First Congregational Church
300 S. Minnesota Ave | Sioux Falls, SD 57104
(605)336-3072 | fcc@firstcongucc.com
Thinking Faith. Unbounded Welcome. Creative Worship. Generous Service.
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November 3, 2022 | The Good News |
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Our financial support for the church helps achieve many worthy functions, including supporting Worship, Christian Education, Camps, Music, Missions, maintaining the Church House, Salaries, and so much more. Although the root of each activity is in our personal involvement, funds are also needed to make our church successful. And pledging makes it possible for the church leadership to properly allocate spending in the coming year. If you need pledging materials, please contact the church office at (605) 336-3072. The theme of this year’s stewardship campaign from the National United Church of Christ is “From bread and cup to faith and giving.” This week’s bulletin insert has a prayer that includes, “…help me trust Your power to multiply my best gift for Your vision of a beloved community, well-fed and flourishing…” Let us each do our part to strengthen this church community for amazing service in the future.
Norman Bliss
The Stewardship Team
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To read more of the Stewardship material provided by the United Church of Christ, click this picture -> |
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To celebrate our gratitude of generosity and community here at First Congregational Church, we will be having an old-fashioned pie and ice-cream social on November 20th. Join in the spirit of giving and anticipation of the year to come by bringing your favorite pie or treat to share with our community. Sign up in Fick Hall or contact the church office. Stewardship will provide the ice-cream. After worship on November 20th we will gather in Jones Hall for the social.
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Welcome to First Congregational Church! Our question this week is about the names for some of our rooms. For those that have been members for a life-time, please share your favorite stories about the people we have named our areas after and for those that are newer to our church, enjoy the love and stories of pastors from our past. Fick Hall is named after Rev. Arlan Fick. He was pastor here from 1992 to 2001 He helped our church raise the money and design this area of the addition to the building. I can share personally that Arlan married John and I 25 years ago and baptized my oldest daughter. When Elly was born, Arlan happened to be visiting people at the hospital when he saw our name on the list of UCC patients. Elly was only an hour or two old, and John’s parents had not come up to visit yet. He popped his head in and was so excited to meet Elly. He enjoyed gloating that he was able to hold Elly before the grandparents. Arlan loved to meet new people. It is fitting that our welcoming space is named after him.
Next, follow me down to the conference room that we call Gerlinger Room. This must sound strange to some but it is lovingly named after Dr. Gerlinger. He was the longest serving pastor at First Congregational, coming during the depression and leaving during the mid-fifties after the Ed Wing was completed. He did service in the community - some chaplaincy work at the airbase during WWII and at the prison.
Janice Nims, a life-long member here, was willing to share a story with me about Dr. Gerlinger. Some women were at the church to set up for a function, and one mom brought her little girl. When they were ready to leave they couldn't find the little girl. Finally, they looked in the pastor's study and she was sitting on Dr. Gerlinger's lap both taking a nap. The image in my mind of this moment makes me smile.
During this stewardship time, we are grateful for all the ways that Rev. Fick and Dr. Gerlinger were stewards to our space of community and love to bring us to our 150th year anniversary. We’ll do some more touring around the building in coming weeks.
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Please feel free to ask your questions to Becky, by email at bpagone@firstcongucc.com, through the website, or by using the suggestion box in Fick Hall. Becky looks forward to hearing from you!
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Fumble Through Bible Study: Bible study is back! We will Fumble Through Bible study together every Thursday morning at 10:30 am. We will talk about the lectionary gospel reading for the upcoming Sunday. We will be doing a hybrid Bible Study, which means we will meet in the Gerlinger Room and online Via Zoom.
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We will meet in the Gerlinger Room on the 1st, 2nd, 4th & 5th Thursday of the month and online via Zoom at 10:30 am. See below information on how to join the online Bible Study.
- On the 3rd week of the month the Circle Bible Study will meet in the Gerlinger Room at 9:30 am.
Join Zoom Meeting-Fumble Through Bible Study
Meeting ID: 822 8423 6515 Passcode: 561025
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Thank You Rev. Walt Geiszler for sharing time with us on Sunday! |
Walt will be joining us through stewardship bringing us his gifts of love for stewardship during these next weeks.
The Rev. Walt Geiszler: North Dakota farm boy attends NDSU, majors in Agricultural Education and teaches High School Vocational Agriculture for 8 years. A move to Sioux Falls (1985), Sioux Falls Seminary, Master of Divinity degree, Student Pastor of the Humboldt, SD UCC church and ordination in the United Methodist Church follow. Full-time Pastoral experiences in ND include serving Taylor ND UCC & Hebron ND UMC, and then; Good Shepherd UMC, Mandan, ND.
Moving to Sioux Falls in 1995, Ministry included: Sr Pastor, Sunnycrest UMC; Founding Pastor of New Joy Community Church (UCC); and serving as a Hospice Chaplain. Retired in 2015, Later, Full retirement transitioned to serving as part-time Settled Pastor of the Springfield SD (Congregational) United Church of Christ in 2019.
Jeanette and Walt have been part of First Congregational UCC since 2015. They enjoy the fact that their two adult children & partners, as well as their two grandsons all live in Sioux Falls!
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Join us in rememberence of those we have lost and surround their families with love and support during fellowship time in between services and after second service. |
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Chancel Choir: Rehearsals will be held at 7:00 pm on Wednesdays. Email Marian Casey (MCasey@firstcongucc.com) or call the office for more information.
Hospital Report: We make daily calls to the local hospitals to check for FCC congregation members that are currently in the hospital. If you are in the hospital and would like a call or visit from First Congregational Church, let the hospital staff know that you would like for your church to know that you are a patient at the hospital.
Nursery Arts and Crafts Volunteering:
-Middle school and high schoolers have the opportunity to help with nursery during the worship service in Jones Hall.
-All children will start in worship and those that want to join downstairs will go there after the children’s message.
Leaf Cleanup: A big thank you to all of the volunteers listed below who showed up to help clean the leaves from the parking lot and church property! We appreciate your time and service. Ann Wilson, Lana Vetter, Judy Haushalter, Judy Greer, Victoria Sportelli, Jim Wiederrich, Tom Herman, Todd Vetter, Brian Wienk, Cameron Sublette, Craig Ostebee, Allen Hamberger.
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What's on Your Walls?: We want to connect with each other through art. What’s on Your Wall? will be displayed in Sacred Grounds through Thanksgiving.
Joyful Noisemakers: If you or someone you know plays the piano or pipe organ, we would love to get to know you and have you come play for us.
Email our transitional music director, Marian Casey if you are interested!
(MCasey@FirstCongUCC.com)
Advent Candles: During Advent we light the candles of hope, love, joy, peace, and the Christ candle on Christmas. We are welcoming the participation of the congregation to read the liturgy and light the candle at either the first or second service on November 27, December 4, December 11, or December 18, during Christmas Eve service at 4:30pm or 10:00pm, and on Christmas Day at the 10:30am service. Please sign up through the church office (605-336-3072) or in Fick Hall on the paper copy and we will get you the reading.
Remember to Vote: Don't forget to make your voice heard on November 8th at the polls! If you need information on where you can go to vote and what will be on your ballot, visit the link below:
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Volunteers Needed for The Banquet West Supper - sign up in Fick Hall
▪ Serving 80 - 120 guests from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM on November 7
▪ 5 total volunteers to prepare the meal from 2 PM – 5 PM
▪ 15 total volunteers to serve the meal from 5:15 PM – 8 PM
Please dress in appropriate work attire - casual pants/long shorts, no open-toed shoes, long hair pulled back.
Volunteers may park in the east side of the building. Volunteers will enter at the door on the northeast corner of the building.
