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03. THE VIEW FROM HERE 04. BE THE CHURCH 05. GRAD SUNDAY 06. FAMILY PROMISE 5K HOME RUN & NATURE WALK 08. ALL CHURCH PRIDE PARTY 09. VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL 10. A RETURN TO IN-PERSON WORSHIP 11. FELLOWSHIP HOSTS NEEDED 12. PLYMOUTH SERVICE CORPS DAY! 14. CARING FOR THE MENTAL HEALTH OF OUR COMMUNITY 13. VIRTUAL AUCTION

What’s this got to do with church? Plenty. As we prepare to return to in-person worship on June 13, it makes sense to anticipate a whole swirl of feelings. Yes, it will be wonderful to be home again. It will also be hard in ways we might not expect. If you’ve known trauma or grief before, you might remember how unpredictable they can be. For example: A beautiful piece of music opens up parts of your heart you’d sealed off for safekeeping, and suddenly, you’re crying. Your friends are here, and the sun is shining, and you’d looked forward to being together for so long. For some reason, it all feels a little bit empty, though. It’s like you’re half-present and half-absent. Or it’s been more than a year, but you can remember exactly where that occasional table belongs in the narthex. Someone must have moved it. A sharp pang of irritation surges up inside you. Everything just feels off after that. See what I mean? Even if you aren’t personally experiencing these emotions, I can promise you someone near you at church will be. Runyan says compassion is the golden road through this time: compassion for ourselves and compassion for one another. Plymouth’s Moderator, Derrick Hurst, is another gifted mental health professional. He says that we have tools at our disposal to manage difficult emotions related to trauma and grief. He offers these practical tips: “Some may already be familiar with the 3-legged stool concept for emotional health in individuals: Nutrition, Sleep, and Exercise,” Derrick says. “These are fundamental building blocks to support both physical and emotional health. However, this pandemic and subsequent isolation have highlighted the need for a greater focus on a fourth stool leg Social Connection. Our well-being requires that we attend to all four areas.” “We can incorporate small moments of self-care in each of these four areas,” Derrick adds, “especially when we are experiencing stress. For example, pausing for a healthy snack, going to bed at a consistent time each night, walking with friends, or while listening to an audiobook. We can reconnect with our loved ones, neighbors, friends, and worship partners in ways that honor our need for social connection while continuing to practice risk reduction strategies, such as masking indoors.”

t Judy Prather’s suggestion, I spent a little time this week listening to “On Being with Krista Tippett.” The episode Judy recommended was “What’s Happening to Our Nervous Systems?” It featured Christine Runyan, a psychologist who specializes in mental health and well-being among healthcare professionals. Apparently, she also reads my mind. Runyan talked about how our bodies and minds respond to ongoing collective trauma. She said it’s normal to feel physically and mentally foggy while also a little bit hypervigilant right now. Our bodies are doing what they’re supposed to do under stress.

Derrick wants everyone to know about an important tool available to help us navigate this difficult time. “Every Douglas County resident can access a self-driven behavioral health support application the County has worked to make available, the MyStrength app. This app includes everything from modules on healthy sleeping habits, healthy eating, exercise, and dealing with COVID-Specific issues.”

I’m not sure why it made me feel so much better to hear Runyan say that. Maybe it’s because feeling like this isn’t normal for me. It feels like something’s wrong. My first instinct is to assume that something is wrong with me. My next instinct is to assume that something is wrong with this jerk standing in front of me, messing around with no mask on, and holding me up in line at the check-out. Apparently, that’s normal too.

n Sunday, April 25, Plymouth began its spring worship series "Be The Church" based on the statement in the poem created by the United Church of Christ (UCC). Plymouth, as a proud member congregation of the UCC, wants to make a statement this spring and summer with this visual declaration of what it means to Be The Church in the 21st century. Sign up here to purchase a t-shirt or receive a free yard sign with the UCC's popular "Be the Church" poem. Wear this message of church love around town, or display it on your lawn for all to see! Use the link below to request your signs and shirts today.

GET YOURS HERE!

eady to lace up your shoes for a great cause? Let’s hit the streets to support Family Promise of Lawrence!

Virtual 5K Home Run    

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Complete your 5K (3.1 miles) anytime between May 25 and May 31 (11:59 p.m. CT). Register as part of one of our teams for $20/person. (Save $5 off!) Anyone anywhere can participate. You don’t have to run! Walk, jog, hopscotch, pogo-stick, dust off that treadmill – do whatever makes you happy! We don’t care how fast you are! Instead, we'll award categories to get your creative juices flowing. (We’re talking best cos-

tumes, silliest sidekicks, most creative route, etc.)  Take photos while you complete the 5K. These photos will help to determine award winners!  Participants receive a race T-shirt.  Registration closes May 30.

Pick a Plymouth Team! To spice things up, Plymouth’s boards are competing for glory! When you register for the 5K, sign up for one of Plymouth’s teams. Grab your family, coworkers, neighbors, and friends to join us! All ages welcome, and so are non-Plymouth members. These teams are now options in the dropdown menu on the 2nd registration screen:  Plymouth UCC Mission & Service Board  Plymouth MFA Board  Plymouth Stewardship Board  Plymouth Youth Group 6

If 5Ks Are Not for You…

When registering, select “Team Age group/ open” as the registration category (first registration screen) to get your discount. Be sure to register for the "Team Age group/open" category, then click "Continue.” On the next page, enter the contact and demographic info for the first registrant. Then, under the Team Info section, choose "Join a team" for the question, "Do you want to join or create a team?" Select the correct Plymouth team name from the dropdown menu.

