* Church Announcements (04/16/2025

- 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.

- Sunday school for all ages @ 10:10am

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

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

     

Preaching - Rev. Roger Madden

     - Sermon title: "Do You Need a Spiritual Hug?”

Worship Assistant (9:00 service) - Neil Peck

(Online) Piano - Pat Harm

Organist (9:00 service) - Jane Sibley & Pat Harm (piano)

Celebration Bells (9:00 service) - Gene Wagner, Director

Tower Bells (following the 9:00 service) - Rung by Gene Wagner

 

1 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.

2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!"

3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb.

4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.

5 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in.

6 Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there,

7 as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus' head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen.

8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed.

9 (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)

 

19 On the evening of that first day of the week (Easter evening), when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!"

20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

21 Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."

22 And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit.

 

✞ When have I "needed a hug" in the last month?  Year?

     -  A Preview Question for Pastor Roger’s sermon this Easter Sunday (April 20).  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 will be John 20:19-22.

 

✞ How has God given me a "Spiritual hug" this past month?

     - Another Preview Question for Pastor Roger's sermon for this Sunday (April 20).

 

✞ This week, who can I give a "Spiritual hug" to for they need God's peace to be with them?

     - Focus Question from Pastor Roger's sermon on Sunday, April 20.  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

 

“Christ the Lord is Risen Today”

“In the Garden”

“Up from the Grave He Arose”

 

“Christ the Lord is Risen Today”

“Up from the Grave He Arose”

 

     (On-line - Verses 1, 2, 3 & 4)

     (9:00am In-person - Verses 1, 2 & 4 - All sing /// Verse #3 - Handbells)

1. Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!  Earth and heaven in chorus say, Alleluia!

Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!  Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply, Alleluia!

 

2. Love's redeeming work is done, Alleluia!  Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!

Death in vain forbids him rise, Alleluia!  Christ has opened paradise, Alleluia!

 

3. Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!  Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!

Once he died our souls to save, Alleluia!  Where's thy victory, boasting grave? Alleluia!

 

4. Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia!  Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!

Made like him, like him we rise, Alleluia!  Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!

 

 

1. Low in the grave he lay, Jesus my Savior,

waiting the coming day, Jesus my Lord!

Up from the grave he arose; with a mighty triumph o'er his foes;

he arose a victor from the dark domain,

and he lives forever, with his saints to reign.

He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!

 

2. Vainly they watch his bed, Jesus my Savior,

vainly they seal the dead, Jesus my Lord!

Up from the grave he arose; with a mighty triumph o'er his foes;

he arose a victor from the dark domain,

and he lives forever, with his saints to reign.

He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!

 

3. Death cannot keep its prey, Jesus my Savior;

he tore the bars away, Jesus my Lord!

Up from the grave he arose; with a mighty triumph o'er his foes;

he arose a victor from the dark domain,

and he lives forever, with his saints to reign.

He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!

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

 

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

 

      - This service will include music, readings and Holy Communion as we look at each day of Holy Week leading up to Good Friday.

 

This Friday, April 18 @ 7pm - Good Friday Tenebrae Service (There will also be an online service available on our website  - siouxcityfirst.com - that will be available all day).

      - A service of Tenebrae, or "Shadows", is based on the twelfth-century late night/early morning service and is an extended meditation on the passion and final days of Christ.  The most striking feature of this service is the gradual extinguishing of the candles in the room.  The setting emphasizes the starkness of the events recalled in the service.  Following the service, Gene Wagner will play and toll the tower bells.

 

     We will have 2 in-person Easter Worship Celebrations at 9am & 11:15am with a staffed Nursery available at both services.  

 - 9:00 Traditional Worship (Our main service) - Will include traditional Easter hymns, our Jubilate Choir, our Celebration Bells and Pastor Roger delivering the Easter sermon.  Tower bells will be played following the service.

- 11:15 Casual Worship (Our smaller service) - Includes Easter hymns and Pastor Roger’s Easter message.

     We will also have our on-line Easter Service available on our website (siouxcityfirst.com) and our Facebook page (First United Methodist Church - Sioux City).  In addition, there is a Kid’s Easter Egg Hunt along with fun and games between worship services (See next article for details)

     We are going to have an Easter egg hunt, picture backdrop, games, crafts and fun on Easter Sunday for all children and their friends 5th Grade and younger.  It will take place between our 2 worship Services (10:10am - 11:10am).  Contact our Children’s Pastor, Martha, if you are interested in helping out.

 

April 28 is Music Sunday - The theme for the worship services will be "The Gift of Prayer".  At the 9am Traditional Worship, we will celebrate with the musical gifts of Jane Sibley, Pat Harm, David Chobar, the Jubilate Choir and the Celebration Bells. At both in-person services, and our online service, we will focus on God's gift of prayer through scripture, readings, and Pastor Roger's sermon.

 

     The Music Academy @ First's mission is to provide free quality musical training to financially disadvantaged children, by using the power of music and musical instruction to improve the lives of these at-risk youth. Our long-term aim is to strengthen our community by reaching out to one child at a time.

We are coming to the end of the 3rd year for the Music Academy @ First. It has been a year of growth. In our Beginning Piano Lesson program with Hunt Elementary students, we had 14 students between the 2 sessions of lessons. Over the last 3 years, we have given beginning piano lessons to 77 Hunt students.

     Also, in our partnership with Hunt A+ Arts Elementary School, the 4th and 5th grade handchime groups Gene teaches at Hunt has really expanded. In the fall there were 12 students in the 4th grade group and 18 in the 5th grade group. They performed at the December Holidazzle Concert. The spring groups grew to the maximum size. We had 23 in the 4th grade group and 22 in the 5th grade group. They performed in March at the Band and Handchime concert at Hunt. Overall, we had 75 students participate.

