February 2026 Letter to the Editor
February 3, 2026
Letter To The Editor,
The Social Justice and Outreach Committee (SoJO) at Ames United Church of Christ extends a radical welcome to all people, offering a time and place to decompress and rejuvenate. During this troubled time in our nation, we want to especially welcome those who have been rejected by family and friends, society and government, those who are being pushed aside, stripped of their dignity and ability to be safe and feed themselves
and their families.
At Ames UCC we believe that each person is in the image of God. This is true no matter who we love, our gender identification, our country of origin, the religion we practice, the language we speak, where and how we live. We are beloved of God and at Ames UCC we seek to embody that love and express it at all times and in all ways.
In the spirit of the social justice work we are called to do, the SoJO committee invites you to our Sunday services; details are available on our website: https://www.amesucc.org. While Ames UCC is a Christian community, the only requirement is respect for each other in our spiritual journeys. A collection plate is passed, but your presence is of utmost value and while a contribution is appreciated it is not required to worship with us. Join us for coffee or a glass of water and a bite of dessert after service, or head out, or stay in our beautiful sanctuary for some alone time
– the choice is yours. You are also welcome to join our Sunday service online and can find information about accessing the service at our website.
In this time when so many of our elected officials have shown themselves to be unconcerned with the well-being of their constituents and, indeed, all human beings, we the people must reach out to each other as best we can. We must not allow the disregard displayed by some of our government officials and their cruel decisions to make us feel undeserving of the best life can offer to all humankind; we must not be overcome by hopelessness and despair. The faith we practice at Ames UCC is one grounded in God’s love and the hope we find in Jesus' life. We are a community that supports and believes in each other. We extend that love and hope to you. Come let us welcome you.
Shalom,
Ames United Church of Christ Social Justice and Outreach Committee members:
Christa Andersen, Debbie Bahr, Gorge Belitsos, Diane Birt, Jan Lee, Terry Miles, and Terry Potter
Letter To The Editor,
The Social Justice and Outreach Committee (SoJO) at Ames United Church of Christ extends a radical welcome to all people, offering a time and place to decompress and rejuvenate. During this troubled time in our nation, we want to especially welcome those who have been rejected by family and friends, society and government, those who are being pushed aside, stripped of their dignity and ability to be safe and feed themselves
and their families.
At Ames UCC we believe that each person is in the image of God. This is true no matter who we love, our gender identification, our country of origin, the religion we practice, the language we speak, where and how we live. We are beloved of God and at Ames UCC we seek to embody that love and express it at all times and in all ways.
In the spirit of the social justice work we are called to do, the SoJO committee invites you to our Sunday services; details are available on our website: https://www.amesucc.org. While Ames UCC is a Christian community, the only requirement is respect for each other in our spiritual journeys. A collection plate is passed, but your presence is of utmost value and while a contribution is appreciated it is not required to worship with us. Join us for coffee or a glass of water and a bite of dessert after service, or head out, or stay in our beautiful sanctuary for some alone time
– the choice is yours. You are also welcome to join our Sunday service online and can find information about accessing the service at our website.
In this time when so many of our elected officials have shown themselves to be unconcerned with the well-being of their constituents and, indeed, all human beings, we the people must reach out to each other as best we can. We must not allow the disregard displayed by some of our government officials and their cruel decisions to make us feel undeserving of the best life can offer to all humankind; we must not be overcome by hopelessness and despair. The faith we practice at Ames UCC is one grounded in God’s love and the hope we find in Jesus' life. We are a community that supports and believes in each other. We extend that love and hope to you. Come let us welcome you.
Shalom,
Ames United Church of Christ Social Justice and Outreach Committee members:
Christa Andersen, Debbie Bahr, Gorge Belitsos, Diane Birt, Jan Lee, Terry Miles, and Terry Potter