Music Bingo September 6, 2025

Faith First is having a Music Bingo night on September 6th, 2025!  Cost is $10 per person.

Proceeds will benefit Argrow’s House  and Christian Care.  Argrow’s House provides free services for women survivors of domestic and sexual violence.  Christian Care is a homeless shelter with support and resources as well as a meal for Iowa and Illinois Quad Cities.

There will be baked goods and drinks for sale.  Raffles and 50/50.

Call the church office at 563 391 5726 for more information.

Download our Music Bingo Flyer to give to your friends and family!

 

 

Pastoral Ponderings – August 2025

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, Glory to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”  ~  Ephesians 3: 20-21

As I grew up in the United Church of Christ, I attended General Synod a couple of times. Now having attended General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the two gathering are alike in some ways, and vastly different in others.

I went, assuming I would know a few of the people, but was amazed to find that I knew many people. Some of them I had met through the UCC! It was great catching up with people I hadn’t seen in years, as well as meeting new friends, that I look forward to catching up with in the future.

For the Christian Church (DOC), it is truly an assembly of the church—any pastor with standing in the DOC has a vote, and at this Assembly, every church has 2 voting delegates. (More if your have larger churches—but I still am unsure of what that “larger church” means.) We will circle around to this.

In the UCC, voting delegates are chosen by the Conferences, limiting the number of people who can vote, and meaning not every pastor, nor every church, has representation. In the Tri-Conference, there were 22 Iowa, 11 Nebraska, and 7 South Dakota delegates!

The other big difference, is that in the DOC, the resolutions are handed out before to every church, so that the delegates and pastors have time to go through them and understand them. In the UCC, the delegates are split up, each taking only one resolution, then once at General Synod, they meet and deliberate over the resolution. Then they take any recommended revisions to the person/group who wrote it, make the changes, and then it is taken to the wider body, where the voting members can vote on it. (Confusing, right?)

I do not have all of the background yet from General Synod, but understand there were some very heated discussions. I expected all of the resolutions that were presented prior to General Assembly to pass, which they did. Then we were given 3 “Emergency Resolutions” on Monday evening to be voted for on Tuesday.

An emergency resolution is one that was not able to meet the 180 prior to presentation deadline. I have no background on when these were written, and was unable to read them before they were presented. These three caused a little more passion than the rest, but in the end, all passed.

Now, my job (and Jim and Sharon’s jobs) are to bring these back to you and help you understand them. One of the things I haven’t been very good at in my ministry is helping you have a connection to our wider church, so that is something I am going to work on, starting now!

I have been trying to figure out how to share all of the “business” that happened with the resolutions without overwhelming you, because even I got overwhelmed! I am going to do a BRIEF summery, and if you are interested in hearing more, or if this Pondering is confusing to you, please reach out to me, (or Jim or Sharon) and we can help clarify.

Resolutions #1—Ratify Actions of the General Board (restructure General Board numbers and length of terms) PASS

#2—Commitment to Thursdays in Black Campaign: A Global Movement for A World Without Gender-Based Violence (By World Council of Churches to wear black on Thursdays to remind us that we need to take action against gender based violence when we witness it.) PASS

#3– Resolution Concerning Disability Justice and Inclusion in all Ministries within the Christian Church (Call for all churches to create ministries, missions, and buildings that are accessible to all, regardless of disability.) PASS

#4—Opposing Project 2025 and Other Policies That are Inconsistent With Our Commitment to Justice, Mercy, and Compassion for our Neighbor (encourages members and churches to read to understand Project 2025, figure out where it is inconsistent with Christian values (especially DOC values) get involved with justice organizations, putting their faith into action.) PASS

#5– Proposed Resolution to Commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Disciples Peace Fellowship and inviting Regions and Congregations to Recommit to the Work of Peace and Justice (Exactly what it says!) PASS

#6—Amendments to The Design (DOC Constitution) (Further explanation in the September newsletter) PASS

