The Good News - August 27, 2026

August 27th, 2026 | The Good News

Message from the Pastor

From the UCC national office: “We are heartbroken by the tragic passing of our sibling Rev. Derek Terry and offer condolences to his family, his congregation, and the community that supported and loved him. An incomparable and fearless leader, Rev. Terry, touched the lives of everyone he encountered throughout his ministry in the United Church of Christ, and as the Executive Director of the Open and Affirming Coalition.

Rev. Terry brought to his calling a powerful voice to conversations on civil rights, racial and social justice, LGBTQ+ inclusion, income inequality, body positivity, and courageous living. His preaching and teachings called people to deeper compassion, creative resistance, and a more inclusive vision of the church. His big heart, warm spirit, and passion for bringing justice to the world will be missed by all who knew, worked alongside, and partnered with him in the struggle. Rev. Terry’s passing is a devastating loss to many for whom he was family, friend, mentor, and confidant.

The Rev. Barbara Brown Zikmund, an esteemed historian, author, educator, and ordained minister in the United Church of Christ died Monday, August 18 at the age of 87. Barbara or BBZ as she was affectionally known, was one of the first women to be ordained by the UCC in 1964. She was a celebrated theologian and historian and a leader in the women’s movement that sought change in church and society. Rev. Zikmund was the first woman to teach at Chicago Theological Seminary, the first woman to serve as dean of the faculty at The Pacific School of Religion, the first woman elected president of the Association of Theological Schools, and the first woman to become president of Hartford Theological Seminary.

Among the lesser-known firsts in her life, Rev. Zikmund was the first woman to be brought as a nominee for the position of General Minister and President. While her leadership was recognized in her nomination, she did not win that election. She was a bold witness to the Spirit of God at work in the world around her, a woman of courage and resilience, willing to challenge the status quo, willing to break down doors for others.

She was seminal in sharing and saving the history of the UCC and was seen by many as the one who blazed the trail to remember the importance of the fifth stream, the AfroChristian stream leading to the eventual book on that subject by Rev. Yvonne Delk.

And then today as I type this, Dolly Parton has died. Three people. All who were willing to break barriers. All willing to step out in faith and make a difference. All three people of faith using the gifts that God gave them to make the world a better place.

As we mourn their passing may we learn from their compassion and love.

Peace,

Pastor Carol

Remember in Prayer

Richard Thornton

All students adjusting to new school year

Peace in the world

Family and Friends of Linda Ortman

Those struggling with Addiction

Walt Geiszler

Parker and Megan welcoming first child

Those who died in the Columbia earthquake and the first aid workers still looking for survivors

Dorothy Huether

Everyone in ICE Detention Centers

That Christianity is not weaponized against the vulnerable

Barbara Mosely DeSouza

Need Prayer or Support?

The FCC Staff and congregation is available to provide support for you and your family when hard times come. If you would like prayer, you can write prayer requests on your Prayer and Offering bulletin insert on Sunday Mornings, you can reply to the email newsletter, or you can email the Pastor for direct support: Pastor@firstcongucc.com

Homecoming Sunday is Sunday, September 13th. Sunday school will be starting. Ice cream sundaes will be provided by InReach after second service.

Meet the Sunday School Teachers!

A big thank you to those who have graciously volunteered to teach Sunday school this year!

Please show them some love when you see them:

Pre-school - Jo Blankley

K-2 - Lacey Louwagie, Laura Koelker, Anne Mooney

3rd-4th - Alysa Eberhart-Renfrow, Pam Oberembt

5th-7th - Ann Wilson

8th-12th - Aimee Wiederrich, Rory Bennet

Ann Wilson has been teaching middle school Sunday school for a long time – a really long time! She now finds a second generation of children in her classroom! Ann is an almost 50- year member of our church and has served as its Moderator twice – along with years of membership on numerous other Teams. She is currently on the faculty of the USD School of Medicine and has also taught at SDSU. She has spent years publishing papers on infant mortality and its prevention. She loves her flower garden, fiber arts, and walking under the sky. Spending time with her family in California – her original home – is her special treat.

I am Aimee Wiederrich and I will be helping in the Senior High (8-12 grade) classroom on Sunday mornings. I am a lifelong member here at FCC. I teach second grade at Renberg Elementary School. My oldest son is married and has one daughter and my younger son got married this summer.

Pam Oberembt: I have been a member of First Congregational UCC for about ten years. I’ve been involved in both InReach and OutReach as well as being the Moderator. I’m a retired educator, Mom to Tricia and grammy to Coen, and an avid WNBA fan.

Hi, my name is Rory Bennet. I am from Michigan, but moved to Sioux Falls in 2021. I'm a fairly new Christian who got baptized last summer after joining First Congregational in the spring. This summer, I got married, and took a trip to Greece and Turkey. I will be teaching Sunday School grades 8-12.

Lacey Louwagie: I'm a mother, writer, and book hoarder. I live in Dell Rapids with my husband Ivan, my sons (Vanja age 9 and Vincent age almost 6), and my cat. I love watching birds at the feeder, reading, and sitting outside on summer nights. I love kids' questions about God even though I often don't have answers for them! I've been at First Congregational Church for 13 years. I have taught OWL for upper elementary kids and Sunday school for grades 1-4. This year, I will be one of the K-2 Sunday school teachers.

What is JAM?

Stands for

Joint Annual Meeting.

The Conferences of South Dakota, Iowa, and Nebraska come together each year to worship, do workshops, have meetings, and connect with each other. First Congregational Church, Sioux Falls, is co-hosting JAM this year with Spirit of Peace Church in September and we will need many volunteers to help the event run smoothly. Sign up in person or online:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeY3bLFP4i_IXYLTyJ7pi1rlRT9yHbTblrKaXe4rwCF5Pjp5g/viewform?usp=header

JAM Delegates Needed:

We are in need of two more members to represent our church at the Joint Annual Meeting (JAM) September 17-20th. If you are going or are interested in being an FCC delegate, contact a member of council or email the church office at fcc@firstcongucc.com.

JAM AND YOUTH RALLY REGISTRATION INFO

Please find below information on registration fees, etc.

You will also find this information on the registration form as you register.

Registration Fees:
Regular registration July 18-Sep 8 - $ 150.00 per person
Late registration at the door: - $ 175.00 per person
Confirmands/Youth Registration
Regular registration - $ 50.00 per person
Late registration at the door - $ 75.00 per person
Saturday Night Dinner (limited seating 125) -
$ 45.00 per person

*Registrations for Friday and Saturday includes Friday night pizza/salad dinner and Saturday lunch.

To Register for JAM 2026 please scan the QR Code to the right or follow the link below.

IA, NE, SD JAM 2026 Registration

To Register for the Youth Rally Celebration please scan the QR Code to the right or follow the link below.

YOUTH RALLY 2026

South Dakota Conference Annual Meeting

will be held at Spirit of Peace UCC (6509 Cliff Ave) from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm. Please email the church office (FCC@firstcongucc.com) if you would like to represent First Congregational Church at the meeting.

Find updates and most current information

on the JAM Event Website:

https://ucctcm.org/jam-2026/

Sunday, September 13

Starting at 11:30 am:

Preparing the building for JAM by vacuuming, dusting, cleaning, etc., washing and sanitizing tables and chairs, and moving furniture.

Monday, September 14 -

Starting at 12:00 pm:

Will need at least 6-8 people for moving furniture into storage pod. Will need several people to vacuum, set up workshop rooms, and shampoo carpet in Fick Hall.

Tuesday, September 15 -

Starting at 11:30 am:

Need several volunteers to help set up tables/chairs for the marketplace vendor booths.

(after JAM) Saturday, September 19 -

Starting at 5:00 pm:

Reset Sunday School rooms, reset all other meeting rooms and used spaces, unloading storage pod, reset Sanctuary

Friday, September 18 - Starting at 8:00 am (two hour shifts available throughout the day): Greeters to assist Marketplace vendors, assisting guests to find registration and find their way around the church, and watch for community visitors and redirect them. Registration helpers to assist checking guests in, Meal helpers for the evening meal

Saturday, September 19 -

Starting at 7:30 am (two hour shifts available throughout the day): Greeters to assist Marketplace vendors, assisting guests to find registration and find their way around the church, and watch for community visitors and redirect them. Registration helpers to assist checking guests in, Meal helpers for the evening meal

Garden Buds Appreciation

The grounds of the church are looking beautiful and thriving thanks to the hard work and care from the Garden Buds Group! We appreciate all the updates in the front entrance with the planters and in the back Peace Garden space!

Thank You, First Congregational Church!

Hi Church, Sara Sublette here! Tomorrow is my last day working in the office and I wanted to share my major gratitude for the last four years. Thank you for welcoming and making us family. Thank you for your encouragement while I went back to school to be able to build the nail salon business. Thank you for celebrating the wins and loving during the losses. Thank you for taking a chance on me. Thank you for your grace when mistakes are made. Most of all, thank you for being a much-needed safe place to land, a place of acceptance, healing, and friendship!

I appreciate you all in this community so much and look forward to seeing you as a member after this week!

p.s. We've gotten a lot of questions about if Cameron is also leaving. Cameron is still staying on staff as our wonderful Facilities Manager. Make sure to give him some love these next few weeks ;)

Sidewalk Arts Festival Parking Lot Volunteers: The Sidewalk Arts Festival is coming soon on Saturday, September 12th, and we need volunteers to help run the parking lot. We use the parking lot as a fundraiser for youth events and charge a small parking fee on the day of the festival, so we need help in shifts throughout the day to keep the lot running smoothly. If you would like to help, please sign up in Fick Hall or email the church office: fcc@firstcongucc.com.

Summer Series Topics: Join us in the Gerlinger Room on Sundays after the 9:30 am service during the Summer for a time of learning and fellowship together!

August 30: Pastor Carol is leading the discussion on how the Bible came to be

We will be having a New Member Sunday, September 27th. If you are interested in learning more about the church or you would like to become a member, please let Pastor Carol know. She will be happy to share more information about the church and our wider United Church of Christ denomination.

Kids Against Hunger food packing event. School age and above are welcome. Join Outreach on 10/21/26 from 630-8pm for a volunteer packing event. 1701 N. Louise Drive, Sioux Falls, SD 57107.

Out and About Planning Announcement: Wednesday, September 2 at 6:30 p.m. at the Church

It is time to plan the 2026-2027 Out and About events for the months of September through May. For decades one event is planned, sponsored, and held each month. A planning session/dinner is scheduled for Wednesday, September 2 at 6:30 p.m. in the dining room of the Church. All Members of the Church are invited to join in the planning session/dinner.

Dinner – Pizza will be provided. Each attendee/person/couple should bring a salad or dessert

If you plan to attend, send an email to Jim Wiederrich at jim.wiederrich@woodsfuller.com, so we know how much pizza to order.

Memorial Committee:
To request project funding complete the memorial fund request form: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CNK29za2On9Rqq15VZwf2Z3efyBq_y3E/view?usp=sharing

Want to Share an Announcement?

To ensure proper publication of your advertisement, please fill out and submit the form no less than two weeks in advance if possible.

Use this link to fill out the form: https://forms.gle/9RfC94vpbxi33TFw6

Did You Know?

We have Amazon Wish Lists to help fill in gaps of things we need! You can place the order on Amazon and have it shipped directly to the church!

Guest Hygiene Needs:

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/29Y5G3CTWOL3K?ref_=wl_share

Youth Engagement Needs:

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2LODEJJB01VL1?ref_=wl_share

The Week Ahead

08/30 - Sunday

Worship Service - 9:30 am

Sunday Series - 11:00 am

08/31 - Monday

Meditation for Seekers (formerly known as "Contemplative Prayer") -

6:00 pm

09/01 - Tuesday

Staff Meeting - 10:30 am

Tuesday Night Yoga - 4:30 pm

Church Council - 6:00 pm

09/02 - Wednesday

Chancel Choir Rehearsal -

7:00 pm

09/03 - Thursday

Gentle Yoga - 10:00 am

Lectionary Bible Study -

10:30 am

Al-Anon Meeting - 5:30 pm

09/06- Sunday

Worship Service - 9:30 am

Fellowship Time - 11:00 am

Weekly Lectionary Scripture

Matthew 16:21-28

From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, "God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you." But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me, for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things." Then Jesus told his disciples, "If any wish to come after me, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life? "For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."

Next Week's Scripture: Matthew 18:15-20

Helping Hands in Our Community:

Our mission at FCC is to extend the extravagant welcome of Christ to all who walk through our doors. As part of that mission, we do our best to help in any way we can. As a church located in the heart of downtown Sioux Falls, we often welcome guests who have complex needs. Sometimes those needs are far greater than what we have resources for. However, there is a chance church staff know of other resources in town. Because of this we can often direct them to places which are more able to respond to their individual needs. Therefore, if someone comes to you at church or in the church parking lot and asks you for money, rides, etc., we encourage you to bring that individual to a staff member for help and not to give cash in particular. We know that many of you would like to help, so we invite you to give to the Brooks Helping Hands Fund. The Brooks Helping Hands Fund was created to help meet needs in our Sioux Falls Community for those who are not members of the church. We love and encourage the generous hearts of so many in our community and invite donations to the Brooks Fund for those who want to give. In so doing, your giving will have a wider impact.

Thank you so much for your care!

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.

Ways to Give

We want everyone to have the accessibility to give, serve, and be a part of this faith community, so here are a few ways that you can consider giving:

Cash
Check/ACH Withdrawal
Tithe.ly
Amazon Wish Lists
PayPal Recurring Gifts
Volunteering with OutReach Opportunities
Volunteering for serving breakfast, offering childcare, teaching Sunday School, singing in the choir, building and grounds projects, and more!