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. Included among them are

• “Troublesome Texts and Gender” Adult Education class on Sunday mornings in person and via Zoom
• “Sermon Discussion and Fellowship” in person on Sundays, April 21 and 28
• Men’s Bible Study via Zoom on Tuesday mornings
• Benevolent Guild in person on Wednesday mornings
• Horizons Women’s Bible Study via Zoom at noon and in the evening on Wednesday, April 24
• Women at Fourth in person on Thursday evening, April 25 to view and discuss the short film There Are No Words
• Choral Society rehearsals, beginning Thursday evening, April 25
• “Specialist in Aging Ministries” series beginning Friday noon, April 26 in person
• Friday Noonday Concert, in person and livestreamed, featuring our Organist John Sherer on Friday, April 26
• Breakthrough Hunger Walk on Saturday morning, April 27
• Knitting and Crocheting via Zoom on Tuesday afternoon, April 30
• Cornerstones in person on Friday, May 3, featuring Ron Bottrell speaking about Presbyterian Disaster Assistance
• “Food and Religion” on Sunday morning, May 5 in person and via Zoom
• Staged reading of Perseverance of the Saints, written by Kat Evans, at the Chicago Temple on Sunday afternoon, May 5 and Tuesday evening, May 7
• Inquirers’ Class, for those seeking to become members of Fourth Church, in person on Sunday, May 12 
• Books by Women discussing Empress of the Nile by Lynne Olson in person on Tuesday evening, May 14 

For information about whom to contact for an event’s Zoom details or the link to register for an event, simply click on the down “arrow” to the right of the event name in the calendar (which is easily accessible from the “Calendar” at the top of the menu on our website).

For highlights about additional opportunities, keep reading!

Fourth Sunday of Easter, April 21

9:30 a.m. worship in person and online

Nanette Sawyer preaching

Worship bulletin

11:00 a.m. worship in person

Nanette Sawyer preaching

Worship bulletin

2:00 p.m. worship in person and online

The Gathering: Communion at 2:00

Nancy Benson-Nicol preaching

Worship bulletin

April 21 is Volunteer Recognition Sunday, a day when we give thanks for the many individuals who so generously give of their time and talent to bring to life the mission and ministry of Fourth Presbyterian Church and Chicago Lights.

For all of you who share of your gifts in this way, thank you!

During worship this Sunday we will be recognizing volunteers who are currently serving as well as those who served in 2023. A special Coffee Hour will follow. We hope you will join us!

Volunteering connects others with God’s love through our service. It also links us with one another through that shared cause while forging valuable relationships and establishing a sense of belonging and community.

To explore ways to make those connections, you can learn about our varied volunteer opportunities at fourthchurch.org/volunteer.

Particularly needed this season are individuals to serve as Coffee Hour hosts. For details, contact Simon Crow.

Also needed is an individual with digital marketing expertise to help the Replogle Center for Counseling and Well-Being. If interested, please contact Robert Crouch, Director of Volunteer Ministry.

Shown in the headline graphic is a detail of the new rainbow banner thanking volunteers. It was created by the Volunteer Ministry Council with the help of the Benevolent Guild.

Calling all who enjoy singing!

Come lend your voice to the Fourth Church Choral Society, which begins its spring rehearsals this coming Thursday, April 25 at 7:00 p.m. This will be in preparation for singing during the morning worship services on Pentecost: Sunday, May 19.

This spring will be the last time John Sherer directs the Choral Society before he moves to Rochester, New York, in June. So we’re hoping for a big Choral Society turnout, from former choir members to those who just enjoy joining in song.

Thursdays, April 25–May 16

Rehearsals: 7:00–8:00 p.m.

Buchanan Chapel

Sunday, May 19

Singing in 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. worship

In the coming weeks we will be celebrating John Sherer’s music ministry at Fourth Church and wish him Godspeed as he and his wife, Kara, relocate to Rochester, New York, in late June.

Mark these dates on your calendar and plan to join us for some wonderful music!

Friday, June 14

12:10 p.m. John Sherer plays his final Noonday Organ Concert 

Friday, June 21

7:00 p.m. Organ Recital played by John and followed by a festive reception

Sunday, June 23

John’s last Sunday at Fourth Church

Anyone who would like to sing in the choir that morning is invited to do so; we’ll rehearse at 8:45 a.m. prior to worship.

