The chapel class series on the parables of Jesus continues this Sunday. Rev. Garrett Pogue will lead the Feb. 2 session on the parable of The Rich Man and Lazarus. The final session will be Feb. 9 with Rev. Sara Ofner-Seals on the parable of the Workers in the Vineyard.

Chapel class begins at 9:00 am every Sunday and is open to all adults in person or on Zoom. The password for Zoom access is 461025.

It’s been a few years, and in response to popular request, Rev. Timothy will be offering a tour of the building after worship this Sunday. All those interested are welcome to gather in the Narthex 10 minutes after worship concludes. This is an opportunity to see more of the nooks and crannies of the building, including the classrooms upstairs, how to reach the bell tower, the boiler room in the basement, and where staff offices are located! This will take approximately 25-30 minutes and will involve extensive walking and use of stairs.

Rev. Timothy is aware that Plymouth folks have occasionally raised the issue of not being able to attend one or more Chapel Class series he has led. To help remedy that, for the month of February, starting Feb. 5, Rev. Timothy will be available after the Wednesday Night Live dinner in the Amistad Room from 6:30-7:00 pm for anyone who would like a refresher or overview for any of his past Sunday morning educational series topics. This will be a more informal discussion for people to bring their questions or chat about any past theme. If it’s a new topic, that’s fine too, and it might result in a new series in the future! Past topics have included: atonement theories, Christian perspectives on violence and war, churching, General Synod resolutions, institutional racism, interfaith relations, music and faith, progressive Christianity, socialism and Christianity, theologies of Communion, theories of salvation, and wealth and inequality.

"Songs of Motherhood," part of the 2025 Plymouth Music Series, will take place at Plymouth on Feb. 9. This free concert featuring soprano Natalie Young, mezzo soprano Ashlee Bickley, and pianist Nicole Busarow will explore in music the triumphs and trials of early motherhood. Featuring art songs composed in the last hundred years, many from the perspective of female composers, the aim of this program is to acknowledge the joys and challenges mothers face from pregnancy to early postpartum. The concert begins at 2:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary. 

Attendees are encouraged to bring diapers (sizes 4, 5, 6) to be donated to Journey Beside Mothers, a local organization that provides free support to mothers and families of infants and children in order to raise emotionally healthy families.

For more information, please contact Plymouth Church Director of Music Robert Nance.

The WBS book for February is Mad Honey, written by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Boylan. Set in New Hampshire, this novel sensitively explores the personal secrets we keep hidden and the consequences we risk in order to let ourselves be known (no spoilers!).

The meeting will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 18 in the Amistad Room at noon. We welcome anyone who self-identifies as a woman to drop in and join the discussion.

In March, our book will be Red Dust by Gillian Slovo. In April we will introduce books we'd like to read in the coming months.

The Standish Group, which includes the Wreath Sales, Pepper Jelly, and the Makers Group, will be getting together on Sunday, Feb. 23 following the service in the Mayflower Room. This will only be about a 45 minute meeting to talk about the future of this group. We hope you will all be able to attend.

Lent begins on Wednesday, March 5, and each year during that season the weekly Bible study is switched out for a book study. This year, Rev. Timothy selected the 2009 New York Times bestseller Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do? by Michael J. Sandel. This may seem a puzzling choice in that it is not explicitly a religious book but rather a book about ethics and what different people mean by the word “justice.” While Sandel is a Harvard political philosopher, it is a very readable book with lots of examples that will challenge people around their conception of what justice entails. Is it the greatest good for the greatest number, freedom for individuals to choose whatever they will, being treated fairly and minimizing inequality, the common good, or something else? Folks are encouraged to order a copy beforehand. We will discuss chapter 1 on March 5.

Our February '25 edition of The Bell is approaching soon! If you have articles you'd like to submit for this edition, please email Zach Heimach at wzh@plymouthfw.org. The deadline for submissions is Feb. 14.

This is a friendly reminder that the parking lot that is adjacent to the Folsom Room entrance is reserved for those who have mobility aids, especially walkers and wheelchairs. Plymouth has limited handicapped parking there (6 spots), so please refrain from parking in the side lot on Sunday mornings unless you or someone traveling with you has a mobility issue. Thank you!

Our nursery needs more adult volunteers! You can volunteer once a month, or even every two months, to assist our child care director, Michelle Grim, on Sunday mornings. All volunteers who work with children must have been attending Plymouth for at least six months and will require a background check. If you are interested in helping out, please contact Rev. Sara Ofner-Seals at smo@plymouthfw.org.

Plymouth is currently working on a potential partnership with InAsMuch ministries to provide showers to unhoused members of our community. We are currently looking for volunteers to assist in this effort. Volunteers will be needed on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, from 9am-12pm. Shifts could be once a week, or once a month, depending on your availability. If you would like to learn more, or sign up to volunteer, please contact Rev. Sara Ofner-Seals at smo@plymouthfw.org.

Office staff are working on some housekeeping items. Tony Ray, our office manager, is working on cleaning up our key log. If you have keys to the building, please reach out to him via email at tdr@plymouthfw.org and let him know the numbers on each of your keys. This will allow for an update to properly keep track of all church keys. Thank you for your assistance with this matter.

The Plymouth Reproductive Rights Action team is sponsoring a teacher training for OWL - Our Whole Lives - a faith based, comprehensive sex education program. The training will be held March 7-9.

There is a cost for the training, however, scholarships are available for Plymouth members to cover the cost in part or in full.

For more information, or to register for the training, email plymouthreprorights@gmail.com.

While the city opted not to use Plymouth as an overflow shelter space for families this winter, we can still help with the emergency shelter efforts. The city is in need of supplies for the family overflow shelter -- you can use the Amazon wish list below to donate!