* Church Announcements (05/20/2026)

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

      - 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 available in the Hunt Elementary School parking lot.

- Sunday school for all ages @ 10:10am (On summer break.  Will resume in September.)

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

- Worship Any-day @ Anytime online (and Sunday’s by 9am) on our Website (siouxcityfirst.com).  

 

Preaching - Rev. Roger Madden

     - Sermon title: “Who is Alongside You?”

Worship Assistant (9:00 service) - David Chobar

(Online) Piano - Pat Harm

Organist (9:00 service) - Jane Sibley

 

15 (Jesus said,) "If you love me, keep my commands.

16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever,

17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you."

 

✞ Who has been alongside me to show me the truth in my life?

   - A Preview Question for Pastor Roger’s sermon this Sunday (May 24).  In-person worship is at 9am (Traditional Worship) and 11:15am (Casual Service).  The service is also on Facebook on Sundays at 10am (Facebook page: First United Methodist Church - Sioux City), and also anytime on our website (siouxcityfirst.com).  The scripture will be John 14:15-18 (Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit).

 

✞ Who, through God's Holy Spirit, still "walks alongside me" in my daily life even though they have died?

     - Another Preview Question for Pastor Roger's sermon for this Sunday (May 24).

 

✞ Whose life am I to be alongside in showing them God ... being a part of their "Paraclete"(someone alongside them)?

     - A Focus Question from Pastor Roger's sermon on Sunday, May 24.  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

 

“O Spirit of the Living God”

“Spirit Song”

“Hymn of Promise”

 

“Spirit Song”

“God of Every Generation”

 

Hymn #347   "Spirit Song”

Hymn #707   "Hymn of Promise"

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

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

 

Memorial Sunday Service at 9:00am Worship (May 24) - During our 9:00am Traditional Service, we will be honoring those persons who have been members of our church (or relate to our church in some way) and have died since last Memorial Sunday.  We will have a special time of remembrance in honoring each person with the reading of their name, the lighting of their remembrance candle, and the tolling of the bell.  We are also inviting and honoring those non-members, and their families, in which Neil Peck or Pastor Roger officiated their funeral.

NOTE: A list of those who will be remembered is at the end of this email.

 

Day Tripping with Lonnie - Thursday, May 21 at 9:30 AM - The Sioux City Career Academy (located at 627 4th Street) offers over 30 pathways for students to explore.  Each pathway is a career-focused sequence of courses that integrates core academic knowledge with technical and occupational knowledge to provide students with a pathway to post-secondary education and careers.  The Sioux City Career Academy is open to all high school students in the tri-state area, including East High, North High, West High and surrounding schools such as Heelan and Dakota Valley.  Join us for this unique and interesting tour.  There is an elevator to the second floor or 34 steps to climb.

     You can sign up on the sheet across from the church office or call the church.  If you have any questions, please contact Lonnie Gustafson.  

 

The Church Offices will be closed on Monday, May 25, in observance of Memorial Day.

 

The Church’s Leadership Board will meet on Tuesday, May 26 at 7:00pm in the Music Academy Office.

 

     This will be one of 12 concerts on the choir's 60th annual summer tour and will feature 18 teenage ringers playing more than 150 handbells and handchimes.

     In 1963, The Wesley Bell Ringers, a music ministry of Christ United Methodist Church in Salt Lake City, UT, began with 9 youth ringers and 25 bells. From the very beginning membership in the choir has been open to any youth dedicated to learning the art of handbell ringing and caring for their fellow ringers.

     Fast forward 60 years! The 18 current ringers are the most recent of more than 520 youth who have participated in the choir. The experience and dedication have never changed. The choir developed a reputation for musical excellence that continues to open doors to exciting opportunities. The previous 59 summer tours have taken the choir to all 50 states and all but one of the Canadian provinces. The choir has participated as the featured choir at numerous handbell festivals around the United States, and performed for The National Music Educators convention.  Performances with The Mormon Tabernacle Choir and The Utah Symphony Orchestra have been repeated honors over the choir's history.

      Admission to the concert is free, but there will be a free will offering taken.