Fourth Church Caring Ministries and the Center for Life and Learning invite you to participate in “Specialist in Aging Ministry.” 

This pilot program, which is open to all, is especially for those who

• Care for older adults, including family members  
• Anticipate a need to support aging friends or relatives  
• Serve in caring ministries (e.g., Deacons, Stephen Ministers)  
• Are older adults looking to support friends and colleagues  

This three-session program is offered by the Center for Gerontology at Concordia University Chicago and is led by Fourth Church member Beth Truett, who earned a graduate certificate in gerontology. Rooted in Christian theology and accepted gerontological principles, the program examines complex factors that impact growing older in the twenty-first century. 

Fridays, April 26–May 10

12:00–3:00 p.m.

at Fourth Church

(in person only)

To learn more or to register (required), contact Amy Pagliarella or Annette Mileski.

Together we can help put an end to hunger!

Put on your walking shoes and join our youth and our World Mission and Social Justice Council next Saturday, April 27 when we will walk for hunger with Breakthrough, one of our community partners.

We’ll be joining them that morning in walking in East Garfield Park to raise funds for the battle against food insecurity. Thanks to generous sponsors, every registered walker will earn $27 for Breakthrough’s efforts to provide much-needed food for the community. 

Register here for Breakthrough’s 2024 Hunger Walk, indicating Fourth Presbyterian Church in the box marked “Church.”

Or to learn more, stop by the World Mission and Social Justice table during Coffee Hour this Sunday or email the WMSJ Council.

Saturday April 27

9:00–10:00 a.m. Check-in

10:00 a.m. Walk starts

Followed by food and fellowship

at Breakthrough Ministries FamilyPlex

3219 W. Carroll Ave., Chicago

Women at Fourth

For their April gathering, Women at Fourth will present a short-film screening of James Coney's There Are No Words, starring Fourth Church’s Jessica Wang and Connie Chang. 

The film, which delves into the impact of sexual assault, draws inspiration from Chanel Miller’s courageous victim impact statement and features a diverse cast of actresses.

After viewing There Are No Words, we will hear from the Director and Executive Producer, James Coney, and Fourth Church Elder Jessica Wang on their creative process and the making of this film.

Thursday, April 25

5:30 p.m.

Borwell Dining Room

Register here

Cornerstones

On Friday evening, May 3, the monthly gathering of Cornerstones — a fellowship opportunity for those fifty and over — will feature Ron Bottrell, who will describe the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance program.

Ron is a member of the PDA National Response Team, which provides help to congregations impacted by traumatic events, such as natural disasters and acts of violence. The team was recently deployed to Hawaii to provide emotional and spiritual care to homeless survivors of the wildfires in Maui.

Friday, May 3

5:30 p.m.

Borwell Dining Room

Register here

Nearly eighty people attended the April gathering of Cornerstones, at which Tom Dozeman — always a popular speaker at Fourth Church — engaged the audience with a presentation on Christian Nationalism.

This Sunday we continue our three-week course on “Troublesome Texts and Gender: Interpretive Strategies across the Abrahamic Faiths,” taught by Susan Ross, Professor Emerita, Department of Theology, Loyola University of Chicago.

Together we are looking at how certain troublesome texts in scripture on matters of gender and gender roles have been interpreted differently (now and over time) within our Christian tradition and across the Abrahamic faiths.

Sundays, April 14–28 

11:00 a.m.

Borwell Dining Room and via Zoom

For Zoom details, register here

Coming up May 5—

“Food and Religion”

On Sunday, May 5, Sarah Kernan, food historian and Scholar in Residence at Newberry Library, will be with us to talk about the role of food in religion through the ages.

In particular, we will look at how, in everyday and extraordinary culinary customs, Christians in medieval Europe acted out their faith through food, continually shaping and understanding liturgical practices.

Come explore how the liturgical year and the calendar of saints partly determined what, when, and how people ate. See how personal prayer and sacrifice were reflected by fasting and abstinence from specific foods and every church celebration, however solemn or joyous, was demonstrated by culinary practices.

