* Church Announcements (07/02/2025

- In-person Worship, Sundays @ 9am Traditional Worship (Our Main Service) and 11:15am Casual Worship (Our Smaller Service)

      - Holy Communion is served, at both services, the first Sunday of each month.

      - There is a Staffed Nursery at both services for kids 5 years and younger

      - Additional parking is now available in the new Hunt Elementary School parking lot.

- Facebook Worship, Sundays @ 10am on our Facebook Page (First United Methodist Church - Sioux City)

- Online Worship Any-day @ Anytime on our Website (siouxcityfirst.com).  

 

Preaching - Neil Peck

     - Sermon title: “Am I Really Free?”

Worship Assistant (9:00 service) - Marla Luitjens

(Online) Piano - Pat Harm

Organist (9:00 service) - David Chobar

Ministry of Music (9:00 service) - Duet - Pat Harm (piano) & Jane Sibley (organ)

 

31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.

32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

33 They answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?"

34 Jesus replied, "Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.

35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever.

36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

 

✞ What sin(s) have I been a slave to?

    -  A Preview Question for Neil Peck's sermon this Sunday (July 6).  In-person worship is at 9am (Traditional Worship - our main service) and 11:15am (Casual Worship - our smaller service).  The service is also on Facebook on Sundays at 10am (Facebook page: First United Methodist Church - Sioux City), as well as anytime on our website (siouxcityfirst.com).  The scripture is John 8:31-36.

 

✞ How have I let God through Jesus help free me from my sin(s) I've been a slave to?

     - Another Preview Question for Neil Peck's sermon for this Sunday (July 6).

 

✞ This week, what's a step I can take to allow Jesus to show me the truth so I can be set free?

     - Focus Question from Neil Peck's sermon on Sunday, July 6.  Watch the Online service (anytime throughout the week), listen to and/or download the Sermon Podcast, read the latest detailed newsletter, see whose birthday or anniversary is coming up, and much more on our church website at www.siouxcityfirst.com

 

“America the Beautiful”

“America (My Country, ‘Tis of Thee)

“Freely, Freely” (Communion Hymn)

“This is My Song”

 

“My Country, ‘Tis of Thee”

“America”

 

1. O beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain;

for purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain!

America! America! God shed his grace on thee,

and crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea.

 

2. O beautiful for heroes proved in liberating strife,

who more than self their country loved, and mercy more than life!

America! America! May God thy gold refine,

till all success be nobleness, and every gain divine.

 

1. My country,' tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing;

land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrims' pride,

from every mountainside let freedom ring!

 

4. Our fathers' God, to thee, author of liberty, to thee we sing;

long may our land be bright with freedom's holy light;

protect us by thy might, great God, our King.

 

1. This is my song O God of all the nations , a song of peace for lands afar and mine

This is my home the country where my heart is; here are my hopes my dreams my holy shrine,

But other hearts in other lands are beating with hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.

 

3. This is my prayer O Lord of all earth's kingdoms: Thy kingdom come on earth Thy will be done

Let Christ be lifted up till all shall serve Him, and hearts united learn to live as one.

O hear my prayer Thou God of all nations; myself I give Thee: let Thy will be done.

 

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✞ All announcements are also available on our website under “Church Announcements” and in the Sunday church bulletins.

 

     At our services, we will take a look at our freedoms that we enjoy.  We will also sing patriotic hymns, Pat Harm & Jane Sibley will share a duet, and Neil Peck will be preaching.  Come and celebrate our Freedom in Christ at worship this Sunday at the 9:00 Traditional or 11:15 Casual service.

 

First Sunday for Food at First is Sunday, July 6  - Bring non-perishable food for the Grace United Methodist Church Food Pantry, and Grace collects for our Personal Care Cupboard.

 

 

     Dave and Terri Treft would once again like to invite the people of our church too experience a vegetable/flower garden tour at their home on the westside of Sioux City.  Groups are limited to a  maximum 8 people since this makes for a better visit and learning environment.  The Treft’s will freely share with those touring the produce that is ready to be harvested at that time.  This year, they have planted the following: Many varieties of tomatoes, peppers (sweet and hot), eggplant, cabbage, zucchini, cucumbers, onions, beans, peas, and others as well as flowers (sunflowers, milkweed, roses, lots of zinnias and marigolds, and more).    

     To sign up for a tour (Please sign up a friend if one is coming with you) are placed across from the church office for the following dates: July 9, July 23, August 6 & August 20.  All tours will be from 7pm-8pm. Their place is located at 2333 Kellogg Street.  In case of rain, a “rain date” would be the following Wednesday at the same time.

 

- Visiting the Holocaust Rails: Desperate Passage exhibit at the Sioux City Railroad Museum.

    Holocaust Rails is a project of Tolerance Week and has been providing Holocaust education to the Siouxland area since 2005.  Last year's flood severely damaged the exhibits and volunteers have tirelessly worked to repair and update the exhibit.  Join us for this informative and interesting tour.  There is no charge for this experience.  We will leave the church at 10:30am if you want a ride.  

