On Saturday, September 6, 2014, messengers and guests from 10 Metro Association churches gathered at Waukee Baptist Church for their annual meeting. The theme for the meeting was “A New Day-The Same Hope” taken from the Hebrews 13:8: “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever.”

Awards were presented to Living Hope Community Church and First Family Ankeny by the SBC International Mission Board for the highest per capita gift and the largest gift (respectively) to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for international missionary support.

The association has restructured its ministry partnership with the Metro churches to serve them more effectively in the future. The messengers voted to call John Shaull, the current Director of Missions, who has served as a North American Board Missionary, as their part time Director of Missions. This change was the result of NAMB personnel realignments.

The highlight of the meeting was several testimonies by Metro churches concerning their mission engagement and church planting efforts at home and around the world. Uganda, Oklahoma and Peru were just some of those locations.

Matt O’Mealey, a new planter in the Des Moines area, shared he and his wife Keeva’s strategy for reaching “millenials” in the Drake/Sherman Hills area.

Matt O’Mealey, a new planter in the Des Moines area, shared he and his wife Keeva’s strategy for reaching “millenials” in the Drake/Sherman Hills area.

Pastor Phil Winfield called the crowd to remember that “God brings us through life’s storms so we can reach the people He brings across our paths on the other side of the storm.”

Pastor Phil Winfield called the crowd to remember that “God brings us through life’s storms so we can reach the people He brings across our paths on the other side of the storm.”