Weekly E-Pistle: Second Sunday in Lent

3/3/2023

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

This Sunday's Service — Second Sunday in Lent: "Spiritually Reborn "
Last Sunday's Service — First Sunday in Lent: "Into the Wilderness"
Thank You, Art Guild
Bowling Party Photos
Maundy Thursday Sign-Up
Safety & Wellness Team Survey
A Gun Control Action Step from the Social Justice Team
Community Discussion: The Hidden Life of Trees, March 22
"Fearless Leader" Scholarship
In Search Of: Spring Street Cleanup Crew!
2023 UCC Lenten Devotional is Available
Help for Turkey and Syria
"All God’s Children: Faith That is LGBTQ+ Affirming," Herrick Library, March 12
Birthdays & Anniversaries, Prayer Requests, and Financial Stewardship

This Sunday's Service: "Spiritually Reborn"

This Sunday, we'll put our focus on the gospel reading for the 2nd Sunday in Lent, in which Jesus says that no one can enter into the Kingdom of Heaven unless they are born again.
What did Jesus mean by this? What does it mean to be "born again"?

Join us on Sunday at 10 AM (either in person or streaming live on YouTube) as we explore how the Season of Lent can provide the perfect opportunity for us to become spiritually reborn. Message: Pastor Sal Sapienza. Music: Peter Black and Max Brown.

Download This Sunday's Online Bulletin:

order_of_service_march_5_2023.pdf
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Last Sunday's Service

Last Sunday was the 1st Sunday in Lent. The 40 days of Lent are a time of spiritual preparation for us. Before Jesus began his ministry of teaching and healing, he spent 40 days and nights in the wilderness. The 40 days of Lent invite us to venture into the wilderness alone, to face our fears and to wrestle with the things that are keeping us from experiencing our greatest good and living life to the full. Please enjoy last Sunday's service, when we prepared ourselves spiritually for the sacred season of Lent. Message: Pastor Sal Sapienza. Music: Peter Black and Brenda Marcy.

Here's the Homily

Thank You, Art Guild

Thank you to our church's amazing Art Guild for the beautiful Lenten installation. We are grateful to Jim Bailey, Josephine Berault, Floyd Fleming, Greg Harvath, Gemina Petruzzelli, and Chris Maitner for their gifts, talents, and service to our church.

Bowling Party Photos

Last Friday, we celebrated our Douglas UCC musicians and A/V volunteers with a Bowling Party at Alley's in Douglas.

Maundy Thursday Sign-Up

Our annual Maundy Thursday supper will be held on April 6 at 6 PM in the Friendship Hall, followed by a service in the church. If you plan on attending, please sign the sheet in the Friendship Hall or email Julie Ridl.

Safety & Wellness Team Survey

Photo by Patty Brito on Unsplash

Our church member, Wendy Hamlin, is forming a new Safety & Wellness Team at Douglas UCC. To make sure the team is addressing the concerns and needs of our congregation, she has prepared a survey for the congregation. It takes just 5 minutes to complete. Please take a moment to fill out the survey form by clicking the button below!

Take the 5-minute Survey

Gun Control Action from the Social Justice Team

Our faith gives us rituals and voice to grieve with those who are mourning gun violence in this country. But it also instructs us to let our prayers become actions. To not just lament, but work to build a world restored. We are not powerless in making these changes; we can take steps to reduce gun violence. One way is to tell our elected leaders to take immediate action.

Church member Barb Lucier, a member of the Social Justice team, has prepared letters we can sign to let our leaders know that we want and expect better control over firearms in this country. You can find these letters in the Friendship Hall this Sunday, or if you choose to, use the UCC's online tool to send a letter to your representatives by hitting the button below.

Email Your Representatives

Community Discussion:
The Hidden Life of Trees, March 22

On Wednesday, March 22 at 7:00 pm in the Saugatuck-Douglas District Library, there will be a discussion of The Hidden Life of Trees, a bestseller by Peter Wohlleben. This event is co-sponsored by the DUCC Creation Justice team. The library has multiple copies of the book, an ebook can be borrowed through Hoopla, and it's easy to buy a new or used copy online. An audiobook is also available for purchase. Finally, several streaming services offer the critically acclaimed film adaptation of the book.

