If you know someone who would like to receive updates from us but currently is not, please encourage them to add their email address to our distribution list by signing up at
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Seventh Sunday of Easter, May 24
11:00 a.m. online
Victoria G. Curtiss preaching
If our 11:00 worship time does not fit your schedule, the service will be available for viewing throughout the week.
Pentecost Offering
Next Sunday, May 31, we will receive a special offering for Pentecost. Gifts to this Presbyterian Church (USA) Pentecost Offering will help the church encourage, develop, and support its young people and also address the needs of at-risk children. Of the special PCUSA Pentecost offering gifts given at Fourth Church, 40 percent will be used to make an impact in the lives of Chicago’s young people through the work of Fourth Church’s Action for Equitable Education mission group. The remaining 60 percent will be used to support children at risk, youth, and young adults through ministries of the Presbyterian Mission Agency.
To make a gift to this special offering, note “Pentecost Offering” in the comments when
making a gift online or write “Pentecost Offering” on the memo line of a check made payable to Fourth Presbyterian Church (mailed to Fourth Church at 126 E. Chestnut St., Chicago, IL 60611.2014).
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As Vicky Curtiss announced earlier this spring, she will be retiring effective June 1. As her time with us draws to a close in the coming week, we hope you will take a moment to
email Vicky your messages of gratitude and wish her Godspeed in her retirement.
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Have you missed our Sunday morning Academy for Faith and Life classes? If so, you won’t want to miss a new class being offered via Zoom next weekend!
Join us as Jeff Doane leads a discussion of Jon Meacham’s
The Soul of America: The Battle of Our Better Angels beginning next Sunday, May 31 at 12:30 p.m.
As this tumultuous election year leads us to wonder how we might respond as faithful citizens,
The Soul of America invites us into a consideration of the historical perspective. Over three Sunday sessions we will look together at selected chapters from Jon Meacham’s book in our quest for insights into a hopeful, rather than fearful, approach to the topic.
Participants are encouraged to read the book prior to the class.
For the Zoom link and course syllabus, simply
register online. We look forward to “seeing” you May 31!
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Have you seen the
tulips outside the Sanctuary?
Or heard
John Sherer explaining and playing a harmonium?
Or read about
the work Jackie Lorens Harris and the Chicago Lights Social Service Center are doing during this time?
For these and ongoing glimpses into what we’re up to, be sure to follow us on
Instagram and
Facebook!
As you engage with us via these platforms, please know that
you are what makes our social media social! Your liking, commenting, sharing, and inviting is what connects us with others, expanding our reach and increasing our visibility. That in turn is how we together spread the word about what is going on at Fourth Church and Chicago Lights, build community, and extend hospitality and care, even while apart.
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As you know, we stream a Noonday Concert online at 12:10 p.m. each Friday and then make it available for viewing throughout the week at
www.bit.ly/fpcprograms.
If you missed today’s concert—featuring a recording of our Andrew Pipe Organ made last fall to share with couples selecting music for their wedding—you can listen to it there. In addition to hearing John Sherer playing our pipe organ and Sarah van der Ploeg singing solos that are often part of weddings, you can enjoy accompanying photographs of our Sanctuary.
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Those graduating from eighth grade, high school, college, or a graduate or professional program in 2020 are asked to send their names to
Katie Patterson no later than Sunday, June 7.
Graduate names received by June 7 will appear in the worship bulletin on June 21, which is Baccalaureate Sunday.
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In this time of social distancing and our closed campus, we remain firmly committed to caring for the most vulnerable among us.
Fourth Church Meals Ministry is continuing to serve those in our community who are hungry. Staff and volunteers are outside in the Cloister handing out “to go” lunches on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays and “to go” meals for Sunday Night Supper. They are also handing out “to go” meals for Monday Night Supper at Catholic Charities. This enables us to distribute meals while also limiting lines and in-person gatherings.
How can you help? You will find online
lists of items we particularly need as we continue to feed our neighbors. These can be ordered and shipped directly to the church. You will also find, along with the list, information about making a financial gift to support this ministry for those in need.
The
Chicago Lights Social Service Center is also continuing to offer “curbside” emergency services on Tuesdays from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and Wednesdays through Fridays from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. These services include essential emergency clothing, hygiene items, and pre-assembled bags of food for those who have scheduled Food Pantry appointments
How can you help? While we cannot receive individual donations of canned goods, clothing, or hygiene items direct from households, you can order and have shipped to the church the items on our
emergency distribution list.
How else can you help in these days? If you are interested in sewing face masks for health care workers and other providers of essential services, please contact
Nanette Sawyer.
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Please let us know—
- If you are a medical professional or other essential worker, please let our Pastoral Care Office know who you are so we can reach out and care for you in what we know are are difficult days for you.
- If you are—or someone you know is—in self-quarantine or feeling isolated, lonely, anxious, or sick, please contact our Pastoral Care Office so that we can reach out to you.
- 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.
As a connectional community committed to living out our care for one another and remaining together while apart, we very much want to hear from you!
If you would like to
talk with a therapist in the Replogle Center for Counseling and Well-Being, you can schedule a teletherapy appointment by calling the Center at 312.787.2729, ext 2260.
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Each Wednesday morning at 9:30 a.m., Fourth Church staff gathers via Zoom for
Morning Prayer. If you would like to join in this weekly time of prayer for those in need, please contact
Carol Allerton for the Zoom information.
If you have
a prayer request that you would like included in Morning Prayer or as part of our Deacon Prayer Ministries, we encourage you to send those requests to
Dave Handley, our Interim Minister for Pastoral Care.
We also invite you to join us for a time of virtual
Sacred Pause on Tuesday mornings (7:45 a.m.) and Saturday mornings (8:30 a.m.). You can connect with us online for these times of silent meditation—hosted by Tom Schemper, Director of the Replogle Center for Counseling and Well-Being—on the
Replogle Center Facebook page.
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Whether it is for just one phone conversation or more, our Stephen Ministers are available to be God’s listening presence during this season when many of us are struggling to sort things out.
If you would like to be in phone contact with one of our Stephen Ministers, who have all been trained in providing emotional and spiritual care, please leave a confidential message at 312.573.3365.
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Death
We give thanks to God for the gift of life eternal.
O. J. Heestand
Died May 15, 2020
Linnea L. Schramm
Died May 21, 2020
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