As a self-described introvert, I tend to leave the writing to people like Todd who has an excellent way with words. However, as a member of the Open and Affirming committee, I am ecstatic with the vote. The discussion was brief but important views both pro and con of having a vote were shared.  I value both sides as I hope everyone else does as well. 

I would like to share my viewpoint with you that comes from a personal as well as a stewardship perspective. As shared during the special meeting, some of us that have grown up gay were forced to not acknowledge who we are and that is a sad and lonely place.  When we joined FCUCC as a family, we knew that we were accepted for who we are and what our family makeup is has no bearing on the love we feel in our Church. However, it isn’t only important for our gay and lesbian members to know that we are accepted but also for the greater Siouxland community to know that regardless of who you are, you are accepted in our church family.  We view the vote for Open and Affirming not only about LGBTQ acceptance but also that acceptance of all truly means “ALL”!

The vote on November 27, 2022 won’t really change anything inside the walls of our church. We will be able to hang the banners acknowledging that we are an Open and Affirming church. And, that may be the biggest change you see when you step inside. 

But, more importantly, it will allow us to do some public relation work in our community. We still have baggage within the community and even within the UCC conference. The vote was less about the members of FCUCC and acknowledgement that we accept all who enter our doors, however, more about our opportunity to share with others that we are accepting.  Some of our image is based on perceptions coming from the departures of Pastor Dowell Baum and Pastor Castle. While searching for a permanent full-time pastor, the applicants we received and chose to interview questioned their departures, transparency about what they were told about those departures from the conference and then questioning why we weren’t a sanctioned Open and Affirming church. None of those applicants had the energy to do the work that the Open and Affirming committee needed to do and chose to not proceed with us. Applications have become non-existent.  We are in good hands with Pastor Del, however, it is important to remember we are still in the process of a pastoral search. When interviewing Pastor Del, I asked him if he had the energy to take us through the Open and Affirming process. He was up for the work and in turn, he asked me to participate in the committee.  It has a been a good experience and we have a good message to tell. We have the chapter of “are we or aren’t we open and affirming” behind us, it will be an important piece of our story that we get to tell in a positive light as we renew our pastoral search.   

I am not sure why we didn't receive a 100% vote, however, if any of you have questions about the process or why it is important to acknowledge all of our members, I would be happy to buy you a cup or coffee or glass of wine and have a discussion.

Sincerely,

Earl

  The Missions Committee will be getting wrapped boxes ready again this year for those who wish to participate in the Advent Box project again this year. A list of items will be put out next week. Delivery of the boxes will be December 21. Hoping you will all be able to participate.

  If you are interested in participating in the Staff Christmas Gift, please make your check payable to the church and write Staff Christmas on the memo line. All contributions should be made by December 18.

The Council voted at the November Council Meeting to withdraw $30,000 from the Endowment to cover church expenses as approved by the Congregation at the January 23, 2022 Congregational Meeting.  At the Annual Meeting, the Congregation approved withdrawing up to $180,000 over the next 12 months to cover church expenses as needed. This is the second time the Council has had to draw funds from the Endowment to cover expenses in 2022.

Advent, from the Latin adventus, (coming) is the period of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ and Christmas and also of the preparation for the Second Coming of Christ. While the secular world can hardly wait for Thanksgiving to take place before starting to celebrate Christmas, the Church does wait in eager anticipation.

Advent hymns are selected that help us wait while also recognizing the eagerness with which we wait. Each Sunday another candle on the Advent wreath will be lit and on Christmas Eve, the white Christ candle in the middle will be lit to announce the birth of Jesus.

Thank you to the ONA Task Force—Penny Fee, Suzanne Johnson, Earl Miller, Jay Rosenberg, Ellen Shaner, and Todd Siefker—for your work and for all the congregation members who attended the meeting and were respectful of slightly differing opinions. Thank you, Earl Miller, for the well-written article in this edition of Straight to the Point.

The work of getting the word out to the community continues. Signs will help, but word of mouth is so much more effective. I will do my part to help clarify any misunderstandings that I can to the LGBTQ+ Community.

If you are someone you know would benefit from a pastoral visit, please call the office, and let Michael or me know.

In Christ, 

Pastor Del

In supporting the 'gift' of moving on, we fill lives with hope and household essentials for those leaving transitional housing at Safe Place and Welcome Home.

bath towels

cake pans

can openers

3-quart saucepans

pot holders

small plastic glasses

 The family of Marv Iddings

Kelley McCarthy 

A big "thank you" goes out to our volunteers who helped with services this week.

Fill in Minister-Todd Siefker

Worship Leader- Eileen Helvig

Live Stream- Jerrod Kiernan/John Kiernan

Sound/Lighting- Mike Timblin

To access the directory online visit members.instantchurchdirectory.com and you should be able to create a login using the email listed in the church directory. If you need any help accessing the directory or would like a copy emailed to you, contact the church office for assistance.

Click HERE

Giving last month amounted to $8,049, from mail-in, online giving, and Sunday offerings.

You can help us stay on track by mailing in your check or setting up an automatic payment from your bank. You can also contribute through a simple app called Tithe.ly. 

Go to http://get.tithe.ly to sign up online, or download the app on any iPhone/Apple or Android device.

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Monday 8:30am-12pm, 1pm-4:30pm

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Thursday 8:30am-12pm, 1pm-4:30pm