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Giving Season: Stewarding Our Resources

Building a financially healthy community to sustain our mission
The word stewardship holds some mystique, even for us pastors! What exactly is a good steward? Each year, as I reflect on making financial commitments for the coming year, I am drawn to two words that help define stewardship for me: faithful and fruitful. We faithfully invest our time and resources toward living into our mission more fruitfully together. 

By now, many of you have received a mailed stewardship letter, including a pledge card. If your household is in a season of predicting income for 2021, will you consider making a faithful pledge of your anticipated financial gifts? If you've experienced an income boost, might you consider increasing your giving just a bit to compensate for the households among us who experienced a drop in income? A pledge is never a mandate, it simply acts as a tangible faith commitment and practical tool for preparing our 2021 budget.

THANK YOU to those who have already sent in your pledge cards. If you intend to, we still have plenty of time to receive them into the office: 123 N Highland Ave. Interested, but didn't receive a pledge card?
Let Pastor Emily know today!

The best invitation to faithful and fruitful ministry is often shared in story. Your Executive Council offers the following moving UCC devotional as an invitation to consider how YOU will decide to be faithful and fruitful in helping us build God's beloved community in 2021. It reminds me of the deep-hearted generosity I know and cherish within our own congregation.
We Belong to Each Other     
by: Marchaé Grair


How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity! - Psalm 133:1

When I was in high school, I was selected to go on a leadership trip in Washington, D.C. My mom couldn’t afford to send me. She was a single parent, and it was too expensive for her to buy me a roundtrip plane ticket and pay a hefty tuition.

The Sunday after I received the invitation, our small but mighty church passed a collection plate and collected enough money to send me on the trip. This was not a group of wealthy people for whom a donation meant no sacrifice. But they saw a person they loved in need and knew that, collectively, they could do something about it.

They decided I belonged to them and they belonged to me. They decided that because they were my village, they would do what they could, and they had faith that it would be enough.

I have channeled the memory of that collection plate often, especially when I’m broke and feel as if my offering is too small. There have been times when a couple of dollars was all I could give, and I almost let the embarrassment about the amount of the gift stop me from giving at all.

And then I remember how that collection plate changed my life. And it wasn’t because of how much each person gave, it was because of the spirit with which they gave it.

Giving isn’t about who has the most money or who can give the biggest offering. We give so that people can feel a tangible impact of our love for God and for one another. Giving is a concrete declaration that we belong to each other.

And belonging to each other means that we give what we can, when we can, to support the collective good of the church.

Prayer
How good it is to belong, O God! How glad I am to offer my support and love so that others know they belong, too.

Building God's Beloved Community
Check out this NEW pie chart depicting our
2020 giving trends as a congregation!

Set-Up Recurring Automatic Contributions: Considering becoming a sustaining donor to our faith community? This is the easiest and most cost-effective way for us to receive your gifts- and it's a perfect time to make it happen!
Click this link to download a form for making your gifts automatic!

Online Giving:
Click this link to visit our PayPal option for online donations

Mail-in Checks: Keep our USPS workers busy and send in a check to our office. Cherlyn continues to maintain office hours.

Love Fund: Want a portion of your donation to go toward our love fund? Simply include a note letting us know! 

Joys & Concerns

Cherlyn Christiansen has faithfully served as the glue (a.k.a. administrator) of this congregation for 12.5 years, and it's with gratitude and grief that we announce her plans to retire January 31st. We will offer her tribute at our annual meeting, with plans for a full celebration this summer!
PRAYERS for Marshall and Merrie Miller, after Marshall fell and broke several ribs this week.
He will be in rehab for several months, and our prayers are with them both as they navigate this new health challenge.
Arlene Krueger is knowledgeable about Medicare Part D (prescription drug insurance) and welcomes you to reach out with any questions you might have! Remember: Open-Enrollment Deadline is Dec. 7th!
WE REJOICE at the news that Cecil Bassett will be moving back to Pierre in January!

PRAYERS for all struggling with Covid-19 that they may experience patience, healing and wholeness; for everyone mourning the devastating loss of loved ones to this horrific virus.  


PRAYERS for those 
who continue to mourn the loss of loved ones for any reason, especially as we move into the holiday season.
We offer continued prayers for those who face ongoing medical conditions, family conflict, racial injustice, mental illness, economic hardship, and grief. We offer prayers for our public peace-keepers and justice-seekers, for our neighbors of every race and religion, for our country as we seek to find true unity across real difference. 

God of Grace, Hear our prayers

Covid-19 Comic Relief

Sandra Kangas sent this gem of a video this week, and I thought you all might discover some inspiration here as well. ENJOY!

One Thing Donation Campaign

November:
Winter Wear!

Gather your best gently-used coats, hats, & gloves, as we ensure our neighbors have protection against the cold this winter!

You may bring them to worship or drop them off at church anytime Mon-Fri. 9am-1pm

Worship Safely In Our Pews!

With our Covid-19 numbers on a steep rise in the area, your church leadership affirms we do not take your safety lightly. PLEASE be mindful of our collective health as you make decisions about how to worship. Our pews will remain open for now, given many of our congregants have already cleared the virus.
As your pastor, I want to emphasize there is no right or wrong way to worship. Engagment in the life of our community takes many forms, and I'm grateful for both the faces in the pews and the comments on Facebook! A reminder of our Covid-10 policy can be found here.

Virtual Worship is Real Worship

Visit Our
Facebook Page Here!

 
Every week our bulletin is posted online & in Arlene's comment. Sing-along with the song lyrics provided too!

We LOVE the comments and hope to interact with them in real time, especially for your prayer requests.
Pierre Area Referral Service is working with Feeding South Dakota and Lynn’s Dakotamart for the annual Holiday Feast Project. This is a time to reflect on our blessings and share our bounty with those who are less fortunate than ourselves.

Each meal costs $60. You can either purchase a package for someone you know or let PARS choose a family for you. If you want PARS to choose a family in need, donations will be accepted until the end of December. The deadline to pick a family for Thanksgiving orders is November 1st and December 1st for Christmas orders.


DOWNLOAD FORM HERE

It is a great opportunity to purchase a complete holiday feast for someone who may be experiencing a financial hardship. Our goal for the 2020 holiday season is to provide 350 families in need a holiday feast for Thanksgiving and 350 families in need a holiday feast for Christmas. We cannot do this without your help!

Act Justly, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly

Do you have an idea how our church can further Christ's love within our Pierre/Ft. Pierre community? Do you feel called to lead a book study or start a support group? Are you an artist who seeks to reveal the heart of Christ in your work?

TELL US TODAY!

Our Mission

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First Congregational United Church of Christ · 123 N Highland Ave · Pierre, SD 57501-2524 · USA

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