Compassion © Mary Southard, www.ministryofthearts.org. Used with permission.

"Repairers of the Breach" 

2023 Stewardship Campaign 

“You shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in” 

- Isaiah 58:12b

Baruch Spinoza was one of the most important thinkers in the 17th ​‌century. In this four-part chapel class series continuing this Sunday, November 6, Joel Givens will provide a brief biographical description of Spinoza, discuss the context in which he was writing, offer a brief overview of key philosophical concepts from the Ethics, and address implications for Christianity, politics, and day to day living. Joel will include experiential learning exercises to enrich the lecture points, and he will facilitate discussions to promote understanding of the concepts. This won't be a boring philosophy class; Joel will present a fun, engaging, and applicable approach to Spinoza's ideas. This class will be available in-person or on Zoom.

Please join us at Congregation Achduth Veshalom this Sunday, November 6 at 4:30 pm for a conversation about how we can work together with other communities of faith for reproductive justice in the state of Indiana. We will debrief the forum that was held on October 23, talk about what we learned, and discuss next steps. We will be joined by members from the Temple and from First Presbyterian Church. Congregation Achduth Veshalom is located at 5200 Old Mill Road in Fort Wayne.

Wednesday Night Live programming starts each week at 5:15 pm with Bible Study, Children’s Choir and Adult Choir rehearsals. A catered dinner is served at 6:00 pm, with Bell Choir and book discussion with Rev. Ofner-Seals at 6:45 pm. A sign-up sheet is in the Folsom Room for those who wish to attend dinner. Recommended donation is $8 but is pay as you are able. Wednesday Night Live is a great way to get more involved in the life of the church and get to know other church members. Join us for one or more of the scheduled programs, or just join us for dinner and fellowship! We hope to see you there!

Join Rev. Murphy and others in Plymouth’s weekly Bible study, which is offered during Wednesday Night Live from 5:15 pm to 6:00 pm. We are now offering a hybrid model: in-person in the Chapel with an online Zoom option as well. For those who intend to join online, please click the link below and enter the following password when prompted: 805552.

Indiana Center for Middle East Peace welcomes Izdihar Kassis of Together for the Family (TFF), serving Syrian refugees in Lebanon, on Thursday, November 10 at Plymouth Church. 

Schedule of Events: 

• 5:30pm – Gathering and silent auction benefiting TFF
• 6:00pm – Homemade Lebanese dinner
• 7:00pm – Presentation by Izdihar Kassis, with Q&A

Featuring a Lebanese meal! No charge, but please RSVP to (260) 267-9048 to ensure there is food for all.

Syrian refugees living in tents in Lebanon have been given hope through medical and dental care, informal children’s education, entrepreneurial training, sewing, cosmetology and wood-working provided by Izdihar's organization, Together for the Family. The work is challenging but is exacerbated by the decimated Lebanese economy. Learn how you can make a difference!

Jointly hosted by Creative Women of the World (CWOW), Together for the Family in Lebanon (TFF), and Indiana Center for Middle East Peace (ICMEP).

Young Adult Film and Faith (24-39) is gathering on Saturday, November 12 at 2:30 pm for our next film viewing and discussion. We will be watching the 2019 movie Knives Out. All those interested should RSVP to Rev. Murphy at [email protected]. Childcare is available.

Standish Circle Knit & Kibitz group will hold their annual fundraising sale following

worship Sunday, November 13. Donated items for the sale include apparel for all ages and home décor. Pepper Jelly will also be available for purchase. Purchases can be made by cash or check. All proceeds go to family support agencies.

Several times a year, Plymouth Church is responsible for providing dinner for the guests at the Just Neighbors homeless shelter. Our next week of service is coming up from Sunday, November 13 through Friday, November 18. We are responsible for providing the whole meal each night that week, which includes a main course, a side dish, vegetables, fruit, and a dessert. You can sign up to prepare all parts of the meal, or just one element. Those who prepare food are asked to drop it off at the shelter by 5:00 pm that day. If you are interested in participating in this outreach effort, please click the button below to sign up online. Thank you to all who participate in this important community ministry.

Newcomers to Fort Wayne, this husband and wife duo from Ecuador will present

a varied program from classical art song to indigenous music from South America on Sunday, November 13 at 4:00 pm.

Our Centering Prayer group is moving to a new night! Please consider joining us for this time of silent prayer and fellowship on the 2nd and 4th Monday nights of each month. Our first meeting will be Monday, November 14 at 5:30 pm. We will gather for a time of informal fellowship, then transition into 20 minutes of silent, centering prayer, followed by a time of reflection. No experience is needed, so come check us out any time!

The November book choice for Plymouth's Women's Book Study is Waking Up White: And Finding Myself in the Story of Race by Debby Irving. We will meet Tuesday, November 15 at 12:00 pm in the Amistad Room. 

"This is the book Irving wishes someone had handed her decades ago. By sharing her struggle to understand racism and racial tensions, she offers a fresh perspective on bias, stereotypes, manners, and tolerance. As Irving unpacks her own long-held beliefs, she reveals how her well-intentioned mindsets actually perpetuated ill-conceived ideas about race. She also explains why and how she's changed the way she talks about racism, works in racially mixed groups, and understands the antiracism movement as a whole. Exercises at the end of each chapter prompt readers to explore their own racialized ideas. "

Anyone who self-identifies as a woman is welcome to drop in for one or more of our sessions if the book interests them. We meet on the third Tuesday of most months from 12:00 pm until 1:15 pm in the Amistad Room.

