It’s Halloween! As a parent of young children, it’s hard to ignore the fun and excitement that comes with this holiday. My kids, in particular, spend most of every day being imaginative, creating their own magical worlds, dressing up in whatever random capes and wings they can find in our costume box, and for this one, incredible day, everyone else also participates. For Halloween this year, for the first time ever, Eric and I were roped into a family costume. Honestly, I’ve loved it! Who wouldn’t want to be the Queen of Hearts?! But no matter how good my kids costumes are it's always relatively easy to see through it and know who is underneath.

Transparency is a word I’ve heard a lot in the last few weeks (shout out to Marta’s sermon a few weeks ago!) Transparency is really the opposite of costumes and dress up. It’s having an open book, with accessible information; it's about seeing who we really are, underneath the extra layers. As moderator, in my speeches, conversations, and reflections, I haven’t hidden the fact that times are changing in the church world. As a church, we’ve had a lot of conversations about stewardship and budgeting and all the difficulties we may (or hopefully may not) have to confront with our upcoming budget.

In the face of all of these things, I remain very hopeful. The stewardship campaign has been astoundingly successful – but a friendly reminder to anyone who hasn’t pledged, please do so! With the increased early participation in pledging, the Budget and Finance Committee has a much clearer picture going into the budgeting process. Their job will be more transparent, if you will. Boards and Committees are working to submit requests, meetings are being held to crunch numbers, and we will all be gearing up for the annual meeting after the New Year. During that meeting, as a congregation, we will discuss the financial situation of Plymouth for the year to come, including the good, the bad, and the ugly.

If you have not spent time on our website, you may not realize that there is an entire area dedicated to budget information (plymouthucc.org/budget). The Church financial picture is available to review at your leisure. We have wonderful volunteers and staff who have dedicated countless hours to putting this information together and making it easily accessible and transparent. Do you have more questions? As I tell my children, you can never ask too many questions! So, if you do have questions or want more information, please ask! If you want to discuss the budget or the budgeting process, we’re available. Most people abhor discussing finances and being asked for money, but as a thriving church community, it is imperative that we have these conversations. Transparency is a two-way street. It is also important we remember that we are in this together. The people volunteering their time to work on the budget, the church administrator (Phil Braudaway-Bauman) responding to emails on his nights and weekends, those serving as board chairs and on committees - these people all care enormously about this Church. We all care and together we can continue to be a shining light in our community. So when you have questions, I’m always happy to answer them or connect you with someone who can. I’ll be the person in the heart crown, so it won’t be hard to find me.

Heather
Heather Siegel, Moderator

Consecration Sunday
This past Sunday was Consecration Sunday, when pledges were turned in. We celebrated with a breakfast and raffle between services. Kids Will Sing! sang at both services.

Youth Retreat at LaForet. At the Rocky Mountain Conference Fall Youth Retreat last weekend, youth spent time with UCC friends from all over Colorado learning about the cosmos, the Divine, and our place within them.

Music Ministry Potluck
To celebrate the beginning of a new program year, a Music Ministry Potluck was held on Friday, 9/29 at the home of Anne and Bill Thompson. About 20 ringers & singers gathered for a few hours of good food, good drink, and good company.

The cookie table at the Diana Butler Bass event, 10/1.
A beautiful and delicious offering. Thanks to all who contributed.

The Plymouth Talent Showcase on 10/15. We made a joyful noise! (Lots more pictures in the website gallery.)

More moments from the past month...
Laura Nelson -- and therapy dogs Ollie & Anni -- led a Blessing of the Land and Animals in Sunday School.

Do you have a ministry highlight to share?
Be part of the 4th Tuesday email. Visit plymouthucc.org/shine

I’ve just returned from visiting two of our elders, one at PVH and another at a rehab facility. It feels wonderful to bring love and light from our congregation into the rooms of people struggling with illness and injury. God’s love is often transmitted by people helping to reflect a little glimmer of divine light into places that some find shadowy. Many of those people, lay and ordained, gather at Plymouth.
 
There has been a lot in the news lately about the rapid post-pandemic decline of the church and synagogue and the ever-increasing number of “nones,” who have no particular faith, but many of whom believe in God, a higher power, or a force in the universe greater than any of us. But they are scared of church in part because of the way American mainstream media often portrays us is that we are pedophiles, homophobes, hypocrites, anti-intellectual, and very judgmental. (Clearly NOT what we see at Plymouth.)
 
Ironically, we also read a lot about the epidemic proportions of loneliness, especially among elders. Has anyone ever suggested joining a church? One that welcomes and honors the beliefs and perspectives of its members? I see Plymouth volunteers provide a warm, home-cooked meal with a program each month for our seniors. It’s awesome.
 
