This Sunday, May 22, Rev. Murphy concludes the chapel class series on the topic of “Socialism and Christianity.” Typically, these two terms are placed as oppositional ideas: Socialism vs. Christianity. Godless communism vs. Christian capitalism. But there’s a lot more to consider! What, if anything, do they have to say to each other? Those attending for this final Sunday will look at contemporary parallels between socialism and Christianity, biblical passages that Christian Socialists are drawn to, and play a "guess that Christian Socialist" from a quote from them. We'll conclude with possible implications for today.

This Sunday, May 22, is our last week of Sunday school. During class, kids and families can join us for our annual Service Blitz – a sampling of speedy service projects. After worship, stick around for the ice cream social, with chalk and bubbles outside.

On Sunday, May 22, Congregational Life is sponsoring an ice cream social to celebrate another successful program year in the life of Plymouth Church. The social will be held in the Folsom Room after worship. All members and friends are invited to this family friendly gathering. Please sign up in the Folsom Room to let Congregational Life know how many people to expect. We hope you can join us!

On Sunday, May 22 before and after the worship service, the Plymouth Parish Nurse Team will be available in the Folsom Room for a variety of healthcare resources and support. Please note, the Parish Nurse Program does not provide prescriptions or diagnostics.

Supported by Marion Health, the Parish Nurse Program "provides registered nurses who are committed and called to help the congregation stay well and improve the overall health and healing ministry of individual faith communities."

If you would like to learn more about this program, including finding out how to volunteer (non-medical volunteer opportunities are available), please contact Erin Shaw at [email protected] or 260-224-0860.

In addition to the return of Film and Faith, Young Adult Ministries is offering an afternoon of bowling at Pro Bowl West on May 22, 3:00 pm on 1455 Goshen Road. This is a time to gather for some fellowship and to see how much our bowling skills have atrophied for those of us who have not bowled in a while (Rev. Timothy once scored a 31 while trying to work on his spin!). Reservations are not required but RSVPs are appreciated so we know how many to expect. Please email Rev. Timothy if you plan on joining. Age range is roughly 25-39, but kids coming along with parents or for those close to that range are also welcome!

ICMEP welcomes Mariela Shaker, a Syrian Refugee and concert violinist to share her story and music at Plymouth Church on Tuesday, May 24 at 6:30 pm. This event is free and open to the public.

Mariela Shaker is a Syrian violinist who fled war-torn Aleppo on a 2013 US music scholarship. She was granted asylum and US Citizenship. She received the Daily Point of Light Award from President George H.W. Bush, was named Champion of Change for World Refugees by President Barack Obama, and received the Spirit of Anne Frank Center’s Promisekeeper Award. Mariela has performed worldwide, at the UN, and throughout the US, at the Kennedy and Lincoln Centers, and International Rescue Committee. She has also worked with Ben Stiller and Meryl Streep to fundraise over a million dollars toward supporting Syrian refugees. With support from the Fort Wayne Downtown Improvement District and Jerry & Diane Mackel.

The E&M Board is holding a supply drive this month to benefit our friends at Just Neighbors. Our “official” collection date is Saturday, May 28, 9:00 am to 11:00 am, when we’ll be at the Folsom Room entrance to accept donations in person. However, because we know that’s a holiday weekend, we also encourage those who want to participate to drop off donation items at any point between now and then. Drop donations in the “Supply Drive” bin in the Folsom Room. (If your donations include any squeeze/pump bottles of liquid, please be sure they are truly closed, and place them gently in the bin rather than dropping them.)

When asked for donation requests, Just Neighbors provided a varied list of primary needs, so there’s a little bit of everything for you to choose from.

Their current biggest needs are:

We’ll see you May 28! Thanks so much for supporting the good work of providing housing for unhoused families

E&M will be hosting our monthly Tapping Into Faith get together at 7:30 pm on Monday, May 30, at Mad Anthony Brewing. In recognition of the fact that this is, of course, Memorial Day, we’ll focus our conversation on the role(s) and meaning(s) of sacrifice, as well as our own experience(s) with it. So if May 30 rolls around and you’ve already paid your respects and you find yourself finished with cookouts, come on over to Mad’s and join us in their party room for some good conversation and great community.