 

     On Sunday, June 7, after their concert, we are housing the Wesley Bell Ringers overnight. We need host families for the 18 ringers (9th graders through college freshman) and 8 adults in the group.  Once they arrive at the church, their chaperones will assign tour personnel to host homes.  Ringers are not allowed to stay by themselves in a host home, but chaperones/directors are.  Ringers (same sex) can share a bed (double or larger).  Adults are also allowed to stay at a host home with ringers, as long as there is a separate room for the adult.  If there is a host home with a single bed, we will assign that host to an adult (chaperone or director).  Air mattresses and sofa beds are ok too!  If you are willing to be a host family, please contact the church at 712-258-0119 or call/text Gene Wagner at 712-898-6789.  What we need to know is how many are you willing to host, the number of rooms, the size of the beds, your preference for guests (boys, girls, chaperones/directors), and if you have any pets.

     We are providing a supper for the bell ringers and their chaperones.  If you would be willing to help in the kitchen and/or provide treats, please call/text Jill Beck at 712-389-2769.  Cash donations are always appreciated.  If you are writing a check, please mark in the memo line of your check "Wesley Bell Ringers".  A sign-up sheet is available on the shelf outside the church office.  

 

     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.

 

May "Monthly Mission" is SafePlace -  SafePlace serves 22 counties in helping survivors of domestic violence and their children become empowered in their quest for dignity and self-respect. The purpose of SafePlace is to provide a central agency where survivors can receive assistance, support, and a sense of stability. Find out more about their ministry on their website at (safeplacesiouxland.org).

     You can make a donation during church, mail it in, drop it off, or use the "BillPay" option on your internet banking.  In addition, we also ask that you keep them in your prayers each day this month.

 

Our Children’s Sunday School is on summer break - VBS is July 13-15.

 

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

 

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

 

The Jubilate Choir (High School - Adult) is on Summer break until September.  When they resume, the will rehearse on Wednesdays at 7pm 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.  

 

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.  

 

The Music Academy @ First - Keep up to date with our Music Academy @ First on their website at <musicacademyatfirst.org>

 

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.

You may also make monetary donations through the church anytime during the year.

NOTE: There is need for 3T & 4-5T pull-ups.

 

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.

May 24 - D, E, F & G

May 31 - H, I, J & K

June 7 - L - Ma

 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.

 

Our Deepest Sympathy (Please keep their family and friends in your prayers):

- Death of Darlene Churchman (age 93), wife of a former pastor here, Rev. Duane Churchman (from 1989-95).  Darlene died on April 20. Duane died in December of 2014.

- Death of Ernie Cain (age 75). Died on April 4.  Keep wife Deb and family in your prayers.

 

 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).

 

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.

 

Your church provides a free Puzzle Exchange service for anyone who wants. Stop by the church library and see if there is a puzzle that interests you.

 

 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).

 

     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 being a Christian!

 

  Nancy Harrington (07/16/2025)

  Dorothy Jansen (07/31/2025)

  Ruth Ketelsen-McLarnan (08/16/2025)

  Barbara Kimmel (12/17/2025

  Don Wood (12/17/2025

  Linda Gundersen (02/08/2026)

  Ernie Cain (04/04/2026)

 

  Kathleen Saxe (08/18/2025)

  Sarah May (09/08/2025)

  Delbert Spiegel (10/17/2025)

  Joseph Dunn (12/07/2025)

  Julee Zugel (05/07/2026)

 

  Marlene Hansen (03/30/2025)

  Robert Stowe, Sr. (05/31/2025)

  Marilyn Hollenbeck (07/24/2025)

  Jon O'Brien (07/26/2025)

  Larry Hopkins (08/05/2025)

  Floyd Leaver (08/15/2025)

  William Ouellette (08/21/2025)

  Michael Kamradt (08/27/2025)

  Helen Phillips (09/13/2025)

  Lois Crawford (09/18/2025)

  David Shellhammer (09/30/2025)

  Daniel Strom (10/02/2025)

  Deona Lilly (10/04/2025)

  Randy Hutcheson (10/18/2025)

  Diane Peters (11/12/2025)

  Dennis Moore (01/02/2026)

  Shirley Nelson (02/07/2026)

  Carolyn Stultz-Kempema (02/20/2026)

  Vernon Peterson (02/25/2026)

  Juanita Graybill (03/13/2026)

  William Price III (03/18/2026)

  Janet Bohlke (04/09/2026)

  James Schlumbaum (04/13/2026)

  Lesley Perera (05/06/2026)