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Weekly E-Pistle: 7th Sunday of Easter

5/14/2021

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

  • This Sunday's Service Notes -- 7th Sunday of Easter: "Ascension Sunday"
  • Last Week's Service Video -- 6th Sunday of Easter: "Mother's Day Sunday"
  • Do We Need to Still Wear Masks?
  • Remembering Luke Burnett
  • Alison Swan and Jack Ridl, Reading and Workshop at the SCA, May 23
  • Global Pride Spiritual Summit, June 11-13
  • Saugatuck-Douglas Library "Unmask Project" Wants Your Selfie!
  • Pride Care-A-Van Coming on June 5 -- Start Your Planning!
  • Lakeshore Community Chorus - Spring Concert, June 6
  • Radar Hill Hiking Club Celebrating National Trails Day, June 5
  • Friendship Hall News
  • Birthdays & Anniversaries, Prayer Requests, and Financial Stewardship​

This Sunday's Service: "Ascension Sunday"

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This Sunday is "Ascension Sunday," which marks the end of the Easter Season. At our "Video Worship Service" this Sunday, we'll hear all about Jesus's ascension into heaven, and we'll also learn the path to our own personal ascensions. We'll also uncover the "12 Symptoms of Spiritual Awakening." We hope you will join us online for an inspiring message and uplifting music as we celebrate Ascension Sunday. Message: Pastor Sal. Music: Peter Black and Pamela Chappell.

Tune-in on Sunday at 10 AM via our Facebook page, YouTube channel, or here on our website.

Last Week's Service

Last Sunday, we honored mothers everywhere -- biological mothers, adoptive mothers, caregivers, and mentors. We also celebrated our Mother God; Mother Nature in all her glory; and the Divine Feminine within us, too. Click the video above for the "Video Worship Service" for last Sunday to hear an inspiring Progressive Christian message from Pastor Sal about John 15:9-17, in which Jesus instructs us to "love one another." Music: Peter Black, Gloria Larrieu, Pamela Chappell, Nancy Plantinga, and Mary Fechtig. 
Click here to read, listen to, watch, and share Pastor Sal's Homily.

​Do We Need to Still Wear Masks? 

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At the last church council meeting, council member Stan Greene shared this article from the New York Times by health columnist Tara Parker-Pope, who reports on the latest advice from federal health officials on use of face masks in public. Council recommends we follow these guidelines as we begin to gather for events where vaccinated and non-vaccinated people mix. Stan sums the advice up this way, "If you're outdoors, mask or distance. If you're indoors, mask and distance." And great news: the council is working hard on an outdoor service plan for the summer!

​Remembering Luke Burnett

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With deep sadness we share news of the sudden loss of Douglas UCC church member, Luke Burnett, loving partner of Mike VerMerris. Luke was a light in our lives and the lives of his family, friends, colleagues, and church family. A memorial service will be held at a future date. We hold Mike and the entire Burnett family in our hearts and prayers. You may share your memories of Luke and leave condolence notes for his family at this link. Cards of condolence can be sent to Mike at 13 Fultonwoods Dr. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503-3808.

Alison Swan and Jack Ridl, Reading and Workshop at the SCA, May 23 

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Church member Jack Ridl is honored to help celebrate a new volume of poetry from Alison Swan, A Fine Canopy, from Wayne State University Press. On Sunday, May 23, at 1pm, in person, outside, and distanced at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts, Alison and Jack will read their work and hold a conversation about poetry and the writing life. The reading is free and open to the public, and their books will be on sale. Then Alison will conduct a poetry workshop at 2:30pm. The center is asking people to RSVP for the reading, where seats are limited, and there is a registration fee for the workshop. Here is the link to sign up for both!

​Global Pride Spiritual Summit, June 11-13 

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Our Pastor Sal is one of the ministers involved in the "Global Pride Summit" on June 11-13. This multiday virtual event will provide opportunities for engaging conversations, experiential activities, and deep connection time with each other and many inspiring teachers. Come for the great speakers and musicians then stay for in-depth personal exploration. To register and to learn more, please visit www.unityvillage.org/gpss.

​Saugatuck-Douglas Library "Unmask Project" Wants Your Selfie! 

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by Max Rosero at Unsplash.com
Unmasked: Photographic Portraits After 2020 -- What better way to emerge from winter and the worst of COVID-19 than with a visual celebration of our community? That’s the aim of “Unmasked: Photographic Portraits After 2020,” a community generated exhibition of cell phone portraits, organized by the Saugatuck-Douglas District Library. All submissions will be displayed in their beautiful new space. 

