The Leadership Council of the Des Moines Presbytery met on March 10. Here are some of the highlights of that meeting:

• We opened the meeting with a brief devotional that outlined the book of Nehemiah. A man of prayer, Nehemiah is a good example of leadership skills, discerning God’s will, how to face significant challenges and learning to celebrate what God is doing. These are all things that we as a council and as a Presbytery are needing as we prayerfully explore where God is leading us in the coming months and years.

• We spent time reflecting over the last Presbytery meeting on February 14 and looking toward the meeting on May 19 in Newton.

• A document entitled “Foundational Principles and Guidelines About Property” was shared with the Council. This document was prepared by members of the Des Moines Presbytery, the Presbytery of Prospect Hill, and North Central Iowa Presbytery who attended a conference in Minneapolis last Fall that was sponsored by the national church. This document provides a theological and pastoral foundation for churches and presbyteries who are wrestling with issues of church property and buildings.

• We spent considerable time discussing the on-going discernment process that all three presbyteries are undergoing. This process includes three discernment teams. The first involves Communication. Listening Sessions throughout our presbytery are carefully listening to people’s feelings about a possible merger. Are they excited? Concerned? Have questions? The results of these conversations will be made available to everyone after all the listening sessions are completed and the notes are compiled. Another team is wrestling with the numerous Administrative details involved if we believe God is calling us to unite into a single presbytery. A third team is prayerfully discerning what this Presbytery’s Mission, Values and Vision would be. While these discernment teams are working, gatherings of the committees of our 3 presbyteries who share similar work (Commission on Ministry, Mission, Youth Ministry, and Finances to name a few) are also taking place.

• For the last several years we have enjoyed a tri-presbytery event in August that includes times of worship, fellowship and continuing education. A committee made up of members from our three presbyteries in being organized to plan that event on August 29.

Palm Sunday Public Witness | Sunday, March 29

2:30 PM: March from Capitol Hill Lutheran Church to the statehouse
3:00 PM: Public Witness continues at the statehouse

The Palm Sunday Public Witness is part of the Standing With Our Neighbors project. Shaped by the call in Matthew 25 to care for our neighbors, it is an action specific to Christian communities to leverage the power and privilege of Christians in our society and to take advantage of the Palm Sunday message around public witness. The Palm Sunday Public Witness will include a march, a gathering with elements of worship, and a sending forth with a Call to Action.

Palm Sunday Service for Peace | Sunday, March 29, at 7:00 PM
Aldersgate United Methodist Church 3600 75th St., Urbandale, IA

You are invited to attend a Palm Sunday Prayer Service for Peace, to lament the terrible losses of war, and to re-commit to working for the cause of peace. Rev. Dr. Edgar Solis will give the meditation. Please join us! Note: Instead of the Procession that usually precedes the Service, we invite those who wish to join the larger Walk that afternoon, led by our donkeys (info above). It begins at 2:30 PM at Capitol Hill Lutheran Church.