Faith, Hope and Love! We have heard those three words many times and while we talk a lot about love and faith, sometimes hope seems forgotten or misunderstood. In this chapel series we will dig into hope and examine it from both a psychological and spiritual lens. Hope is not only a critical part of our Christian faith, but of our human condition. How do we define hope? Is it measurable? Where does it come from or how do we find it? These are some of the questions we will be asking and exploring during this series. On the first Sunday of the series, we will be looking at how we define hope and how it works as a psychological construct. On the second Sunday we will look more at hope from a spiritual lens and how the two perspectives diverge or synthesize. Lastly, we will also discuss how we can foster hope in our lives and the lives of others. So, if the world has you down lately and you are in need of some hope, please join us at 9:00 am on Sunday, February 19 in person or on Zoom. The passcode to attend via Zoom is 063060.

The Plymouth Parish Nurses will be taking blood pressure readings and answering questions in the Folsom Room during Fellowship Hour this Sunday, February 19.

The next meeting of the Environmental Action Team will be held this Sunday, February 19, after worship in the Amistad room. We will be discussing plans for an upcoming advocacy campaign and other future events. All who are interested are welcome and encouraged to attend.

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 jrbeineke@yahoo.co.uk

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

Please join us on Tuesday, February 21 at 5:00 pm for our annual Shrove Tuesday pancake and sausage supper. Congregational Life will be preparing all you can eat pancakes and sausages as we feast before the beginning of Lent. If you plan to attend, please sign up in the Folsom room. All are welcome!

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.

The season of Lent begins this Wednesday, February 22, and we will observe the day with our annual Ash Wednesday service at 7:00 pm. Join us in the sanctuary for a service of reflective music, communion, and the imposition of ashes. This service is an opportunity to reflect together about the meaning of the Lenten season, and to enter into it with intentionality and prayer. We hope to see you there.

The Reproductive Rights action team is excited to welcome back attorney Marty Lemert to bring us up to date with the status of SB1 litigation in Indiana. In 2022, SB1 was passed by the Indiana General Assembly and banned nearly all abortions in the state. That legislation is currently on hold as the law makes its way through the court system. There will be an opportunity for discussion with Ms. Lemert following her presentation. This event will take place on Sunday, February 26 at 2:00 pm in the Folsom room. All are welcome and encouraged to bring friends.

Plymouth’s next week to provide dinner at the Just Neighbors Shelter is coming up, starting on Sunday, March 5. Plymouth members are responsible for providing the dinner meal for shelter guests each night that week. You can sign up to bring the whole meal, or simply a component of the meal. Typically, there are around 20-30 guests staying at the shelter on any given night. If you are interested in providing a meal, or part of a meal, please click the link below to sign up.

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 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 (smo@plymouthfw.org) 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