mid week update July 27, 2010

July 27, 2010

Iowa Conference News

Last Call for Iowa State Fair Volunteers

Great thanks to everyone who has volunteered to work at the UMC booth at the Iowa State Fair. We still have a few openings and have 2 evening shifts where we really need volunteers. If you are interested in providing hospitality at the booth, please contact darci.hartman@iaumc.org. Listed below are the times that are still open:

August 12 5-9 pm (2 people needed)
August 13 5-9 pm (4 people needed)
August 14 1-5 pm (1 person needed) and 5-9 pm (4 people needed)
August 15 5 - 9 pm (1 person needed)
August 20 9 am –1 pm (1 person needed) and 5-9pm shift (1 person needed)

If there is a shift listed above where 1 person is needed and there are 2 people who would like to work, we would love an extra helping hand!

Bishop Trimble’s Address to Summer Games Participants

Click here to view video of Bishop Trimble as he speaks to the participants at the 2010 Summer Games University on July 15^th.

Video is courtesy of Chris Congdon, Media Coordinator at First United Methodist Church, Cedar Falls, IA 50613

Thank You Note

Are You A “Mission Congregation”?

Are you part of a congregation that has a specific missional focus that we as an Annual Conference could not reach without forming a unique partnership together? If so, you may qualify as a “Mission Congregation”; and Mission Congregations qualify for possible Conference financial, coaching and other support.

You can learn about what Mission Congregations are by checking Par. 259 of the 2008 Book of Discipline and Action Item #712 in the 2006 Conference Journal (pp. 347-354), or seek out the guidelines for “Mission Congregations” on the Conference website. These guidelines also include the application for congregations that wish to apply to be considered for “Mission Congregation” designation.

Application or any questions you might have need to be sent to the Conference Parish Development Committee, in care of Scott Hibben, Iowa Conference Leadership Development Minister for evangelism and new ministry {scott.hibben@iaumc.org / 515-974-8926 (office) / 515-783-4372 (cell)}.

All MAP applications are due to his office by November 1^, 2010.

Black Hawk County Help

Volunteers are needed to assist the Black Hawk County Community

Organizations Active in Disasters (COAD) with storm damage clean-up relating to the flash flood from Wednesday, July 7. Responsibilities will include, but not limited to, removing items from lower levels of homes, tearing out and removing wet/soiled carpets and flooring, and bleaching, scrubbing and sanitizing floors and walls and hauling items to dump. Please contact the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley at (319) 272-2087 to express interest in assisting. Opportunities are flexible. Volunteers 14 years or older.

Please call 319-610-7741 if you have further questions.

Mission Work Trip to St. Kitts

Tired of hot, sultry temperatures? Looking forward to Iowa’s winter months? Got a plan for volunteer work in January/February 2011? Consider travel to the Caribbean island of St. Kitts where a United Methodist volunteer team will work on repairs at the Dieppe Bay Methodist Manse, paint at Challengers Methodist Church Hall and hold VBS for church/neighborhood kids. Trip dates are Jan. 29 to Feb. 12, 2011. Only 12 seats available with cost of $1,450. Contact Beverly Nolte, 515 266 4186, e-mail: bnmedical@aol.com for more information and application form. All construction skills welcome with plenty of meaningful work available. Enjoy Caribbean hospitality while working for the Lord.

The invitation was sent and Iowa Churches Responded

With a Christ-like awareness and a heart for the sisters and brothers with whom you share the journey of life you can bring hope, share the promise of peace, work to let justice flow like an ever-flowing stream, lift those around you who’ve stumbled along the way!

On the first day of the 2010 session, June 5, every one of the more than 820 congregations was invited to do something to make the world a better place. By praying or caring or helping or sharing or feeding or building 184,000 people can make our communities, state and world a better place! And when we do something, together, people who may never have noticed The United Methodist Church, or even, more importantly, have never felt God’s love, will be transformed by the blessed power that passes all understanding and energized by a grace that is greater than anything that might limit God’s creation.

Churches acted on the invitation. We asked for feedback from our congregations, and the responses rolled in. West Chester UMC cleaned ditches on Highway 92 and will host a luncheon during the town’s annual celebration; a crew from Living Water UMC, Marion, washed windshields at Casey’s, picked up litter in their neighborhoods, weeded flower gardens and painted pavers in the parking lot, while other members prayed during the time of work; Christ UMC, Toledo, assisted workers at the South Tama County Food Pantry and fed some hungry people in their corner of the world. They supported their local food pantry with donations also; Wesley UMC, Muscatine, worked at a local Habitat for Humanity home; St. Mark’s UMC, Cedar Rapids, has provided free clothing to hundreds of needy in the Cedar Rapids area and beyond. The Clothes Hanger is open 5 hours per week and serves several dozen people weekly; Asbury UMC, Wellman, held an MYF lock-in and spoke with youth about the food pantry and then helped set it up for the next day when families would come in to be served. The youth also collected canned goods for the food pantry and made a donation of $100.00; Trinity UMC, Waverly, plan to apply sealant to the Rail Trail Bridge in downtown Waverly, which is the beginning of a walking/biking trail that stretches to Denver IA. Weather did not cooperate on June 5^th, so they rescheduled this work to be done weather permitting; First UMC, Clinton, worked with the local RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program) to help with home repairs for those in Clinton who cannot afford basic home improvement needs; Calvary UMC, Arnolds Park, painted the home of a local family that had a death and many health issues. They also held a lunch and free-throw contest and raised $600.00 for Nothing but Nets; Columbus Community UMC’s collected stuffed animals for a medical team to take to Guatemala. The medical team is a group of doctors and nurses who help children in Guatemala with cleft palates and lips. Each child receiving surgery will be given a stuffed animal; Anamosa UMC collected items for a new program called ALY – Animosa Lunch to Youth. They are partnering with other churches to provide sack lunches several days a week to youth who may not get good meals over the summer. The Anamosa church will provide lunches on Monday’s of each week; Parkersburg UMC served lunch to the Habitat for Humanity volunteers working on a resident’s home who has undergone several operations for injuries received from the tornado, and their new home will be handicap-accessible; Excelsior UMC collected food, paper products and household items for a local homeless shelter/halfway house. The youth group loaded donations up and delivered them; Stewart Memorial UMC, Vinton, made prayer shawls, knitted and crocheted mittens, scarves and hats for area school children and made stuffed toys for Ronald McDonald Houses. Stewart Memorial UMC along with Garrison UMC collected pop tabs to help Ronald McDonald houses. Pop top collection will become an ongoing mission project at both churches; Marshalltown Hope UMC worked on projects at a domestic violence shelter in Marshalltown. They support the shelter financially and volunteers will be assisting with light construction and painting.

Photos of some of these events can be viewed on our website at: http://www.iaumc.org/galleries/detail/29

Women at the Well

The congregation has much to celebrate, not the least of which are the contributions of all members of the faith community who support the women’s congregation in so many ways. We are grateful for your prayers, your presence in joining us in worship each week, and the gifts from partner churches that sustain our ministry.

The Women at the Well congregation extends appreciation to the many volunteers who donated their time to staff the Women At the Well display booth during the annual conference. Not only did these individuals help generate revenue to support the ministry, but information was shared about the mission and all the ways that the faith community can support the congregation.

Pastor Arnette Pint is back at work after 2 months of renewal leave, for the good of her body and soul and spirit. She has tried to take some of that Spirit and overwhelming outpouring of love back to the women of the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women. Our heartfelt gratitude is extended to Jim Davis and the many other Pastors who stepped in to preach at the weekly worship services during Pastor Arnette’s personal leave. Due to Jim Davis’ willingness to provide supervision every week over the 2-month period, the practice of allowing outside congregation members to worship with the women’s congregation went uninterrupted.

