Twelve families, including 19 children, aren’t going hungry over the weekends because of the generosity of the people of the Colfax United Methodist Church and other congregations in the community. “We just knew that there was a need,” says Rev. Terry Pollard, “and we’ll take care of it for however long it needs to be.” He was amazed when in just two sort days his church raised almost double the financial goal they’d set…and they do more than just raise a few benevolent dollars. “We have several people in our church who get together to pack food for the families to pick up on Friday mornings,” Pollard said, “and that helps get them through the weekends.”

“We’ve got to acknowledge that this is Holy Week, and that it’s going to be different, but that we’re still going to go through it together.” That’s how Rev. Nate Nims, Senior Pastor of Grace United Methodist Church describes the sacred journey from Palm Sunday to Easter. Even in a time of physical distancing the Grace community is connecting with each other, whether by children waving their colored palm activity sheets in their homes during the service or the contacts made among friends in “bridge the gap” groups. Worshipping together, via Facebook has led to 500,000 interactions, thousands of viewings of posted videos, and a 400% increase in their website traffic. Even though physically distanced in the midst of the Coronavirus health crisis, “we’re trusting that God will still be God” says Rev. Nims, and “those things that we have taken for granted just won't be taken for granted anymore…the connections that we have with one another are so important.”

“A record number of people have been cared for this month by the Grimes Storehouse,” reports Pastor Ben Wedeking…and he expects that the need will continue to increase. The Grimes Storehouse is “a community food pantry that feeds the whole person, and it does so partnering with other churches in the community. From sewing face masks to extending a helping hand with individual needs, Grimes UMC is poised, notes Pastor Ben, “to rise up and be the hands and feet of Jesus” for a community, and a world, in crisis.

“Because pastoring can be a very isolating experience,” Rev. Terra Amundson notes, a chaplaincy program has been established on each district. “It’s a way,” she says, “that we can care for one another” and something she hopes can be a “new way of being.” Rev. Amundson is the Dean of the Appointive Cabinet of the Iowa Annual Conference.

Good Idea webinars and opportunities for Unscripted Expressions of Encouragement and Support will begin this week for laity and clergy of the Iowa Conference. Rev. Dr. Jaye Johnson, Director of Congregational Excellence describes the twice-weekly Good Idea webinars that will feature topics of interest and best practices and the Unscripted Expressions that will provide opportunities to share concerns and hopes in our current uncertain times.

Through its compassionate outreach in the midst of the COVID-19 health crisis and the online worship presence, First United Methodist Church in Iowa City sharing the positive assurance that "hope is never going to be cancelled and the love of God is never going to be cancelled."

Transitional Intentional Interim Ministers are “responsible for the process, not the outcomes,” says Rev. Dianne Christopher. She and a team of three others led a seminar for twenty-six clergy who gathered for a training for ministry professionals to lead transitional congregations on an interim basis. The aim is to be able to provide pastoral leadership that guides, restores, and renews a congregation spiritually and procedurally. Reverends Patricia Johnson (Mountain Sky Conference), Rinya Frisbie (Oregon-Idaho Conference), and Vivian Hiestand (Pacific Northwest Conference) were the associate trainers for the event.

Pre-Annual-Conference information sessions will be held on each of the eight districts in late April. In a wide-ranging conversation, Rev. Dr. Harlan Gillespie, Assistant to Bishop Laurie Haller, talks about how the gatherings will be an opportunity to have a voice in the future of United Methodist ministry in Iowa. He notes that the Bishop will be present at each event to receive questions, share hopes, hear concerns, and provide an update on the future of the denomination as it will be discussed at the international gathering, the General Conference, in May. New ways of collaborating in circuit ministries of Iowa United Methodists will be presented in addition to a conversation about finances.

Registration for the 2020 Iowa Conference camping season is underway. In fact, according to Bryan Johnson, the Director of Camping and Christian Formation, interest is brisk this year. In our conversation, he talked about how camping can be a life-changing experience, something it was for him. A wide range of exciting experiences await 4-year-olds up to high school-aged youth. Creative, well-trained staff look after the campers and provide them with unique opportunities to grow in their faith in Jesus Christ.

Circuits will be the future of ministry in the Iowa Conference. Rev. Bill Poland, director of new communities of faith, says, “We want to become a movement again,” and the circuit model will “help to provide growing, gifted leadership for our largest to our smallest churches.” Through circuits clergy and lay will be able to grow in their faith, rediscover their sense of connection, and make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.