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Our History
Established
in 1890
West Des Moines Christian Church
was established in 1890 and
is the oldest church in West
Des Moines. We began our ministry
above a store in Valley Junction;
in 1893 we built our first church
building at 6th and Elm Streets.
So we could better respond to
the needs of a growing community,
the church built a new building
on the same site in 1903.
On June 30, 1940, a fire destroyed
the church building. While the
event was devastating for the
church and community, the congregation
decided the best way to be a
caring church for a growing
community, was to rebuild "way
out" near the cornfields
on 8th Street and Grand Avenue.
Date: 1893-1940
Location: 4th Street - West Des
Moines
Date: 1940-1999
Location: 8th Street - West Des
Moines
To meet the needs of a growing
community, West Des Moines Christian
Church again moved to a new
site in August 1999. Our 10-acre
site provides us many exciting
opportunities to grow as a church.
In the spring of 2007, we continued
expanding by opening our amazing
new sanctuary. Our desire to
be a caring church for a growing
community has led us to add
new programming, additional
staff and new opportunities
in worship, service, education,
music, spiritual growth, fellowship
and sports. With our history
of being a long-established
church and the excitement of
a new facility, we are able
to provide spiritual growth
opportunities and programs for
all ages—for men, women, children
and youth.
What
do we believe?
West Des Moines Christian Church
is a strong congregation, affiliated
with the Christian
Church (Disciples of Christ).
All of the 4,000 Disciples of
Christ churches in the United
States and Canada are self-governing.
Thus, each local congregation
has the ability and responsibility
to make its own decisions.
As a denomination, we have
a covenant to work together
to do ministry we could never
accomplish alone. Our missionary
services and works of compassion
stretch around the globe. We
support 16 colleges and 4 seminaries.
We are located at 4501 Mills
Civic Parkway West Des Moines,
Iowa. (see picture at right)
Date: 1999- present
Location: 4501 Mills Civic Parkway
- West Des Moines
Our
beliefs include:
Faith
in Christ—Jesus Christ
is the son of the Living
God and offers saving
grace to all.
Children
of God—We joyfully welcome
all people and see each
person as a child of God.
Lord’s Supper—We
celebrate the Lord’s Supper
or Communion weekly. The
table is open to all believers
of Christ. At the table
we celebrate our unity
in Christ.
Baptism—While
we practice baptism by
immersion, we recognize
that all baptisms—in whatever
form—unite us to Christ
and to each other in faith,
mission and community.
Scripture—We
acknowledge the centrality
of scripture in worship,
study and service.
Ministry
of all believers—Ministers
and lay persons lead worship,
direct service opportunities
and nurture spiritual
growth.
Congregational
government—The congregation
works together on a journey
of faith to plan and implement
the mission and programs
of the church.
Service—We
seek to provide spiritual
and practical assistance
to those in need within
our congregation, community
and world.
Diversity
of opinion—We are a caring
community of Christians
who value and protect
others’ beliefs as we
walk our individual faith
journeys. We represent
diverse ages and a variety
of theological, economic,
political, social and
educational backgrounds.
Through Jesus Christ,
we find unity in the midst
of diversity.
There’s
a place for you!
Because we have such an open
and encouraging tradition, our
members come from a variety
of religious affiliations. To
become a member, a person confesses
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
We hope that you (and your
family) will make West Des Moines
Christian Church your church
home! Whether you are a long-time
follower of Jesus Christ or
curious about Christianity,
we would be honored to join
you on your journey of faith.
We look forward to sharing our
ministries with you.
For more information on West
Des Moines Christian Church,
please visit,
call or e-mail us.
For more information on the
Christian Church (Disciples
of Christ), visit the Disciples
home page at www.disciples.org.
