Weekly E-pistle: Palm/Passion Sunday

3/23/2021

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

This Sunday's Service Notes - "Palm & Passion Sunday"
Last Week's Service Video --"Fifth Sunday in Lent: Dying Before You Die"
Maundy Thursday Service
Return to Church Survey Reminder, deadline March 30
One Great Hour of Sharing Collection
Green Faith Designation
New Online Giving Page!
"The Voice of God" - A poem by Pete Wehle
Allegan County Senior Services
Centering Prayer Group during Lent, Wednesday Evenings at 5:30 p.m.
Allegan County Vaccine Update
Friendship Hall News
Birthdays & Anniversaries, Prayer Requests, and Financial Stewardship

This Sunday's Service: Holy Week Begins

This Sunday begins Holy Week, the most sacred time on the Christian Church calendar. On Sunday, we will focus on two processions: one of cheers and palms (Jesus's procession into Jerusalem)...and one of jeers and pain (Jesus's procession to the cross), a reminder for us that both light and darkness are necessary for growth. Tune-in this Sunday to our "Video Worship Service," for this very powerful Holy Week service. Message: Pastor Sal. Music: Peter Black and Stan Greene.

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

Last Sunday's Service

In the Gospel reading for the 5th Sunday in Lent, Jesus says: "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains but a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." That "single grain" refers to us. We need to do what Jesus and the mystics of all the major faith traditions instruct: "Die before we die," so that we can produce the fruit of the Spirit. What does it mean to "die before we die"? Watch last Sunday's Video Worship Service, when we explored this question together. Message: Pastor Sal. Music: Peter Black and Elizabeth Estes.
Click here to read, listen to, watch, or share last Sunday's homily.

Online Maundy Thursday Service

Please join us online on Thursday, April 1, at 7 PM for a virtual "Maundy Thursday" Tenebrae Service from the church. At the Tenebrae Service, we darken the altar as we share the "7 Last Words of Jesus" and prepare ourselves for Good Friday. This special Holy Week service will be broadcast on our church's Facebook page and YouTube channel.

Return to Church Survey
Deadline March 30

Our Church Council and Pastor Sal have been working on a plan for returning to in-person services, making changes to our air filtration systems and sanitation processes. And they are also making plans to be sure our new church friends and members who live far from us are included in our services and work.

Before they complete their plans, though, they need to hear from the congregation, to "take your temperature" on the subject of returning to the church, so they know what criteria are most important to the church body.

Please answer the questions in the survey for yourself, and at the end of the survey, provide us with your own thoughts on the topic, if you wish. Your responses are completely anonymous. The results of this survey will inform the Church Council's decisions. We need completed surveys submitted by March 30.

Click here for the survey: https://forms.gle/x4xqqkxcZinEPETd7

One Great Hour of Sharing Collection

Every March we collect and match gifts to the UCC's One Great Hour of Sharing Endowment Fund, which has long supported emergency relief, disaster response, sustainable development, and social services in some of the poorest areas around the globe. These gifts and this work make an enormous difference in so many lives. Will you consider making a gift to this special fund by March 28. You can make this gift online, or by check (please write OGHS in the memo line of your check made out to Douglas UCC). Please mail checks to Douglas UCC, P.O. Box 519, Douglas, Michigan, 49406. Thank you so much for your ongoing support of the work of the United Church of Christ.

Green Faith Designation

We are so delighted to announce that Douglas UCC has been recognized by Interfaith Action of SW Michigan as a Green Faith church in recognition of the work of our Creation Justice Team, especially for the efforts we have made to assure our church campus operates under all of these greening efforts. Congratulations to the team and the congregation for all of your good work!

Allegan County Senior Services

We wanted to make you aware of our amazing, Allegan county-wide program that allows those of us who are seniors to age gracefully in our homes.

In 2006, the citizens of Allegan County voted to provide for it's senior citizens through a Senior Millage. These funds provide these services:

Adult Day Care
Home Delivered Meals
In Home Supports
Personal Emergency Response Systems
Senior Transportation

As the website says: "But it's more than that; it's the voters giving back to those who came before us. Most of the advances we enjoy today in technology, medicine, agriculture, etc. are a direct result of the efforts made by citizens that are no longer part of the work force; senior citizens. Through their dedication to improving our communities, we all enjoy a better quality of life. Senior Services is committed to providing the necessary supports that allow the seniors of Allegan County to remain independent in the homes where they have lived and raised their families for as long as possible."

"Dedicated to serving Allegan County seniors by developing and coordinating services that support their independence, maintain their dignity, and preserve their quality of life."