     Please sign up on the sheet outside the Church Office or call the church office to put your name on the list for we need a firm number. If you have any questions, ask Lonnie Gustafson in church or call him on his cell phone at 712-223-1218.

 

     Anyone who has ever been a school teacher knows that to get a classroom ready for school to start in August, they spend a lot of their own money.  In our partnership with Hunt Elementary School (across the street from our church), we annually raise funds to give gift cards to the Hunt School teachers to help them get what they need in their classroom.  Last year, we raised $2758 and were able to give the 50 teachers and support staff Target gift cards of $50 each. You can give in worship, mail it in, drop it off,  or use your bank's "Billpay" to make a donation for this ministry we do as First UMC.

 

     VBS is Free for all children.  Registration will be limited to a maximum of 48 children (children must be 3 years old and/or fully potty trained).  Registration can be completed by filling out a Registration Form at the church or you can call the church office at 712-258-0119.

     Those wishing to volunteer or wanting more information can contact Pastor Martha at 712-898-6854.

 

     Thank you FUMC for your varied ways of helping our Personal Care Cupboard.  Because of you, needy families can be clean, babies can be cared for, and they are grateful.  I wish you could hear their response for your gifts.  You show the loving care just as God shows light in the world.  You, too, are the light in a dark world.  In biblical words: “you are the light of the world”.  You activate your beliefs.  Thank you from our extended communities.  

     You “do no harm”, You “do good”, and You “stay in love with God.”

~The Women of the Personal Care Cupboard

 

     Each year, United Women in Faith purchase new books for the library, under categories that are part of the reading program.

New this year include:

1.  Our Strangely Warmed Hearts by Karen P. Oliveta. This is under the topic “Leadership Development.”  The book discusses homosexuality in church and society and about coming out as an experience of God’s grace.

2.  Invisible Child by Andrea Elliott. This a Pulitzer Prize winner and discusses poverty , survival, and hope in an American city. It takes you thru the life of a family caught in the broken welfare system and racism.

3.  The Loneliness Epidemic by Susan Mettes is under the topic “Nurturing for Community.”  It focuses on roots and remedies for loneliness that is rampant in our culture.

4.  We Go On by John Onwechekma is under the topic of “Spiritual Growth.”  It is written by a pastor about ways to find purpose in all of life’s sorrows and joys.

5.  Echoes of Grace by Guadalupe Garcia McCall is under the “Social Action” category.  This is a story of fiction mixed with the author’s experience with gender based crimes and the most foul crimes against women- femicide.

     We have a wonderful library and we hope you will check in the library and check out some great reading material.

 

(1) We are 41.6% of the way through our budget year.

(2) We have received 34.7% of our $402,145 budget for the year (for a total of $139,589).  

(3) We have expended 40.9% of our budget for the year (for a total of $164,469). We began 2025 with a positive balance in our account.

(4) Our total revenues for 2025 are 0.9% lower than our 3-year average for the end of May. This figure includes our Conference Apportionments.  

       Thanks to you, our financial status continues to fund ministry.  Please remember that we do not receive our offerings in equal 1/12 increments (especially in the summer).  All current bills are paid as of  the end of June.  We appreciate your continued giving to God's work through First UMC.

 

July 6 - Pat Harm & Jane Sibley (piano/organ duet)

July 13 - Andrea Buckley (soloist)

July 20 - Antonio Ferraro (violin)

July 27 - Caitlin Marsh & Ezra Marsh (strings)

August 3 - Open

August 10 - The Matney Sisters

August 17 - Open

August 24 - David Chobar (piano)

August 31 - The Siouxland Discovery Chorus

-  Gene Wagner is organizing special music for the 9:00 a.m. worship services this summer. If you are

interested or know someone who would like to share their musical talents in a “Ministry of Music,” please contact to Gene Wagner.

 

Our Children’s Sunday School is on summer break - VBS is July 21-23.

 

Adult Sunday School (On summer break until September) - They meet in the Heritage Room (next to Fellowship Hall) from 10:10-11:00am.  

 

Youth Group is on summer break - (Grade 5 and up) meets on Wednesdays from 6-7pm with Pastor Martha & Marce Wagner.

 

Celebration Bells are on summer break.  In September, when they resume, they will rehearse on Wednesdays at 6 pm in the Bell Room (upstairs of the Education wing). They play once a month at the 9am Sunday worship service. If you are interested in playing bells, just show up and/or let Gene know.  They are on summer break beginning May 1.

 

The Jubilate Choir (High School - Adult) are on summer break.  They will resume in September, when they will rehearse Wednesdays at 7 pm in the Choir Room. They sing weekly at the 9am Sunday worship service except when the handbell choir plays.  Pray about singing in the choir and if you have any questions or comments, talk with Gene Wagner.    

