Rev. Murphy will be concluding the four-part series on Christian perspectives on war and violence this Sunday. For this final session, we will be examining Christian realism and just peacemaking. Join us at 9:00 am on Sunday, February 12 in person or on Zoom. The passcode to attend via Zoom is 063060.

Young adults at Plymouth will be having their next gathering on Sunday, February 12 at 3:00 pm when they meet up to go ice skating at Headwaters Park. Cost is $6 for admission and $3 for skates. Please RSVP to Rev. Murphy at [email protected].

Wednesday Night Live programming continues this Wednesday, February 15. Those who want to join the Bible study (with Rev. Ofner-Seals leading this week) virtually can join via Zoom at 5:15 pm. The passcode to join the Zoom is 805552.

Rev. Sara’s book study will continue Wednesday, February 15, with a discussion on Dear White Peacemakers: Dismantling Racism with Grit and Grace by Osheta Moore. Join us at 6:45 pm, after Wednesday Night Live dinner.

In February, Plymouth's Women's Book Study will be reading The Choice: Embrace the Possible, by acclaimed psychologist Dr. Edith Eger. As a teenager she experienced the horrors of Auschwitz. Now in this book she shares her life's journey, from trauma through healing. In addition, she invites her readers to join her in their own dance of freedom. We will be meeting on Tuesday, February 21 at 12:00 pm.

As always, anyone who self-identifies as a woman is welcome to drop in to join our discussion. We meet on the third Tuesday of most months from 12:00 pm until 1:15 pm in the Amistad Room. If you have any questions, please contact [email protected]

(In case you are interested in reading ahead, our March book will be Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer.)

Each year during Lent, Rev. Murphy’s Wednesday Bible Study is replaced with a book study. For this year, the book is The Powers That Be: Theology for a New Millennium by Walter Wink. We will be discussing the spirituality of systems and institutions, breaking cycles of violence, and Jesus’ third way, among other topics covered in the book. The series begins Wednesday, February 22 and runs through March 29, meeting in the Chapel at 5:15 pm weekly. Participants are encouraged to order their books ahead of time (Note: there is more than one book with that title so doublecheck the author). For February 22, participants are invited to read the introduction and chapter 1. The study will also be available via Zoom. The passcode to attend via Zoom is 063060.

Through the month of February, Evangelism & Marketing will be collecting items to help keep our friends at Fairfield Elementary in good shape into the spring. You can place donations in the Folsom Room bins on Sundays during February, or anytime during the week you happen to come to Plymouth!

Our list of requested items is pretty straightforward: Kleenex, Clorox Wipes, Sweatpants/Leggings in kids’ sizes 5-10.5, and, if anyone happens to have some kids’ shoes in good shape but no longer fitting the kiddos in your family, their shoe supply is low and could use a boost (they don’t need snow boots).

The final Sunday for donations will be February 26. Thanks in advance for your love of neighbor!

The Grants and Scholarships Committee has the pleasant responsibility of awarding scholarship grants for tuition and fees for academic credit from the earnings generated by several endowed funds.

​Applications for the following scholarships are due in the church office by February 15:

• ​The Richard Nelson Kent Memorial Fund provides educational grants for tuition and fees for academic credit for members of the United Church of Christ in the Northeast [Indiana] Association and other qualified applicants who are at least 16 years of age and entering into or continuing ecological studies, conservation biology, or other environmentally related studies.

• The Van Gorder Scholarship is awarded annually for tuition and fees for post-secondary education leading to a degree, certificate, or license for a graduating senior who is a member of Plymouth Church.

Applications for the following scholarship are due in the church office by April 15:

• ​The Richard C. Hess Peace Studies Scholarship provides a $1,000 tuition and fees scholarship for a college student majoring in peace studies or a related program.

Completed applications for grants/scholarships for tuition and fees for academic credit with all supporting materials must be received in the church office by the respective due dates. Incomplete applications are ineligible for consideration.

​To request application packets for these funds or to receive additional information, call the church office (260) 423-9424 and leave your name, phone number, and email address so a member of the Grants and Scholarships Committee can respond to your request.

The Indiana Kentucky conference of the UCC is hosting General Synod in June 2023, and it has been a tradition for the hosting conference to provide prayer shawls for delegates and others in attendance. Would you be willing to help by knitting or crocheting one or two shawls? Let Rev. Sara ([email protected]) know if you would like to commit to making one (or three!).

The following links can be found on our Linktree:

• Grant and Scholarship Opportunities
• Donate
• Habitat for Humanity Volunteer Sign Up
• Chancel Flower Dedication Sign Up Form
• Study Connection Volunteer Sign Up
• Plymouth Google Calendar
• Plymouth's Social Medias