Congregational Life
Music & Fine Arts
We are a church that believes in artistic expression! With choirs and instrumental ensembles for all ages, culinary & fine arts classes, and dramatic productions, Plymouth Church offers a great variety of opportunities to sing, play and create.
Choirs
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The Plymouth Chancel Choir welcomes all singers from high school age through adults. This non-auditioned ensemble sings at the 9:30am worship service, performs two major choral works each year accompanied by an orchestra, and participates in community musical events. The choir sings anthems from Chant through contemporary.
Rehearsals are Thursday evenings from 7-8:30pm.
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Plymouth has three children’s choirs:
Cherub Choir: PreK-1st grade
Carol Choir: 2nd-5th grade
Chapel Choir: 6th-8th gradeAll children’s choirs meet from 10:30-11am on Sunday mornings as a part of the Sunday Schoolschedule. Each choir sings for the 9:30am worship service multiple times throughout the year. The Carol and Chapel Choirs also sing at the 6pm Christmas Eve service and produce a yearly children’s and youth musical.
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Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord
-Ephesians 5:19
The choirs and instrumental groups of Plymouth are committed to the worship of God through beautiful music. All are welcome; no audition required. Please email our Minister of Music and Fine Arts, Kim Manz, with any questions.
Ensembles
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This ensemble rehearses Wednesday evenings from 7-8pm and plays periodically at the 9:30am worship service and other speical services.
All string players playing at the high school level and above are welcome. -
Plymouth has multiple handbell choirs:
Middle School
High School
Adult Choir
Small EnsembleReading music is not necessary. We’ll teach you everything you need to know to ring successfully!
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This large ensemble rehearses as needed and provides music for Easter, Harvest Home Sunday, Independence Celebration, and other times.
This non-auditioned group welcomes players from high school through adults. -
Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord
-Ephesians 5:19
The choirs and instrumental groups of Plymouth are committed to the worship of God through beautiful music. All are welcome; no audition required. Please email our Minister of Music and Fine Arts, Kim Manz, with any questions.
Plymouth Arts
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This group of performers and musicians produces at least two Dinner Theater events each year. Past productions have included murder mysteries, musical revues, and comedies.
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Art Classes are offered at Plymouth every other year during the spring, summer, and fall to build excitement and involvement in the Art Show.
Instructors are always needed for various mediums. We have classes for children, adults, and both together.
Past classes have included clay, mosaics, woodworking, photography, painting, and more…
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Plymouth offers Culinary Arts classes every other year (alternating with Art classes). We are always looking for instructors in any area: baking, breadmaking, vegetarian, regional, candy, etc.!
Faith Formation & Youth
From Sunday School to Confirmation classes, youth service work, in-service learning trips and fellowship groups, to adult Covenant Groups, Bible Study Gatherings, and Plymouth Academy, we embrace the life-long journey of learning and growing in community at Plymouth Church.
Kids & Families
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Children begin Sunday mornings in worship with their families. Following the Children's Celebration during the 9:30 a.m. worship service, children are invited to attend Sunday School at approximately 9:45 a.m.
Sunday School concludes at 10:30 a.m. Children's choirs meet immediately afterward, from 10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Classroom locations for Sunday School and children's choirs are listed in the weekly bulletin.
Children may be picked up from their choir classroom at 11:00 a.m.
Visitors are always welcome. If your child would prefer to remain in worship rather than attend Sunday School, worship bags are available in the narthex.
Sunday School classes are organized by age and grade level:
· Preschool
· Kindergarten and First Grade
· Second and Third Grade
· Fourth and Fifth Grade
Classes focus on learning Bible stories through age-appropriate activities, discussion, crafts, and creative experiences.
The safety of our children is a top priority. All Sunday School classrooms follow our Safe Church Policy. There are always at least two background-checked adults present, and no adult is ever alone with a child.
Nursery care is available for the 9:30am and 11:30am worship services for infants and toddlers.
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Stepping Stones is a ministry for families with children ages 0 to 18. These groups build a strong, ongoing partnership between church and home. It empowers parents to be confident and capable faith mentors for their children. Stepping Stones groups occur throughout the year so be on the lookout for signups!
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Our Whole Lives (OWL) is a comprehensive, age-appropriate sexuality education program created by the United Church of Christ and the Unitarian Universalist Association. Plymouth has been offering OWL classes since 2008. Plymouth currently offers OWL classes for four age groups in alternating years. If you would like more information about OWL, visit this link.
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Join fellow Plymouth Dads to take time out of your busy schedule to reflect and talk about your own faith and spiritual growth. Whether you are deeply rooted in faith, full of doubt, new to Christianity, or a lifelong practitioner, you are welcome and encouraged to bring your experience to the group. A conversation prompt will be given each month – no study or prep work necessary.
This group is for any Plymouth dad with high school aged kids or younger.
We know schedules get crazy, so don't worry if you can't arrive right at 7:30.
For questions, contact:
Ben Miller-Coleman
or Brantley Dean -
To learn more about Kids and Family Ministries and how you can get involved, please contact Colton Paquale, Director of Faith Formation at Plymouth Church.
Youth Ministry
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Confirmation is one of the most significant milestones in a young person's faith journey. Through this process, our 6th–8th graders begin to step into their identity as Christian adults. As a church, we take that responsibility seriously, giving each young person the chance to answer for themselves the vows you made on their behalf at their baptism.
Confirmation is designed to provide a supportive community during formative years. Dedicated and enthusiastic small group leaders walk with our confirmation students through service projects, fun fellowship events, and tough conversations about faith and what it means to be a Christian today. Middle School Confirmation meets on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month. In October and March, we take a short retreat to Tall Oaks Conference Center to learn and grow all together.
