 Photo by Dan Plasman In This Week's E-Pistle, You Will Find:
This Week's Service: Joy Photo by Kolby Milton on Unsplash One of the Advent stories is about the pregnant Mary visiting her pregnant cousin Elizabeth. For those of you who have been on that journey, you know the value of others who are hosting in their body what some have suggested functions as a "parasite," stealing your nourishment, your sleep, your time, and often your wellbeing. To be able to commiserate with those who know your feelings is valuable. Those changes in one's body and in one's life prepare you for what is ahead. (Gestation sounds like the Interim time!) Children are an incredible gift to the world. They are often the source of joy and immense love. So are the friends who walk with us on the journey to becoming a parent. This week: the value of friends on the journey; and joy as resistance. Join us! Please join us on Sunday at 10am in our Sanctuary, or online, live on our YouTube channel. Message: Pastoral Candidates Jody Betten and Dan Plasman Music: Peter Black, Jeff Spangler, and Lauri Donaldson You will always find our latest church bulletin and service music at Bit.ly/DUCCBulletin 
Last Week's Service: Second Sunday of Advent -- Pastoral Vote Sunday! This past Sunday, our congregation invited pastoral candidates Rev. Jody Betten and Rev. Dan Plasman to the pulpit. It's no secret what happened next. Here is the whole service, when we welcome our new pastors and celebrate an important marker in the life and history of our church. Jody's Hours in Douglas
Here's a Joy: Our New Pastoral Team! To our Friends at Douglas UCC, We are incredibly grateful for your overwhelming affirmation of our presence among you! We are especially grateful to Stan Greene, for making the initial inquiry into Jody's availability, to the Search Committee for the integrity of their process, to the Council for helping to put the pieces in place, and to you, our New Church Family! We look forward to many years in ministry together! Peace, Jody and Dan Christmas Fund Giving  During this week's service, you'll find this Christmas Fund Envelope tucked into your program. Please take it home, and consider making a special offering for the annual Christmas Fund drive. We will be collecting for this offering through Christmas. The Christmas Fund has been caring for active and retired clergy and lay employees of the United Church of Christ for more than 100 years, providing emergency grants, supplementation of small annuities and health premiums, and Christmas “Thank You” gift checks each December to our lower-income retirees. As always, you generosity this season is so appreciated! If you wish to give to this fund but can't make Sunday's service, you can make an offering online here: Christian Neighbors' Giving Tree is Up! Our Giving Tree is up in the Church Narthex! The tree contains heart tags detailing items on the wishlists of our neighbors in need. Choose multiple heart tags if you like. Each gift tag includes instructions for purchase and drop-off for the gifts. Choose as many tags as you like, and we will replenish the tags on our tree while they are available. This year, while our Friendship Hall is under construction, please plan to drop gifts directly at Christian Neighbors' headquarters: 6874 Wiley Road, Fennville, MI 49408 (door C11). Deadline for gift drop off is December 12 A Christmas Carol, Opening December 13 The all-volunteer cast and crew are working hard to create a memorable show, with all proceeds going to fund Christian Neighbors. We can't wait to see you! Don't miss being part of this tradition! Tickets available at SaugatuckChristmasCarol.LUDUS.com. Showtimes: Friday, December 13, 2024 8:00 PM Saturday, December 14, 2024 2:00 PM (matinee) Saturday, December 14, 2024 8:00 PM Sunday, December 15, 2024 7:00 PM Friday, December 20, 2024 8:00 PM Saturday, December 21, 2024 2:00 PM (matinee) Saturday, December 21, 2024 8:00 PM Sunday, December 22, 2024 7:00 PM The Venue: Saugatuck Woman's Club, 303 Butler St, Saugatuck, MI 49453 Christmas Eve Service, December 24, 6pm Please join us on Tuesday, December 24, at 