The replacement of the Berry Street sidewalk is well underway but it continues to make access to the building difficult via the Berry Street parking lot. For all events and worship this weekend, please park in the back parking lot which is off of Wayne Street and enter through the Folsom Room. You will not be able to readily reach the building from the Berry Street parking lot this Sunday.

All adults are invited to the last session of our three-part chapel class series, "Learning to Be a Better Ally to our Transgender Neighbors." This series is held in a discussion format where all are encouraged to bring questions. Along the way, the instructors will define terms, share etiquette dos and don’ts, and dispel myths as we learn to be better allies to our trans and non-binary friends and neighbors. The class is co-taught by Plymouth members Patty Meriwether and Trevor Harkenrider, and special guest Kris Wise from Brave Alliance. Chapel class is held every Sunday at 9:00 am in person and on Zoom. The passcode to join via Zoom is 063060. The Zoom link is included below.

Those who have signed up will gather for our next Welcoming Group Sunday, September 24, 11:30 am to 1:00 pm in the Amistad Room. 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. A light lunch will be provided.

Members and friends of Plymouth are invited to a memorial service for Jack Meredith on Sunday, September 24 at 2:45pm. A visitation will be held before the service in the Folsom Room, starting at 1:45pm.

The Centering Prayer group at Plymouth has begn meeting 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, September 18 at 5:30 pm!

Friendly reminder that E&M will host Tapping Into Faith at Mad Anthony’s on Monday, September 25 at 7:00 pm. It’s a wonderful chance to get to know fellow Plymouth folks a little better and sometimes welcome folks from the community into fellowship. Loosely guided conversation and story-sharing, good food & drink, and good people – what more could you want?!

We will provide appetizers for all to share, and you are welcome to buy whatever meal or beverage you’d like. Come on over!

The next meeting of the newly formed Anti-Racism Action Team will take place on Tuesday, September 26 at 6:00 pm in the Folsom Room. All are welcome. We will be discussing how to proceed with an anti-racism audit and other next steps as we get underway. There will be a Zoom option for those unable to attend in person. Click the button below to join.

Wednesday Night Live programming continues this Wednesday, September 27. 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!

On Sunday, October 1, we will welcome Joshua Gale, executive director of Just Neighbors for a presentation on homelessness in Fort Wayne. He will give an overview of the topic as well as information on the programs Just Neighbors has to offer, including their new eviction prevention program. Chapel class is held every Sunday at 9:00 am in person and on Zoom. The passcode to join via Zoom is 063060. The Zoom link is included below.

Plymouth’s Environmental Action Team has adopted a section of the River Greenway Trail. This means that we are responsible for clean-up and maintenance of this section of the trail three times each year. Our next clean up day will be Saturday, October 7 from 9:00 am to 10:30 am. Parking is available at Towles Intermediate School (420 E. Paulding Rd.) or at Tillman Park Trailhead (600 E. Tillman Rd). An Environmental Action Team member will be waiting at each parking location. Trash bags, gloves, and pick-up sticks will be provided. Bring a grabber if you have one!

All ages are welcome! The distance is approximately two miles. There is a signup sheet in the Folsom Room. Please join us if you can and help us live into our Earthwise covenant!

For three weeks, starting Sunday, October 8 and continuing through Sunday, October 22, Rev. Timothy Murphy will be leading Chapel Class on his theology of church (or as he prefers to call it: churching). This will be based in part on his previous academic work, focusing in particular on the good news we are called to proclaim, the fellowship we are to live out, and the service we are to offer, in light of the vision we hold together for a transformed world. Attendees will have the opportunity to wrestle with their own understanding of church, ask questions, and be in conversation with others!

Have you ever wondered why Plymouth’s fellowship hall is called the Folsom Room, or why the Louise Folsom Memorial Library is located in the Amistad Room? Perhaps you feel comfortable checking out a book from the Folsom Room library display table, but have no idea how to navigate the shelves in the library. Answers to these questions and others will put you at ease by attending our open house following worship on Sunday, October 8 in the Folsom Room. There are many thought provoking, inspirational, and informative books just waiting to be explored. We look forward to helping you explore joyfully.

The next meeting of the Plymouth's Women's Book Study will take place on October 17 at 12:00 pm in the Amistad Room. We shall be discussing Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom by John O'Donohue. This book describes the spiritual world from the viewpoint of the ancient Irish imagination. Its understandings may both enrich and challenge our personal beliefs and should make for a lively discussion. All opinions will be respected, it goes without saying.

As always, we invite anyone to join us who self-identifies as a woman. If you would prefer to attend by Zoom, please email Jan Gibson [email protected]. Other books coming up are Both/And: A Memoir by Huma Abedin and, in the new year, Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives by Siddarth Kara.

The renovation of the Folsom Room and the two adjacent hallways continues. These spaces will remain available for programming and fellowship, but they will be in transition for a few more weeks. Watch for picture updates on the Plymouth Generations Facebook page. Thank you for your understanding!

Volunteers for the 11th year of Study Connection at Plymouth Church are needed! You can be a tutor or a substitute to fill in on the few days when a tutor must be away. Contact Lucy Hess for more information on what is expected of a tutor and sub at [email protected] or (260) 484-4430. Study Connection is offered at Plymouth every Wednesday from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm starting early October to mid-May. To sign up for the background check, click here. The Study Connection sign up sheet is always linked in the Plymouth LinkTree, linked in the bulletin each week.

Plymouth’s directory is going digital! You can now sign up for account access on the Plymouth Website. This will allow you to see your own personal information, see your giving and contributions for the year, and access the new Plymouth Church Directory. By moving to a digital directory, we keep our commitment to protect the environment by being an Earthwise congregation, while also guaranteeing that we have up to date information right at your fingertips. Once the request is processed, you will receive an e-mail from the office with your unique username and password allowing you to log in via the "Member Login" button on our website.

At the same time that we are providing this fantastic service, we are also collecting emergency contact information that will be kept on file in case you were to become seriously injured or ill at a church service or event. Such information will be kept private and only used in emergency situations by staff.

To sign up for either please visit here or see Jake Slone, Church Receptionist, in the office for a paper form.

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:

• 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