The Herald Newsletter
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Issue 11 I November 2026
Service of Remembrance
Sunday, November 1, 9:00am worship
We will lift up the names of church members who have died since November of last year as well as remember all our loved ones who have entered eternity.
“Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” -Matthew 5
The State of Faith in America
Faith in America is Changing. What Does it Mean for Us?
Join us for an engaging evening with Ryan Burge, one of America’s leading researchers on religion, politics, and the future of faith. Explore how America’s religious landscape is changing—and where hope for the future can still be found.
Monday, November 2, 2026 • 7:00pm l Freewill donation
Ryan Burge is professor of practice at the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics at Washington University in St. Louis. He has authored over thirty peer-reviewed articles and book chapters alongside six books about religion and politics in the United States. He has written for the New York Times, POLITICO, and the Wall Street Journal. He has also appeared in a number of other media outlets including the CBS Evening News, and 60 Minutes, which called him, “one of the country’s leading data analysts on religion and politics.”
The Future of Faith
Festival Sermon Series by Dr. Jim Keck
Sundays, November 1 & 8, 9:00 & 10:30am services
Join us for this sermon series exploring the changing landscape of faith, the church, and our lives. Together we’ll ask big questions about where we’re headed and what it means to be people of faith in a rapidly changing world.
You are invited
Service of Ordination for KJ Langlais
Saturday, November 28, 5:30pm In the Sanctuary (as part of the worship service)
A light reception will be held immediately following the service
Give Hope.
Find Your Joy.
Thanks for Your Help.
Our annual pledge drive is officially underway! You may have already received your pledge card in the mail, or perhaps you’ve already submitted your pledge for 2027. If you have, thank you! However you choose to participate, your generosity helps support the life and ministries of First-Plymouth and makes so much of what we do together possible.
Each pledge matters deeply. Together, we support:
Worship that inspires and renews us
Music that uplifts and heals
Christian education that engages our children and youth
Outreach ministries, including Hope House, that bring dignity and care to our neighbors in need
Your pledge of any size helps write the story of love and hope in our church and our community. Every dollar will be put to careful use by our Board of Trustees as we plan for 2027, ensuring that First-Plymouth continues to bring God’s love to life in powerful, tangible ways.
Make your pledge today at firstplymouth.org/giving or by contacting LeEtta Suhr in the church office.
Thank you for being part of this community of love, hope, and peace.
There are 302,400 minutes in September . . .
Spend thirty minutes to be still, exhale and rest in silence and song.
Compline
Sunday, November 8, 7:00-7:30pm, Sanctuary
Ancient Worship for the modern soul
Theology On Tap
What Does it Mean? Big Words. Bigger Questions.
with Pastor Juan Carlos Huertas
Mon. Nov 16, 6:30-7:30pm, at Ironhorse Bar & Event room (728 Q St)
We hear them, we repeat them, we think we might understand them. Do we? This Fall and Spring Pastor JC will dig into churchy words, their history, the ideas they are trying to convey, and what they might mean for us today. Join us!
Salvation
What is salvation? What do we need to be saved from? Why? What does it have to do with Jesus? Church? Or Worship? Where does this idea come from? Another word, another conversation at Theology on Tap.
Grief Support Group
2nd Friday (Nov 13) monthly, 3:00pm, Calvert Parlor. Group led.
Grief and the Holidays
Tues, Nov 17, 6:00-7:30pm. Led by Lisa Borchardt, Associate Professor Nebraska Wesleyan University.
A small group gathering to help ease the grief and pain as the holiday season approaches. Free, but registration requested. Register with addie@firstplymouth.org.
Grief Support Sessions
Tues Dec 15, Feb 16, April 20, 6:00-7:30pm. Facilitated by Lisa Borchardt, Associate Professor Nebraska Wesleyan University.
A monthly educational group offered for those experiencing the death of a loved one. Each month a different topic will be presented to help us acknowledge our grief and move through the mourning process. Individuals may choose to come to one or all of the groups to feel in community and gain support as needed. Free, but registration requested. Register with addie@firstplymouth.org.
Not Your Ordinary Bible Study with Dr. Jim Keck
Thursdays, Noon-1:00pm, in the Choir Room. A spiritual adventure using the Bible to launch the imagination, and catapult us into far-ranging topics of real interest.
“The Tears of Things: Prophetic Wisdom for an Age of Outrage”
Academic Bible Study. Sundays, Nov 1, 8, 15, Dec 6, 13, 20, 11:30am, Tower Room. Led by Leah Cech.
The Tears of Things:
Join us for a study of Richard Rohr’s The Tears of Things, exploring how the biblical prophets teach us to move beyond anger and grief toward compassion in a world filled with injustice and suffering. Together, we’ll consider how faith calls us beyond criticism toward a deeper love that challenges injustice and brings hope to a hurting world. Purchase the book prior to the first class.
First-Plymouth Presents - NEW South Location!
The Future of First-Plymouth
We just had a sermon series about the “Future of Faith” but now join us at Rosie’s for a sermon that zeroes in on our particular congregation. What is the vision, strategy and outlook for First-Plymouth Church? Where are we heading in a complex, ever-changing world? Join Jim for a celebration and elaboration of our core mission.
