The Adult Discussion Group meets each Sunday before the service at 9:30 AM in the overflow area at the back of the sanctuary. We also have two small women's devotion groups which meet during the week.
Our Wednesday night program for youth grades 1-5 is Kids' JAM. It runs 6:15-7:30 PM during the school year.
Youth Group, for grades 6-12, is roughly every other Sunday evening.
Confirmation classes for grades 7-8 are also held roughly twice a month on Sunday evening, alternating with youth group meetings.
Our Children's Church is held year-round at 10:45 AM, the same time as the Sunday worship service.
A staffed nursery is available for the care of young children during the worship service.
Pastor Cathy Nutting,
Pastor VMUMC
Humble shepherds tending their flocks at night were stunned when an angelic chorus appeared, announcing
that a baby born in a Bethlehem stable was the long-awaited Savior, the Messiah, the Lord. I imagine the
shepherds (and everyone they told) asked each other, "What child is this?"
That question, "What Child IS This?" will be our Advent theme. We will explore the story of the time leading
up to the birth of Christ in its historical fullness and what the realities of life were like for Mary,
Joseph, and Jesus.
Click here to read Pastor Cathy's Monthly Message.
Our regular announcements are in The Grapevine, here.
Stay connected by visiting our Facebook page. You can click here to reach it.
The Van Meter United Methodist Church is a community in the service of Christ.
Click here for directions on how to find us.
Call us at: (515) 996-2572
Email us at: office@vmumc.com
Christmas Meal Box
Help make the 2025 holidays a little merrier. Nominate a family or individual who lives in,
or has children attending, the Van Meter Community School district who is experiencing financial
difficulty to receive a food box filled with ingredients for a Christmas dinner.
Here's our nomination form.
Nominations must be received by December 8, 2025.
The Van Meter Church is part of the Iowa Conference of the United Methodist Church.
Kids Shopping Day
Saturday, December 6, 9 AM - 1 PM
Proceeds from our annual shopping day for kids will go to support local families in need.
The donation box will be in the foyer Nov. 17 - Dec. 3.
Learn more about Kids Shopping Day here.
Sign up to volunteer here.
Sunday, December 7, noon
Soup and Fellowship
Enjoy hot soup and warm fellowship after the service. Free-will offerings will go to the Kids Shopping Day fund,
which benefits local families in need.
Missions of the Month:
All donations to the missions fund this month will be added to the Kids Shopping Day proceeds,
all of which will be directed to support local families in need.
Learn more about this month's mission needs here.
Learn more about the food pantry here.
Good Samaritan Food Pantry in Adel
We are collecting toilet paper for the pantry.
Learn more about the food pantry here.
Programs for Youth and Children
Jesus and Me = JAM
Our Wednesday night program for youth 1st through 5th grade is
Kids' JAM.
It runs 6:15-7:30 PM.
Sign up here.
Confirmation Classes
The 2025-2026 confirmation class is meeting Sunday evenings roughly twice a month from mid-October
to early April. There are also service activities and other outings. Contact Pastor Cathy or Courtney for more information.
Sign up to be a Worship Helper
You may use
this link
or just talk to Leslie Herman.
Sundays, 9:30 AM
Adult Discussion Group
We meet each Sunday in the overflow area behind the sanctuary to discuss topics of interest.
Our current topic is based on The Voices of Advent by Matthew Skinner. You need not read this book to join us.
December 15 (Monday), 6:30 PM
Prayer Shawl Ministry
Each month, we gather to make shawls and blankets of comfort.
Call the church office to learn where the next meeting will be held.
Bread Ministry
We have a
bread ministry
in cooperation with Panera Bread company. We need help picking up packages from Panera
and bringing them to the church. Sign up for a one-time delivery or several
by clicking on this link.
Need Help?
Our church is a member of the Adel Ministerial Association (AMA). The AMA has an
emergency fund which is used as a shared resource.
Learn more here.
Note from Our Treasurer
Thank you for continuing to financially and prayerfully support the staff and ministries of Van Meter UMC.
Every gift helps to nurture children, support families, create community, and share our faith. All your gifts are
greatly appreciated.
You can now give through:
* our new Van Meter UMC Venmo account (see QR code),
* the Bill Pay function offered by your bank or credit union,
* in person, or by mailing a check to:
Van Meter UMC
P.O. Box 149
Van Meter, IA 50261
Venmo users, please use this link or the Venmo QR code to transfer your financial gift to the church account.
Again, thank you for your life-changing generosity.
