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March 2024 Newsletter
Sunday School
9:15 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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The events of Christ’s Passion, which take place during the last week of Jesus’ life, often don’t receive enough time in our worship and study. These stories are important to our faith journey and our identity as followers of Jesus. And yet we often move too quickly from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday with little time to take in the dramatic story of that last week. Throughout the six weeks of Lent we will “freeze frame” moments in Holy Week so we might put ourselves in the picture, thereby “Entering the Passion of Jesus.” How might taking a closer look at the ancient story open us to deeper conviction for our role in its ongoing message?
Inspired by Amy-Jill Levine’s book by the same name.
“The Passion narrative asks much of us, and it also, through Jesus’ example, gives us the knowledge that we can do what we are asked, and the assurance that we will succeed.”
-Dr. Amy-Jill Levine “Entering the Passion of Jesus: A Beginners Guide to Holy Week”
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March 3
The Teaching: Risking Challenge
Mark 12:13-17
March 10
The First Dinner: Risking Rejection
Mark 14:1-10
March 17
The Last Supper: Risking the Loss of Friends
John 13:1-16
March 24- Palm Sunday
The Garden: Risking Temptation
Mark 14:32-52
March 28- Maundy Thursday
Holy Week Service- In Remembrance of Me
John 13:31-35,
Mark 14:22-24
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March 31 – Easter
Mark 16:1-8
“Choose Your Own Adventure”
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Easter Brunch
We will have our annual Easter Breakfast on Sunday March 31st before worship. There will be a sign-up in the fellowship Hall for people to volunteer to bring food. Those who are bringing food are invited to have it to the church by 8:45 AM that morning so we can begin serving and eating by 9 am. Contact Karen Rawson with any questions. We look forward to seeing you there!
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Pastor's Ponderings
During this season of Lent as we are walking with Jesus intentionally through the last week of his life – Holy Week – and entering the passion of Jesus, I am reminded that faith is a difficult thing. Faith is difficult to understand because it defies our ability to intellectualize it. Faith is difficult to feel because it requires fundamental changes in our lives (constant examination, reexamination, and repentance) as we are always in the process of reorienting our lives to God; sometimes those changes require risk. Faith is difficult to see because it is always leading us and calling us beyond where we ever thought we might be. Faith is difficult.
At the same time, faith sustains us. Faith offers us comfort in the times of our deepest need. Faith is a response to what God has already done for us. Faith is a hope for what God is up to in the world. Faith provides for us knowledge of God. Faith strengthens and supports us to travel the roads down which it takes us.
Faith goes so much deeper than a set of beliefs, an intellectual assent to a set of statements, which is the way we often talk about faith: “Do you believe…?” Faith is action. Faith is response. Faith is trust. Faith is obedience. Faith is hard. Faith leads us. Faith is following. Faith is
denying oneself for something bigger. Faith is not the absence or opposite of fear, but it does not let fear paralyze us.
As we walk with Jesus along the road of Passion Week, we know where this road leads. We know that the risks Jesus takes and invites us to take with him lead us all by the cross. Jesus knew the difficulty of the cross. His prayer in the garden, “let this cup pass from me,” (we will explore that moment in more depth in a few weeks) was not devoid of fear. Yet, Jesus
did not allow fear to paralyze him; he remained faithful even to death on a cross.
We live in a moment in history where it seems our fears are constantly manipulated by those who are seeking to get us to do what they want us to do; vote certain ways, buy certain products, give to certain causes, take certain actions.
What does it look like for us to use faith, rather than fear, to determine what we do? How does faith invite us to risk, rather than shy away from something, to live more fully and allow others to live more fully? What does faith call us to give up? What does faith call us to take on?
Shalom,
Pastor Owen
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Registration for Summer Camp coming Friday March 1st!
It's finally time to sign up for everyone's favorite week of summer. There are so many great opportunities ranging from an amazing camp experience on holy ground to Adventures around Iowa or even a high school mission trip to Chicago!
