"You Are Worthy" - Lauren Wright Pittman

On Sunday, March 27, we will join UCC congregations across the country to participate in the UCC’s One Great Hour of Sharing special collection, supporting the church’s wider mission in the world. In this Lenten season, we often speak of wilderness as a metaphor. However, for so many of our neighbors, the wilderness is all-too literal. The funds donated are used to show that, even in the wilds of our day, “these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love” (1 Cor. 13:13).

Funds from One Great Hour of Sharing rebuild communities following natural disasters, assists refugees in their search for a safe home, makes education and sustainable livelihoods accessible, and creates reliable and safe water sources for communities lacking access to this vital resource.

You may contribute to the special collection with a check mailed to the Plymouth Church Office (the memo line should note “OGHS”). You also may give online at PlymouthFW.org by clicking “Contribute” in the main menu, and then clicking the Donate button. On the donation page, you will find a list of potential recipients, including One Great Hour of Sharing.

Throughout March, Licensed Minister David Grim returns to lead our studies. All are welcome and encouraged to attend in person; attending via Zoom is available as well. Watch for the link in the Sunday online Bulletin. Each Sunday will bring an examination of mystical and holistic spirituality approaches. How did the Jesus Method of soulful healing bring comfort for hurting people? He will explore a deeper sense of self and ways inward soul work can aid and strengthen the ways we practice social justice and liberation work. David is an insightful teacher and really engages the class.

Plymouth will host our monthly pub theology gathering in the party room of Mad Anthony Brewing Co. (at Broadway & Taylor) on Monday, March 28, at 7:30 pm. This is a wonderful opportunity to get together with folks from church and the community for some casual conversation about how our spiritual life impacts (or maybe doesn’t impact) our daily life in the world. There’s a lot of chat, a lot of laughter, and everyone is welcome.

E&M Board will provide some “table carbs” for snacking, but of course, you will also be able to order tasty food and beverages (including house-brewed root beer). Feel free to bring friends!

Indiana Center for Middle East Peace welcomes Golbarg Bashi for "The Power of Children's Literature: P is for Palestine and More" on Tuesday, March 29 at 6:30 pm at Plymouth Church. This event is free and open to the public. Masks are required.

Born in Iran, raised in Sweden, educated in the UK and US, Golbarg Bashi is a professor, author, and activist. She was nominated in 2016 by the U.S. toy industry “Wonder Woman Award” for advancing early childhood education through play for languages. She is author of P is for Palestine; A Palestine Alphabet Book, and Counting Up the Olive Tree: A Palestine Number Book. She focuses on empowering children from underrepresented and marginalized countries.

Join the United Church of Christ Palestine Israel Network for the "The Weaponization of Antisemitism" webinar on Wednesday, March 30, 12:00 pm.

Michael Spath interviews Mark Weber, a retired university librarian and president of Cleveland Peace Action. He is an educator and youth counselor with the Jewish Secular Community of Cleveland, serves on the steering community of Jewish Voice for Peace-Cleveland, and is active in the Palestine solidarity movement in Cleveland.

During this Lenten season, the weekly Wednesday Bible Study with Rev. Murphy switches to studying a book. We are currently reading and discussing the 1949 classic Jesus and the Disinherited by Howard Thurman. We will be discussing chapter 4 this Wednesday and will continue each Wednesday through April 6 at 5:15 pm. While RSVPs are not required, feel free to contact Rev. Murphy at [email protected] for any questions.

During the season of Lent, Rev. Sara Ofner-Seals and Maestro Bob Nance will be leading a Celtic inspired evening prayer service on Wednesday nights, following Wednesday Night Live dinner. Services will be held in the chapel and will include Celtic prayers, music, and liturgy, as well as music from the Taizé tradition. Please join us for these contemplative, candlelit services as a way to deepen your Lenten experience.

In a series of two chapel class sessions on April 3 and April 10, Rev. Sara Ofner-Seals will guide the class through the poetry of Wendell Berry and his vision of Sabbath and the natural world. Over the course of two weeks, as we prepare our hearts for Easter, we will walk through the woods, keeping Sabbath as we go, with Wendell Berry and the words of scripture as our guide. Join us in person or on Zoom.

The Evangelism and Marketing Board has planned a Spring Cleaning event for Sunday, April 3, at 1:00pm. Our resident Litter Super Sleuth™ has identified several blocks that could use a dedicated team of Earthwise folks like you to spend an hour or so picking up trash and recyclables for proper disposal – many hands will make light work! So enjoy worship Sunday morning, take some time to eat lunch and change into work clothes and good shoes, and help us do some good work.

The plan:

We hope you’ll join us in this act of environmental stewardship and caring for our community!

Allen Haynes here! Many of you have asked really good questions when I talk about my “cow fetching” adventures at Superior Dairy. I shared this with my cousins and as a result, they have offered to let you come see the facility yourselves!

This state of the art facility is currently milking 240 cows, 24 hours a day, using 4 robotic milking machines. They invite you to an open house on Sunday, April 3, from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm to see, listen, and learn about how this amazing technology has impacted life on the farm for both the cows and the people. The dairy barn is located at 0706 County Road 40, Garrett, IN. Guided tours are scheduled for 1:15 pm and 2:15 pm.

Please dress appropriately for the weather but note that most of the tour is under roof and on hard surface areas with very minimal chance of contact with cow manure. That said, it still smells like a dairy barn! Hope you can join us!

At the Edge of the Orchard by Tracy Chevalier is the next choice for the Women's Book Study on Tuesday, April 19 at 12:00 pm in the Amistad Room.

Set in the mid-1800s, this novel follows the fortunes of the youngest member of the Goodenough family who, when we meet them, are struggling to make a living in the Black Swamp.This was an area which stretched from Fort Wayne all the way to Lake Erie in those days. Johnnie Appleseed appears as a character. The setting complements Plymouth's environmental project at Eagle Marsh and the fate of wetlands. The book moves on to California where tree cultivation and the export of seeds provide the background of the main character's lively journey.

Plymouth’s Women's Book Study welcomes any reader who self-identifies as a woman to join the group for one or more sessions. We meet in the Amistad Room on the third Tuesday of the month at noon.

Given that the advisory level for COVID-19 in Allen County has remained at the lowest level for two weeks, masks will not be required in worship starting Sunday, March 27.

This is not a prohibition on masks but only an announcement that they are now optional for individuals. A high-quality mask provides good protection against infection even if others around you are not wearing one, so please continue to wear a mask if you find it necessary or beneficial. We will continue to offer livestreamed and recorded worship services if you find yourself at risk of being around groups or otherwise unable to attend services in-person.

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 $9.00 each. Please have your orders into the church office no later than Friday, April 1. 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.

For a time of personal prayer, the sanctuary will be available Tuesday through Thursday during office hours. Please enter through the Berry Street office entrance and check in with our receptionist. Contact Jake Slone at (260) 423-9424 or [email protected] with any questions.

Monday: Closed

Tuesday: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Wednesday: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Thursday: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Friday: By appointment only 9:00 am to 4:00 pm