Straight to the Point (STTP) Newsletter for the Week of October 15, 2026

Straight to the Point

October 15, 2026

Rummage/Bake Sale

Thank you to the members that put in so many hours getting everything set up and working during the sale days. Also thanks to the volunteers who were not church members but helped anyway. Our grand total was $5366.23. We may have a bit more coming in yet.

Church Office Hours Closed This Week

To Resume on Monday October 19

Mission of the Month

The Food Bank was our Mission of the Month for September. They have received a check for $1,000. They also have their own fundraiser going on to provide food baskets. Check their website for the details.

The Foster Closet is the Mission of the month for October. They will receive a check for $1,000. We will also be working with them on the December Giving tree project.

Fellowship Hosts

We need sign ups for November and December. Please check your calendars and sign up for a Sunday that will work for you.

From Pastor Bret

Announcements

Solidarity for a Better World:: Monday, October 26, 2026 at 6:30 p.m.

Installation Service for Rev. Jacqueline Morgan: The Northwestern Association of the Iowa Conference will have an installation service for the new pastor at Mayflower Congregational UCC on Oct. 25 at 5:00 pm with a meal following. If you plan to be there, please let us know so as to prepare for the meal. All are welcome.

No Kings Rally March: October 17 Starting at 4;30pm @1700 Dakota Ave., S. Sioux City, NE. Finishing @607 4^th St., Sioux City, IA.

All Saints/Remembrance Sunday will be November 1^st.

Ecumenical 5^th Sunday Worship will be on the first Sunday of Advent to be held at the First Christ Church (DOC) at ?? a.m. located at 2101 Jackson Street in Sioux City, Iowa 51104. Five of our Sioux City churches will worship together as we have now established on 5^th Sundays throughout the year. Kick off the Advent Season with a spirit of community cheer.

Holy Days Devotionals: An Ecumenical Collaboration of Our Siouxland Congregations

In a spirit of ecumenical friendship and understanding, the congregations of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), First Congregational UCC, First Presbyterian Church, First Unitarian Church, and Mayflower Congregational UCC, St. Mark Lutheran Church, and St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Sioux City are invited to get to know each other better through stories of the meanings of our respective upcoming fall and winter holy days/seasons (including Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany).

We are asking you to share your personal experiences and stories of what these holy days and seasons mean to you. These may be reflections pieces, narratives about special memories you and your loved ones had, or artistic/creative expressions of the importance of these times in your life.

Reflecting upon and telling the meaning of these sacred seasons with one another encourages us to share the beauty from our respective faith traditions with one another in an inclusive and blessed community where we all can learn from each other and grow our spirits collectively. We invite you do just that! Whether it is a heartfelt personal or family story, a congregational event, poem, or a significant experience, tradition, or rumination that blesses your soul, we want to hear/see what you have to write, draw, color, or paint to convey the meaning of these sacred times.

We hope to have these stories, poems, and artistic expressions gathered and collated to create a “Holy Days Devotional” that all of our congregations may find meaning from in the coming months. We need to have all of these entries for the Devotional collected by November 18^th. We will then compile and publish them online on respective websites and/or digital mailings, so that you may read or view the entries on a daily basis. We hope to have them ready for you to enjoy by November 24^th.

We want your whole family to participate in creating these Holy Days Devotions, so please encourage all generations to participate! We ask that you send your entries in a digital format; preferably up to 1 page in length, and no longer than 2 pages per entry. We hope to have several entries each day that you may gain edification and insight into what we each count as blessings as people of faith. You are invited to contribute more than one devotional piece – perhaps reflecting different times of your life, and different holy days/seasons that you would like to reflect on and share their meanings to you. Please include your name and faith community on each submission.

You may send your entries electronically to Rev. Bret Myers at revbmyers@yahoo.com. We will collaborate in fitting your entries into each daily devotion so we will create a calendar for the coming months that will go into next year. We will also consider how we might come together and reflect on what this shared experience has done for us individually and for our congregations. May we find blessing in this mutual endeavor of sharing our the meaning of our faith traditions with one another in a spirit of love and peace.

First Congregational United Church of Christ of Sioux City

Rainbow commas remind us that God’s Spirit is still speaking in this world – to all of us!

Anne Shaner

If you have any prayer requests, please notify the office!

Directory

Managed by the Office

We are using Instant Church Directory. Printed versions of our directory are available in the narthex or by request. Please inform the office of any directory updates that you would like to include for yourself or your family. You can also pick up one of the directory update forms on the table outside the church office or find it on our website.

To access the directory online visit members.instantchurchdirectory.com and you should be able to create a login using the email listed in the church directory. If you need any help accessing the directory or would like a copy emailed to you, contact the church office for assistance.

FCUCC Finances for September 2026

Updates from Church Treasurer

Giving last month amounted to $4,364 from mail-in, online giving, and Sunday offerings.

$26,753.38 in expenses

You can help us stay on track by mailing in your check or setting up an automatic payment from your bank. You can also contribute through a simple app called Tithe.ly.

Tithe.ly is our online, app and web-based giving system. It's convenient because it: