Worship Notes for September 6, 10 AM – Communion
Worship Leader: Pastor Laura Ymker
Scripture:
Sermon:
Lay Reader: Dick Kloppel; Ushers: Dale Dallmann, Susan Thomas; Accompanist/Music Director: Melissa Gilbert; Communion: The Holland Family; Coffee Fellowship: Bill Tiskus, Dennis & Sue Turton; Treats: Shirley Davis, Mary Fry; UCC Tellers: Steve Gettel, Dick Kloppel; Christ UMC Tellers: Rosemary Neilsen, Jeanne Nobbs
The service will be live-streamed on both church Facebook pages and a recording of the livestream will be available on YouTube later in the day and on the UCC website.
NOTE – Each week’s complete Worship Bulletin is also available on this web page – both on the front page and in the Posts.
Christian Education News
This week all children will attend worship on September 6. There is no nursery care due to the Labor Day holiday.
Sunday School begins on September 13! The Christian Education Board has made a few changes in paperwork and processes. In addition to a re-vamped registration form and media release, the board has created a COVENANT outlining responsibilities and expectations for teachers, parents and the board itself. There will also be a new sign in/sign out process. Class rules and curriculum will be the same. Children will also attend worship once each month when they will participate with new songs. Registration packets will be available on September 6 and 13.
Bible Study Begins – Bible study resumes on September 9 at 10:00 A.M. in the church parlor. The study will look at six faith stories in Genesis starting with Adam and Eve. If you wish to read more than the Bible for the study, you can read Amy Jill-Levine’s book Genesis: A Beginner’s Guide to the Beginning. The plan would be to start the conversation from a DVD with Amy Jill-Levine starting our conversation. Pray the DVD arrives as it is on backorder. All are welcome to attend this study, led by Rev. Paul Holland.
“Gracious Space” is in our future! Click HERE to learn more about this Pastor-led opportunity!
Christian Service
The greatest gift you can give someone is your TIME. Because when you give your time, you are giving a portion of your life that you will never get back.
Town Pump has selected FISH to be part of the 25th Anniversary of “HELP THOSE IN NEED” Challenge. Town Pump will match all donations to reach $30,000.00 that FISH receives September 1-November 30. What a great way to double your gift & help FISH. Donations can be made through the church with “FISH” in the memo or sent to P.O. Box 662, Great Falls MT 59403.
Quilt Raffle – United Women in Faith is sponsoring a quilt raffle. The quilt is on display in Fellowship Hall and will be raffled during coffee fellowship on December 6. Tickets are 1/$1.00 or 6/$5.00. All proceeds will benefit local charities. Please see Jeanne Nobbs or Carolyn Dowdy for tickets. Need not be present to win.
Volunteer Drivers, Please – The church has had several requests from folks who are no longer driving but would like to come to church. Are you a person who would be willing to take a few extra minutes on Sunday morning to provide a ride for another member of our church family? Maybe you will make a new friend. Maybe a current friendship could be strengthened. Maybe you will make someone’s day better. And it wouldn’t even have to be every week! If the Spirit moves you to lend a hand, please call the church office at (406) 453-4316.
Calling All Vendors! First United Methodist Church is hosting a parking lot craft fair and market on September 19 from 9:00 A.M.-2:00 P.M. (610 2nd Ave. N). Booth fees are $50.00 for a 10×10 space. No electricity available. Applications will be accepted until all spaces are filled. For an application or if you have any questions, call Hollie King at (406) 453-3114 or email churchoffice@umcgreatfalls.org.
Shoe Box Time – A friendly reminder to folks buying new shoes for the school year: if you don’t need your shoeboxes, please bring them to the church for our Christmas Shoebox Ministry. You can leave them in the office or hand them off to Janet Koostra. In December, Sunday School children and other volunteers will fill the boxes with gifts and wrap them for transport to Browning United Methodist Parish for distribution to kids of all ages!
Worship
Wonder How to Share Prayer Requests? You may have noticed that we haven’t been doing the sharing of joys and concerns during the service. This is largely to make sure we are protecting the privacy of those who may not know or perhaps forget that everything said in service is live on the internet. You can still share your requests with us! Feel free to email them to Holly or me, write them down and put them in the basket on the table in the lobby, or tell them to me in person. Please let us know if the request is private or if you’d like it to be share with the prayer circle or in the newsletter. Didn’t know we had a prayer circle? We do! If you’d like to receive the prayer requests of others via email, please let me know; and I’ll add you to the list. We’d love to have you pray with us.
Pray with the Pastor -Pray with the Pastor will continue indefinitely, meeting Monday from 5:30-6:00 PM; Wednesday, 12:30-1:00 PM; Thursday from 8:00-8:30 AM.
Fellowship
Celebrate “The Great Outdoors” on Rally Sunday – It’s time to gather again to start the program year! On September 13, the Church Growth and Vitality Board will host the annual Rally Sunday Celebration during coffee hour. This year we’ll lift up God’s good creation with the theme “The Great Outdoors”. Boards will showcase Autumn, Winter, Rocks, Wild Flowers, Snow Skiing, Campfires, Trees, Gardening and Hiking. Join in guessing games, activities, crafts, and many delicious snacks. You might even win a gift certificate to Luna Coffee or Cassiopeia Books! Plan now to join the fun with our entire church family!
