https://amesdsm.cc/blog News from CityChurch of Ames Des Moines en-us https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2018/family-of-families-meeting https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2018/family-of-families-meeting Tue, 24 Jul 2018 00:00:00 GMT When you need to pull a group of people together for a meeting, how do you do that? When you are a family of families, you do it like you do everything else--as a family! At the beginning of the summer, our two Antioch School cohorts met together to discuss why we are going through this training, and what to expect during the summer, and the whole family was invited. We invite you to take a peak inside our meeting. https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2018/training-leaders-for-a-growing-network https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2018/training-leaders-for-a-growing-network Mon, 25 Jun 2018 00:00:00 GMT When a network of house churches grows, adding services isn't an options. But to plant to new churches, you need qualified, trained leaders. Our Antioch School cohorts exist to provide the network with those leaders. https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2018/an-intergenerational-memorial-day-tradition https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2018/an-intergenerational-memorial-day-tradition Tue, 19 Jun 2018 00:00:00 GMT When I was a kid, we would go every year to this thing my parents called the “Memorial Day Picnic”. I didn’t know what Memorial Day was, but I knew what “picnic” meant – cinnamon rolls and monkey bread, buttermilk pancakes fresh off the griddle, OJ and fruit salad, a sneaked donut or two, eaten at long tables with family and friends of all ages. Afterwards there would be games of frisbee and volleyball and expeditions with my friends to explore the old fire engine. https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2018/a-class-act---ordered-learning-in-the-citychurch-network https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2018/a-class-act---ordered-learning-in-the-citychurch-network Tue, 01 May 2018 00:00:00 GMT Ever wonder what it looks like to participate in one of our ordered learning classes? Check out these images for a first-hand view. https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2018/rethinking-our-thinking-about-church https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2018/rethinking-our-thinking-about-church Mon, 26 Feb 2018 00:00:00 GMT “Here’s the church, here’s the steeple, open the door, and see all the people.” What is a church? The rhyme has it right, the church is really the people. However, it also assumes that the church has a steeple. If asked explicitly, no one would say the church is a building. Yet, in practice, most of us have fundamentally bad habits in how we think, talk, and act about church. https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2018/fundraising-is-easy-as-pie https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2018/fundraising-is-easy-as-pie Mon, 05 Feb 2018 00:00:00 GMT File this under "better late than never": This past fall our youth group held their annual pie-sales fundraiser, and for one afternoon, the Oakwood Road Community Center played pie-making assembly line! https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2018/leadership-needs-drive-antioch-school-cohort https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2018/leadership-needs-drive-antioch-school-cohort Mon, 22 Jan 2018 00:00:00 GMT Who wants to wake up on at 7:30am on a Saturday morning for a class requiring intense discussion and participation? Over the past three years a group of emerging leaders in the Ames City Church have been doing just that. We walk in with our coffee in one hand and a heavy Leadership Series courses in the other. https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2017/children-contribute-through-the-arts https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2017/children-contribute-through-the-arts Thu, 28 Dec 2017 00:00:00 GMT The annual CityChurch Christmas programs gives youngsters the opportunity to contribute to the network through their participation in the arts. https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2017/portraits-of-service https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2017/portraits-of-service Wed, 22 Nov 2017 00:00:00 GMT Each year during the annual BILD Conference, a church-wide team assembles to provide support, service, and assistance of all kinds. The work of some is visible to all--yet it could be easy to overlook the contribution of others. In the spirit of giving honor and respect to the hard work of everyone who made the conference possible--and especially those whose work kept them out of the spotlight--we present this photo essay. https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2017/a-day-in-the-life-of-the-2017-bild-conference https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2017/a-day-in-the-life-of-the-2017-bild-conference Mon, 13 Nov 2017 00:00:00 GMT From October 25th through November 3rd, the CityChurch of Ames/Des Moines hosted the 2017 BILD International conference. We invite you to take a look inside the events of a day of that conference. https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2017/commending-young-people-into-a-new-phase-of-life https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2017/commending-young-people-into-a-new-phase-of-life Mon, 16 Oct 2017 00:00:00 GMT The transition from childhood to adulthood is fraught with difficulties. Peril, wonder, confusion, triumphs: it runs the gamut of emotions from the highs to the lows. How can we prepare our children for this transition, and how can we walk alongside them as they traverse this uncertain path? Our… https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2017/whole-church-workforce-prepares-for-annual-bild-conference