At Annual Conference, we received 340 pairs of lovely and comfortable panties for the Stepping Out closet for women leaving prison. Many thanks to Pastor Catie Newman and all who donated to make this possible. Nothing makes a woman feel quite as good as cute new underwear! We are still in need of sizes 5, 6, and 7, and can always use new bras in every size. And, right now, there is a shortage of deodorant! Talk about bad timing… It is 87 degrees here today! We are also completely out of socks – common ordinary sneaker socks – and would appreciate donations. And, always, always, we need blue jeans, sneakers, and khakis in every size.

Wednesday’s, 9 am–4 pm, have been designated as “drop off” times at the Iowa Correctional Institute for Women at Mitchellville. However, please contact us in advance of dropping off a donation. There is not sufficient staff to accept donations without notice, and we are so grateful when people work with us for delivery. You may contact womenatthewell@iaumc.org, or the volunteer coordinator, Ms. Linda Haack (515) 967-4236 ext 235 or Pastor Arnette at ext 265 to schedule a drop off.

The Women at the Well has a new mailing address: Women at the Well, P.O. Box 93241, Des Moines, IA 50393. Please email us if you would like updated handouts or information about visiting a worship service, having Pastor Arnette come and preach at your church or are interested in establishing an Aftercare/Re-Entry program in your church.

The Women at the Well congregation exists due to faithful and consistent support of partner churches throughout Iowa. If you would like to explore becoming a partner church with Women at the Well, contact:

womenatthewell@iaumc.org or leave a message at (515) 822-4599.

Blessings to you for your continued prayers and support for the Women at the Well congregation.

“Cherokee: An Island Bridged by Hope”

by Heather Monthei

The early morning storm was not a typical summer shower. When 8” of rain fell in two hours, the river rose rapidly, the sewer system was taxed beyond capacity, and area residents were in for a rude awakening.

It was the worst flooding that Cherokee had experienced since the memorable floods of 1993. By June 28^th the Little Sioux River crested at a record level of 27.3’, 10 feet above flood stage, and stayed above 18’ for the first week. The tremendous amount of sudden runoff entering the sewage system was too much for the lift station to handle, and nearly 300 homeowners woke up to 3’ of raw sewage in their basements.

The excess water took random hits around town, some places receiving damage while the homes next door escaped unscathed. Many of the houses in the flood plain had been relocated after the last flood, the land being turned into green spaces around town. This time, however, only 50% of the affected homes received actual flood water destruction while the other half experienced sewage issues. Even houses on hills were affected as the sudden surge of water had no place to go, and the deluge forced foundation windows open and emptied runoff into basements. Most of these dwellings were low risk for flooding so their owners carried no flood insurance.

The south and east roads into town had to be closed limiting travel in and out of town. But the island of Cherokee was soon to be bridged by help from neighboring United Methodist volunteer teams.

Becky Woods, Conference Disaster Relief Coordinator was quick to call not only St. Paul’s UMC of Cherokee but churches in the neighboring communities that might have been in the path of the downpour. Monday morning mass e-mails were sent by the Conference and Northwest District to enlist volunteer help for the Cherokee residents. Rev. Magrey deVega, pastor at St. Paul’s UMC Church said it was a “joy to see our connectional system at work as the churches came to our aid in this time of crisis.”

Aimee Barrit, Emergency Services Director at City Hall and a member of St. Paul’s wasted no time gathering names for FEMA aid; a list of 200 homes was compiled by the first week and another 100 were added a few days later. About 80 contacts were urgent requests, many of them elderly.

It wasn’t long before volunteer responses came in from all over the state.

Cleaning buckets were assembled and distributed, and several volunteer teams arrived, most were United Methodist. Prompt and diligent work took the recovery process to the reconstruction stage in less than two weeks. At present they are waiting for building inspectors to come for evaluation, and it is projected that late summer or early fall will begin the reconstruction phase.

Pastor Catie Newman and a half dozen members of the Hornick UMC, ages 12-63, spent three days helping muck out basements, bleach walls and floors, move furniture and appliances, and throw contaminated items into dumpsters. Catie and her husband John had previously done some short-term mission work in New Orleans, and their church had sent a team to Cedar Rapids after the floods three years ago. The Hornick team had already planned to take a mission trip elsewhere this summer but changed their focus when this local need became apparent.

