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 August Message

Siblings in Christ,

As summer gives way to fall and backpacks start filling with
sharpened pencils and new notebooks, we’re reminded that this
is a season of beginnings. Back-to-school time always brings a
mixture of excitement and nerves, fresh routines and new
opportunities. The same is true in the life of our church—we
step into September with open hearts, ready for what God is

unfolding among us.
Sunday School Kickoff – September 7
We’re starting the fall with a celebration! Join us on Sunday,
September 7th for our Sunday School Kickoff. After worship
we’ll gather for a lunch of burgers, sides, and desserts, followed
by fun and games for all ages. We’re looking for volunteers to
bring sides and salads—there’s a signup sheet at the back of the
sanctuary. We’re also in need of a few folks willing to fire up
the grill and help cook the burgers. It will be a great way to start the
new program year together!
New Youth Group for Grades 7–12

We’re excited to announce a brand-new youth group for our
middle school and high school students (7th–12th grade). The
group will meet on the third Sunday of each month after
church, and lunch will be provided. Our first gathering will be
on Sunday, September 21st. We’ll kick things off with a cleanup
of “The Pit,” the space that will soon become the youth group’s
home base. While the youth will lead the effort, we’d love extra
hands—so anyone who can stick around after church that day is
invited to help with the cleanup effort.

To make The Pit a welcoming space, we’re also accepting
donations. If you have couches, loveseats, recliners, area rugs,
board games, card games, or video game consoles in good shape

that you no longer need, we would gratefully accept them.

Partners in Vision Task Force

Our congregation is taking bold steps to imagine the future of our
building and property. We’re forming Partners in Vision task
force to explore how our physical space can best serve our
mission. This fall, members of the task force will receive
training through the UCC’s Partners in Building program, and
a professional real estate development firm will help us dream

creatively about what’s possible.
We’re thrilled to have Susan Aamold, Lynne Forbush, Don
Goldhorn, Alan Pearson, and Pastor Dustin already signed up to
be part of this important work—and they will be attending the
online training conference September 25–26. There’s still room
for more participants! You can be part of the task force even if you
don’t attend the training, so if this excites you, please consider
joining.

PPP for Placerville – September 25

We’re excited to host a PPP for Placerville fundraiser this fall!

PPP stands for Pizza, Pop, and Puzzles—a jigsaw puzzle
competition that brings people together for fun, food, and
fellowship while raising money for Placerville Camp.
Here’s how it works:
 Up to 12 teams of 4 people will compete to be the first to eat
their pizza and finish an identical 500-piece puzzle.

September 2025

The winning team will advance to the Championship Bracket at Placerville Camp (October 17–19,
2025) and enjoy a free weekend at camp. The event usually lasts about two hours.
The registration fee is $80 per team ($20 per person). Our church will cover the cost of pizza and pop, so every
dollar raised will go directly to Placerville Camp.
Don’t miss out on this unique and joyful event, it’s a chance to test your puzzling skills, enjoy great food, and
support a place that has touched so many lives!
As the school year begins and our church program year starts anew, may this season be a reminder that God is
always doing something fresh in our midst. Whether it’s learning together in Sunday School, building new
connections through youth group, imagining possibilities with the Partners in Vision task force, or coming
together to support Placerville, each of these opportunities is a way to grow in faith and community. Let’s step
into September with gratitude, anticipation, and trust in the Spirit who makes all things new.
Blessings,
Pastor Dustin