Twenty Third Sunday after Pentecost

11/14/2025

Photo by Yomex Owo on Unsplash

This Week In the E-Pistle, You Will Find...

This Week's Service: Twenty Third Sunday after Pentecost — What Can You Imagine?
Last Week's Service: Twenty Second Sunday after Pentecost — What Next?
Grateful to Reverend Jim DeVries for Sharing his Gifts of Wisdom and Laughter
Jody and Dan's Office Hours This Week
Jody and Dan's Installation Service and Celebration, November 23, Join Us!
Join Our Christmas Choir! 🎶
Church Directory Update
Social Justice Team Community, Thank You to the Speakers from Lighthouse!
Second Sunday Luncheon, December 14
Listening Ear: Do You Need to Be Heard?
Church Council Minutes
Card Ministry, Bring a Smile to Someone's Day
Looking for a Volunteer Program Coordinator
Prayer Requests
Birthdays This Week
Financial Stewardship
Church Calendar

UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST NEWS

Grand West Association Councils Covenantal Prayer Circle for All Churches
UCC Advent 2025 Resources Offer Paths for Awakening, Preparing, Expecting & Dreaming

CLASSES

UCC Advent Devotional, Reflections for this coming Year. Available in Friendship Hall!
Qigong! Tuesdays in the Friendship Hall
Thank You, Wayne! Financial Literacy Series, Next Session is January 7

AROUND TOWN

Men's Coffee and Conversation
Annual Drive for Thanksgiving Baskets, Asking for Rice this Year
Water Smart Landscaping Workshop 101, November 18

BEING THE CHURCH

This Week's Service: Twenty Third Sunday after Pentecost - Athens, Meteora and Monemvasia

Photo by Jody Betten

On our vacation we visited mainly three places in Greece: (1) Athens - the big city surrounding the Acropolis with the 2500 year old remains of the Parthenon. (2) Meteora - six, 14th-century monasteries which appear to be suspended in the air still home to active religious folks. (3) Monemvasia - a rock off the coast first inhabited in the 3rd-century BC which at one time was home to 30,000 people and today only 10 people live there full time. (We stopped in Delphi briefly to consult with the Oracle.) Besides being inspired by what there is to see, we were enthralled by the spirit of a people who are so connected to their past and so proud of who they are today. Lessons for the church today? Of course, everything is a sermon reflection waiting to be shared!

Please join us on Sunday at 10 am in our Sanctuary, or online, live on our Youtube Channel.
Message: Rev. Jody Betten
Music: Peter Black, Jeff Spangler, Lauri Donaldson

DUCC Bulletin/Hymns November 16
File Size:	1103 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

Last Week's Service: Twenty Second Sunday after Pentecost - What's Next?

Photo by Matt Ashby on Unsplash

Last Sunday, we had the great good fortune of exploring possibilities of "What's Next?" with Rev. Jim DeVries. Jesus was asked a question about heaven. What do we know about “What’s Next” and possible ways to make the transition easier. We explored these possibilities with Rev. Jim DeVries who spent 40 years interacting with individuals as a hospital and hospice chaplain. Click below to enjoy Rev. Jim's wisdom and humor on the possibilities.

WATCH JIM's MESSAGE

WATCH THE ENTIRE SERVICE

Thank You Reverend Jim DeVries!

Reverend Jim DeVries thank you for serving our church! Thank you for your ability to combine genuine wisdom with a great sense of humor! We really appreciate the joy and laughter you brought to the service.

Jody and Dan's Office Hours This Week

For The Week of November 16:

Monday: 11-4pm, Jody
Wednesday: 10-3pm, Dan
Thursday: 9-2pm, Jody
Friday: 10-3pm, Dan

For evening visits on these days, please call for an appointment.

* 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 note, if you get an email from Jody asking for money or gift cards, please don't comply. This is a scam!

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

Installation Service and Celebration
for Jody and Dan, November 23, Join Us!

