Weekly Bulletin
Sunday, October 24, 2021
Walk With Me © Mary Southard, www.ministryofthearts.org. Used with permission.
Plymouth Congregational Church
2022 Stewardship Campaign

"We've Come This Far by Faith"

1 Samuel 7:12b, "Thus far the Lord has helped us." 
Joys and Concerns

Sundays at 1:00 pm

Our weekly joys and concerns check-in continues Sunday. Please join this Zoom call at 1:00 pm for a time to name something we are grateful for, a concern we have, and to be in prayer together.

Those unable to join by video can call 1-253-215-8782, then enter the code 944-1809-2407#, then # when asked for the password.
Order of Worship

Prelude

Introit: “Let the Whole Creation Cry” | Robert Leaf

Call to Worship: Psalm 34:1-8

Opening Hymn: NCH#70 "God is Here!" | ABBOT’S LEIGH

Welcome & Announcements
Invocation & Lord's Prayer

Witnessing Steward: Samuel Melo

Passing the Peace

Response Song: "We've Come This Far by Faith," alt. | Spiritual

Peace Prayer

Welcoming of New Members and Baptism

Pastoral Prayer

Anthem: “Let Your Light Shine” | Craig Courtney

Scripture: Mark 10:46-52

Sermon: "To Run and Not Grow Weary”

Closing Hymn: NCH#495 "Called as Partners in Christ’s Service" | BEECHER

Benediction

Response: “O Lord, Seek Us” | K Lee Scott

Postlude
New Member Bios
A.J. (Aaron) Calkins
A.J. is originally from Wayland, Michigan. He was raised in the Roman Catholic Church but started attending Plymouth in 2002 with his husband Mark. He started attending Plymouth because of its open and affirming policy and the people in the church. A.J. has a BS in industrial engineering from GMI Engineer & Management Institute. He started his 30-year manufacturing career at 18 as a coop in a foundry in Saginaw, Michigan. While in college he was involved with the outdoors club, tech sailing club, and Beta Theta Pi. He believes in miracles; one being meeting his husband Mark 24 years ago. Together they have 36 nieces and nephews and over 18 greats. He likes to travel, visit presidential sites (23), cooking, and attending Beta conventions (19). His biggest accomplishment has been his 24-year commitment, civil union, and marriage to Mark. He is also helping fix 6 underperforming plants and launched new plants in Mitchell, Indiana and San Luis Potosi, Mexico. A.J. and Mark also have a 68 lb. furry four-legged son named Churchill. They adopted him from Millersburg, Ohio, but don't hold his Buckeye birth against him.

Will Coursen-Carr
Will Coursen-Carr was born in Tallahassee, but moved to Fort Wayne early on. He went to South Side High School, then to IU Bloomington where he majored in International Studies and played for their baseball team. He is currently working on a teaching license. Will loves to play all kinds of sports; right now he loves tennis! He also enjoys travelling and spending time with family and friends. He has attended Plymouth since he was a teen and has decided to become a member!

Janelle Couture
I was born in Iowa but was raised in Fort Wayne in the United Methodist Church. After a 30-year marriage and raising 2 wonderful kids, I divorced and returned to school, earned a master’s in nutrition, and now work at Aging and In-Home Services as a registered dietitian. I feel blessed to have found the love and companionship of my husband Jerry Schmeling. After being part of the United Methodist Church, we were drawn to Plymouth in part for its open and affirming stance to the LGBTQ+ community. We are delighted to have found Plymouth Congregational and look forward to building relationships here and putting our faith into action.

Laurie Eggers
My name is Laurie Eggers and I have been coming to Plymouth off and on for 2-3 years with my sister Ahnee Conner. I am her youngest sister (the baby). We have 2 other sisters and an older brother who all live out of state. I am a Med Tech (lab) at St Joe Hospital which means I run all the tests, including COVID-19 testing. And yes, I also draw blood, although that is secondary to my job. Before landing at St. Joe I worked for both Lutheran and Parkview Whitley, but I think I’ve found my home at St Joe. We move to the new hospital in 3 weeks. My only child is my very spoiled and the best fur baby out there, Bob the Cat. He doesn’t know he’s a cat so don’t tell him. I am so happy to be officially joining Plymouth, although since I work 2nd shift getting up early is always a challenge for me!

Jennifer Ferguson
My name is Jennifer Ferguson. I grew up in Fremont, Indiana and was raised in the United Methodist Church. I played basketball in college at University of Maryland Baltimore County and Taylor University in Upland, Indiana. I attended Occupational Therapy school at Towson University in Baltimore, Maryland and moved to Fort Wayne in 2013. Since then, I’ve been working for Parkview Health at the Randallia hospital location in their outpatient department and with the Fall Prevention Clinic doing home evaluations with clients. I have been attending Plymouth off and on since 2013. I’m excited to finally join the community and get more involved. I have a dog at home, Piper, that I cherish and I can be found on Clear Lake skiing, wakeboarding, and kayaking on the weekends.

