Join us on Sunday, November 28 at 9:00 am where Plymouth’s own Jeff Markley, Executive Director of the Northeast Indiana Positive Resource Connection, will be our speaker. This agency provides a multitude of services for persons living with HIV/AIDS. This includes providing food and the extra nutrients clients often need. This center partners with Community Harvest Food Bank.

Anyone who would like to assist with decorating the church for Advent and Christmas is invited to stick around after church on Sunday, November 28 for the Hanging of the Greens. All are welcome-- the more the merrier!

Tapping into Faith continues at Mad Anthony’s on Monday, November 29! This casual gathering of Plymouth folks and any community members who feel like joining in the fun is a great chance to enjoy good company, good conversation about different questions and topics in faith, and, of course, a tasty snack and beverage. Appetizers to share will be provided by Plymouth, and you’re welcome to purchase whatever food you like. If you do not drink alcohol, you can enjoy Mad’s home-brewed root beer or red cream soda, as well as the usual iced tea and sodas.

Please know that we cannot demand or enforce vaccination status or mask-wearing for this event and make your decision accordingly. You are more than welcome to wear a mask yourself, of course – at least while you aren’t eating or drinking.

Join us at 7:30pm in the Mad Room on Monday, November 29, at Mad Anthony Brewing on Broadway and Taylor!

5:15 pm: Children’s Choir (TBD)

6:00 pm: Dinner (Folsom Room and/or Shedd Park)

7:00 pm: Luminous Night Service

Sign-up sheets are in the Folsom Room to indicate if you will be there for the weekly dinner. Please write your name, number of members of your household, and mark if you are requesting a vegetarian option. Masks will be required indoors except when eating. Plans are fluid based on local COVID cases so watch for e-blasts on any changes of plans. We look forward to seeing you there!

As we approach the holiday season, many of us may be struggling with grief, loneliness, or other difficult emotions. It can be especially difficult to navigate those emotions during a time of year in which so much emphasis is placed on parties and celebration. If you struggle with finding joy during the holiday season, or if you could use a quieter, more reflective way to observe this sacred time of year, please consider joining us for our Luminous Night service, held on Wednesday, December 1 at 7:00 pm. Filled with reflective readings, music, and prayer, it is a time to be together and acknowledge God’s presence and love, even in the midst of loss, loneliness and grief. We hope this service will be a gift to those who need it most this coming holiday season.

This year, the E&M Board used funds to sponsor individuals who signed up for Christmas help through Fort Wayne Pride. What a joy it is to help make the holidays brighter for our neighbors! We are going to have a lot of presents to wrap, and, frankly, we could use your help.

There are a couple ways you can lend a hand:

We look forward to a holly, jolly time!

Our next WELCOMING GROUP will meet Sunday, December 5, 11:30 am to 1:30 pm. If you have been attending Plymouth for six months or longer, and your faith journey is leading you to explore becoming a member, this is a one-time required session. Whether you are confident, confused, or curious, our time together is focused on orientation, conversation, interpretation, and exploration. It is an opportunity for you to ask questions and to meet others who are considering affirming their formal relationship with Plymouth Church, UCC. Please contact Rev. Sara Ofner-Seals at smo@plymouthfw.org or 260-423-9424 x322 to register. An accurate number is needed for the light lunch that will be provided by Congregational Life Board.

Please note there will be no Chapel Class on Sunday, December 26.

Yes, Virginia, Plymouth members and friends of Knit and Kibitz will have lots of handcrafted items available for their home and holiday gifting. The annual sale, which was paused because of the pandemic, is returning Sunday, December 5. Items can be purchased in the Folsom Room before and after worship that day.

All items and supplies for the sale are donated, thus 100% of the income will be given to nonprofit agencies serving families. The sales of Pepper Jelly, Wreaths, and Knit and Kibitz items are three projects of the Standish Colony Circle.

Only cash and checks are accepted for purchases.

Join Rev. Sara Ofner-Seals on December 8 and 15 for two sessions on how Ignatian spirituality can help us engage more deeply with the Christmas story. Rev. Sara will lead participants in a deep, imaginative exploration of the birth narrative from the Gospel of Luke, in a practice that is inspired by St. Ignatius. Sessions will be held in the chapel from 6:45 pm to 7:30 pm, as part of Wednesday Night Live activities.

