Welcome

Guests!
Please see page two
for important information
about today’s service and
how to get the most out of
your visit with us.
4801 FRANKLIN AVENUE DES MOINES, IOWA 50310 515.255.2122 WWW.FIRSTFEDERATED.ORG

Light Out of Darkness

By Joe Lightfoot, Pastor of Adult Ministries
Ed Thomas, head football coach at thought, “We should do something for him and the family.”
Aplington-Parkersburg High School in Upon reflection, I recognized that his slain father had already
Parkersburg, Iowa was killed by a former done that. Aaron was speaking from a foundation of faith that his
student on June 24th. The coach was father had helped him establish. It was as if Aaron was quoting
admired nationally for the juggernaut Job’s unflinching trust in God during the devastation in Job’s life.
football program he built, the successful Job grasped tightly to his belief in the character of God saying,
men he shaped and the resilient town “Even if He kills me, my trust is in Him.”
he helped rebuild after a devastating Even though he can’t understand the reason for this tragedy,
tornado last summer. News of his death Aaron is leaning on God.
has flashed around the country. So back to the “we should do something” thought. Am I close
He won 292 games and two state titles in 37 seasons, and enough to God to withstand such a tragedy? Are you? And what
ranked 32nd among active high school football coaches nation- are you doing this week to deepen that reliance on God?
wide in victories. Thomas coached four players who are active in And second, for parents—is it a part of your plan to raise your
the National Football League this season. Since the school has children to develop such a foundation? If so, you know that it is a
fewer than 300 students, per capita, no other high school in the process that has to happen daily.
nation has ever had as many NFL players among its alumni. Are you helping your children to understand God’s power in
At an afternoon news conference, Thomas’ son, Aaron, thanked creation? His goodness even in the midst of trials? How God is
community members for their support and prayers. Mid-way still there when your friends aren’t? Why “no” is often the most
through his 3 minute statement…Aaron said: “God always has a giving response to a request for some thing? How you’ve trusted
reason. At this time, it’s very tough for us to understand that.” God when the chips are down?
As I heard those words Now is the time to do this…before you need to…before the
Store Coupons my heart went out to him. I darkness comes…show them the Light.
and Sour Milk
By Joe Lightfoot
Pastor of Adult Ministries
What do store coupons
and a carton of milk have in
common?
Both have
expiration
dates. When
I’m surprised and miss these
deadlines, often the scene is
not pretty.
In like fashion, we don’t
want you to miss today’s oppor-
tunity to register for the Good
$ense financial and budgeting
course. The 6 week course
begins next Sunday morning at
10:45AM in room 108.
If the strain on the economy
has soured your budget, register
for the Good $ense class and get
a fresh start on your finances.
Volume 11 Number 5 First Federated Church 1 Sunday, July 5, 2009
 WELCOME TO FIRST FEDERATED CHURCH!
Thank you for choosing to worship with us this morning!
Have Questions? Celebration
If you have any questions, simply ask someone wearing a Guest Welcome Children’s
name tag with “Here to Help” on it or visit the Welcome Center
Reception Center Registration
in the foyer.
Guest Reception North Parking Lot Station
If you are visiting with us for the first time or have just
recently started attending First Federated Church, we cordially
invite you to a reception immediately following the service (see
map for locations). We would love to have the opportunity to Resource 115

Center
119 117
WEST GYM EAST GYM

meet you, get to know you better, and answer any questions you A B

may have. AUDITORIUM

114

Fill Out the Care & Communication Card

If you have never completed a Care and Communication Card,
please take a moment to do so. This allows us, as a church family, 111C

PARISH
The River
111B

to better know your needs and how we can serve you. The Care NURSE➤
1164
111A

and Communication Card is located inside this newspaper. Just fill

out the card completely and leave at the end of your pew, give to an Guest 1165
109
R

usher, or hand it in at the Guest Reception. Reception

Thank you for taking the time to visit First Federated Church.
If you are not presently a member of a Bible teaching church, we KZ Church
invite you to join our church family.

If You Have Children, Visit the Children’s DOCK

Ministry Registration Station

SW Entrance

A.E.D.
M Men Restroom
Trust your children to the care of our dedicated, loving W Women Restroom
South Parking Lot

Children’s Ministry staff. Our children’s programs provide qual-

ity care and learning for kids of all ages.
If your child has not already been enrolled in our Children’s
Ministry, a quick visit to the Children’s Ministry Registration
Station will provide you with temporary security tags and give us
the information we need to effectively minister to your child.
Infants & Preschool Children
Childcare and teaching are available during the 9:10 and 10:45 hour in the Nursery
and Preschool Departments.
Kindergarten–4th Grade
During the 9:10 hour, K–4th graders gather in the gym and then go to graded
classroom groups for Bible learning and fun.
K–4th graders attend their own age-appropriate children’s church, called KZ
Church, in room 152 at 10:45.
Xtreme AM (5th & 6th Grade)
Our preteens meet in their own Xtreme spot, Room 205, at 9:10 for a time of Xtreme
learning, Xtreme prayer and Xtreme relationship-building.
Youth (Grade 7–12) & Adults
Groups for ADULTS begin at 9:10AM and 10:45AM. Stop by the Welcome
Center (or see inside today’s newspaper) to find out about each of the groups and
how to get there.
Our YOUTH (Grade 7–12) meet at 9:10AM in the Backdoor (148).
Cellular Phones & Pagers
Thank you for turning off or muting your cell phone, pager and other electronic
devices during this morning’s worship service.
Assistive Listening Devices (Auditorium Only)
ALS devices are available for check-out at the Resource Center in the foyer.
AED (Automated External Defibrillator)/First-aid
Facilities for guests needing first aid, health counseling, and blood
pressure checks are provided by our Parish Nurses located in the
west hallway in Room 1117, Sundays, 10:30AM–Noon.
Please contact an usher if you need immediate assistance.
Lost and Found
Lost items may be reported or claimed at the main office of the church during
regular M-F office hours. Lost and found items are kept for 30 days.
Safety
First Federated Church regards your safety as our highest priority. If you have any
concerns, please inform one of our ushers or staff. If a building emergency arises,
directions will be provided over the public address system.
Recordings of Today’s Message
CD recordings of the morning message can be picked up immediately following the
service at the Resource Center in the foyer for $3.
You can also listen to the message for free at www.FirstFederated.org.
Prayer Team Up Front
If you would like to pray with someone today, please come to the front of the
room following this morning’s service. Members of our church leadership stand
ready to serve you.

First Federated Church 2 Sunday, July 5, 2009

 ADULT GROUPS NOTES
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Sunday Mornings Adult Bible Fellowship (ABFs) 9:10AM Celebration | 10:45AM The River
Once you’ve joined us in worship, our Adult Bible Fellowships are Pastor Curt DeGraff
a great next step to connect with others and grow in your faith. We Title: “Freeing the Family to Flourish”
have a variety of opportunities available that include:
Sundays | 9:10–10:25AM
The HUB (ages 18-24) | Room 244
The Channel/Connections (ages 25–35) | Room 215
Homebuilders (all ages) | Room 1250–1251
Prayer (all ages) | Room 100
Women (all ages) | Room 208
Sundays | 10:45AM–Noon
Cornerstone (born in the 1950s) | Room 1240–1241
Galilean (born in the 1930s) | Room 1244–1247
Immanuel (born in the 1930s) | Room 1105
Friendly Fellowship (born in the 1920s) | Room 1254–1255
Koinonia (all ages) | Room 1252–1253
Ezra (all ages) | Room 1118
Homebuilders (all ages) | Room 1250–1251
Prayer (all ages) | Room 100
Ecclesiastes (all ages) | Room 1238–1239
Worship | Room 1125
Women (all ages) | Room 208

Wednesdays
Join us in prayer, fellowship and fun as we connect with others
and grow in our faith.
For All—Prayer Community
Ongoing | 6:30–7:30PM | Franklin Hall (All summer) | Facilitator: Pastor Mike Rose

Financial Report
Attendance 6/28/09
9:10AM Celebration ...................... 475
10:45AM River .............................. 276
Early Childhood ............................. 51
Children’s Church .......................... 57
Budgeted Missions
Year to Date: 9/1/08–present
Need ....................................$233,193
Offering ...............................$199,435
Shortage.............................($33,758)
Mortgage
Current Balance ............................. $0
General Fund Offering
Last Week
Weekly Need ........................ $34,419
Offering .................................$25,111
Shortage...............................($9,308)
Year to Date: 9/1/08–present
Need ................................ $1,480,016
Offering ...........................$1,368,468
Shortage...........................($111,548)

WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Regular Submission Deadline: Tuesdays by noon
We prefer that items be submitted electronically!
E-Mail: NEWSPAPER@FirstFederated.org
All submitted items are subject to submission guidelines and editorial review by
the church staff. FFC reserves the right to edit submissions for length.
Disclaimer:
First Federated Church does not claim to own any copyright privileges on items
printed in this newspaper, unless otherwise stated. All items published are
quoted in good faith and believed to be free for circulation or public domain.