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Our High School group meets on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month; these sessions focus on learning and fellowship. During the learning sessions, we talk about faith and how it relates to all kinds of complicated and crucial topics, such as mental health, racism, climate care, etc. On our fellowship night we go outside the walls of the church to deepen our connection by having fun together by going bowling, getting ice cream, or other fun activities.
High schoolers also participate in Youth Service Corps, which is held on the 2nd Saturday of each month.
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Our Plymouth Service Corps Teams meet monthly to volunteer in our wider community. These small groups include occasional opportunities for intergenerational service projects for families and youth. These groups may garden, pick up trash, or work with our local mission partners like Family Promise and Just Food.
Email Colton Pasquale to connect and learn more about Youth Service Corps.
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In partnership with Be the Neighbor, a justice-based service-learning trip ministry, we take a week-long trip during the summer where High Schoolers go across the country to learn about factors that have affected a community and serve that community in multiple ways. Be the Neighbor plans the trip for us and hires site guides to lead us through the community where we are serving. In recent years, we have visited Chicago, Illinois and Tulsa, Oklahoma and have brought back knowledge to tackle similar issues in our own community.
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To learn more about Kids and Family Ministries and how you can get involved, please contact Colton Paquale, Director of Faith Formation at Plymouth Church.
Adults
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A Covenant Group is an intentional small group where we grow together in faith, community, and service. Each group chooses its own curriculum and structure (supported by the Plymouth staff), while sharing a commitment to pray together, support one another, and practice “beloved community.” Members commit to making the group a priority over the coming year, staying connected through regular gatherings, prayer, and spiritual practice.
In the spirit of Plymouth Congregational Church’s mission, Covenant Groups are a place where we seek to worship God, serve one another, promote justice, and grow together as followers of the way of Jesus.
If you are interested in joining a group, let us know here! -
Fellowship Forums span a variety of topics from Biblical study and current events special interest. Typically gathering between worship services on Sunday mornings, these forums often offer opportunites for personal growth and going deeper with culturally elevant themes in community.
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Plymouth Academy is our seasonal (fall and spring) Wednesday evening program featuring opportunities for all ages. From social justice classes and faith formation groups to book discussions, youth programs, children’s activities, and nursery care, Plymouth Academy creates space for spiritual growth, meaningful conversation, and community formation.
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Community groups meet regularly for parents, men, women, centering prayer circles, and bible study.
Learn more here.
Service & Justice
We are a community that believes in speaking out, standing up, and rolling up our sleeves to do the work we are called to do. We invite you to join us as we serve, advocate, and work together to put our faith into action.
Community Mission Partners
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Plymouth Church is proud of our partnership with Family Promise of Lawrence. Family Promise supports families who need housing by partnering with churches and other local organizations.
If you are interested in volunteering to support our Family Promise partnership at Plymouth, click here. -
At Plymouth, we are pleased to be able to share our building with a Head Start school as we have since the 1960s. We have a team of volunteers who support the teachers and students during this formative time in their lives.
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The Lawrence Interdenominational Nutrition Kitchen (“LINK”) feeds our community lunch four times a week. Plymouth Congregational Church supports LINK monthly (on the third Thursday of the month).
We are always in need of volunteers to help serve and make food. Sign up here! -
Just Food is the food bank of Douglas County, supplying 29+ partner agencies with fresh produce, dairy products, meat, bread, and pantry staples. Plymouth Church collects donations for Just Food. Use the link below to visit Just Food’s site. To learn more about Plymouth’s partnership with Just food, contact Rev. Caroline Lawson Dean.
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Plymouth is a member congregation of the Lawrence Justice Matters chapter. Justice Matters is an Interfaith non-profit organization consisting of religious congregations joined together to fulfill the following mission: To move Lawrence toward a city where justice rolls down like a mighty river. To surface, understand, and address issues of justice in the region. To strengthen understanding of the scriptural imperative to do justice.
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ECM is a progressive, non-denominational meeting space for students and the community to connect, engage, eat, study, garden, and serve. Plymouth Church has supported ECM since the 1960s. Learn more about ECM below. You can also contact Rev. Caroline Lawson Dean.
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Plymouth is proud to partner with Somos Lawrence to offer free English language classes for people learning English, as well as Spanish classes for those interested, available for a reasonable fee.
somos-plymouth.org
Justice Advocacy
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Plymouth’s “Open & Affirming” Team explores ways that Plymouth can be more inclusive and do intentional advocacy for our LGBTQ+ community and allies. Contact Rev. Caroline Lawson Dean to inquire about joining this team’s efforts to make our church and our local community a space where LGBTQ+ friends and neighbors can thrive.
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We have an active, trained team of leaders who facilitate excellent Racial Justice programming throughout the year at Plymouth. If you would like to join our Racial Justice email-list, use the link below, or contact Rev. Caroline Lawson Dean for more information.
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Plymouth is a member congregation of the Lawrence Justice Matters chapter. Justice Matters is an Interfaith non-profit organization consisting of religious congregations joined together to fulfill the following mission: To move Lawrence toward a city where justice rolls down like a mighty river. To surface, understand, and address issues of justice in the region. To strengthen understanding of the scriptural imperative to do justice.
Community Meeting Space
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A non-partisan movement of Americans demanding reasonable solutions to address our nation’s culture of gun violence.
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NAMI is the National Alliance on Mental Illness – the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization.
NAMI is dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. Their Alliance includes more than 650 NAMI State Organizations and Affiliates who work in the community to raise awareness and provide support and education to those in need.
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AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) and NA (Narcotics Anonymous) are peer-support groups for people in recovery. Community members come together to share support, encouragement, and practical experience with recovery.