This Sunday is Baptism of the Lord Sunday. In celebrating that we will--as we do each year during the Easter Vigil--have opportunity during worship to reaffirm the vows made at our baptism and to remember this core sacrament of our faith and identity.

Families of children and youth, do you think you have the best chili recipe? Join us this Sunday for the second annual Chili Potluck Cook-Off for families of children and youth! Bring your chili to church to share with other families following the 11:00 a.m. worship service. Chili can be stored in Crock-Pots and plugged in in Borwell Dining Room. Awards will be given for the tastiest chili!

Please note that a congregational meeting will be held immediately following 11:00 a.m. worship this Sunday (see above). During this time, games and activities will be available for children in Borwell Dining Room. Following the meeting, around 12:45 p.m., families will gather and chili will be served.

We hope to sample all varieties of chili: sweet, white, red, chicken, beef, turkey, vegetarian, beans, no beans, corn, pineapple, and much more!

Time:

     Sunday, January 11

     12:00 noon, Games and activities for children

     12:45 p.m., Chili Cook-Off for families of children and youth 

Place:

     Borwell Dining Room

This month the pipe organ project moves into its next phase, with work beginning in the South Balcony in the Sanctuary. In order to make it easier for the sound from the pipes in the southwest chamber to be heard, some of the west wall of the South Balcony will be opened to the chamber behind.

The South Balcony will be closed to seating until late March, as this week scaffolding was erected in the balcony and will remain there for the next ten weeks or so. A portion of the lower six panels of the ceiling will also be removed in the days ahead and replaced with replicas through which sound can pass, and the wall behind them will be opened up in a way that maintains the architectural integrity of the space.

Stay tuned to the organ web page for updates and to Facebook for photos of the work in progress--including a look at the new organ console under construction--as we look forward to having the newly rebuilt organ installed and in use by the end of this year!   

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Join us as we honor the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. during a hosted walk of the labyrinth in Buchanan Chapel next Saturday, January 17 from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m.

A labyrinth is a walking tool for prayer and meditation for those seeking God. Rediscovered in recent years as a fruitful spiritual practice, it is an archetypal sacred pattern for walking a path of pilgrimage and offers an opportunity for spiritual reflection.

Time:

     Saturday, January 17

     10:00-11:30 a.m.

Place:

     Buchanan Chapel

In addition to lifting up the hosted labyrinth walk (see above), the Multicultural Committee at Fourth Church also highlights the following opportunities next week to honor the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

"It's Still Time for a Freedom Party!"

Saturday, January 17

9:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

The Grand Ballroom (6351 S. Cottage Grove Ave.)

Sponsored by Reclaim Chicago, this public meeting will focus on racial and economic equality.

"Faith in Action Assembly"

Monday, January 19

10:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Liberty Baptist Church (4849 S. King Dr.)

Sponsored by Community Renewal Society, this public meeting with Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle, city and state elected officials, and mayoral candidates will address employment, affordable housing, and violence reduction.

"The MLK Project: The Fight for Civil Rights"

Tuesday, January 20

7:00-8:30 p.m.

Park Community Church (1001 N. Crosby St.)

This one-woman show follows a Chicago student's personal transformation through studying the civil rights movement. Weaving together real interviews, poetry, hip hop, history, and multimedia projections, the performance features stories of both celebrated and unsung Chicago-based civil rights activists.

Admission to all of these events is free. For more information or RSVP, contact Vicky Curtiss (312.981.3598).

A big, big thank you to our many December volunteers, who helped during this vibrant and busy time of the year--from the volunteers who sleeved 5,000 candles to Cookies-and-Cocoa Reception bakers and servers; from those who filled Christmas Wishes to the volunteers who wrapped hundreds of gifts; from those who donated items for Social Service Center gift bags to those who ushered at the many concerts and worship services, those who served Christmas dinner, helped with the Christmas pageant, sang in the choirs, and so many, many more!

We thank you for making December such a special and blessed time at Fourth Church! 

Sermons

from previous weeks are posted online at www.fourthchurch.org/sermons 

Friday, January 16, 2015
Sarah van der Ploeg, soprano
12:10 p.m. in Buchanan Chapel

Friday, January 23, 2015
Chicago Trio

Natalya Chernysh, violinist
Irene Schweizer, cellist
Diana Kofman, pianist
12:10 p.m. in Buchanan Chapel

Friday, January 30, 2015
Piano and Poetry Meditations
John W. W. Sherer, organist
   (Organist and Director of Music at Fourth Church)
Jean Marie Koon, narrator
12:10 p.m. in the Sanctuary

Saturday, January 31, 2015
St. Olaf Choir
7:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary
Tickets available through St. Olaf College
wp.stolaf.edu | 800.363.5487