On their third day Catie’s team was joined by Chaplain Kathy Martin and a group of students and alumni from Morningside College and several members of Sioux City’s Grace UMC. Youth from St. Paul’s also did their part to help with cleaning and disinfecting. A total of 186 hours of hard cleanup work was completed, and everyone shared the satisfaction of knowing that all the urgent needs were being met.

Aimee directed the workers to a house where the basement was piled high with personal memorabilia, all contaminated by flood water and raw sewage measuring 6 feet. The city sent a dumpster; the group, clad in Tyvek suits, masks, and rubber boots and gloves, formed an assembly line to rid the basement of the polluted material. One of the younger team members made repeated trips to the dumpster with a wheelbarrow. It took 1½ days to empty the basement leaving 3” of slimy mud on the floor. The next step was power washing the basement; professions came later to properly disinfect the home.

No one complained as the volunteers cheerfully emptied and disposed sandbags at one house where the water crept higher than in the notorious 1993 flood; the house next door had been totally destroyed. Some workers spent time cleaning gutters where plugged downspouts increased the runoff issues. Their work was described best as “love in action.”

Volunteers were particularly impressed with a retired gentleman who couldn’t walk downstairs very easily. While he didn’t have many items stored in his basement, he managed to work his way partially down the steps with a garden hose to spray down the walls that he could reach. The work team removed carpet and bleached the floor, and a neighbor brought over his dehumidifier—neighbor helping neighbor. The owner took photos as they worked and hugged each volunteer when they were done.

Visiting with the homeowners was an important part of the mission. The shock of the event was immobilizing to the town, and the task ahead was overwhelming. It was a comfort when volunteers gave residents a hand, allowing them to move forward. One elderly couple lost much of their home but shared their positive outlook with the work team. The couple had dated as high school sweethearts, went their separate ways and married other mates. Now in their retirement years and having lost their partners, the two became re-acquainted and had married in May of this year. There was disappointment at the loss of their belongings, but with a sparkle in their eyes, they assured the volunteers that even in the midst of tragedy, their love couldn’t be destroyed. Spending the day helping this couple was a joy for the workers as they became part of the couple’s lives, sharing the optimism and future of these newlyweds.

Some of St. Paul’s members helped by providing food and preparing meals for the workers. One woman brought her own hand towels from home so the workers could clean up more thoroughly and then took them home to launder each night.

God’s love working through each participant was evident as the group spent time together. Laboring side by side for several days resulted in a special bonding as the group learned to know one another better and realized more about their own capabilities. It was an impressionable experience which will be long remembered.

As United Methodists we can be encouraged that our connectional system enabled help to be found in such a short time. No other church responded quite like our denomination did, and the City of Cherokee issued a formal “thank you” to the United Methodist Church for their help.

It might be too easy to forget this flood and its damage after the news media moves on to other stories. Unlike the communities of NE Iowa who experienced the flooding three years ago, the water damage in Cherokee is not particularly noticeable after just two weeks. There are few boarded up houses, no rolled-up carpet or ripped out wall boards piled high on the curbs, and very few flooded fields. Although the volunteers who helped with this phase are eager to return for the re-building process, more teams will be needed to return this community to normal. Consider being part of a work team when the call for reconstruction comes. There will be a special blessing just waiting for you.

Professing Faith in Hastings, Iowa!

The town of Hastings is one of those Iowa villages that has suffered the socio-economic decline so common in our agriculture-dependent counties in the Midwest. The last census counted 214 residents in Hastings. There is no downtown, no schoolhouse, no grocery or convenience store. There is a post office, a community building, and a United Methodist Church.

Roxanne Boverhuis, a certified lay minister, has been assigned as a missionary lay pastor to the Hastings community. The worshiping congregation has been mostly elderly people, most of whom drive into town from other places. Through the church, Roxanne has been leading an outreach to the people in Hastings through ministries to and with children and youth. The work began with an after-school program for elementary children. This year, Roxanne offered a confirmation preparation class for youth in town.

