Weekly E-Pistle: 10th Sunday after Pentecost

7/30/2021

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

This Sunday's Service Notes -- "I AM: The Bread of Life"
Last Week's Service Video -- "The Spiritual Law of Abundance"
New CDC Guidelines
Members Needed for Live Broadcast Team
Village Square Art Show, July 31, 10am to 5pm
Celebracion de las Artes, July 31, Fennville
OOTL Needs Volunteers for Two Pride events August 14
All Are Welcome: Stephen Ministry Info Session, August 29, 11:30am
Sign up for Jason Quigno, "Art of the People" Talk at SDHC, August 26, 7pm
Jack Ridl on Rattle: The Video
Gardening is Giving Table, Sundays, All Season Long
Rummage Sale to benefit DUCC, August 14, Volunteers Needed!
Birthdays & Anniversaries, Prayer Requests, and Financial Stewardship

This Sunday's Service: "I AM: The Bread of Life"

In Sunday's gospel reading, Jesus says, "I am the bread of life." Jesus wasn't taking about his physical self, but about the "I AM" spiritual Self, which dwells in each one of us. Are you nourishing yourself with this "daily bread," or are you finding yourself spiritually malnourished?

Join us this Sunday at 10 AM and learn some practical ways to feed your spirit, enrich your soul, and partake daily of this life-giving bread. Message: Pastor Sal. Music: Peter Black and Jeff Spangler.

The Sunday morning service will be recorded and posted later in the day to our church's website and YouTube channel.

Last Week's Service

In last Sunday's Gospel message, Jesus multiplies the loaves and the fish, symbolizing for us the "Spiritual Law of Abundance." Jesus said, "I have come so that you may have an abundant life." So, are you living an abundant life, or are you living in "Scare City" (scarcity)? Please enjoy last Sunday's service, when we explored the "Spiritual Law of Abundance" and how to put it to work in our lives. Message: Pastor Sal. Music: Peter Black and Nancy Plantinga.

Or click here to read, listen to, watch, and share Pastor Sal's Homily.

New CDC Guidelines

CDC Updates as of July 27, 2021

Updated information for fully vaccinated people given new evidence on the B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant currently circulating in the United States.
Added a recommendation for fully vaccinated people to wear a mask in public indoor settings in areas of substantial or high transmission. (At this posting, Allegan County is listed as Moderate Risk.)
Added information that fully vaccinated people might choose to wear a mask regardless of the level of transmission, particularly if they are immunocompromised or at increased risk for severe disease from COVID-19, or if they have someone in their household who is immunocompromised, at increased risk of severe disease or not fully vaccinated.
Added a recommendation for fully vaccinated people who have a known exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 to be tested 3-5 days after exposure, and to wear a mask in public indoor settings for 14 days or until they receive a negative test result.
CDC recommends universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to schools, regardless of vaccination status.

Members Needed for Live Broadcast Team

Photo by Rafael Sanfilippo on Unsplash

We are looking for volunteers to operate the video camera during Sunday services. If you want to help please email Chris Clark - [email protected]. We can train you if you have not done this before.

Village Square Art Show, July 31, 10am to 5pm

The Saugatuck-Douglas Art Club invites you to enjoy the artwork of Max Brown and other church members at the Village Square Art Show athis Saturday from 10am to 5pm at the Village Square in Saugatuck. Sponsored by the Saugatuck-Douglas Art Club in support of scholarships for high school seniors going on in their art education.

Celebracion de las Artes, July 31, Fennville

OOTL Needs Volunteers for Two Pride Events
On August 14

Out on the Lakeshore (OOTL) needs volunteers for our two August 14 events: the Open House in the Park at Centennial Park, and the Drag Show at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts. If you can help, please click on and fill out this form: https://forms.gle/iwTJdJUr7je3MpJJ7

All Are Welcome: Stephen Ministry Info Session August 29

Would you like to learn more about our church's Stephen Ministry program? On Sunday, August 29, our Stephen Leaders, Paul Burdick and Laurie VandenBeldt, will be hosting an informational Q&A about the Stephen Ministry program at the Spring Street cottage behind the church from 11:30 a.m to 12:30 p.m. All are welcome to attend.

