It was announced on Sunday, Nov. 7 that Pastor Melody's appointment as Pastor of Polk City United Methodist Church will be ending on December 31, as she begins fulltime enrollment in seminary at St. Paul School of Theology in Kansas City in January. Melody and her family will continue to live in Ankeny as she completes her Master of Divinity over the next four years. After that, Melody plans to pursue ordination as an elder in the United Methodist Church and return to appointed ministry in the Iowa Conference of the UMC. The Staff-Parish Relations Committee is in conversations with our District Superintendent about next steps for this pastoral transition. Please join us in prayer for this transition, and reach out to James Menke, chair of the SPRC, with any questions.

The North Polk High School Student Council, Cross Country teams, and Rock Valley Physical Therapy are hosting the WillPower 5k to support Will Ford, one of our youth, and his family Bill & Debbie Ford, in his fight against leukemia.

You can sign up to walk, jog or run. Suggested donations are $10/individual, $20/family, or other amount you feel compelled to donate. OR join us on the front lawn of Polk City United Methodist Church Saturday at 10:00 AM to cheer on the participants. WEAR ORANGE!

Bring yard gloves, rakes, leaf blowers, tarps or old blankets and join us immediately following worship - this Sunday, Nov. 21 - for an outdoor church work day. We'll be raking & blowing leaves and doing fall yard clean-up. A lite soup & sandwich lunch will be provided for those who can help!

The season of Advent begins on Sunday, November 28. This year, in the four weeks leading up to Christmas, our worship theme will explore the longing for the coming kin-dom, where we will study war no more, where people will walk in the light, where joy will be found, and love will be the tie that binds us together. That’s the home for which we long, and that’s the invitation this Advent season to you and to the world: “Come Home for Christmas.”

We're so excited to bring back the annual Breakfast with Santa on Saturday, December 4th from 10:00 AM - Noon in the Wing in the Woods. If you would like to help with this event, please email Pastor Melody: melody.webb@polkcityumc.org. Look for a sign-up soon to help donate items needed.

Children's Chapel kids (ages PK-6th grade) will be practicing "The First Christmas" to share with the congregation on Sunday, December 11th, at 11:00 AM (after worship). All children preschool to sixth grade are invited to participate. Just come to Children's Chapel on Sunday mornings during weekly worship. We can't wait to tell the story of the first Christmas!

Make plans to join our Alpha program on Wednesdays starting January 5th! We’ll meet for dinner around 5:45 pm and end at 8 pm each week through March 9th. Alpha is a series of sessions exploring the basics of faith in an open and informal environment. EVERYONE is welcome, no matter where you are in your faith journey! 

Talk to Angela Cupp if you have questions, click here for a quick intro, and plan to stay a few minutes after worship on Dec. 19 or Jan. 2 for a short introdution to Alpha!

St. Luke’s Free Clinic and NP Comet Cupboard indoor food pantry are open on the first & 3rd Wednesays: Nov 17, Dec 1 & Dec 15

email dbequeai967@msn.com for info

call 515-238-6425 for more information

St. Luke's Free Clinic now has FLU SHOTS available for everyone age 2 & up, including the flu vaccine for those over age 65!

The UMW are collecting winter mittens, gloves, hats & scarves of all sizes for all ages. These will be distributed by the NP Comet Cupboard food pantry ministry this winter for those in need. Winter items can be placed in the red barrel in the church entryway.

DMARC IS MOVING IN 2022. The organization is relocating its headquarters with a new triple size warehouse under construction at 100 Army Post Road, Des Moines (completion early 2022), the addition of an extra giant cooler and freezer, and the addition of a new south side food pantry. Now and after the Holidays, families are faced with winter heating billls, mortgages and unexpected illnesses and pantry uses increase this time of year. DMARC can buy 2 to 6 times more with monetary donations than we can. Thanks to our congregation for $310 in donations during the month of October!

If you or someone you know needs assistance with food, utilities or access to other resources, contact Pastor Melody or refer to this Resource Guide provided by EveryStep Care & Support Services of Des Moines.