Looking for ways in this new year to connect with the Fourth Church community and one another? On the church calendar you will find many opportunities to do so online (or, where noted, in person). Included among them are—
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Men’s Bible Study on Tuesday mornings
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Morning Prayer via Zoom on Wednesday mornings at 9:30 a.m.; contact Rocky Supinger for details
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Morning Prayer in person in Buchanan Chapel on Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m.
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Opportunity to walk the labyrinth in Buchanan Chapel on Wednesdays and Thursdays between 9:00 and 10:00 a.m.
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Benevolent Guild on Wednesday mornings
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Horizons Bible Study for women on Wednesday noon and evening, February 9
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 about some additional opportunities, keep reading!
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Sunday, January 30
10:00 a.m. worship in person and online
9:45 a.m. prelude
Lucy Forster-Smith preaching
4:00 p.m. Jazz at Four worship in person
with Communion
in Buchanan Chapel
Lucy Forster-Smith preaching
Sermon Series: Things Jesus Never Said
This Sunday we continue the sermon series “Things Jesus Never Said” with the sermon “Things Jesus Never Said: ‘Hate the Sin, Love the Sinner,’” based on John 8:1–11.
Livestreamed Worship
While we will continue to stream the morning services at the FPCworship channel through mid-February, we will then move to streaming online via our YouTube channel only, the link for which is available above and on the home page of our website.
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This Sunday we are honored to welcome to Fourth Church Bradford Hunt, Chair of the Department of History at Loyola University.
Dr. Hunt joins us as this week as the final guest presenter for the class “The 1619 Project,” in which we are discussing the acclaimed New York Times series on slavery’s continuing legacy of injustice and inequality.
Sunday, January 30
11:15 a.m.
in person in Buchanan Chapel and online via Zoom
Seating is socially distanced.
The class will also be available to watch online at a later date.
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Noonday Organ Concert
This week our Organist John Sherer will be presenting our weekly Friday Noonday Concert. We invite you to join us in person or tune in via YouTube, where the concert will be both livestreamed and available for viewing later.
Friday, January 28
12:10 p.m.
Mark Lomax Quartet
The Mark Lomax Quartet will be in concert at Fourth Church next Friday evening to perform “Let There Be Light.”
“Let There Be Light” was written by Dr. Lomax, a critically acclaimed composer, recording artist, and drummer. He is also an activist and educator specializing in the sociopolitical and spiritual aspects of African American art, music, and race, as well as the role of the arts in building community.
A seven-movement tone poem inspired by the biblical creation story found in Genesis, “Let There Be Light” is presented through an aleatoric compositional technique that presents unstructured themes to the musicians, who interpret them in real time based on the macro narrative of the work. Each of the themes suggests a soundscape particular to each day of creation and evolves as a collective artistic creation to reflect the act of divine creation.
We hope you will join us for this concert, whether in person or via the livestream on YouTube!
Friday, February 4
7:30 p.m.
Freewill offering will be received at the door.
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First Tuesday Book Club
The First Tuesday Book Club invites readers to examine the ethical and social issues facing Christians today and provides a forum for thinking Christians and others to wrestle with the complexities of living as faithful people in today’s confusing world.
This coming Tuesday the February topic of discussion will be Sanctuary: Being Christian in the Wake of Trump by Heidi Neumark.
For more than forty years the author, a Lutheran pastor, has worked to turn faith communities into sanctuaries amid the turmoil of life. With the sociopolitical upheaval since Donald Trump was elected, Pastor Neumark believes the Christian calling is to live out a counterpoint to spirits of exclusion and hatred.
Using the author’s own bilingual, multicultural congregation as a model, the book moves through the seasons of the church calendar to reflect on what it looks like to live out essential Christian convictions in community with others.
Tuesday, February 1
7:00 p.m. via Zoom
Books by Women
Books by Women invites all interested women to join them online in February for conversation about The Girl Who Wrote In Silk by Kelli Estes.
In this historical novel, modern-day Inara Erickson is “captivated by an elaborately stitched piece of fabric hidden in her aunt’s house. The truth behind the silk sleeve dates back to 1886, when Mei Lien, the lone survivor of a cruel purge of the Chinese in Seattle, found refuge on Orcas Island and shared her tragic experience by embroidering it. ... Through the stories Mei Lein tells in silk, Inara uncovers a tragic truth that will shake her family to its core—and force her to make an impossible choice.”
Tuesday, February 8
6:00 p.m. via Zoom
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Cornerstones
In observance of Black History Month, next Friday our February Cornerstones meeting will present a “Conversation on Critical Race Theory” with our own Joe Morrow, Associate Pastor for Evangelism and Community Engagement, and guest Dr. Jose Morales, Professor of Church History at Chicago Theological Seminary.
The conversation for this online gathering of adults fifty and over will address four fundamental questions:
- What is Critical Race Theory?
- What is it not?
- Why has the theory become the focus of a national debate over race and education in the past two years?
- What role should the church play in addressing this issue?
Friday, February 4
5:30 p.m. via Zoom
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“Presbyterian Witness: A Brief Statement of Faith”
In October we studied the Apostles’ Creed. Beginning next Sunday we will be spending time looking at the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s A Brief Statement of Faith.
Join us as we examine what makes the Brief Statement of Faith both universal for Christians and specific to the Reformed tradition and discuss how it serves us as believers, children of God, and people in the modern world.
