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April 2023 Newsletter
Sunday School
9 AM
Sunday Worship
10 AM
Sunday Fellowship
11 AM
Worship services will continue to be live streamed on Sunday mornings at 10 a.m. You can either use the Facebook Link or the YouTube Link to see the live feed, or even worship a little later if you need to. Use the buttons below to choose which link fits your needs best.
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April 2
Lent 6: "Give it a Rest"
Mark 2:21-28; Exodus 20:8
April 6 Maundy-Thursday
Holy Week: "Reconnecting to an Unhurried God"
John 13 Selections
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“I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” – John 11:25-26
“I will rise when He calls my name: No more sorrow, no more pain. I will rise on eagles’ wings, before my God fall on my knees, and rise. I will rise” – Chris Tomlin
The Easter Season is a time of celebrating all the ways in which resurrection is possible in our lives. Jesus calls us from the graves of those things that keep us down as individuals and as humanity. Jesus calls us to Arise! In this season, we will worship the Risen One and explore the ways we are called to “Arise!”
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Sunday, April 9 – Easter Sunday
The Day of Resurrection
Matthew 28:1-10
Sunday, April 16
Arise! to Freedom
Acts 16:16-34
Sunday, April 23
Arise! to Wholeness
Isaiah 51:1-6
Sunday, April 30 – Youth Sunday
Arise! to Celebrate
Sunday, May 7
Arise! to Justice
Psalm 146
Sunday, May 14
Arise! to Serve
Ezekiel 34:1-7a
Sunday, May 21
Arise! to Shalom
Jonah 4:1-11 (A telling of Mark Twain’s “The War Prayer”)
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“Celebrate good times, c’mon!”
-Kool and the Gang “Celebration”
“Then you, together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you,
shall celebrate with all the bounty that the Lord your God has given to you
and to your house.”
-Deuteronomy 26:11
It seems there is little to celebrate these days, with so much troubling news, so much to be cynical about, so much struggle and anger and violence and stress and fatigue and loss, and…well, you name it. I know I am guilty under what we might call ‘normal’ circumstances of not taking time to celebrate appropriately. I am often one to move on to the next thing before celebrating fully any accomplishments. I am also guilty, recently, of looking at what is not here and neglecting to notice all the wonderful, great things all around me, at what has been lost rather than what remains or even what has been gained. Then add to it the general cynicism of our day and, well, it is a recipe to neglect celebration!
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Maybe that’s why it is built into the foundation of Israel…in the Torah– the teaching (often misunderstood as ‘law’). Every year after entering and living in the Promised Land people were to take their first fruits and present them to the priest and throw a party in honor of all that God has done – of all the good things around them. They are instructed to remember God’s past activity and, more importantly, celebrate God’s present faithfulness with their neighbors and friends and the priests and
the strangers…everyone (blessing is supposed to be shared, after all).
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In the midst of all that has happened God is still at work here at Ankeny Christian Church. We still have lots to celebrate! We are still active, still lively, still Positive People Doing God’s Work. Just look at all that has happened and all that we’ve done in the past couple months. We had our Big Sunday filled with “Mountain Top Revelations”. We sang, worshipped, played, engaged in mission, and shared a meal together. We decorated cookies and cards, and prepared welcome kits for Mosaic – an organization that works with developmentally challenged adults. And, in case you haven’t noticed, our youth have been engaged in fellowship, learning, and mission as well!
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Why, just this weekend – we hadn’t labeled it as a “Big Weekend”, but it was huge. There was lots of activity by folk from Ankeny Christian Church. On Saturday, members and friends of our congregation helped Max Crees finish his Eagle Scout project (one of the biggest challenges in becoming an Eagle Scout!). At the same time Lori and I were being trained for our time this summer as directors at camp. Incidentally, registration for camp is open AND camps are always looking for adults to help with counseling (see other articles in this newsletter)! Then about 30 of us got together for fun and games at the Operating Room in The District – we had
a grand time!
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That was just Saturday! On Sunday not only did we worship together AND sing The Byrd’s “Turn, Turn, Turn” (always a bonus!), but after worship there was a room full of people preparing materials to make cards for us to send out to people AND Sunday evening the Youth went and served at TAKE.
My friends we have a lot to celebrate! God is faithful! We are alive and doing vital ministry! And I need your help – I need reminders from time to time that we need to stop and observe all the good things happening to, in, and around our congregation. Let’s celebrate. The big, the small, the surprises, the plans that come to fruition, and the plans that bear fruit in different ways than we expect!! Let’s be POSITIVE People Doing GOD’S Work!
Shalom,
Pastor Owen
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CAMPERS AND COUNSELORS WANTED!!!
Camp changes lives!
Many people who have attended church camp at the Christian Conference Center can tell you from experience that it is truly “Holy Ground”. Though often it is difficult to express in words sometimes. What is the mix – is it the fun, the learning, the close quarters, the being-away-from-it-all, the amazing staff, the environment, the beauty, the…you name it? Is it the blend? Is it the intensity? Certainly it is a mixture of many factors. Just as certainly, it is that we are attentive to the Holy Spirit moving among us. It changes lives.