First Federated Church 3 Sunday, July 5, 2009

 PRAY FOR
ONE The contents of this page have been removed to protect the
ANOTHER privacy of those in our congregation.

Printed copies of this page can be obtained at the church.

Items found on this page include:

Pray for Those Who Grieve
Happy Birthday!
(Birthdays are listed for Federated members & missionaries)
Pray for those with Physical Needs
(In the Hospital, Upcoming Surgery/Procedures, Partial List of the Ongoing Needs of Our Members &
Regular Attenders)
Pray for Those Who Serve our Church
Our Encouragement
“For to me, to live is
Christ, and to die is gain.”
Philippians 1:21

First Federated Church 4 Sunday, July 5, 2009

 MISSION ONE Reaching others for Jesus Christ

Wayne & Miyako Meyer Grace

Mission Board: The Navigators Location: Closed Country
Location: Tsuksuba, Japan What does she do? Grace, a widow of 7 months, has returned to
Gordon’s beloved country and seeks to promote prayer for
What do they do? Wayne and Miyako
her country by organizing, orientating and facilitating prayer
led the campus ministry at Utsu-
teams that visit. As a couple they trained local workers to
nomiya National University for
assemble, distribute, maintain solar cookers and taught fami-
20 years and are now involved
lies how to maintain and cook with them. Grace recently
in a new ministry at Tsukuba
made two Solar Cooking Manuals for illiterate readers.
University. They use BEST Clubs
for outreach (Bible, English, Sports, Travel). They also serve Praises:
with a team of university students and Navigator staff from • Grace will visit FFC on Sunday, August 16.
the US to assist with short-term summer projects, retreats, • For guests who pass through her city—she is happiest when
Bible studies, one-on-one contacts and camps. her house is full.
Praises: Prayer requests:
• For 9 freshmen that joined BEST this year-- most of them • That the young man who saw Gordon in a dream will not be
are fairly open to the Bible. sucked back by old influences.
• This month Kazushi Sato joins their campus staff team. • For a neighbor boy who cannot forget what Gordon told him
Prayer Requests: weeks before he passed away.
• For the 9 freshmen, that their desire to know God and inter- • For Gordon’s friends who welcomed her back from England
est in the Bible will grow. and received the Book Gordon held his last days.
• For their younger staff—Tom & Ali Van Sickel, Keiichi • That Gordon’s grave stone will turn out well and be a re-
Kitahara, and Kazushi Sato: minder of a life spent serving the greatest God.
• That they will grow deep in their walk with Christ. • That national elections August 20th will produce forward
• That they will gain confidence that God will use them to thinking leadership and be peaceful.
reach and disciple others.
Vic & Gwen
• That God will give them much fruit on campus.
Location: Closed Country

JAPAN FACTS What do they do? Vic and Gwen provide biblical training for
Christians serving across cultures. They serve multiple
• The YKK on zippers stands for agencies and organizations through workshop coordination,
Yoshida Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha coaching and mentoring. They focus on working with emerg-
which is the name of the ing Asian organizations and facilitators as well as supporting
founder of the Japanese established North American partner organizations working
zipper company. in the region.
• It is considered normal Praises:
and non offensive to make
loud slurping sounds when • For a good workshop held recently in Nepal.
eating noodles in Japan Prayer Requests:
• Japan has approximately 200 • For Vic as he coordinates upcoming workshops in Asia.
volcanoes and is home to 10% of
• For Gwen as she catches up on her studies and focuses this
the active volcanoes in the world.
month on a children’s ministry worker training she is doing
• Some farmers in Japan grow their watermelons at their church.
into a square shape in order conserve shelf space.
• For follow-up coaching related to their workshops.
• The national sport of Japan is sumo wrestling.
• Japanese chopsticks are pointed at the end and Chinese • For resources needed for several training events coming up
chopsticks are blunt. early in 2010; for potential facilitators to find the resources
needed to attend; for scholarships to be made available.
• Okonomiyaki is considered to be Japan’s answer to pizza. It
consists of grilled vegetables, noodles, and meat or seafood, • Future direction for their two adult sons working in the
between two pancake-like layers of fried batter. States.
• In Japan you pour your companion’s drink and your companion
pours yours. It is impolite to pour your own drink.
• When visiting Japan, it is important to know that it is considered
polite to initially refuse someone’s offer of help.
First Federated Church 5 Sunday, July 5, 2009

