Words. Questions.

What Does it Mean? Big Words. Bigger Questions.

Theology on Tap with Pastor Juan Carlos Huertas

Mon Sept 14, Oct 12, Nov 16, 6:30-7:30pm, New! 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 at Theology on Tap with Pastor JC, we dig into churchy words, their history, the ideas they are trying to convey, and what they might mean for us today. Join us!

Sun Sept 27, Oct 4, Oct 11, Sermon Series at 11:57am

With special musical guests Emily Bass and friends

Religion can bring out our very best—and sometimes our very worst. It can offer hope and belonging, but it can also divide, exclude, shame, and do real harm. In this series, Dr. Jim Keck and Pastor Juan Carlos Huertas explore some of the ways religion gets it wrong—and ask what faithful, healthy religion might look like instead.

Attend the Ministry Fair

Stop by the Ministry Fair on Sun. Sept. 20, between services (9:30am-Noon) in the courtyard. Learn how you can get involved,

find a place to connect, or simply explore what’s happening around the church!

Are you or someone you know experiencing the loss of a pet?

FP Animal Ministry is offering a Pet Memorial Service on Sunday, Sept 6, at 1:00pm in the chapel. It is open to anyone and is a brief service of poems and prayers to help ease the loss. Feel free to bring a photo and thoughts you might like to share of this special animal.

Circle 3 Women’s Book Club Begins

Sept 9 - May 12, 10:00 – 11:30am, (2nd Wed of the month), in Pilgrim Hall. Led by Pastor KJ Langlais.

Email kj@firstplymouth.org for info.

This year, we will dive into “The Book of Longings,” an extraordinary story set in the first century about a woman who finds her voice and her destiny. Books will be available at the first gathering for a suggested $12.00.

“I so look forward to getting to know more women this year as we have lively discussions, learning, and growing together. Many women express ‘joy’ when they describe this group!”

-- Pastor KJ

Academic Bible Study

Moral Injury in the Bible

Sundays, Sept 13, 20, & 27, 11:30am, Tower Room. Led by Dr. Leah Cech

Moral injury has gained more attention as an area of exploration within biblical studies. Defined as harm caused to an individual when witnessing events or acting in ways that go against one’s core moral beliefs. There are some biblical figures who are identified as moral injury sufferers, and we will consider their stories together.

Grief Support

• 2nd Friday (Sept 11) 3:00pm, Calvert Parlor. Group led.

• Tues. Oct 20, 6:00pm, Tower room. Led by Lisa Borchardt, NWU. Email addie@firstplymouth.org to register.

Join a Welcome Team

Help create a warm, welcoming experience for everyone who comes to worship. Welcome Teams serve one month each quarter, making this an easy and meaningful way to volunteer. Email lana@firstplymouth.org to learn more.

First-Plymouth Partners with Food Bank to Feed Thousands

Ron Ramsey is stepping down as volunteer coordinator

For nearly eight years, Ron Ramsey has found joy in helping others through First-Plymouth’s monthly food distribution, a partnership with the Food Bank of Lincoln that now serves as many as 800 families each month.

On the first Saturday of every month, a long line of cars winds through First-Plymouth’s east parking lot. Volunteers unload food from pallets and place it directly into open trunks—or gently hand a dozen eggs through a car window into waiting hands.

Many of the families served live in the First-Plymouth neighborhood. Some arrive in cars that also serve as their homes, while others walk from nearby with carts or wagons.

Ron has coordinated the volunteers for nearly eight years, watching participation grow from about 40 families at the first distribution in January 2019 to a line that sometimes stretches down 21st Street nearly to O Street.

Distribution Saturdays begin with the arrival of one or two refrigerated Food Bank trucks and the unloading of pallets of available food. Volunteers organize the pallets into two lanes, with teams assigned to make sure each car receives the available items. Drive-through distribution runs from 8:45 to 11 a.m., with walk-up distribution beginning at 10 a.m.

The need has grown significantly, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic and the reduction of federal food assistance through SNAP benefits. With more than 90 volunteers on its roster, First-Plymouth is now the second-largest Food Bank distribution site in the Southeast Nebraska network, behind the Food Bank’s headquarters.

The ministry began when Ron was serving on the Board of Christian Outreach. Along with Ray Zeisset, Lowell Nickolaus, their spouses and others, he explored how a monthly food distribution could be established at First-Plymouth. Ron soon took on the leadership role.

His years of service at First-Plymouth extend well beyond the food distribution. He has been an usher for 30 years, served as a deacon for nine years and participated in a mission trip to Guatemala with a church group that included his wife and daughter.

Now Ron is stepping down as volunteer coordinator and handing the responsibility to John Reinhardt. The two have worked closely together to keep the monthly distribution running like a well-oiled machine.

