"You Are Worthy" - Lauren Wright Pittman

In a series of two chapel class sessions on April 3 and April 10 at 9:00 am, Rev. Sara Ofner-Seals will guide the class through the poetry of Wendell Berry and his vision of Sabbath and the natural world. Over the course of two weeks, as we prepare our hearts for Easter, we will walk through the woods, keeping Sabbath as we go, with Wendell Berry and the words of scripture as our guide. Join us in person or on Zoom.

The Evangelism and Marketing Board has planned a Spring Cleaning event for Sunday, April 3, at 1:00pm. Our resident Litter Super Sleuth™ has identified several blocks that could use a dedicated team of Earthwise folks like you to spend an hour or so picking up trash and recyclables for proper disposal – many hands will make light work! So enjoy worship Sunday morning, take some time to eat lunch and change into work clothes and good shoes, and help us do some good work.

The plan:

We hope you’ll join us in this act of environmental stewardship and caring for our community!

Allen Haynes here! Many of you have asked really good questions when I talk about my “cow fetching” adventures at Superior Dairy. I shared this with my cousins and as a result, they have offered to let you come see the facility yourselves!

This state of the art facility is currently milking 240 cows, 24 hours a day, using 4 robotic milking machines. They invite you to an open house on Sunday, April 3, from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm to see, listen, and learn about how this amazing technology has impacted life on the farm for both the cows and the people. The dairy barn is located at 0706 County Rd. 40, Garrett, IN. Guided tours are scheduled for 1:15 pm and 2:15 pm.

Please dress appropriately for the weather but note that most of the tour is under roof and on hard surface areas with very minimal chance of contact with cow manure. That said, it still smells like a dairy barn! Hope you can join us!

During this Lenten season, the weekly Wednesday Bible Study with Rev. Murphy switches to studying a book. We are currently reading and discussing the 1949 classic Jesus and the Disinherited by Howard Thurman. We will be discussing chapter 5 and epilogue this Wednesday as we conclude the series. Thank you to everyone who has participated and found ongoing wisdom in the words of Howard Thurman!

During the season of Lent, Rev. Sara Ofner-Seals and Maestro Bob Nance will be leading a Celtic inspired evening prayer service on Wednesday nights, following Wednesday Night Live dinner. Services will be held in the chapel and will include Celtic prayers, music, and liturgy, as well as music from the Taizé tradition. Please join us for these contemplative, candlelit services as a way to deepen your Lenten experience.

At the Edge of the Orchard by Tracy Chevalier is the next choice for the Women's Book Study on Tuesday, April 19 at 12:00 pm in the Amistad Room.

Set in the mid-1800s, this novel follows the fortunes of the youngest member of the Goodenough family who, when we meet them, are struggling to make a living in the Black Swamp.This was an area which stretched from Fort Wayne all the way to Lake Erie in those days. Johnnie Appleseed appears as a character. The setting complements Plymouth's environmental project at Eagle Marsh and the fate of wetlands. The book moves on to California where tree cultivation and the export of seeds provide the background of the main character's lively journey.

Plymouth’s Women's Book Study welcomes any reader who self-identifies as a woman to join the group for one or more sessions. We meet in the Amistad Room on the third Tuesday of the month at noon.

Starting on Wednesday, April 27, Rev. Sara Ofner-Seals will be leading a book study on Native: Identity, Belonging and Rediscovering God, by Kaitlin B. Curtis. Native is about identity, soul-searching, and the never-ending journey of finding ourselves and finding God. As both a citizen of the Potawatomi Nation and a Christian, Kaitlin Curtice shares what it means to experience her faith through the lens of her own Indigenous heritage and encourages us to embrace our own origins. This book study will take place after Wednesday Night Live dinner at 6:45 pm, in the Amistad Room. Native can be purchased online, wherever you buy books. If you cannot afford the cost of the book, please let us know, and a book can be purchased for you. Hope to see you there!

Beginning this month, the Parish Nurse Program will be starting at Plymouth Church. Supported by Marion Health, the Parish Nurse Program "provides registered nurses who are committed and called to help the congregation stay well and improve the overall health and healing ministry of individual faith communities." One Sunday a month in the Folsom room, the Plymouth Parish Nurses will be available for a variety of healthcare resources and support. Please note the Parish Nurse Program does not provide prescriptions or diagnostics. Sunday, April 24 will mark the first of many Parish Nurse Sundays. Additionally, a new informational health flyer will be placed in the stall of every restroom each month at Plymouth.

If you would like to learn more about this program, including finding out how to volunteer (non-medical volunteer opportunities are available), please contact Erin Shaw at [email protected] or 260-224-0860. Click the button below to learn more about the Marion Health Parish Nurse Program.

Plymouth Church is looking for volunteers to cover the 1:00 pm Staff Meetings on Tuesdays. If you would like to assist, please sign up with Jake in the office or sign up by clicking the button below.

Given that the advisory level for COVID-19 in Allen County has remained at the lowest level for two weeks, masks are currently optional during worship.

This is not a prohibition on masks but only an announcement that they are now optional for individuals. A high-quality mask provides good protection against infection even if others around you are not wearing one, so please continue to wear a mask if you find it necessary or beneficial. We will continue to offer livestreamed and recorded worship services if you find yourself at risk of being around groups or otherwise unable to attend services in-person.

For a time of personal prayer, the sanctuary will be available Tuesday through Thursday during office hours. Please enter through the Berry Street office entrance and check in with our receptionist. Contact Jake Slone at (260) 423-9424 or [email protected] with any questions.

Monday: Closed

Tuesday: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Wednesday: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Thursday: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Friday: By appointment only 9:00 am to 4:00 pm