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District Askings
The voluntary District Askings is an amount of money the District Connectional Ministries Council (DCMC) requests from the local churches to help support Golden Valley District ministries. District Askings is an application-based grant. Applications are received in December and considered for the following year.
Here are the 7 recipients for 2023 along with a brief narrative of their mission from their application.
- Burlington Grace UMC - SUM Toys for Tots Underwear Project - $8,000.00
Shared United Ministries (SUM) is an organization that assists our community and the youth in the community with special projects. Our focus for this grant will be providing underwear to the children of the Des Moines County area who are in need. In the past, we have cooperated with the Toys for Tots campaign. This is our own project of providing underwear. In 2022 we were not able to fund this project due to budget constraints. Volunteers from four area United Methodist Churches will organize and distribute the items to fulfill this need. This ministry started about ten years ago after being contacted by Community Acton leaders to supply this need. The basic needs of children need to be met in order for them to understand the love of Jesus Christ. During past underwear giveaways, there have been families who have turned to our participating churches, expressing their gratitude and desire to become involved in a church family and to help others.
- Coralville UMC - flooring project - $17,988.00
In 2020 Coralville UNC made a substantial land grant to Coralville Community Food Pantry, a non-profit organization for which the church was an initial founder, to serve as location for a new Food Pantry to serve the community. In additional, Coralville UMC shares its lower level, including kitchen, community room and restrooms, with Coralville Community Food Pantry. Recently, Johnson County WIC has opened a clinic in our church, using our education wing. The WIC clinic offers nutritional counseling for mothers, and also a dental clinic and health services for mothers and children. The flooring in our education wing, which is used to house the missions that enhance our hunger relief mission (such as WIC), is extremely old (more than 20 years old) and worn out. We are concerned about sanitation with regard to the flooring. Our Kids Connect program (including Sunday School and VBS) are also housed in that wing.
- Davenport, St. John's - WISH Ministries - $1,800.00
Women in Spiritual Hope (WISH) Ministries is about helping women who have been incarcerated and lost in addiction to reclaim their lives and learn to make good decisions, support themselves, and always know that they are loved by God. At any given time, the WISH House can accommodate up to 5 women. Approximately 10 women have completed the program and are now staying sober, supporting themselves, and are in connection with their families and with a church.
- Iowa City First - Campus Ministry - $10,000.00
This ministry came about because we are neighbors to the University of Iowa and there is a need for United Methodist students to have a spiritual place of belonging and church community of support. Starting a campus ministry within the church is connected to our vision and mission. Our mission is that both our congregation and the students will be disciples of Jesus Christ, and work with God and each other to transform the world.
- Mobile United Methodist Missionaries (MUMMs) - $4,000.00
Since Mobile United Methodist Missionaries' founding 1997, MUMM's mission has been making disciples in rural Iowa, thus helping the United Methodist Church in the Golden Valley, Aldersgate and Riverview Park Districts to grow. In the past few years, we've focused on outreach to kids and families through youth programs such as Vacation Bible School (VBS), after-school programs and summer camp. MUUM shares the Good News of Jesus Christ and offers God's love to many children for the first time. Our director and summer assistant work with local church volunteers to plan events that fit their community and hopefully build new relationships.
- Ottumwa, Grace UMC - New congregation within Grace-worship leader - $8,500.00
Grace Ottumwa started as a new United Methodist Congregation in 2019, through the Vital Merger of 1st UMC, Wesley UMC, and Willard Street UMC in Ottumwa. From the beginning, our goal has been to connect new people to Jesus. We have discovered in this process that the style of worship service that connects many of our long-time Ottumwa Methodists to Jesus is different than the style of worship that would help the people in Ottumwa who do not have a church to connect with Jesus. For this reason, we have decided to plant a new congregation within our congregation, with a different style of worship that will engage young adults and families in our community who do not have a church. Through this project, we aim to create new disciples of Jesus Christ. To be clear, our goal is not to merely split our current people into two worship services. Our intention is to reach a whole new group of people who will be formed and sent as disciples of Jesus. Because of the make-up of the congregations that merged together to form Grace Ottumwa, we do not have someone with the skills needed to serve as the Worship Leader for this new worshipping community.
- Stockport UMC - stained glass window repair - $15,000.00
Our church is trying to raise funds to repair and restore the largest stained-glass window in our church. This window is about 100 years old and the integrity of the window is greatly compromised. We fear that the window will collapse and that we will never be able to replace it.
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