Sundays, February 6–20
Following morning worship
In person in Borwell Dining Room and online via Zoom
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For those interested in becoming members of Fourth Church, our online Inquirers’ Class will be held next Sunday, February 6 via Zoom.
For additional information about Fourth Church membership, please contact Joe Morrow. |
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On Sunday, February 13 we will conclude our sesquicentennial year with a festive service of worship at 10:00 a.m. John Buchanan, Pastor Emeritus, will preach that morning.
We hope that current and former members and staff will come together in worship that day—whether online or in person—as we celebrate this congregation’s legacy and look toward our future.
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Following the February 13 worship service that will conclude our sesquicentennial celebration, we will gather for the Annual Meeting of the Congregation, which will be held both in person and livestreamed.
As part of that meeting, the congregation will elect new officers. The recommended slate of officers that will be presented by the Nominating Committee will be posted on our website prior to the meeting.
The meeting will also include remarks reflecting on the previous year and looking ahead to the year to come.
All members are encouraged to attend the annual meeting in order to take part in this important activity in the life of Fourth Church! The link for attending the meeting online will be available on our website closer to the day of the meeting.
Sunday, February 13
11:15 a.m.
In the Sanctuary and livestreamed
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Recently, Presbyterian Church (USA) Stated Clerk Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, who speaks on behalf of the PCUSA General Assembly, made remarks on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.
Chicago has been home to a long-standing Jewish–Presbyterian dialogue group, and several Fourth Church pastors have joined with other local Presbyterians in issuing a statement responding to Dr. Nelson’s remarks. The statement also prayerfully supports the Jewish community in the United States in light of the hostage crisis this past month at Congregation Beth Israel Synagogue in Colleyville, Texas.
The Presbytery’s Dialogue Group statement can be found on our website here. Dr. Nelson’s original statement can be found here and his follow-up statement here. |
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Fourth Church has a variety of job openings, including for the positions of administrative assistant, worship coordinator, staff accountant, Center for Life and Learning Director, and Human Resources Director.
If you know someone who would be a good fit for one of our posted roles, please let them know about our openings.
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Mark your calendars! The annual Chicago Lights Gala of Hope will be held at the Ritz-Carlton Chicago (160 E. Pearson) on Friday, March 4, beginning at 5:30 p.m.
This annual event supports the life-changing work of Chicago Lights—the nonprofit community outreach arm of Fourth Church, which includes the Tutoring and Summer Day, Urban Farm, Dance Academy, and Social Service Center programs—as well as the work of the Replogle Center for Counseling and Well-Being.
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Providing Auction Items for Gala of Hope
As Chicago Lights—the nonprofit community outreach arm of Fourth Church—prepares for the March 4 Gala of Hope, they are in need of individuals to donate unique items and services for the Gala’s silent auction. If you have something you would like to offer, please email Laura Woods.
Donating Clothes
The Chicago Lights Elam Davies Social Service Center is in need of individuals to donate men’s pants, sweaters, coats, gloves, scarves, and backpacks. They are accepting new and gently used donations that are clean and free from any rips, stains, or tears. Donations can be dropped off at the church reception desk Monday through Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. If you have clothes to donate but are unable to do so during that time, please reach out to Lynn Milligan to coordinate a drop-off time.
Sorting Donated Clothes
The Social Service Center also needs help sorting, sizing, and organizing donated clothes for distribution to participants. If you are interested in volunteering on weekdays between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. please sign up at www.bit.ly/sscsorting2022.
Serving Supper and Bag Lunches
Fourth Church Meals Ministry needs help serving Bag Lunch and Sunday Night Supper. You can sign up to help by using VOMO ( www.bit.ly/fpcvolunteers), our Volunteer Ministry platform.
All individuals volunteering in person must be vaccinated against COVID-19; proof of vaccination can be sent to vaxproof@fourthchurch.org
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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 Jeff Doane, Parish Associate for Caring Ministries and Spiritual Formation, 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.
If you would like to alert pastoral staff to emerging pastoral care needs, please email caringministries@fourthchurch.org; 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.
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Death
We give thanks to God for the gift of life eternal.
Shirley Haas
Died Wednesday, January 19, 2022
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In-Person Guidelines
As we as a community respond to the current COVID-19 surge, all seating for worship is socially distanced.
We continue to require that everyone on the Fourth Church campus wear a mask, fully covering the nose and mouth, at all times. Anyone not wearing a mask fully covering their nose and mouth will be asked to leave, as we know that some people make the decision to worship with us in person—or participate in adult education classes—based on the knowledge that everyone will be fully masked. This is but one of the ways we continue to live out our commitment to value the health and safety of all.
Since everyone is 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.
Worshiping with Us Online
Our Sunday morning worship service is livestreamed at 10:00 a.m. (Central) via our YouTube channel (www.bit.ly/fpcvideos)
The service is also available online any time afterwards on YouTube.
While we will continue to stream the service at www.bit.ly/FPCworship through mid-February, we will then move to streaming online via our YouTube channel only, the link for which is available on the home page of our website.
For those who do not have Internet access, we also make our livestreamed 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.
Throughout the Week
Our Sunday services are available for viewing following the conclusion of worship and throughout the week at www.bit.ly/fpcvideos.
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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
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