Sunday, June 18

10:00 a.m. worship in person and online

Matt Helms preaching

Worship bulletin

In person and streamed from the Sanctuary on our YouTube channel: www.bit.ly/fpcvideos

Audio available by phone (toll free) by calling 888.916.9166

Livestreamed worship services are accessible by going to www.bit.ly/fpcvideos, subscribing to our YouTube channel, or clicking on the photo with a “Play” arrow on the home page of the Fourth Church website.

Children are always welcome in worship! During the service nursery care is also available, and Summer Sunday School meets at 10:00 a.m. as well.

This Sunday we will raise our voices in song as we proclaim “Lift Every Voice and Sing” as part of our Juneteenth commemoration and celebration. Recognized as the Black National Anthem, its text and tune have gained widespread devotion not only within the African American community but also among all who seek liberation from oppression.

Woven into our service will also be words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s A Brief Statement of Faith, and the Belhar Confession, which has its roots in the struggle against apartheid in southern Africa and was added to the Presbyterian Church (USA) Book of Confessions in 2016.

Afterwards we will gather in Anderson Hall for a special Juneteenth Coffee Hour, and outside the church you will see the Juneteenth-colored ribbons and signs that bear public witness to this celebration of freedom.

On this weekend we together recommit ourselves to racial equity, the purposeful inclusion of all people, the striving for radical hospitality, and the modeling of anti-racism, that we might help to bring about the Beloved Community we all seek to be.

Our Racial Equity Council encourages you to not only pause for a time of reflection this weekend but also to set aside time to celebrate Juneteenth. You can find online suggestions of Juneteenth observances, along with a brief history of the day and reflections on it.

This past week saw the return of a beloved summer tradition around Fourth Church: Vacation Bible School!

This year, we welcomed 36 students and 9 youth helpers for an action-packed exploration of Moses and the Exodus, with discussions on 6 different passages from the book of Exodus, along with playing 18 games — such as building human pyramids and herding balloon sheep — and doing 12 crafts, ranging from basketweaving to decorating wooden toys.

There was nearly constant motion around the church from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. as we experimented with longer days for the first time this year — and the excitement, energy, and smiles suggest it was a big hit!  

Coffee Hour Volunteers

We are in need of Sunday morning Cookie Table Hosts, Servers, and Hospitality Coordinators.

If you are able to help, please sign up online or email Simon Crow.

Women’s and Men’s Choir

We are delighted to have the Fourth Church Women’s Choir singing during worship on Sundays through July 9, and we look forward to the Men’s Choir then singing the remainder of the summer.

If you are interested in singing with one of the choirs, please email John Sherer.

Additional Volunteer Opportunities

You can also explore other volunteer opportunities by visiting VOMO, our Volunteer Ministry software platform, at www.bit.ly/fpcvolunteers or by contacting Director of Volunteer Ministry Robert Crouch (312.981.3382).

Marriage

We give thanks to God for the gift of life together.

Keri Michele Golembeski and Samuel James Carter

Married June 10, 2023

Deaths

We give thanks to God for the gift of life eternal.

Dean V. Banick

Died June 12, 2023

Kenneth C. Bruner

Died April 18, 2022