Third Sunday of Easter

4/28/2025

By Duccio di Buoninsegna - The Yorck Project, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons

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

This Week's Service: The Journey of a Lifetime
Last Week's Service: The Pope. The Earth. Our Yards.
Jody and Dan's Office Hours This Week
Memorial Service for Fred Hamlin
Native Plant Sales in Michigan!
UCC's Lily Grant for Intergenerational Services -- Let's Explore This!
Media Mavens! AV Team Wants YOU!
May is Cereal Drive Month -- Feeding Kids Through the Summer
Qigong is back! Tuesdays at 3pm, Retreat House Lawn
Christian Neighbors Fundraiser, Sunday!
Christian Nationalism Meetup, New Date and Time, May 8, 6pm
Next SoulCollage, May 10
Prayer Requests
Birthdays & Anniversaries This Week
Financial Stewardship
Church Calendar

This Week's Service: The Journey of a Lifetime

Supper at Emmaus (Milan), Caravaggio, 1606. Brera, Milan, Wikicommons

When you look back on your life, are there regrets? Do you wish you had done something differently? Does the language, "I had hoped..." resonate? When you imagine your future, what guides you? What is your 'True North'? And Why?

Jesus' disciples were on this journey. Pondering what just happened, and trying to make sense of Jesus' death. Then they met a stranger. Something happened. Their hearts were burning, their lives changed focus, their direction -- True North. Join us on Sunday as we reflect on their story and imagine our own future.

Please join us on Sunday at 10am in our Sanctuary, or online, live on our YouTube channel.
Message: Rev. Jody Betten
Music: Peter Black, Jeff Spangler, Lauri Donaldson
You will always find our latest church bulletin and service music at Bit.ly/DUCCBulletin

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Last Week's Service:
The Pope. The Earth. Our Yards.

It's Easter Season, and for our Second Sunday of Easter, the Creation Justice Team and Pastor Dan wove together stories from and about heroes of the Earth. Some we know, many we don't. Also shared some things we can do, right in our own backyards, to begin the healing. Some help to be had. Read on! Here is the Second Easter Sunday of Easter Service.

Here's the Homily»»

Jody and Dan's Office Hours This Week

For the Week of May 5:

Tuesday: 10:30am to 1:30pm, Jody
Thursday: 3:00pm to 8:00pm, Dan and Jody
Friday: 10am to 3pm, Dan

*Reminder: if you need to see Dan or Jody, please make an appointment with them. Sometimes they are in Douglas but not at the office.

Please call to schedule an appointment:
Jody: 616-706-3549
Dan: 616-828-2293

Remembering Rev. Fred Hamlin

On May 10 we will be celebrating the life of our beloved Rev. Fred Hamlin, who passed away peacefully on April 24.

On the 10th, the family will host a visitation from 12 to 1:30pm in the Retreat House.

Then the memorial service at 2pm in the Sanctuary...

Followed by "Dad's Desserts" and community time after the service in the Retreat House.

We made a photo montage of this lovely man's life for his 90th birthday. Just click on his photo to watch and remember.

Native Plant Sales in Michigan!

Photo by Audri Van Gores on Unsplash

After last week's Creation Justice Service, we went looking for ways to make "Our Yards." more hospitable and nourishing to native species and visiting species. We aren't alone in this! Bridge Michigan recently reported on the many native plant sales going on in the state right now. The time to make orders for these disappearing varieties is this week! Here is the original article, and below is their list of organizations hosting plant sales here in Southwest Michigan. Happy planting, friends!

May 10: Kent Conservation District Spring Wildflower Sale, 10 a.m to 3 p.m. in Grand Rapids. Pre-orders, available until May 1, are highly recommended.
Now through May 16: Kalamazoo Area Chapter of Wild Ones Native Plant Sale pre-orders are available online. Pick up plants May 28 to 20 in Kalamazoo.
May 17: Calvin University Native Ecosystem Preserve and Native Gardens Plant Sale, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Grand Rapids. Separately, the online plant sale begins May 23.
May 17: Muskegon Conservation District Native Perennial Sale, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Twin Lake.

UCC's Lily Grant for Intergenerational Services -- Let's Explore This

The Michigan Conference of the UCC has received a Lilly Endowment Grant to explore Intergenerational Services in Churches. If you are interested in exploring this idea for DUCC or have questions, please let Pastor Jody know (text 616-706-3549) with name and "Yes to intergen service" or email her at [email protected]. Thanks

Media Mavens! AV Team Wants YOU!