#7—Calling the Church to Affirm the Sovereignty and Self-Determination of Our Canadian Siblings (In response to hateful rhetoric toward Canada and its citizens—that we recognize they are their own country with their own ideals.) PASS

#8—Changes to Special Rules of Procedure for the General Assembly (To align with changes of The Design) PASS

Emergency #1—An Emergency Resolution Concerning the Moral Crisis of Federal Budget Priorities in the 2025 Reconciliation Bill (Passionate discussion) PASS

#2—Responding to the US Federal Government’s Attack on Immigrants, Migrants, and Refugees (VERY passionate discussion—additional time added) PASS

#3—Affirmation of the World Council of Churches call to “End Apartheid, Occupation, and Impunity in Palestine and Israel,” and of solidarity with Palestinian people as we struggle for an end to genocide (VERY PASSIONATE discussion—from both sides.) PASS

As I said before, I do not have the emergency resolutions, and were not able to read through them prior to voting, but I honestly believe that at the core of all of these resolutions is this: to remind us that our call is to love our neighbor, fight for justice, and remember that God is our center. So simple on paper, and so difficult to live out. Please take a moment to pray for all of these things, and all of us, as we continue to live into God’s call.

Always Peace,   Pastor Heidi

 

 

Community Church Celebration

Community Church Celebration, Sunday, August 17, 2025, at 10:00 am

We are having a community celebration of our merged churches. The VBS kids will participate in the worship service.  After the service, we will serve a light lunch—hot dogs, chips and ice cream.  There will be a Bouncy House with other indoor and outdoor games.

We hope to see you all there!  Invite your friends!

2025 Vacation Bible School

Come join us on the Platybus!! We all Belong!

August 16, 2025 9.am to 3 p.m. at Faith First Community Church, 1630 W 38th Street, Davenport, Iowa.  Lunch and snacks will be served.  The children will participate in the worship service on August 17 at 10 a.m.

The kids will put together Toothbrushing kits for their Mission Project that will be given to CHC Dental. The
kits will have washcloths, travel size toothpaste, toothbrushes, basic combs, floss and elastic hair ties. We have purchased the supplies for the kits and are accepting monetary donations for any of these items.
Crafts will be enjoyed by all as well as music and inside
and outside games!

Download our Registration Form to sign up. Mail it to the address on the form.

Pastoral Ponderings – July 2025

“A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough. ”  ~  Galatians 5:9

My family and I have been eating a lot of hard boiled eggs lately, and one morning while I was having breakfast with Jarrod, he sprinkled salt on his egg and said, “It’s amazing how just a little sprinkle of salt enhances the flavor of food.”

Have you ever had food that is too salty? It ruins the taste. But a little salt, yeah, it’s just right!

I think this holds true for a lot of things in our lives. Too much of something can actually ruin it. Overeating can lead to health problems, excessive praise could potentially cause arrogance, too much free time could result in boredom or anxiety, or too much money (WHAT? Is there such a thing??) could lead to ideologies of privilege.

But a little bit of all of those things, we call it balance, can have incredible results!

Healthy eating leads to healthy bodies and minds, balanced praise leads to strong self-esteem, balanced rest and relaxation helps keep anxiety and other stressors at bay, and just the right amount of money? Well, anything is possible!

How many of you can remember the TV commercial from the early 1980’s by Brylcreem? “A little dab’ll do ya.” I came across this on Facebook recently (right before Jarrod commented on the salt) and the reel keeps going through my mind, only not for the hair cream. I imagine a commercial that talks about kindness—just being kind to one another.

In the background, the song “The Kindness Song”. Scenes of people walking, words pop up “All it takes is a smile.” A person opening the door to a store, words pop up, “Hold the door for someone.” Cars stopped at a red light that turns green, words pop up “Allow the car in front of you a couple of extra seconds before honking at them to move when the light turns green.”

The song ends with the words, “It can take the clouds away. It can bring the sun to play. If I make the choice to say Kindness is the way every day.” Or something like that.