Jody and Dan's Installation Service and celebration will be held on November 23, 3pm. Please, join us for food and drinks in the Friendship Hall after the Installation Service. We welcome our new pastors and celebrate an important marker in the life and history of our church.

So that we can more accurately judge quantities for both food and drink. Please, sign up for the Installation Service and Celebration on the sheet in the Friendship Hall.

Join Our Christmas Choir! 🎶

🎶 Join Our Christmas Choir! 🎶
There’s something truly special about voices joining together at Christmas.
Whether you’ve sung in choirs for years or are thinking about joining for the first time,
you are warmly invited to be part of this year’s
✨Christmas Eve Lessons & Carols celebration.✨

Each December, our choir helps the story of Christmas find its voice --
a long-standing tradition that fills our church with hope, harmony, and joy.
Singing together lets us reconnect with friends, welcome new faces,
and share in the quiet joy that music brings to this holy season.
✨Every voice matters; together, we create something truly beautiful.✨

🎵Rehearsals begin Sunday, November 16 at 11:30 a.m. in the sanctuary,🎵
✨led by church member and returning director Stan Greene.✨
We’ll meet each Sunday at 11:30 a.m.
While it’s great to attend every rehearsal, please don’t let a busy schedule
keep you from joining—the more voices, the more joy! ✨
Come share in the music, the spirit, and the joy of the season.
✨Questions? Contact Peter Black, Music Director. ✨

Church Directory: The Phone App, The Desktop and the Print Versions

Church Directory: the Phone App, the Desktop, and the Print versions:
It's time to make any changes and/or updates to your church directory entry, or add yourself to the church directory, if you wish. For the next two weeks there will be a draft copy of the directory in the Friendship Hall where you can jot down your changes, in the copy or with sticky notes.

If you wish to add your information to the directory for the first time, or make a change of address, email, phone, or new photo, you can email your changes to Claire. See link to email below.
If you already use the Instant Church Directory app, you can make your changes directly from your phone!

After next Sunday's collection of changes, we will send the updated data off to the printer, to print a short run of the 2025 edition. Use the sign-up sheet in the friendship hall if you find you need a printed copy. For information security purposes, we no longer send the directory via email, and would like to limit the number of printed copies in circulation. (If you own outdated copies, we recommend shredding the old ones as you retire them!)
As always, we strongly encourage you to use the phone app or desktop app to access the directory, for its security, ease of use, and also because changes are taking place all year long. So the phone app and the desktop app are always the most current.

If you would like help adding the app to your smart phone, look for Barb Witt after services, who is organizing helpers. You can also find the instructions for adding the app on the bulletin board in the Friendship Hall.

Please know in order to gain access to the app you have to have included your information in the directory.

CLAIRE'S EMAIL

Social Justice Team Community Conversation

Thanks for the speakers from Lighthouse.
On the 2nd Thursday in December, the 11th, at 6:15 anyone interested will gather in the Friendship Hall to review and discuss the information that we gathered from the speakers that we heard from the League of Women Voters, Superintendent of Saugatuck Douglas Schools, Indivisible and now Lighthouse.
Please review for yourself anything you remember as being compelling or interesting as a way we might help those organizations or ideas you have from something that was said.
We'll share ideas for next steps. Please plan to join us!

Update from the Communications Team

We would like to update everyone on what the Communication Team has accomplished
and are working on:

We have Welcome Brochures available to take home, give to neighbors or colleagues, or people we recognize as visiting us on Sundays. They are located in at both of the entrances.
A printed two week calendar is now available in the Friendship Hall with the church’s activities and events.
If you have an announcement that you would like presented at the beginning of the service, write it out on a notecard ( provided in the entrances) and give it to Jody or Dan before the service.
We are working on a way to reach out and staying connected to congregants who we miss seeing on Sundays. If you have any ideas send them to Barb Witt.
We are working on some sandwich boards to help communicate Listening Ear and Contemplation.
We encourage you to follow DUCC on Facebook and share postings to increase both awareness and followers.
We have updated the ads we place in the Commercial Record so they are on a four-week rotation with a different message each time.
See any member of the team if you have any ideas for improving communication in DUCC: Barb Witt, chair; Lewis Corbin, Tom Fahlstrom, Greg Gerrans, and Gemina Petruzzelli
Please send any photos you may have from church events to Greg Gerrans([email protected]) for social media use

SEND CHURCH EVENT PHOTOS

Second Sunday Luncheon, December 14th

Church potlucks, now called Second Sunday Luncheons, will help us continue to create community while sharing a meal together.

