I Am a Church Member...Mike

As we continue with our church wide study of I Am a Church Member, Mike Powers, a member here at WDMUMC has agreed to share with us some of his thoughts and perspectives about church membership. Mike has been active in many areas of church life, from the finance committee, to coordinating our huge Meals from the Heartland packaging event to joining us on our mission trip to Costa Rica. I know you'll enjoy Mike's thoughtful perspective!

Jen Hibben, Associate Pastor 

I appreciate the opportunity to share some of my thoughts about being a member of the West Des Moines United Methodist Church.  I have a couple of perspectives.  First, I am a relatively new member as my wife Libby and I joined the congregation a little over two years ago.  I realize that most of you have been here a lot longer than we have but in our relatively short period of time here we have both come to view our membership as a true blessing for us. 
Secondly, while I have tried to be actively engaged as a member here, I will tell you that was not the case for me in my prior experience at other churches. So I can provide a comparison of the two different levels of involvement.Maybe a good place to start is an explanation of how it came about that Libby and I joined the West Des Moines United Methodist Church.   Having moved to West Des Moines from Naperville, Illinois, we looked to transfer our membership to a Methodist church in the area.  Libby selected this as the first one to visit.  This is not the closest Methodist church to our house but I think she picked this one because it had been around a long time and seemed to be the traditional kind of church that we were used to.  We did not know anyone who attended here but it seemed like a good place to start.We came one Sunday and everyone we met was really friendly.  After service, Paige handed us a gift bag along with two free tickets to an omelet breakfast that, as luck would have it, was being held right then downstairs.  Not being one to turn down a free meal, especially an omelet breakfast which is clearly a step-up from the usual church pancake breakfast, we accepted the offer.
Before breakfast was over we had talked with a dozen or so church members, and we did not see the need to visit anymore churches.  Then and there we knew we had found our new church home.  Libby and I joined MITS-WITS, and we were welcomed with open arms.  It has been a great experience for both of us to get to know the members of that class and to get involved in helping to organize some of the social and program events there.  We are very grateful for the great friendships we have with the MITS-WITS members.  And I might add if you are looking for a Sunday school we meet every Sunday at 9:50 am for an hour in the Wesley Center.Shortly after joining MITS-WITS, the church started its program of small groups and we were approached about joining a group that was forming.  We agreed to join and that has also led to stimulating book studies, fulfilling projects, social gatherings and a close bond of friendship among all of the group members for which we feel very blessed.  One of the unique experiences that our group had was building rocks and walls out of an odd assortment of materials for the Easter dramas.With Libby’s recent ankle surgery and hospital stay, we have received an outpouring of prayers, encouraging words and not to mention delicious food from so many of you.  We were very touched by your concern.  You truly have become our Iowa family and we love you for caring so much about us.
I mentioned earlier that I have become much more involved here than I had at previous churches.  You may ask, “Why?”I grew up attending a Catholic grade school in a small town in southern Illinois and went to mass on a daily basis for eight years as the good sisters that were running the school did not view daily mass attendance to be a topic for debate.   Like many things that are imposed upon you as a youth, once free of the obligation as an adult I resisted embracing the church for a long-time.
Libby grew up in the same hometown with a more positive attitude towards church and she recruited me into the Methodist church shortly after we were married.  I did go to services most Sundays but I begged off when invited to become more involved.
So what is different now?I think that whenever you undertake a major life change such as moving to a new city it is natural to stop and take stock of your life—particularly as you get older.  When I moved here things were going well but there seemed to be something missing in my life.  I sensed that I should do more to help others and on a deeper level I felt that I was lacking a meaningful relationship with God.
Therefore, instead of saying no as I previously would have done, I said yes to joining a Sunday school class and to joining a small group and to serving as a day manager at the state fair and serving on the Finance and Stewardship committees.  In January, I plan to join the church’s mission team to Costa Rica.
My only regret now is not having said yes sooner.  By agreeing to become involved, I was able to enjoy experiences that made me feel so good and wanting more.  Some of the highlights over the last two years:·         Going to Edgewater for Vespers and talking to the residents and sharing their appreciation for being able to participate in that service.
·         Being part of a team working at the church’s state fair stand and having people come up and say how they make it a point to visit our stand every year because of the high quality and friendly service and could we please take a prayer back to the church for one of their loved ones for whom they had great concern.
·         Facilitating a student panel on bullying at MITS-WITS last February and seeing how eager and articulate our high school age members were in making their comments to a packed room in the Wesley Center.
·         Watching members of this congregation raise the necessary funds and come together on a Saturday morning to package over 67,000 meals for starving people.
 Investing a little bit of my time has produced an abundant return.  That investment of time has also opened my heart and mind to being more receptive to the messages delivered during the Sunday services along with the discussions we have in MITS-WITS and in our small group.  So my advice to those of you who may be a less active member such as I was, look for an opportunity to get involved.  You are never too young or too old to start and I think you will be amazed as to how it will make you feel.
Being involved with some of the church’s committees has also given me an appreciation of the many challenges that the pastors and staff face to ensure that the church can continue to fulfill its mission.  I greatly admire their dedication and devotion.  Even with our help it is far from an easy job.  Without our help it is an impossible one.  We all need to pitch in and do our part.  The good news is that by helping the church you are really helping yourself in many ways.  I can vouch for that.For many of you, doing your part is what you have been doing--and then some. That is what has made this church such a special place.  I am so impressed by how through your generous nature, both in time and money and compassion, this church can help so many people in important ways through its ministries.  My involvement with the Meals From the Heartland project opened my eyes to that this year.
Thank you for that generosity of spirit and thank you for accepting Libby and me into this church family.  Let’s continue to make the good things this church is known for happen by working together in a spirit of cooperation and let’s always be mindful of the instructions of the Apostle Paul in Colossians 3:12-15 and  “…clothe [our]selves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of [us] has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave [us].  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in [our] hearts, since as members of one body [we are] called to peace.”
 

Mike Powers