Weekly E-pistle: "Reign of Christ" Sunday

11/19/2021

This Sunday's Service Notes -- "Reign of Christ" Sunday
Last Week's Service Video -- "Brother Al Returns to Douglas UCC"
Allegan County Covid-19 Transmission Rate is "High," Masks Requested in Service
Brother Al Mascia's Concert Video
Chris Clark's Camino Presentation -- November 28 at 11:30 AM
All Paths Lead to Our Livestreaming Services, 10 AM, Sunday Mornings
Afghan Family Task Force Update
Flour Collection for Christian Neighbors until November 21
Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil, November 20, 7 PM
Year-End Giving Statements Coming -- Do We Have Your Correct Address?
Reports and Minutes
Birthdays & Anniversaries, Prayer Requests, and Financial Stewardship

This Sunday's Service: "Reign of Christ" Sunday

This Sunday (the last Sunday in Ordinary Time and the Sunday before Advent) is known as "Reign of Christ" or "Christ the King" Sunday. On this feast day, we celebrate Jesus as fully human and fully divine.

Join us this Sunday at 10 AM (either in-person or streaming live online), as we explore Jesus as man, myth, and Messiah. We will also be celebrating Thanksgiving, too! Music: Jeff Spangler and Peter Black.

Click below for Sunday's bulletin:

order_of_service_november_21_2021.pdf
File Size:	213 kb
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Download File

This Sunday, we welcome Christina Fleming as our guest preacher. Christina worked for nearly a decade at Middle Collegiate Church, a 1200 member UCC congregation in New York City, where she served as the director of communications. She started a young adults group at Middle Church that grew to 200 people and led more than a decade of spiritual retreats. Prior to that, she was a producer in public radio and public television. She is published in the Christian Century and The Huffington Post. Christina is a graduate of Kalamazoo College and earned a masters from Columbia School of Journalism in New York City. She currently lives here in Allegan County and cares for her mom as Christina finishes her Masters of Divinity.

Last Sunday's Service: "Brother Al Returns"

Last Sunday, Brother Al Mascia (former pastor of Douglas UCC from 1996-2001) returned to our church and gave an inspiring message about his spiritual calling and his time at Douglas UCC. You can watch the service in its entirety here.

Allegan County Covid-19 Transmission Rate is "High," Masks Requested in Service

Mask Recommendation for Sunday Services

Because our area transmission rate remains "High," the Church Council requests that we wear masks at the Sunday Service. Greeters will have masks available for anyone who needs them. You can follow Allegan County's Covid transmission and infection rate at this link:
CDC infection and transmission rates by county.

Brother Al's Concert Video

Last Saturday, Brother Al Mascia performed a very special concert event at our church. If you missed it, you can watch it in its entirety here.

Chris Clark's Camino Presentation
November 28 at 11:30 AM

Our church member, Chris Clark, recently returned from a month-long pilgrimage walking the historic Camino de Santiago in Spain. Chris will be sharing his Camino experience (and photos) with us at a presentation on Sunday, November 28, at 11:30 a.m. in the Friendship Hall. Refreshments will be provided. All are welcome.

All Paths Lead to Our Livestreaming Services, 10 AM, Sunday Mornings

To find the livestream on Sunday mornings at 10am Eastern Standard time, visit the DUCC YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/douglasucc) and click where it says "Sunday Services." The livestream will pop up!

(Pro YouTube tip: If you have a YouTube account, hit Subscribe, and then the little bell icon to receive a notification on your device when we go live!)

Or you can visit our church's website, http://www.douglasucc.org, on Sunday mornings at 10am Eastern Time, and click the "Sunday Messages & Music" link, where Pastor Sal posts the service link.

Afghan Family Task Force Update

Photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash

Our Afghan Family Task Force is moving ahead on having DUCC sponsor a refugee family in our area. While we don't have a family as yet, in preparation, we are taking initial steps to meet the many needs of resettlement. Towards that end, we will have a "Welcome Packet List" detailing all the various items a family will need in setting up a household which will be available in the Friendship Hall. If you have items to donate (think large and small) in good condition, please consider signing up even though we won't be collecting until a family is assigned and housing found. We are also looking into setting up a designated fund within the Church which would be used to purchase items which must be bought new or cannot be gotten on short notice. In addition, we also are in need of volunteers with trucks who can help in getting donations to the home site once that has been established. In this time of Holiday giving, all help in providing our Sponsored Family the very best start to their new life here in West Michigan is most appreciated. If you have any questions, please contact Barb Witt ([email protected]) or Pat Denner ([email protected]).

Flour Collection for Christian Neighbors until November 21

It's time for our annual flour drive to help fill the holiday food baskets prepared by Christian Neighbors and shared with our neighbors and friends in need this holiday season. If you'd like to participate, please drop your flour off at the Friendship Hall, on the flour table, or in the bin just inside the Retreat House door. We will be accepting flour contributions through Sunday, November 21.

Thank you for all of your generous giving and looking after our community members! And if you know a family that needs a food basket for Thanksgiving Dinner, please write to us at [email protected].

Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil, November 20, 7 PM

Douglas UCC is proud to serve, once again, as one of the sponsors of this year's Transgender Day of Remembrance vigil, which will take place at Centennial Park in Downtown Holland on Saturday, November 20, at 7 PM.

Year-End Giving Statements Coming -- Do We Have Your Correct Address?

Photo by Amol Tyagi on Unsplash

As our Financial Oversight Committee works to prepare year-end giving statments, please help them out by updating your mailing address, if it has changed over the past year. Please send your new mailing address to Michael VerMerris at [email protected].
Michael VerMerris
[email protected]

Reports and Minutes

Photo by Debbie Hudson on Unsplash

Click below to download the approved Church Council minutes from October, and Pastor Sal's report for November.

approved_church_council_minutes_october_2021.pdf
File Size:	425 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

pastors_report_november_2021.pdf
File Size:	207 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

Birthdays & Anniversaries

November 21- Peter Mueller, 22-Mary Hasenauer, Steve Prokop, 24- Glynis Whitcomb, 25- Tim Schipper, 26-Orie Hawkes, Dan McGavin, 27- Linda McWebb

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. If you don't have a directory, please let us know, and we will email one to you.

Prayer Requests

Lin Wisehart; Nancy Plantinga; Julie Ridl; Hannah Sherman; Maureen Pierce; Family and Friends of Darlene Walker (Greg and Sheryll VanPortfleet's friend); Sarah Donovan; Marjorie and Mark Reiman; and Greg and Sheryll VanPortfleet; Deb & Al Atkinson; Helaine Miedema (David Miedema's mother); Brenda Marcy; Ron Turks (Carol Cunningham's son-in-law); Elizabeth Estes; Sidney Matheis; Pete Wehle; David Abbot; Sarah Johnson Lock; Linda Masten (Mark Reiman's friend); Vicki Latham (Ruth VandenBosch's cousin); Sarah Ver Meulen (Susan Fleming's Daughter); Cole Hartman; Mike Sneedon (Peg and Jack Donohue's friend); 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 Hamlin's great-grandson); Chris Stuart (Virginia Stuart's sister-in-law); Mary Elizabeth Loudin (friend of Laurie VandenBeldt); Chris Robinson (Peter and Kathleen Mueller's nephew); Daniel Ver Meulen (Susan Fleming's son); Marcia Sullivan (Jo Cooley's friend)

Financial Stewardship

In-Person Attendance, November 14: 49
Viewers for November 14 Online Service Videos: 215

Collection Plate & Mailed Donations: $545.00
Facebook Donations: $100.00
Online Giving: $1,923.63

Total: $2,568.63

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.