Rev. Dr. David C. Fisher
Senior Minister

75 Hicks Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201
TEL: 718-624-4743
info@plymouthchurch.org

Editor: Ann Geismar

This Week at Plymouth

Plymouth hosts other events for the community including weekly AA and DA meetings. Please visit our Calendar of Events or call the Church Office for schedule information.

New Pulpit Makes Early Debut

Plymouth Church's new pulpit has arrived, taking its rightful place at the center of the Sanctuary. Summer worshipers and those preaching from the pulpit this summer - Rev. David Fisher and newly appointed Assistant Minister Al Bunis - will have an opportunity to get to know our new pulpit before its official dedication in September.

As designed by church member Sabina Hemminger and fabricated by master woodworker Franz Fischer, the pulpit takes inspiration from the 19th century version used by Henry Ward Beecher. Readers of the Plymouth Press (May-June 2010 issue) may recall the memorable story of that pulpit's provenance, from the Plymouth-sponsored excursion to the Holy Land memorialized by Mark Twain in Innocents Abroad, and the purchase of olive wood from Jerusalem's Mount of Olives by renowned publisher Moses Beach, to the construction of pulpit furniture according to Beecher's specifications. At some point mid-20th century, that pulpit largely disappeared through neglect, damage or both. In the 1940s, a modern and monolithic podium arrived to serve a new generation of ministers, but its size and style struck a wrong chord for many, and in recent years the move to introduce a pulpit worthy of Plymouth's architecture and history gained momentum. Thanks to a bequest given by Rev. J. Stanley Durkee - the church's settled minister from 1926-1941 - the funding was in place and work could begin.

As you get to know the new pulpit, it's worth noting that a significant piece of history has been embedded in it. The original olive veneer top of the old piece did survive and, with some skillful restoration work, Franz Fischer was able to incorporate that top into the design. As another gesture to the original, this pulpit is constructed with high quality Mediterranean olive wood.

An important note to Plymouth members: The new pulpit is as heavy as it is valuable and must be moved by two trained facilities crewmembers. If you are in a situation where the pulpit is in the wrong place, ask for help. Do not move it yourself.

Please be sure to join the Plymouth congregation for the official dedication of our new pulpit at the service on Sunday, September 26. Until then, enjoy the "soft launch" of our beautiful new addition to Plymouth worship.

This Sunday at Plymouth

The worship service begins at 10:00 a.m. in the Sanctuary. The Rev. David Fisher will be preaching.

This Sunday's Communion Offering will be used for the Flatbush-Tomkins Congregational Church Food Pantry. Flatbush-Tompkins, an NACCC congregation located in Flatbush, is providing the pantry for the hungry in their neighborhood. Plymouth is collecting both food and money, which will go towards food purchases. We are continuing to collect non-perishable food during August. Foods needed include canned meat, fish, poultry, or beans, canned vegetables and fruits, rice or pasta, and soups. There are collection boxes located in the narthex of the sanctuary and in the Church House lobby. Please support the work of the Flatbush-Tompkins food pantry with your communion offering or food. Cash can be put in a communion offering envelope. Checks can be put in the offering plate or sent to the church office with "food pantry" in the memo line. Food can be put in collection boxes on Sunday or during the week. The food collection will continue through Sunday, September 5. 

DiscoveryLand Room Assignments: Classes will continue to meet on the second floor of the Church House. The Twos through K's are in the Red Room, the 1st thru 4th graders in the Purple Room, and the Nursery in the Blue Room.

Plymouth Tour at 11:30: The History Ministry offers free tours every Sunday after the worship service. Those interested are invited to gather at the Lincoln pew (no. 89) in the Sanctuary at 11:30. Questions? Please contact Director of History Ministry Services Lois Rosebrooks at the Church Office.

As always... Large-Print Versions of the Order of Worship are available at every worship service. Please ask one of the ushers for a copy. Don’t forget to wear your Nametags at Fellowship. And keep in mind that Parking Validation Stickers to cover up to three hours at the Central Parking Systems garage (75 Henry Street at Orange Street) are available. Please ask an usher for assistance. 

On the Plymouth Calendar

Plymouth Press Newsletter Deadline This Monday 8/2: If you or your committee have news to share with the congregation, please submit your materials by Monday, August 2 to Ann Geismar, Director of Communications. The Fall issue will cover news for September, October and November. Questions or ideas? Please feel free to contact Ann at the Church Office.

Rev. David Fisher on Sabbatical in August: Please note that Rev. Fisher will be on a month-long break following this Sunday's service, returning to the pulpit on September 5. Al Bunis will be filling in on Sundays and offering limited pastoral care to those in need. Please call the office to reach him.

