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Abiding in Hope By: Rev. Lee Roorda Schott A year ago, I wrote a reflection on hope. It was the announcement of our turn—in this weekly series of posts—from exile to hope. We had been “Abiding in Exile” through the pandemic. With the waning of that experience, a turn toward hope seemed appropriate.    Appropriate, but not entirely easy. I mentioned in that post some ways I was finding hope complicated. It’s this thing on the other side of suffering, and endurance, and character,[1] and who wants...

Submitted by Amy Johnson, Pastor of Osceola United Methodist Church This past school year, 31% of Iowa schools had a rate higher than 50% of students participating in the free or reduced school lunch program, including all three of the Clarke Community Schools, both East Union schools, both Central Decatur schools, and both Mormon Trail Schools. Our area schools are a hot spot of rural poverty in Iowa. Parents, most having struggled all summer, are preparing to send their children back to ...

6/23/2023 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For more information: Contact Mallory Webster, Communications Manager 217-457-4600 [email protected]  Contact Danille Curtis, Iowa Coordinator 515-351-1166 [email protected]    Midwest Mission Opens New Location in Jefferson, Iowa On Saturday, June 17, Midwest Mission staff and volunteers celebrated the opening of its new location in Jefferson, Iowa. Special guests in attendance included Iowa UMC Director of Connectional Ministry, Bill Poland, ...

In her inaugural episcopal address at the 2023 Iowa Annual Conference Session of The United Methodist Church, Resident Bishop Kennetha J. Bigham-Tsai encouraged the body to react to the challenges facing the church not with anger or retribution but with healing, reconciliation, and love and that it should begin within our communities and us. She emphasized being a Christ-like presence, her commitment to #BeUMC, going deep in spiritual formation and Christian discipleship, focusing outward, and ...

Have you registered to join RAGBRAI’s 50th-anniversary bike ride with the #BeUMC team? #BeUMC is a grassroots effort built upon powerful stories of congregations and individuals living their faith while celebrating what draws people to The United Methodist Church and what United Methodists collectively aspire to be.   Register today and select the #BeUMC team. Riding with the team gets you indoor overnight sleeping, most of them in local churches in overnight towns, an outdoor shower trailer, a...

With support from the community, Hope UMC in Marshalltown currently leads a project for Ukrainian refugee resettlement. Supporting the Ukrainian refugees is a robust ecumenical project in partnership with St. Henry's Catholic Church and others who are resettling Ukrainian refugees in Marshall County. We welcomed a family of six from Ukraine in September 2022, two more families of six and seven arrived in October 2022, and two more families (each of three people) will arrive before the end of the...

Now that the 2022 Annual Conference is only a few weeks away, this year’s sessions planning team wanted to update members on their preparations.   The Laity Session will kick off the weekend beginning Friday, June 3 at 7:00 pm. (Music begins at 6:45.) The Board of Laity’s goal for the session is to have an evening of worship and inspiration, celebration, practical information about laity related projects and to build friendship among lay conference attendees. There will be a report from the ...

Matthew 25's mission is to empower people to transform neighborhoods as it envisions a thriving, connected community where people are valued and talents are multiplied; where neighborhood families have access to safe, affordable housing and healthy food; and where youth are empowered through reading and the creative arts. See how they #BeUMC. By: Liz Winders, Director of Communications On Wednesday, April 27, Matthew 25’s Cultivate Hope Corner Store drew crowds on its grand opening day. The new...

With a mission of sharing Christ with kids, Iowa United Methodist Camps will once again be launching their Annual Campaign this February. The Camps Annual Campaign has become vital to the sustainability of outdoor Christian faith experiences for youth and adults in Iowa. As the apportionment system continues to change and financial support for extension ministries isn’t as readily available as it once was, the Iowa Board of Camps implemented an aggressive fundraising strategy to offset ...

Rev. Dr. Heecheon Jeon Bishop Laurie Haller has announced her intention to appoint Rev. Dr. Heecheon Jeon as the next senior pastor at First United Methodist Church (UMC), Iowa City, beginning on July 1, 2022. Rev. Dr. Jeon grew up in South Korea and moved to California as an international student. He attended the San Francisco Theological Seminary (MDiv) and Claremont Graduate University, where he earned his Ph.D. in philosophy of religion.   While he and his spouse, Anne, were planning to ...

