Lucy Hess and Peg Maginn from League of Women Voters Fort Wayne will present information about redistricting in Indiana following the 2020 Census and the impacts on social justice for all who are eligible to vote. Increasing efforts to suppress voting rights of some could have grave consequences for our democracy. Learn ways we can become involved. Join us at 9:00 am this Sunday, September 26.

WELCOMING GROUP will meet Sunday, September 26, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. 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. Timothy C. Murphy, [email protected], or (260) 423-9424, ext. 315, to register. An accurate number is needed for the light lunch that will be provided by Congregational Life Board.

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!

Take an enchanting musical journey from 9th century Islamic Spain to present-day America on Saturday, October 2 at 6:30 pm, here at Plymouth Church. Arabic music & poetry tell the story of Ziryab, a former Baghdad slave whose musical talent with the oud brought him fame throughout the Middle East, North Africa, and al-Andalus, where Christians, Jews, & Muslims co-existed for centuries in a diverse society. Ronnie includes his own story as a Muslim Palestinian-American growing up in Chicago. Free, open to the public. Supported with a grant from National Endowment for the Arts, Indiana Arts Commission, and Fort Wayne Arts United. Masks required.

Christian Education has a limited number of copies of the book, The Time is Now-A Call to Uncommon Courage, 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.

We will have our annual blessing of the animals next Sunday, October 3 at 3:00 pm. If you have any furry friends, creaturely critters, or scaly associates, you are welcome to bring them for a brief blessing service. We will meet at the porte cochere entrance by the Folsom Room alongside Shedd Park. All animals must be leashed or crated to ensure the safety of all attendants.

The Benevolence Committee invites you to contribute to this year’s Neighbors In Need Special Collection on Sunday, October 3. Neighbors In Need is one of five special offerings we make each year to the United Church of Christ, in order to support the mission of the church beyond what we ourselves can do. This year, the Neighbors In Need theme is “Unfailing Love,” and the donations collected will focus on supporting organizations and projects that serve our neighbors who are immigrants and/or experiencing homelessness. One-third of the fund will support the Council for American Indian Ministry, and two-thirds will be distributed by the UCC’s Justice & Witness Ministries to support congregations and other organizations leading justice initiatives, advocacy efforts, and direct service projects in their own communities.

Please give generously. as you are able. Special envelopes are available in the pews if you’re worshipping with us in person. Otherwise, you can mail your donation to the church or give online at plymouthfw.org/donate. When you click the “Donate” button, enter your contribution on the line for Neighbors In Need. If you use a check for your donation, whether in-person or by mail, please be sure to write Neighbors In Need on the memo line!

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, starting Wednesday, October 6. 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.

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].

Due to numerous long standing announcements with various links, Plymouth Church has decided to condense our bulletin by using Linktree. After an announcement has been in the bulletin for two weeks, its link will be moved here, if applicable. Simply click the button below to be taken to a landing page with all of our links.

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 will soon be home to a Community Pantry! By the time you’re reading this, it may have been installed already – ETA is this weekend, but depending on weather and such, it could be later this week. You may have seen other brightly-painted pantries around town already, and we are delighted that one of these life-giving mutual aid projects will be 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!

E&M will have a table at the second annual Pride Fair at PFW on Tuesday, October 4, from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm. We went last year and had a great time, and we’re looking forward to representing Plymouth again this year. If you know any PFW students, encourage them to come say hello!

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.

Due to privacy standards, Parkview and Lutheran Hospitals do not provide lists of congregation members who have been hospitalized to churches. This protects your medical and religious privacy and allows their chaplain staff to better serve the needs of patients and families. However, this also means that Plymouth pastoral staff do not know if you are in the hospital unless you actively reach out to us. If you would like us to call and check in on you or a loved one while in the hospital, please call the church at (260) 423 – 9424. You will be prompted to dial the pastoral care emergency extension and record a brief message. Please leave your name, what hospital you or a loved one are in, and the room number so pastoral staff can contact you. If you don’t have a room number, let us know the hospital, and make sure that you or the patient are listed in the hospital’s directory, if possible.

Each Sunday, after we hear the scripture in worship, we “play” with the story. As adults, our play often involves using our imagination to picture Biblical times, listening to our pastor mull over the passage, and responding through our quiet thoughts or our songs and prayers.

This year in Sunday school, our kids will also have a chance to “play” with Bible stories. Unlike adults, who often play in their thoughts, kids tend to play in tactile ways. They reenact the Bible stories, they draw pictures of Bible places, they add imaginative bits of their modern life into their play.

“Godly Play” is a system of storytelling and playful response. It’s been used at Plymouth in the past, but it’s been a while, and the best way to understand the process is to see it in action. So on Wednesdays beginning Sept 8, all ages are invited to a Godly Play Sampler. While we will follow the same structure as our childrens’ sessions, these Wednesday settings are set up for all ages. We won’t ask adults to role-play that they are children -- along with the story props and play dough there will be space for adults to reflect through quiet space, journaling, and discussion.

If you could use a mid-week space to reflect playfully on scripture, or if you are curious about this year’s Sunday school program, join us for one or more of these sampler sessions.

With real joy the Evangelism & Marketing Board offers you our gratitude for making this campaign a complete success. Our fundraising goal of $20,000 has been achieved, and will be surpassed when the mailed-in payments from First Congregational and Peace UCC are accounted for! We look forward to learning the final tally and sharing it with you.

In just three months, the campaign has collected enough money to eliminate two million dollars in medical debt. We’ve erased $2,000,000 in debts that have held our neighbors in bondage! This is a remarkably good and lovely thing, and you good folks helped to make it so. In the face of so much bad news in the world, you are sharing good news with those who need it most. May it magnify God’s own goodness and love for all people.

If you’d like to add some icing to the cake, you can still donate today. Click the button below to visit our fundraising campaign page. There is also a link on our “Contribute” page at plymouthfw.org. Scroll down and click on “Campaign." Information can also be found on Facebook. Thank you!

T-shirts in most sizes are still available for pickup, but at last check-in, we were out of 3XL in both colors, so E&M will be delighted to order more shirts as needed. If you would like a shirt, but don’t see your size available, please email January ([email protected]) and let her know the size and color you would like. Available for order are youth sizes XS – L, and adult sizes up to 6XL. Please note: 3XL is out of stock in navy blue and 2XL is out of stock in purple for our supplier, with an unknown date of availability. Otherwise, you should be able to order any size up to 6XL in either color.

Suggested donations are $5 for children’s sizes and $10 for adult sizes, to help offset the cost, but this is a “pay what you can” situation – if you’d like a shirt, have one! If you are making a donation and the table is without personnel, please give your donation to our receptionist Jake, in the front office, who will keep it safe.

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.