Weekly E-pistle: 19th Sunday after Pentecost

10/6/2023

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

This Sunday's Service -- 19th Sunday after Pentecost: "The Winds of Change"
Last Sunday's Service --18th Sunday after Pentecost: "Harvest Sunday"
Michelle Willis: Live in Concert at Douglas UCC - October 26 at 7 PM
Harvest Pie Photos
Blessing of the Animals: Photo Album
CROP Hunger Walk -- This Sunday! Still time to donate!
Pledge Sunday October 15
Douglas Cove Looking for a Sewing Volunteer
Can You Help with Treats for Coffee Hour?
Soup-Tober is NOW!
Honoring the Ancestors, Dia de los Muertos, November 1
"A Little Comedy: A Little Mystery," Women's Club Funder, October 13 & 14
Food for Thought: Seven Things YOU Can Do About Climate Change
Birthdays & Anniversaries, Prayer Requests, and Financial Stewardship

This Sunday's Service: "The Winds of Change"

In light of Pastor Sal's announcement this week that he will be leaving Douglas UCC in January 2024, we will be putting our focus this Sunday on "The Winds of Change."

Times of change can be very unsettling, but our "Still Speaking" God continues to "make all things new" (Isaiah 43:18-19). This Sunday, Pastor Sal will be sharing more about his new call and how seasons of change are necessary for new growth and new life.

Please join us this Sunday at 10 AM (either in person or streaming live online) for this very special service. Message: Pastor Sal Sapienza. Music: Peter Black and Jeff Spangler

Download this Sunday's Online Bulletin:

order_of_service_october_8_2023.pdf
File Size:	1127 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

Last Sunday's Service --18th Sunday after Pentecost: "Harvest Sunday"

Last Sunday, we celebrated God's Creation by putting our focus on the Harvest. Throughout the Bible, the Harvest carries spiritual significance. It is symbolic of bounty, health, and abundance. Please enjoy this very special "Harvest Moon" service planned by our Creation Justice Team. Message: Pastor Sal Sapienza. Music: Peter Black, Jeff Spangler, and Lauri Donaldson.

Here's the Homily!

Michelle Willis: Live in Concert at Douglas UCC
October 26 at 7 PM

Award-winning singer/songwriter,Michelle Willis, will be performing live in concert at Douglas UCC on Thursday, October 26, at 7 PM.

Of Michelle's singing, David Crosby of Crosby, Stills & Nash once commented, "Sounds like God on a good day. Michelle Willis is so startlingly talented, I don't even know where to start. She's probably one of the best singers I've ever heard in my life. Of all. Ever. Anybody. One of the very best, one of the top handful. I'm talking about, I live in the same world with Joni and Aretha, Bonnie, women who could sing. She's in that league. She's that good. She's an unbelievably talented singer."

After collaborations as a session keyboardist and background singer for David Crosby, Iggy & the Stooges, and Zac Brown Band, Michelle signed a recording contract and released her debut solo album, "See Us Through" to wide-acclaim and sold-out concerts. You can learn more about Michelle at www.michellewillis.ca

Tickets for the concert are $15 and are available now at
https://michellewillis.bpt.me

Harvest Pie Photos

Thanks so much to all who helped us celebrate the harvest during and after Harvest Sunday! Special thanks to Dennis Konarski who facilitated the fun and delicious pie-tasting event and KUDOS to all who contributed pies: Jennifer Schwarb, Linda Charvat, Gemina Petruzzelli, Peter Black, Wendy Hamlin, Sarah Donovan, and Sue Scott!

Blessing of the Animals: Photo Album

We had record turnout for this year’s “Blessing of the Animals”!! Thanks to Pastor Sal and Rev. Ginny Mikita and especially to the event's sponsors, Lakeshore Pet Boutique's Randy and Anna for hosting another fantastic service at Beery Park on a beautiful Sunday!

CROP Hunger Walk -- This Sunday!

CROP Hunger Walks raise funds to end hunger here in Southwest Michigan and around the world. Our local walk on October 8 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 Mike Mok by email and/or sign up in the Friendship Hall or online here:
https://events.crophungerwalk.org/2023/team/douglas-ucc

Pledge Sunday October 15

Thanks to all who attended our special meeting on the Campus Stewardship Funding project. The project passed unanimously, and the pledge period is underway. If you haven't received a pledge card yet, you'll find them next to the Stewardship Progress Poster in the Friendship Hall, or if you need one mailed to you, just connect with Julie Ridl, to receive your copy. October 15 is Pledge Sunday, and we will have a special collection of the cards during service. If you can't make it on that day, just drop your pledge card off at the Church office, or mail it to us. Thanks so much for participating, in any way you are comfortable participating, and in blessing and caring for our little church campus.

