Welcome Statement

First Congregational United Church of Christ, Watertown, SD Welcoming Statement

Based on welcoming statement from Prince of Peace Lutheran, Philadelphia, PA

Who is welcome here?

If you are Asian, Hispanic, Native American, Black, White, or multi-racial . . .

If you are three days old, 30 years old, or 103 years old . . .

If you are male or female or transgender . . .

If you are a Republican, Democrat, Independent, or not registered to vote . . .

If you are single, married, divorced, separated, or partnered . . .

If you are straight, gay, lesbian, or bisexual . . .

If you are Catholic, Lutheran, Baptist, Methodist, Jewish, Buddhist, atheist, agnostic, or a life-long Congregationalist . . .

If you have never set foot in a church, attend only on Easter and Christmas, or attend every Sunday . . .

If you are fully-abled, living with a disability, or a person of differing abilities . . .

If you have or had addictions, phobias, mental illness, or physical illness . . .

If you own your own home, rent, live with your parents, or are homeless . . .

YOU ARE WELCOME HERE!

This congregation is committed to being a loving and welcoming community.

In faithfulness to God, and to the best of our ability, we work to provide programs, ministries, fellowship, and pastoral care to all who seek God in this place.

We dedicate ourselves to living the UCC church’s motto:

“No matter who you are, no matter where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here!”

Pastor's February Message

Siblings in Christ,

As March begins, so does the season of Lent.

Lent is a season of introspection and prayer, of repentance and fasting. It is the season when we, as Jesus’ disciples, symbolically go with Jesus into the wilderness to fast and pray for forty days. Through the 40-day season of Lent, we prepare our spirits for Holy Week – for the story of crucifixion and the cross; for the story of Easter and resurrection.

The prelude to Lent is called Shrove Tuesday, but it’s more commonly known as “Fat Tuesday” or “Mardi Gras.” Our church will celebrate Mardi Gras on March 4th with a supper of pancakes and sausages, non-alcoholic Hurricanes, and a live jazz band featuring our very own Bruce Reinhardt. The party starts at 5:30 pm.

Ash Wednesday, on March 5th, officially begins the season of Lent. We will have a worship service featuring the imposition of ashes at 5:30 pm.

Then, we’re into the season of Lent, and this year our church is hosting the ministerial association’s Lenten Lunch Worship Services. Every Wednesday during Lent, except for Ash Wednesday and Holy Week, there will be a worship service at noon, followed by a light lunch. The suggested donation is $5 for lunch. The offerings collected during worship will benefit the Salvation Army’s “One Roof” program that helps low-income people and families with food, utilities, rent, and other financial emergencies.

The schedule for worship leaders is as follows:

March 12th - First United Methodist Church

March 19th - Immaculate Conception & Holy Name Catholic Churches

March 26th - Grace Lutheran Church & Salvation Army

April 2nd - First Congregational UCC Church (That's us!)

April 9th - Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer

Holy Week begins on April 13th with Palm Sunday!

Aside from the Lenten services, our church is doing a deep cleaning of the Fellowship Hall & Kitchen on Saturday, March 1st, at 9:00 am. Please come and help! On March 2nd, we’re taking a special offering to support the United Church of Christ’s Disaster Relief Ministries. And on March 9th, we will be installing our new church council during the Sunday morning worship service.

May you all have a holy and blessed Lent.

Blessings,

Rev. Dustin Bartlett