Mustaches That Matter Adoption Assistance Application Now Open

Last summer, Walnut Creek Church launched Mustaches That Matter, an initiative to share about the great need and joy in adoption. Mustaches That Matter was a response to God’s call to care for orphans as we desired to align our heart with God's heart.

We asked men to grow a mustache and then invite friends, relatives, and coworkers to financially sponsor their mustache. From July 25 to August 25, 206 men decided to grow with us and unleash the power of their mustaches for a greater cause.

Within the first week, we met our goal of raising $25,000. The next week we raised an additional $15,000. In four weeks, Mustaches That Matter raised $76,300 to help families provide waiting children with loving and permanent homes.

Mustaches That Matter partners with families in the adoption process to help them cross their financial finish line. Money raised goes toward our adoption assistance fund to help multiple families each year who are adopting internationally or domestically.

If you are in the adoption process, consider applying for financial assistance through Mustaches That Matter. Or if someone you know is adopting, share with them how they could get help finishing their financial needs. Mustaches That Matter exists to help bring children home. We would love to be part of your family’s adoption story.

The application for assistance is now open through March 31.

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By Jackie Wallentin 

Walnut Creek Windsor Heights 

483 Bibles Donated Worldwide Through Coffee For Bibles Program

39 percent of American Millennials say they have never read the Bible. Two out of every five people in the world have never heard the Gospel. And 99 percent of Asia's 3 billion people have no access to God's Word at all. In November, Walnut Creek Church launched a new program–Coffee For Bibles–to make a difference. Since then we've donated 483 Bibles to reach people worldwide.

For each pound of Walnut Creek Coffee purchased, we donate three Bibles, two for outreach missions locally and one foreign-language Bible distributed by Gospel For Asia missionaries overseas. So far 161 Bibles have gone out through Gospel for Asia, and 322 Bibles have been distributed through the Des Moines metro area.

At each of our four locations, free Bibles are available for guests or for anyone who would like to take one to give as a gift to someone in need of God's Word.

Gospel for Asia is one of the largest Christian missionary organizations in the world and was founded by K. P. Yohannan in 1978. The ministry focuses on spreading the Gospel to India and Asian countries through the use of national missionaries.

We partnered with Colectivo Coffee in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to provide our premium Walnut Creek coffee. Colectivo began sourcing coffee from origin in 1993 and has 20 years of experience providing quality coffee.

Coffee can be purchased at the Welcome Centers of our Windsor Heights, Downtown, and South locations during any of our weekend services. You can also place your order online and pick your coffee up from our main office. Regular coffee is $13/lb, and decaf coffee is $14/lb.

Please join us in bringing God’s Word to people who need it. For more information, visit walnutcreekchurch.org/coffee.

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By Jackie Wallentin 

Walnut Creek Windsor Heights 

"Return" Series Launches Church-Wide

Walnut Creek launches a new message series – "Return" – church-wide this weekend. The 11-week series through the Book of Malachi will continue through March, and we invite you to join us.

Over the course of the next 11 weeks, we will take a look at our relationship and responsibility to God and others in the church. God commands sincere worship with genuine faith and humility. The message Malachi had for a troubled people then is still relevant now.

Free "Return" study guides are available at each location. You can also follow the message series through our mobile app and online.

Share your thoughts and what you're learning during the series on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram with the #ReturnSeries hashtag. Each Friday we'll give away a Walnut Creek sweatshirt and beanie. Join the conversation to enter for a chance to win!

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By Jackie Wallentin 

Walnut Creek Windsor Heights 

Christmas Card Outreach Roundup

Volunteers filled over 340 handwritten Christmas cards with Gospel tracts and restaurant gift cards for the Christmas Card Outreach tomorrow at Walnut Creek Downtown.

Erin Youngblood of Walnut Creek Downtown knows what it's like to struggle.

"I went through a time in my life when I didn't have money for food or to pay the bills," said Erin Youngblood. "A person who knew the Lord reached out and shared Christ with me, took me to church, then she and the church began helping to meet my needs. The Lord became my provider and has shown me that He will always be my provider."

