June 29, 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 10:00 service, for a time of fellowship. Zoom link (If a password is requested, please use 676359)

TODAY IS PRIDE SUNDAY!

Celebrating Pride

Today we celebrate Pride Sunday at Fourth Church, a day when we give special emphasis to our belief that members of the LGBTQIA+ community are children of God and, as such, an important part of our Fourth Church family.

As we strive to be a truly inclusive church, extending God’s welcome to everyone, we are committed to ensuring that members of the LGBTQIA+ community know that they are fully seen, accepted, and loved.

Bearing public witness

To bear public witness to God’s love for all and our commitment to radical hospitality, representatives from Fourth Church are walking in today’s Chicago Pride Parade along with fellow members of the Chicago Coalition of Welcoming Churches.

In addition, the front of the church is decorated with ribbons that highlight the two important June celebrations of Pride Month and Juneteenth. These decorations boldly proclaiming to all passersby our Christian values and God’s inclusive love of all.

The front steps of the Sanctuary are flanked by the traditional rainbow colors of Pride; in between, the pink, blue, and white ribbons are tied in the style of the Transgender Pride flag; and Juneteenth is represented by the red and blue ribbons and flags.

APRIL AJOY TO SPEAK JULY 20

On Sunday, July 20, Matt Helms will talk with April Ajoy about her book Star-Spangled Jesus: Leaving Christian Nationalism and Finding a True Faith during an 11:00 a.m. Adult Education class in Borwell Dining Room; register here.

“REPAIRING HISTORICAL HARMS”

This year’s Paul Galloway Lecture will take place on Saturday, July 19 at 10:00 a.m. in Buchanan Chapel and via Zoom. To attend, register here.

The 2025 speaker, the Reverend Jermaine Ross-Allam — a Presbyterian minister, social ethicist, and scholar— will talk about “Repairing Historical Harms,” as we further understanding of the Christian church’s role in creating and perpetuating transgenerational injustice. Acknowledging complicity and responsibility in past actions and inactions, we pave the way for healing, reconciliation, and positive change in us and in our communities.

PEACE WALKS IN AUBURN GRESHAM

The Mission and Justice Committee invites you to join them in taking part in the Peace Walks of the St. Sabina Parish in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood. We’ll be walking on Fridays, July 11 and August 1 and 15 at 7:00 p.m. Sign up here, or for details, contact Nancy.

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, July 9. For details, email Katie Patterson.

The noon gathering is studying the Horizons Bible Study “Dispatches to God’s Household: The General Epistles” by Associate Pastor Nancy Benson-Nicol.

The evening gathering is studying the Sunday lectionary readings, with passages from the Old Testament, Psalms, a non-Gospel New Testament book, and a Gospel.

“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

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.

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.

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 10:00 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 10:00 a.m. through August 31 and then at 9:30 and 11:00 during the academic year.

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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