John, a retired faculty member from the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s College of Dentistry, has also devoted years to serving others. He has served as a First-Plymouth trustee, served on the board of Lincoln’s Community Health Endowment and currently volunteers with the Clinic with a Heart. He and his wife, Claudia, have been regular First-Plymouth Food Bank volunteers since the program began.

For John, volunteering is more than a responsibility—it is a passion.

“I feel truly blessed to have this opportunity to serve others,” he said.

As Ron passes the coordinator role to John, the monthly food distribution continues to reflect First-Plymouth’s commitment to serving its neighbors—and the power of a community coming together to meet a growing need.

Stop by God’s Garden

Sundays through October 11, stop by to explore a beautiful selection of flowers, garden vegetables and more, available throughout the summer for a small donation. If you have extra produce or flowers from your own garden to share, donations are welcome. All proceeds support the Sustainable Living Ministry.

Church Grounds Volunteers Needed

Join the garden grounds crew to keep the church grounds looking beautiful! Gather on Sept 19 and Oct 17 from 8:30 -10:30am. Bring your garden tools. Contact ccrellin@neb.rr.com

Love the Planet

A helpful tip from FP Sustainable Living Ministry and Climate Action Team

Research shows that spending time in nature positively impacts our brains, blood pressure, heart rate, and blood cortisol levels.

Experience Sacred Harp Singing

Sept 5, 9:00am-3:00pm

Experience the magic of the hollow square at an all-day Sacred Harp singing at First-Plymouth. We’ll break for a potluck lunch around noon, so bring a dish to share!

Afterward, we’ll reconvene at the Ross Theater (313 N. 13th St.) for a screening of Awake, My Soul: The Story of Sacred Harp. Showtime TBA. 

Loaner books will be available, but we encourage you to bring your own. 2025 editions are available for $20 each.

Questions? Email sacredharplincoln@gmail.com

Indigenous Working Group (IWG) at First-Plymouth

IWG brings people together to learn about Native American cultures through speakers, films, service opportunities, and community events.

Monthly gatherings: Fourth Thursday of the month in Pilgrim Hall. (November and December meet on the third Thursday.)

Sept 10 – IWG Monthly Meeting, 5:00pm, Pilgrim Hall

Sept 12 – Pine Ridge Reservation/Re-Member Service & Learning Trip

Sept 14 – Indigenous Film: Uncovering Boarding Schools: Stories of Resistance and Resilience, 7:10pm, Ross Theater (313 N. 13th St)

Sept 15 – IWG Book Club, 1:45pm, at LeAnne C.’s home. The Shining Hands of My Ponca Ancestor by Cliff Taylor. RSVP: 402-617-0311

Sept 24 – IWG Presentation with Kevin Abourez, 5:30pm, Pilgrim Hall. Learn about Intertribal Spirit Lodges and the upcoming Niskithe Prayer Camp.

Sept 25–27 – Otoe-Missouria Days https://plains.unl.edu/otoe-missouria-day/

Bridging the Divide: A Braver Angels Workshop

Oct 17, 9:30-11:30am, Art Room.

Concerned about America’s political divide and wondering what you can do as a person of faith? First-Plymouth invites you to a Braver Angels workshop focused on building unity—not uniformity of beliefs—and learning how to have more respectful, productive conversations across political differences. All are welcome.

FP Men’s Noon Discussion with Dr. Keck

1st & 3rd Wednesdays (beginning Sept 2) Noon-1:00pm, online via Zoom. Email addie@firstplymouth.org to get on the email list.

Grape Expectations Church Social

Sept 18, 6:30-8:30pm, at Mary and LaMoine Smith’s house. A great way to meet others who attend First-Plymouth. Bring an appetizer and beverage to share (most bring wine). RSVP for the address and directions to: smith.mary5750@gmail.com

September Featured Artist in Pilgrim Hall

Phyllis Martin Owen presents her first collection of watercolor paintings, inspired by her lifelong love of flowers and gardening. A longtime musician and China painter, Phyllis began exploring watercolor in 2025 under the guidance of artist Julia Noyes. After a lifetime of expressing herself through music, watercolor has opened a new creative path—one she describes as “a new artistic adventure” filled with discovery and joy.

Bread For The World

Since Congress passed H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, 28,287 Nebraskans have lost food assistance, more than half of them children and seniors. Families are now being asked to stretch their budgets even further as food costs rise.

Watch for our Offering of Letters this fall. Every voice matters. Together, we can urge those with the power to address hunger and food insecurity in Nebraska, Lincoln, and across the United States. Sponsored by the Bread for the World Ministry at FP.