I also read a lot that people today hunger for community. Churches like ours are about the only place to find intergenerational community in our country today. Community is not unlike a marriage: they both take work. None of us should expect to have ready-made community served to us on a silver platter with no effort. Community takes work and commitment.
 
So, who needs church? Lots of people. Folks who want to find ways to connect with the Holy, who sense a call to put faith into action. People who don’t want to feel isolated. Young adults who want to have fill-in grandparents that their children adore. People who have found that consumerism and self-centeredness are morally vacant. And folks who have discovered that being part of a church community is really rewarding (and sometimes really fun)!
 
Church is not a commodity. It is not bought, traded, or sold. It is possible to come to Plymouth and slip out the door without anyone noticing. It is possible be a member of Plymouth for years without serving on a board or council. It is possible to let the offering plate pass you by and decide not to pledge. Here’s the rub: You are not going to have a fulfilling experience if that is the approach you take. That isn’t how communities are built and thrive. Each of us must shine!
 
We are all in this together. It isn’t my church or Marta’s. It isn’t the UCC’s church. It’s God’s church entrusted to us to love and nurture. We are stewards of a fantastic church, and we should not take it for granted. How are you shining the light of God’s love? If we all share a little glimmer, we can vanquish some of the shadows that fall over the world.
 
I hope you will join me this Sunday — Consecration Sunday — at Plymouth as we dedicate our pledge commitments for 2024 and ask God to bless them and our congregation. You can pledge online anytime at plymouthucc.org/pledge or you can bring your pledge card this Sunday.
 
The Stewardship Board is providing breakfast at 10:00, so if you typically attend the 11:00 service, I encourage you to come an hour early and enjoy great food and fellowship. And if you have pledged (or even if you plan to pledge at 11:00), you will be entered in our raffle, and the winning tickets will be drawn at 10:45. (Prizes include a week in Steamboat Springs, a beer tasting for you and five friends, $100 to spend at Simmer, a great nearby restaurant, tickets to see Jesus Christ Superstar.) See you there!
 
In the spirit of God’s abundance,

Last Sunday in worship, the Chancel Choir offered the anthem "I Believe" by Mark Miller. The text is an excerpt from an anonymous Jewish poem found scrawled on a cellar wall in Germany near the end of World War II. The music beautifully expresses the author's unwavering faith and radical hope even in the most uncertain of times.

I selected this piece in light of our stewardship focus this month and the message that faith and hope can lead us as a church into greater abundance. We just have to listen intently to that still voice within. And believe. And these words became an even more poignant prayer with the tragic events unfolding in Israel and Gaza this week.

Below is the full text by this unnamed author who over 75 years ago expressed his or her faith and dreams of hope under the most dire of conditions. May it inspire and remind us that God is always there.

Mark

Mark Heiskanen, Dir. of Music/Organist
Read Mark's Music Minute

Check out Plymouth’s Immigration Ministry Team (below) and listen to my podcast episode called: #peaceisdisruptive

#peaceisdisruptive features Sarah Jackson and Hannah Martin. Sarah is the Executive Director of Casa de Paz and the director of Volleyball Internacional which helps fund Casa de Paz, and she authored the recently published book: The House that Love Built. Hannah Martin coordinates the accompaniment team and trains volunteers for the Accompaniment and Sanctuary Coalition of Colorado Springs. The Sanctuary Coalition is a group of faith communities who advocate for the rights of immigrants in our city and nation.

Peace, Marta

The Immigration Ministry Team offers education and community outreach opportunities for the congregation, networks with the UCC and national faith-based immigration organizations, and studies and advocates for issues around immigration and refugee resettlement.

Presently we're accompanying two families as they resettle in Fort Collins. One is an Afghan refugee family of six members who fled Kabul in August 2021. Their photos and stories are featured on the Immigration Ministry page linked above, and on a bulletin board in the Fellowship Hall. They will be offering hospitality at the World Cafe at The Missions Marketplace on Nov. 4-5 and funds raised will help support their family.

Our second family with three members arrived a year later from Palestine. Team members have assisted these families with securing housing, enrollment in school and healthcare systems, English tutoring, employment, financial planning, transportation and community engagement.

We could use help with transportation, reading with the children and overseeing middle and high school homework. The children (ages 3, 10, 12 and 17) would appreciate getting together with other kids and getting to know our community's many parks and cultural highlights.

Additionally the Team works with faith and community allies, including Interfaith Solidarity and Accompaniment Coalition (ISAAC). We endeavor to:

• Build relationships with the immigrant community in Fort Collins and Colorado.
• Foster justice and equal opportunity for immigrants in our community.
• Aid immigrants in their goal of being fully participating members in our society.

Recently we participated with ISAAC in the Winter Gear Collection for immigrant youth and appreciate the support of Plymouth with contributions of material items and financial donations.

For more information contact ministry team lead, Linda Mahan.