You're Invited to the 8/25 Volunteer Picnic with Membership and Fellowship: Enjoy good food and fellowship while sharing information about volunteer opportunities at Plymouth. The Membership and Fellowship Committee is throwing a special picnic for all members of the congregation, hosted by Grace Faison on the rooftop at 1 Pierrepont Street, Brooklyn Heights. Come up to the roof for a cool summer breeze, chill with friends, and get connected! The picnic is scheduled for Wednesday evening, August 25 at 6:30. RSVPs requested: please contact Grace Faison (718-855-0785).

The Midweek Women's Bible Study Group will be on hiatus this August. Meetings, scheduled each Wednesday at 11:30 in the Reception Room, will resume September 8.

Church Announcements

Al Bunis Named to New Position of Assistant Minister: As announced to the congregation last week, church member Al Bunis will be filling the newly created full-time position of Assistant Minister at Plymouth. A member since 1998, Al is currently a seminarian at New York Theological Seminary, where he is scheduled to receive his Master of Divinity next spring. Over the past year, he has served as Minister in Training at Christ Church, a United Church of Christ congregation in Summit, NJ. After an extensive career in financial services, he will be leaving his current job to join Plymouth in early September. His new role will encompass the development and implementation of the church's small group ministry and an expanded youth program, including confirmation classes. He will also be active in supporting the assimilation of new members, teaching Adult Christian Education classes, and leading public worship. Please join us in welcoming Al to this new role in his life and in our church. Click this link to connect to Al's new email address at Plymouth.

Volunteer for Plymouth Homeless Shelter: Homelessness does not take the summer off. Shelter beds are needed all year round and Plymouth will address the need by housing the shelter on Sunday through Thursday nights, September 19 - 30 and October 17 - 28. Volunteers are needed to stay overnight, cook, open the shelter in the evening, schedule volunteers, shop for food and coordinate linens. Please contact Mary Lou Wells (718-855-8111) to volunteer for a specific job or date or to get more information.

Connect to Plymouth's Online Calendar: A new tool has been launched: Use Google Calendar to connect to Plymouth's public calendar. Visit the Calendar of Events page on the Plymouth web site and click "More Options" to access our calendar via Google Calendar (subscribe to our "Plymouth Church Brooklyn" calendar from your own Google Calendar), RSS (subscribe to feeds), iCal (download data to your iCal calendar) or Calendar View, which enables you to view or print events in a calendar format. Using Google Calendar is free, and it's a great way to get up-to-date information about the Plymouth schedule. Check it out!

Amy Talcott on Leave: Amy Talcott, our Assistant Administrator and Events Coordinator, will be on personal leave from August 2 through mid-September. During her absence, Faten Labib will be filling in. She will be picking up email through Amy's email address; feel free to contact Faten for items  you would direct to Amy (scheduling, room requests, rentals, etc.). Please include Ann Geismar on your emails, as noted below...

Send Your Summertime Communications to Both Ann & Amy's Emails: The staff schedule is filled with vacations and personal leaves this summer. If you are sending information to the eBulletin, updating contact information or scheduling events, please send emails to both Ann Geismar and Amy Talcott (as noted above, Faten Labib will be picking up Amy's email during her absence).

Grace Church Hymn Sings Begin This Tuesday 8/3: Grace Church's beloved August Hymn Sing tradition, now in its 6th year, invites the Brooklyn Heights community to come together and sing familiar as well as unfamiliar hymns. The theme this August is "Presidential Favorites," an exploration of the U.S. Presidents' favorite hymns. Led by Paul Richard Olson, organist and choirmaster at Grace, the Hymn Sings are held all five Tuesdays (8/3, 10, 17, 24 & 31) from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. at Grace Church, 254 Hicks Street. Of particular interest to Plymouth are presentations by our members Lois Rosebrooks on 8/24, speaking on hymns and spiritual songs by Brooklyn musicians, and Jacque Jones on 8/31, taking a look at current hymnody. Grace Hymn Sings are free, air-conditioned (!) and open to the public. 

Vacation Bible Camp Needs You: The Children's Christian Ed Committee is busy getting ready for the best ever VBC August 23-27 and you don't need to be a child to be part of the fun and fellowship! This year, we are hoping to run VBC almost entirely with Plymouth volunteers rather than paid staff, and we are counting on your help. Let's show our children what a community of supportive adults our congregation is. There are many options for volunteering – weekday, weekend and/or weeknight – depending on your availability. This is not limited to active DiscoveryLand parents; we welcome all members to commit time to the next generation at Plymouth. Please contact Julie Veto or Kirsten Loreen, or anyone on Children's Christian Ed, for more information.

To contact a member of the Plymouth Church Staff, please visit the Staff Directory on our web site.

The Plymouth eBulletin is published weekly. The submission deadline is Thursday at 12:00 noon. Please submit your news items and photographs to Ann Geismar, Director of Communications.

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