Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost

10/11/2024

Key West Cemetery, digital drawing, Carrie Andrews

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

This Week's Service: Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost: Blessed are Those Who Mourn
Last Week's Service: Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost: Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit
Jody's Hours in Douglas
Our Busy Weekend! Beach Cleaned and Pets Blessed!
All Hands on Deck, Friendship Hall Repairs Begin Soon!
Take Your Name Tags With You, Please
October is Souptober!
Sign Up for a Paper copy of Church Directory
Caregiver and Grief Support Tuesdays: The Fall Schedule
Neighbors in Need Collection
Relativity! A Play and Fundraiser: October 17 through 20
Senior Luncheon, Thursday, October 17
Hike with the CJT, October 24
Trunk or Treat, October 31
CJT Movie Night at Saugatuck Brewing, November 7
New Members Meeting, November 10
Prayer Requests
Birthdays & Anniversaries
Grant Proposals, Stewardship Drive & Financial Stewardship

This Week's Service: Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost: Blessed are Those Who Mourn

Photo by Kevin Kress on Unsplash

Leonard Cohen sang: "There’s a crack, there's a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in."

Ernest Hemingway wrote: "The world breaks everyone, then some become strong at the broken places."

We've all been broken -- by loss, by pain, by shame, by embarrassment, by mistakes, by ridicule. You name it, it breaks you. But is it true that where we are broken is where light gets in? Have you become stronger at your broken places? What is available if we actually experience grief and heartache, let ourselves into the sadness and tears? This Sunday, October 13, we explore the blessing of those who mourn. Join us for a lifegiving conversation based on this Beatitude, and the story of Jesus weeping.

Please join us on Sunday at 10am in our Sanctuary, or online, live on our YouTube channel.
Message: Rev. Jody Betten, Music: Peter Black and Jeff Spangler

ducc_program_october_13_2024.pdf
File Size:	643 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

Last Week's Service: Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit

For the months of October and November, we will explore The Beatitudes, when Jesus offers blessings to people favored by God. Last Sunday, the "poor in spirit" were blessed. What does it mean to be poor in spirit? Who are these favored ones? Let's explore this together, considering the story of a rich man and Lazarus, a man whose name means "one whom God helps." Link above is Last Sunday's service. Link Below is Pastor Jody's Homily.

Here's the Homily»»

Jody's Hours in Douglas

For the Week of October 14...
Wednesday: 10-3
Thursday: 10a - 8pm
Friday: 9am - 5pm

If you would like to meet with Jody, please make an appointment by texting or calling 616-706-3549.

Our Busy Weekend!
Beach Cleaned and Pets Blessed!

All Hands on Deck, Friendship Hall Repairs Begin Soon!

Photo by Ben Iwara on Unsplasy

Friendship Hall work begins soon! The work to save the hall requires that we move every single item in it, out of it, by Tuesday, October 22. Restoration work will begin early on October 23 and last through mid-December. Because of the volume of items we must store, this moving-out project begins NOW.

If you have a strong back (and/or a pickup truck), please consider helping to move the furniture to the Retreat House garage. The items can be moved a few pieces at a time, so any amount of help is greatly appreciated. Our Campus Steward, Kathleen Mueller, will flex to your availability.

If you are able to help with this important step toward repairing our Friendship Hall, please reach out to Kathleen by email at [email protected].

SOON! Take Your Name Tags With You, Please

The Name Tag Table will not be available during our construction. Please take your name tags with you until we ave a. new storage place in the restored hall. (Julie notes that quite a few name tags recently requested have never been picked up, so do have a peek in the New Tags section if you've ordered a name tag recently.)

October is Souptober!

Christian Neighbors and Ladders of Hope Food Pantries are getting ready for winter and would like to stock their shelves with canned soup for their clients. For the month of SOUP-TOBER (Oct 1-31), our food pantries are requesting donated cans of soup. You are invited to drop off cans of soup in the Friendship Hall all month long (Friendship Hall soup donations go to Christian Neighbors.) Or drop soup at any of the Ladders of Hope Drop Sites Found Here. Financial donations are also welcomed. Hit the buttons below to warm and feed our neighbors.

