Ankeny UCC Weekly Update

A midweek boost of grace and peace
 

Dear Church-

We get to give thanks this week. We get to take time out of our schedules, time out of the constant pressure to buy things for Christmas RIGHT NOW, and pause. Pause to remember that we are here for another year. To remember that while we live, we yet have hope.And to look around and list out the things we can be thankful for, and remember that we are not alone.

I give thanks for all the people preparing for the pie making last Sunday. For all of the people who baked pies, and all of the people who bought them. For the money we raised for DMARC.

I give thanks for Stacy Andersen, our new office manager, who is already making things more orderly, understanding our mission, and bringing us further.

I give thanks for all of you who have journeyed with us in this year, and for the lives of the saints gone by. I give thanks for my family, and for my Master Gardener instructors, and for the Lily foundation. 

I give thanks for the freedom to not go shopping this Friday.

And I give thanks for all the servants in worship on Sunday: our wonderful music, with the choir and Tom and Nancy and Paige, with all of the lectors playing those parts from our past, and all of the people who help enact the rituals that remind us of Christ's presence among us.

Grace and Peace,
Pastor Nathan

A Welcoming Church Family:

Continuing Prayers 

 For Lucille. For Dennis. For us, to take the changing climate seriously as we look at the drought-and-temperature-fueled California fires. For thousands of people whose homes have been destroyed. Of Thanksgiving. For hope. For peace, and for peacemakers.

Exploring Progressive Christian Theology:

Caring Within:

Thank You!

Thank you to all who will be serving in leadership this year, and for Doug Fulton, Trina Rupp, and Judy Hines who are stepping back after their time in leadership.

Ankeny Family Vision Center Clinic

Wednesday, December 12 from 6-8pm, Ankeny Family Vision Center will be hosting a free clinic for people in need of eye care and with limited ability to pay (311 N Ankeny Blvd in Ankeny, IA 50023).

Pie Making

What incredible pies we had! And another $220 for DMARC!
Thanks to Beth Yale for organizing, to Marilyn Howieson for collecting pie plates all year, and to everyone who helped us make and sell pies!

And Serving Beyond:

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 

Family Christmas Assistance

This year, we're adopting three families for family Christmas assistance: our usual two from Ankeny, and one from Marshalltown, where their demand has increased by 600% because of the tornado. The Deacons have faith in us to come through! It won't be until December, but when it comes we'll need to be fast, so we're sending an early notice. We're looking for a total of $100 in Wal-Mart gift cards ($50 for each child) and $20 gift cards for the adults

Native American Heritage Association

Weekly Coin Collections for November will go to the Native American Heritage Association. NAHA provides food to school children and the elders through our “Project Preserve”. NAHA works in partnership with Feeding America® to obtain healthy, nutritious food to deliver to Crow Creek, Lower Brule, Pine Ridge, Cheyenne River and Rosebud Reservations all made possible by our generous donors. Many times, without the food deliveries from NAHA, Native American families wouldn’t have anything to feed their children or elders. NAHA delivers on average approximately 300,000 pounds of food each month. This is the same food that you and I would purchase at the grocery store. However, for many Native American families, they have no money to go to the store or transportation to get there.