May 18, 2025

YOU BELONG HERE!

We are grateful for your presence today. Inspired by the radical hospitality of Jesus Christ, we welcome everyone—without exception—into the life of this congregation. No matter where you may be in your faith journey, no matter what questions or burdens you may bring to this place, we take seriously that God loves everyone, so you belong here.

Every Sunday we read the old biblical stories and sing hymns (some of which our grandparents sang), while also engaging the world we live in this minute through liturgy, prayers, and sermons. By connecting the story of our lives to the story of Christ’s life, we discover hope and even joy, and are inspired to reflect the light of Christ to the city.

LET US KNOW YOU’RE WORSHIPING WITH US

Please let us know you are here by filling out an information form.

ONLINE COFFEE HOUR

If you are worshiping with us via livestream, we would be delighted if you would also join us for opportunity to connect with one another in our Coffee Hour time online. Each week we gather via Zoom at 10:30 a.m., immediately following the stream of the 9:30 service, for a time of fellowship. Zoom link (If a password is requested, please use 676359)

DEDICATION COMMEMORATION SUNDAY

Today is Dedication Commemoration Sunday at Fourth Church, declared by Pastor John Timothy Stone in 1914 to be observed on the third Sunday of each May. On Sunday, May 10, 1914, the Fourth Church congregation worshiped in the Michigan Avenue Sanctuary for the first time, having moved from its smaller facility on Rush at Superior. A series of dedicatory services were held the remainder of that week, and on May 21, 1914, the new Sanctuary and Parish House buildings were host to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, including the assembly’s Communion service attended by more than 1,800 worshipers.

ADULT EDUCATION

“Christian Perspectives on End-of-Life”
During the Adult Education hour at 11:00 today, Amy Pagliarella will guide us in looking at the resources our faith offers to help us with end-of-life decisions—for ourselves and our society. This class will be held in Borwell Dining Room and via Zoom (register at bit.ly/livingdying202505).

BIBLE STUDY

Men’s Bible Study
Men’s Bible Study—which focuses on scripture readings from either the immediate past week’s worship service or the upcoming Sunday—meets weekly via Zoom on Tuesday mornings at 7:30 a.m. For details, email Katie Patterson.

Women’s Bible Study
Women’s Bible Study—which includes time each month discussing the Horizons study “Let Justice Roll Down: God’s Call to Care for Neighbors and All Creation”—next meets via Zoom at 12:00 and 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 11. For details, email Katie Patterson.

“Bible Top Ten” podcast
Matt Helms and Rocky Supinger invite you to tune in to their “Bible Top Ten” podcast (also on multiple podcast platforms) as they explore the Bible through a rotating series of top ten lists.

Worship podcast and sermon text
During the week the Sunday morning service and sermon is available via podcast on multiple podcast platforms and at fourthchurch.org/podcasts; you can also receive the text of the previous Sunday morning’s sermon by email by subscribing.

FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Benevolent Guild
Benevolent Guild meets Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m. in Room 5B to create sewn and crafted items for those in need. Sewing experience is not necessary. For details, email Katie Patterson.

Books by Women
The monthly book group Books by Women next meets on Tuesday, June 10 at 6:00 p.m. in the Bumpus Room to discuss Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez. For details, email Katie Patterson.

RECOGNIZING GRADUATES

Those graduating from eighth grade, high school, college, or a graduate or professional program in 2025 are asked to email their names to Katie Patterson by next Sunday, May 25. Graduate names received by that day will appear in the worship bulletin on Baccalaureate Sunday, June 1.

THE DIVERSITY OF OUR FAMILIES

To celebrate Pride Month, our Widen Our Welcome (WOW) LGBTQ+ planning team will be creating a slideshow showcasing the diversity of families present at Fourth Church. They invite you to participate by submitting a digital photo of your family (and a brief description, if you’d like) to familyphotos@fourthchurch.org by Thursday, May 29. A family can be a couple, with or without kids, a single-parent household, you and your pet, or whatever “family” means to you!

