Sunday, July 2

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

with Communion

Joseph L. Morrow preaching

Worship bulletin

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

Livestreamed worship services 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.

The Lord’s Supper

This Sunday we celebrate the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. Those who are worshiping with us from home are encouraged to have bread and juice on hand so we might share in this meal together, wherever we are.

Children in Worship

Children are always welcome in worship! During the service nursery care is also available, and Summer Sunday School meets at 10:00 a.m. as well.

Routes to Worship

With this being NASCAR Chicago Street Race Weekend, you may want to consult the map of affected streets to identify your best route to worship on Sunday.

With great joy, eight members of Fourth Church, led by Joe Morrow and Gretchen Wahl, reunited with the First Presbyterian Church of Havana, Cuba, on a mission trip this June. Joe also had opportunity to preach at another congregation, in Guanabacoa, a suburb of Havana.

As our church’s first delegation to our partner church since the beginning of the pandemic, they carried the love and prayers of our congregation, along with suitcases full of medicines, diapers, powdered milk, and other items in short supply in the economically distressed country.

The travelers fully engaged in the life of the First congregation, staying at the church and learning about its service to the community. Activities included the Tai Chi class for the neighborhood, visits to sick members in their homes, the School for the Elderly, Bible study, and the chance to learn about Havana and Cuba.

Our churches share the same motto: “A light in the city” — “Una luz in la ciudad.” It is wonderful to see God’s light shining in two vibrant urban settings!

Twenty-five adults and five youth from Fourth Church marched in the Chicago Pride Parade on June 25, along with more than 200 people from more than forty churches from the Chicago Coalition of Welcoming Churches.

The Coalition of Welcoming Churches’ theme this year was “God's Love Embraces and TRANSforms All!”

Marchers were grateful to be part of sharing the message that God’s love is for everyone. And many of those watching the parade cheered and thanked the churches for sharing that affirmation.

Keep reading for reflections from our contingent on what marching in the parade meant to them.

“We loved marching. Although we didn’t make it the whole way, we enjoyed every minute of it — even the rain! I especially loved hearing people see us and shout ‘yay Christians!’

“As a teacher who has had some pushback this year for my inclusive classroom and library and was told by a parent that I should be aware of Christian kids in my class who ‘shouldn’t learn about LGBTQ+ topics’ I found the march to be uplifting and invigorating!

“Thank you for organizing and letting us be a part of it.”

—Carrie Stern

“This was my first Pride Parade, and I didn't know what to expect. I did not expect to feel emotional as I viewed the cheering crowd. I could feel their love and appreciation and was constantly overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of folks who seemed so grateful and full of joy for the event.

“It was moving and exciting and made me feel I was part of something very important. I'm so grateful for the experience.

“Thank you, Nanette, and all who made this possible!”

—Janet Love

“I felt I was getting a glimpse into God’s Kingdom! Joy, Love, Encouragement, Diversity, Inclusion in Abundance!

“With gratitude for my Fourth Pres Family —”

—Jeannie Forrest

“Thank you so much for this experience! I was proud to be with you all today and so grateful to be part of such an important mission. Thank you to everyone who did the work it takes to get this organized.

“I loved that my children (and my husband and I) got to see what being your authentic self looks like — in so many ways! — and to be part of sharing the message that God’s love is for everyone. Also, we felt like rock stars after walking through three miles of crowds cheering for us. Such amazing joy and positive energy.

“It was a great day. Thank you again.”

—Jessica Royer Ocken and family

“My strongest memories of the Pride Parade are the moments I see someone moved by our message of God’s love. People often mouth the words ‘thank you’ when I make eye contact with them.

“One young man did that to me and I replied, ‘God is love!’ which is one of the things I was shouting most of the time. Then I looked again at this young person's face and said, ‘God loves you!’ And I pointed at him when I said it. He got tears in his eyes and said again, ‘Thank you.’

“Those moments make it worth waiting around for two hours, getting rained on, and walking three miles in the heat and humidity.”

— Nanette Sawyer

“It was an amazing experience. I was surprised how happy the paradegoers were to see our whole coalition of church people. Such a wonderful expression of God's love to everyone, that maybe some of them have not felt with their own religious background or families. I saw at least five young people in tears as our group marched by.

“Can't wait for next year. So fun!”

—Kim Reome

“I was moved to tears many times on the parade route. I’ve never been in a place so full of joy, and it made me want to reflect that joy and love back at people.

“It struck me often that this is the biggest Pride Parade in the Midwest, so some of those people traveled a long time to be there, and it might be the first time some of them have been to such an event. I was honored to be in that celebration.”

—Jim Garner

Looking for something fresh and fun to do this summer?

The Music by the Fountain concert series begins Friday, July 7!

We hope you will join us as our Noonday concerts move outside to the Michigan Avenue courtyard for the July and August performances.

Jazz pianist Elsie Carlisle will kick off the concert series on July 7, with solo guitarist Andy Brown performing the following week on July 14.

A full concert listing is available at www.fourthchurch.org/concerts

The newest members of the Fourth Church family include the following individuals, who were received into membership by the Session this past Sunday and welcomed by the congregation during worship.

Molly Boed

Ethan Houskamp

Yena Kim

Patrick Martin

Kim Thomas

Lindsay Wahl

Alyssa Wickman

Andrew Wickman

Are you interested in becoming a member of Fourth Church? Email us for information!

Scaffolding will be installed Wednesday, July 5 to enable tuckpointing, flashing, and window repair work that will take place over the next two months.

No entrances will be affected by the scaffolding, which will start at the corner of Chestnut and Michigan and wrap around to the Manse, on Michigan Avenue.

Marriage

We give thanks to God for the gift of life together.

Elizabeth Anne Williams and Michael John Solbert

Married June 24, 2023

Death

We give thanks to God for the gift of life eternal.

Michael Birnkrant

Died July 15, 2018