If you’re inclined and able, please consider donating to Plymouth’s fundraising page. Our donations feed into the full event’s fundraising goal. It’s quick and easy to donate – and just as easy to share the page on your social media networks to spread the word! All proceeds benefit Family Promise of Lawrence (FPL), a nonprofit working with families experiencing or who are on the brink of homelessness to achieve and maintain permanent housing. FPL has remained open throughout the pandemic. In 2020, FPL served 395 unique, non-duplicated families -- 1,327 people, 804 were children. (That's a 400% increase from 2019.)

Let’s Walk It Out Together Need a little fellowship on foot to do your 5K? Join us for this month’s NATURE WALK! Please note, you can still participate in this month’s walk without registering for the Family Promise 5k Home Run. We will gather at the Rotary Club Arboretum (5100 W. 27th Street, next to the Youth Sports Complex) on Saturday, May 29, at 8:30 a.m. All are welcome! Please follow all local, state, and CDC guidelines. You can use this map to determine the distance you have walked.

Please let Plymouth Welcome and Care Coordinator Liz Smith know if you have any questions or have issues registering. Thank you for all you do for Family Promise!

veryone is welcome back into the Plymouth church building for worship on June 13, 2021! We are so excited to gather with you in person. Broadcast worship will continue without interruption for all who prefer to worship remotely.

We Ask that You Follow a Few Safety Guidelines 

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We Will Hold Our Regular Two Worship Services:  

9:30 a.m. Traditional Service 11:15 a.m. Gathering of Grace

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Between the two services, we will hold Fellowship Hour in the courtyard next to the chapel and the playground area between the sanctuary and administrative offices. We will post signs!

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For Families with Children 

Sunday school will take place in the Mayflower room, ages four – just finished 5th grade.  Children’s choir will restart on August 22.  The nursery will be available for children under four during both services.

Please wear a mask inside the building at all times. CDC guidance states that children two and under are exempt from the mask recommendation. You may remove your mask to drink coffee or tea during the outdoor Fellowship Hour. Maintain a six-foot distance from members of other households whenever possible. You will find more space in the sanctuary to spread out in the front pews on the main floor and the rear balcony pews. If you or anyone in your household feels ill, please stay home and worship with us online. Please ask before offering a hug or a handshake. Everyone has a different comfort level.

It’s time to come home. We have missed you! God be with you until we meet again. 10

s we begin meeting in person again, we will need lots of Sunday morning volunteers to welcome people back into the building! There are two main ways you can help. We ask each volunteer to commit to 6 months at a time; if you ever need a substitute, we will help you figure that out! We will also have Covid-specific training for all volunteers before church starts up again. We need your help to extend a radical welcome to everyone who wants to worship and be in community with us here at Plymouth. Let people know that no matter who they are or where they are on life's journey, they are welcome here.

Become a Fellowship Hour Host! The time between the first service and Gathering of Grace is a sacred space for laughter and fellowship. We need people to set out materials and clean up afterward . Time commitment is from about 10:15-noon, once a month.

SIGN UP HERE! Join a Plymouth Welcome Team! Once a month, serve as an usher or greeter and show folks hospitality as they move from the doors to the sanctuary. We ask each team to show up 20 minutes before their service; you're able to attend worship as usual. 11

e will gather on Saturday, June 26, for our All Church Service Corps Project. We will gather in the church parking lot (at 9th & Kentucky) at 9 a.m. for a blessing and then spread out in our community doing local service work and sharing God's love in partnership with community members and local mission partners. Third graders through adults are welcome! Families will be partnered together in small groups.

o you need work done in your own home (outdoors)? Use the link below.

lymouth's Service Corps gathers to do intentional projects supporting our local mission partners and church members who offer outdoor service projects. We have missed each other this year! And look forward to reconnecting through service for the good of the community.

o you have an idea for an outdoor project in the community or in partnership with a local non-profit that you are willing to lead? Let us know in the link to the right.

tremely sensitive and personal issues, and we will honor your responses with this understanding in our minds and hearts. Your contributions will help us gain insight and determine our priorities as we evaluate our existing ministries and move forward with new modes of caring.

his year, Plymouth Church has joined the Interfaith Mental Health Outreach organization to form our own Mental Wellness Resource Team. This team consists of volunteer members of our congregation committed to serving those experiencing the pain of mental illness, personally or within their family. As we begin this journey, we want to understand the needs of our members and families more clearly so that we can best carry out this vital mission. We thus invite you to participate in a brief, anonymous Mental Health and Care Needs Assessment. This survey collects no identifying information and is meant to be an honest reflection of your own experiences and what you perceive to be the needs of the congregation. If the questions or categories do not fit your needs, please let us know your thoughts in the space provided. We thank you in advance for your participation. We understand that these are ex-

Please save the date for Plymouth's second Virtual Auction, which will be in early August. Are you downsizing? Has the pandemic allowed you time to clean out closets, garages, and storage spaces? Please don't get rid of all that stuff yet. Our mission partners will benefit if you donate those items to this church auction. Or do you have a talent or service you could share? More details will follow as the auction date approaches.