The Library is seeking many entries from everyone--all ages and all abilities. If you have a cell phone and a creative spirit, you are an artist! Portraits should feature your family, friends, neighbors and other members of our community. They can be in color or black and white.

Please send your best portrait(s) to sddlibrary@gmail.com. Include your name, contact information and a brief description of your portrait(s). For more on this exhibition, click here to see this story at the Library's website.

Deadline for submissions is May 15, 2021. ​

​Pride Care-A-Van Coming on June 5
​Start Your Planning! 

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The annual Community Pride event is scheduled for Saturday, June 5, at noon. Like last year, this year's Pride event will be a "Care-a-Van" Car Parade from Douglas to Saugatuck. Decorate your car for Pride and join in the parade! Route begins at the corner of Blue Star Hwy and Enterprise Drive, Douglas. Prizes will be given for best-decorated car! For more information, follow this event on the Community Pride Facebook page here.

The Pride Committee is also selling T-shirts for $25 apiece for sizes small to Extra large, and $30 for sizes 2X to 4X (please pre-order for smaller or larger sizes, deadline May 10). The color is Heather Blue. Ruth VandenBosch will manage the t-shirt sales and will have a total of 150 shirts available. For pre-orders, email Ruth at ruthvandenbosch@gmail.com. Small Pride flags (and snap-on car flags) are also available for sale. ​

​Lakeshore Community Chorus
​Spring Concert, June 6 

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Lakeshore Community Chorus is preparing their spring concert to premier online on Sunday, June 6, 2021 at 7 pm!! Many of our friends and church members will be performing! Follow them on their website or on Facebook for more information and links for tuning in!

​Radar Hill Hiking Club
​Celebrating National Trails Day, June 5 

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Radar Hill Hiking Club is sponsoring a local observance of National Trails Day in the Saugatuck-Douglas-Laketown area on Saturday, June 5, 2021. Our goals are to inform residents and visitors about local hiking trails, and advocate for trails and conservation. For more information, follow this link to the Radar Hill website.
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​Friendship Hall News

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Pastor Sal opened friendship hall with the painful news of the loss of church member Luke Burnett (see above), Mike VerMerris' partner and a loving father, grandfather, son, brother, and friend. Many beautiful tributes to Mike and Luke, and their importance to and history with DUCC poured out throughout the hour. We offered love and sympathy to Dennis Konarski on the loss of his brother, Ronald, and offered prayers for his family. And prayers too for Bev Hawkes, who took a fall over the weekend, leaving her recovering from a concussion and broken elbow.  Pastor Sal asked for prayers for all of these members as well as everyone on our prayer list. We checked in with many community leaders whose work appears above, and talked about plans the Church Council is working on for in-person, outdoor summer services! Jack Ridl offered a funny-if-sad story about a recent poetry encounter, then shared great news of his forthcoming event celebrating Alison Swan's new volume of poetry (story above). And Stan Greene shared a powerful story about his alma mater Wake Forest's reckoning with their Antebellum past, and efforts toward reparation. See that story here. And we celebrated the return of Ed Korson, who has come home from California healthy and happy, with a new love in tow! We hope you can join us for Friendship Hall this week. Zoom links in your Online Church Links email on Fridays.

​Birthdays & Anniversaries

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May 18- Sue Fleming, 19- Jack Hartman,
20-Mary Westenbroek, 21- John Fleming, Jeremy Lund, 22- Mark Zancanaro

Birthday and Anniversary cards are a great way we can continue to reach out to one another during this time. 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

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Mike VerMerris and all of Luke Burnett's family; Bev Hawkes; Cole Hartman; Walt Lawrence; Shannon Connell; Dennis Konarski and the Konarski family; Mike Sneedon (Peg and Jack Donohue's friend); John Leon (Marjorie Reiman's uncle); Marjorie Reiman; 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); Gregg Kirchen (Sheryll and Greg VanPortfleet's friend); Daniel Ver Meulen (Susan Fleming's son); Marcia Sullivan (Jo Cooley's friend); Len Lynch (Kathleen Mueller's brother).

​Financial Stewardship​

May 9, 2021

Viewers for May 9 Online Service Videos: 613

 Online Donations:    $4,100.29

​Total:  $4,100.29

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.

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  • About Us ▾
    • Meditation Garden
    • Retreat House
    • Our Staff
    • Our Stories
    • About Douglas UCC
  • Connect & Serve
  • Worship & Music Videos ▾
    • Podcast Library 🔊
    • Homily Library 📖
  • Calendar & E-pistle ▾
    • E-pistle
  • Contact
  • Giving