6 PM (either in-person or streaming live online) for our annual Christmas Eve service, when we celebrate the story of the birth of Jesus and sing beloved Christmas Carols. Everyone is welcome! SJT Presents: "How to End Christian Nationalism," begins Jan 9, 5:30pm "If you would like to do more exploring of this topic, we are compiling a Resource Page with other books, articles, documentaries and podcasts. Here's a link." I'll send you via email a document with other resources. NEW: If you would like to do more exploring of this topic, we are compiling a Resource Page with other books, articles, documentaries and podcasts. Here's a link to the live resource. If you can recommend other media to add, please let Julie in the office know. King: A Life -- with Author Jonathan Eig, Jan 20
On Martin Luther King Day, January 20, Calvin University's January Series (free to attend and to watch online) kicks off with a talk from 2024 Pulitzer Prize winner Jonathon Eig, author of King: A Life. Church member Karen Clark is organizing a viewing of talk at the Isabel Graham Center, 88 Spring Street in Douglas. The program will be broadcast from 12:30 to 1:30pm. Doors will be open at noon. Bring a friend. Let's learn more about this remarkable man's life, together. Here's more on Calvin's 2024 January Series. Restorative Circle Facilitator Training: January 23-24 January 23-24 from 9am-4pm at Lavender House in Holland, MI. We are living in a fractured society where conflict and division is tearing at the social fabric. This two-day training is for anyone who is eager to actively build strong communities, families, work environments and faith communities. You will learn how to communicate and collaborate during times of conflict or even just around different points of view. You will develop skills that can be put to practice immediately in informal ways and will also learn how to facilitate a formal restorative circle as well. Registration is limited to 12 so be sure to register early. You can register with this Registration Link: tinyurl.com/RCTrainingJan2025 or for more information about restorative circles go to HollandRestorativeCircles.org. Prayer Requests Melanie (Stacy Honson's sister); Bev Hawkes; Anne Dooley's daughter, Dee; Dan McGavin and Family of Carol Brown; Barbara Lindsay (Lewis Corbin’s Bridge Partner); Rev. Marchiene Rienstra Family; Karen Clement (Friend of Debra Carr's); Ann and Jim Hopkins; Sally LaRowe (Linda Charvat's friend); Janice Campbell children & grandchildren (Pete Wehle's friends); James Higgins (Friend of Shane Anderson and Michael Tuleja), Joe Scarpone (Friend of Tom Fahlstrom); Fred Hamlin; John Kerr; Dave and Shirley Lawson; Ruth Fahlstrom (daughter of Tom Fahlstrom); Nancy Grib (Friend of Pamela Chappell); Stuart Family; Mary Westenbroek; Jerry Elpers and family (Beth Howley's Dad); Edie Plantinga (Nancy’s Mom); Max Matteson; Eric Cooley (Jo Cooley's brother) Birthdays & AnniversariesBirthdays: December 15: Sarah Donovan, Chelsie Norman, 16: Emil "Sonny" Pulick, 18: Margret Bazany, 19: Dee Mikos-Graves Anniversaries: December 17: Daniel Dow & Stephen D. Prokop 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. Stewardship Drive Update$226,559.32 in fulfilled pledges $84,050.00 in outstanding pledges paying on installments $309,585.00 Total toward a goal of $325,000.00 Thank you to all who pledged toward our Campus Stewardship Drive. Weekly Stewardship Drive totals are posted here and on the giant ‘thermometer’ poster in the Friendship Hall. If you have not received a pledge card, you can pick one up in the Friendship Hall. Or you can help us reach our goal by giving online here: Financial StewardshipIn-Person Attendance, December 8: 124
Total Views for December 1: worship videos: 155 Collection Plate & Mailed Donations: $2,224.00 Online Giving: $3,157.23 Total, General Support: $5,381.23 Thank you!! Your generous giving allows us to sustain our church community and our mission of service in the world. Please consider giving online, which is easily done by texting your donation amount to 844-931-2849. |
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