JOINING THE FOURTH CHURCH FAMILY

If you are interested in becoming a member of Fourth Church, please join us for a one-session Inquirers’ Class in person on Sunday, June 1 at 12:15 p.m. in Room 5F (register here); the dates of multiple Zoom sessions will be published soon.

For additional information, contact Matt Helms, Associate Pastor for Children, Family, and Welcoming Ministries.

CARING FOR ONE ANOTHER

Prayer requests and pastoral care
If you would like to talk to a pastor or notify pastoral staff of personal concerns, illnesses, hospitalizations, or deaths, please email Gloria Fleming. If the situation requires immediate attention, please call the church at 312.787.4570 to be connected to the Minister on Call.

Also email Gloria if you would like to submit a prayer request to our Deacon and Morning Prayer Ministries.

RESOURCES FOR YOUR PERSONAL REFLECTION

We invite you to use our daily devotions for your personal reflection.

Weekly “Rhythm and Word” videos—released on Wednesday evenings—are also available via email. Sign up here or subscribe to our YouTube channel: www.bit.ly/fpcvideos.

STAY CONNECTED

You can find details about additional ways to connect with one another and this congregation, whether in person or online, on our website: www.fourthchurch.org, where you will also discover various resources and opportunities.

To see all that is going on at Fourth Church, we encourage you to bookmark our online church calendar, which is accessible from our website’s home page and at fourthchurch.org/calendar

PASTORAL CARE AND A LISTENING PRESENCE

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

Also email Gloria if you would like to talk to a pastor or notify pastoral staff of personal concerns, illnesses, hospitalizations, or deaths; if the situation requires immediate attention, please call the church at 312.787.4570 to be connected to the Minister on Call.

For those facing life’s challenges, Stephen Ministers provide a listening presence. To talk with a Stephen Minister, please leave a confidential message at 312.573.3365.

To explore options for counseling, call our Replogle Center for Counseling and Well-Being at 312.787.2729, ext. 2260 or visit reploglecenter.org

PRAYER, MEDITATION, AND SERMONS

You can read online Prayers of the People lifted up during previous Sunday morning services.

Each Wednesday we gather at 9:30 a.m. for Morning Prayer via Zoom. For Zoom details, email Nancy Benson-Nicol.

If you would like to walk the labyrinth, Buchanan Chapel is open for that purpose between 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. on most Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

You are also invited to a Sacred Pause time of meditation offered virtually by our Replogle Center for Counseling and Well-Being on Tuesdays (7:45 a.m.) and Saturdays (8:30 a.m.) on their Facebook page.

During the week the Sunday morning service and sermon is available via podcast on multiple platforms and at fourthchurch.org/podcasts

You can also receive the previous Sunday morning’s sermon text by email by subscribing at www.bit.ly/fpcsermons.

JOINING US ONLINE

Each Sunday our worshiping body is a wonderful mix of those online, on the phone, and in the pews. We livestream our 9:30 a.m. service on our YouTube channel, where it can be viewed any time after the services begin.

Links to make an online offering gift, view or print the worship bulletin, and more can be found in the descriptive text below the video as well as on our website.

Those without Internet access are invited to listen via phone by calling 888.916.9166 at 10:00 a.m.

JOINING US IN PERSON

If you like to join us for in-person worship, we gather on Sundays at 9:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m., and 2:00 p.m.

Sunday parking is available at 900 N. Michigan (access from Rush or Walton) at the rate of $10 for 6 hours (and $20 for up to 12 hours) and at the Hancock garage (875 N. Michigan, enter from Delaware or Chestnut) at the rate of $10 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Validation tickets for the garages must be picked up from ushers.

Three fully accessible entrances, without steps, lead to the Sanctuary: on Michigan Avenue (through the glass Loggia doors between the courtyard and the main Sanctuary doors); at 126 E. Chestnut; and at 115 E. Delaware, and open for worship a half hour prior to each service.

Children are always welcome in worship. 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. During the morning services nursery care is available on the fourth floor of the Gratz Center for infants through two-year-olds.

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