https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2017/whole-church-workforce-prepares-for-annual-bild-conference Tue, 10 Oct 2017 00:00:00 GMT This October the Ames/Des Moines CityChurch will host the 2017 BILD Conference, an event we look forward to all year. Church leaders from around the world will converge on our Community Center for a time of learning, networking, strategizing, and fellowship. Many will stay in our homes, get to know our families, and participate in our churches. https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2017/building-connections-within-the-citychurch-network https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2017/building-connections-within-the-citychurch-network Tue, 26 Sep 2017 00:00:00 GMT The sound of hammers and saws and cracking wood filled the air. A contractor and his team were in my parents’ (Randy and Carol Beckett) backyard, ripping up their deck in preparation for building a new one. A few things about this building crew were atypical. For one thing, they were letting a large number of church members help them out. For another, they were planning on living at my parents’ house for a week. In fact, this construction crew had come all the way from North Carolina. https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2017/an-in-depth-introduction-to-life-purpose https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2017/an-in-depth-introduction-to-life-purpose Mon, 18 Sep 2017 00:00:00 GMT Every Monday and Thursday evening this past summer, five young adults gathered with a group from the Ames-Des Moines CityChurch to soak up knowledge and mature in their faith. These individuals were a part of our network’s summer program, Immerse, which is designed to help young adults prepare for life by building strong, biblical foundations. https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2017/keeping-it-real-the-citychurch-way https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2017/keeping-it-real-the-citychurch-way Mon, 14 Aug 2017 00:00:00 GMT There’s something to be said about camping with your own family. You’ve seen each other at your worst, at your most dirty. Sweaty. Now include about eight other families and the barriers of being at your best inside your own home are torn down. There is no escaping the realness of being with people when you see them when they first wake up--before coffee. That’s when you feel like a family. https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2017/special-events-mark-life-transitions https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2017/special-events-mark-life-transitions Sat, 29 Jul 2017 00:00:00 GMT All eyes are on her, as she sits in the big comfy chair in front of the room. Her belly is abnormally bulged, with signs of a little one growing inside. Warm laughter, bright smiles, and sweet smells fill the air. The coffee and tea are brewing and loved ones gather. Gifts wrapped in colors of blue, pink, or neutral greens are stacked high behind her. Guessing games of names and gender are played. The excitement of added kin brings dreamy stories of near-family joys, and childhood tales are shar https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2017/baptism-welcomes-new-believer-to-the-church https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2017/baptism-welcomes-new-believer-to-the-church Thu, 13 Jul 2017 00:00:00 GMT On a hot Sunday afternoon, on the banks of the Skunk River, Du stood before our church cluster ready to be baptized. Using the words of Joshua he testified to us, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” When he came up out of the water we broke into cheers. https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2017/ordered-learning-and-equipping-leaders-identifies-need-to-reach-more-people https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2017/ordered-learning-and-equipping-leaders-identifies-need-to-reach-more-people Wed, 21 Jun 2017 00:00:00 GMT This spring has been a time of growth in spiritual maturity for many of us in the Des Moines cluster of Ames-Des Moines CityChurch. That growth is attributed to the ordered learning classes that have been offered as part of the Antioch School leadership series to the Des Moines cluster and many of its cohorts on Thursday nights. What began several years ago as two classes or one large class has grown to nearly 25 people in four classes. https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2017/maturing-leaders-through-lifelong-learning https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2017/maturing-leaders-through-lifelong-learning Thu, 15 Jun 2017 00:00:00 GMT The Des Moines cluster of Ames-Des Moines CityChurch has embraced a unique opportunity in its offering of ordered learning classes. What began five years ago with Des Moines church leaders plus a couple leaders from Crossway Community Church in Altoona has expanded to include emerging leaders from the CityChurch network, leaders’ wives, and even some teenagers. https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2017/memorial-day-picnic-gives-vision-of-the-larger-network https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2017/memorial-day-picnic-gives-vision-of-the-larger-network Mon, 05 Jun 2017 00:00:00 GMT On a bright May morning, Aaron and Kathy Keller arrive at Brookside Park for the annual Memorial Day picnic. As they unpack their basket, the church family begins to arrive, setting up griddles and coffee stations. The morning begins comfortably, and unfolds into a delightful time of good fellowship and good food. https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2017/structured-creativity-within-the-churches https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2017/structured-creativity-within-the-churches Tue, 23 May 2017 00:00:00 GMT All the churches of the Ames-Des Moines CityChurch take the bread and the cup—but some take the cup at the end of the meal, and others do so at the end of the meeting. All the churches invest