But it is true. Just a little kindness, just a drop of compassion, just a wisp of love can actually change someone’s life. It doesn’t take much out of you, physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually. But it is what we are called to do as followers of Jesus’ Way. To be kind to one another. To love our neighbor. To feed the hungry, offer clothes to the naked, justice to the oppressed. And it all starts with just a dab of kindness.

There is a trend going on right now where people are placing “Little Jesus” figures all over. “Everyone needs a Little Jesus.” I found one after Karsten’s graduation party on the window sill in the Fellowship Hall. It made me smile.

Jesus encompasses kindness, compassion and love, and so do we. Where do you see the need for kindness, compassion and love? Who can you offer those to on this day? Who needs a “Little Jesus?”

Always Peace, Pastor Heidi

Pastoral Ponderings – June 2025

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. ”  ~  Genesis 1:1

As of June 1, we will officially have two high school graduates in our family. I feel like it was just yesterday that Jarrod was heading off to Kindergarten, which coincidentally, was three weeks before Karsten was born. It feels like all I did was close my eyes and time flashed forward 18 years.

I feel the same way about the amount of time since I have been called to, first, Faith UCC, and now, Faith First Community Church. As of July 1, I will have been here full time for 13 years! When I was first called, I thought about the 17 years that Pastor Tim was with Faith UCC, and it seemed like such a long time! Now, I am 4 short years from being here as long as he was.

Time has a habit of feeling like it speeds up as we grow older. (Scientifically, it does—but that is a conversation for a later date!)

One of my favorite traditions that the Davenport School District does for the graduating seniors, is to invite them to don their caps and gowns, and parade through the halls of their individual elementary schools.

I have no idea why or how this tradition started, but I can assume that it has something to do with encouraging the elementary students to stay in school, or something along those lines. Maybe it was started because the graduates are role models. They are actual living proof that time marches forward; that even though we think it is going to take FOREVER, we will actually get to the point in our life when we graduate.

I wonder if that’s why God puts people in our lives who have different or more experience than we do. Maybe these people are paraded through our lives to prove that keeping our faith, and keeping God at the center of our lives will lead us to, and through, our spiritual growth.

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I need encouragement in order to keep moving forward. Sometimes I wonder if I will make it, if my faith will see me through. The funny thing is, every time I get to this point, someone comes along to share their story, or allows me to watch their faith-in-action (which is usually through serving others.), and my faith is restored, my center (God) is reflected to me.

Time marches on—we can’t stop that. Our kids will grow up, and (hopefully) live into the lives that God created them for. And this will go on generation after generation.

Are we taking our turn to mentor others? Are we showing our faith in order to encourage those who need it? Are we showing God’s love to everyone?

We won’t have a cap and gown, and we need to remember to stay humble while we encourage others. But we do need to share our stories. How else will the next generation—or any generation after that—learn the stories, and how will those who don’t know Christ come to him, if we don’t share?

For now, CONGRATULATIONS to all the graduates who spent the last 12 years of your life learning what you did. Good luck in your future endeavors, and don’t forget to share what you have learned!

Thank you to all of the teachers and administrators for continuing to show up and love and teach the students. May you all have a blessed summer of rest and renewal!

Always Peace, Pastor Heidi

Pastoral Ponderings – May 2025

“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.  ”  ~  Psalm 100

I can hardly believe we are moving into the 5th month of 2025 already! The weather is warming up (a little) and the flowers are beginning to pop out of the ground (at least a few), and some of you (us?) are preparing to get things planted for gardens, landscaping, and even in the fields. These should all make us happy, but if I am being completely honest, I am feeling a little apprehensive about approaching the month of May this year.

Usually, May isn’t a month to get apprehensive over for me. May 1 is my dad’s birthday, and the day David proposed to me. But this year, this month, specifically the seventh day of this month, brings with it the first anniversary of my diagnosis of Neuroendocrine Colon Cancer. One year ago, my whole world (and subsequently, my family, and even yours—to a point), changed.