 

The Personal Care Cupboard continues to operate on Wednesdays from 5pm-6pm and Thursdays from

2pm-3pm. If you are interested in volunteering once or regularly, contact the church office.

- Item of the Month (July): Toothbrushes and toothpaste

 

Fellowship Time Schedule - Here is the schedule, based on the last name, for families serving. Copies of

the Fellowship Time Schedule through the end of the year are available to pick up by the bulletin board

outside the Church Office.

July 6 - L-Ma

July 13 - Mc, N & O

July 20 - P, Q, R & S

   Fellowship Time is each Sunday morning following the 9:00 a.m. worship service. This is a time for

folks to leisurely visit with friends and visitors. This is also a very important time to create a warm and

friendly atmosphere where folks will want to return and become more involved in the life of the church.

 Each Sunday, we need the following from the scheduled host families:

1. Make one 50 cup coffee pot of coffee (coffee is furnished) and put out coffee cups.

2. Have available a total of two gallons of juice or punch (not red).

3. Each family that does not bring juice are to bring about 2 dozen cookies and/or goodies so we have

enough to serve a total of about 100 people.

4. Have at least 3 or 4 persons to be present to serve and greet folks as they come.

 

 We ask your family group to furnish the items. The Fellowship Time is free of charge to all, so we will

not be putting out a money donation basket.

 

 The Hunt Elementary School parking lot is located across the street from the front of the church on Nebraska Street.

 

- Death of Jeff Jaynes (age 67), brother of Cindy Wood.  Died on June 19.

- Death of Linda Considine (age 74), sister-in-law of Rev. Martha Anderson.  Died on June 19.

- Death of Jan Deck (age 70), wife of Bill Deck.  Died on May 20.

- Death of Perry Dickey (age 95), father of Mark Dickey.  Died on April 27.  

 

 Simply put one sentence in your will that says, “After all my bills are paid, I want 10-percent of my estate (a tithe) to go to First United Methodist Church of Sioux City, Iowa.” Your gift will be added to the principle of our Endowment Fund. The principle is never touched but the investment earnings are used each year for ministry through First UMC. This simple gesture will help support your church for future generations to learn about Jesus.

 

First United Methodist Church is offering the opportunity for individuals to have a loved one's name placed on our Memorial Wall. The Memorial Wall is located in our church's courtyard on the Chapel wall.  It is intended to provide opportunities for First UMC members and friends to remember their loved ones near their church home.  The purchase price is $200 per inscribed plaque. You can reserve a space (or spaces) by filling out a "Plaque Inscription Agreement" form (You can get the form in the Church Office).

 

 With the addition of our online worship and opportunities through the internet, as well as the media in our worship services, we are seeking volunteers for our church “Media Team.” Pastor Roger oversees the Media Team and we will train you in whatever area you feel gifted in serving your church as a part of the Media Team during the service. We are not seeking one person to do all of this but a few people to do any of these.

 

 Do you buy jigsaw puzzles, work them once and then store them in the closet never to be worked again? Are you interested in new puzzles to do but don’t want to spend the money on them? Your church is now providing a free Puzzle Exchange service for anyone who wants. You take a jigsaw puzzle and leave a puzzle (if you have one to leave. If you do not have one to leave, then just take a puzzle). Stop by the church library and see if there is a puzzle that interests you and/or drop off those puzzles you’ve been storing in the closet for others to enjoy.

 

 You can "Like" us, receive our daily "Prayer Prompts from Pastor Roger", find out about upcoming events, and see what has happened, on our church Facebook page. Pastor Roger will also be reminding us of the previous week's sermon message as well as give us a question or two, later in the week, for the upcoming Sunday's message.

 

     We have had members mail in donations, use their internet banking and set us up as a “Bill Pay” option to send their donations, and even had members drop off their donations in the Mail Drop - which is located right by the Maroon Canopy Entrance in the Main parking lot. As you can see in looking above at all that continues to happen at your church, First United Methodist continues to “Make a Difference” in the lives of others. If you have a prayer request or information to share, you can call the church (258-0119) or email us (scfirst@msn.com).

 

Did you Get a supposed Text or Email from “Pastor Roger”?  If you ever receive an email, text, or phone call “from Pastor Roger,” or anyone on the staff, asking “I need your assistance today” or "What's the best time for you to be free today?" or “I need you to buy a gift card for me.” - DO NOT CLICK ANY LINK AND DO NOT CALL THE NUMBER LISTED.  You can delete the email/ text or report it as spam. This does not come from Pastor Roger.

     If you ever have questions, don't hesitate to reach out to us at the church directly (712-258-0119) to confirm if you think something is suspicious.

 

Weather Cancellation Notifications - In case of severe weather, we will publicize on our web site (siouxcityfirst.com) and     on our answering machine whether we are or are not having church, Sunday School, or small groups as soon as we know.

 

 - John Wesley’s (The founder of Methodism) 3 Simple Rules in living the life of a Christian!