One of Sanctuary’s high school students, Madeline Marquardt, has organized three Hands On Faith service opportunities this summer at the Ronald McDonald House, a nonprofit that provides housing for hospital patients and families. Volunteers - ages 14 and older welcome! - will assist in meal preparation and clean up. Sign up to serve at our final night: August 13. Contact Madeline (madeline329@gmail.com) with any questions. Thank you!

This one-time class, led by Erika Lauer, will use small and large group activities along with meditation exercises to facilitate further awareness on how our consumer choices impact the environment. We’re offering this class in conjunction with our current teaching series The Created World. What and how we buy and consume affects a number of aspects related to human health and social justice. We hope that this class assists us in naming those choices and how we may change some of them to reflect God's values for creation. The class will take place on Thursday, July 25, from 6:30-8:00 p.m. at Sanctuary. We're requesting RSVP's so we can better plan. Sign up on this form.

We’re holding a 20-minute Members Meeting on Sunday, June 30 following the Sunday service. Pastoral staff will share a few updates including an important change in the Blue Ocean church network.

Join Hands on Faith’s Habitat for Humanity Build on Saturday, June 22. Habitat is a nonprofit organization that assists people with building and owning their home. You can work a morning shift (8-noon) or an afternoon shift (1-5) or both. Lunch is served at noon for anyone who works either shift. Sign up using the form below. Questions? Email david@sanctuaryic.org.  

Sanctuary is looking for volunteers to help us celebrate and support the LGBTQ community at Iowa City Pride Fest this year! It will be our first year participating, and we'd love to see a strong church turnout. Help decorate our float, walk in the parade, or do both on Saturday, June 15th. You can sign up on this form to volunteer.

Questions can be directed to Ashley Lindley at ashekae@gmail.com.

Our Hands on Faith ministry is partnering with Coralville Central to assist with their Ride Into Summer event on May 15, 6-7:30 p.m. Volunteers can help with dinner (set up, serve, cleanup) or the bike rodeo for kids. We’re also hoping to provide 400 cookies. If you can serve or provide some cookies (or both!), please sign up on this form or on the clipboard at the welcome table. Contact David (david@sanctuaryic.org) with any questions. Thank you!

Newer to Sanctuary? Wondering what we're about or hoping to meet some of the leadership? This is the class for you and a great place to start! We'll provide lunch and childcare. You can enjoy the food while hearing a bit about Sanctuary -- our history, our leadership, and what we're passionate about. Click HERE to sign up!

Join us for worship on Easter Sunday (April 21) as we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection! We’ll offer two Sunday services: 9:00 and 10:45 a.m. PLUS: we’ll have a free Easter themed PHOTO BOOTH for family and friend photos.

Please join us for our Good Friday Service on Friday, April 19, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Good Friday is the annual remembrance of Jesus' crucifixion. We mark this important date through a worship service that includes scripture readings, music, and imagery. As we contemplate Jesus' suffering, we are drawn more into God's fullness. This is one of the most important special worship services all year that brings the Lenten season to its climax. Childcare is available for kids ages 0-5, but we ask that you RSVP to Phyllis (phyllis@sanctuaryic.org) to reserve a spot.

Sunday, April 14 is our annual HoFfering (Hands on Faith Offering). Our goal is to raise $20,000, and all of the money raised through the HoFfering goes towards financial support of organizations beyond our church. This past year, for example, we gave $10,000 to G! WORLD as a part of our Easter $10,000 Blessing. Our church supports many local organizations and relief efforts as well. Financial giving from our church makes a huge impact because it signals so much about Jesus’ goodness and generosity. If you won’t be at church on April. 14, you can give online at www.sanctuaryic.org/give.

We’re excited to launch a new teaching series in Lent called Flipped, which will explore how God flips our worlds upside down. We see the ultimate example in Jesus’ death and resurrection, but there are all kinds of ways that God’s goodness surprises us through radical reversals.  Join us every Sunday in Lent, or catch the live stream or podcast.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning Lent, the 40-day period before Easter. Join us for our Ash Wednesday worship service (March 6, 6:30 p.m.) that includes music, prayers, and the symbolic distribution of ashes. Childcare is available (for ages 0-5), but please reserve a spot by emailing phyllis@sanctuaryic.org.

Led by Sanctuary member Dr. Katie Imborek, this seminar will focus on foundational terms, definitions, and concepts around LGBTQ identities. This knowledge is necessary for anyone interested in respectfully engaging with people of all gender and sexual identities whether in the workplace, church, family and/or social circles.  

This seminar is free and open to the public, but we request RSVP’s for space and resource planning. RSVP here.