Donate to Christian Neighbors

Donate to Ladders of Hope Food Pantry

Printed Copy of Church Directory

We will be working this month to update the print church directory. If you prefer to use a paper copy rather than the phone or desktop apps (always the most updated) just sign up for your copy in the Friendship Hall. The signup sheets will help us determine how many copies to order, so it's really important that you request a copy in order to receive one. Directory printing comes only once a year! And if the phone and desktop apps are unfamiliar to you, ask Julie or your favorite church buddy for help.

Caregiver and Grief Support Tuesdays:
The Fall Schedule

Photo by Polina Kusovkova on Unsplash

This fall quarter, October through December, the Retreat House is offering a time for caregivers to gather and share their experience, insights and resources on the first Tuesday of each month from 11:00-12:30. The content of our meeting will come from whoever attends, as has been the case this summer. The meeting is open to anyone who finds themselves in significant care-giving mode at this time in their lives. All you have to do is show up at the above time. Rev. Marty will be there to welcome and support and learn from you!

On the other Tuesdays of each fall month, at the same time as above, Rev. Marty will be present to hold the space and offer a time for sharing experiences and resources related to grieving after a major loss in our lives. Again, this will be a time to support and learn from each other. Being able to share grief and the grieving process is vital to our ongoing well-being and opportunities to do this in a sustained ongoing way are important. All you have to do is show up.

Neighbors in Need Collection

During the month of October, we'll be accepting your donations -- in person in envelopes or online, or through the mail, for the UCC's Neighbors in Need offering. This year's theme is “Mental Health Justice For All!” In 2015, the General Synod of the United Church of Christ passed a resolution to become WISE (Welcoming, Inclusive, Supportive, and Engaged) for mental health. A just world for all is a world where the human rights and well-being of people with mental health challenges are respected, no matter who you are or where you are in life’s mental health journey.

We will be taking this special collection for the broader UCC ministry throughout the month. All donors' gifts are matched by our Church Council before traveling on to the UCC.

One-third of the offering supports Council for American Indian Ministry (CAIM). Two-thirds are used by Justice and Witness Ministries to provide grants to UCC churches and organizations, as well as supporting a variety of justice initiatives, advocacy efforts, and direct service projects.

Donate to Neighbors in Need Here»»

Relativity! A Play and Fundraiser:
October 17, 18, 19, and 20

A wonderful cast of characters, (church members Jim Kern, Shannon Connell, Virginia Stuart) will be staging a performance of Relativity, a remarkable play about the remarkable (shocking?) life of Albert Einstein. Ticket Sales will help fund our Stewardship Drive.

Relativity is set in 1948, in Princeton, NJ, where Albert Einstein continues to research, advise, and teach. He is 69 years old and well beyond his crowning revelation of E=MC(2). Other characters are Miss Dukas, his live-in housekeeper, and Margaret Harding, a journalist who approaches him about conducting an interview with him. As the play evolves, the mysterious circumstances of Einstein’s first child’s death reveal a dark secret from his past, and Einstein and Margaret must come to terms with the secret and the consequences of his past decisions. Ultimately, Relativity asks “what if?” and provides a probative glimpse into the great man who may not have been a good man.

Relativity is for mature audiences, not because of language, sexual content, or any other traditionally sanctioned element. Teens and college students would benefit from seeing this show. It is a thoughtful, compelling story about adult decisions and filled with intellectually challenging arguments and questions. But, it is a very easy play to follow. It runs about 75 minutes without intermission.

Purchase Your Tickets Here»»

Senior Luncheon, Thursday, October 17

Photo by Brock Wegner on Unsplash

St. Peter's is hosting their Luncheon for Area Senior Citizens on Thursday, October 17 at noon at St. Peter's Hall in Douglas. Cost is $5 per person. They will be serving Goulash, Green Beans, Garlic Toast, and Cottage Cheese with Peaches. For dessert, volunteers are bringing Halloween Cupcakes. Thanks to Barb Borst, Bert Kupres & All Volunteer Staff at St. Peter's for providing these monthly senior luncheons. If you'd like to be added to their mailing list, contact Theresa Wiley, CN Senior Program Coordinator by phone call or text at: 616-638-6835.

