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

In person and streamed from the Sanctuary at www.bit.ly/FPCworship

in Buchanan Chapel

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

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

In person streamed from the Sanctuary at www.bit.ly/FPCworship

This Sunday is the last day to make contributions toward the purchase of Christmas flowers, wreaths, and garlands. These adornments will decorate the Sanctuary and Chapel for services this Advent and Christmas season.

The gifts can be made in honor or memory of friends and loved ones, with their names appearing in the Christmas bulletin for contributions received no later than Sunday, December 12.

Contribute to Christmas flowers at www.bit.ly/fpcgift by Sunday, December 12. For more information, contact Andrea Miller.

This 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 Music.

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.

Although we will not have our traditional Cookies-and-Cocoa reception afterwards, Women at Fourth will be giving worshipers cookies-to-go bags after the service.

6:30 p.m.

in the Sanctuary and livestreamed

This Sunday, in commemoration of the church’s 150th anniversary, Don Allerton will launch a two-week class explaining the architectural aspects of Fourth Church’s present building.

In next week’s 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

Register at www.bit.ly/fpcarchitecture21

In this season that invites us to set aside time for prayer and reflection, we offer these resources for your Advent journey.

On Wednesdays we gather at 9:30 a.m. for Morning Prayer via Zoom.

During Advent we are also 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 15 and 22 between 9:00 and 9:45 a.m. (masks required; enter at 126 E. Chestnut).

For Morning Prayer Zoom details or information about walking the labyrinth or in-person Morning Prayer, email Rocky Supinger.

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.

Our Advent devotions—which are written by Fourth Church members and staff—offer a resource for our meditative journey.

To receive the devotions daily by email, sign up online at www.bit.ly/fpcdevotions.

Advent “Rhythm and Word”

Each week of Advent our “Rhythm and Word” videos explore—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.

The annual tradition of celebrating Christmas with Tower Brass continues this year, with their concert next Saturday, December 18.

Join us at 5:00 p.m. that day—whether in person or online—for the festive sounds of the season!

5:00 p.m.

In the Sanctuary and livestreamed

For many, the celebration of Christmas is made difficult by feelings of loneliness, grief, alienation, and sadness, whether personal or collective.

Our “Longest Night” service, which will be hosted by our Stephen Ministers on Tuesday evening, December 21, recognizes and makes space for these feelings and challenges.

6:30 p.m.

Buchanan Chapel (in person only)

Our Christmas worship this year will include a variety of in-person and online services.

Online only, streamed at www.fourthchurch.org

In person only

All seating will be socially distanced by families (see the note below)

In person and livestreamed at www.fourthchurch.org

No socially distanced seating

In person only

No socially distanced seating

We invite those who prefer socially distanced seating to worship with us at 6:00 p.m. Please note that the socially-distanced-only seating at that service will significantly limit the capacity in the Sanctuary to approximately 200 people at the 6:00 service, and once that capacity is reached, Buchanan Chapel and Borwell Dining Room will be opened for additional socially distanced seating. There will not be reserved seating or reservations for the service.

Also, for health reasons, at all three in-person services on Christmas Eve we will be using battery-operated tea lights rather than lit candles during “Silent Night” so that worshipers do not have to blow out candles.

10:00 a.m.

In person only

As with Sunday mornings, on Christmas Day there will be a socially-distanced section at the front of the Sanctuary.

In this season we invite you to join us in sharing Christmas joy with those in need.

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.

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.

“Top Ten Strangest Bible Passages” is the topic of discussion for Matt Helms and Rocky Supinger in this week’s episode of their Bible Top Ten podcast.

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

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.

Died December 1, 2021

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