Any questions? More details are also offered on the website where you will sign up describing each opportunity in more detail. There is an opportunity for everyone. www.newtonccc.org/scsessions
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Missions Committee
Many of you are aware of the passing of Chief Uche Joseph Ukpabi, the father of our friend and companion on our faith journey, Eleke Ukpabi. We join our prayers with those who knew and loved Chief Ukpabi. For the month of March the Missions Committee of Ankeny Christian Church would like to focus our special giving on a gift in memory of Chief Ukpabi to the Truevine Academy in Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria.
We have already done some work with Truevine Academy, a K-12 education facility established by Eleke in 2010, last fall sending pictures, well wishes, and a video to the school. This would be another step in shaping an ongoing relationship between Ankeny Christian Church and Truevine Academy.
Truevine Academy currently has 212 students and 18 Teaching Staff and its curriculum includes emphases on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math, and Entrepreneurship. The mission of Truevine Academy is to cultivate excellence in every student by providing relevant learning opportunities that promote the spiritual, academic, physical, and emotional growth - from crèche to college...and beyond.
Eleke was inspired to establish Truevine Academy by his father’s commitment to leadership and doing something larger than yourself with the gifts and opportunities that you have been given.
Our gift will be given through the Truevine Academy Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization that is overseen by a Board of Directors, which includes Eleke.
(Special Note – we will still receive our Easter Offering, but have moved our collection of that offering to April to respond in a more timely manner to Eleke and his family as they travel to Nigeria to remember Chief Uche Joseph Ukpabi)
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Children’s Disaster Services Training
Ankeny Christian Church will be hosting a Children’s Disaster Services workshop to train volunteers on April 12 and 13. Judy Krase is the one who connected us to CDS and is helping us host this training. As a Certified Children’s Disaster Worker since 2011 with deployments to Oklahoma, Texas, and Missouri, Judy became increasingly aware of the need for disaster volunteers in recent years, and the resulting trauma for children who were impacted by disaster. Iowa has been relatively fortunate, but vulnerable to the tornadoes, floods, fires, and gun violence
that erupts throughout the United States today. Judy saw a need for local disaster preparedness and knew what she could do to help.
Children’s Disaster Services has been meeting the needs of children since 1980, working cooperatively with FEMA and the American Red Cross to provide care for children and families following disasters.
Children’s Disaster Services volunteers provide a calm, safe, and reassuring presence during the chaos that follows disaster by setting up and operating special centers for children in family assistance centers or shelters in disaster locations. Parents are then able to apply for assistance and begin to put their lives back together, knowing their children are safe.
The training is designed for people who have a heart and passion for children. It will help participants recognize and understand the fears and other emotions children experience during and following a disaster. Participants also learn how child-led play and various art media can start the healing process in children. Participants will experience a simulated shelter, sleeping on cots and eating simple meals.
Go to www.childrensdisasterservices.org for more information about the program and to register for the upcoming workshop.
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Property Committee
Mowing: John Sayre is in the process of creating a list of volunteers to help with the 2024 mowing and grass trimming at Ankeny Christian Church (ACC). ACC has 4 ½ acres of property consisting of our parking, buildings, playground and detention pond. The exterior of our facility is the “first impression” perceived by visitors. We would like to add to our volunteer list to mow and trim this year. If you are interested, please contact John or myself. TRAINING is available on our zero-turn Kubota mower.
Outside: Upkeep at the church is just like at home. There are trees and bushes to trim, weeds to be attended to among other things.
Inside: Property committee is in the process of re-thinking the areas around the fellowship hall and classrooms. We would like to use classroom (CR) 4 to store our chairs and tables. Creating more usable space of CR 2 and CR 3 for overflow (funerals, weddings, voting etc.) and availability of more classrooms as necessary. This process has already started. Many cans of outdated paint have taken a little trip to the MWA recycling site in Bondurant. We are also working on our chairs to identify ones that are suffering slightly damaged seats and refurbishing them.
Committees/special functions at ACC: Please evaluate the items being stored somewhere at ACC. We’d like to purge whatever can go elsewhere and centralize where other things are presently stored (one stop storage for a respective function).
Additional assistance: We have a number of members who have indicated on their time and talent forms that they would like to help with duties around the church related to property. We still NEED help with caring for the plants and if anyone has any abilities related to plumbing, we need additional help with that.