In The Hidden Life of Trees, Peter Wohlleben shares his deep love of forests and explains the processes of life, death, and regeneration. Much like human families, many trees live with their children, communicating and supporting them as they grow. Trees cooperate to share nutrients and mitigate the impacts of extreme heat and cold. As a result, trees in a community can live to be very old, while solitary trees often have a tougher time and die sooner. The author describes how scientific discoveries have informed his work and explains that eco-friendly practices are not only economically sustainable but also beneficial to the health of all of our planet’s denizens.

Peter Wohlleben spent more than 20 years working for the German forestry commission before leaving to run an environmentally friendly woodland. He now works for the return of primeval forests, while also caring for wild and domestic animals.

"Fearless Leader" Scholarship

Back in 2017, three women from our church helped launch the "Fearless Leader" Scholarship. They were inspired by the strength and courage of a Saugatuck High School student who bravely stood before the school board to share a personal revelation.

A few that witnessed that student’s bravery were greatly moved and were stirred to do something to encourage such “fearless” leadership in the young adults in our community.

Ultimately, they decided to establish a scholarship for Saugatuck High School graduates who courageously act – even when their voices crack or knees shake. Every year, one such student leader will be awarded the Fearless Leader Scholarship to assist them as they pursue the next steps of their education and develop into the leaders of tomorrow.

You can donate to this Scholarship Fund securely online: Fearless Leader Scholarship and/or you can download the brochure below to learn more.

fearless_leader_scholarship_brochure_mef__1_.pdf
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In Search Of: Spring Street Cleanup Crew!

Photo by Jan Kopriva on Unsplash

The refresh project at the Spring Street house is coming along nicely. When it is near completion, sometime next month, we will need volunteers to help with cleanup of floors, windows, bathrooms, etc. If you can help, please contact Kelly Wright at [email protected].

2023 UCC Lenten Devotional is Available

The Season of Lent began on Wednesday, and a great way to journey through the Lenten season is by praying each day with the UCC's 2023 Lenten Devotional.

The devotional features daily Bible quotes, reflections, and prayers for all 40 Days of Lent, from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday.

The devotionals are $5 each, and you can purchase one in the Friendship Hall on Sunday, or you can order online at The Pilgrim Press.

Help for Turkey and Syria

The news continues to unfold about the devastating earthquake on the border of Turkey and Syria. The death toll continues to rise, and the numbers of displaced people run to more than 1 million.

Amid this current uncertainty, you can be certain that with your financial support the United Church of Christ is there, helping those in need. To support this effort, you can give online by following the button below, or text UCCDISASTER to 41444. You can also mail a check made payable to the United Church of Christ, PO BOX 71957 Cleveland, OH 44194. Please be sure to note “Turkey and Syria” on your check in the memo section.

All donations will be deposited into the International Emergency fund designated for “Turkey and Syria Earthquake Response.” Your generous financial support will be used by our partners in the areas of greatest need, for relief and long-term recovery.

Give Online Here

"All God’s Children: Faith That is LGBTQ+ Affirming," Herrick Library, March 12

Douglas UCC is co-sponsoring this panel discussion, organized by Holland UCC, on the topic of biblical support for inclusion of all God's children. This will take place on Sunday, March 12 from 4:00 - 5:30 pm at the Herrick District Library in Holland. Our panelists are David Myers, Barry Bandstra, Jen Adams, Bethany Winn, and Christina Breen. Sonrisa Cortes of First UMC in Holland is going to be the moderator for this conversation. The intention of this panel is to help us better understand and articulate how inclusion of our LGBTQ+ siblings is not despite our faith in Jesus but is inspired by that faith. This is a community-wide and community-owned event. All are welcome.

Birthdays & Anniversaries

March 4- Kathy Hartman, 5– Michael White, 6– Ted Sommer, 10– Joyce & Kelly Wright, Linda Marth
Birthday and Anniversar;y 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.

Prayer Requests

Nicole and John (Wendy Hamlin's daughter-in-law and son); Dan Pierce (Craig Drager's husband); Marianna Maver (Friend of many of us); Lisa Marth (The Marths' Sister-in-law); Kirstin Barendsen (Ruth VandenBosch's Cousin); Vicki Latham (Ruth VandenBosch's cousin); Darren Dixon (Beverly Hawkes' nephew); Cole Hartman (Kathy Hartman' son); Chris Stuart, (Virginia Stuart's sister-in-law)

Financial Stewardship

In-Person Attendance, February 26: 78
Total Views for February 26 Online Videos: 592
February Podcast listeners: 3553

Collection Plate & Mailed Donations: $952.00
Online Giving: $2,309.79

Total: $3,261.79

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.