During October, Rev. Sara Ofner-Seals will lead a study of Sister Joan Chittister’s book, The Time is Now – A Call to Uncommon Courage. From the book jacket, readers are told it’s “for the weary, the cranky, and the fearful, this energizing message invites us to participate in a vision for a world greater than the one we find ourselves in today.”

Christian Education has a limited number of copies of the book available for use in upcoming Chapel classes. The books will be available for sign-out in the church office. Rev. Sara will loosely use this text for study and conversation throughout October as together we grow in the wisdom and direction of prophetic scripture.

The Safety Committee, Deacons' Worship Board, and Executive Council of Plymouth Church have reviewed and approved a Safe Church Policy to be presented to the congregation for final approval at a future congregational meeting. To introduce the congregation to this proposed policy, we are holding several after-church gatherings to review the proposal and ask any questions you may have. The final workshop will take place Sunday at 11:15 am following worship in the Folsom Room.

Wednesday Night Live has returned for its regular weekly programming. The schedule and some locations have changed slightly from previous years.

5:15 pm: Children’s Choir (TBD)

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

6:45 pm: Plymouth Bell Ensemble (Sanctuary Balcony)

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!

During the month of October, Rev. Sara will be leading a centering prayer group in the chapel as part of Wednesday night live activities. The group will meet in the chapel from 6:45 pm to 7:30 pm. Centering prayer is a form of silent, contemplative prayer meant to open the heart to God’s presence and action within. Whether you are new to centering prayer, or practice it regularly, all are welcome to join this group. We will be working loosely with the book The Heart of Centering Prayer by Cynthia Bourgeault, though purchase of the book is not required for participation.

Indiana Center for Middle East Peace (ICMEP) welcomes Lucas Al-Zoughbi (B.S., Manchester University), a PhD student in Psychology at Michigan State University, to Plymouth Congregational Church on Thursday, October 14 at 6:30 pm. His research focuses on the torture (physical, psychological, and sexual) of Palestinian children, women, and political prisoners, as well as their resistance to the Israeli occupation from within prison. Lucas is the son of Zoughbi and Elaine Zoughbi (Wi’am Conflict Resolution & Transformation Center, Bethlehem). This event is free and open to all. Masks are required.

The next meeting of Plymouth’s Women's Book Study will be on Tuesday, October 19, 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 discussing American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins. A widow and her young son are forced to flee their home in Acapulco and we follow their journey. The book caused controversy in some circles, because the author was not herself Latina.

For further information, contact Judith Beineke at [email protected].

Each year, we elect our slate of officers and board members who will serve for the upcoming year. We will have a congregational meeting after worship on Sunday, October 24. A link to the roster is here. Additionally, we will be voting on a bylaw change regarding how terms for the Treasurer position will work. Specifically, in Article 6 Section 1 Part C. Executive Council is recommending the following addition, “The Treasurer is expected to serve two consecutive terms and then one term as the Assistant Treasurer.” We will also be voting on a proposed Safe Church Policy. A link to that policy is here. All members are encouraged to be present and vote; that’s how a congregational system operates!

Any submissions for the Sunday digital bulletin must be sent to Elizabeth Pruitt ([email protected]) by 4:00 pm on the Wednesday prior. We cannot guarantee announcements sent after this time will appear in that Sunday's bulletin. Thank you.

The Plymouth office staff are still looking for 3 more volunteers to stuff envelopes for a churchwide mailing on Tuesday, October 19. If you are interested in helping, please contact our receptionist Jake Slone at [email protected] or (260) 423-9424.

After a long process of coordinating all the moving parts with Forward Indiana and the Property Board, E&M is thrilled to announce that the parking lot at Fairfield and Berry is now home to a Community Pantry! You may have seen other brightly-painted pantries around town already, and we are delighted that one of these life-giving mutual aid projects is happening in Plymouth’s neighborhood. At this pantry, the people who share this community, including us, will have the chance to give when they are able, to take what they need when they need it, and to help maintain the cleanliness of the pantry and the area. This pantry is not “ours”, but everyone’s, and what a joy it will be to share in the giving and taking and working together for the good of all!

Sandy Moliere and Jan Younger are currently in the process of putting up the newly printed name tags. The good news is that we have lots of Plymouth people. However, the stands are crowded and the name tags are often difficult to reach. A plan is in the works to correct this issue but it will take some time to put it in place. In order to create space for new members, as well as fitting in the rest of us, those couples with different last names will both go under the name earliest in the alphabet in most cases. A few unrelated people with the same last name will be on the same hook. We look forward to making this less crowded and easier to for all to find their tags. Until then, we request patience and understanding! Please contact Jan at (260) 637-4367 or Sandy at (260) 485-9862 if you have questions.

Now that events and meetings are returning to the building, it is important that you contact Tina Puitz, Office Manager, to make sure the time, date and room for your event is available. You may also be asked to complete a building use form. By contacting the office, your event will be entered onto the calendar and your meeting space will be ready when you arrive. Even if your event is returning after the long break due to the pandemic, you must still contact Tina. Also, if you will be selling anything or money will be coming to the office, please coordinate with Tina so office preparations can be made. Contact Tina at 260-423-9424 or [email protected]. Thank you.

Due to numerous requests, Plymouth has decided to open our sanctuary on Thursdays from 12:30 pm to 4:30 pm for a time of personal prayer. Please enter through the Berry Street Office entrance and check in with our receptionist. Contact our receptionist Jake Slone at (260) 423-9424 or [email protected] with any questions.

If you have a need to visit the office, we’d love to see you! Our office is open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Appointments are no longer necessary to visit the office during these days. On Fridays, our office will be open from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm by appointment only. Contact the office at (260) 423-9424 or [email protected] with any questions.