Weekly E-Pistle: Pentecost Sunday

5/29/2020

Pentecost Sunday:

In our lectionary reading for Pentecost Sunday, we'll hear the story of how the Spirit of God set the hearts and minds of the first disciples on fire. This very same Spirit is alive today, but how do we kindle its spark within ourselves and fan its flames in one another? Tune in to our Pentecost service this Sunday, as we celebrate the Holy Spirit, alive and aflame in our hearts.
Message: Pastor Sal. Reader: Stan Greene. Music: Peter Black and Elizabeth Estes.

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

For many years now, Pentecost is the Sunday we all come to church wearing red for our annual group photo. Though we are unable to do that this year, we would love it if you'd take a photo of yourself wearing red as you watch the Pentecost service from home this Sunday, and then email it to us at OnlineChurch@DouglasUCC.org, so that we can compile them together.

Watch Last Sunday's Service:

Thank you to all who tuned in last Sunday for our Video Worship Service. We had hundreds of people watching and commenting from all over the world last Sunday morning, even from places as far away as Australia and the UK! If you missed the service, you can watch it here.

Should Churches Return to Worship
in their Sanctuaries?

As the country debates how, when, and under what circumstances life might return to normal, leaders in every setting of the church are deliberating about returning to their sanctuaries for worship. Our own UCC leadership lays out this decision for congregations of ours quite clearly: We should return to our sanctuary only when it's safe for all to do so.
Read the full letter here.

Can you Help in this Virtual Cereal Drive?

The Allegan Foundation's Annual Cereal Drive, has gone virtual this year, with a goal of collecting funds enough to purchase 30,000 boxes of cereal for food-insecure kids in Allegan County. While the process may be different this year, the goals are not: feeding children who don’t always know where their next meal is coming from. Any and every dollar will help.

There are 3 ways to donate: 1. From your smartphone, text CEREAL to 44321. Or 2. Donate on-line at www.alleganfoundation.org. Or 3. Mail a check made out to: ACCF, PO Box 278, Allegan MI 49010. In the memo line on your check, please note CEREAL.

Thank you for helping if you can! The cereal donations will help the seventeen collaborative member pantries in Allegan County.

Requiem for Ahmaud Arbery, May 31, 6pm

The DUCC Social Justice Team invites you to attend this online event Sunday, May 31, at 6pm:

United Church of Christ pastor Rev. Otis Moss III, senior pastor of Chicago's Trinity UCC, has described the death of jogger Ahmaud Arbery as a lynching. He will join panelists in a national online conversation about how Christians can be actively involved in dismantling racism.

The event, to be held on the webinar platform Zoom at 6 p.m. EDT (5 p.m. CDT), will include a 22-minute cinematic sermon, "The Cross and the Lynching Tree: A Requiem for Ahmaud Arbery." Rev. Moss will be one of the panelists. The public can attend by registering at this link.

Learn more about this event at the UCC website here.

Rain Garden Class Online

The DUCC Creation Justice Team has revived their Rain Garden event!

The effort to design and build a rain garden on our church campus will wait, but the learning to rain garden on your own property just got better!

Our friends in Washtenau County are making their Online Master Rain Gardening course (normally $40) FREE, so long as you register for the class before June 1.

To learn why you should care about Rain Gardens and for details about the class, click here.

Heard at Online Friendship Hall

Zooming over coffee after online church on Sundays is a great way to catch up with friends and with Pastor Sal, pose questions, get answers, and support one another during this time. Here are some of the things heard during our coffee hour this past Sunday:

Supporting local restaurants got easier as we learned of this Facebook page, where the page admins post regularly updated files of local Restaurant To-Go offerings and contact information.
The June 6 Pride event planning is well under way! To learn about the Care-a-Van parade and the online events, find the committee on their public Facebook Page.
Looking for a beautiful option for outdoor walking? Linda Charvat offered a safe and beautiful walk on her Rosebay Nursery farm. Broad, mowed paths and beautiful blooming plants. To learn how, where, and when, connect with Linda. Also, after the stay-at-home restrictions are lifted, Dan McGavin and Carol Brown will welcome visitors to their Lavender farm by appointment. Watch their website for reservation news!
Kudos to our U.S. Flag tenders: To David Geen for raising our brand new American Flag at the church, and to Larry Fuerst and Sue Scott for lovingly retiring our old one.

Check your email for an invite for Sunday's Online Friendship Hall invitation. If you don't see it, do look in your spam folder, or write to us to subscribe to Online Church links.

Online Giving

Your Church is working hard to provide for our community and our spirits during this pandemic, while continuing to do our peace and justice work.

Without a Sunday collection plate, we are asking church members and friends to consider adopting a new habit of giving to the church: either online or by mail. Did you know there is an app for that? Download the GivePlus+ app to your smart phone, and find DouglasUCC in the local listings, and you can easily schedule and manage your church giving right from your phone!

And as always, it's so easy to give online from our website. Just click here.

Or please consider mailing a check to:
Douglas UCC, 56 Wall Street, PO Box 519, Douglas, MI 49406

We are so very grateful for your continued support of our church, especially during this time.

Birthdays and Anniversaries

May 31- Larry LaBine, Derek Rieley; June 1- Floyd Fleming, 2- Dale Lower, 3- Timothy Buszka, 4- Jane Grady, Michael Teekamp, 5- Lynn Snyder, Evan Overweg, 6- Dee Baker & Lin Wisehart

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 List

Freddy Bell (Wendy Hamlin's grandson, Fred Hamilin's great-grandson); Terry Stough (Catz Dienes' son); Bob Donohue (Jack and Peg Donohue's brother); The family of Jim Lemons; Philip Raywood; Ted Sommer; Molly Gaspar (Mike Valdez' sister); Phyllis Wallis (Kathy Austin's mother); Kristen Molitor (Ann Hopkins' daughter); John Willming; Drew Carter; Ferman Sims (father of Duce Sims); Howard McLauchlan (brother-in-law of Dale and Ted); Jeff Cooley (Jo Cooley's brother); Marcia Sullivan (Jo Cooley's friend), Len Lynch (Kathleen Mueller's brother); Curtis Coffin (Marty Coffin's brother).

Prayers for the residents of mid-Michigan who are working to recover from last week's rains and flooding. Prayers for our educators, the caregivers and hospital and care center workers during this Covid-19 pandemic. For the researchers and scientists working on effective tests and treatments for Covid-19. For the leaders and volunteers in every state and city who are stepping up to take care of people every day.

All in the military and their families. All who are homeless or addicted or abused or neglected or rejected or hungry; The UCC; the Grand West Association; our Church Council; our Stephen Ministers; our church committees; our communities, our schools, our nation and our planet.
To add/remove a name from the Prayer List, please email us.

Financial Stewardship

May 24
Attendance for Online Services: 506
Mailed-in deposits (Collection Plate) for April 27 to May 26: $7,810.00
Weekly Online Giving: $2,116.07
Thank you!!

Your generous giving allows us to sustain our church community and our mission of service. Please consider giving online, which is easily done by clicking ONLINE GIVING.

Or you may send checks by mail to:
Douglas Congregational United Church of Christ
56 Wall Street, PO Box 519
Douglas, MI 49406