Transfiguration of the Lord Sunday, February 11

9:30 a.m. worship in person and online

Youth-led worship

Worship bulletin

11:00 a.m. worship in person

Youth-led worship

Worship bulletin

2:00 p.m. worship in person and online

The Gathering: Communion at 2:00

Youth preachers

Worship bulletin

We look forward to Fourth Church youth leading us in worship this Sunday, February 11.

That day we will celebrate Transfiguration of the Lord Sunday, as we move from the season of Epiphany into Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday, February 14.

Youth prepare worship for Sunday, February 11 by writing ideas for the prayer petitions under different headings: peace and justice; those who are poor, hungry, and oppressed; local community; and the suffering.

Parish Associate Amy Pagliarella talks with senior high youth who will be preaching at the 11:00 service.

This Sunday, February 11 will be a big day at Fourth Church: not only will we be led in worship by our youth and hold our Annual Meeting (see below), but it is also Souper Bowl of Caring Sunday!

You can help score a victory in the Souper Bowl by bringing cans of soup, nonperishable food items, or monetary contributions to the church this Sunday.

Our youth will be on hand in the morning to collect the donations, which will support Fourth Church Meals Ministry and the Chicago Lights Social Service Center Food Pantry.

You can also make a Souper Bowl of Caring gift online, selecting the “Youth Ministry (Souper Bowl)” designation.

The Annual Meeting of the Congregation, at which we will elect new officers, will be held in person and via Zoom at 12:15 p.m. this Sunday, February 11.

We will also be voting on three proposed amendments to the bylaws, codifying the practice of having two youth Elders on Session as well as codifying the practice of extending tenured officers — Elders, Deacons, and Trustees — past their full term to fulfill an unexpired term created by the early withdrawal of an officer in a different class. You can read the full text and background on our website.

The Zoom link is accessible from our website as well as printed in Sunday’s worship bulletin.

You can find the recommended slate of officers that will be presented by the Nominating Committee on our website along with the minutes from the 2023 meeting.

Sunday, February 11

12:15 p.m.

in the Sanctuary and via Zoom at www.bit.ly/fpcannualmeeting2024

Zoom meeting ID: 845 1710 6278

Zoom passcode: 132184

For audio only, dial 1.312.626.6799 (see ID and code above).

This coming Wednesday is Ash Wednesday. To observe that solemn day we invite you to join us in worship.

Both the 12:10 and 6:30 p.m. services will include Communion and the opportunity to receive the imposition of ashes.

Ash Wednesday Services

Wednesday, February 14

12:10 p.m. in person

6:30 p.m. in person and online

Please note that the evening service begins an hour earlier than it did last year.

The imposition of ashes will also be available outside the Sanctuary throughout the day on Ash Wednesday.

This is offered for those in our community who are unable to be with us for worship but who find the ashes to be a meaningful way to mark the beginning of this season of repentance and reflection.

If you would like to volunteer to impose ashes and greet passersby as a way of extending our congregation’s invitation to all people to have a meaningful and transformative Lenten season, please sign up online for an hour time slot.

For more information, contact Joe Morrow.

Wednesday, February 14

8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

outside the Sanctuary

Volunteer

Each year the ashes serve as a reminder of our human mortality — and the eternal life that is ours by God’s grace alone.

The forty-day season of Lent invites us to thoughtfully take up the gifts of faith: worship, study, prayer, and service.

We encourage you to explore the variety of resources available to you for your Lenten journey, from daily devotions for your personal prayer and reflection to weekly Lenten Rhythm and Word to the Path of Discipleship — Jesus: A Pilgrimage.

Lenten Devotions

Beginning Wednesday, February 14

Offered as a resource for personal meditation and prayer, our daily Lenten devotions are written by Fourth Church members and staff. If you would like to receive them in your inbox each day during Lent (and do not already receive our daily devotions), simply sign up at www.bit.ly/fpcdevotions or email devotions@fourthchurch.org.

Lenten Rhythm and Word

Also available for your reflection during the season will be a Lenten “Rhythm and Word” video series led by Matt Helms and Rocky Supinger.

These brief online worship experiences (approximately ten minutes each) weave together scripture, prayer, and music and will be released on our YouTube channel on Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m. beginning on February 14. To receive them by email, sign up online at www.bit.ly/rhythmandwordemail

If you're yearning for a dynamic way to learn more about the portrait of Jesus in the Gospels, absorb firsthand experiences of pilgrimages through the Holy Land and other lands, deepen your relationship with God, and make meaningful connections with others, then please join Pastors Nancy Benson-Nicol and Joe Morrow along with members of the Spiritual Formation Council as we explore James Martin’s New York Times bestselling work Jesus: A Pilgrimage.

This six-week Lenten Path of Discipleship course will focus on a sampling of chapters of this marvelous and sweeping work, guiding us through Lent with both in-person and online experiences of discussion, spiritual practices, shared meals, special guests, and other activities.

Tuesdays, February 20–March 26

6:30–8:00 p.m.

via Zoom weekly

and also in person on February 20 and March 26

Registration required

Pilgrimage is a spiritual practice that spans many faith traditions, one that can be a source of healing, a tool for discernment, and a foundation for spiritual renewal.

This June 9–17 we are excited to offer opportunity to walk the Camino de Santiago in Spain, one of Christianity’s oldest and most popular pilgrimage routes, as part of an intergenerational group of members and friends of Fourth Church.

For six days, we will walk a portion of the Camino Portuguese, a relatively level route that can accommodate walkers with a wide range of experience and ability. Each day we will walk between eight to seventeen miles, stopping when necessary for rest, meals, and sightseeing and staying at simple but comfortable hostels or bed-and-breakfasts.