Douglas Cove Looking for a Sewing Volunteer

Photo by Olesia □□ Buyar on Unsplash

Volunteer Opportunity at Douglas Cove: If you know of anyone with sewing experience and a sewing machine that would like to help a resident at Douglas Cove do a sewing project, please share this request. A resident there was an avid sewer, and her wish is to be able to sew again. Please contact Life Enrichment Director Bridget Fritz at 269-857-2141, or email her at bfritz@douglascove.com

Can You Help with Treats for Coffee Hour?

Photo by M o e on Unsplash

Thanks to all who worked with our treat coordinator, Joyce Wright, in September, to provide treats for our beloved coffee hour! We still need treats for October. You can find the sign-up sheet for treats waiting for us in the Friendship Hall! Or connect with Joyce (you will find her contact information in the Membership Directory.) Thanks so much!

Soup-Tober is NOW!

Photo by Piotr Miazga on Unsplash

Christian Neighbors Food Pantry is getting ready for winter and would like to stock its shelves with canned soup for their clients. For the month of SOUP-TOBER (Oct 1-31), Christian Neighbors is requesting donated cans of soup. You may drop off your donated cans in the designated box at the Friendship Hall.

Financial donations are also welcomed, and can be made through the Christian Neighbors Douglas website, here: ChristianNeighborsDouglas.org

Thanks in advance for helping warm and nourish local families this year!

Honoring the Ancestors, Dia de los Muertos, November 1

Our friend and spiritual teacher Ruth Zwald is once again offering "Honoring the Ancestors: Dia de los Muertos," on November 1, in our Friendship Hall. Connecting to our ancestors is a vital part of spiritual work. Drawing on the Mexican traditions of Dia De Los Muertos involves us in an evening of sharing stories and food, creating an altar, as well as a chance to connect to our ancestors in a guided meditation. To sign up, follow the instructions in the poster above!

"A Little Comedy: A Little Mystery," Women's Club Funder, October 13 & 14

Once upon a time, not so VERY long ago, the comedies and mysteries we loved arrived in our living rooms through an object we called a radio. It's true! The Friends of the Saugatuck Women's Club will be raising funds for area scholarships by revisiting yesteryear on October 13 and 14, with "A Little Comedy; A Little Mystery," at the Saugatuck Woman's Club, Hoffman at Butler Street in Saugatuck. Featuring our very own church members, Peter Black, Lauri Donaldson, Chris Clark, Jim Kern, and David Miedema. Admission is $20. Our beloved Lynne Snyder will be selling tickets after church services. Call 269-857-2613 for more information. Refreshments will be provided at the performance!

Food for Thought: Seven Things YOU Can Do About Climate Change

Food production accounts for a third of the planet-heating gases emitted by human activity. Fossil fuel provides the electricity that powers food processing plants and it fills the tanks of trucks that distribute food (those plants and trucks also spew exhaust). Mountains of food waste and discarded packaging end up in landfills. What can one person do?

Eat more locally-produced food - transporting food requires fossil fuel. The longer the distance, the more fuel is needed.
Eat more plant-based food - 14% of all greenhouse gas emissions come from meat and dairy production.
Reduce food waste - a third of the food grown in the U.S. ends up in landfills and becomes methane, a greenhouse gas more potent than carbon dioxide.
Compost - composting puts carbon into the soil instead of the atmosphere and reduces methane emissions.
Avoid plastic packaging - it’s environmentally costly to make and dispose of plastics, plastics emit greenhouse gases as they decompose, and microplastics are damaging plankton that are key to the ocean’s ability to absorb carbon.
Shop with reusable bags - reduce waste and limit the environmental cost of producing new materials.
Recycle packaging - choose products that are packaged in glass, paper, or cardboard and then recycle the packaging material.

Birthdays & Anniversaries

October 8- Jay Van Daalen, 10- Michael VerMerris, 12- Jim Bailey
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

Richard Mead (friend of Tom Fahlstrom); Ruth Fahlstrom (daughter of Tom Fahlstrom); Ann Hopkins, Pamela Chappell & Pete Wehle; Dan Pierce; Ruth VandenBosch; Mary Browning; Nancy Grib (Friend of Pamela Chappell); Stuart Family; Charlene Burdick (Paul Burdick's Mother); Diane Carr; Myron (Wendy Hamlin's grandson, Fred Hamilin's great-grandson); Betsy York; Mary Westenbroek; Brian Aikens; Jerry Elpers and family (Beth Howley's Dad); Edie Plantinga (Nancy Plantinga's mother); Joyce Potts (Ed Korson's Friend); Max Matteson; Eric Cooley (Jo Cooley's brother); Nicole and John (Wendy Hamlin's daughter-in-law and son)

Financial Stewardship

In-Person Attendance October 1: 100
Total Views for September October 1: 435

Collection Plate & Mailed Donations: $2,725.00
Online Giving: $6,640.79
Total: $9,365.79

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.