Allegan County Senior Services, 3255 122nd Ave., Ste. 200, Allegan, MI 49010
Phone: (269) 673-3333 Toll-free: 1-877-673-5333 Fax: (269) 673-0569
Facebook Link

New Online Giving Page

Our online giving pages have just become easier to use, with a new page outlining all the ways we can give to the church, and a new online giving page that makes special collections easier to contribute to. Here is a video showing how it works, or tune in to this week's Online Friendship Hall (link in your email on Fridays) for a quick demo.

Importantly, if you already make gifts using our online donation site, you don't need to do a thing! Your userid and password and giving history all still work with this new page. And we were able to implement it with no charge to the church. Win! Win! Win!

The Voice of God by Pete Wehle

Our Douglas UCC church member, Pete Wehle, wrote this beautiful poem (above), which was published in the Coptic Center's Spring "Inner-Connection" newsletter.

Allegan County Vaccine Update

Currently, there is a 72-hour turn around from when an eligible person registers on the "I want the COVID-19 Vaccine" form and Allegan County Health Department sending appointment information. If you have registered and are eligible for vaccine, please email [email protected] with the subject line "I'm eligible and need vaccine."

Vaccine Supplies and your vaccine appointment

ACHD is providing 75% of the vaccine doses to those in the 50 and older group, and 25% to the other eligible groups.
Allegan County Health Department has notified everyone in our registry who is 50 years or older about their vaccine appointment. If you have registered, are 50 years or older, and still have not gotten your COVID-19 vaccine, please email [email protected] with the subject line "I am 50 years or older and still need my vaccine"

I want the COVID-19 Vaccine
All individuals living or working in Allegan County and interested in receiving the COVID-19 vaccine should sign up on the “I Want the COVID-19 Vaccine” form

Other Clinics
If you are eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine and in need of an appointment, check out:
•  Meijer Pharmacy
•  Rite Aid Pharmacy
•  Spectrum Health Zeeland
•  West Michigan Vaccine Clinic

We encourage eligible people to register at all the places that offer vaccine to them. If you get an appointment at one of these other clinics, please email [email protected]g so we can take your name off our registry.

Centering Prayer Group during Lent, Wednesday Evenings at 5:30 p.m.

During the season of Lent, Pastor Sal will lead
a "Centering Prayer" meditation via Zoom each Wednesday
evening from 5:30 PM to 6 PM.

If you are interested in taking part in these sessions,
please email Julie for the Centering Prayer link.

Friendship Hall News

We opened Online Friendship Hall with a hello from the always upbeat Becca Waaso, with her cat, her baby, and her husband, on the road and headed for their new digs in Oregon. All is well! Dick Lucier came in from the golf course to announce that his recovery has gone very well, and thanks for the prayers! We offered ongoing prayers for Jeff Spangler's sister, Jackie, who was involved in a horrific road accident. And we offered prayers for Wendy's kids' dad, Randy, whose health is declining. Barbara Muller checked in from Georgia! We were all delighted to see her looking very much herself after a really difficult struggle with Covid-19. Chris Clark's new hiking map, soon to be published by the visitors' bureau, was celebrated along with the new Radar Hill Hiking Club, on this Sunday's radio program, Saugatuck On Sunday, click here to listen to the Podcast. Ruth VandenBosch gave us an update on Dale Lower's health struggles, and new treatments for him ahead. We are keeping Dale and Ted in our prayers.

Birthdays & Anniversaries

March 29- Julie Myers, 30- Ann Hopkins, Rachael Overweg, 31- Pamela Chappell,
April 1- Nancy Plantinga

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

Jakki Fox (Jeff Spangler's sister); Ronald Konarski; Dick Lucier; Julia DeMario (Chris Clark's niece); Mark Reiman; Leith Letcher and his family; Becky Hoeppner (Demetrhea Terrien's niece); Dale Lower; Sherri Kanten (Ruth VandenBosch's friend); Diane Carr (Debra Carr's sister); Michael (a friend of Dan Mack's); Mike Boston and Kathy Austin; Myron (Wendy Hamlin's grandson, Fred Hamilin's great-grandson); Chris Stuart (Virginia Stuart's sister-in-law); Kurt McDonald (John McDonald's son); Matt Brazys (Friend of Pete Wehle's); Darren Dixon (Beverly and Orie Hawkes' nephew); Mary Elizabeth Loudin (friend of Laurie VandenBeldt); Richard Graham; Char Clausing (Nancy Plantinga's cousin); 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); Curtis Coffin (Marty Coffin's brother).

Financial Stewardship

March 21, 2021

Viewers for March 21 Online Service Videos: 778

Online Donations: $2,890.37

Total: $2,890.37

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.