Photo by Galina Nelyubova on Unsplash

We are in search of the tech-attracted people among us. Training available. We need one more person to staff the sound booth (Hey if the pastor can do it, you can! Ask Pastor Dan about his experience!) and one more person to handle the video. Super fun! Super important! Once a month opportunities! Please contact Chris Clark or Lewis Corbin for more info. These people get the best seat in the house every Sunday!

May is Cereal Drive Month -- Feeding Kids Through the Summer

Photo by John Matychuk on Unsplash

You'll find a cereal collection box in the foyer of the Friendship Hall during the month of May, as we collect cereal for Christian Neighbors and Ladders of Hope (two organizations we support at Douglas UCC). In partnership with the Allegan County Food Pantry Collaborative (ACFPC), our local food banks are collecting cereal throughout area communities to provide additional food for children during summer break.

Why? Because hunger doesn't take a summer vacation, and cereal is a nutritious, vitamin-rich food that needs no preparation, is easily stored, and is well-liked by children.

You are invited to drop off boxes of cereal in the foyer of the Friendship Hall.

And You can find additional convenient drop spots all over the county and a way to make a financial donation to this drive right here:

Cereal Drive Donation Places»»

Qigong is back!
Tuesdays, 3pm, Retreat House Lawn

Once again Kat VanHammen will be offering Qigong at the backyard of the Retreat House on Tuesdays at 3pm. 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.

Christian Neighbors Fundraiser, Sunday!

Since it's inception, Douglas UCC and its people have supported the work of Christian Neighbors. And so did our friend Arthur Frederick, who held an annual benefit at his home that raised a significant portion of this food and household goods provider for neighbors in need.

Our community suffered the loss of Arthur last year, and we honor him by taking up Arthur's lead and example, with this legacy annual fundraiser. We hope you can join in, enjoy hors d'oeuvres, beer and wine in the company of friends and supporters of the work of Christian Neighbors, a local 501C3 organization that helps individuals and families in need.

Sunday, May 4, 2025
1:00p to 3:00p
The Saugatuck Yacht Club
15 Park Street, Saugatuck

Requested Donation of $75.00 Checks payable to: Christian Neighbors.
Checks mailed to: All Saints’ Church, 252 Grand Street, Saugatuck, MI 49453
or dropped off at the event.

For questions, please check with our church members Bert Hallewas and Kirsten Stannis.

Christian Nationalism Meetup, New Date and Time, May 8, 6pm

Our Christian Nationalism Book Study follow-up discussion has been postponed to Thursday, May 8, at 6pm, following our Quiet Contemplation Service. Join us to brainstorm on next action steps!

Next SoulCollage, May 10

You don't even know your own wisdom! It's inside you, but how do you connect with it? There are great methods for seeking answers and direction from your own mind/heart/body. And Soul Collage is an especially fruitful one. Our friend Ruth Zwald is a longtime teacher of the SoulCollage process for using imagery and guided meditation practices to help us discover our own wise counsel. Her classes draw people from throughout West Michigan. Even other SoulCollage teachers attend her sessions. So we are delighted to host her classes here at Douglas UCC. You can join in on any class to learn how to learn this way of self discovery and healing. To sign up, follow the directions above.

Prayer Requests

Family of Fred Hamlin; Elinor Hite (Virginia Stuart’s sister); Dave Lawson; Chris Warner (friend of Pete Wehle); Ken Rans (friend of Pete Wehle); Rich Marth; Christine Kerney; Nancy Plantinga and her family; Family of Jim Solazzo (Anne Hotwagner's uncle); Family of Paul Frederickson;
Dan McGavin and Family of Carol Brown; Rev. Marchiene Rienstra Family; Ann and Jim Hopkins; James Higgins (friend of Shane Anderson and Michael Tuleja), Joe Scarpone (friend of Tom Fahlstrom); John Kerr; Ruth Fahlstrom (Tom Fahlstrom’s daughter); Mary Westenbroek; Jerry Elpers and family (Beth Howley's dad); Max Matteson; Eric Cooley (Jo Cooley's brother)

Birthdays & Anniversaries This Week

Birthdays: May 4- Virginia Stuart, 7- Cathy North, 10- Scott Blasco
Anniversaries: May 7- Lauri & Jim Sullivan

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.
Battling Power outage! Stay tuned!

Financial Stewardship

In-Person Attendance, April 27: 86
Total Views for April 27 worship videos: 124

Collection Plate & Mailed Donations: $708.00
Online Giving: $665.88
Total, General Support: $1,373.88

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.

Church Calendar

Our Church calendar is online! Use it to look for space for your event, click on an event to get all the details, or copy an event to your own calendar software. So convenient! When you have events to schedule anywhere on campus, scan the calendar for a spot, then contact [email protected] to make your reservation. Email is best so she can keep track of requests.

Church Calendar»»