Spring 2006
After years of visioning, and months of prayer and planning, Lutheran Church of Hope Ankeny (originally called Hope NorthBranch until July of 2011) was launched on April 22, 2006 under the leadership of Kingdom Expansion Pastor Molly Juntunen and Student Ministry Director Mark Brandt and the volunteer support of a committed Launch Team.
Hope Ankeny is the first Satellite congregation of Lutheran Church of Hope – which simply means Hope Ankeny is a worshipping community of Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines and is under Hope’s mission, vision, values, and structure. Hope launched Hope Ankeny to reach out particularly to the Ankeny community by discerning God’s vision for His church there.
Fall 2006
Through a partnership with Resurrection Lutheran Church in Ankeny, Hope Ankeny began worshiping on Saturday evenings. A focused effort was made to provide Children’s Ministry and to offer Alpha.
In November of 2006 Hope Ankeny called its first Campus Pastor, Scott Rains. Worship attendance through the fall of ’06 was approximately 100 and 15 children came to Roots. The Hope Ankeny Christmas Eve service saw 200 people celebrate the birth of Jesus.
Spring 2007
Hope Ankeny began worshiping at Northview Middle School in Ankeny on March 11. Almost immediately, worship jumped to over 200 people every Sunday. In July, God’s Champions Vacation Bible School saw over 100 children come to a park in Ankeny for a week of Bible stories, activities and fun.
Fall 2007
In September of 2007 Hope Ankeny started a second worship service on Sunday mornings. Attendance at worship has jumped to nearly 400 each Sunday with over 100 children participating in it's Children's Ministry programming. Ministry for middle and high school students is added to what is happening for children and adults.
In less than two years, Hope Ankeny has shown itself to be a church that is growing wider and deeper. What God is doing in the hearts of the people of Hope is changing them from the inside out. Secure in our identity as beloved children of God, Hope Ankeny is reaching out to Ankeny and the world with the everlasting love of Jesus Christ.
- Adopting Villages in Ghana, West Africa by sponsoring pastors, building churches and digging wells.
- Begin the process of funding and staffing a no-fee adoption agency called Bringing Hope Home
- Serving at the Iowa Homeless Youth Shelter and participating in various other local mission opportunities
Fall 2008
The Station opened at 1924 SW 3rd Street. The Station is a seven day a week ministry space and has offices for the Hope Ankeny Staff.
Spring 2010
A Saturday night worship service began at The Station at 5:00 pm. A Future Site Task force is looking for land for a possible permanent location in Ankeny for Hope Ankeny.
Hope Ankeny is dreaming big and eagerly anticipating what God is going to do next in Ankeny!
Fall 2010
In November 2010, $700,000 in pledges and gifts were received during our DreamLand campaign for the purchase of land for Hope’s permanent home in Ankeny.
Summer 2011
In August, 2011 we finalized the purchase of 20 acres of land on the north side of Ankeny.
Because the DreamLand pledges will come in over a three year period, ending in Dec. 2013, we took out a loan to purchase the land.
- Praise God $250,000 was already in the bank!
- The amount of the loan was only $450,000.