Thank you to everyone who helped set up, clean up and provide food for our first Second Sunday Monthly Luncheon. Forty-five people attended. Our next lunch will be November 9 following the service. 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 to set up or clean up, there will be a new Event Committee signup sheet in the Friendship Hall so that we can establish email communications when asking for help with set up or take down going forward.

EMAIL QUESTIONS

Listening Ear: Do You Need to Be Heard?

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

Our Listening Ear service has been a great help to our congregation during a tumultuous time, and so, after a successful trial period, this highly trained team of empathic folks -- Paul Burdick, Mike Valdez, Pat Denner, and Doug Sipsma -- will be continuing the service. Their premise is, everyone goes through rough patches in life. Sometimes stress can feel overwhelming. Talking to a caring human helps in so many, sometimes immeasurable, sometimes mystical ways. Our listeners are available at the Retreat House on Thursday afternoons from 1 to 3 pm.

Council Meeting Minutes

Photo by Justin Morgan on Unsplash

Church Council Minutes
File Size:	93 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

Card Ministry

Photo by Immo Wegman on Unsplash

Do you love receiving cards in the mail when you're sick, recovering from surgery, have a birthday or anniversary, or need a reminder that you're being prayed for? Maybe sending cards to folks in those situations is a way you could bring a smile to someone's day! If you are willing to send a card on behalf of DUCC for members' birthdays or anniversaries, for healing or prayers, for one month, please contact Pastor Dan or Pastor Jody. If you have cards that you aren't using that would be appropriate for such occasions, please drop them off at the office for our use. A couple minutes to let someone know they are thought of, a quick trip to the post office, that's all it takes to bring a smile!

PASTOR JODY'S EMAIL

PASTOR DAN'S EMAIL

Looking for a Volunteer Program Coordinator

Photo by Per Lööv on Unsplash

Do you love to bringing people and ideas together? We are looking for a volunteer to share their talents in coordinating the programs at DUCC. This opportunity provides organizational support to ensure the effective coordination and scheduling of the church’s programs (Speakers, classes, etc.). Serving as an important link between the Church Council, pastoral staff, and various teams, this role facilitates collaboration and positive communication concerning education and programming to support the mission and growth of our church.

Please reach out to Barb Witt at 617-340-7970 or email below.
Thank you for your prayerful consideration.

EMAIL BARB

Prayer Requests

Tere Krueger; Orie Hawkes; Elinor Hite (Virginia Stuart’s sister); Dave Lawson; Christine Kerney; Dan McGavin and Family of Carol Brown; Rev. Marchiene Rienstra Family; Ann and Jim Hopkins; Jose (friend of Tom Fahlstrom); John Kerr; Ruth Fahlstrom (Tom Fahlstrom’s daughter); Mary Westenbroek; Max Matteson; Eric Cooley (Jo Cooley's brother); Ian Blumer (Claire Blumer's nephew) East Congregational UCC.

