Join us this Sunday, December 10 for week two of this three-week series on the history of this Palestinian city, its status as part of the occupied West Bank, and what’s happening there right now as war rages less than two hours away. We’ll also discuss ways we can be in solidarity with Palestinian Christians living in the city.

Please note there will be no class on December 24 and December 31 due to Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve holidays.

Chapel Class begins at 9:00 am on Sunday mornings and is open to all adults in person or on Zoom. The password for Zoom is 063060.

The Indiana Center for Middle East Peace invites you to Plymouth Church on Sunday, December 10 at 6:30 pm to hear Krystal Two Bulls and Tareq Abuhalima speak on the 75th Anniversary of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Krystal Two Bulls, Co-Executive Director of Honor the Earth, is an Oglala Lakota and Northern Cheyenne; former Director of NDN Collective’s Landback Campaign. She is a grassroots organizer working for environmental, social, and racial justice. A veteran, she embodies the essential quality of a warrior: a commitment to the well-being of all Peoples, understanding the intersection of all liberation struggles. Krystal is a passionate spokesperson for the rights of the Palestinian people.

Gaza native, Tareq Abuhalima, is a Graduate Assistant at Bluffton University’s The Lion and Lamb Peace Arts Center, in the Organizational Management Masters program. He grew up in Gaza City, previously taught at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), and most recently was an executive manager for Youth Vision Society. In the last month, Tareq has had three of his sisters killed by Israeli forces in their assault on Gaza. Tareq has been in the US since January 2023.

The Centering Prayer group at Plymouth meets every Monday evening at 5:30 pm, in the Chapel. Centering Prayer is an ancient form of Christian meditation that dates back as far as the 14th century and is practiced by Christians all over the world. The main idea behind Centering Prayer is to let go of all thoughts in order to open oneself to the healing presence of God within. Plymouth’s Centering Prayer group is open to anyone, regardless of one’s level of experience. Beginners are encouraged to drop in anytime. Whether you can come once a week or once a month, or just once in a while, we’d love to see you there! Join us Monday, December 11 at 5:30 pm!

Wednesday Night Live programming continues this week. At 5:15 pm there will be adult choir rehearsal, children’s choir rehearsal, and Bible Study with Rev. Timothy, followed by dinner at 6:00 pm. The Bible Study with Rev. Timothy can be attended in person or via Zoom using the link below. The passcode to join via Zoom is 648589. All activities are open to anyone in the church, regardless of membership status. Come for activities, or just come for dinner and fellowship! The suggested cost for dinner is $10 per person, though no one is ever turned away due to inability to pay. If you plan to come for dinner, please sign up in the Folsom Room in advance so our caterer knows how much food to prepare. Hope to see you there!

As we approach Christmas Eve, here is a reminder of what will be going on that day:

9:00 am Carols and Cocoa in Folsom Room

This will be a time to sing your favorite Christmas carols or Christmas songs. Hot cocoa will be available. There will be no Chapel Class or Sunday School.

10:00 am 4th Sunday of Advent/Christmas Eve Service

Our morning service will serve as both the 4th Sunday of Advent service with elements of the traditional 4:00 pm Christmas Eve family service included, including children’s moment and communion. There will be no children’s fellowship time but childcare is provided.

10:00 pm Carols and Candlelight Christmas Eve Service

This evening service will include the singing of carols and end with our tradition of singing “Silent Night” as we share the light of Christ with each other and the world as we depart. There is no childcare for this service.

The 47th Annual Boar's Head and Yule Log Festival will be Friday, December 29 and Saturday, December 30, with services at 5:30 pm and 8:00 pm each night. The festival is free, but tickets are required.

Tickets for Plymouth's members and the Boar's Head cast, choir, and orchestra will be distributed on Sunday, December 10 and 17. Our Public Box Office day will be Thursday, December 14 from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm.

Call the Boar's Head Ticket Line at (260) 423-9424 ext. 325 (or ask for the Boar's Head line) with any questions, and someone from our ticket team will return your call in 24-48 hours.

Film and Faith, which originally was set for Sunday afternoon, has been rescheduled to Sunday, January 21. This will be a joined gathering for anyone under or over 40. We will be watching the 1966 classic Battle of Algiers. It is in Arabic and French and is one of the most influential war films of all time. Running time is 2 hours. Please RSVP to Rev. Murphy at tcm@plymouthfw.org if interested.

This holiday season, Growing Hope Globally offers a charitable gift catalog so people can make charitable gifts in honor of friends or family. Donations to nonprofits in honor of loved ones make great gifts for charitably minded family members and friends, and for those who say they don't need more stuff. They also make easy-to-purchase, last-minute gifts. For the full catalog of gifts, click the button below. 

The city of Fort Wayne is seeking volunteers for the annual Point in Time Homeless Count. This is an important count that determines the amount of funding that Allen County receives from the state and federal government for dealing with homelessness in the region. The count will be held during the day and throughout the evening of January 24, 2024. For those wishing to volunteer, there is a mandatory online training on Monday, December 11 at 11:00 am. To register for the online training, please click the link below. Register by clicking the button below. More details, including shift times and locations, will be provided at the training.

During our first meeting with our new Global Mission partners at the Wi’am Center in Bethlehem, we asked what they were most in need of right now. Their executive director, Zoughbi Zoughbi, responded that Christians in Bethlehem are feeling isolated and alone and could really use spiritual support and solidarity from their siblings in Christ around the world. To that end, we are soliciting members of Plymouth Church to write short messages of hope and solidarity to their Christian siblings in Bethlehem. These are not political messages, rather, they are messages to strengthen our Palestinian siblings in their faith during these very difficult times. Please send your completed message to Rev. Sara at smo@plymouthfw.org, who will compile all the messages into a single document and send directly to Zoughbi, to be shared with the wider Bethlehem faith community. Please contact Rev. Sara if you have questions about the content of the message.

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:

• 2024 Stewardship Campaign Website
• 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