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 www.bit.ly/newsfromfpc

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).

Shannon J. Kershner preaching

The worship bulletin is available to download and print in advance

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

Our six-week sermon series—“To What End? Being Church in These Days”—concludes this weekend. This exploration of the Six Great Ends of the Church has focused on a set of statements crafted in the early twentieth century to define and guide the life and work of the Presbyterian church—who we are and what we are called to do.

The Sixth Great End, our focus for this week, is “The Exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the World.”

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

For those who do not have Internet access, we also make our worship service 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.

The Sunday service is 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.

In our 2021 Stewardship Campaign for Fourth Church and Chicago Lights, we are recommiting ourselves to “Putting Our Faith into Action.” In doing so, we are each called to ask of ourselves, What investment will I make in my Fourth Church family and its work in 2021?

On Commitment Sunday—November 8—we will lift up our responses to that question, celebrating all that we are able to do together through our generous response to God’s blessings in our lives. In preparation for that day, the Stewardship and Giving Council asks that you please make your 2021 pledge by November 8.

9:30 a.m.

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

Join Dr. Steed Davidson, Dean of the Faculty and Vice President of Academic Affairs at McCormick Theological Seminary, for this study of “Women in the Book of Judges.”

12:30 p.m. via Zoom

For Zoom details, register at www.bit.ly/fpcff20

This weekly Bible study, led by members of the pastoral staff, is currently focusing on the theme “Varying Voices of the Prophets: Cries for Justice, Lamentation, and Consolation.” Texts from Amos, Jeremiah, and Isaiah form the foundation of these discussions led by Jeff Doane.

Then beginning November 1, Matt Helms will guide us in taking a closer look at “From Pentecost to Constantine: How the Early Church Grew.”

Men’s Bible Study

7:30 a.m. via Zoom

For Zoom details, email Anne Ellis

This weekly Bible study for men uses the lectionary readings for the church year to guide conversation.

6:00 p.m. via Zoom

For Zoom details, email Anne Ellis

All women are invited to join in monthly Books by Women discussions whenever their schedules allow and the books are of interest.

November book: Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes

7:00 p.m. via Zoom

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

This book group hosted by the Adult Education Committee examines the ethical and social issues facing Christians today.

November and December book: The Cross and the Lynching Tree by James Cone

6:00 p.m. via Zoom

For Zoom details, email Anne Ellis

The theme of this month’s Women at Fourth Zoom gathering is “Moving Forward.” Join us for thought-provoking discussions about questions such as, As you look down the path of your life, what do you hope to see? Are you able to plot your journey?

7:00 a.m. via Zoom

In this new discussion group, six to eight men will gather on Monday mornings via Zoom (for three months) to share life stories and discuss the Gospel of Luke.

To express interest in taking part in this group, email David Handley.

5:30 p.m. via Zoom

For Zoom details, register at www.bit.ly/cornerstones1120

In this November Zoom gathering for those fifty and older, Paul Hamann, President and CEO of the Night Ministry, will talk about the work he and the Night Ministry teams tackle daily, as well as the long-term impact this pandemic will likely have on our neighbors experiencing homelessness.

Please join us in welcoming the newest members of the Fourth Church family, including the 2020 class of eighth-grade confirmands—

Sam Beattie

Allison Berger

Lilly Buchanan

Trudy Comiskey

Cate Cupps

Gavin Daniels

Ruby Fairman

Logan Gallenbeck

Anne Hallinan

Katherine Hallinan

Sydney Hatch

William Kozlowski

Delia Marianetti

Hayley McAdams

Sophie Nunziati

Alex Rupple

Henry Turner

Hollis VanDerMeid

Luke Van Overmeiren

Maggie Zeiger

—who were received into membership by the Session on Sunday, August 30 and welcomed into the wider life of the congregation during worship on Sunday, September 27.

We also welcome the new members received into membership by the Session on September 27 and welcomed during worship this past Sunday, October 11:

Will Bartels

Katie Carrier

Emily Dowden

Rita Flessner

Lyndsi Hay

Jim Jansma

Madelyn Jansma

Laura Jones

Mark Knievel

Anne Stelle

Brian Traynor

For those interested in becoming members of Fourth Church, our next online Inquirers’ Class will be held this Sunday, October 18 at 9:00 a.m. and Wednesday, October 21 at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom.

You can register here for this two-session class.

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

Following worship this Sunday we hope you will join us via Zoom for virtual Coffee Hour, an opportunity to connect online with one another and share in a time of fellowship.

Following the postlude

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#

The Muslim Community Center and Fourth Church are sponsoring an interfaith webinar on “Civic Duty in Relationship to Our Faith” this coming Tuesday, October 20.

Professor Najeeba Syeed, Associate Professor at Chicago Theological Seminary; Rabbi Sam Gordon, Rabbi at Congregation Sukkat Shalom of Wilmette; and Reverend Adam Malak, Pastor of Faith United Presbyterian Church of Tinley Park will be the featured speakers at this Zoom event hosted on behalf of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago and the Chicago Presbytery Ecumenical and Interreligious Work Group.

7:00 p.m.

For Zoom details, register here

Fourth Church Meals Ministry is in need of volunteers to help prepare Sunday Night Suppers as well as individuals to help serve the grab-to-go meals outside.

If you are available to assist, please sign up here for a date(s) to cook or here for a date(s) to serve the meal.

If you have questions about volunteering or using VOMO, our volunteer sign-up app, please contact Robert Crouch, Director of Volunteer Ministry.

Died September 29, 2020