Sunday, September 25

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

with the Installation of Nancy Benson-Nicol

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.

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

with Communion

in Buchanan Chapel

Nanette Sawyer preaching

The worship bulletin is available to download and print

We look forward to the installation of Nancy Benson-Nicol as Associate Pastor for Caring Ministries and Spiritual Formation during worship this Sunday morning, September 25.

We hope you will join us in celebration, whether in person or online, at 10:00 a.m. A festive reception in Anderson Hall will follow.

Several of our ministries are in need of volunteers to make the work of our congregation and Chicago Lights possible. 

Might you have the time to help?

Sunday Night Supper

Meals Ministry is looking for input from volunteers, current and future, about Sunday Night Supper cooking, serving, supervising, growth, and additional opportunities. They invite you to join them in discussion via Zoom (www.bit.ly/meals922) this Thursday, September 29 at 6:30 p.m. 

Chicago Lights Tutoring

Tutors are needed on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday evenings to partner with Chicago Lights Tutoring students. For details, contact Mark Dennison.

Chicago Lights Gala of Hope Committee

The Chicago Lights Gala of Hope Committee is in need of individuals to support the annual Gala of Hope fundraising event by securing individual and corporate sponsorships, soliciting auction items, and generating excitement about this evening of fun and philanthropy. To learn more, contact Katy Frey Bever.

Purple Bows

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which we will be observing with Between Friends. As part of that, on Tuesday, October 4 we will tie purple ribbons on the Michigan Avenue fence. To help tie ribbons or for more information about the month’s events, email Simon Crow.

Also needed are recommendations for candidates for leadership positions opening in 2023 for Elder, Deacon, Trustee, and Nominating Committee as well as the Chicago Lights Board.

By September 30 please take a moment to think of Fourth Church members who have demonstrated gifts for leadership and a commitment to the life and ministry of this congregation.

Then add their names—self-nominations are welcome!—to the Leadership Candidate Form online at www.bit.ly/nominating2023

For those who would like to learn more about what is involved in these leadership roles, the Nominating Committee invites you to join them via Zoom this Tuesday, September 27 at 5:00 p.m.

Women at Fourth

Women at Fourth will host “Facing Our Fears and Uncertainty,” presented by author and Fourth Church member Arlene Faulk, this Sunday, September 25 at 11:15 a.m. in Room 5G.

Those seeking inspiration and courage in facing fears and uncertainties are invited to hear Arlene talk about her own strategies and steps for doing so.

Anyone who would like to hear the presentation is welcome to attend; simply register at www.bit.ly/waf922

New Small Groups

New Zoom Small Groups will be starting again in October.

Books used for grounding discussion will include Hospitality: The Sacred Art by Nanette Sawyer, The 1619 Project by Nikole Hannah-Jones, and Silencing White Noise: Six Practices to Overcome our Inaction on Race by Willie Dwayne Francois III.

If you would like to connect with five to seven other people via Zoom for a time of fellowship, relationship building, and spiritual formation or simply want to learn more about our small-group opportunities, please email Simon Crow.

Cornerstones

Cornerstones, a fellowship group for those fifty and over, will meet for dinner and a program on Friday, October 7 at 5:30 p.m. in Borwell Dining Room.

Members of Fourth Church’s Racial Equity Council and Joe Morrow will talk about their experiences on the Est. 1619 Pilgrimage to Charleston, South Carolina.

Register (required) for the gathering at www.bit.ly/cfpc1022

Widen Our Welcome

LGBTQIA+ Widen Our Welcome will gather for brunch next Sunday, October 2 following 10:00 a.m. worship.

All who would like to join in this time of fellowship are asked to meet at the church reception desk that day to walk together to a nearby restaurant.

On Tuesday, October 18 we will be hosting a Michigan Avenue Forum: “The 1619 Project Revisited: Race, History, and the Future—A Conversation with Nikole Hannah-Jones and Natalie Moore.”

This 7:00 p.m. program in the Sanctuary will feature Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and author of the New York Times’ 1619 Project, Nikole Hannah-Jones, together with WBEZ’s Natalie Moore, in a discussion moderated by D. Bradford Hunt, Professor and Chair in the Department of History at Loyola University.

Please plan to join us for this important conversation!

Earlier this week, Chicago Lights sent a letter to its supporters and partners with news of Chicago Lights’ decision to sunset the Dance Academy. 

As the letter explained,

“This was not an easy decision. Thanks to the work of artists, teachers, and parents, thousands of Chicago-area students have participated in Dance Academy classes and benefited from deeper engagement in school, increased confidence, and a greater appreciation for the arts. 

“That has been deeply important, impactful work.

“At the same time Chicago Lights leadership is confident that bringing this work to a close in this season is the right strategic move for Chicago Lights’ future, as we focus on preparing the organization for strategic initiatives that include expansion of the Tutoring Program’s Reading Clinic and increasing the Social Service Center’s housing support services.

“Although we are not taking dance into the schools this fall or holding Saturday classes, we hold close the joy-filled images and testimonials of 22 years of dancers as a treasured chapter of the Chicago Lights story. With the deepest gratitude we celebrate it and all that this program accomplished ... through the dedicated time, energy, and resources of devoted people and organizations:

Partner Schools, Students, and Parents

Many talented and dedicated teaching artists

Diana Anton, Director (2000–2014)

Cescily Washington, Director (2014–2019)

Patty Mendez, Director (2019–2022)

Annie Snow, Program Manager (2018–2022)

Greer Foundation

Polk Bros. Foundation

Fourth Presbyterian Church

“Our work to serve our city and to partner with communities and families continues, as we creatively endeavor to make futures bright. For your partnership in that—and for the gift that the Dance Academy has been—thank you.”

As a congregation we echo that Chicago Lights thank-you. We remember with gratitude the liturgical dances (see photo above) that the Chicago Lights Dance Academy offered during worship, and we join in giving thanks for the gift of the dancers and all who partnered with them.

While we concluded our 150th anniversary celebrations earlier this year, the library of video messages and clergy memories has continued to grow.

If you haven’t yet seen the following, you can find them online with the full collection of video messages from friends of Fourth Church and memories from clergy who served this congregation previously.

Nancy Enderle

Wayne Myers, husband of Dana Ferguson

Joyce Shin

Milton Winter

On Yom Kippur this year, Shannon Kershner will be preaching at The Beloved Community High Holy Day Experience, which will be held at Trinity United Church of Christ (400 W. 95th St.).

This series of interfaith services on the Jewish High Holy Days will take place on Monday, September 26; Tuesday, October 4; and Wednesday, October 5 and will also include, among others, preachers Rabbi Seth Limmer, the Reverend Otis Moss III, and Father Michael Pfleger.

Shannon will preach on the theme of recommitment to self and others on Yom Kippur, Wednesday, October 5 at 11:00 a.m. at Trinity UCC.

To attend, register at www.open-judaism.org/highholydays, where you can also find a complete worship schedule.

Marriage

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

Blake Louise Bomier and William Bradley Moore

Married September 17, 2022

Death

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

Barbara Payne

Died September 17, 2022