In 2012, Erin and a group of her friends were brainstorming ideas about how to reach the city of Des Moines with the Gospel. She wanted to help people just like she had been helped when she needed it the most. Their idea: Christmas Card Outreach.

For the last two years, the group has visited homeless camps, bus stops, and other places around the city to pass out their handwritten Christmas cards. Each card included a gift card to a local restaurant for a warm meal and a Gospel tract explaining God's incredible gift to them, allowing the group to talk with people and pray for them.

This year, instead of going out into the city, Erin wants to welcome the homeless and anyone in need into Walnut Creek Church. Erin has partnered with The Thankful Leper, a non-denominational ministry of former homeless helping others out of homelessness, to help bring people in.

On Sunday, December 14, Walnut Creek Downtown will host a roundup at 2 p.m. to celebrate Christmas and hand out a generous gift to each person in need who attends. Erin says anyone is welcome to attend the roundup to help love and meet the community members who come.

For the month of December, Erin collected cold weather gear and monetary donations from Walnut Creek members to purchase restaurant gift cards and other cold weather items.

"I have seen the Lord in this ministry from the beginning," said Erin. "Every year we have grown bigger and bigger, and I have seen how God is changing lives. He will get the glory!"

Join us in prayer as we work to meet tangible needs and share the hope of Christ in our community:

• That the Lord would bring in people with soft hearts and ears to hear. That seeds would be planted and that people will come to know Christ as their Lord and Savior.
• That the people who come would feel welcomed into the church, and that we would come together as a church to show them a love that can only come from Christ.
• That enough funds would be raised so we can hand a generous gift to each person in need that comes to the event.

For more information about helping with the Christmas Card Outreach, contact Erin at erinmichelle012@gmail.com. 

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By Jackie Wallentin 

Walnut Creek Windsor Heights 

‘Tis the Season for Giving

Volunteers packed 125 boxes for Operation Christmas Child during the East Village Promenade on November 21.

As the East Village kicked off the holiday shopping season with the annual East Village Promenade on Friday evening, Walnut Creek Downtown hosted a gift-packing event for children in need.

Part of the church’s ongoing partnership with Operation Christmas Child, the event gave holiday shoppers and passersby an opportunity to enjoy a cup of hot chocolate while packing a gift for a child in an impoverished, war-torn country. More than 100 people came through the church’s doors Friday evening and packed a total of 125 boxes.

When combined with all congregations, Walnut Creek donated more than 250 gift-filled shoeboxes to Operation Christmas Child this season. This year, all boxes packed in Des Moines will be sent to children in one of five countries: Tanzania, Uganda, India, Belize or Trinidad and Tobago.

Earlier this year, Walnut Creek’s annual Christmas in July event resulted in 1,000 gifts being sent to children in countries with limited access to the Gospel.

Operation Christmas Child is a ministry of Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian relief and evangelism organization headed by Franklin Graham. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has hand-delivered more than 100 million gift-filled shoeboxes to needy children in more than 130 countries. To learn more about Operation Christmas Child, visit www.samaritanspurse.org/occ/.

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By Tim Laehn 

Walnut Creek Downtown 

Record Number Attend Women's Coffeehouse

Peggy Kenoyer shares her testimony of God's redemption in her marriage and family at the 2014 Women's Coffeehouse held Friday at Walnut Creek Windsor Heights. Photo by: Jen Engdahl

The ninth annual Women’s Coffeehouse brought over 600 women to Walnut Creek Windsor Heights on Friday evening. The Women’s Coffeehouse aims to encourage women of all ages in their faith through fellowship, music, and personal testimonies of God’s great love and faithfulness. 

The verse of the night, stamped on bookmarks that were given to all attendees, was 2 Timothy 4:7-8: "I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. There is reserved for me in the future the crown of the righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day." 

