The Herald Newsletter
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Issue 10 I October 2025
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Give Love. Give Hope.
Pledge drive to begin October 4
As First-Plymouth’s annual pledge drive for the 2026 budget begins, you may have already received a mailing with a pledge card and information about how your gifts are put to work.
Together as a congregation, we support our ministries and our community in countless ways, living out our mission to increase the love of God and neighbor.
First-Plymouth’s worship services, music ministry, Christian education for children and youth, and community outreach—including our new Hope House—all thrive because of the generosity of this congregation.
Your Board of Trustees will soon develop the 2026 budget, carefully stewarding every dollar to help us grow in love of God and neighbor.
When you make a pledge of any size, you help bring love and hope to life for thousands each and every day. With your support, we can continue to have a powerful, positive impact in a world deeply in need of both.
For more information on how to make a pledge, visit www.firstplymouth.org/giving or contact LeEtta Suhr, Director of Accounting and Finance, in the church office.
Thank you for being part of this wonderful church and all that we are accomplishing together to make the world more loving, hopeful, and peaceful.
Bill Etmund, Chair
First-Plymouth Board of Trustees
Compline
Sunday, October 12, 7:00-7:30pm, Sanctuary
Ancient Worship for the modern soul
Pre-Compline series Into the Stillness
Yoga
Oct. 12, 6:00pm, Chapel.
Led by Maggie Pleskac, Milkweed Yoga. Free. This series offers an opportunity to yoke the body and mind as a spiritual practice through yoga and worship. Through breath and movement, participants are guided to a place of stillness at the center of their being—the place that connects us with the Divine within.
Following the yoga session, at 7:00 p.m., all are invited to gather in the sanctuary and experience deep inner peace through Compline.
FP East Parking lot (21st St). Free food, candy and fun!
Volunteers needed before, during, and after the event. A candy barrel has been placed at the West Entrance for donations.
FP South Sundays, 9:30am
Come celebrate with us, and experience the joy of worship at FP South,
Sundays at 9:30am at Roper & Sons South Chapel (S. 40th & Yankee Hill).
Happening at FP South
To Attend is to Love: Towards a Theology of Attention
October 26, immediately following the 9:30am service in the Social Hall. We live in a world that is constantly distracting—and distracted. What are we to do? What is this way of being doing to our souls? Join Pastor JC for a conversation on how attention—embraced as virtue, practice, and presence in community, can free us to live more fully and flourish together.
Justice in Action is Beginning a New Cycle—and You’re Invited!
Attend the Community Problems Assembly on Nov. 3, at 6:30pm at St. Paul UMC downtown. Hundreds of people from across Lincoln and Lancaster County will come together to hear the results of Justice in Action’s listening process—dozens of house meetings where community members shared their concerns, struggles, and hopes.
To learn more about the justice ministry, contact Jerry Harrenstein jharren33@gmail.com
Polyphony
Abendmusik kicks off a terrific 2025-2026 season with the international sensation, Polyphony, a concert you won’t want to miss! Polyphony, England’s most remarkable chamber choir, comes to the Midwest for the first time to bring the best of the British choral tradition to the Abendmusik stage. Conducted by Stephen Layton, Polyphony will sing an extraordinary program of works by Stanford, Tallis, Byrd, Duruflé, Mendelssohn, Rheinberger, and Pärt.
Friday, October 24, at 7:00 p.m.
Featuring a collaborative performance with the Nebraska Wesleyan University Choir. No livestream available.
Freewill offering to benefit Interfaith Housing Coalition.
See the full season concert lineup at Abendmusik.org
Tuesday Morning Bible Study – Voices of the Voiceless
Tuesdays, 9:30–11:00am, Calvert Parlor. Leader: Carolyn Zeisset. Explore prophets speaking for and to the powerless in economically, politically, and culturally fraught times.
Hosea: An Improvisation in Dissonance and Harmony
Oct. 7, 9:30am, Choir Room
Script readers: Dr. Jim Keck and Juan Carlos Huertas
Musician: Tom Trenney
To “Unclobber” the Bible
Academic Bible Study Led by Leah Cech, Ph.D.
Sundays, Oct. 5–Nov. 9, 11:30am–12:30pm, Tower Room.