In order for the young people to have these life changing experiences, the camp needs adults to care for, guide, and engage. Here’s the cool thing – you don’t have to feel that you are an expert in faith or child development or really anything. You can just be a willing Spirit ready to walk with and learn and care for the campers and your fellow counselors. (There is even air conditioning for most of the camps!!!) So, if you want to change lives this summer, see Owen or Lori about counseling for camp! There are plenty of opportunities!! (And, that’s not all – it’s free for counselors!)
Campers – don’t forget, Ankeny Christian Church will pay half your
registration fee. If you register online, indicate that ACC will be paying half
and you will save a little money!!
Links:
Camp Schedule and Descriptions
https://www.uppermidwestcc.org/summer-camp or
https://www.newtonccc.org/scsessions
Camp Registration
https://docgeneralassembly.regfox.com/umw-summer-camp-2023
Senior Retreat Registration
https://docgeneralassembly.regfox.com/umw-senior-retreat-2023
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A Successful Eagle Scout Workday!
On Saturday, March 25, six members of Ankeny Christian Church joined other volunteers in helping Max Crees successfully complete his Eagle Scout project. The project consisted of a new fire ring, thirty new benches (built by Max and fellow scouts) and a large wooden cross that is the focal point of this outdoor worship setting. The items included in the project were donated to our Christian Church Camp and Conference Center located near Newton. Congratulations to Max for organizing the project. Thank you to those of you who volunteered your time and energy.
Missions Committee
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Tone Chimes Rehearsals
We will rehearse the following Sundays, 5:30 PM to 6:15 PM
April 2
April 16
April 23
April 30
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PASTORS CLASS
Our annual Pastors Class will begin on Wednesday, April 5 and meet weekly on Wednesdays after choir. See Pastor Owen if your child would like to participate and is in 5th grade or older but hasn’t attended Pastors Class before. We anticipate baptism and confirmation to be on June 11.
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Special Easter Offering 2023
Our special offering for the month of April is our Easter offering which supports several general ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples). These include Global Mission Partners, Health and Social Service Ministries, Leadership Development programs and ministries that help Disciple congregations witness to the good news Easter brings – that God’s love is more powerful than death. Our gifts have the power to change lives locally and around the world. Thank you.
Missions Committee
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Office Update
Please send any photos you may take while out and about at Church events either on the facebook pages or to the office, ankenyccdoc@gmail.com. We would really like to showcase what we are doing as a faith community on our website as well!
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Summer Camp Registration is open!! Click the photo above to be taken to the webpage for sign up! | |
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April Birthdays
4/1 Makenna Schroeder
4/2 Lucie Bentley
4/3 Angie Olson
4/8 Kiersten Mann
Tom Murphy
4/9 Mike Hunter
4/10 Ashley Guessner
4/12 Curtis Gage
Jerry Van Den Berg
4/13 Eleke Ukpabi
4/16 Teagan Bentley
4/17 Emma St. Clair
4/19 Sherry Johnson
4/21 Bob Buckroyd
Marjeane Hunter
4/22 Jade Dean
4/23 Abby Murphy
4/24 Curt Narwold
4/25 Alex Fischer
Pat Warner
4/26 Vinnie Widaman
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April Anniversaries
4/13 Frank & Sherri Prowant
4/23 Nichoel & Joshua Church
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If you would like to continue (or begin) to contribute to the work of the church financially, you can mail in a check to 2506 SW 3rd Street Ankeny, Iowa 50023 or you can give online by clicking the link below. There you can set up one time or recurring donations. | |
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Current Office Staff:
Pastor Owen Cayton, Senior Minister
pastorocayton@gmail.com
Nathan Green, Music Director
nategreenaccdoc@gmail.com
Kasey Romano, Office Manager
ankenyccdoc@gmail.com
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2023 Leadership
Officers:
- President: Eleke Ukpabi
- President Elect: Open
- Past President, Chair Personnel Committee: David Rawson
- Treasurer: Jackie Black
- Member at Large: Pat Warner
- Check Writer: John Lee
- Chair of PRC: Darin Leach
- PRC Members: Darin Leach, Randy Wehofer, Frank Prowant, Dorothy Mathis, Karen Fausch, and Mike St. Clair
- Nominating Committee: Rob Duffy, Lori Leach, Judy Krase
Current Committee Chairs:
- Christian Education: Cathy Helmke
- Stewardship & Finance: Open
- Property: Tom Murphy
- Worship: Open
- Social Life: Open
- Evangelism: Open
- Missions: Open
- Endowment: Dorothy Mathis
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Reminder: If you are not feeling well, please stay home and participate in worship online. The COVID task force would also like to encourage all of those who are eligible to get vaccinated. | |
Ankeny Christian Church
2506 SW 3rd Street
Ankeny, Iowa 50023
515-964-1083
ankenyccdoc@gmail.com
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