On the church calendar are many opportunities to connect online (or, where noted, in person) with the Fourth Church community and one another. Included among them are—

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 information about additional opportunities, keep reading!

For our Thanksgiving worship experience this year, we will be sharing a special Thanksgiving-themed “Rhythm and Word” video tomorrow morning.

Look for it on our YouTube channel (www.bit.ly/fpcvideos) after 8:00 a.m.

Then we invite you to find some time to pause during the day for these few moments of spiritual reflection that offer opportunity to give thanks through music, word, and prayer.

This Sunday—which is the first of four Sundays before Christmas—marks the beginning of Advent, the first season on the liturgical calendar and thus the beginning of a new church year.

Advent is observed in many Christian churches as a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas as well as the return of Jesus at the second coming.

The season takes it name from the Latin word meaning “coming,” and its liturgical color is purple, to remind us that this is a season of humility and reconciliation.

The worship bulletin will be available to download and print on Friday

Streamed from the Sanctuary at www.bit.ly/FPCworship

in Buchanan Chapel

The worship bulletin will be available to download and print on Friday

The season of Advent invites us to set aside time for daily personal prayer and reflection, creating space to prepare our hearts and lives to receive the gift that comes to us in the stable and embracing what it means to travel through life guided by the Light that darkness cannot overcome.

Our daily Advent devotions—which are written by Fourth Church members and staff—offer a resource for this meditative journey.

To receive them daily by email, sign up online at www.bit.ly/fpcdevotions.

During Advent we also invite you to take part in opportunities to pray with others—and to walk the labyrinth.

Following worship on Sunday mornings the Deacons are praying in Stone Chapel with individuals who would like to offer prayers of praise or concern. The Deacons are available for this time of prayer immediately following the 10:00 a.m. service.

On Wednesdays we gather at 9:30 a.m. for Morning Prayer via Zoom.

During Advent we will also be offering an in-person time of Morning Prayer on Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m. in Buchanan Chapel (masks required; enter at 126 E. Chestnut).

Prior to in-person Morning Prayer, the Buchanan Chapel labyrinth will be open for walking on Wednesdays, December 1, 8, 15, and 22 between 9:00 and 9:45 a.m. (masks required; enter at 126 E. Chestnut).

email Rocky Supinger.

Are you looking for something to listen to on a car trip this weekend? Or in the kitchen while preparing a meal?

Matt Helms and Rocky Supinger are launching a podcast for your Advent listening. And to get a jump start on the season, the first episode was released today!

Their Bible Top Ten is a lively, often lighthearted, always interesting podcast about the Bible as explored through a rotating series of top ten lists.

It begins with a two-part episode, “The Top Ten Most Underrated Passages.” You can listen to that audio recording now at www.fourthchurch.org/podcast. Then stay tuned for more episodes each week in Advent.

“What Is Waiting to Be Born in You” is an Advent invitation to explore through movement, meditation, words, music, and visioning the sacred gifts we offer to ourselves, each other, God, and the world at this uncertain time.

Sue Schemper, a Fourth Church member, licensed clinical professional counselor, and spiritual director, will lead us in this exploration during a Saturday morning workshop on December 4.

9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Via Zoom

Register online at www.bit.ly/adventworkshop21

In this season of gratitude and giving, we invite you to join us in making preparations to share Christmas joy with those in need.

Again this year Women at Fourth is coordinating our Christmas Wishes efforts to provide gifts for Chicago Lights Tutoring students. This year each student will receive a gift card and a book.

To support the Christmas Wishes project, we are collecting gift cards to Target, Amazon, and Walmart. If you are dropping off gift cards at the church, please do so by next Friday, December 3 and mark them to the attention of Simon Crow and designate the amount on the card(s). (We are giving $30 worth of gift cards to each student.)

Due to current shipping delays, Women at Fourth is purchasing all the books that will be given to students but would appreciate monetary contributions to support the book purchases.

Monetary gifts can be made to Fourth Church, noting “Christmas Wishes” in the comments/memo line.

For more information, contact Simon Crow.

Throughout this season of giving we are also receiving the annual “Light Up a Life” offering, which extends mercy, kindness, and love to those who are most vulnerable.

Gifts to this offering support the mission and outreach efforts of Fourth Church and Chicago Lights as they provide hot meals, clothing, encouragement, and extra support.

Gifts can be made to this offering by noting “Light Up a Life” in the comments section when giving via the Fourth Church website (fourthchurch org/give-online) or Venmo or on the memo line of a check made payable to Fourth Presbyterian Church.

Give thanks for those who are special in your life and remember loved ones through contributions toward the purchase of Christmas flowers, wreaths, and garlands that will decorate the Sanctuary this coming Advent and Christmas season.

A list of those remembered will be printed in the Christmas bulletin. Contributions must be received by Sunday, December 12 in order for names to be included in that bulletin.

Contribute to Christmas flowers at www.bit.ly/fpcgift. For more information, contact Andrea Miller.

If you missed last Friday’s outstanding concert by organist Aaron David Miller—or if you simply want to enjoy it all over again!—we invite you to listen and watch the video on YouTube.

It was a wonderful evening celebrating the sixth anniversary of the dedication of the Andrew Pipe Organ and the twenty-fifth anniversary of John Sherer’s music ministry at Fourth Church!

Looking for some holiday-weekend reading? Here are the topics of our next two book group discussions!

In December the online First Tuesday Book Club will discuss IRL: Finding Realness, Meaning, and Belonging in Our Digital Lives by Chris Stedman.

7:00 p.m. via Zoom

For Zoom details, register at www.bit.ly/firsttuesday1221

For their December conversation Books by Women invites women to read an Agatha Christie book and share a summary of it during next month’s discussion.

6:00 p.m. via Zoom

For Zoom details, email Simon Crow

One of our most popular adult education classes in recent years, “God in the Modern Wing” explored spiritual and artistic expression in the work of outstanding modern abstract artists. Now InterVarsity Press is releasing a collection of essays that extend and heighten this conversation, with work from both class leaders and other art experts.

This December 5 class will be conducted by the collection’s co-editor, Walter Hansen, with presentations by some of the book’s contributors.

The class will be followed by an optional walk to the Art Institute of Chicago to experience some of the art in person.

11:00 a.m.

Borwell Dining Room

followed by an optional walk to the Art Institute

Register at www.bit.ly/modernwing1205

In commemoration of the church’s 150th anniversary, this two-week class gives us opportunity to examine the many wonderful aspects of our physical environment at Michigan Avenue and Chestnut Street.

Don Allerton, who has led tours of the church for many years, will explain the architectural aspects of Fourth Church’s present building and, in the second class, take attendees on a tour of the sanctuary and public spaces.

Come learn the many secrets of our lovely building!

11:15 a.m.

Borwell Dining Room

For details, email Lewis Hamer

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 David Handley, Interim Minister for Caring Ministries, 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.

Wearing masks is required of everyone on the Fourth Church campus. The front section of the Sanctuary is for those required to or choosing to practice social distancing. Since everyone is fully 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.

To read about all of the guidelines that are in place for in-person worship, see www.fourthchurch.org/reopening

The service is also available online any time afterwards on YouTube.

For those who do not have Internet access, we also make our 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.

Our Sunday services are available for viewing following the conclusion of worship and throughout the week at www.bit.ly/fpcvideos.

Worship and sermon podcasts are available via iTunes and Spotify, and you can sign up to receive the text of the weekly sermon by email.

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