some time in instruction, singing, sharing, and praying; some do so in a predictable order, and others do not. Some churches plan out certain elements for the formal meeting time—and (you guessed it!) other churches don’t. https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2017/showing-gods-love-one-meal-at-a-time https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2017/showing-gods-love-one-meal-at-a-time Tue, 16 May 2017 00:00:00 GMT It was the end of a hard day. I was recovering from surgery and the kids were crabby. James had just come home, tired from a long week at work. Everyone was hungry, but the food situation was sketchy because I hadn’t made it to the grocery store. Just then, a knock on the door. In came Tom and Kelsie Olsen with supper for us. Nothing fancy – a pot of soup and some cornbread. They walked right in, turned on my stovetop to keep the soup hot, and set the cornbread on the counter. https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2017/establishing-a-new-generation-parents-take-an-active-role-to-teach-bring-up-their-kids-in-faith https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2017/establishing-a-new-generation-parents-take-an-active-role-to-teach-bring-up-their-kids-in-faith Mon, 08 May 2017 00:00:00 GMT At the end of a long day, David and Beth spend a few relaxing moments reading. A plate with one cookie left sits between their chairs. As David reaches out to take the last cookie, Beth looks indignant. She opens her mouth to protest, but then the scene freezes! Two new characters walk onto the stage: the Devil and God’s Word. Pretending to be inside Beth’s head, they argue back and forth about how Beth should respond to David. God’s Word wins the day and Beth politely asks “I was really looking https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2017/building-community-as-a-network-of-churches https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2017/building-community-as-a-network-of-churches Mon, 01 May 2017 00:00:00 GMT The scene: Bustling crowds of families. Parents and children. Grandparents. Tables set with plates, cups, baskets of bread. An overflowing abundance of fruit, meat, and breakfast casseroles. Smells of pancakes and waffles. Coffee. It’s a scene that is reminiscent of any typical gathering of a family around a meal for a major holiday. It’s a little chaotic. It’s a bit loud. It’s the coming together of people to share a family meal. https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2017/urbandale-church-finds-ways-to-build-on-relationships-stronger-families https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2017/urbandale-church-finds-ways-to-build-on-relationships-stronger-families Tue, 11 Apr 2017 00:00:00 GMT “Family of families” is a phrase that gets tossed around a bit in our Urbandale Church. It’s not something taken lightly, because it points to a greater calling of what our church body is striving to be: a family. https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2016/church-leaves-behind-clear-yards https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2016/church-leaves-behind-clear-yards Mon, 05 Dec 2016 00:00:00 GMT No matter what neighborhood you live in, everyone has a common problem in the fall: leaves. My neighborhood is no exception, and may even have a larger than average leaf problem due to the number of giant, old sycamore trees in the area. Our North Campus/Yuma cluster has found over the years that a great way to show love to our neighbors and benefit the community is to help solve this problem and rid as many yards as we can of unwelcome leaf piles. https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2016/bild-summit-banquet---a-photo-essay https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2016/bild-summit-banquet---a-photo-essay Mon, 07 Nov 2016 00:00:00 GMT An army of volunteer labor assembles every year to put on the annual BILD Summit Friday evening banquet. Come have a look at the hard work that goes into making the banquet a success. https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2016/union-park-church-community-project-seeks-to-grow-cultivate-relationships https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2016/union-park-church-community-project-seeks-to-grow-cultivate-relationships Mon, 10 Oct 2016 00:00:00 GMT Each church within the Ames/Des Moines CityChurch network has characteristics that make them unique to the neighborhood or area they are impacting. One characteristic that makes Union Park Church unique is that three of its main families and the leaders of the church live within blocks of each other. Being in such close proximity to each other leads to another unique characteristic, a project that is part of the church’s greater vision. https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2016/new-church-leads-to-joint-ministry https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2016/new-church-leads-to-joint-ministry Mon, 03 Oct 2016 00:00:00 GMT Northwest Ames Church was excited when a new church was planted just down the street, on Idaho Avenue. Right away, the two churches could sense the potential of working together. “When Nate bought the house next to us, I thought, ‘This is a cluster just waiting to happen,’” says Steve Kemp. https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2016/young-theologians-ordered-learning-in-the-citychurch https://amesdsm.cc/blog/2016/young-theologians-ordered-learning-in-the-citychurch Wed, 14 Sep 2016 00:00:00 GMT Kathy Keller teaches the combined 5th and 6th grade ordered learning class on Sunday mornings. In the 5th and 6th grade class, students pull together all the work from their previous years of ordered learning and write author’s intention statements for almost every book in the Bible. You might think that kids this age aren’t capable of doing that level of work, but Kathy argues otherwise. “They are capable of much more than we think they are,” she says.