We will also have opportunities for excursions, worship at local churches, and daily time for devotion and reflection. Our destination will be the city of Santiago de Compostela, the legendary resting place of the apostle James the Elder.

Registration for this trip will be due Wednesday, February 21. If you are interested in learning more about this pilgrimage, contact Associate Pastor Joe Morrow.

Last Sunday Senior High youth had a sabbatical send-off party for Rocky Supinger, who will be on sabbatical from the afternoon of February 11 until May 6. Please join us in holding Rocky in prayer during his time of renewal.

This week Tom and Carol Are gathered with Fourth Church members and friends residing in Naples and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, to hear how we might continue to be church for them.

The annual Chicago Lights Gala of Hope will be held on Friday evening, March 1, beginning at 6:00 p.m., this year at a new location: The Old Post Office!

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, and Social Service Center programs.

To reserve tickets or become an event sponsor, visit one.bidpal.net/galaofhope2024 or stop by Coffee Hour this Sunday.

For more information, contact Caryn Blomquist.

Friday, March 1, 2024

6:00 p.m.

at the Old Post Office (433 W. Van Buren)

RSVP by February 24

A new Zoom Small group discussing Robert P. Jones’ book The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy begins on Wednesday, February 14.

If you are interested in being part of this group, email Simon Crow.

A new Adult Education class begins next Sunday, February 18 with Jeff Doane leading us in an in-depth discussion of Jon Meacham’s book And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle.

Our conversation will focus in particular on how spirituality influenced Lincoln’s decision on Emancipation.

Participants will want to start reading this 421-page book (excluding the author’s notes) to prepare for the discussion.

Sundays, February 18 – March 3

11:00 a.m.

Borwell Dining Room (in person only)

Register here

Meals Ministry

Fourth Church Meals Ministry is celebrating the twentieth anniversary of Monday Night Supper, a program that embodies Fourth Church’s commitment to community outreach.

This volunteer-driven program has operated continuously on Monday evenings at Catholic Charities, even through the pandemic, providing nutritious meals to people in need.

The program is currently feeding 220 guests, with migrant families now accounting for 50 percent or more of our Monday dine-in guests. This is the largest single day of meals distribution for Meals Ministry each week and represents an increase of 21 percent over 2022.

If you can help on Monday evenings we would love to have you join us.

In 2023, more than 40,000 meals were served to guests across the Sunday Night Supper, Monday Night Supper, and Bag Lunch programs as well as through partner organizations and shelters in Chicago.

Meals Ministry is grateful to all who have embraced the call to service and who have provided generous support of the meals programs through hands-on participation as well as financial and in-kind donations.

You can find more information about the programs and volunteer opportunities on the church website.

Neighborhood Entrepreneurship Lab

The World Mission and Social Justice Committee invites you to learn about volunteer opportunities using your professional skillset with the Neighborhood Entrepreneurship Lab (NEL). This program provides training, mentoring, and grants to business owners on the South and West Sides of Chicago so more neighborhoods can prosper economically.

To supplement the mentors’ knowledge base, NEL needs Subject Matter Experts in areas such as accounting, law, logistics, tech, and more. By sharing your abilities online with an entrepreneur right from your home or office, you can make a world of difference in their success and create jobs in their neighborhood.

Next Sunday, February 18, NEL will be with us to present details on becoming a Subject Matter Expert and how your expertise would be matched with business owners’ questions to help increase job opportunities in under-resourced Chicago communities.

Sunday, February 18

11:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

Room 5F

Volunteers are also needed to serve as adult trip leaders for this summer’s youth mission trips.

This Thursday, February 15, registration will open for the 2024 youth mission trips:

• Senior High trip to Youngstown, New York (June 26–July 2)
• Junior High trip to St. Louis, Missouri (July 14–19)
• Montreat Youth Conference (July 27–August 3)

To apply to be a trip leader, complete the trip leader form online.

For details about the trips and youth registration, email Katie Patterson.

Conversation and Presence

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, illnesses, hospitalizations, or deaths, please email Gloria Fleming, Assistant for Caring Ministries and Spiritual Formation; 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.

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 Nancy Benson-Nicol, Associate Pastor 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.

To join a Grief Group facilitated by our Replogle Center, email Sharon Crawford-Tucker. New groups will be starting on Tuesday, March 13 and May 15.

Prayer

If you would like to submit a prayer request to our Morning Prayer or Deacon Prayer Ministries, please email Gloria Fleming or Nancy Benson-Nicol.

If you would like to join in praying for others—members of Fourth Church and those in need—we invite you to gather with us for Wednesday Morning Prayer at 9:30 a.m. via Zoom or at 10:00 a.m. in person. For Zoom details, email Nancy Benson-Nicol.

Children in Worship

Children are always welcome in worship at Fourth Church! If you need to step out to comfort your child, the Hospitality Suite, on the second floor of the Gratz Center, is a quiet space for families where worship is livestreamed.

On the second Sunday of the month — which means this Sunday! — Sunday School children in the 9:30 a.m. class are invited to come to worship with their parents. At the time of the Gloria Patri, the children will meet up with their teachers and head to their classrooms.

During Sunday morning services nursery care is available on the fourth floor of the Gratz Center for infants through two-year-olds.

Livestreamed Services

Livestreamed worship services (9:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.) 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.

These livestreams are available to view anytime after the service begins if you would prefer to connect online at a later time. For tips on how to watch — from the beginning — a service already in progress, see www.fourthchurch.org/watch-from-the-beginning

Audio-only by phone is available (toll free) by calling 888.916.9166 just prior to the start of the service 9:30 service.