I know (because I have told some of you this before) it is just a date. But May 7 is a date that, like my wedding day, and the births of my children, this specific date is now seared into my brain.

My guess is, all of you have a date that affects you for one reason or another. So, how do we deal with these types of anniversaries?

First, we all deal with them differently. I know the day is going to be a highly charged day for me, so I plan to take the day slowly. It is a Wednesday, so I will begin with giving thanks to God for all of the healing I have done since then, and ask for God to continue to heal me. I will allow myself to “feel all the feels”, even if I don’t want to feel them. I will go to swim class in the morning, work like normal, and have a nice supper with my family. We may even settle in for a movie that evening. And who knows, plans always change.

Anniversaries of life changing events can be difficult. Disease diagnosis, loss of a job, loss of a loved one, and so on, all have big emotions attached to them. No matter what the emotion is, God is waiting for us to unload them onto Them. God is bigger than any emotion we could ever feel or experience. Anger, grief, sadness, anxiety, hopelessness, we can give all of them to God.

I am so grateful for a husband and sons who have walked this last year with me. Encouraging me when I didn’t feel like I could move forward. Helping me, even when I didn’t want the help.

I am also so grateful for all of you—for doing the very same things for me, and taking care of David and the boys as well. I—no, we—are so thankful and blessed to have this be our church home. I always believe that God places us where we need to be, when we need to be there. Because of your generosity—allowing me to take the time I needed to take care of myself, I have been able to heal. (This will never go completely away until they find a cure.)

For now, please know that I am doing well. I am still getting my monthly injections, and I have learned some of the side effects that happen every month. I am tired for about 2 days following the injection. I get horrible leg cramps, which are worst at night, but happen all day. For the first few months, the leg cramps didn’t show up until about half way through the month, but now, I have them all of the time. The other side effect is my blood sugar. It is still high, but not as high as it was. Now that I exercise a minimum of three days a week, and am eating MUCH better, I am losing weight, and it is slowly coming down. Because I will be on these injections my whole life, these will be things I will fight with for the rest of my life. But they could be way worse—so I will take this!

Thank you, again, for all your support and prayers along this journey. I love you all!

And please remember, anniversaries can be wonderful, but they can also be difficult. When you find yourself upon a difficult anniversary, turn to God. Ask God for strength and comfort. And know that you can always call me!

Always Peace,
Pastor Heidi

Pastoral Ponderings – April 2025

“About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”) .”  ~  Matthew 27:46

Later this month, we follow Jesus’ loved ones and band of followers to the base of the cross where Jesus cries out to God, then breathes his last breath.

Have you ever had the wind knocked out of you? I was in third grade when I was ice skating at our local outdoor ice rink. I did a “toe pick” (where the front teeth of my ice skates dragged across the ice when I wasn’t prepared for it) and down on my stomach I went. When I went to get up, I couldn’t. I couldn’t get a breath. Nothing in. Nothing out. I freaked out. The young girl who was keeping the warming house warm, saw me, and skated over. She told me to close my eyes, imagine my lungs bringing the cold air, and blow out my mouth. After the second or third try, the muscles around my lungs relaxed, and the air rushed out of my mouth. I was embarrassed, and thankful, all at the same time!

I imagine that was how Jesus felt as he yelled to God—”why have you forsaken me? Why won’t you take me down from this cross and save me?” Then the air rushed out of his lungs, and he died. Embarrassed, maybe more for everyone else than for himself, and thankful that the pain of suffering of all the sins of the world—past, present, AND future! – was almost past….. Just a few more moments……

If we were to over think life right now, in this current time and space of history, it just might feel like a gut punch, and getting the wind knocked out of us. All of the pain and suffering, all of the death and decay, all of the loneliness and despair. It is simply overwhelming to feel and experience the immense unsure-ness of what each moment of each day will bring.

But at the end, after Jesus’ lifeless body is taken down from the cross by his friends, and buried deep within the earth; after the setting and rising and setting of the sun, the rising and setting of the sun, and on the third morning, the rising of the sun, we find a stone that has been rolled away, and grave clothes lying with no body because the unimaginable has happened! Our Savior beat death! While those who witnessed this first hand, may have had the feeling like the wind had been knocked out of them, 2000+ years later, we know the beauty and excitement of what that empty tomb means!

It means that, while we will all experience death, we will be given new life after death. It means that this new life will be better than anything we could ever imagine. It means that God—who created everything and everyone, to be in relationship with one another and with God—wins! LOVE WINS! It means that hope will always prevail.

This season of Lent has been a journey of looking at life through the lens of beauty, wonder, meaning, curiosity, delight, connection and self-giving. We are being invited to see that we can find new life in the ordinary things around us. By opening our eyes, ears, mind, and heart to seeing the awe that we are surrounded by, we are healthier, more filled with joy, but best of all, we are not alone.

God has so much planned for each one of us. Things may not go the way we thought they would—nothing does. But the promises of our Creator remind us that God is always working in and through us, for the greater world. our only job is to trust. Trust that God is working for good, and trust that the good is going to be more amazing that we could ever imagine!

So, when you get the wind knocked out of you—regardless of why—close your eyes, imagine the air in your lungs flowing freely in and out. Allow your body to relax. Breathe. Deep, cleansing breaths. In, and out. In, and out. Feel the cool air being drawn into your nose, and the warm air leaving your nose.

God is with you. God is as close to you as your very next breath.

Always Peace,

Pastor Heidi

Pastoral Ponderings – March 2025

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”  ~  Philippians 4:6-7

 I wanted to start out by saying, “we are living in uncertain times,” but as I think back on what I have learned, and more importantly, what I have experienced over my life, I understand we have always lived in “uncertain times.”

The simple reason is that we cannot predict the future with any more accuracy than we can predict the weather.

So, more accurately, we are living in a time of change. But wait….. We have always lived in a state of change. Nothing around us, not even we as humans, were created to stay the same. Seasons change, weather changes, the sun and moon are always changing, our human bodies change—think of everything inside that never stops changing!

If this is true, that everything changes, then why can’t we find comfort in change?

I believe it is because we are not spending enough time seeking the presence of God, and when we don’t seek the presence of God, we begin to look away, we begin trusting less in God and more in ourselves. And when we trust more in ourselves than in God, the change we experience leans into fear—fear of not having or being enough. Fear of having our power or privilege (real or perceived) taken away. Fear of the “other” and what they are doing. And when each of us as individual humans begin to fear like that—well, we can clearly see what happens—just look around you for 30 seconds. It is not pretty!

March 5 begins our 40 day journey of reflection on Jesus and the cross. Traditionally, it has been viewed as a time of sacrifice—giving something up, or more recently, adding a spiritual discipline.

This year, I want to challenge you to just open yourself to what is happening around you. Open your eyes and purposefully and intentionally seek God in creation as well as those humans you encounter—family, friend, stranger, or enemy—where God is shining through them. And if you say you can’t see God shining through, I want you to remember that they, too, are a child of God, just like you, and God works through ALL of us, not just a few. Then Pray for God to reveal themselves through that/those people.

And if you can’t see, then close your eyes and listen. Listen to their story—do not interject your thoughts, expectations, or bias. Instead, let their story reveal God. And if you can’t hear, then pray for God to drown out the noise and reveal the truth about that person.

And if you can’t see or hear—then breathe deeply, clear your mind, and pray that God grant you the wisdom to understand and learn the truth that surrounds you.

God has promised to always be with us. God fulfilled that promise through Jesus’ birth, death and resurrection. And when Jesus left this earth, he gifted us with the Holy Spirit our Advocate and Guide, who now dwells within us, never leaving us.