The first speaker of the evening, Peggy Kenoyer of Walnut Creek Windsor Heights, shared how God woke her up as an 18-year-old bride. What seemed like a huge mistake to Peggy turned out to be the best blessing the Lord could have given her. Her husband Larry and three sons have greatly impacted her life, causing her to cling to the Lord and mature. 

Chelsie Towne of Walnut Creek Downtown unpacked how God healed her heart after a destructive high school relationship. She was eventually blessed through the opportunity to share that healing with young women in Cambodia. 

Dena Bennett of Walnut Creek Downtown was the last speaker of the evening. She revealed her story of a broken home and a life ruled by relationships, atheism, and worldly pleasures. After reading C.S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity, Dena admitted that belief in God was not only logical, but that God was now the only one she wanted to chase.

Tables overflowed with treats donated by women of the church, and over 100 door prizes were donated by local businesses as well. The evening was a way for women to invite their friends, neighborhoods, coworkers, and family members to hear about the power of the Lord.

The night began with worship music led by Laura Brill, Jillian Aurelio, Hannah Wright, and Dayna Meyers. Between speakers, Allie Crummy, accompanied by Ricki Meyer and Liz VanderSchel, performed two original songs. 

“It was good to be reminded that God is looking out for me in all the steps I take, big or small,” said Jen Cameron of Walnut Creek Windsor Heights. “I loved Allie’s song about God being our refuge, a place where we leave the battle outside and come in to safety and rest. It’s not often how I choose to quiet my heart.”

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By Brigitte Haugen 

Walnut Creek Windsor Heights 

Five Financial Tips from the Money 101 Seminar

D'Angelo Johnson presents helpful financial knowledge at the Equip Class, Money 101. 

As part of the Equip Series, Walnut Creek Downtown hosted a free financial seminar, Money 101, to introduce basic financial principles and share knowledge about wise financial stewardship.

The Saturday morning seminar was geared toward families and individuals interested in learning how to have more control over their finances. Luke De Vries, D’Angelo Johnson, and Greg Altmaier, all of Walnut Creek Downtown, lead the audience through ways to engage wisely with money. For those unable to attend the seminar, below are their top five financial tips.

1. Consider Your Goals and Make a Personal Financial Mission Statement

A personal mission statement toward your finances can guide you throughout your life, no matter your financial circumstances. Describe your purpose as it relates to God, family, friends, and service to others. Summarize your purpose in a few sentences and choose a Bible verse that reflects that purpose. “Christ talks a lot about money and investments,” said Luke. “My mission is to be more like Jesus and bless others with the abundance He’s given me.”

2. List Tangible Short-and Long-Term Goals

• Spiritual Goals
• Personal Goals
• Ministry Goals
• Financial Goals

Adding your “bucket list” can also help you approach your finances in a more practical, manageable formula. To achieve your goals, make sure to account for financial, time, and energy costs. “Getting these goals in mind will help put your finances in better perspective,” said Luke.

3. Be Disciplined and Responsible 

Develop a detailed financial strategy beginning with a budget. Many organizations offer financial help like this free personal finance budget guide. Find someone that you trust to help you stick to your goals.

“Overcoming financial obstacles is attainable, but a lot of times we have no one to hold us accountable to the goals we made,” said D’Angelo. “People don’t plan to fail, they merely fail to plan.” Unexpected hardships like illness or death can be especially catastrophic if you’re unprepared.

4. Consider Financial Philosophies and Develop Your Own Convictions 

Ask people what they do financially and why. Gather ideas to help make an informed decision about what’s best for you. Take a greater level of ownership over your finances and remember that even small steps will eventually lead to great results. Don’t wait to plan ahead–be proactive with your finances. “You won’t get fit by watching a workout video. The same goes for finances.” said Greg.

5. Aim to Get Out of Debt

Utilize financial tools provided by your banks and lenders or visit the U.S. Department of Education for help on consolidating loans or finding programs that could save your family money or forgive debt.

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By Brigitte Haugen 

Walnut Creek Windsor Heights