Chapel Class will not meet on Sunday, November 26. We will resume on December 3 at 9:00 am for Rev. Sara's "O Little Town of Bethlehem" Chapel Class series.

Advent is just around the corner! After worship on Sunday, November 26, we will have our annual “Hanging of the Greens” where we decorate the Sanctuary, Folsom Room, hallways, and the building generally as we prepare for the season. Folks are welcome to stick around after worship that day for as little or as long as they are able to help in the decorations. There’s something for everyone to help with, all ages and abilities are welcome!

The Centering Prayer group at Plymouth meets every Monday evening at 5:30 pm, in the Chapel. Centering Prayer is an ancient form of Christian meditation that dates back as far as the 14th century and is practiced by Christians all over the world. The main idea behind Centering Prayer is to let go of all thoughts in order to open oneself to the healing presence of God within. Plymouth’s Centering Prayer group is open to anyone, regardless of one’s level of experience. Beginners are encouraged to drop in anytime. Whether you can come once a week or once a month, or just once in a while, we’d love to see you there! Join us Monday, November 27 at 5:30 pm!

Wednesday Night Live programming will resume Wednesday, November 29. At 5:15 pm there will be adult choir rehearsal, children’s choir rehearsal, and Bible Study with Rev. Timothy, followed by dinner at 6:00 pm. The Bible Study with Rev. Timothy can be attended in person or via Zoom using the link below. The passcode to join via Zoom is 648589. All activities are open to anyone in the church, regardless of membership status. Come for activities, or just come for dinner and fellowship! The suggested cost for dinner is $10 per person, though no one is ever turned away due to inability to pay. If you plan to come for dinner, please sign up in the Folsom Room in advance so our caterer knows how much food to prepare. Hope to see you there!

Believe it or not, we only have a handful of Chapel Class sessions left before the end of the year! Here is what you can look forward to as we close out the year:

December 3, 10 & 17 – “O Little Town of Bethlehem” – We sing the carol every year, but how much do we really know about the little town of Bethlehem? Rev. Sara will be teaching this three-week series, delving into the history of this Palestinian city, its status as part of the occupied West Bank, and what’s happening there right now as war rages less than two hours away. We’ll also discuss ways we can be in solidarity with Palestinian Christians living in the city.

December 24 & 31 – no class due to Christmas Eve and New Years Eve holidays

Chapel Class begins at 9:00 am on Sunday mornings and is open to all adults in person or on Zoom. The password for Zoom is 063060.

For the third year in a row, Plymouth is organizing a Las Posadas processional, inspired by the Mexican Christian tradition. The one big difference is we have heard your suggestions, and we are going to do it right after the worship service instead of the usual mid-afternoon time. Folks should plan on gathering in the Folsom Room to begin around 11:30 am on Sunday, December 3. After a quick overview of the tradition, we will begin the procession throughout the building as we re-enact the Holy Family’s search for lodging and shelter before finally being welcomed. This is a great event for families and children, though all ages are welcome. We conclude with a celebration in the Folsom Room with traditional Christmas tamales (Shh! It’s a surprise!) There’s a sign-up sheet in the Folsom Room. Capacity is limited to 50 people processing but others are encouraged to assist in the responsive singing at the different stations throughout the building or helping set up in the Folsom Room while everyone is away during the procession.

Our annual Luminous Night service will be held on Wednesday, December 6 at 7:00 pm. This is a quiet, contemplative service for those who are grieving, experiencing feelings of sadness, or otherwise feeling a need to lament during the holiday season. We will offer prayers and sing songs that speak of our need to grieve, but also speak of God’s promises of comfort to those who mourn. All are welcome to this service of lament and hope.

As 2023 comes to a close, it is time to start thinking about the Annual Report. For those with a required piece, the deadline for submissions for the 2023 Annual Report is Friday, December 8 at 11:59 pm. Submissions must be sent to [email protected] in the form of a Word Document using size 11 Times New Roman font with single spacing. Submissions must be no longer than 2 pages. A submission over 2 pages will be returned to you with a request for revisions.

Click the button below for a list of those required to write an article.

It’s time to order your Christmas poinsettias! Ordering poinsettias is an easy way to remember, honor, and celebrate loved ones and friends, while helping to decorate our church home for Christmas. To order, please fill out the order form and return it with your check to the church office by Thursday, November 30. Poinsettias are $11.00 each. Plants will be placed in the sanctuary Sunday, December 24. Please take your plant home with you following the 10:00 pm worship service on Christmas Eve.

To place an order, please either click the button below to print off a copy of the order form to fill out and return to the church office, or pick up an order form in the church office on Sunday morning. Please include "poinsettia" in the memo line of your check.

In order expedite a functional directory, Plymouth will be switching from an opt in system to and opt out system. What does this mean for you? What steps will you need to take to ensure your place in the directory? Nothing! We’ll do all the work. Starting December 5, all Plymouth members will be automatically included in the online directory! Now, if you do not wish to be a part of this undertaking, you may email Jake Slone no later than December 4 at [email protected]. After that you will be automatically added to the online directory. You may request to be removed from the directory at any time.

In the coming months, Plymouth staff will be working on getting all members online access in preparation for the switch to the online directory. If you receive an email stating that your password and username has been changed, don’t worry. It is not a scam. It is an automatically generated e-mail that we can’t change when you are being assigned a randomly generated password.

Our Stewardship Campaign has formally concluded, but you can still submit a pledge form for 2024 if you have not already done so, either in person or via our website, with a digital link below. Thank you!

Plymouth’s Safety Committee is looking for security and communication volunteers to assist the office Receptionist during the 10:00 am Sunday service by being on standby in the Narthex. Duties include but are not limited to:

• Greeting & welcoming late comers in the Narthex and directing them to the Sanctuary
• Communicating with the Receptionist via radio in the instance of an emergency (inclement weather, medical emergency in the sanctuary, fire, etc.)
• Retrieving medical equipment such as the wheelchairs or first aid kits
• Helping to direct first responders in case of an emergency or assisting others with evacuations.

If you have any interest, please contact the Safety Committee Chair, Patrick Vonderau at [email protected].

Masks are optional in worship and church programming. If you are feeling under the weather or prefer to wear a mask around others, it is an ongoing option. A high-quality mask provides good protection against infection even if others around you are not wearing one. We will continue to offer livestreamed and recorded worship services for anyone unable to attend services in person.

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:

• 2024 Stewardship Campaign Website
• Study Connection Volunteer Sign Up
• Plymouth Directory Login
• Chancel Flower Dedication Sign Up Form
• Donate
• Past Chapel Class Series
• Habitat for Humanity Volunteer Sign Up
• Plymouth Google Calendar
• Plymouth's Social Media