Weekly E-Pistle: 12th Sunday after Pentecost

8/26/2022

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

This Sunday's Service Notes — 12th Sunday after Pentecost: "Unconditional Love"
Last Week's Service Video — 11th Sunday after Pentecost: "Lifted Up in Love"
On the Brink of Everything: Stephen Ministry Book Read
Beach Cleanup September 17
Debra Rienstra, Guest Homilist: September 18
Raising Funds to End Hunger: Crop Walk, September 18
Arbor Circle, Final Taste of Summer, September 20
Notes from the Creation Justice Team
We Need You: Highway Cleanup, October 1
The Red Dock Poetry Reading, August 31
Poetry is Art is Poetry, September 14
Birthdays & Anniversaries, Prayer Requests, and Financial Stewardship

This Sunday's Service: "Unconditional Love"

In the gospel reading for the 12 Sunday after Pentecost, Jesus instructs us to take the lowest place at the table when we are invited somewhere. And, when we give a banquet, Jesus says we should invite the poor and the outcast rather than our friends and relatives. Jesus wants us to give without expectation of something in return, just as God loves us.

Join us on Sunday at 10 AM (either in-person or streaming live online) as we explore what it means to love unconditionally. Message: Pastor Sal. Music: Peter Black and Jeff Spangler

Download this week's online bulletin here:

order_of_service_august_28_2022.pdf
File Size:	731 kb
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Download File

Last Week's Service Video — 11th Sunday after Pentecost: "Lifted Up in Love"

"Woman, thou art loosed!" Jesus declares in the Gospel reading for last Sunday, as a woman is miraculously healed of her afflictions. Like the bent-over woman in the Gospel story, many of us feel bound or burdened by circumstances in our lives, but we have the power to be loosed and lifted to a Higher Place. Please enjoy last Sunday's service, when we learned how to "let loose" and set ourselves free. Message: Pastor Sal. Music: Peter Black and Jeff Spangler

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

On the Brink of Everything:
Stephen Ministry Book Read Coming Up

Photo by Leio McLaren on Unsplash

"Every day, I get closer to the brink of everything. We’re all headed that way, of course, even when we’re young, though most of us are too busy with Important Matters to ponder our mortality. But when a serious illness or accident strikes, or someone dear to us dies — or we go to a class reunion and wonder who all those old people are — it becomes harder to ignore the drop-off that lies just over the edge of our lives."

The Stephen Ministry team will be hosting a book-read this fall, of Parker Palmer's On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity, and Getting Old. Watch this space for the date and the Friendship Hall for a sign-up sheet, coming soon. Meanwhile, here's an On Being article excerpted from the book, and a lovely music video inspired by the book. Enjoy!

Read the Article

Beach Cleanup September 17

The annual Oval to Douglas Beach Cleanup will be held on Saturday Sept. 17 from
9am-12noon. All are welcome to participate...surrounding community residents, visitors and (supervised) children. Check-in will be anytime between 9am-11am at the Oval Beach parking lot. Bring a bucket & gloves...plastic bags & latex gloves will be available.
This event is sponsored by the Creation Justice Team of Douglas United Church of Christ
in conjunction with Alliance for the Great Lakes. Brad Hopkins will serve as the the on-site coordinator for our annual beach cleanup. If you would like to help with the cleanup this year, a sign-up sheet is in the Friendship Hall, or email Brad Hopkins.

Debra Rienstra, Guest Homilist: September 18

Our church has been reading Refugia Faith by writer/professor Dr. Debra Rienstra, who is the daughter of our church members Rev. Marchiene & Dr. John Rienstra. And we are so delighted to share that Dr. Rienstra will be joining us in service to give the homily on September 18. You can learn more about Dr. Rienstra andher books at her website, debrarienstra.com.