Sign Up for Jason Quigno, Art of the People at SDHC, August 26, 7pm

DUCC and the Social Justice Team invites you to enjoy the Art of the People Exhibit and hear a talk by Jason Quigno, August 26 7-8 pm. Attendance is limited to 30 people. Please sign up for this event at the link below or in the Friendship Hall.

Jason Quigno is one of the most prominent sculptors living in the Midwest today. Carving for hours each day to shape each stone, Jason’s work often draws upon his Anishinaabe heritage and the contemporary abstractions that are inspired by the land and nature.

Jason will share his views on curating the Art of the People Exhibit, his perspective on being an Anishnaabe in contemporary time and his process on how he carves a stone.

"When I create I am always pushing myself, my designs and the limits of the stone to bring out a fluid and balanced form, and to create artwork that is graceful, delicate ,and has a sense of movement. You don’t think of stone as having these qualities but these are some of the things I strive for in my work.”

See the sign-up sheet in the friendship hall, or...
Click here to sign up online for this free event: https://bit.ly/ArtofThePeople

Jack Ridl on Rattle: The Video

Last Sunday, Jack Ridl appeared on the YouTube show, RattleCast, hosted by Rattle Magazine Editor Timothy Green. They had a great talk about Poetry, Spirit, the healing that comes with writing and connecting with the "ineffable." Here's the video of the broadcast.

Gardening is Giving Table --
Sundays, All Season Long

Beginning this Sunday, July 25, and every Sunday as the season lasts, the Creation Justice team is hosting their "Gardening is Giving" table outside the church. Drop off the produce of your gardens -- vegetables, herbs, flowers, divided plants -- and pick up any produce you would like to take home! Thanks in advance for your work to share your harvest!

Rummage Sale to benefit DUCC, August 14, Volunteers Needed!

Photo by Charisse Kenyon on UnSplash

Our dear friend Myron Freund left instructions that his possessions be sold and the proceeds from the sale be donated to Douglas UCC. So we will have a Rummage sale at the retreat house on August 14, 10am to 3pm. We won't be pricing anything, just asking for donations for the items you adopt.

We will need volunteers to help us set up the sale in the yard, and manage the donations. If you can help, please send word by email to [email protected].

Birthdays & Anniversaries

August 1- Peg & Nelson Hart, 2- Walt Lawrence,
7- Gregg Smith, Gregg Smith & Salvatore Sapienza

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. If you don't have a directory, please let us know, and we will email one to you

Prayer Requests

David Abbot; Garnet Lewis, Marv Lewis, and Vicky Cobb; Pat Denner; The family of Len Lynch, including Kathleen and Peter Mueller; Alice Reimard (Sarah Donovan's sister in law); Margaret and Dave Bazany and their daughter, Jennifer; Sarah Johnson Lock; Linda Masten (Mark Reiman's friend); Pam Carr (Debra Carr's sister); Vicki Latham (Ruth VandenBosch's cousin); Sarah Ver Meulen (Susan Fleming's Daughter); Mike VerMerris and all of Luke Burnett's family; Cole Hartman; Walt Lawrence; Shannon Connell; Dennis Konarski and the Konarski family; Mike Sneedon (Peg and Jack Donohue's friend); Pamela Chappell; Sandy Feldman; Tim Reineck, Matt Brazys, Suzanne Cook, and Ken Cassbon (friends of Pete Wehle and Pamela Chappell); Richie Czarnowski (Mark Reiman's friend); Dale Lower; Sherri Kanten (Ruth VandenBosch's friend); Michael (a friend of Dan Mack's); Myron (Wendy Hamlin's grandson, Fred Hamilin's great-grandson); Chris Stuart (Virginia Stuart's sister-in-law); Darren Dixon (Beverly and Orie Hawkes' nephew); Mary Elizabeth Loudin (friend of Laurie VandenBeldt); Chris Robinson (Peter and Kathleen Mueller's nephew); Daniel Ver Meulen (Susan Fleming's son); Marcia Sullivan (Jo Cooley's friend)

Financial Stewardship

July 25, 2021

In-Person Attendance: 98
Viewers for July 25 Online Service Videos: 555
Online Donations:  $3,060.92
Collection Plate:  $636.00
Total:  $3,696.92
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, or sharing through the donate buttons on
Facebook or Instagram, or at our website.