As we prepare to celebrate January Simpson’s ordination in September, the final step in the process is her Ecclesiastical Council before the Northeast Association of the United Church of Christ. This is an opportunity for January to present her ordination paper and answer questions from members of the association before a final vote is taken to approve her for ordination pending call. All Plymouth members are invited to attend this meeting to support January in this important moment on her path to ordination. The meeting will be held via Zoom at 6:00 pm on Tuesday, August 22. Click the button below to attend.

Indiana Center for Middle East Peace will host Bethlehem’s Dr. Mazin Qumsiyeh for “Biodiversity & Environmental Justice in Palestine, on Thursday, August 24 at 6:30 pm here at Plymouth Church.

Mazin Qumsiyeh is a scientist, author, and activist. He has taught at Tennessee, Duke, and Yale, returning to Palestine in 2008 to found with his wife, Jesse, the Palestine Museum of Natural History and Palestine Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability in Bethlehem. A prolific author, Mazin writes on biodiversity as well as conserving Palestine’s natural world, culture and heritage in the face of Israeli human rights and environmental abuses. As President of the Bethlehem Rotary Club, Mazin's work connects on a worldwide level to promote diversity, equity and inclusion. Free, open to the public.

All are invited to join in a community march to commemorate Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s "I Have a Dream" speech on Sunday, August 27 at 5:00 pm. Participants in the march are asked to gather at Fourth Street, near the intersection with North Clinton Street. After crossing the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Bridge, participants will proceed south down Clinton and gather at the Allen County Courthouse Green, where music and prayers for unity will be offered.

Wednesday Night Live programming will begin in September, but we’re kicking things off with a BBQ potluck and trivia night on Wednesday, August 30 at 6:00 pm. We’ll have some home-smoked brisket available for all, everything else will be potluck, so please bring a side dish or dessert to share. We’ll also enjoy a few rounds of Plymouth-themed trivia with Rev. Timothy serving as our trivia-master for the evening. Wednesday Night Live is a wonderful fellowship opportunity and a great way to get to know your fellow Plymouth members. Suggested donation for dinner is $10. Please sign up in the Folsom room if you plan to attend so our pitmaster knows how many briskets to smoke!

The 2nd Annual Camp Out at Kara’s will take place on Friday September 1 at 7:00 pm. All Youth in grades 6-12 are invited and encouraged to attend, and this includes our new, incoming 6th graders! Please let Kara Jaurigue know if your youth can attend, and if you have a tent you can bring. Swimming, cornhole, bonfire, s’mores, and fun are on the agenda! What a way to enjoy the last dog-days of summer! Hope to see you there!

Kids 3 years old through 5th grade gather weekly for a Godly Play story in Room 205. On the first day of Sunday school, preschool and elementary aged kids are encouraged to bring their adults along. Together we will hear a story, explore the stations in the classroom, and share a snack. Parents and grandparents will hear a bit about our teaching philosophy and get to see a class in action. This will be a great chance for new students to ease into the program and for returning students to share Sunday school with their families.

Our Youth Class in Room 203 is for students in Middle and High School. This fall we’ll be taking a whirlwind trip–going through the entire Bible in just 12 sessions. It’s fast, but it’s a great way to see how all the pieces fit together. Yes, returning students, there will be short videos again, and plenty of coloring pages.

On September 10, we will have a resource faire after worship in the Folsom Room. There will be tables set up for the different ministries and programs that occur in the life of the church. This faire gives the congregation the opportunity to see what all is going on, find where they might want to plug in, and ask volunteers from that ministry any questions. There is a sign-up sheet in the Folsom Room we are asking the various ministries, committees, etc. to fill out to indicate they will be present and need to reserve a table. We look forward to seeing you there!

The author of next month's book for Plymouth's Women's Book Study needs no introduction. She's Michelle Obama, and the book is The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times.

One critic wrote: "... Michelle Obama opens a frank and honest dialogue with readers, considering the questions many of us wrestle with: How do we build enduring and honest relationships? How can we discover strength and community inside our differences? What tools do we use to address feelings of self-doubt or helplessness? What do we do when it all starts to feel like too much?"