Birthday's & Anniversary's This Week

BIRTHDAYS:
November 17: Arturo Inda
November 19: Marcel Westenbroek
November 20: Linda Riekse
November 21: Peter Mueller
November 22: Mary Hasenauer, Stephen D. Prokop

Birthday and Anniversary cards are a great way to connect with one another. If you wish to mail a card to one of our church members, the addresses can be found in our Church Directory.
* If you have had any changes in your information, please know you can go to the Directory and update yourself, or contact Claire to change/update.*

Give by Text Message

Please, consider giving online. To donate by text, open a new text message on your mobile phone, type 844-931-2849 in the “To” field, and in the message body, type only the dollar amount of your gift (for example, 50 for a $50 donation). Then press Send. You’ll receive a message confirming your donation

Church Calendar

Photo by Dari lli on Unsplash

EXPLORE THE CALENDAR

UNIITED CHURCH OF CHRIST NEWS

Prayer Circle for All Churches

Photo by Martin Bennie on Unsplash

The Grand West Association Council is continuing their covenantal prayer circle for all our churches. This is one of the Councils attempts to better connect in our region as a faithful community. The two-year prayer cycle includes our 22 UCC churches, and also UCOM and the Michigan conference staff.

The "church of month" for November is East Congregational UCC.
Thank you for keeping them in our prayers.

UCC Advent 2025 resources offer paths for 'awakening, preparing and dreaming'

This season’s Abolition Advent Calendar will center on “The New Old Story of Freedom: Practicing New Worlds into Life.” Coordinated by the UCC’s Racial Justice Ministries and Join the Movement Toward Racial Justice, this year’s Advent Calendar brings together quotes from Octavia Butler’s novel Parable of the Sower, Advent scripture readings, stories of past and present abolitionists, and visionary practices drawn from Andrea Ritchie’s book Practicing New Worlds: Abolition and Emergent Strategies.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

CLASSES

UCC Advent Devotional, "Soon & Very Soon"
Reflections for the coming Year

Advent Devotional - The United Church of Christ Advent reflections for this year are around the theme, “Soon and Very Soon” inviting us to imagine a world where all is at peace, where all people thrive.

Copies of the devotional are available for $5.00 in the Friendship Hall.

As a community we will gather on Thursdays, December 4, 11, 18, from 3:30 - 5:00pm to reflect together on these writings and how we wait during Advent for the coming of the Prince of Peace in a manger as a baby.

Please sign up in the Friendship Hall near the devotional if you plan to attend.

Qigong, Tuesdays in the Friendship Hall

Photo by Sajad Nori on Unsplash

Kat VanHammen's Qigong Winter classes began in the Friendship Hall on October 7. The classes will run through May!

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

Kudos, Wayne! First of the Financial Literacy Series was Enlightening and Fun!

On Thursday 11/5, eighteen people shared an interesting and enlightening evening with our own Wayne Titus. Wayne shared his 30 years of financial experience as he laid out the next five subject-specific events to be held on the first Wednesdays -
January through June (not April). Next session is on January 7, 2026.

It’s not too late to join in and become financially wiser! Invite a friend, if you like.

Sign up for one or all of them in the Friendship Hall so Wayne can send you preparatory information.

AROUND TOWN

Men's Coffee and Conversation

Annual Drive for Thanksgiving Kits
Asking for Rice this Year

Photo by Defrino Maasy on Unsplash

It’s November, and with it comes Christian Neighbors’ distribution of Thanksgiving Meal Kits to area low-income families - a 45-year-old tradition in our community. In 2024, 75 volunteers organized, packed and distributed 330 meal kits that provided a Thanksgiving meal to roughly1200 area residents. This year, our church is being asked to collect Rice – 1lb Bags to contribute to these meals. Please consider donating one or more of these items. It is through the kindness and generosity from our community that Christian Neighbors is able to provide this special holiday meal to those in need. Thank you!

Please put your donation in the vestibule area of the Friendship Hall.

Water Smart Landscaping Workshops and Grants, November 18

From the Creation Justice Team: Learn about reducing outdoor water use while keeping your yard beautiful! Attend the “Water Smart Landscaping 101” workshop on November 18 at the Allegan Conservation District. There will be a second workshop in February. Find full details and reserve your seat at bit.ly/wslnov25
The ODC Network and the Allegan Conservation District are providing the workshop through a grant from Bell’s Brewery, which will also fund native plant gardens for 10 homeowners, rain barrels for 5 homeowners, and a public demonstration rain garden.