Growth and Vitality
Raise our Rank – Click HERE to learn how you can help us promote and grow our church!
Stewardship
A Reflection from your Stewardship Board
“Whoever sows generously will also reap generously” 2 Corinthians 9:6
We are United Spirit Community Church – Our bank account for the new church name is in place! Folks should start writing checks to United Spirit Community Church. If you have automatic payments sent from a financial institution, be sure to give the new name. This needs to be done any time before December 31st. From now through the end of the year, checks written to Christ UMC or FCUCC will go into the respective accounts. Donations intended for memorials or the Genesis Fund should be written out FCUCC with a specific notation in the memo. I understand this is a bit confusing. Please do not hesitate to call Holly in the office for questions or further clarification. Thank you.
Announcements and Upcoming Meetings
Reminder – Newsletter items should be received by 12:00 P.M. on Tuesdays of the week you wish to have your information printed.
Coming Soon – Discussion groups for members of the LGBTQIA+ community and others who were at one time part of an expression of faith that taught that members of the LGBTQIA+ community are in one way or another unacceptable to God. These groups will hold space for individuals to work through theologies that harmed themselves or others and develop new theologies that serve them. Please contact Pastor Laura for more details.
Sharing Words of Wisdom – Say it, forget it. Write it, regret it.
Wisdom comes from experience. Experience comes from bad decisions.
Share your words of wisdom with us! Use the note pad on the table in the narthex and place your thoughts in the jar provided.
New Website, New Emails – Click HERE to gain more information and to help promote our church and help us grow!
“Justice Isn’t Blind: Race and Inequality in the Federal Criminal Justice System”
Click HERE for information about an upcoming October 1 presentation by our own Hank Branom, Criminal Defense Attorney
A Sure Foundation – A reflection on A Sure Foundation, (the UCC’s handbook for relationships between pastors and congregations). As the handbook begins to discuss behavioral covenants, it says, “Much of the time, congregants treat each other with kindness and grace, observing boundaries of appropriate behavior and striving to respond to conflict faithfully. Such graces include the importance of telling one’s own truth and listening respectfully to others’ truths, holding confidences appropriately, assuming good intent, seeking reconciliation directly from one who has hurt another, and approaching matters in a spirit of prayer. Sometimes, however, certain behaviors undercut the values the congregation professes to hold, such as gossip, slander, “parking lot” conversations that denigrate decisions made or those who made them, and inappropriate comments to or about one another (including pastoral leadership or the wider church).”
This paragraph is a wonderful reminder of the ways healthy relationships are built. My hope is that you will always feel welcome to come to me directly to express sadness, frustration, or disagreement about any decisions I make. I love to chat about beliefs, relationships, and church services. I love to get to know you all better and learn how you experience God’s presence in your lives. It helps me be a better preacher; it helps me be a better pastor.
Conversations that avoid direct communication are not as productive. They circle around and around without the situation that is being discussed ever being able to be solved. Often they end up in broken relationships, broken trust, and bruised hearts. Instead, may we always choose to speak the truth in love to each other, directly and kindly (Ephesians 4:15). – Pastor Laura
141st United Church of Christ Conference Annual Meeting, September 25-27, 2026
“Lean Into the Storm”
Seeking delegates to represent United Spirit Community Church at this year’s UCC Conference Annual Meeting in Helena. This is a great opportunity to see the work of the conference in action and to meet our friends in Christ around the state. This year’s meeting is hosted by Plymouth Congregational Church. There will be a meet and greet Thursday evening, September 24 at the church. Workshops take place during the day on Friday followed by a banquet that evening. Rev. Dr. Sarah Lund, Minister for Disabilities and Mental Health Justice in the UCC, will keynote on Saturday morning and lead a workshop Saturday afternoon. Rev. Jennifer Sowell, Associate General Minister for Love of Church, will preach on Sunday and lead a workshop on Saturday.
If you are interested in attending this year’s Conference Annual Meeting either in person or virtually, please contact Moderator Karen Spencer or Pastor Laura. Cost of registration will be paid for by the church. Delegates are responsible for their lodging. Names of delegates need to be submitted by Monday, September 14th. Final reservation deadline is Thursday, September 18. YOUTH DELEGATES WELCOME!
Both Congregational and Methodist members and friends are encouraged to attend as guests. Guests will not have a voice but can still see the inner working of our conference. Registration not required for guests.
Coming Up
Thursday, September 3
8:00 A.M. Pray with the Pastor, Sanct.
9-10 A.M. Pastor Laura Office Hours
Sunday, September 6
9:00 A.M. Fellowship Board Mtg.
10:00 A.M. Worship Service
11:00 A.M. Coffee Fellowship
Monday, September 7- Labor Day (Office Closed)
Wednesday, September 9
10:00 A.M. Bible Study, Parlor
12:30 P.M. Pray with the Pastor, Sanct.
1-2 P.M. Pastor Laura Office Hours
1:30 P.M. Pinochle, Fellowship Hall
6:00 P.M. Youth Group
6:00 P.M. Handbells
7:15 P.M. Choir Rehearsal
Thursday, September 10
8:00 A.M. Pray with the Pastor, Sanct.
9-10 A.M. Pastor Laura Office Hours
12:00 P.M. Facilities Committee
1:00 P.M. Church Growth& Vitality