As the class proceeded, Roxanne discovered that seven of the eight young people had never been baptized. Since Roxanne is a lay minister, who cannot perform baptisms, this presented a problem. She called her district’s Field Outreach Minister, Rev. Ed Kail, to invite him to help. They were able to work out a plan by which Ed could meet with the class to get acquainted, he could coach Roxanne on working with the kids and their parents toward baptism or confirmation, and they could plan a special worship service for the occasion.

On Wednesday, June 16, 2010, about 70 people filled the worship space in the Hastings UMC for a celebration of faith and commitment. Roxanne served as host pastor, and Rev. Kail presided for the baptisms and confirmation. Youth baptized that evening (and shown in the accompanying photo) were: Chelsey Marie Babbitt, Chrystal Marie Babbitt, Jordan Tyler Childers, Shelby Ann Hall, Amanda Kay Hatcher, and Shannon Page Rittenbery. Confirming his faith as one previously baptized was Noah Thomas Meyer. Parents and other family members joined in the laying on of hands, as these young people were commissioned for discipleship in the power of the Holy Spirit.

In the liturgy for baptism and confirmation, there is opportunity given for members of the congregation to renew their vows of baptism and/or confirmation. When Rev. Kail gave the invitation for the adults in the audience to take a step of faith or to receive blessing prayer, four women came forward. Three of them, Margo J. Hall, Barbara A. Hall, and Jennifer L. Vaughan, had never been baptized, and wished to receive baptism. The fourth woman, Eva Meyer, requested prayer for strength and power in her discipleship and ministry in the church. They all wanted to join in the new life in Christ demonstrated by the baptism of the youth. And so three adults were also baptized, and all joined in prayer to bless their discipleship.

It was a high moment in Hastings! A “door of opportunity” has been opened in the community. The new youth disciples plan to continue meeting in a “faith formation group”. A new Sunday school class for adults will provide support for the newly baptized adults to learn and grow in their faith and service. And with support from colleagues and mentors, and with resourcing from the district office, Roxanne will accompany these growing Christians on their journey of discipleship. Faith is growing in Hastings, Iowa!!

-Ed Kail

Exploring Our Interior Castle
Embracing metaphor to enhance your Spiritual Journey and discover the extraordinarily holy in the ordinary.

A 24 Hour Retreat Experience, Presented by the Spiritual Formation Steering Committee, Board of Discipleship of the Iowa Annual Conference, United Methodist Church

October 29-30 at American Martyrs, Cedar Falls, IA

http.americanmartrys.tripod.com

Friday 5:00 p.m. through Saturday 5:00 p.m

See the attached document for the registration form and more information.

New Additional Worship Gathering at 9:00 AM on Sundays beginning August 8, 2010

Beginning on August 8 at 9:00 AM, Saint Paul United Methodist Church in La Porte City will begin a new and very different additional worship gathering in the Faith Chapel room of the church. This new worship gathering will be especially attractive to people of all ages who have never been to church or if it has been a long time. And of course, children are welcome. This will be a very relaxed and small gathering and coffee will be served. Contemporary worship music will be played and instead of the traditional sermon, the pastor will dialogue with those gathered there over a certain topic and the related passage of scripture. Those who come to the gathering are free to interject their perspective or experience, ask questions, or just sit back and relax. This new worship gathering will be offered in addition to the traditional worship service at 10:15 AM on Sunday mornings. Although we call this a new and different worship gathering, it is really a flashback to the early Christian church when people new little about Christ and gathered in homes, shared their experiences, read the scriptures, and learned from each other.

Pastor Mike Gudka commented, "We know that it can be a very scary thing for people to come into a church for the first time. This new worship gathering will be held in a smaller room, and it will be a relaxed and easy way for people to learn, ask questions, share their experiences, challenge ideas, and enjoy themselves without all of the traditional rituals that can be unfamiliar and confusing. This gathering will be relevant and exciting, regardless of one's past experience or understanding of the Christian faith."