Continuing Sunday, April 28, Rev. Sara and Rev. January will be co-leading a Chapel Class series on the book Rest Is Resistance by Tricia Hersey. The book casts an illuminating light on our troubled relationship with rest and how to imagine and dream our way to a future where rest is exalted. Our worth does not reside in how much we produce, especially not for a system that exploits and dehumanizes us. Rest, in its simplest form, becomes an act of resistance and a reclaiming of power because it asserts our most basic humanity. Rest Is Resistance is a call to action, a battle cry, a field guide, and a manifesto for all of us who are sleep deprived, searching for justice, and longing to be liberated from the oppressive grip of Grind Culture. Buy a copy on Amazon, or wherever you buy your books, and plan to join us on Sunday, April 28 at 9:00 am, in person or on Zoom!

The next music series concert will be the Canto de Corazón Community Choir on Sunday, April 28 at 4:00 pm. This program features a Spanish language community choir directed by choir member and Heartland Sings principal tenor Wagner Pastor in collaboration with Plymouth Church, Heartland Sings and the YMCA. This springtime program is festive and followed by a wonderful, free reception. This concert is supported in part by the Walter Family Music Fund, established by longtime choir member Gordon Walter.

Friendly reminder that E&M will host Tapping Into Faith at Mad Anthony’s on Monday, April 29 at 7:00 pm. Wayne Peterson-Stephan will be this month's facilitator! 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!

Wednesday Night Live programming continues Wednesday, May 1. At 5:15 pm there will be adult choir rehearsal, children’s choir rehearsal, and Bible study, followed by dinner at 6:00 pm. Bible study 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!

Mark your calendars now for our second annual What is Truth Seminar on Saturday, May 4 and Sunday, May 5. Acclaimed storyteller Valerie Tutson will once again be joining us, as well as vocalists from Heartland Sings, as we explore questions about truth through storytelling and song. To learn more about the event and our featured presenters, click here. To register for the seminar and view a detailed agenda for the weekend, click the button below

As part of the 'What is Truth' seminar, storyteller Valerie Tutson will be leading an intergenerational Sunday School class on Sunday, May 5, at 9:00 am in the children's Sunday School classroom. All adults are welcome to join the kids for a time of storytelling and learning together. 

Our traditional Graduate Sunday aka Senior Sunday is coming up on May 5! We have 3 high school graduates this year, so we hope you will plan to be in worship to hear their reflections, cheer them on, then congratulate them at a reception following worship! 

If you are graduating from college or tech school or nursing school or culinary school, any school, we’d love to celebrate you too! Please contact Kara Jaurigue at kkjaurigue@gmail.com with the details!

The next meeting of the Women's Book Study (anyone who self-identifies as a woman is welcome) will occur on Tuesday, May 21 at 12:00 pm in the Amistad Room. Instead of a book, we'll consider a mashup of 1) an article and 2) a podcast (with transcript!). We’ll ponder the possible intersections between these key ideas:

1) Key ideas from article: 

“…as a member of the dominant group, one is taught not to see [systemic forms of racism]…I did not see myself as a racist because I was taught to recognize racism only in individual acts of meanness by members of my group, never in invisible systems conferring unsought racial dominance on my group from birth. Disapproving of the systems won’t be enough to change them. I was taught to think that racism could end if white individuals changed their attitudes….[but]…Individual acts of racism can only palliate, but not end, racism…we need to learn to see the systems of dominance and make systemic changes together.” 

2) Key ideas from podcast/transcript: 

“The neurophysiological science of awe gives us a new way to talk about meaning…a compass for what matters, and a way to expand our views about something bigger than ourselves…This has huge relevance…to our life together, our collective state of being and possibilities. …Awe is a direct pathway to addressing the social crises of our time…” Consider these ideas: “moral beauty”; “collective effervescence”; and “superorganism”, and “default mode network."

To read transcript while listening to podcast, open another tab on your browser, go to OnBeing.org, open same link below, and scroll down to “transcript”. You can play and read simultaneously.

For further information contact jrbeineke@yahoo.co.uk. Click the buttons below to access the materials.

Join Rev. Sara and Rev. January on Saturday, June 8 for a retreat aimed at providing rest and renewal for all who are weary. The retreat will be at Plymouth from 9:30 am to 2:00 pm, with breakfast and lunch provided. There will be restorative activities for mind, body and heart-- including guided meditation, walking the labyrinth, and healing, gentle yoga. This retreat is free to members and non-members-- all are welcome. Please sign up in the Folsom Room.

Rev. Murphy’s sabbatical runs from April 1 through June 30. During this time of rest and rejuvenation, Rev. Ofner-Seals is serving as the acting Senior Pastor. Rev. Murphy looks forward to communicating with and seeing Plymouth members and friends upon his return!

This Easter and beyond, United Church of Christ General Minister and President the Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson is inviting the wider church to participate in an interactive season of prayer. The People’s Prayers for Peace initiative is an open invitation to read — and write — prayers, which will be posted daily on the UCC website. “As people of faith, I believe prayers are an important part of our discipleship and spiritual practice,” said Thompson. “The People’s Prayers for Peace is a call to the church to be intentional in praying together for the many places where we seek justice and change in our world. Our actions and advocacy follow on our commitment to pray — time set aside to be in conversation with God and to be present in the world with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.” The call for prayers comes amid ongoing war and violence globally as well as continued social issues and injustice in the United States. Click the button below to learn more.

This year’s covenant class has chosen to do a service project of filling up all the Forward Indiana food panties across the city of Fort Wayne, but they need our help! From now until the end of April, you are invited to bring in canned goods to contribute to this project. All canned goods can be placed in the food collection bin in the Folsom room. The deadline for our collection is Friday, May 3. Help our students feed the hungry in our city!

The Property Board needs volunteers to pick up trash and pull weeds around the church, parking lot, and the 527 W. Berry property west of the church. Questions? Call or text Gary Kerr at (260) 341-2943 or email gtkerr2@gmail.com to find out how you can help!

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:

• Plymouth Directory Login
• Study Connection Volunteer Sign Up
• Chancel Flower Dedication Sign Up Form
• Donate
• Past Chapel Class Series
• Plymouth Google Calendar
• Plymouth's Social Media