ABOUT THE FACILITATOR

Dr. Katie Imborek is an associate professor of family medicine and co-director of UI Health Care LGBTQ clinic. Together with Dr Nicole Nisly, she created the LGBTQ clinic in 2012. This multidisciplinary clinic has cared for over 800 patients since it opened, with the majority of these patients identifying as transgender or gender non-conforming. Dr. Imborek routinely lectures to medical students, residents, faculty and health care staff about providing competent and affirming care to LGBTQ patients.

Join us Monday, Dec. 24 at 4:00 or 5:15 p.m. for a traditional, family-friendly Christmas Eve service with carols, candles, Scripture readings, and a story for children. Cookies and cider will be served after each service.

Join us as we prepare our hearts and minds for this Advent season through contemplation and meditation, led by Valerie Keffala. We will be learning about and practicing a different faith-based meditation practice over the course of four weeks. You are welcome to come for any or all of these sessions. No previous experience is required. Feel free to come and explore as we learn to draw near to God with these practices. We will meet on Sunday evenings from 6:15 to 7:30 November 25 through December 16. Email Beth Faga at beth.faga@gmail.com with any questions and to RSVP.

Join us for Sanctuary’s fun, adults-only Christmas party featuring food, drinks, and a holiday themed photo booth. It will be hosted at the home of Dana and Erik Lehmann, 2301 Jessup Cir. Iowa City 52246, on Friday, December 7, 7:30-10:00 p.m. Bring a dessert or an appetizer to share, and the church will provide beverages. Please note: there’s additional street parking available on MacBride Dr.

Sanctuary will transition to only one Sunday service time, at 10 a.m., beginning Sunday, Nov. 4. After looking at attendance numbers, volunteer availability, and Kids Wing capacity, we’ve concluded that one Sunday service will best suit our community’s needs. We recognize only one option may present some challenges, and we’re happy to talk through anything we might do to accommodate.  

Single parents! You are invited to join us for a delicious breakfast and casual discussion about single parenting. Although a multiplicity of external factors leads us to be single parents, we will gather and share about our common experience of parenting on our own. Come as you are! We are ready to hear from you and learn from each other. Details: Saturday, Nov. 3rd, 9:00-11:00 a.m. at Sanctuary. Childcare and breakfast provided. Click here to register: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfvVhRo3TQxRmF0G0sYz22Nt7lpRQBBq0_B4uMm4Q-vTSEYJQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

Join other community members in a Rally for Immigration Reform on Saturday, Oct. 27, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. at the UI Pentacrest. Sponsored in part by the Iowa Poor People’s Campaign and the Eastern Iowa Community Bond Project, this rally is a peaceful, non-partisan gathering to HEAR stories from Iowans most impacted by negative immigration laws and to LEARN what action we can all take. Check out the Facebook event page HERE for more information.

Sunday, Nov. 19 is our annual HoFfering (Hands on Faith Offering). All of the money raised through the HoFfering goes towards financial support of organizations beyond our church. This past year, for example, we gave $10,000 to G! WORLD as a part of our Easter $10,000 Blessing. Our church supports many local organizations and relief efforts as well.  Financial giving from our church makes a huge impact because it signals so much about Jesus’ goodness and generosity to others. If you won’t be at church on Oct. 14, you can give online at www.sanctuaryic.org/give.

The HoFfering supports all of the following:

-Financial contributions towards local organizations: Habitat for Humanity, Shelter House, Crisis Center, and IC Compassion

- Our $10,000 Blessing at Easter that we’ve been doing since 2013, previous winners listed below:

2013 Coralville Central Elementary

2014 Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County

2015 Shelter House Overflow Shelter

2016 DVIP

2017 IC Compassion

2018 G! World

- Young Life, a Christian outreach ministry to junior high, high school, and college students

- Jess Hanson & the nonprofit Love Does in Uganda

- Disaster relief

- Our Cougar Chow program assisting food insecure families (about $3,000 per year)

at Coralville Central Elementary,

- Assistance to families in need in our community

Please consider how you might contribute towards our $20,000 goal. Thank you!

We’re glad to invite all men to our next Men’s Breakfast on Saturday, September 29, 7:30-9:00 a.m. at the church.  Come enjoy free hot breakfast (and plenty of coffee), an engaging talk, plus lively conversation to follow.  RSVP by September 25th to David (david@sanctuaryic.org).

Sanctuary Community Church • 2205 E Grantview Dr, Coralville

Are you the parent of a teen or pre-teen? Wondering why your teen does, says or acts the way they do? Come and find out! Sanctuary is hosting a Parenting Teens Seminar just for you!

Erika Lauer, an Iowa City-based psychiatrist, will be sharing information about the complex teen brain and its development. Additionally, local therapist Michelle Hansen will be offering ideas for how to relate to and communicate more effectively with your teen. 

We think you'll walk away with a better understanding of your teen and a few more tools in your belt. Questions? Email Beth Faga at beth@sanctuaryic.org

Please register using the form below.