Hangtimes
July 5--No Hangtime…4th of July weekend 7th–12th Grades
July 12—Ice Age 3
July 19—Splash Party
July 26—Softball
Today:
No hangtime today.
What’s Going On?
Dodge Ball Mondays | 6:30–8:00PM.
From this point forward-- dodgeball is for grades 7th and older…no
exceptions!)
M-Fuge
Check out the church website, www.FirstFederated.org, for
photos and testimonies about the trip!
In July
Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs-July 12 | 2PM
Come enjoy the 3rd installment of the Ice Age movies. Tickets
are $6.25 for a 2:00ish showing of the movie at the Jordan Creek
Town Center. After worship services, get a bite to eat OR eat at
the food court and join us for this hilarious movie. Be sure to
arrange some carpooling options ahead of time! (JH, SH)
FFC Splash Party- July 19| 6:15-8:15PM
Join us at Clive Aquatic Center—BE THERE! It’s free and it
is easily one of the most fun church fellowships that we have. Be
there and ready to swim! Remember the one piece suits!
Amazing Race: Season 3 July 24| 6PM
Start forming teams now! We need your team to consist of
1 parent, 1 visitor, 1 person you don’t normally hang out with,
YOU, and a friend of your choice. We will race Friday, July
24th starting at 6PM. Last year this was a tremendous outreach
and lots of first time visitors came. Let’s reach out once again
and have a blast doing it! (JH, SH)
Junior High Summer Camp
Check out opportunities to go to camp at any of our area
Christian camp groups. Great programs are available through
Hidden Acres, Wildwood, Twin Lakes, Camp Appanoose and
See Pastor Howie for more information and we will help you get
plugged in to the best camp opportunity for your age group. (JH)
Upcoming
Six Flags—Chicago
August 20–21
NEW! Join us for an awesome trip to CHICAGO! Cost: $125
for 2 days at the park. This includes a meal each day, breakfast
Saturday, parking costs, gas, drinks, etc. NEW! We will park
hop both days! No extra charge! We will stay overnight at a local
church. Meet at the church at 5:30AM to carpool! We need lots of
adult drivers!
First Federated Church
CHILDREN’S MINISTRY
KZ Church
Our buggy summer continues in KZ
Church, but we still aren’t calling in the bug
guys. We LOVE these bugs! They’re all a
part of “Metamorphosis—A God-directed,
Life Change Production.” Each week these
friendly bugs will help our kids understand
how God can change us into His beautiful creations, just as the
caterpillar goes through a transformation to become a butterfly.
This week in KZ Church we talked about TALK! That’s right.
It’s all about honesty in our conversation. We learned from Prov-
erbs 12:22 that “(God) is pleased with people who tell the truth.”
We learned that we tell lies for four basic reasons: we’re
scared; embarrassed; we want to impress people; or telling the
truth is just plain hard. So, when you’re tempted to tell a lie, ask
yourself, “What’s the ‘why’ behind the lie?”
Hey, Parents!
Are you headed out to the theater for the latest summer movie
or off to the video rental store? Don’t leave home without check-
ing out Pluggedinonline.com. This is a great resource for families
who want to know exactly what their children and youth will see
in the latest movie or DVD. This website is part of Focus on the
Family. Take an extra five minutes to get a detailed review before
you head out the door.
Splash Party
Sunday, July 19
It’s wet and wild! It’s cool! It’s
FREE! It’s for you and your family
and friends! We’ll be expecting you
at the Clive Aquatic Center.
Chicago Marathon | Team World Vision Oct 9-11
IF you’d like to support the “FFC 5” runners for the October
Chicago Marathon, each person has set up an online account.
Team members include Jason Griess, Jeff Harper, Mike Howland
(Howie), Blake Johnson, and John Schuster. We are EACH trying
to raise $1000 for TEAM WORLD VISION. World Vision works
to tackle the root causes of poverty by working with children,
families, and their communities to provide things like clean
water, health care, nutritious food, education, and economic
opportunities. You can support our efforts through Team World
Vision by making a one-time tax-deductible donation. Type in
the weblinks below if you’d like to help support this charity.
http://www.firstgiving.com/jasongriess
http://www.firstgiving.com/jeffharper
http://www.firstgiving.com/michaelhowland
http://www.firstgiving.com/blakejohnson
http://www.firstgiving.com/johnschuster
6 Sunday, July 5, 2009
 AWESOME Arts Camp | July 27-31
Here’s one more excit-
ing week of day camp
for 6-12 year olds. Five
creative arts workshops
will be available and all
will come together to present one finished production at the end
of the week. Sign up now for camp and take your choice from the
following workshops: drama, set design, vocals, media or dance.
Cost $35
More information is available in the Children’s Ministry office
Family Fishing Event or at the Children’s Registration Station.
Love to fish or just want a fun night
out with other Federated families? Join
us Friday, July 10, 6-9pm at Raccoon
River Park for a casual evening of
fishing and picnicing. Bring your fishing gear and license if you
want to fish, a picnic supper (even if you don’t want to fish), and
bug spray, of course. For more information, call Darrin Niday at
237-8268.
Just in case you’ve forgotten how much fun fishing can be,
check out these pictures from our recent fishing event with kids
from Oakridge.