On Epiphany Eve, January 5, 2022, Bishop Laurie Haller and the Appointive Cabinet, along with the worship team of Indianola First UMC, presented the annual Epiphany worship service.    Bishop Laurie preached “Celebrating God’s Hope Made Real: A Different Way.”  You can view and download the video of the service from here. You can read the transcript of Bishop Laurie's message here.   Based upon the Gospel Lesson for the Epiphany of Jesus Christ, Matthew 2:1-12, and Romans 12, the worship service...

View the Livestream here → Bishop Laurie Haller invites all clergy and laypersons in the Iowa Conference to an Epiphany Eve Address and Worship Service, “A Different Way: Celebrating God’s Hope Made Real.”   The address will be Livestreamed on Wednesday evening, January 5, 2022, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. You can view the Livestream here (new link). It will be recorded and available at https://www.iaumc.org/leading-now.   The worship service is based upon the Gospel Lesson for the ...

Global Mission Fellows are young adults, ages 20–30, who are committed to serve in social justice ministries for two years. They enter into new communities, understanding their challenges and assets through relationships and with the long-term goal to overcome systemic oppression. Fellows partner with community organizations to address a variety of issues, including migration/immigration, education, public health and poverty.  The application for those interested in serving in the U.S. opened ...

Suggested Readings Isaiah 45:22-25; Psalm 20; Matthew 13:24-30 Moment of Reflection Today is Veteran's Day, a day when we recognize and give thanks for the service and sacrifice of the men and women who have served in the armed forces. These men and women and their families endure hardship, separation, and sometimes loss for the sake of keeping peace and fighting for justice around the world. Servicemen and women work to assist and build up communities and suffering populations around the ...

Churches have been working hard to put together kits for the 42nd Annual Mission Ingathering held on Saturday, November 6, 2021. The purpose of the Ingathering is to show the love of Christ to the world people by ministering to their needs. Our times have changed. The methods and means may change. The work of being "in mission" continues. For more information about the 2021 Mission Ingathering, go to www.iaumc.org/ingathering. Ingathering 2020 brought many changes, and some of those are ...

By: Liz Winders, Director of Communications Rev. Kristina Roth-Klinck, who splits her time equally between being an Associate Pastor at Lovely Lane United Methodist Church and Nourished, one of Iowa United Methodist Churches’ newest communities of faith, was interested in creative ways to do church differently even before going to seminary.  Growing up as a pastor’s kid (Rev. Jim Roth is her father), going to both small and large churches, and knowing how expensive it is for upkeep on older ...

After a delay in late March due to rising COVID-19 cases in the Philippines, Siegfried Fabros finally was able to be admitted to the hospital for surgery. “My son is back at our place [in the Philippines] and being monitored by his doctor," said Pastor Olivia Fabros of Lacey, Beacon and Eddyville United Methodist Churches. "From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Thank you for the prayers and financial help. God bless.” Fabros learned earlier in the year that her 32-year-old son, Siegfried, ...

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, The Olympics ended yesterday. What a joy it was for millions of people across the globe to watch the best athletes in the world compete for the gold. I was able to find time most days to admire the tenacity and commitment of each one of these athletes to their particular sport. Their stories have been inspiring! Over the years, I have been especially interested in how world-class athletes address performance anxiety, the knowledge that every time they make a ...

In the fall of 2017, a store in Floyd, Iowa, closed that had been a local gathering spot for people to have coffee, refreshments, do puzzles, play cards, and just socialize. Members of Floyd, Grace United Methodist Church realized that many of those people who came to coffee would miss the socialization time it had provided.   “They were elderly people, recently widowed, those who couldn’t drive out of town or had experienced the loss of family. They enjoy these times together,” said Wynona ...

Last summer if you walked into almost any Iowa United Methodist Church it would have been silent. This summer, the music, laughter, and games are back with Vacation Bible School.   Churches had to make some changes this year by distancing groups, extra cleaning, and moving activities outside.   “We did miss last year due to the pandemic, but this year was truly Spirit-led as things fell back into place very quickly and smoothly,” said Pastor Darin Feikema of St Charles Parish. “VBS was designed ...

Story submitted by Beverly Nolte. Photos and video by Pastor Aaron Limmo. The Greater Mabaan Community led by Idris Kegi, reviewed the Flood Relief Report submitted by Pastor Aaron Limmo who returned from Juba, South Sudan on May 25, 2021. The Iowa Conference had raised $27,347 to assist villagers in Mabaan County, located in Upper Nile State which suffered from yearly flooding. An Iowa flood relief committee had started fund raising efforts in 2019 but were stymied by the COVID pandemic in ...