During this Lent season, I invite you to calm your fears and anxiety by returning your focus to God. When you feel anxious, pray. When you are confused, pray. When you don’t know who to trust, pray to the one who has promised never to forsake you. Spend time talking to God, and intentionally seeking God within creation and others. Who knows, change may come more easily.

May the change that is happening manifest through you, through us, to bring about God’s year of Jubilee, offering peace and justice throughout the world. May God’s Kin-dom reign here on earth, now and forevermore, so that we no longer have to say, “we are living in uncertain times,” but rather ”our time is certain.” May it be so.

Always Peace,

Pastor Heidi

 

Pastoral Ponderings – February 2025

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your God in heaven.”    ~    Matthew 5:16

Do you know that you carry with you the presence of Jesus? Do you know what it means to have the presence of Jesus?

Looking at the life of Jesus,

No matter what Jesus did, no matter where he was,

This past week, David and I were running errands and stopped to pick up supper at Jersey Mike’s. He and I entered and as we were talking, a woman pushing a walker tried to get in the door. I noticed she was struggling, so went to help her. I turned back to finish my conversation with David, but I heard her crying.

I walked over and asked what I could do to help her. As she rubbed her hands together, she told me about having to wait for her cab, but the Credit Union lobby closed so she had to wait outside. It was cold, so she decided to walk to Jersey Mike’s to wait inside and stay warm. But the walk was brutal.

She shared that she has stage 4 metastatic breast cancer, and being in the cold makes her extremities hurt. (I assume there are a few of you who understand that.) I shared with her that I had cancer as well. I gave her a hug, and as we continued our conversation, I reached into my coat pockets and helped her put on my fuzzy gloves. After a moment, it registered what happened, and she looked at me with eyes of confusion. In between sentences, I told her they were for her, and her face melted, and once again, we were in an embrace.

She noticed David had our bag, and abruptly ended our conversation, thanking me for like the tenth time for the gloves. David looked over and said, “You can keep talking. We realized they forgot one of the sandwiches so it will be a few minutes.”

Just like that, we were hugging again, and I was able to pray over her like I wanted to in the beginning.

As David and I headed home, he told me I need to wipe of the words “Tell me what is going on in your life.” from my forehead. Of course, he was joking, but here’s the thing. Even if it were actually posted on my forehead, I couldn’t stop asking the questions or helping those I see who need help. Even if it is one at a time.

Many of you have come into my office during my office hours, and you always apologize for interrupting me. How many times have you heard me say, “Ministry is interruption.”? It is the truth.

I would challenge you to go through and read several (or all!) of Jesus’ miracles. Most of them are done because Jesus was interrupted. Most of the time, Jesus had other plans.

He and his friends were enjoying themselves at a wedding where his mother instructed him to do something about the couple running out of wine.

He was teaching and preaching to a crowd of people when Jairus, a synagogue leader, approached him about curing his sick daughter.

Then, he was on his way to Jairus’ house when a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years touched his tunic, believing he could heal her. And he did.

He was sleeping soundly in the boat when the disciples woke him because of the storm, and he calmed it.

Carrying the presence of Jesus means that we intentionally choose to meet people where they are, no matter what we are doing at the time. It means that we are intentionally paying attention to what is going on around us, and noticing when people need help, or a hug, or a smile, or a kind word. It means we intentionally show compassion, grace, mercy, and love even when we don’t think we have time; even if the person is a stranger; even if it makes us feel uncomfortable.

But Pastor Heidi, walking up to someone who is crying, or even just approaching someone is really hard. Of course it’s hard! If it weren’t hard, everyone would be doing it, and we’d be living in a whole different kind of world!

But that different kind of world—the Realm of the Kin-dom of God, is our goal. And those of us who believe we carry the presence of Jesus within us, must be the ones to begin the conversations. “Is there anything I can pray about for you today?” “What can I help you with today?” “Hi. My name is ……… “

Kindness, gentleness, mercy, grace, forgiveness, faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is LOVE.

Always Peace, Pastor Heidi