If you think you would enjoy discussing this book (and you self-identify as a woman), please do join us in the Amistad Room at 12:00 pm on Tuesday, September 19, or contact Laura McCoy to join us virtually. You will be most welcome.

Other books on our autumn schedule are Anam Cara by John O'Donohue, and All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.

Summer break is through and the youngsters of Fort Wayne are headed back to school! That means it’s the perfect time for us to hold a supply drive to help our partner school, Fairfield Elementary. The good folks at Fairfield are shaping the future as they educate their students, so let’s make sure they have what they need to do it well!

Requested donation items are:

• Paper towels
• Elmer’s glue sticks
• Underwear (sizes 4-6)
• Kids’ Sweatpants/Leggings (often @Walmart for under $5)
• Art supplies: Buttons, Fabric, Ribbons, Sequins, Beads

Please bring your donations to church by Sunday, August 20. You can place them in or near the donation bins in the Folsom Room.

Thank you for supporting our local students!

Plymouth Member Zoe Moore is finishing their final year at Boston University and will graduate with a degree in Film and Television. As their senior project through DKA, the professional film fraternity at BU, they are producing a short film called “Ash Wednesday,” a coming-of-age comedy about acceptance, faith, and friendship. It follows a queer Catholic schoolgirl who gets her period during Ash Wednesday Mass and must embark on an odyssey with her best friend to find a tampon and make it back to Mass in time to get their ashes — or else they're suspended. At Plymouth, we believe faith and queer joy can coexist. “Ash Wednesday” uses humor to convey this theme. Zoe is fundraising for the film and would be beyond grateful for any support their home church community can provide. You can donate or share the crowdfunding link at the button below.

Each year Plymouth gives a children’s story Bible to incoming Kindergarteners, and a full-text NRSV Bible to incoming 2nd graders. If you have a child who would like a Bible this year, please contact Katie Watson.

Do you enjoy working with young children? Are you looking for a way to get involved with children’s ministries at Plymouth? We need your help! We are in need of volunteers to assist with Children’s Fellowship Time and Nursery Care on Sunday mornings during the worship hour. You can volunteer one Sunday a month, or as often as you like. No experience is needed; however a background check is required. If interested, please email Rev. Sara Ofner-Seals at smo@plymouthfw.org for more information.

Volunteers for the 11th year of Study Connection at Plymouth Church are needed! You can be a tutor or a substitute to fill in on the few days when a tutor must be away. Contact Lucy Hess for more information on what is expected of a tutor and sub at lrh22@frontier.com or (260) 484-4430. Study Connection is offered at Plymouth every Wednesday from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm starting early October to mid-May. To sign up for the background check, click here. The Study Connection sign up sheet is always linked in the Plymouth LinkTree, linked in the bulletin each week.

Plymouth’s directory is going digital! You can now sign up for account access on the Plymouth Website. This will allow you to see your own personal information, see your giving and contributions for the year, and access the new Plymouth Church Directory. By moving to a digital directory, we keep our commitment to protect the environment by being an Earthwise congregation, while also guaranteeing that we have up to date information right at your fingertips. Once the request is processed, you will receive an e-mail from the office with your unique username and password allowing you to log in via the "Member Login" button on our website.

At the same time that we are providing this fantastic service, we are also collecting emergency contact information that will be kept on file in case you were to become seriously injured or ill at a church service or event. Such information will be kept private and only used in emergency situations by staff.

To sign up for either please visit here or see Jake Slone, Church Receptionist, in the office for a paper form.

Masks are optional in worship and church programming. If you are feeling under the weather or prefer to wear a mask around others, it is an ongoing option. A high-quality mask provides good protection against infection even if others around you are not wearing one. We will continue to offer livestreamed and recorded worship services for anyone unable to attend services in person.

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.

The following links can be found on our Linktree:

• Study Connection Volunteer Sign Up
• Plymouth Directory Login
• Chancel Flower Dedication Sign Up Form
• Donate
• Past Chapel Class Series
• Habitat for Humanity Volunteer Sign Up
• Plymouth Google Calendar
• Plymouth's Social Media