On the church calendar are many opportunities to connect online 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 highlights of some of the opportunities you will find on the calendar, keep reading!

Shannon J. Kershner preaching

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

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

This Sunday is Dedication Commemoration Sunday at Fourth Church (see below).

It is also the day we will celebrate our fourth and fifth graders receiving Bibles from the congregation. This gift of a Bible is but one of the ways we live out our baptismal pledge as a congregation to support the children and youth of the church. Please join in keeping them in your prayers as they continue to grow in faith!

Our online worship services are available live at 11:00 a.m. (Central) via

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 throughout the week at www.bit.ly/FPCworship.

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.

This Sunday we observe Dedication Commemoration Sunday at Fourth Church, declared by Pastor John Timothy Stone in 1914 to be observed on the third Sunday of each May.

It was on May 10 of that year that the Fourth Church congregation first worshiped in the Michigan Avenue Sanctuary. Not only did a series of dedicatory services follow, but later that month the new Sanctuary and Parish House buildings were host to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, including the assembly’s Communion service attended by more than 1,800 worshipers.

During the prelude of our online worship service this Sunday, we will be sharing historical images of our various church homes from our 150-year history. (The prelude will begin at approximately 10:45 a.m.). In doing so, we give thanks for all who have made possible our place in the city from which to do ministry.

The generations that have gone before us left a vibrant legacy, not only in the bricks and mortar of the Sanctuary and Parish House buildings but also in the financial foundation from which we carry forth our ministry. It was the $25,000 that remained after the completion of the 1914 building project that began the Fourth Church endowment fund.

Just as we carry on the work of the church today, so too we are committed to passing on the legacy of that ministry for future generations. If you are creating or revising your will or are considering a legacy gift to Fourth Presbyterian Church or Chicago Lights, we invite you to be in touch with Katy Frey Bever, Director of Development, for information about our Legacy Society.

9:30 a.m. via Zoom

To receive Zoom details, register at www.bit.ly/jonah21

Over the course of four Sundays, David Handley, Interim Minister for Caring Ministries, will be leading us through scriptural study and discussion that explore the situations when

We hope you will join us for this examination of the persistent mercy of God, something we will see reflected in the comic and tragic story of Jonah, the reluctant prophet.

6:00 p.m. via Zoom

For Zoom details, register at www.bit.ly/interfaith060221

You are invited to gather online with our neighbors from Chicago Sinai Congregation to share stories of life and faith.

In a time of great divisiveness and isolation, it’s vitally important to get to know others and strengthen our connections. So we hope you will join Fourth Church and Chicago Sinai via Zoom for a time of conversation, making new friends, and deepening the bonds we already have.

Together with interfaith partners we are planning a Music Mission Trip to the Middle East for 2022. To learn more or express interest, contact John Sherer or Nanette Sawyer.

Thanks to the generosity of many, Fourth Church Meals Ministry is expanding!

Beginning Saturday, June 5, we will offer a to-go breakfast for our guests on Saturdays, a day when there are very few meals programs in the city.

Three to four volunteers will be needed each Saturday to assemble and distribute this cold breakfast from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. If you are interested in volunteering, please let us know via VOMO, our Volunteer Ministry sign-up platform

For those interested in becoming members of Fourth Church, our next online Inquirers’ Class will be held this Sunday, May 16 via Zoom.

You can register for this one-session class at www.bit.ly/inquirer0521

For additional information about Fourth Church membership, please contact Joe Morrow.

Each Sunday after worship we offer opportunity to connect with familiar friends or meet new people during virtual Coffee Hour via Zoom.

We hope you will take a few moments to join us for this casual time of Sunday fellowship and conversation!

Also accessible at www.bit.ly/fpcfellowship

(the link is posted on our website as well: www.fourthchurch.org)

Meeting ID: 963 5583 1751

Passcode: 631276

Phone: Call 1 312.626.6799

and enter Meeting ID 963 5583 1751#

God never intended that we struggle through life’s crises alone. For one-to-one spiritual and emotional support through difficult times, be it death, loss, illness, financial insecurity, pandemic fatigue, or other life challenges, we encourage you to consider being paired (virtually for now) with one of our congregation’s trained and caring Stephen Ministers.

To request a match with a Stephen Minister or to learn more about this opportunity, contact David Handley, Interim Minister for Caring Ministries, or leave a confidential message for a Stephen Minister at 312.573.3365.

As many of us are looking for healthy ways to cope with stresses and anxiety, anger and frustration, grief and uncertainty, the staff of our Replogle Center for Counseling and Well-Being is also available to offer suggestions and support through phone appointments or teletherapy, whether for just a few sessions or on an ongoing basis.

To set up a time to talk or for more information about how the Center can be a resource for you, call the Center at 312.787.2729, ext. 2260.

Additionally, 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 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