Join us for a thoughtful look at the so-called “clobber passages” of the Bible—verses that have too often been used to exclude LGBTQ+ individuals from Christian community. Together, we’ll explore these passages in both the Old and New Testaments, place them in their historical context, and discover more faithful ways of understanding them. Along the way, we’ll read Pastor Colby Martin’s book Unclobber: Rethinking Our Misuse of the Bible on Homosexuality to guide our conversations. Book required.
Cancer Support Group
Meets 2nd and 4th Sundays monthly, online via Zoom. This confidential group offers support for anyone diagnosed with cancer, undergoing treatment, or in remission. To join the email list, contact Margaret Rickers (mrickers14@gmail.com) or Joe Adams (kadams1@neb.rr.com).
Grief Support
2nd Friday (Oct 10) 3:00pm, Calvert Parlor. Group led.
Tuesday, Oct 21, Nov 18, 6:00pm, Tower Rm. Led by Dr. Lisa Borchardt
Grief & the Holidays, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 6:00-7:30pm.
Theology on Tap - New Location, New Time
The Fire of Justice
The Radical Theology and Politics of Dr. King
Oct. 13 & Nov. 10 | 6:30-7:30pm at White Elm Brewery
Join Pastor Juan Carlos for this bold and timely Bible series exploring the revolutionary vision of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Far beyond the safe and sanitized version often remembered, Dr. King spoke with prophetic fire about justice, nonviolence, economic inequality, and the soul of America. Together we’ll engage four of his most powerful writings and speeches—Pilgrimage to Nonviolence, Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?, The Three Evils of Society, and I’ve Been to the Mountaintop—and reflect on their theological roots and urgent relevance for today. Come ready to wrestle, reflect, and be transformed. Grab a soda, beer, or water (available for purchase).
Sundays, 8:15am in Pilgrim Hall. Join Dr. Jim Keck and Juan Carlos Huertas for a casual service of coffee, donuts and a good message.
Our First-Plymouth friend, whom we have named “Owlelujah,” was above one of our courtyard lamps on Sunday. (Great pic by Joan Hudson).
Introduction to Healing with Energy
Sat. Oct. 18, 10:00am-2:00pm, Calvert Parlor
This class introduces the practice of using your mind and hands to facilitate healing. We will explore the energy system, focusing on the field (also called the aura) and practices that support wellbeing and healing. The session includes both information and hands-on practice.
Bring a sack lunch; beverages provided. The class is facilitated by Margaret Rickers, a Healing Touch and Reiki practitioner. Fee: $40. Send your check to First-Plymouth, c/o Addie V, 2000 D St, Lincoln, NE 68502.
Pickleball at FP
Tuesdays, 6:00-8:00pm. Enter from the East parking lot
Church Grounds Clean Up Volunteers Needed
Oct. 11, 8:30am-10:30am . Bring your favorite garden tools.
Indigenous Working Group
Oct. 13, 4th Annual Chief Standing Bear Prize Dinner
2nd Thursday monthly, 5:00pm, Calvert Parlor. Monthly speakers.
Contact danklock16@gmail.com
Plymouth Pride Game Night
Fri. Oct. 17, 6:30pm in Pilgrim Hall. RSVP to FirstPlymouthPride@gmail.com
FP Men’s Noon Discussion with Dr. Keck
1st & 3rd Wednesdays (Oct. 1 & 15) Noon-1:00pm. Email addie@firstplymouth.org to get Zoom link.
Winter Gear Donation Drive
The Board of Christian Outreach will be collecting new and gently-used adult coats, hats, and gloves for the Friendship Home. Look for the collection bins around church from October 25 - November 9th.
Experience Forest Bathing
Registration Deadline: Oct. 17
Sun., Oct. 26, 2:45pm. at Prairie Pines (3110 N 112th St, Lincoln)
Step into the forest and explore a meditative, spiritual practice originating in Japan, where human stillness connects us to the pulse of the world around us. Engaging with the forest has been shown to have calming and mental health benefits. Enjoy a guided 45-minute forest bathing experience. We’ll gather at 2:45pm, walk at 3:00pm, and conclude with fellowship and conversation over coffee and hot cider.
Cost: $10/person. Register by Oct. 17. Mail or drop off your check to First-Plymouth, Attn: Addie, 2000 D St, Lincoln, NE 68502.
More details and registration are available at firstplymouth.org/cat.
Sponsored by FP Climate Action Team