The Iowa Conference Communications Office is assembling a list of ways you can continue socially engage in worship while practicing physical distancing. We will update this story with new streamed services as they become available. To submit a service time, please fill out this form with your church name, service time and a link to where the service is found online, Facebook, YouTube, television or radio station. Services won't be listed if URLs are not made available.   Thinking of starting to...

Submitted by Beverly Nolte Originally scheduled for December 19, 2020, Pastor Aaron Limmo and Maya Dinga were prepared to travel to South Sudan to purchase humanitarian items for those affected by the Indian Ocean Dipole floods in 2019. Word from South Sudan two days prior to departure told of in-fighting among tribal groups in Mabaan County where they were to visit. The decision to postpone the trip was made. Now, after indications of stability and peace efforts, the men have rescheduled ...

Rev. Oliva Fabros often reflects on Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." This verse eases her worries as she waits for news of her son's health and desperately needed surgery.    Fabros learned recently that her 32-year-old son, Siegfried, was diagnosed with a severe heart ailment requiring immediate attention. The cost of the surgery is beyond what Fabros can afford or raise on her own. With her immediate and church family's encouragement, she revealed her ...

To the clergy and laity of the Iowa Annual Conference,            Many of you know that our United Methodist Africa University plays a critical role in higher education not only in Zimbabwe but on the entire continent of Africa. Out of gratitude for the support that AU receives from around the UM connection, including Iowa, Africa University has produced a full worship service that they wish to share with us. Knowing that COVID-19 safety precautions have made worship planning a challenge, I hope...

On August 30, 2020, over 100 people gathered at Grace Fellowship, a United Methodist Congregation for Ottumwa to celebrate the end of their capital campaign, Growing Forward as Grace, and to dedicate their new building by offering a pledge to God and encircling the building with prayer.   “We started the prayer facing towards the building and praying for the ministry God's going to do here in this space and then we had everyone turn around and pray out into the world that Jesus is sending us,” ...

Submitted by Van Dickens, Monroe United Methodist Church “We are a friendly, faithful, loving family dedicated to sharing God’s love with our neighbor.” The Nurture and Outreach Committee of the Monroe United Methodist Church began Operation Face Mask on April 13 with the goal of providing free face masks to the community. We began by offering sewing kits with directions, fabric, elastic, etc., so individuals could make their own face masks. We also had no-sew kits with directions, fabric, ...

Submitted by Rev. Phil Webb Pastor at Storm Lake United Methodist Church Member, Iowa Conference Mabaan Flood Relief Fund Raiser Committee On the beautiful shores of Storm Lake, there is a community by the same name, rich in cultural and racial diversity. More recent arrivals that add to this wonderful city are people who have come here from the country of South Sudan. Many work at the two meat processing plants in town. Most of the 300+ South Sudanese in Storm Lake are from the Mabaan tribe, ...

Submitted by Beverly Nolte, Chair, Iowa Conference Mabaan Fund Raising Committee It was June 2016 when Central District Superintendent Dave Weesner asked me to help find housing to relocate a South Sudanese pastor to Des Moines. The family, Aaron Limmo and Helen Lieti, along with their family of four, were to be the new pastor of a fast-growing Mabaan speaking Christian group in Des Moines with a smattering of Mabaans in Storm Lake and Omaha. The family arrived in August 2016 which began my ...

12 families, including 19 children, aren't going hungry over the weekend because of the generosity of the people of the Colfax United Methodist Church and other congregations in the community.   “We just knew there was a need, and we’ll take care of that need for as long as it needs to be,” said Rev. Terry Pollard of the Colfax United Methodist Church.   Listen to a conversation with Rev. Terry Pollard about the ecumenical outreach. Colfax has a backpack program, spearheaded by the Christian ...

Sunday after Christmas: "Threshold Moment" - Doug Cue from Iowa Annual Conference on Vimeo.  

First Sunday of Advent: "Messengers of Hope" - Bill Poland from Iowa Annual Conference on Vimeo.

Iowa Justice for Our Neighbors (JFON) will celebrate its 20th anniversary this month, and you are invited. The board of Iowa JFON is encouraging everyone to join to learn about its history as well as the plans for the future of JFON in our state.  Iowa Justice For Our Neighbors is a non-profit organization, welcoming low-income immigrants of all faiths into churches and communities by providing free, high-quality immigration legal services, education, and advocacy.  Established by the United ...

