The church and preschool will be closed Friday, January 15 due to inclement weather.
The preschool and church will be closed on Monday, January 18, in observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.
If you require assistance during a closure, please leave a message on the church voice mail. Messages will be checked once a day during closures.
Too often, Christians use the Bible to justify behaviors, thoughts and actions that have nothing to do with Christ. As Gandhi said, “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." It’s time to learn how to read the Bible. Join us at Grace starting this Sunday as we see how Jesus wants to save Christians.
In Loving Memory
The Grace family lost two members this week.
Steve Pope died Tuesday, January 12. Arrangements are pending. Condolences may be sent to Steve's wife, Deb Pope, at 713 44th Street, Des Moines IA 50312.
Ellen Looker died Wednesday, January 13. Graveside services will be held in Nebraska, and a local service will be planned for next summer. Messages of condolence may be sent to Ellen's son, Dan Looker, at 3301 Twana Drive, Des Moines IA 50310.
Please keep Steve, Ellen, their families, and all who mourn their passing in your prayers.
Human Relations Day - Sunday, January 17
Human Relations Day is observed every year on the Sunday before the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday each January. The special offering is used to overcome injustice and empower those struggling to survive. Please indicate that your offering is intended for
"Human Relations Day".
From now until March 1, we are accepting scholarship applications for the 2021-2022 school year. Our webpage includes links to apply as well as information about each scholarship and its requirements. We offer more than just Methodist scholarships, so please forward this email to the high school senior in your life!
Grace worship remaining online/over the phone only.
As you may have seen in the Des Moines Register, beginning next week, congregations in the Iowa Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church may resume in-person ministry if the 14 day COVID positivity rate is below 15%. As of Wednesday, January 6, the positivity rate in Polk County is 14% (https://coronavirus.iowa.gov/pages/case-counts).
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Some congregations in the Iowa Annual Conference may choose to resume masked, socially-distanced worship. At Grace, as we seek to love our neighbors as we love ourselves, Grace will not yet resume in-person worship and we will continue to worship online on Facebook, YouTube, and at gracedesmoines.org as well as over the phone by calling 515-203-2479.
Celebrate the New Year by donating baby supplies to Bidwell Riverside!
Drop off diapers, formula, & baby food in the donation boxes just inside Grace's
south doors, or take items directly to Bidwell Riverside yourself.
Have you borrowed any items from the Grace kitchen recently? If so, please be sure items are returned to the kitchen. Thank you!
Sunday School Update
Since we are not meeting in person this fall, our teaching teams will be seeking to stay in touch with students and families through various means that work best for their class. This might include phone calls, cards, sending emails with a suggested lesson or a link to appropriate resources, or an occasional Zoom session. (We will try not to overdo Zoom or other meeting apps for children and youth, as we realize all ages are doing quite a bit of school or other meetings that way.)
For adults, the Carpenters class is going to continue to meet on Monday nights. The Ikono/Odyssey Class is now meeting at 9 a.m. on Sunday mornings. The Neighbors and WinSum classes are combining for a Christmas study meeting at 2 p.m. on Wednesdays in December.
The Open Table small group will have some meetings on Zoom and others as socially distanced gatherings. For information on joining these groups, please contact Coreen Witke at coreenwitke@gracedesmoines.org.
You have opportunities to support our Grace Youth through their Virtual Concession Stand and Charleston Wraps Fundraisers.
Since we have not been able to host the Tuesday free meal at Grace due to Covid-19, Grace has partnered with Lucky Horse to give free meals to the community. Lucky Horse is a new restaurant in the Drake neighborhood and we are excited to have this new opportunity to provide meals to those that need them.
If you need a meal, please let us know and we will get you a card that can be redeemed for a free meal at Lucky Horse.
You can also thank Lucky Horse for their support in our community by ordering a meal to-go or eating in if you are comfortable doing so.
