Looking for ways to connect with the Fourth Church community and one another? On the church calendar you will find many opportunities to do so online (or, where noted, in person). Included among them are—
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Tonight’s Mark Lomax Quartet concert, both in person and online; see below for details!
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Men’s Bible Study on Tuesday mornings
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Books by Women discussing The Girl Who Wrote In Silk by Kelli Estes on Tuesday evening, February 8
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Morning Prayer via Zoom on Wednesday mornings at 9:30 a.m.; contact Rocky Supinger for details
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Morning Prayer in person in Buchanan Chapel on Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m.
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Opportunity to walk the labyrinth in Buchanan Chapel on Wednesdays and Thursdays between 9:00 and 10:00 a.m.
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Benevolent Guild on Wednesday mornings
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Horizons Bible Study for women on Wednesday noon and evening, February 9
For information about whom to contact for an event’s Zoom details, simply click on the down “arrow” to the right of the event name in the calendar (which is easily accessible from the “Calendar” button in the upper left corner of our website).
For highlights about some additional opportunities, keep reading!
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Sunday, February 6
10:00 a.m. worship in person and online
with Communion
9:45 a.m. prelude
Shannon J. Kershner preaching
4:00 p.m. Jazz at Four worship in person
with Communion
in Buchanan Chapel
Matt Helms preaching
Sanctuary Seating
Beginning this Sunday we will return to having the front section of the Sanctuary set aside for those required to or choosing to practice social distancing. The remainder of the Sanctuary will be open seating. Seating for Jazz at Four is all socially distanced.
Communion
For those worshiping with us online this weekend, we invite you to have bread and juice on hand, as we will be celebrating the Lord’s Supper during the service.
Sermon Series: Things Jesus Never Said
This Sunday we continue the sermon series “Things Jesus Never Said” with the sermon “Things Jesus Never Said: ‘Money Is the Root of All Evil,’” based on Matthew 6:19–21.
Livestreamed Worship
After mid-February we will be streaming online via our YouTube channel only, the link for which is available above and on the home page of our website.
Rhythm and Word
New “Rhythm and Word” videos are being released on Wednesday evenings during February. These fifteen-minute worship experiences, which weave together scripture, prayer, and music, are released on our YouTube channel ( www.bit.ly/fpcvideos) on Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m. You can watch this week’s video below. To receive these videos by email, sign up online at www.bit.ly/rhythmandwordemail
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Mark Lomax Quartet—Tonight!
The Mark Lomax Quartet will be in concert at Fourth Church tonight, February 4, to perform “Let There Be Light.”
“Let There Be Light” was written by Dr. Lomax, a critically acclaimed composer, recording artist, and drummer. He is also an activist and educator specializing in the sociopolitical and spiritual aspects of African American art, music, and race, as well as the role of the arts in building community.
A seven-movement tone poem inspired by the biblical creation story found in Genesis, “Let There Be Light” is presented through an aleatoric compositional technique that presents unstructured themes to the musicians, who interpret them in real time based on the macro narrative of the work. Each of the themes suggests a soundscape particular to each day of creation and evolves as a collective artistic creation to reflect the act of divine creation.
We hope you will join us for this concert, whether in person or via the livestream on YouTube!
Friday, February 4
7:30 p.m.
Freewill offering will be received at the door.
Noonday Organ Concert
Also today flutist Elise Blatchford and pianist Maria Lyapkova will be presenting our weekly Friday Noonday Concert. We invite you to join us in person or tune in via YouTube, where the concert will be both livestreamed and available for viewing later.
Friday, February 4
12:10 p.m.
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Have you participated in a small group at Fourth Church or somewhere else? Why or why not?
What would interest you in a small group if you were to participate in one in 2022?
Whether or not you have participated in a Fourth Church small group, our Small Group Ministry team would appreciate it if you would take just a couple minutes to complete a brief survey to assist them in their planning: www.bit.ly/fpcsmallgroupsurvey22
Also, if you would like to be part of one of our new Zoom Small Groups for Lent, please email Simon Crow. These groups will start the week of February 27 and offer opportunity to connect with five to seven other people via Zoom for a time of fellowship, relationship building, and spiritual formation. |
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“Presbyterian Witness: A Brief Statement of Faith”
In October we studied the Apostles’ Creed. Beginning this Sunday we will be spending time looking at the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s A Brief Statement of Faith.
Join us as we examine what makes the Brief Statement of Faith both universal for Christians and specific to the Reformed tradition and discuss how it serves us as believers, children of God, and people in the modern world.
Sundays, February 6–20
11:15 a.m. (except on February 13, when it will follow the Annual Meeting)
In person in Borwell Dining Room and online via Zoom
Bible Top Ten Podcast
Matt Helms and Rocky Supinger are back with the latest episode in their Bible Top Ten podcast: “Top 10 Misused Bible Verses.”
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On Sunday, February 13 we will conclude our sesquicentennial year with a festive service of worship at 10:00 a.m. John Buchanan, Pastor Emeritus, will preach that morning.
We hope that current and former members and staff will come together in worship that day—whether online or in person—as we celebrate this congregation’s legacy and look toward our future.
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Following the February 13 worship service, we will gather for the Annual Meeting of the Congregation, which will be held both in person and online via Zoom.
As part of that meeting, the congregation will elect new officers. The recommended slate of officers that will be presented by the Nominating Committee is posted online, where in the coming days you will also be able to find brief biographies of each candidate.
The meeting will also include remarks reflecting on the previous year and looking ahead to the year to come.
All members are encouraged to attend the annual meeting in order to take part in this important activity in the life of Fourth Church! The link for attending the meeting online will be available on our website closer to the day of the meeting.
Sunday, February 13
11:15 a.m.
In the Sanctuary and also online via Zoom
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The Spiritual Formation Council invites you to join them in traveling the “Path of Discipleship” during Lent.
This year’s six-part series will use the book Back to the Well: Women’s Encounters with Jesus in the Gospel by Frances Taylor Gench. Led by Nanette Sawyer and Joe Morrow, the series will take place via Zoom on Tuesdays at 6:00 p.m. beginning March 8. For the Zoom link, register at www.bit.ly/fpcpod2022
Prior to the “Path of Discipleship” series, Dr. Gench will join us via Zoom to talk about Back to the Well on Tuesday, February 22 at 7:00 p.m.
This one-evening program on the study of women’s encounters with Jesus in the Gospels will offer insights to interpretive issues that open new angles of vision upon these ancient stories. For the Zoom link for this author presentation on February 22, register at www.bit.ly/genchpfc222
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Mark your calendars! The annual Chicago Lights Gala of Hope will be held at the Ritz-Carlton Chicago (160 E. Pearson) on Friday, March 4, beginning at 5:30 p.m.
This annual event supports the life-changing work of Chicago Lights—the nonprofit community outreach arm of Fourth Church, which includes the Tutoring and Summer Day, Urban Farm, Dance Academy, and Social Service Center programs—as well as the work of the Replogle Center for Counseling and Well-Being.
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Caring Ministries invites veterans in our church community to join Chaplain Mark Schimmelpfennig in exploring creating a group to meet periodically to give veterans and family members opportunity to share their experiences and concerns in a safe and confidential space. To learn more or join the initial Zoom gathering on Tuesday, February 22 at 6:00 p.m., contact Jeff Doane.
For one-to-one spiritual and emotional support through life challenges, we encourage you to consider being paired with a Stephen Minister. To learn more about this resource, contact Jeff Doane, Parish Associate for Caring Ministries and Spiritual Formation, or leave a confidential message for a Stephen Minister at 312.573.3365.
To set up a time to talk or for more information about how the staff of the Replogle Center for Counseling and Well-Being can be a resource for you, call the Center at 312.787.2729, ext. 2260.
If you would like to talk to a pastor, please call the church (312.787.4570) and your request will be forwarded to someone on the pastoral staff.
If you would like to alert pastoral staff to emerging pastoral care needs, please email caringministries@fourthchurch.org; however if the situation is an emergency or requires immediate attention, please call the church at 312.787.4570 to be connected to the Minister on Call.
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Deaths
We give thanks to God for the gift of life eternal.
Mary Simmons
who for more than twenty years served as Fourth Church Associate Organist
Died January 30, 2022
A service of remembrance will be held at Fourth Church on Saturday, March 26 at 2:00 p.m.
Lester Lorenz
who for more than fifty years printed Fourth Church bulletins, newsletters, and other materials
Died January 2022
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In-Person Guidelines
In the Sanctuary, the front section is for those required to or choosing to practice social distancing. The remainder of the Sanctuary is open seating. Seating for Jazz at Four is all socially distanced.
We continue to require that everyone on the Fourth Church campus wear a mask, fully covering the nose and mouth, at all times. Anyone not wearing a mask fully covering their nose and mouth will be asked to leave, as we know that some people make the decision to worship with us in person—or participate in adult education classes—based on the knowledge that everyone will be fully masked. This is but one of the ways we continue to live out our commitment to value the health and safety of all.
Since everyone is masked throughout the service, the congregation is invited to sing.
We are not checking vaccination status, but anyone coming on site certifies by doing so that (a) they do not currently have COVID-19; (b) they are not experiencing COVID symptoms; (c) they have no reason to quarantine; and (d) they will practice social distancing if they are not vaccinated against COVID-19.
Worshiping with Us Online
Our Sunday morning worship service is livestreamed at 10:00 a.m. (Central) via our YouTube channel (www.bit.ly/fpcvideos)
The service is also available online any time afterwards on YouTube.
Beginning in mid-February we will be streaming online via our YouTube channel only, the link for which is available on the home page of our website.
For those who do not have Internet access, we also make our livestreamed worship services available to listen to via the phone. If you know of someone for whom this audio opportunity would be welcome, please encourage them to call 888.916.9166 (toll-free) at the time of the service.
Throughout the Week
Our Sunday services are available for viewing following the conclusion of worship and throughout the week at www.bit.ly/fpcvideos.
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If you know someone who would like to receive email updates from us but currently is not, please encourage them to add their email address to our distribution list by signing up at www.bit.ly/newsfromfpc
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