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Display of announcements throughout our building and within our newsletters/bulletins will be restricted to those events that are church sponsored or held at the church building only. |
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Team Highlights - Church Council |
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- The financial and program annual meeting will be combined on the last Sunday in April
- New Member for the Outreach team was approved, Melissa Jensen
- Reports from all the teams and committees were reviewed
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Meet our friend, Lisa Olson!
Hello, I am Lisa Olson and have enjoyed working with Sunday school children for many years learning about God and faith. I have grown up in this church, from being baptized, confirmed, and married in this church to my husband Jason. We have 3 girls Madison, Kaylee and Rylie. Madison and Kaylee have been enjoying Ann's class this year and Rylie has been engaged with all the fun activities with the K-12 program. I also enjoyed my time working at First Congregational Church for several years with Becky with Sunday school. During the week I keep busy working at Sioux Falls Christian School working with students along with activities of the girls. We are coming and going to the girl activities such as soccer, dance, piano, show choir, choir, band, jazz band, and basketball. I enjoy taking walks with the family and of course our dog PJ and watching our girls activities.
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Transition Team Announced
After deliberation, Church Council announced the seven members who will make up the Transition Team (TT). We are grateful for the 30+ people who stepped up to walk this journey with our church. We will have multiple ways to be involved during this transition time and look forward to including everyone.
Join us on Sunday, November 13 to support and commission our Transition Team that will be working with our consultant, Becky David (Coach Becky) during the next year to move our congregation to our next right step of growing into who we are as a community and where we want to go. This will prepare us for creating our profile to search for a settled pastor.
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Sarah Bell
Mike Wiederrich
Chad Kulm
Victor Larsen
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Sue Roust
Micah Hansen
Mel Frosch
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Family and Friends of David Atwater, cousin of Melanie Bliss | FCC Youth Traveling to Placerville for Camp | Family & Friends of Danielle Buehner | Leif Haegeland, Father-in-law of Alexander Huwer | Siblings of Jewish Faith | Dean Jankord, Brother of Rich Jankord | Yvonne Mackey | Jane Flint Meyer, Cousin of Susan Torres | Josef and Ute Huwer, Parents of Birgit Huwer | Rev. Dr. M. G. Martell Spagnolo | Judy Roddel | Curtis and Anna Hunt | Adrian Fick, son of Leilani Fick Cordero | Anita Arnold, neighbor of Joyce Anderson | Bob Haushalter
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Sunday—11/6/2022
Worship Service– 8:30 am
Sunday school - 9:15 am - 10:15 am
Fellowship Time - 9:15 am
Parenting Group - 9:30 am
Chancel Choir Rehearsal – 9:45 am
Worship Service - 10:30 am
Fellowship Time – 11:30 am
Tuesday-11/8/2022
Staff meeting - 10:00 am
Tuesday Night Yoga - 7:00 pm
Wednesday - 11/9/2022
Chancel Choir Rehearsal - 7:00 pm -
8:00 pm
Confirmation Class - 7:00 pm
Stewardship Meeting - 7:00 pm
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Thursday—11/10/2022
Gentle Yoga - 9:00 am
Fumble Through Bible Study - 10:30 am
Friday - 11/11/2022
Church Office Closed
Naomi Project Potluck - 6:00 pm
Sunday—11/13/2022
Worship Service– 8:30 am
Sunday school - 9:15 am - 10:15 am
Fellowship Time - 9:15 am
Parenting Group - 9:30 am
Chancel Choir Rehearsal – 9:45 am
Worship Service - 10:30 am
Fellowship Time – 11:30 am
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Scripture of the Week
Luke 20:27-38 Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to him and asked him a question, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers; the first married, and died childless; then the second and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. Finally the woman also died. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her." Jesus said to them, "Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage; but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. Indeed they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive."
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The mission of First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ is:
To create a Christian community based on the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth by growing in our relationships with God, each other, and our neighbors through a thinking faith, unbounded welcome, creative worship, and generous service.
Whoever you are, wherever you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here.
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www.firstcongucc.com | 605-336-3072 | 300 S Minnesota Ave , Sioux Falls, SD 57104 |
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