This Sunday we joyfully welcome 11 new members to the Plymouth community. They are:

Beth Paschal

Marvin Paschal

Jordan Peterson-Stephan

Randy Metzger

Dan Van Amerongen

Genny Van Amerongen

Laurel Van Amerongen

Cole Van Amerongen

Lily Van Amerongen

Jason Vanover

Nate Vanover

Please click the link below to read more about them and be sure to offer them a Plymouth welcome!

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 looked 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 26 in person or on Zoom. The passcode to attend via Zoom is 063060.

Immediately following worship this Sunday, you are invited to stop by the Folsom Room and sign a postcard to your state legislator around HB 1138, which is focused on testing preschool and childcare facility drinking water for lead. This action is sponsored by the Environmental Action Team. The fronts of the postcards include environmental images created by children and youth of Plymouth Church!

This Sunday, February 26 at 2:00 pm, attorney Marty Lemert will educate us on the status of Indiana Senate Bill 1 (“SB1”) legislation, which was passed in July 2022, severely restricting abortion access to Hoosiers. Currently, two cases brought by the ACLU against the law have resulted in a temporary injunction preventing the law from taking effect. Due to this injunction, abortion is still legal in Indiana. Ms. Lemert will discuss the pending litigation, the Indiana Supreme Court oral arguments, and the possible outcomes. Join us Sunday February 26 at 2:00 pm in the Folsom room.

Friendly reminder that E&M will host Tapping Into Faith at Mad Anthony’s on Monday, February 27 at 7:00 pm. It’s a wonderful chance to get to know fellow Plymouth folks a little better and sometimes welcome folks from the community into fellowship. Loosely guided conversation and story-sharing, good food & drink, and good people – what more could you want?!

We will provide appetizers for all to share, and you are welcome to buy whatever meal or beverage you’d like. Come on over!

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 has begun and will run though 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 805552.

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.

Starting on Sunday, March 5, we will be welcoming guest speakers Jessica Pater and Fayika Farhat Nova to our adult Chapel Class to lead a series of talks on digital citizenship and social media concerns. This three-week series will cover what it looks like to use social media responsibly and safely in this digital age. In the first session we will explore the “what, where, how, and why’” of social media and digital technology use. We will discuss our digital footprints and what is done with the data connected with our technology use. Attendees will learn more about new emerging platforms, how platforms use data, and resources available to support parents and children. Chapel Class is held at 9:00 am every Sunday and is open to all adults. Join us in person or on Zoom! The passcode to attend via Zoom is 063060.  

Building Maintenance Manager John Hoelderle will be leading a training on the proper use of kitchen equipment on Sunday, March 5, immediately following worship. This training is required for anyone wishing to use the Plymouth kitchen, and all are welcome to attend. No RSVP is needed.

Indiana Center for Middle East Peace welcomes Palestinian surgeon Dr. Shawki Harb, Thursday, March 9, 6:30 pm at Plymouth Church.

In his memoir, A Surgeon Under Israeli Occupation, Dr. Shawki Harb shares his experiences about Palestine and life as a Palestinian surgeon practicing medicine under Israeli occupation from 1975 to 2003, at the Ramallah Hospital and teaching at Al Quds Medical School in Jerusalem. He also describes his medical school training in Germany and specialty training in the US from 1967 to 1975, including his fellowship with internationally acclaimed Houston Methodist Hospital cardiovascular surgeon, Dr. Michael DeBakey.

In Palestine, for example, he tells how, under Israeli military occupation, he endured harassment and overcame challenges like performing heart surgery with flashlights during blackouts and gunfire. Dr. Harb will share his unique insights into Israeli apartheid and oppression, practicing medicine, and reflect on the social and political context in Palestine. Free, open to the public. Masks strongly encouraged.

For more information and to RSVP, click the button below to check out the event page on ICEMP's Facebook.

It’s time to order Easter flowers! This year we are offering you a choice of Easter lilies or daffodils (or feel free to order both!) Lilies are $10 each and daffodils are $9 each. Please have your orders into the church office no later than Friday, April 24. We encourage you to take your flowers with you following worship on Easter Sunday.

Please either print out a copy of the Easter flower order form by clicking the button below or fill out a copy in the receptionist's office on Sunday mornings.

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 ([email protected]) know if you would like to commit to making one (or three!).

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:

• 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