Plymouth will once again host a Thanksgiving Day service and meal. The service will be held in the Chapel at 11:30 am on Thanksgiving Day, followed by a traditional Thanksgiving meal (with all the fixings) in the Folsom Room at 12:00 pm. For those who would like to contribute a dish to the meal, or for those who would like to help with set up, cooking, service, or clean up, there is a sign-up sheet in the Folsom room. Please sign up by Sunday, November 20 if you would like to participate.

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, December 4. Poinsettias are $11.00 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.

To help voters gather information about all of the candidates, the League of Women Voters of Fort Wayne urges you to access VOTE411.org. which is available now. This is your opportunity to find the candidates who best address your concerns, values and issues. VOTE411.org has questions that were designed to be thought provoking and open asking the candidates their views on topics facing our community.

At the site, VOTE411.org click on "Find What’s on Your Ballot." Enter your local address with zip code (information is not stored). Voters can compare the positions of all candidates who responded. Make sure your voice is heard. Vote!

The Boar's Head and Yule Log Festival is December 29 and 30, 2022. Between the 5:30 pm and 8:00 pm services, the kitchen crew serves food to the cast, orchestra, and crew. The kitchen crew is always looking for additional volunteers to spend a few hours or the entire afternoon/evening in the kitchen preparing food. A big thanks to those kitchen crew members who return year after year. We also gladly welcome new crew members. Between making sandwiches and cutting fruits and vegetables, there is a lot of lively banter and conversation. We usually get started early in the afternoon each day. If you would like to be part of the kitchen crew on one or both days, please send an email to Diana Bauer at [email protected]. Boar's Head is a huge part of Plymouth and the kitchen crew makes an important contribution to the overall production!

The annual Stewardship Campaign will soon culminate with Commitment Sunday on November 6. Your pledge to support the Plymouth ministry is both needed and appreciated! Pledge forms can either be completed online using the link below or by filling out the paper pledge form which was sent in the mail and turning it in on November 6.

Additionally, a new online giving platform is now available to simplify the donation process! Make one-time or recurring gifts, access your donation history, or make changes to your giving plan through this easy-to-use portal, which can be accessed at the link below. Assistance is available to those desiring help in setting up their online giving account. Please see Cammy Sutter in the Folsom Room following worship on November 6. Please bring along your bank account or credit/debit card information to complete the setup process.

Additional help is available over the phone or in person with Tina Puitz (Office Manager) or Stephen Cook (Financial Administrator) on Wednesday, November 9 and 16 from 2:30 – 4:30 pm and Friday, November 11 and 18 from 9:00 – 11:00 am.

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!).

The November Bell submission deadline is Wednesday, November 9, at 11:59 pm. This is the final Bell of 2022. All those who have articles they'd like to submit must submit them by the deadline or their appearance cannot be guaranteed in the Bell. 

If you have a passion project or idea you'd like to share in the Bell that aligns with Plymouth's covenants and mission, please submit your idea/article to our Communications Specialist Elizabeth Pruitt at [email protected] or call the office at (260) 423-9424. 

The E&M Board has several opportunities in the coming holiday season for Plymouth to express our love of neighbor. Mindful of rising costs, we have decided on some budget-friendly collection efforts. It is our hope that providing information on all of them at once will allow folks to make choices ahead of time and plan accordingly, without feeling overwhelmed or pressured as projects are promoted separately. Thank you in advance for being the church!

October 16 – November 8

For three weeks we will be collecting old shoes—all types in any condition—as well as old, usable, eyeglasses for donation to Lions Club and Changing Footprints.

Lions Club is well-known for their program that collects, cleans, and redistributes eyeglasses to people in need around the world. If you happen to have glasses with old prescriptions or with frames you don’t like anymore or whatever, bring them our way! Please include a glasses pouch/case if you have one, and use the box provided in the Folsom Room for collecting them.

Changing Footprints is an incredible program that collects used shoes of any variety and in any condition. Shoes that are still serviceable are distributed to families in need, shelters, and to disaster areas following hurricanes, floods, or fires. Shoes that are in bad condition and no longer wearable are sent to be recycled – ground up and remade into playground surfaces and running tracks. Earthwise high-five! Please put your shoes in the “Shoes” bin in the Folsom Room.

Finally, we also will be collecting intact/wearable used winter coats you no longer need, so we can donate them to the various organizations around town trying to keep people warm this winter. All sizes are welcome, and we promise to find good homes for them. Please put your coats in the “Coats” bin in the Folsom Room.

November 8 – December 4 (FW Pride Christmas)

This was meant to be a December collection, but wrapped gifts are due by Dec. 9, so November it is! We know that plenty of Plymouth folks already participate in FW Pride’s Christmas for families in need, and we had fun ourselves playing Santa with FW Pride last year. We also know that sponsoring a family – or even one kid – by yourself can be a real expense. So, if you’d like to participate in FW Pride’s Christmas this year, but aren’t sure about sponsoring a family solo, E&M is organizing an “Angel Tree” for a larger family. Beginning November 8, you can choose one gift item to purchase (usually $25-$30), and help a family have a happy Christmas.

November 8 – January 1

During this season, we will be collecting unopened canned/boxed food items. From what is collected, we will work to help keep the community pantry in the parking lot stocked during the winter. Please ensure cans have “pop tops” so they can be opened without a can opener if necessary. Canned meats and beans, hearty soups and pastas, and potatoes are treasures! Peanut butter, shelf-stable microwave meals, and instant oatmeal are easy for kids to prepare! Canned fruit, canned veggies, and condiments really complete a meal! Shelf-stable milk is a miracle!

The following links can be found on our Linktree:

• Habitat for Humanity Volunteer Sign Up
• Chancel Flower Dedication Sign Up Form
• Study Connection Volunteer Sign Up
• Plymouth Google Calendar
• Plymouth's Social Medias