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!

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

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

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.

in Buchanan Chapel

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

Our annual Fair Trade Bazaar has moved online for this year, with opportunity to browse various sites offering handcrafted goods, including folk art, ceramics, textiles, baskets, jewelry, skin care products, and more from Chicago and around the world.

Every purchase of a fair trade gift has a ripple effect of benefits. Artisans produce their products in safe working conditions and earn a fair wage for their labor, which enables them to provide food, shelter, education, and health care for their families. The environment is sustainably treated through healthy soil practices and the minimal use of chemicals and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). And we, the consumers, make a conscious choice to be part of a community striving for a more just world.

In support of that choice, the World Mission and Social Justice Committee invites you to join them in shopping fair trade this Friday–Sunday, December 3–5 at the links below. This year there is particular focus on our partnership with Ten Thousand Villages—“a global maker-to-market movement that breaks the cycle of generational poverty and ignites social change”—especially the Evanston location.

This Saturday morning, join spiritual director Sue Schemper online for “What Is Waiting to Be Born in You.”

This Advent workshop is an 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.

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

Via Zoom

Register online at www.bit.ly/adventworkshop21

This Sunday Walter Hansen, co-editor of God in the Modern Wing: The Book, will talk about this collection of essays, which grew out of one of our most popular adult education classes in recent years, “God in the Modern Wing.”

This exploration of spiritual and artistic expression in the work of outstanding modern abstract artists 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, Don Allerton, who has led tours of the church for many years, will explain the architectural aspects of Fourth Church’s present building in a two-week class beginning December 12. In the second session, attendees will take a tour of the sanctuary and public spaces.

Come learn the many secrets of our lovely building!

11:00 a.m.

Borwell Dining Room

For details, email Lewis Hamer

Matt Helms and Rocky Supinger invite you to listen in on their discussion of “The Top Ten Advent Hymns and the Bible Verses Behind Them,” the topic of this week’s episode in their newly launched podcast, Bible Top Ten.

You can find this lively, often lighthearted, always interesting podcast about the Bible at www.fourthchurch.org/podcast.

The season of Advent invites us to set aside time for daily personal prayer and reflection. Our Advent devotions—which are written by Fourth Church members and staff—offer a resource for this meditative journey.

To receive the devotions 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 8, 15, and 22 between 9:00 and 9:45 a.m. (masks required; enter at 126 E. Chestnut).

email Rocky Supinger.

Another resource for our Advent journey is our weekly series of “Rhythm and Word” videos. Each week of the season we will be exploring—in word and music—the songs of scripture and the drumbeat of hope, joy, peace, and love that is at the center of the Christian story.

If you have not yet had opportunity to view this week’s video, we invite you to find some time to pause in the coming days for these few moments of spiritual reflection.

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

This Friday, December 3 is the deadline for contributing gift cards for Target, Amazon, or Walmart as part of our Christmas Wishes project to provide gifts for Chicago Lights Tutoring students.

If you are dropping off gift cards at the church, please mark them to the attention of Simon Crow and designate the amount on each card. (We are giving $30 worth of gift cards to each student.)

Women at Fourth is also purchasing books to give to the students and 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.

This season remember loved ones and others who are special in your life 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 next 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.

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 Carols.

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

6:30 p.m.

in the Sanctuary and livestreamed

Please join us in welcoming the newest members of the Fourth Church family who were received into membership by the Session on November 14 and welcomed during worship on Sunday, November 21.

Patricia Asbridge

Emily Crum

Stephen Johnson

Beth Schramm

Patrick Sheahan

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!

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