Weekly E-Pistle: "Open & Affirming" Sunday at Douglas UCC

6/28/2019

June is Gay Pride Month, and this Sunday, we celebrate "Open & Affirming" Sunday in the United Church of Christ. Douglas UCC is proud to be among the first churches to become recognized as an Open & Affirming church, affirming the full inclusion of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender persons (LGBT) in the church's life and ministry. Please join us this Sunday at 10 a.m., as we celebrate the spiritual gifts with which the LGBTQ community blesses our church family and our world.

Thank you to all who helped out at our church’s booth at last weekend’s Holland Pride event:
Greg Gerrans & Greg Harvath; David VanDyke; Cindy Winkler; Ruth VandenBosch; Philip Raywood; Max Brown & Doug Sipsma; Kirt Oliver; Bev and Orie Hawkes; Fred Hamlin; Gregg Smith; Wendy Hamlin and Freddy; Mary Browning; Foye McDonald & Ian Mills; Shirley Haaksma.

Peter Mueller (our Church Council Moderator) and Kathleen Mueller (our Retreat House coordinator and a member of our Pastoral Relations Committee) represented Douglas UCC at last week's UCC General Synod in Milwaukee.

We are grateful for their service to our church.

Click to learn more: UCC Synod

Pastor Sal will be taking a three-month sabbatical beginning in January of 2020. Between now and then, our Pastoral Relations Committee will be helping us to prepare for Pastor Sal's absence. They will be facilitating another "Sabbatical Feedback" session this Sunday at 11:30 a.m. at the Spring Street House. This will be an opportunity for you to learn more and to share your ideas, too. All are welcome.

“Adopt-a-Highway” Clean-Up- Please help us clean-up the highway next month. We will be going out two times: Saturday, July 13, from 9 a.m. till noon, and Tuesday, July 16, from 4 to 7 p.m..

Please sign the sheet in the Friendship Hall if you can help. Thank you to our church’s Creation Justice Team for facilitating.

Thank you to Leith Letcher and Jim Shewell for planting the zinnias in front of the church, and thank you to Gemina Petruzzelli and Dick Bont for the new plants in the Memorial Garden.

We will be going to two Sunday services this summer: 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.

We will begin on Sunday, July 7, and end on Sunday, September 1.

Coffee Hour will be held outside in front of the church between the two services.

From our church members, Dan McGavin and Carol Brown, owners of the Summerhouse Lavender Farm:

"The dreaded Polar Vortex took out over 400 of our lavender plants. We are replanting this year and are holding events July 20-21 and August 17-18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. $10 Admission. Learn about lavender and the best techniques for successful planting. We will discuss culinary lavender and include recipes and sample of lavender infused lemonade, shortbread cookies, and a lavender-lemon salt spice for outdoor grilling." Learn more HERE.

Enjoy Last Sunday's Music & Message:

Financial Stewardship Report:

June 23: Attendance: 118 Collection: $2,465 Online: $2,607.16 Total: $5,072.16
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