Ankeny UCC Weekly Update

A midweek boost of grace and peace
 

Dear Church-

When our Church Council sent out annual pledge cards last month, we set a date of October 31 to return them. Thanks to everyone who has returned a card so far! This Sunday is the last one in October, so we'll have a box in the sanctuary to celebrate and receive cards in worship. Come on in and drop them in the slot if you haven't done so already (it's great practice for voting next week). As we think ahead to the next year, it's a great time to think about our upcoming Ankeny UCC Annual Meeting, November 11 after church!

Just a reminder: Tomorrow, First United Methodist Church is hosting our AMOS public forum on flooding and flood cleanup. Have stories about rebuilding? Know people with stories? Come and share them, and if you haven't, fill out the survey: https://bit.ly/AnkenyFlood .


Grace and Peace,
Pastor Nathan

A Welcoming Church Family:

Continuing Prayers 

For grandparents. For Lucille. For refugees in the greatest refugee crisis since the second world war, and to open the hearts of all the countries, especially ours to hear their cries. For people fighting for the franchise. For the courage to stand up to autocrats, and for Jamal Khashoggi and reporters everywhere. For people who dissent in Turkey, in Saudi Arabia, in Hungary, in Poland, in Venezuela, in Russia, and in all the places where those in power urge and use violence against protest and criticism. 

Exploring Progressive Christian Theology:

The Language of God

Do you have questions about how scientific knowledge about the world can (or maybe can't?) be harmonized with what we know about God's creation from the Bible? Join #unexpectedquestions in reading Francis Collins, The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief (Free Press, 2007). Wednesdays in October, Main Street Cafe and Bakery, 12 pm. We'll wrap up next week.

What do we know about the 4 Gospels in the Bible? Why are they different? How do they speak to different people? Come and talk about it with us on Monday at 1pm, as we head into ways to read those gospels in dialogue with one another. One thing you can do is read Matthew 5-7 alongside Luke 6:17-49. They seem to be different versions of the same speech. Harvey Cox asks how we might imagine some of these verses might be heard by people with different backgrounds. 

Caring Within:

AMOS

Our AMOS Core team thanks all the people who joined them at house meetings this September! The Ankeny cluster of AMOS (A Mid-Iowa Organizing Strategy) is hosting a Community Meeting on Flooding. Join us for a community meeting about the impact of the flood on Ankeny families and what our community can do. The meeting is October 25th from 7 – 8:30 p.m. at Ankeny First United Methodist Church, 710 NE 36th Street. A supervised play area for children will be available. In order to gather information from those affected by the flooding, please go to the following link to fill out a survey to share your experience. https://goo.gl/forms/Za6IUWFKN4fBBpQa2

And Serving Beyond:

Trick or Treating for Canned Goods

Thanks to all the stops on our way! We picked up over 50 cans to bring to IMPACT!

A Helping Hand Little Free Pantries

Here's an update for recent suggestions for little pantries per Facebook comments:  Breakfast items, soups, and toiletries.

There are Little Free Pantries in the community painted with bright pink for after hours folks and those without transportation to the regular food pantry.  Here are the Ankeny locations:

317 SE Trilein - Presbyterian Church
Mel Ray Mobile Home Park
2081 SE Windover Dr
801 SE Belmont
423 W. 1st St - (1st & Walnut)
517 SW Des Moines St - Holy Trinity Lutheran Church
517 SW Elm St - Holy Trinity Lutheran Church
4807 NW 5th St
1313 NW Beechwood
1003 SW 3rd St (has a small cooler for fresh produce that will be monitored frequently)
1510 W. 1st St - Ankeny Funeral Home
602 SE Delaware - Ankeny United Church of Christ (We have a cooler now as well!)
*Facebook page is A Helping Hand in Ankeny

Contact the church if you need transport to a food pantry or would like assistance in deliveries or directions to drop off deliveries to a food pantry. We are happy to assist. Peace,Trina Rupp-Missions Committee 

Zimbabwe Child Sponsorship Program

Weekly Coin Collections for September will go to Zimbabwe Church Projects' United Church of Christ in Zimbabwe (UCCZ) Child Sponsorship Program, which is part of the UCC Global Ministries. We will be continuing this outreach mission project in Central Africa. This program supports a children's home (orphanage) for abandoned children. The government brings them to the home and drops them off and provides no further assistance. They depend on local gifts and other programs such as UCC. The Child Sponsorship program works closely with partner organizations that have long-established links with the UCC and Disciples. Collaborating with partners, your gifts to Child Sponsorship provide food, basic health care, clothing and in some cases housing, school fees, uniforms, books and training. For more information, click here.