Lastly: you don’t have to wait until next time and talent sign-up to participate. Just let me know!
Arnie Porath
Property chair
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Tone Chimes
Rehearsals: March 3, 10, & 17
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Kudos and Celebrations
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Members of the 2023 Council-Eleke Ukpabi, David Rawson, Shanon Buckroyd, Jackie Black, Pat Warner, John Lee, PRC Members (Darin Leach, Randy Wehofer, Frank Prowant, Dorothy Mathis, Karen Fausch, Mike St. Clair), Nominating Committee (Rob Duffy, Lori Leach, Judy Krase), Cathy Helmke, Tom Murphy, Dorothy Mathis
- members of the 2024 Executive Committee- Darin Leach, Eleke Ukpabi, Angela Johnson, Jackie Black, Pat Warner, PRC Members (Frank Prowant, Dorothy Mathis, Karen Fausch, Mike St. Clair, Shanon Buckroyd, Rob Duffy), Nominating Committee (Lori Leach, Judy Krase, Lisa Duffy) Karen Fausch
- David Rawson- Finance and Stewardship
- Karen Rawson- Worship and Liaison with the council for social activities
- Chuck Fausch- Liaison with council for missions
- Matt Porath- Worked on furnaces 1/28/24 to ensure the anctuary was warm that morning. Also to Mike St. Clair, Arnie Porath, David Rawson, Gary and Jackie Black, Steve and Georgene Raver, for offering to help. It's awesome to have people who will step up to the plate when needed.
- Those who decorated the church for worship-Pat Fliger, Judy Johnson, Marlys Lapham, Jerry Van Den Berg, Christine Stoffa, Darin Leach, Russell Key, Arnie Porath, Colleen Porath, Georgene Raver, Steve Raver, Chuck Fausch, Karen Fausch
- The Four Mother-Daughter teams who lit the Advent Candles
- Georgene Raver and Cindy Holub for stepping in during Nathan's absence
- The extra people who helped with scripture readings during Advent
- The extended Fausch family for helping with the Christmas Eve service
- The St. Clair family for offering their singing talents at the Christmas Eve service
- Sophia Patchin for providing instumental music during the Christmas Eve service
- Those who planned the Stewardship Campaign-Randy Wehofer, Curt Narwold, Judy Krase, Patrice Sayre, Arnie Porath, Jackie Black, Owen Cayton
- Judy Shelburg and Patrice Sayre who are liaisons with the Childcare Center and working to improve communications with the Childcare Center
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March Birthdays
3/2 Betty Grimes
Darin Leach
Eric Edmundson
3/4 Morgan Leach
3/5 Max Marshall
Jo Ann Smith
3/9 Jerry Sawyer
Mary Hanley
3/11 Rachel Turner
3/15 Megan Narwold
3/16 Judy Johnson
3/21 Levi Hart
3/22 Jennifer Koehler
Crystle Brandenburg
3/26 Matt Porath
3/28 Wesley Brandenburg
Randy Hart
Joanie Wehofer
3/29 Beverly Morgan
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March Anniversaries
3/5 Frances & Sam Johnson
3/28 Bob & Shanon Buckroyd
3/29 Randy & Suzette Hart
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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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2024 Leadership
Officers:
- President: Darin Leach
- President Elect: Open
- Past President, Chair Personnel Committee: Eleke Ukpabi
- Secretary: Angela Johnson
- Treasurer: Jackie Black
- Member at Large: Pat Warner
- Check Writer: John Lee
- Chair of PRC: Karen Fausch
- PRC Members: Frank Prowant, Dorothy Mathis, Karen Fausch, Mike St. Clair, Shanon Buckroyd, and Rob Duffy
- Nominating Committee: Lori Leach, Judy Krase, Lisa Duffy
Current Committee Chairs:
- Christian Education: Open
- Stewardship & Finance: David Rawson
- Property: Arnie Porath
- Worship: Karen Fausch
- Social Life: Team Party Squad
- Missions: Chuck Fausch
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Ankeny Christian Church
2506 SW 3rd Street
Ankeny, Iowa 50023
515-964-1083
ankenyccdoc@gmail.com
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