next Douglas Social, Thursday, July 16 - Looking for Volunteers
Social Justice - Summer Food Ministry
Creation Justice - Recycling Textiles ... and More!
Archives Team - The Search is On!
Campus Steward: Door Codes & Interested in Joining Campus Team?
Memorial Garden Updated on Find A Grave
Prayer Requests
Birthdays & Anniversaries This Week
Financial Stewardship
Want to Add Flowers to Our Chancel?
Last Week's Service: A Journey with No Map
Church Calendar

UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST NEWS

Grand West Association Prayer Circle, Muskegon First Congregational UCC
UCC Urgent Request for Venezuela after devastating Earthquakes

CLASSES

Qigong & Tea! Tuesdays at 3pm, Friendship Hall

COMMUNITY EVENTS

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: Womb Wrestling

Photo by Luis Arias on Unsplash

During the Sundays of July and August, we will hear stories of lying, betrayal, jealousy, coverups, treachery, kidnapping and much more. We’re not talking about modern day soap operas or the salacious details that regularly stream from our nation’s capital. These are ancient stories found in the book of Genesis, particularly in the 25th- 45th chapters. Next Sunday’s entry is about the birth of twins: Esau and Jacob. How lovely! Well, not exactly. You’d be amazed how far deceit and deception can take a person in life. Then again, maybe we all know that. Hope you join us, either in-person or on-line! Remember, you have a choice on these summer Sundays: 8:15 a.m. and 10:15 a.m.

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

DUCC Bulletin/Hymns
File Size:	643 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 July 12:
Monday: 10-3pm, Jody
Tuesday: 12-8:30pm, Dan & Jody
Wednesday: 10-3pm, Dan

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

Next Douglas Social, Thursday, July 16
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 people to volunteer this last one. Are you available?
There is a sign up sheet in the Friendship Hall. Email Bert if you have questions.

BERT'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 Luba Glazunova 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.

CJT RECYCLING RESOURCES

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

Campus Steward: Door Code Updates

Photo by Austin Tate 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.
**UPDATE: The new door codes have not been completely reprogrammed but will be done by July 13. Once completed, everyone with a code will receive an email from Steve McFadden plus a general announcement will be made. Old codes will remain until August. If you have any comments or questions please contact Steve at 773 469 8736 or email. Thank You for your patience!

STEVE'S EMAIL

Interested in the Future of Our Campus?

Do you have interest in the future of our (three building campus)? We are gathering kindred souls to discern where our resources should be deployed, inside and outside. If you are interested, please contact Steve McFadden.

STEVE'S EMAIL

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

July, 5 Service: From Kathleen for Barb, Patt & Carol. For all the animals and the other than human world. For peace.

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

Birthday's & Anniversary's This Week

BIRTHDAYS
July 12: John McDonald
July 15: Madison Bowes, Scott Overweg
July 16: Adelle VanDaalen
July 18: John Ellis Ortman

ANNIVERSARIES
July 12: Christine & Paul Kerney
July 16: Paul Burdick & Michael Valdez

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

July 5 In-Person Attendance : 8:15 = 23, 10:15 = 58
July 5 Total Views for worship videos: 63

Weekly Offerings: $2,156
Weekly Budget: $4,615
Weekly to Budget: -$2,458

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

Want to Add Flowers to Our Chancel?

Photo by Carrie Cronan 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.

Last Weeks Service: A Journey with No Map

Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash

Last Sunday, Pastor Jody reflected on a 250 year old country that is just a teenager in the scheme of ages of countries in the world. And, how these days we act like a spoiled brat, bully adolescent, at that! But teenagers grow and change and become. It's one of the most spiritual times in the life of a human, a time when we assess our upbringing, the values our parents instilled, and are beginning to be engaged in a broader world where we see other options for ourselves. Not to mention, we are in the middle of a revolution, a time of unraveling and reconsidering, as a species, our very survival. Who are we as individuals on this journey? Who are we as a faith community? Who are we as a nation in this complex, changing world? Of course, Pastor Jody couldn't thoroughly answer those questions in one 12 minute reflection, but she explored one metaphor from the stories of our spiritual ancestors. Click below for whole Service, or to watch Jody's message.

FULL SERVICE

JODY'S MESSAGE

Church Calendar

Photo by Warren Umoh on Unsplash

EXPLORE OUR CALENDAR

UNIITED CHURCH OF CHRIST NEWS

Grand West Association Prayer Circle

Photo by Alli Remler on Unsplash

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 Muskegon First Congregational UCC Church in your prayers.

MUSKEGON UCC INFORMATION

Support for Venezuela after Earthquakes

DONATE HERE

CLASSES

Qigong & Tea, Tuesdays from 3-5pm

Photo by Jay Castor 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.

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