Hike with the CJT, October 24

Join the Creation Justice Team for a gentle walk in the woods with the Radar Hill Hiking Club on Thursday, October 24 at "the airport property" in Saugatuck Township. This event is appropriate for all ages. Jon Vanderbeek of Riverwood Council will be on hand to talk about native trees and point out old-growth areas. Helen Baldwin will also join us. Helen chairs the city's Parks & Public Works Committee and she will tell us what the Outdoor Discovery Center is doing on the property. Meet in the parking lot at 3401 63rd Street at 12:30 pm.

Directions from Saugatuck: take the Blue Star Highway north toward Holland. Turn right (east) at the traffic circle onto Old Allegan Road. Turn left (north) on 63rd Street. About 70 yards past 134th Avenue, turn right onto a dirt driveway (photo above) across from A Cut Above Tree Care. Less than 50 yards from the gate is the parking lot (photo below).

Trunk or Treat, October 31

Calling All Creatives......
We are excited to announce our 1st Douglas UCC "Trunk or Treat" -- a fun and exciting way to give back to our wonderful community. This event will provide our community with a safe place to bring their kids to trick or treat on Halloween night - but instead of going door to door - they will go from trunk to trunk (car/SUV trunks). We are looking for people to decorate the back trunk (and more if you want) of your vehicle in a creative Halloween theme. You can dress up yourselves to match if you would like. We will then line our cars up next to each other around the church parking area (spots will be assigned). Each vehicle will be passing out candy/treats (must be wrapped, nothing homemade) - so you will stay at your trunk (bring your own lawn chair if you'd like). The event will begin at 5:30, with lineup/parking taking place by 5 p.m. The fun will last until 7:30. We will have community voting for the following categories: FUNNIEST, MOST CREATIVE, and SCARIEST vehicle (trophies, prizes and bragging rights to the winners). Register your vehicle in the lineup by signing up in the Friendship Hall, or contact Mark Johnston at [email protected] or Jeremy Lund at [email protected]

CJT Movie Night at Saugatuck Brewing, November 7

The Creation Justice Team is hosting a movie night in the "barrel room" at Saugatuck Brewing Company. On November 7 we will be showing "Call of the Forest," an engaging documentary featuring scientist Diana Beresford-Kroeger. The film follows Diana as she learns about our profound biological and spiritual connection to forests. She speaks on a very personal level about how important trees are to our future.

People can begin gathering and obtaining their favorite beverages at 6pm. The film will start at 6:30pm, with a discussion afterward.

November 10, New Members Meeting!!

The long -awaited New Members Meeting has been scheduled for November 10, after Church, in the Isabel Graham Center. If you are membership-curious, or if you just want a refresher on the history and mission of this church and/or the UCC, come along after church to the Isabel Graham Center. No pressure to join, but if you wish to, this meeting is the place to start. We hope to see you!

Prayer Requests

Wayne Titus ll (Wayne Titus lll’s Dad); 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; Carol Brown and Dan McGavin; 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 & Anniversaries

Birthdays : October 13: Jeffrey Austhof, 17: Pete Wehle
Anniversaries: October 15: Liz Wilson, 18: Demetrhea Terrien & Betsy York

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.

Grant Proposals

Know a worthy non-profit in need of some financial support? Download and send them the application below, or connect with any member of our Grant Proposal Team. You'll find them here. Download the Grant Request form below, to get started!

6_2022_ducc_grant_application_form.docx
File Size:	23 kb
File Type:	docx

Download File

Stewardship Drive

Stewardship Drive Giving Week ending October 6:
Pledges to Date = $228,800.00
Pledge Fulfillment to date = $164,886.56
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 of $275,000 by giving online here:

Pledge or Pay Into Stewardship Drive Here»»

Financial Stewardship

In-Person Attendance, October 6: 91
Total Views for October 6 worship videos: 95

Collection Plate & Mailed Donations: $4,905.00
Online Giving: $2,772.41
Total, General Support: $7,677.41

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.