Local Matters Listening Sessions
August 10–24, 2025
Our Zip Codes Are No Accident... In fact, God's plan for people, families, and communities to flourish lands right here—at our doorstep—in the greater Ames area. Browse the teaching, events, and service opportunities below.
What Good is Good?
Missed our kick-off Sunday for Local Matters? Catch Pastor Wayne's teaching on the heart behind our initiative here.
Let's Jump In!
There's Something for Everyone...
Caring Fund
We have the privilege of serving hundreds in our community through the Caring Fund ministry. Residents of Ames who qualify can receive financial assistance with rent, utilities and related living expenses. This fund allows us to be the hands and feet of Jesus to the community. We encourage you to partner with this ministry today!
When giving online, simply select "Caring Fund". When writing a check, please include "Caring Fund" in the memo line. Special envelopes can also be found at the Welcome Center.
Community Partner Volunteer Opportunities
Maintenance Volunteer for Wings of Refuge
Brief Role Description: Volunteer opportunities are available such as landscaping, doing preventative maintenance as well as doing last minute repairs. Background checks are required. Contact Brenda at brendab@wingsofrefugeia.net for more information!
Primary Ministry Area: Serve
Primary Leader and Contact: Wayne Stewart (wstewart@ccames.org)
In-House Volunteers for Wings of Refuge
Brief Role Description: Volunteer opportunities are available such as providing transportation, covering the house during staff meetings, leading women in activities such as crafts and baking, leading a Bible study, providing meals. What do YOU like to do? Background checks and training is required. Contact Brenda at brendab@wingsofrefugeia.net for more information.
Primary Ministry Area: Serve
Primary Leader and Contact: Wayne Stewart (wstewart@ccames.org)
Overflow Thrift Store Volunteer
Brief Role Description: Overflow Thrift Store accepts the abundance of our community, resells gently-used goods, and gives proceeds to organizations caring for those in need, locally and abroad. Volunteers support these efforts by receiving, processing and stocking goods, testing electronics, driving truck for merchandise transport, and serving customers at our registers. Volunteers can serve anytime during Overflow’s business hours – Mondays through Saturdays 10 AM to 6 PM. Volunteers typically serve in 2 hour shifts; service can be weekly, monthly, quarterly.
A 30-minute orientation is required.
Primary Ministry Area: Serve
Primary Leader and Contact: Wayne Stewart (wstewart@ccames.org)
Together for Good Support Volunteer
Brief Role Description: Together for Good creates pathways for the local church to come alongside vulnerable children and families in Christ-centered ministry. We have host families and advocates that come alongside these families to meet direct needs in their lives. Our support volunteers make this work possible by meeting physical needs for the participant families and/or volunteers.
Some opportunities to support are: rides to medical appointments, providing meals, bringing diapers or other supplies or providing gift baskets around holidays.
Together for Good provides training and oversight for our volunteers and we are with you every step of the way.
Onboarding includes: background checks if you will be interacting directly with participants.
Primary Ministry Area: Serve
Primary Leader and Contact: Wayne Stewart (wstewart@ccames.org)
Together for Good Advocate
Brief Role Description: Together for Good Advocates serve parents as a mentor or intentional friend. Together for Good creates pathways for the local church to come alongside vulnerable children and families in Christ-centered ministry. Our Advocates are volunteers who would like to come alongside a mom or dad directly to encourage them. This can vary depending on the volunteer and participant, but mostly it is meeting for coffee or having a phone call, or taking a meal over to see how the participant is doing, and when possible, help encourage and disciple them. We ask for a minimum of two connections per month when possible.
Together for Good provides training and oversight for our volunteers and we are with you every step of the way.
Onboarding includes: background checks, references, and training.
Primary Ministry Area: Serve
Primary Leader and Contact: Wayne Stewart (wstewart@ccames.org)
Together for Good Host Parent
Brief Role Description: Together for Good Host Families serve by welcoming children into their home for short-term stays. Each host family looks a bit different, picking and choosing which opportunities to help with. Most of the hostings (95%) are short-term respite hostings, one or two days or a weekend a month. Every once in awhile there will be a crisis hosting, helping during a medical emergency or something similar, for those host families willing to host kids for a longer period. Caring for children through these hostings allows the parents to get the short break they need, catch up on things or endure a crisis. This helps these families endure longer and stay together as a family for the long-term.
Together for Good provides training and oversight for our volunteers and we are with you every step of the way.
Onboarding includes: background checks, references, training, and a one-hour home visit.
Primary Ministry Area: Serve
Primary Leader and Contact: Wayne Stewart (wstewart@ccames.org)
YSS - Volunteer Chaplain / Youth Leader
Brief Role Description: A Volunteer Chaplain / Youth Leader serves teenagers or young adults, with Youth for Christ’s Juvenile Justice Ministry, at the Ember Recovery Campus near Cambridge. Through Bible discussions, 1-on-1 conversations, or games and activities with young people, you will work to build caring relationships through learning the story of boys or girls, sharing your story, and talking with them about matters of faith, specifically the Good News of Jesus.
Expect one to two hours a week. Prerequisites include a YSS (facility) background and reference check, a Youth for Christ application, interview, reference and background check, Abuse Prevention Training, and in person Juvenile Justice Ministry training to prepare you for serving students well.
Community mentoring or serving at different facilities may be a possibility as well.
For more information or to apply to volunteer, contact Josh South, Ministry Director with Greater Iowa Youth For Christ, at jsouth@giyfc.org or 515-918-7881.
Primary Ministry Area: Serve
Primary Leader and Contact: Wayne Stewart (wstewart@ccames.org)
Well Prayer Team Member
Brief Role Description: Weekly praying for The Well organization, staff, volunteers and clients from emailed prayer requests. (Marcy Ryken marcyr@thewelliowa.org
Primary Ministry Area: Serve
Primary Leader and Contact: Wayne Stewart (wstewart@ccames.org)
Volunteer Care Coordinator at The Well Resource Center in Ames
Brief Role Description: *Create a safe environment for clients -both physically and emotionally
*Welcome, respect, love and accept people when engaging with them
*Maintain Confidentiality
*Assist staff care coordinator in reception area and in client meetings
*Active listening, support discussion, encourage and learn in session with client
*3-hour shifts – 9:00a-12:00pm and 1:00pm-4:00pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays
*On site training included
*Background check
Primary Ministry Area: Serve
Primary Leader and Contact: Marcy Ryken (marcyr@thewelliowa.org)
Treat Baker for The Well Resource Center Ames
Brief Role Description: Baking and delivering baked treats – cookies, bars, scones, etc. to be offered at the reception area at The Well Resource Center in Ames
Primary Ministry Area: Serve
Primary Leader and Contact: Marcy Ryken (marcyr@thewelliowa.org)
Hospitality Volunteer at The Well Resource Center Ames
Brief Role Description: *Greeting clients and helping them feel welcome
*Managing the “Living Room” style reception area – including welcoming clients, engaging them in conversation, and maintaining the refreshment center (hot and cold drinks and snacks) by cleaning up and restocking and checking supplies
*Answering the phone, setting appointments by phone and with in-person clients
*Straighten and update calendar wall flyers and posters
*Praying for the Well
*3-hour shifts
*Anticipated 10:00a-1:00p and 1:00p-4:00p Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays
*On-site Training
*Simple Background Check
*May include some light cleaning of reception area when there are no clients
Primary Ministry Area: Serve
Primary Leader and Contact: Marcy Ryken (marcyr@thewelliowa.org)