Sunday, May 5

11:00 a.m.

Borwell Dining Room and via Zoom

For Zoom details, register here

“Perseverance of the Saints”

On Sunday afternoon, May 5 and again on Tuesday evening, May 7 we will have opportunity to see a staged reading of Perseverance of the Saints, written by Fourth Church member Kat Evans and presented at the Chicago Temple in the Loop.

The play is set in 1874 during a period of Fourth Church history that includes the heresy trial of its pastor, the Reverend David Swing. As the synopsis explains, “Thanks to the Ladies Society and the Fourth Church’s progressive pastor David Swing, Jennie begins to utilize her gifts, help others, and make her first true friend, Maggie. Jennie’s place with the ladies, her relationship with Maggie, and the entire Presbytery of Chicago is thrown into turmoil when the head of McCormick Theological Seminary charges David Swing with heresy.”

These two performances will be followed by a discussion of the play with playwright Kat Evans on Sunday morning, May 12 in Borwell Dining Room.

Staged Readings

Sunday, May 5

3:00 p.m.

Register here

Tuesday, May 7

7:30 p.m.

Register here

The May 5 and May 7 readings will take place at the First United Methodist Church at the Chicago Temple (77 W. Washington St.).

The running time is 2 hours 20 minutes with a 10-minute intermission.

“Sermon Discussion and Fellowship” is an opportunity to share in table group discussions of the Sunday sermon and lectionary texts while getting to know one another.

Join us following the 11:00 service this Sunday and next as we grow our faith, build fellowship, and deepen our understanding of the text and sermon topic by listening to what others have heard.

So that we can ensure we have enough refreshments, we kindly request that you register in advance for whichever Sundays you plan to attend.

Sundays, April 21 and 28

12:15 p.m.

Borwell Dining Room (in person only)

Please register here

Our Center for Life and Learning, which offers programming for adults sixty and over, has a variety of special topic presentations coming up that supplement the regular schedule of twenty weekly classes. Perhaps one — or both — might be of interest to you!

Generational Wealth through Estate Planning

Every estate planning attorney will tell you that you need an estate plan. However, the type of estate plan a person needs depends heavily on their family, their goals, and the assets that they own.

This one-session presentation will help participants gain an understanding of what the planning process is like, including what to expect at the first meeting with an attorney, the information that should be gathered ahead of time, and what decisions one will be asked to make. Estate planning is one step in the process of building generational wealth and creating a legacy for your family.

This free event is offered through the CLL and presented by Maureen Moran of @Properties and Maribeth Berlin.

Wednesday, April 24

5:00 p.m.

Anderson Hall 

Registration required

Mary Oliver: The Essays

A favorite instructor and former Director of the CLL, Susan Quaintance, returns to teach a three-week class on the essays of poet Mary Oliver.

Join Susan as she guides us through a discussion of Oliver’s attention to detail and awe for the natural world, which nudges readers into witnessing our shared humanity.

Mondays, May 6–May 20

11:30 a.m.

Room 4F and via Zoom

Registration required

On Sunday, April 14, CLL Director Annette Mileski was a guest panelist at the Spring Luncheon Fundraiser for the Storycatchers Theatre.

A nonprofit organization working with youth in the juvenile justice system, Storycatchers helps them tell their stories through musical theater. By moving beyond their histories, the youth transform their own lives, communities, and people who are ready to listen.

The vision of Storycatchers is a world where every young person can author the next chapter of their own story. Thus the organization seeks to amplify the voices of systems-impacted young people through program pathways that are rooted in the creative arts, helping the youth envision and pursue meaningful futures.

Annette’s thirty-five years as a storyteller and storyteller coach as well as her study of the neuroscience of storytelling rounded out the discussion of the impact that telling our own story and the work of Storycatchers Theatre has in our community.

The Center for Life and Learning — which was created as a way for people to connect with one another and build community — and our Community Engagement ministry, led by Patrick Daniel (Community Engagement Manager) and Joe Morrow (Associate Pastor for Evangelism and Community Engagement), are excited about working with Storycatchers Theatre on future projects.

You can learn more about Storycatchers here.