Our Private Lesson program also continues to grow. This year we have had 41 students take private lessons, including 24 string lessons, 14 piano lessons, and, for the first time, 3 brass instrument lessons.

     To put things in perspective, this year we had 130 students from 7 elementary schools, 5 middle schools, and 2 high schools. Since the start of the Music Academy, there have been 338 students participate in the programs of the Music Academy @ First.

     The focus for the April monthly mission is expanding the gift of music.  At the Music Academy @ First, we believe in the power of music to transform lives. As we look ahead to next year, our mission is to expand our private lesson program by including band instruments and recruiting teachers to make this possible. We are also considering adding another day for private lessons, allowing more students to participate. You can mail in, drop off, or use your bank's "BillPay" to make a donation for this important and vital ministry we do at First UMC.

     Check out the Music Academy on our website: www.musicacademyatfirst.org or our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/musicacademyatfirst.

     Remember that providing free music lessons to children in need is not only about teaching them to play instruments but also about offering them a positive and enriching experience that can have a lasting impact on their lives.  Providing free music lessons to children who can't afford them is a wonderful and socially responsible initiative that can bring joy and opportunities to many young individuals

     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.

 

Recital for the string students: Monday, May 12, 7:00 p.m. in the sanctuary

Recital for the piano and band students: Thursday, May 15, 7:00 p.m. in the sanctuary.

Mark your calendars and come see the Music Academy @ First in action.

 

     First United Methodist Church will be hosting the Wesley Bell Ringers on Monday, June 9th. They will present a concert at 7:30 p.m. in the sanctuary and will stay with host families from the church (if you are interested in being a host family, contact Gene Wagner). The Wesley Bell Ringers are one of the premier youth handbell choirs in the United States.  They are sponsored by Christ United Methodist Church in Salt Lake City, Utah. The group was formed in 1963. The choir performs throughout northern Utah during the Christmas season and each summer, travels across North America sharing their beautiful music.  Since its foundation in 1963, over 500 youth have participated in the choir. If you are interested in being a host family, contact Gene Wagner. More information to come.

 

      - Wed., April 23 (3:35pm - 4:55pm)- for Pre-K thru 3rd graders & 4th-5th Graders.

 

If you loaned the church any garments (dress, hat, cape, etc.) that were used for the Children’s Christmas Madrigal, you can pick them up at the church office.

 

    Pastor Martha (Our Children’s Pastor) has discovered that rotations work best for our younger Sunday School students, so she is using vintage VBS material which is designed for rotations. We will begin together for the first station and then divide into two groups: Bible Adventure and Imagination Station (crafts/science).

 

New Sunday School Class for 3rd Grade: Come receive a Bible and learn how to use it! Call Pastor Martha at 712-898-6854 for more information.

 

Adult Sunday School - They 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.

 

Celebration Bells 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 Jubilate Choir (High School - Adult) 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.

 

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.

April 20 - Bi-C

April 27 - D, E, F & G

May 4 - H, I, J & K

   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 Rob Hasler (age 70), brother of Carla Rubel.  Died on March 8.

- Death of Ila Dickey (Age 92). The mother of Mark Dickey.  Ila died on Feb. 13.

- Death of Dr. Ted Roman (age 90).  Ted died on Jan. 26.

- Death of Eunice “June” Zediker (Age 102), mother of Avery Zediker.  June died on Jan. 9.

 

 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 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!   

 

Bill Enockson - Mary Enockson

Clyde & Karen Newton - Our Parents

Helen Suttie - Nancy Suttie and Don Suttie

Joan Peterson - Delaine Peterson

The Paynes - Stephen Howell and Ken & Marlys Payne

Cindy Lewin - Harold & Alice Lewin

Dorothy Swanson - Chuck Swanson

Barry & Julie Enockson - Mary Enockson and John Johnson

Scott & Shelly Gerkin - Tom & Laura Gerkin

Roger & Linda Groves - Ralph & Hazel Groves and William & Leona Moret   

Steve & Trish Billups - Frank, Mary & Kathy Hochstetler and Billie J. Billups

Dorothy Masters - Wayne and Alan

Kaye Rasmus / Jasman Family - Dr. Bob Rasmus

Jim & Jane Miller - Our Parents

Tamme Saul, Kim Wood and Jennifer Harms - Mary Cadwell

Destany Kirby & Family - Bob Gwin

Mary Stoneburg - Paul Stoneburg & Loved Ones

Don & Denise Parsons - Our Parents

Bob McIntosh - Nancy McIntosh

Mike & Shari Hobart - Our Parents

Virginia Taylor - Loved Ones

Jeff & JuLee Buchman - Vern & Jean Buchman and Phillip & Marjorie Solberg

Don & Mary K. Schenk - Our Brothers, Willis J. Schenk and Doug Reynolds

Geri Morfitt & Family - Bob Morfitt

Janet Grossnickle - Joseph Grossnickle and Dorothy Vander Weil

Kokoe Aboussa - My Husband, Emmanuel

Bev Weseman - John Carter and Maggie Murphy

Don & Ruth Kingery - Our Parents

Doug & Linda Blom - Norma Blom

 

Marvin & Myrna Sorensen - Our Family

Dutcher Family - Our Parents and Grandparents

Dan & Barb Weakley - Our Family

Randy & Karen Roos - Our Church Family

 

The Mauch Family