Second Sunday of Advent, December 4

10:00 a.m. worship in person and online

with Communion

Shannon J. Kershner preaching

The worship bulletin is available to download and print

In person and streamed from the Sanctuary on our YouTube channel: www.bit.ly/fpcvideos

Audio available by phone (toll free) by calling 888.916.9166

Nursery care is available on Sundays at 9:45 a.m. on the fourth floor of the Gratz Center.

This Sunday we will be celebrating the Lord’s Supper during the morning service, and so we encourage those worshiping with us from home to have bread and juice on hand so that we might share in Communion together wherever we may be.

4:00 p.m. Jazz at Four worship in person

with Communion

in Buchanan Chapel

Rocky Supinger preaching

The worship bulletin is available to download and print

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

Christmas Wishes

Women at Fourth is coordinating our annual Christmas Wishes project to provide gifts for Chicago Lights Tutoring students. To support this project we are collecting gift cards to Best Buy, Starbuck’s, McDonald’s, Uber, Target, and Amazon (giving a total of $25 worth of cards to each student).

Gift cards can be dropped off at the church reception desk to the attention of Simon Crow by this coming Thursday, December 8. (Please designate the amount on the cards.)

Monetary contributions can also be made to support the purchase of a book for each student. Gifts can be made online at www.fourthchurch org/give-online or by writing a check payable to Fourth Presbyterian Church with “Christmas Wishes” designated in the memo line.

Light Up a Life

The annual “Light Up a Life” offering 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 meals, clothing, encouragement, and extra support.

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

Gifts can also be made using the “Light Up a Life” envelopes in the Sanctuary on Sundays.

Remember loved ones and recognize those who are special in your life by making contributions in their name toward the purchase of Christmas flowers, wreaths, and garlands. These will decorate the Sanctuary and Buchanan Chapel this coming Advent and Christmas season. A list of those remembered will be printed in the Christmas bulletin.

Contributions can be made online and must be received by next Sunday, December 11 in order for names to be included in the bulletin.

For more information, contact Gloria Vicente.

Next Sunday evening we will gather in person and online for one of our beloved Advent traditions at Fourth Church, the Festival of Advent Lessons and Music. 

Once again we will hear the scripture readings of the season and hear and sing the music of Advent as we anticipate the birth of Jesus Christ.

After the service, Women at Fourth will be giving “Cookies and Cocoa to Go” bags to those attending.

Sunday, December 11

6:30 p.m.

in the Sanctuary and livestreamed

The sounds of music will fill Fourth Church in the month ahead. If you are looking for a musical treat to add to your holiday celebrations, you can find a variety of in-person opportunities on our concert calendar!

Candlelight Carols with the St. Charles Singers

Saturday, December 3

7:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary

Tickets are available from www.stcharlessingers.com

Bach Marathon: Brandenburg Concertos 1–6

presented by the Chicago Civic Orchestra

Monday, December 5

7:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary

Tickets are required but free from www.cso.org

CSO Presents: A Chanticleer Christmas

Tuesday and Wednesday, December 6 and 7

7:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary

Tickets available at www.cso.org

“Holidays a cappella” with Chicago a cappella

Friday, December 9

8:00 p.m. in Buchanan Chapel

Tickets are available from www.chicagoacappella.org

A Festival of Advent Lessons and Music

Sunday, December 11

6:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary

The choirs of Fourth Church sing seasonal favorites during this evening worship service

Christmas with Tower Brass

Saturday, December 17

5:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary

A family-friendly Christmas concert including seasonal favorites from classics to jazz and a carol sing-along

No tickets required; suggested donation of $20 at the door

Also livestreamed on our YouTube channel

Christmas Cantata: Gloria by John Rutter

performed by the Morning Choir and Tower Brass

Sunday, December 18

10:00 a.m. worship service in the Sanctuary

Also livestreamed on our YouTube channel

Sounds Good! Choirs Winter Concert

Tuesday, December 20

2:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary

A program by the Chicago area’s largest and fastest-growing choral organization for older adults

A complete concert schedule, including free Friday Noonday Concerts

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.

Please join us in welcoming the newest members of the Fourth Church family, who were received into membership by the Session this autumn and welcomed by the congregation during worship on Sunday, November 20.

Abby Bristow

Jordan Brummett

Chuck Carson

Lynne Carson

Barbara Charlson 

Patrick Daleen

Justin Epps

Michelle Lane Epps

Grace Gillen

Kamana Mbekeani

Lumumba Mbekeani 

Susanna McColley

Hyelee Won Schmid

Matt Shoub

Sarah Shu

Mary Smith

Janet Tobin

Sharon Williams

Are you interested in becoming a member of Fourth Church? Joe Morrow, Associate Pastor for Evangelism and Community Engagement, would welcome the opportunity to get to know you!

Meals Ministry

Fourth Church Meals Ministry is in need of volunteers to assist in preparing and serving meals for our neighbors who are hungry and food insecure.

To learn more or explore the various Meals Ministry volunteer needs, see our Volunteer Ministry platform, VOMO (www.bit.ly/fpcvolunteers).

Michigan Avenue Forum Planning

This autumn’s “The 1619 Project Revisited”—featuring Pulitzer Prize-winning author Nikole Hannah-Jones and local award-winning reporter Natalie Moore—was our most recent Fourth Church Michigan Avenue Forum. If you enjoy unique events like this that feature important religious and secular thinkers discussing current civic, ethical, and religious issues, we encourage you to consider joining the group planning future forums.

The Michigan Avenue Forum planning team is looking for individuals to help develop and deliver events that promote civic engagement within the church and the Chicagoland community. If you would like more information on this volunteer opportunity, please contact Lucy Forster-Smith.

For all who took the time to submit names of individuals for the Nominating Committee to consider for the offices of Deacon, Trustee, Elder, Nominating Committee member, or member of the Chicago Lights Board, thank you!

While a recommendation is not a guarantee that the individual will receive a call for nomination, it does greatly help the committee ensure that the officer candidates reflect the rich diversity of this congregation’s membership. As the needs of the church change over time, the committee’s role is to present a slate of candidates who can best meet current challenges as well as strengthen and nurture the faith and life of our congregation. We are grateful for your input that helps us do so.

The committee continues its discernment and work in preparing to present a recommended slate at our Annual Meeting of the Congregation on the second Sunday in February.

Thank you again for your part in developing our leaders!

The Nominating Committee

Luke Beasley, Michael Belsley, Caryn Borg-Breen, Hope Daniels, Ranjan Daniels, Joe Fong, Jeannie Forrest (Chair), Jenny Giblin, Karen Muller, Mark Nelson, Beth Truett, Pastor Lucy Forster-Smith (staff)