Xtreme Rewards
Congratulations to the Xtreme students
who memorized all of their Bible verses
this past year. They were rewarded with an
XTREMELY fun day at Adventureland!

First Federated Church 7 Sunday, July 5, 2009

 OTHER NEWS
Thank You
Thank You First Federated Family, for your prayers, cards and
e-mails. During a time like this we realize how much our friends
mean to us. Your kind expressions of sympathy will always be
appreciated. Family of Cynthia Kotewa (Sister of Deb Crivaro)
Thank you for your prayers during the time my daughter-in-
law was sick. She went home to be with the Lord on June 16th.
Helena Shaw

Retired First Federated Bookkeeper Donna Hukill and Business

Manager Tom Hefner present the final mortgage payment to Fidelity
Bank Vice-President Tim McFarland. Join us August 23rd as we
celebrate this important milestone in both services.
By Tracy Griess

UPCOMING EVENTS
It’s that time of year again--time for Back 2 School! Now kids,
don’t panic. We’re talking about the Oakridge Back 2 School
Bash 2009. This year we will be celebrating with our friends at
July Oakridge on August 8. There will be food, fun and games for
Family Prayer Community (6:30PM | Franklin Hall) ......................................................8 everyone to kick off a new school year.
Family Fishing Event (6–9:00PM | Raccoon River Park) ..................................................10 We will once again be distributing back
Splash Party................................................................................................................19 packs filled with school supplies to our
AWEsome Arts Camp .......................................................................................27–31 friends who live in the Oakridge neighbor-
hood. We need your help to make this event
August a success. You may purchase new school
AAU Jr. Olympics at Drake Stadium ....................................................................3
Oakridge Back to School Bash...............................................................................8
supplies from the list below and bring them
Church Picnic at FFC............................................................................................... 30 to church, where we
will have colorful
collection bins
located throughout
the building. We have
ordered the back
packs and divided the
school supply list with
the other churches
involved to ensure we get just what we need. Please stick to the
supplies on the following list.
Some of you are just not into shopping, but would still like
to help out. You can sponsor a filled back pack by donating $10
and indicating “back packs” on your envelope. We will do the
shopping for you.
Deacon of the Month You can also volunteer to assist in several areas on the day of
Glen Biermann, 255.2122 ext 139 the event, as well as simply be there to mingle with our neighbors
Our Deacons stand ready to help with the physical needs of the at Oakridge. We had a blast last year and we saw God’s hand
members and attenders of this fellowship. Should you have a in this event on so many occasions. Plan to be a part of this
short-term, emergency need, do not hesitate to call the church outreach event this year. I know you will be blessed!
office and leave a message for the “Deacon of the Month.” This Supplies needed from First Federated:
ministry is made possible by your gifts to the Deacons’ Fund. • Dry erase markers
• Plain color pocket folders (no prongs)
Deaconess of the Month • 1” three ring binders, plain colors only
Cheryl Griffin | 953.5390
• Round tip scissors
Our Deaconesses are available to the women of the church in
• 4 packs of highlighters
areas of encouragement and spiritual support. If you need a
• Glue sticks
listening ear and someone to pray with you, please call Cheryl.

First Federated Church 8 Sunday, July 5, 2009