The Storm Lake United Methodist Church is now in its fourth year with BLESS, a special program that provides school supplies for children in the area. An acronym for Bless and Love Everyone School Supplies, the program has been a blessing indeed for everyone it has touched. Listening to the Lord It all started when Storm Lake member Sarah Low found out that parents were coming to the church asking for help purchasing school supplies, but there were no funds available to purchase them. As an ...

Virginia Lynn, 93, has lived in Hamburg, Iowa, her entire life and not once experienced the floodwaters that have hit the town. Until now.   Lynn moved to the Park Washington Plaza apartments in July from the home she raised her family in after her husband passed away last January.   “I kept telling everybody I was so blessed because after I lost my husband my kids took me to visit, I sold my house and then I moved,” she said. “It’s just mind-boggling to me. I have literally lost everything. It’...

A team of nine Conference Center staff members spent a morning volunteering at Meals From the Heartland and packaged 4,104 meals on Jan. 29. "Our mission is to empower people to save the starving, so it's those people who come in and give up their time to package meals, just like you did today that make this organization go," said Susan Bunz, Executive Director of Meals From the Heartland. "Last year we engaged over 75,000 volunteers, we would never be able to do what we do without the people ...

Written by Rev. Nan Smith, Pastor at Marshalltown Hope UMC  On Thursday afternoon, July 19, when an F3 tornado roared through Marshalltown, the United Methodist Women here at Marshalltown Hope were putting the final touches on their annual fundraiser — a rummage sale set to open the next day. As our church had suffered no damage because of the storm, the women went ahead and opened the doors on Friday. However, as the reports began to roll in that morning about the extent of the tornado damage,...

“…for I was hungry and you gave me food…” – Matthew 25:35 Carma Mohler Grant is NOW open!   Carma Mohler was passionate about helping and feeding those in need. She decided to establish this fund to make an impact on hunger issues presented every day. The Iowa United Methodist Foundation is seeking applicants from United Methodist-affiliated groups or non-profit organizations based in Iowa that are creating projects to relieve hunger. Such projects could be community gardening, food or cooking ...

Psalm 127:1 Unless it is the Lord who builds the house, the builder’s work is pointless. Unless it is the Lord who protects the city, the guard on duty is pointless.   “You are the ones who are building the house, you are the ones who are protecting those who are defenseless, and God blesses you for your ministry here,” read Bishop Laurie Haller at the blessing celebrating the new office of Iowa Justice For Our Neighbors (JFON) on March 15, 2018.   “We think that all means all, and that all ...

The last sea container headed to Nigeria from the Iowa Conference of The United Methodist Church was loaded and sent on its way. Fourteen volunteers transferred boxes from a tractor-trailer to the container on Friday, November 10, 2017.   Jeremy Poland along with the driver, Eric, wait to load the last few boxes. The sea container was filled to the top with kits delivered to the 2016 Thanksgiving Ingathering sites across the state—the last year the Iowa Nigeria Partnership accepted school, ...

Mobile United Methodist Missionaries (MUMM) finished its summer season with JOY Camp at Wesley Woods during the last week of July. JOY stands for “Jesus, Others & You.” In her blog, Allison Engel, the Senior Summer Assistant for MUMM, tells about a tradition at the camp that keeps the schedule a mystery each day. Campers are puzzled to learn that everything starts at 7:47! Alison was feeling rather glum in the middle of the week until she found a camper who was searching through his Bible to ...

“The final trucks that we’ve arranged so far, on Monday, will be picking up just under 2,000 buckets across Iowa and delivering them to Midwest Missions,” reports Rev. Catie Newman, who is the disaster response coordinator for the Iowa Conference. “We’ve tried to get all the buckets into three locations so we just have three pick-ups for them that day.” Those kits will soon be helping people in the many areas ravaged by hurricane begin the overwhelming task of cleaning up, but of course there is...

Photo credit: Alex Wroblewski/Getty Images

By Audrey Young, Iowa’s General Secretary for the Iowa Board of Global Ministries It may be a good idea to bring all leftover bulk items for kits to our 2017 Ingathering, rather than holding anything over for 2018, as is the custom of some local churches. “We have been assured UMCOR will accept all of our kits from our 2017 Thanksgiving Ingathering this year. The book for next year, 2018, will reflect the changes,” stated Dan Houston, Iowa Ingathering Chairperson. The first big changes already...