E&M will provide appetizers to share, and you are welcome to order food and drink for yourself. Invite a friend! Open to the public.

This year for Pentecost, we will also be celebrating Confirmation for members of the Covenant Class who have decided to be confirmed. Please be sure to come to the 10:00 am service to support them and hear their faith reflections.

Then at 4:00 pm, we will have an outdoor service featuring New Orleans-style jazz and worship in the church parking lot on Berry Street. Come bring a lawn chair and enjoy the music!

June 5 is Pentecost Sunday, the birthday of the church! Our kids and youth will start off worship by parading in with red streamers and flags from around the world. If your family would like to participate, please meet us in the narthex just before the 10:00 am worship service.

Plymouth’s families with kids are gathering once a month this summer to socialize, serve, and explore our community! If there are babies, kids, teens or graduates in your home, please join us!

Our first summertime family gathering will be Saturday, June 11. We’ll be working at the Community Harvest Food Bank from 7:30 am to 11:30 am. They have work for all ages, so if you’ve got a toddler willing to help stuff bags alongside you, or a teen ready to carry bags of food to cars, there is a job for everyone in your family!

Registration is required for this event. Click the button below to register.

The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak has been chosen for the next meeting of Plymouth's Women's Book Study on Tuesday, June 21 at 12:00 pm in the Amistad Room. The novel introduces us to a teenager living with her father in London, to the love story of her parents (one Turkish, one Greek from Cyprus) and to a fig tree who acts as our narrator and guide. One commentator describes it as, "A rich, magical book on belonging and identity, love and trauma, nature and renewal..."

We welcome any reader who self-identifies as a woman to drop in to join us. Please contact Judith Beineke at [email protected] with any questions.

Plymouth Church has recently reconnected with Habitat for Humanity. You can keep an eye out for future updates, but for now, sign ups to volunteer with the Fort Wayne Habitat for Humanity are available. Click the button below to sign up to be a Construction Volunteer, Lunch Provider, or a ReStore volunteer!

The bi-annual national gathering of the United Church of Christ, called General Synod, will be in Indianapolis from June 30 to July 4, 2023. As such, the Indiana-Kentucky Conference will be its host. The Conference is inviting members of local congregations such as ours to volunteer to assist in a variety of tasks, such as ushering, staffing a help desk, hospitality, serving as pages for plenary and business sessions, and more. In total, they are seeking 300 volunteers from throughout the Conference to assist for part or for the duration of General Synod. If you would like to volunteer, please email [email protected]. Thank you!

Join and/or support Team Plymouth in the 2022 AIDS Walk, benefitting the Northeast Indiana Positive Resource Connection! The E&M Board is excited to offer this fun way of showing our love for the PRC and all the good work they do. Fundraising has already begun and the walk itself will happen at Parkview Field on Saturday, June 4, at 10:00 am. Of course, we ask that you wear your Plymouth t-shirt. (If you don't have one yet, we still have plenty!)

There are a few ways to participate.

1. If you have the resources and the inclination to join in the walk and contribute to our fundraiser, please visit our Team Page and click on Join Team. Your $15 registration fee goes towards our fundraiser, and you should have the option of adding a separate, tax-deductible donation as well. Registering will create a page specific to you, but linked to our team, so any contributions given on your page will automatically add into Plymouth’s total.

2. If you would like to donate, but aren’t particularly interested in joining the walk itself, visit our Team Page and click on Donate! It’s pretty simple from that point on.

3. If you aren’t able to donate but would like to show your support and join the walk, we’d love to have you there! Make sure you wear your Plymouth t-shirt!

4. If you aren’t able to donate or join the walk but want to chip in – please share the link to our Team Page on social media and invite your friends to contribute! Actually, also do this if you are doing any of the options listed above.

Questions? Ask January! And thanks in advance for participating in whatever way you are able.

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.

Masks are currently optional during worship. 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.

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