Here is a little trivia about Walnut Hills Church that you just might not know.  Enjoy!

Did you know . . .

    Walnut Hills Church celebrated its 17th Anniversary in October, 2006.

    Walnut Hills Church created a children's garden in 2005 where they are the care givers for the land teaching them respect and love of the Earth.

   Walnut Hills Church celebrated its 15th Anniversary for 6 Sundays from September 19 through October 24, 2004.

     Gene Koth, founding pastor of Walnut Hills, returned to preach October 17, 2004, remembering the past 15 years.

     On October 24, 2004, Walnut Hills received as a gift a new cross made from one of the beams from the wreckage of one of the World Trade Towers in memory of a fallen firefighter. For more of the story, you may follow this link.  World Trade Center Cross

    On June 15, 2003 Doug Peters was recognized for completion of 25 years as an ordained elder Iowa Annual Conference.

   Pam Deeds was appointed the Associate Minister in July 2003.

    On June 30, 2002 Gene Koth, founding pastor of Walnut Hills, retired.  There were many celebrations, laughter and tears when he retired.

   On July 1, 2002 Doug Peters started as Walnut Hills' senior minister.  He had been at Solon, Iowa for nearly 19 years.

    Walnut Hills was started in 1989 by making 25,000 dials on the telephone.

    For six years (1989-95) Walnut Hills met in a school gym and stored everything in a trailer between Sundays.

    The church's 16 acres of land were purchased from a private land owner who wept with joy the Sunday he was introduced to the congregation.

    Walnut Hills mission statement was written in 1999 after the fact to explain what it already was: "Walnut Hills, a place to call home where we are welcomed and sent forth to serve."

    Walnut Hills provides monthly meals at two different sites: Churches United shelter and Trinity Church Low Income Meals.

    In 1991, Walnut Hills was one of three churches receiving the national United Methodist Circuit Rider award for exemplary growth.

    In 1999 Walnut Hills was one of four United Methodist churches in Iowa receiving the coveted bishop’s "All God’s Children" award for outreach to all children.

    The Senior and Junior High youth groups grew from twenty to seventy in the first ten years.

    Walnut Hills’ building won an Iowa Architecture magazine award for design and was featured on the magazine’s front page.

    Walnut Hills is one of a very few churches with a name brick patio.

    Walnut Hills 400 seat capacity Celebration Center is a multi-purpose site used for celebrative worship, volleyball, basketball, dance and preschool.

    Walnut Hills youth have three different annual work trips to choose from and adults have their own work project team that does local projects in the metro area.

    We have youth from seven different schools that participate in youth activities.

    We have two Youth leadership Teams (Junior High & Senior High).  The Youth Leadership members plan all youth activities.

    We have a Youth Servant Team that does at least one service project each month in the community.

    Walnut Hills is a place to call home for people of all ages.

12321 Hickman Road Des Moines Iowa 50323
Phone: 515-270-9226 Fax: 515-270-0838 mandi@whumc.org