Mark Friskney
Mark grew up in Green Township of Noble County. He graduated from Churubusco High School and then got his Bachelor of Arts in Business Management and Elementary Education with a minor in Drama from Anderson College/University. He taught grades 3-5 over the years at North Webster Elementary and retired in 2016. He received his Master of Arts in Elementary Education from IPFW. He spent the last couple of years substitute teaching at Smith-Green and Northwest Allen school systems. Mark's hobbies are working on his home library, reading, and traveling with his spouse A.J. He recently gave into Kindle to make travel a lot easier. It was very difficult to imagine not having pages to touch and smell. He also enjoys music, movies, and theater. Mark was raised in the Church of God (Anderson). He became interested in Plymouth because of its welcome of him no matter who he was. He and A.J. have attended this church for close to 18 years.

Laurice Harris
I, Laurice Harris, was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana and raised in the Baptist faith at Union Baptist and Pilgrim Baptist Churches. I received a Bachelor and Master of Science in Elementary Education from Indiana University. I taught for 15 years with FWCS before moving to California and working 25 years for LA Unified School District. While in California, I attended the Lutheran Church. I retired in 2014 and moved back to Fort Wayne in 2016. The hobbies I love are the opera, live theater, crocheting, reading, the ID channel, and especially travel. The loves of my life are my nieces and nephews. After my return to Fort Wayne, Plymouth was a steady rock in the last few years for me and has been so open and welcoming. It’s been a pleasure to follow in my mother’s and sister’s steps and attend.

David Reynolds
Originally, I was born and raised in Fort Wayne, and graduated from South Side High School in 1961. Growing up, I was a member of South Wayne Baptist Church. I attended IU Extension and Franklin College. I left Fort Wayne in the mid 1970’s to pursue my career in large scale Photo Processing, recently retiring from FujiFilm of Elmsford, New York. While living in Connecticut, I was a member of First Congregational Church of Danbury, serving as a Deacon and Church Treasurer. Recently, I moved back to Fort Wayne to be near family. I have 2 daughters-- one living in Fort Wayne, one in Deerfield, Massachusetts, also a stepson and stepdaughter. Many years ago, my grandparents and their family were members of Plymouth Congregational Church. I look forward to this next step in my religious life at Plymouth!

Jerry Schmeling
I have been a member of the ELCA and Methodist Church and have found Plymouth to better suit my searching for a forever home. I am retired, very much in love with my wife Janelle, and we are both looking forward to worshipping with our new family.
This Week
October 24
Jackie Berning

October 25
Betsy Graham

October 26
Elijah Silcox

October 27
Brendan Sutter
Rich Tuttle

October 29
Steve Rinehart

October 30
Simeon Gray
Charlene Holly

Next Week's Birthdays

November 2
Katherine Caldwell
Louise Misegades
Jan Younger

November 3
Scott Avery

November 6
Mary Argus
Timothy Cunningham

November 7
Al Bohnstedt
William Spindler
Sunday, October 24
8:30 am Fellowship Hour
9:00 am Education Hour
9:00 am Worship Rehearsal
10:00 am Worship Service
11:00 am Annual Election Meeting
1:00 pm Joys and Concerns (online)

Monday, October 25
Office Closed
7:30 pm Tapping Into Faith

Tuesday, October 26
10:00 am Knit-N-Kabitz
1:00 pm Staff Meeting

Wednesday, October 27
3:00 pm Study Connection
5:15 pm Wednesday Night Live

Thursday, October 28
12:30 pm - 4:30 pm Open Prayer in Sanctuary
1:00 pm Study Group (online)
1:00 pm CPR Training for Staff and Volunteers
5:30 pm Budget Outcome Task Force Meeting

Saturday, October 30
9:00 am October Supply Drive
5:30 pm ICMEP Gala

Sunday, October 31
All Saints' Sunday
Halloween
8:30 am Fellowship Hour
9:00 am Education Hour
9:00 am Worship Rehearsal
10:00 am Worship Service
1:00 pm Joys and Concerns (online)
Sunday, October 24: Chapel Class
During October, Rev. Sara Ofner-Seals has been leading 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.
Sunday, October 24: Annual Election Meeting
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.”

Finally, we will be voting on a proposed Safe Church Policy focused on preventing and responding to sexual harassment, exploitation, or abuse against youth and children. A link to that policy is here. This is obviously a sensitive topic for many people, and we strongly encourage you to read the proposed policy in advance of the meeting.