Raising Funds to End Hunger: Crop Walk, September 18

CROP Hunger Walks raise funds to end hunger at home and around the world. Our local walk on Sunday afternoon, September 18 is one of the thousands that take place around the country. If you would like to be a walker-fundraiser on the DUCC team, please contact Chris Clark at clark.96@nd.edu

Arbor Circle, Final Taste of Summer,
September 20

Enjoy a Final Taste of Summer with Arbor Circle at The Saugatuck Center for the Arts! Join us for an exclusive evening of camaraderie including a food and wine pairing with Chef Mindy Trafman and a chance to enjoy the SCA's galleries and garden. Please plan to register by September 19th.

Notes from the Creation Justice Team

At our meeting on August 22, the group chose To Speak for the Trees for the Fall Community Read. The tentative discussion date is November 9 -- details later.
So far, sixteen people are signed up for the beach cleanup on September 17.
The group reclaimed a bulletin board in the Friendship Hall and is beginning to use it for educational purposes.
Barb Schipper is offering seeds to grow milkweed as host plants for the endangered monarch butterfly
Our next meeting is September 19 at the Clarks’ home.

We Need You: Highway Cleanup, October 1

The Douglas UCC Creation Justice Team has scheduled our highway cleanup for 9 AM on October 1. We are looking for many hands to work together to make light work of cleaning up our three miles of highway. Sign up on the sheet in the Friendship Hall or by writing to julie@douglasucc.org. Thank you for helping us keep our corner of the world clean!

The Red Dock Poetry Reading, August 31

THE RED DOCK READING IS BACK!!!!
Featuring Kathleen Markland and our church member Jack Ridl. Open air poetry right on the river. The dress is casual, the program, the sun, the waves, and the breezes are free.
On August 31. Kitchen is open from 12 to 5:30pm. Bar is open throughout. Live music from 5-6pm. Poetry from 6 to 7pm, at the Red Dock Cafe: 219 N. Union Street, Douglas, MI

The Pop-up Pier Bookstore will feature Kathleen and Jack's books and the Ukranian Anthology, Busy Griefs Raw Towns, edited by G.F. Korreck, with proceeds going to Ukranian Relief Fund.

Poetry is Art is Poetry, September 14

Birthdays & Anniversaries

August 28- Ed Korson, Barbara & Dick Lucier, 31-Karen Clark
September 1- Anita Giltner, Gloria Larriew, 3- Dennis Konarski

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.

Prayer Requests

Michael Lynch; Jennifer Roe-Lazzaro; Tony Marr (friend of Ed Korson); Mary Baxter (Marjorie Reiman's friend); Dianne Soper (Beverly Hawkes' sister); Elwood Cephus Stith (Mark Reiman's friend); Pete Wehle; Rev. Lou Grettenberger (friend of Ginny Mikita); Rachael Rienstra; Phil Sturdevant (Pete Wehle's friend); Darren Dixon (Beverly and Orie Hawkes' nephew); The Hotwagner Family; David Zylstra (Laurie VandenBeldt's friend); Elinor Hite (Virginia Stuart's sister); Judy Baxter (Kristine Sherman's Mother); Joann DeJonge; Richard and Joanna Weber's grandson Mattox (friends of the Ridls); Al Overweg; Beverly Willming (John Willming's mother); Jay North (friend of Dan Pierce); Hannah Sherman; Maureen Pierce; David Abbot; Sarah Johnson Lock; Vicki Latham (Ruth VandenBosch's cousin); Cole Hartman; Mike Sneedon (Peg and Jack Donohue's friend); Tim Reineck, Matt Brazys, Suzanne Cook, and Ken Cassbon (friends of Pete Wehle and Pamela Chappell); Richie Czarnowski (Mark Reiman's friend); Sherri Kanten (Ruth VandenBosch's friend); Chris Stuart (Virginia Stuart's sister-in-law); Mary Elizabeth Loudin (friend of Laurie VandenBeldt)

Financial Stewardship

In-Person Attendance, August 21: 96
Total Views for August 21 Online Videos: 435

Collection Plate & Mailed Donations: $1,009.00
Online Giving: $2,536.90

Total: $3,545.90

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.