Weekly E-Pistle: Third Sunday in Lent

3/13/2020

Following Advice, We Are Suspending Services

Our church council held an emergency meeting Thursday morning and voted to follow advice from the Centers for Disease Control, our governor, and Michigan's Department of Public Health and cancel Sunday services until the threat of passing along the coronavirus has lessened to the degree that large meetings are deemed safe.

We encourage everyone to practice social distancing, stay home if you are sick, wash your hands regularly, avoid touching your face, and do everything you can to help mitigate the spread of this disease.

We are taking this step out of an abundance of caution and love and concern for the welfare of our congregants and our community.

Here in the E-Pistle, starting next week, we will begin to share our Sunday messages and readings, allowing each of us to enter into worship together even as we are separated physically.

If you know of anyone who does not or cannot receive the E-pistle, please let us know, so we can help them feel less isolated from their faith community during this time.

Our Service in the World Continues:
Caring for All While Caring for Ourselves

Even as we back away from large gatherings for now, our service in the world continues. If you are struggling with social distancing, with finding the supplies you need, and especially with any illness itself, please write to welcome@douglasucc.org. Your church is here for you, and we will help.

The Michigan Department of Public Health is recommending that groups of 10 or more who serve at-risk populations should consider canceling their meetings, staggering them (meeting in smaller groups at different spaces and times) or using distance-meeting platforms (Zoom Google Hangouts, Uberconference) where possible. At-risk groups are: older adults, and people who have serious chronic medical conditions like: Heart Disease, Diabetes, Lung Disease.

As church groups made up of older adults and serving older adults, each of us needs to continue our work in the world as well and as safely as we can. Consider ways to promote social distancing while you reach out to the community. Please have this conversation with your groups via email, and work together to decide how best to continue your work in the world.

Of course if you feel unwell, please stay home from group meetings.

If you need to schedule or unschedule space on campus, please email Julie: julie@douglasucc.org

Kudos Emily Service

"What a lovely service we had last week! KUDOS to church member Emily Tieman for her inspiring and brave message: "The Wind of the Spirit, and to all of our volunteers and service leaders!

Kudos to Larry Fuerst!

KUDOS to church member Larry Fuerst who has been honored with a very special award to recognize his 50 years piloting aircraft. On March 6 Larry received the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award from the Federal Aviation Administration at the West Michigan Regional Airport in Holland. The Master Pilot Award is awarded by the FAA and recognizes pilots who have contributed and maintained safe flight operations for 50 or more consecutive years of piloting aircraft. See the article in the Holland Sentinel detailing Larry's award. It's a lovely tribute.

Highway Cleanup is Coming

Douglas UCC’s Creation Justice Team invites any of our neighbors who would like to help clean up the stretch of US-196 that hugs our cities and township to join us in our Adopt-A-Highway project to clear the trash along the highway. We have scheduled two cleanups in April, April 18, at 9am, and Tuesday, April 21, at 4pm If you can help, please sign the sheets in the Friendship Hall. Thank you!

Lenten Devotionals Now More than Ever

Our 2020 Lenten Devotionals are a great way to observe Lent and bring your church home with you during our Coronavirus break. The devotionals are on sale in the Friendship Hall. They are $5 apiece. If you need help getting one, just write to us at welcome@douglasucc.org, and we will make sure that happens.

Maundy Thursday, April 9

A remembrance of Jesus' last supper with his friends, and a powerful service each year, Maundy Thursday Service will be held on April 9. Space is limited for the simple meal served at 6:30 pm in the Friendship Hall before the service, so please sign up on the special Maundy Thursday meal board in the Friendship Hall. All are welcome to the service in the Sanctuary, which begins at 7:30 pm.

Help us fill our Easter Altar with Lilies
to Honor or in Memory of Our Loved Ones.

On Easter Sunday, we hope to have our altar filled with Easter Lilies! Please consider purchasing an Easter Lily plant for $15. We are happy to take this order by mail or at the church office from 10am to 1pm weekdays. You can do so in honor or memory of a loved one, whose name will appear in the bulletin on Easter Sunday. You can take the plant home after our Easter service. Thank you so much!

This Week at Stephen Ministry

This coming week the Stephen Ministry training class at DUCC will be considering the subject of distinctively Christian caring. In this presentation they will be discovering more effective ways of using resources such as prayer and scripture as wholistic tools for caring ministry. Those who are participating in Stephen Ministry training are excited about what they are learning and about the ministries they are anticipating. We look forward to the work of our Stephen Ministers among us.

An Evening with Sonia Nazzario, Herrick, March 31

The Social Justice Team would like to draw your attention to this visit by Sonia Nazzario, author of Enrique's Journey, who will offer insight into the lives of people our country's immigration policies impact. This event will launch a number of follow up sessions that will focus on proposals to enact community change. Learn more about this event here.

Financial Stewardship

As we will not be meeting at the church during this coronavirus season, we humbly ask that you consider making your regular donations to the church through our online giving system.
It's easy and fast, and helps keep the work of the church going.
Thank you for remembering DUCC in your giving!

March 8: Attendance: 91
Collection plate: $495
Easter flower orders: $45
In kind (Stephen Ministry training materials): $100
Other unspecified cash receipts: $44
Online Giving: $2,274
Total: $2,958

Thank you for your generous giving which
allows us to sustain our church community and our mission of service.
You can also give securely online by clicking ONLINE GIVING.