On Sunday, Session met with the 2024 class of eighth-grade confirmands —

Louisa Amberg 

Samantha Borg-Breen 

Emily Findler 

Nina Griesbeck

Maeve Lingenfelter 

Sabine Lundgren-Flath 

Alec Nunziati 

Henry Poole 

Max Poole 

Max Riva 

Sadie Ruhana 

Charlie Shaffer 

Tyler Shaffer 

Grace Siurek 

Hailey Skowlund 

Miles Trost 

— who then were recognized and welcomed into the wider life of the congregation during the 9:30 service.

Afterwards all enjoyed cake in a festive Coffee Hour celebrating the confirmands.

Please keep these youth in prayer as they continue with us on their faith journey.

Please also join us in giving thanks for the faith-filled dedication of the confirmation leaders, who accompanied the youth on their journey this past year: Caryn Borg-Breen, Amy Pagliarella, and Michael Tax.

Last Thursday, Chicago Lights Social Service Center artists displayed their art in an “Art Hour Showcase.”

Then on Friday evening, we hosted an opening reception for the newest Loggia Gallery exhibit: “Gathered Together,” featuring the works of Alexandra Antoine and curated by Monica J. Brown. When you are next at Fourth Church, be sure to walk through the Loggia, where the exhibition will be on display through mid-May.

Also last Friday we were treated to a performance by the Temple City High School Choir, all the way from California. We are delighted that increasingly often our Friday Noonday Concerts are followed by a visiting high school choir singing for concertgoers who stay on or visitors whow stop in.

As we shared on Facebook and Instagram earlier this week, in a sure sign of spring this week the tulips are blooming outside the church, along Michigan Avenue.

Conversation and Presence

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 Nancy Benson-Nicol, Associate Pastor for Caring Ministries and Spiritual Formation, or leave a confidential message for a Stephen Minister at 312.573.3365.

Grief Groups facilitated by the Replogle Center for Counseling and Well-Being meet for four weeks via Zoom, with the next one beginning Wednesday, May 15. To learn more or register for a group, contact the group facilitator, Sharon Crawford-Tucker.

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, illnesses, hospitalizations, or deaths, please email Gloria Fleming, Assistant for Caring Ministries and Spiritual Formation; 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.

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.

Prayer

If you would like to submit a prayer request to our Morning Prayer or Deacon Prayer Ministries, please email Gloria Fleming or Nancy Benson-Nicol.

If you would like to offer individual prayers of praise or concern with a Deacon, you are invited to do so on Sunday mornings in Stone Chapel (through the Sanctuary door to the right of the pulpit) following the 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. services.

If you would like to join in praying for others — members of Fourth Church and those in need — we invite you to gather with us for Wednesday Morning Prayer weekly at 9:30 a.m. via Zoom. On the first Wednesday of the month (May 1) we also gather at 10:00 a.m. for in-person Morning Prayer in Buchanan Chapel. For Zoom details, email Nancy Benson-Nicol.

Children in Worship

Children are always welcome in worship at Fourth Church! If you need to step out to comfort your child, the Hospitality Suite, on the second floor of the Gratz Center, is a quiet space for families where worship is livestreamed.

During Sunday morning services nursery care is available on the fourth floor of the Gratz Center for infants through two-year-olds.

Livestreamed Services

Livestreamed worship services (9:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.) are accessible by going to www.bit.ly/fpcvideos, subscribing to our YouTube channel, or clicking on the photo with a “Play” arrow on the home page of the Fourth Church website.

These livestreams are available to view anytime after the service begins if you would prefer to connect online at a later time. For tips on how to watch — from the beginning — a service already in progress, see www.fourthchurch.org/watch-from-the-beginning

Audio-only by phone is available (toll free) by calling 888.916.9166 just prior to the start of the service 9:30 service.

There’s a lot going on at Fourth Church!

There is the formation of the Pastor Nominating Committee as well as the Long-Range Planning work, all in addition to worship services, classes, trips, concerts, gatherings, and more.

We want to make sure you feel connected to all of these initiatives and have all the latest information about them.

So we ask that you please take 1 minute to reply to a simple survey to let us know how you want to access the latest news and information from Fourth Church in the days ahead!