Live music from singer-songwriter Josh Hoyer
Sunday, November 15, 6:00pm (Doors open at 5:30pm)
Rosie’s South Sports Bar & Grill – Event room
Grab a soda or beer (available for purchase)
FP South
Sundays, 9:30am at Roper and Sons South Chapel (3950 Hohensee Dr)
Brunch @ FP South
2nd Sunday of each month following the 9:30am Worship
On the second Sunday of every month, Brunch @ FP South brings us together around the table for good food, good company, and a different activity. It’s a chance to deepen friendships, meet someone new, and discover new ways to connect with our community and one another. All ages, all people, and all appetites are welcome.
Miami Arts Studio Vocal Ensemble
Sunday, November 8, 2026 at 4:00 p.m.
The award-winning youth from Miami Arts Studio make their Nebraska debut.
This viral ensemble is mostly made up of Hispanic students who are all first or second generation immigrants from the Caribbean Islands, Central and South America.
It’s time to Deck the Halls, and we need your help!
Join us Sat, Nov. 21, from 11:00am–3:00pm to prepare decorations (pizza provided!) or Sun Nov. 22, from 3:00pm–6:00pm to decorate the church. Come as you’re able, and bring the family! Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Questions? Contact Jeremy Roberts at jeremy@firstplymouth.org.
Share Your Voice in the 2027 Lenten Devotional Booklet
FP is seeking volunteers to contribute brief reflections for the 2027 Lenten Devotional Booklet. All are welcome to participate—no writing experience is necessary. For more information, contact Dale Hauptmeier at dale.hauptmeier@gmail.com or call/text (402) 429-1371.
Love the Planet
A helpful tip from FP Sustainable Living Ministry and Climate Action Team
Shopping online this holiday season? Consolidate purchases and choose “no-rush” shipping when possible to reduce carbon impact.
Thank You Grounds Crew Volunteers
A heartfelt thank you to all the volunteers who worked so hard over the summer weeding, planting, pruning, hauling and sweeping. Our goal is to keep the church property looking beautiful! I encourage others to join in our efforts for this coming season.
Many thanks, Candy Crellin
FP Men’s Noon Discussion with Dr. Keck
1st & 3rd Wednesdays, Noon-1:00pm, online via Zoom. Email
addie@firstplymouth.org to get on the email list.
FP Singles Ministry
Join our email list for monthly events. Email addie@firstplymouth.org.
Plymouth Pride Ministry
Open to all LGBTQIA+ and allies.
Join the email list for the latest events and announcements, email addie@firstplymouth.org
Handel’s Messiah
Lincoln’s Community Sing
Free Concert Sunday, November 29, 2026 at 4:00 p.m.
This year, strings, trumpets, timpani, and organ will accompany First-Plymouth’s Schola cantorum, soloists, and the audience in a living performance of this iconic masterwork.
Freewill offering to benefit the Heartland Cancer Foundation.
Dear First-Plymouth,
In 2023, Pastor Juan Carlos invited First-Plymouth to form an Indigenous Working Group. Little did we know how deeply this journey would change us.
We began by developing a Land Acknowledgment letter but came to understand that acknowledgment without land return rings hollow. This realization led us to support and participate in the semiannual Niskithe Prayer Camp and explore the potential of eco-villages as places of cultural reclamation and renewal.
Along the way, we’ve built meaningful relationships at the Indian Center of Lincoln and the Ponca Center, where we’ve been welcomed with open hearts as relatives. We’ve been fed, blessed, and invited to dance in celebration of life, youth, and the Return of the Thunderbirds. We’ve stood in solidarity with Native families still searching for children who never returned from Indian boarding schools, and we’ve listened to stories of generational trauma, resilience, and hope. These experiences have changed us forever.
We are grateful to First-Plymouth for providing seed funding in 2025 and 2026 to support this journey. These funds benefit the Indian Center of Lincoln’s Food Sovereignty Program, helping cover a month of meal expenses. The Center provides free meals each week to elders, youth, and the broader community, bringing Native and non-Native neighbors together.
We invite you to join us for Indigenous speakers and films on the fourth Thursday of each month, September through May, at 5:30pm in Pilgrim Hall. November and December programs take place on the third Thursday. Watch The Herald for details and additional events.
Through these experiences, we’ve encountered both the painful legacy of cultural loss and the profound beauty of cultural renewal. We pray that our First Nations and tribal neighbors continue to heal and thrive, and we’re grateful that First-Plymouth provides a welcoming space to learn from our history and build a stronger future together.
Thank you,
The Indigenous Working Group
NEW! Joyful Movement
Sundays, 2:30 -3:15pm through Dec. 6, in the Chapel. (no class Nov 29).
Inspired by dance, yoga, and martial arts, this Nia-inspired movement series invites you to move mindfully and energetically in your body’s way. Be a happy beginner! Wear comfortable clothing and bring a playful spirit to this practice.
Bread For The World
Thanksgiving is a time to count our blessings and remember that hunger and poverty persist—not because our nation lacks resources, but because of inequity and injustice.
This ministry calls people of faith to move beyond charity to address the root causes of hunger through advocacy and action. Guided by the gospel, we are called to make love visible by working toward a more just world where everyone has access to nutritious food.
For more information contact Tim Shaw at timothyfshaw@gmail.com.
Thank you First-Plymouth for your funding that has made this garden and many other projects possible in Zambia. -- FP Zambia Ministry Team