Plymouth children and families are invited to our first Las Posadas celebration on Sunday, December 12. This is a Mexican Christian tradition, focusing on the Holy Family seeking shelter, being denied initially, and finally being welcomed. Participants will process throughout the building and sing the Las Posadas song in English, which will conclude with a celebration in the Folsom Room with refreshments. All ages are invited to experience this event, which runs from 4:30pm to 6:00 pm. Note: while participants will be inside for the vast majority of the time, there will be one section that will involve being briefly outside, so warm coats are encouraged. If you have any questions, please email Rev. Murphy at tcm@plymouthfw.org.

The next meeting of Plymouth’s Women's Book Study will be on Tuesday, January 18, from 12:00 pm to 1:15 pm in the Amistad Room. Any reader who self-identifies as a woman is welcome, whether you've attended before or not. We shall be reading This Is How It Always Is, by Laurie Frankel.

"This is Claude. He’s five years old, the youngest of five brothers, and loves peanut butter sandwiches. He also loves wearing a dress, and dreams of being a princess. When he grows up, Claude says, he wants to be a girl...." One family learns and grows with a child who wants to change in a way many people don't understand.

For further information, contact Judith Beineke at jrbeineke@yahoo.co.uk.

Advent begins this week, and we have several resources & classes to help your family celebrate this season of hope and preparation.

ADVENT MAILINGS are going out to all Plymouth families this week! This all-ages packet includes suggestions & supplies for observing Advent at home, and reminders of events here at church. If you know a family who would enjoy receiving a packet, please pass their address along to Katie Watson.

ADVENT JOURNALING DEVOTIONALS are available for free in the Folsom Room. These journals include weekly readings, images to color, and spaces for guided journaling. They are suitable for adults and youth, please take a copy!

Our PRESCHOOL & ELEMENTARY CLASS is working through the Christmas story. We will hear of the prophets’ hopes, Mary & Joseph’s journey, the shepherds’ joy and the wise ones’ gifts. Each week we hear a story and have time for the students to reflect through play and art.

The YOUTH CLASS will be working through the advent journaling devotionals during their Sunday school time. Middle and high schoolers are welcome to join us to color, doodle and discuss.

Sunday school classes run from 9:00 am to 9:50 am each Sunday. New students are always welcome to join us in the classrooms upstairs. There is no Sunday school on December 26 or January 2.

Both the interior and exterior porte-cochere doors have been repaired, and the activation buttons should open the doors for your convenience. If you encounter any issues, please let our receptionist, Jake, know.

Our centering prayer group is getting a new day and time! Starting in December, anyone interested in coming together for a time of Centering Prayer and fellowship is welcome on the second Tuesday of every month at 5:30 pm, in the chapel. Come every month, or just drop in when you are able—all are welcome regardless of level of experience.

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 Sunday, November 28. Poinsettias are $10.00 each. Plants will be placed in the sanctuary the Sunday before Christmas. 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.

Children ages 5-11 are now eligible to be vaccinated with the COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine.

Additionally, booster shots are available for all individuals age 18+ after 6 months or more from their initial series.

We are in need of volunteers to assist with children’s fellowship time during the 10:00 am worship service. Volunteers will lead children into the Amistad room after the lighting of the peace candle and supervise them as they engage in activities such as arts and crafts and general fellowship. We would like to have enough volunteers so that no one is required to serve more than once a month, and to have at least two adults in the room at any given time. Volunteers are required to have been attending Plymouth for at least six months and will be required to fill out a background check. To express your interest in volunteering, or to get more information, please contact Rev. Sara Ofner-Seals at smo@plymouthfw.org.

For a time of personal prayer, visit the sanctuary on Thursdays from 12:30 pm to 4:30 pm. Please enter through the Berry Street office entrance and check in with our receptionist. Contact Jake Slone at (260) 423-9424 or jss@plymouthfw.org 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

Questions? Contact the office at 260-423-9424 or office@plymouthfw.org