 All members are encouraged to be present and vote on these important decisions.
Monday, October 25: Tapping into Faith
With COVID numbers declining, E&M has decided it is time to get back into the fun of monthly Tapping Into Faith events at Mad Anthony Brewing, at Taylor and Broadway. This casual gathering of Plymouth folks and sometimes neighbors from the community 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.

We will be meeting on the last Monday of the month, October 25, at 7:30 pm, in the Mad Room, and hope to see you there!
Wednesday Night Live Programming: October 27
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)
  • Sanctuary Singers (Sanctuary)
  • Bible Study (Chapel)
6:00 pm: Dinner (Folsom Room and/or Shedd Park)
6:45 pm: Plymouth Bell Ensemble (Sanctuary Balcony)
  • Centering Prayer Group (Chapel)
  • Youth UnProgram (Youth Center)

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!
Wednesday, October 27: Centering Prayer Group in October
During the months of October and November, 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. Please note that there will be no Centering Prayer sessions on October 27 or November 24.
Saturday, October 30: October Supply Drive
"no one leaves home unless
home is the mouth of a shark
you only run for the border
when you see the whole city running as well."
-- Warsan Shire, "Home"

E&M will be collecting to help provide necessary items for the Afghan refugees being resettled in Fort Wayne. Catholic Charities here in Fort Wayne is overseeing the outfitting of the homes of our new neighbors, so we will deliver what we collect to them. Our supply drive for October will be Saturday, October 30, from 9:00 am to 11:00 am, at the Folsom Room entrance. You may, of course, drop items in the Supply Drive bin in the Folsom Room all month, until October 31.

As of this writing, Catholic Charities cannot yet accept furniture donations, but we will update you as their capacity increases. For a list of necessary kitchen items, linen/household items, cleaning supplies, and toiletries – as well as volunteer opportunities – please visit this page.

Please note that donated items should be new.
Saturday, October 30: ICMEP 2021 Gala with Huwaida Arraf
Join the Indiana Center for Middle East Peace (ICMEP) and Huwaida Arraf for our 2021 Gala on Saturday, October 30 from 5:30 pm to 9:00 pm at the Orchard Ridge Country Club 4531 Lower Huntington Rd, Fort Wayne, IN 46809. The event will have heavy appetizers, a silent auction, music, and more. Individual registration is $85.

Huwaida Arraf is a Detroit-based Palestinian American human rights lawyer, co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement (a Nobel Peace Prize nominee), chair of the Free Gaza Movement, where she was aboard the 2008 and 2010 Gaza Freedom Flotilla boats, and a charter member of the Palestine Feminist collective.

COVID Protocols: Limited outdoor seating available, vaccination and masks are required, and food will be served by club staff.

For more information, such as benefactor levels and registration, visit the ICMEP website here or contact Linda Kerr at linda.kerr72@gmail.com or (260) 341-2796.
Upcoming Events
Tuesday, November 16: Women's Book Study
The next meeting of Plymouth’s Women's Book Study will be on Tuesday, November 16 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 Somebody's Daughter: A Memoir by Ashley C. Ford. Ms. Ford was born and raised in Fort Wayne. Her story describes a childhood defined by the looming absence of her incarcerated father and what happens when she hears he's being released. There may be a few local landmarks you recognize as you read.

For further information, contact Judith Beineke at jrbeineke@yahoo.co.uk.
General Announcements
Volunteers Needed for Children’s Fellowship Time
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.
Benevolence Committee Seeking Recommendations
As we prepare to send invitations to apply for Benevolence Grants to various organizations in Fort Wayne and abroad, the Benevolence Committee would love to hear your recommendations for non-profits that may not know about this resource. A regular Benevolence Grant may be up to $2,000, and a Capacity Building Grant may be up to $20,000.

Organizations must be 501(3)c non-profits, and their work should align with at least one of our four covenants (although the more the merrier).

Invitations will go out no later than November 1, so please be sure to let us know your recommendations by October 29. Please send the name of the organization and, if possible, the name, phone number, and email address of a contact there, to pfwbenevolencegrant@gmail.com. Thank you!
New Bulletin Submission Deadline
Any submissions for the Sunday digital bulletin must be sent to Elizabeth Pruitt (edp@plymouthfw.org) 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.
From the Office
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 tmp@plymouthfw.org. Thank you.
Open Prayer in Sanctuary on Thursdays
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 jss@plymouthfw.org with any questions.
Visiting Plymouth
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 office@plymouthfw.org with any questions.
Plymouth Church Linktree
The following links can be found on our Linktree:
  • 2022 Stewardship Campaign Page
  • Chancel Flower Sign Up Form
  • Study Connection Volunteer Sign Up
  • Plymouth Google Calendar
  • Plymouth's Social Medias