The mission of Ames First UMC is To Make Disciples of Jesus Who Serve Beyond the Walls.
Our congregation seeks to fulfill that mission in many ways. We would love to have you join us as we seek to be God’s hands and feet in this world.
You are invited to send an email to [email protected] if you are interested in helping with various small projects or needs as they arise within our congregation and community.
Some of the groups that receive support from congregational efforts are listed here. Please see the bottom of this page for links to additional agencies for whom our members provide service on an individual basis. Perhaps you will feel led to share your gifts with one (or more) of them as well.
You’ll see Ames First UMC folks helping throughout the year, but we are specifically committed to serving on the 4th Thursday of every month, plus additional dates in the summer months. A sign-up sheet is at the south entry if you would like to join us! There are lots of ways to serve at Food at First. Visit their website for more information:
We will send a team to the Appalachia area July 6-14, 2024. This mission trip is geared toward adults, but is open to anyone over the age of 11 (having completed 6th grade, with a chaperone).
ASP seeks to repair and replace homes for low-income families. There is space for everyone, regardless of your construction experience!
Ames First UMC has a long history of stepping up when a need is identified. In addition to special offerings that provide gifts nationally and internationally, recent local efforts include the following. Please contact us if you would like more information or to learn how to donate.
~Food donations to Mid-Iowa Community Action (MICA) - 4,013.5 pounds of food items were given through our congregation in 2023 (that's more than two tons!). You can add your donation of non-perishable food items to the green cart found in our South entryway.
~Various products, clothing and monetary gifts are routinely collected and donated to local organizations such as Assault Care Center Extending Shelter & Support (ACCESS), Youth and Shelter Services (YSS), MICA, The Bridge Home, Good Neighbor Emergency Assistance and others.
~Because our children and families learned of need for snacks in local schools, snack packs were donated, and a fund was created to provide assistance to schools in providing snacks for classrooms.
Our congregation joins the movement to end hunger each fall through a community-based walk. Funds raised are divided between local hunger-fighting efforts in the Ames area and communities around the globe via Church World Service. Since 1969, walks have been held in hundreds of communities, large and small, raising millions of dollars to eradicate hunger and poverty. Sign-up on the Crop Hunger Walk website or contact the office to donate or join this year's event.
In late 2022, two Ukrainian refugees arrived in Ames at the invitation of a local family sponsor. By the end of 2022, nine families, 18 adults and nine children, had been welcomed to our community by sponsors, host families, multiple volunteers and donors. You can contact the office or find this group on Facebook if you would like to help too!
The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) has long assisted United Methodist congregations in providing direct ministry to persons in need. Among other initiatives through UMCOR, Ames First UMC has participated in the collection and donation of Personal and Student Ingathering Kits for many years. Learn more about the history of Thanksgiving Ingathering Kits in Iowa:
Ames First United Methodist Church supports Missionaries, both spiritually and financially.
We currently sponsor Missionaries in Africa and South America.
Temba Nkomozepi serves as an agriculturalist at Mujila Falls Agricultural Center in Kanyama, Zambia. He was commissioned in October 2017.
Find out more about him here:
Doug Williams serves as Pastor and Volunteer-In-Mission promoter of the Evangelical Methodist Church of Argentina. He was commissioned in October 2015. Find out more about him here: