Who We Are

Meet Our Leaders

To contact any of our leaders, please email office@polkcityumc.org or complete the form on our Contact Us page.

Pastor Wendy Musgrave

Our Pastor

Pastor Wendy Musgrave grew up in Newell, Iowa, a rural community in the northwest part of the state. She earned her undergraduate degree in graphic design from Iowa State University and worked in publication design before discerning a call to ministry. Wendy earned her MDiv from the Iliff School of Theology in 2018 and, in 2024, was ordained as an elder in the United Methodist Church. She has served as pastor of Centennial UMC at Ivy in Altoona and Wellspring Community Church in Des Moines before being appointed to serve at Polk City UMC. With a background in design, Wendy brings gifts for visual communication and a passion for creative worship design that inspires engagement and fosters spiritual growth. Wendy and her husband Jon live in Johnston with their two daughters, Greta, a junior at the University of Northern Iowa, and Edie, a senior at Johnston High School.

Annette Purdy

Annette Purdy

Administrative Assistant

Ben Fridley

Ben Fridley

Leaders Council Chair

Angela Cupp

Angela Cupp

Worship Chair

James Menke

James Menke

SPRC Chair

Heidi Anderson

Heidi Anderson

Missions Chair

Dave Schelling

Dave Schelling

Trustees Chair

Becky Nolte

Care, Connection, & Community Co-Chair

Jeff Purdy

Jeff Purdy

Discipleship Chair

Alissa Mangae

Alissa Mangae

Youth Group

Doug McKinstry

Doug McKinstry

Finance Chair

Charlotte Loter

Charlotte Loter

Financial Secretary

Scott Mead

Scott Mead

Treasurer

What We Do

Meet Our Ministry Teams

To contact any of our leaders, please email office@polkcityumc.org or complete the form on our Contact Us page.

Polk City United Methodist Church is an active congregation, blessed with disciples committed to loving God and neighbor. Do you wonder how things work around here? Read on to learn about our ministry teams, who make the learning, worship, and mission we do through Polk City UMC possible.

Are you looking for meaningful ways to get involved? Talk with one of our leaders about your interests and give it a try! There is room for you!

Board of Trustees

The ministry of the Board of Trustees is to help provide a safe, clean, and well-maintained environment in which people may gather, learn, serve, and worship together. They serve our church by faithfully ensuring that we are good stewards of our resources.

They establish policies and practices for the management of church property and oversee building investments, maintenance, insurance, and repairs. They supervise and maintain all of our real, personal, and intellectual property, so that as a church we can fulfill our mission.

Spiritual gifts valuable for a member of trustees include: servanthood, helping, discernment, leadership, administration, and giving. Knowledge of property and asset management, ability to listen to and communicate with people of all ages, and the ability to work with other ministry leaders are also valuable skills.

Trustees Chair: Dave Schelling

Discipleship Squad

Our Discipleship Squad is a group committed to helping people of all ages grow through our discipleship pathway: As disciples we BELONG in community, and seek to BECOME more like Jesus, so that we might BLESS our neighbors! The Discipleship Squad discerns opportunities for spiritual growth through small groups, affinity and social groups, book and bible studies, retreats, and leadership development opportunities. They invite ideas and encourage leaders who are inspired to help us grow closer to God and one another.

Spiritual gifts like leadership, encouragement, Faith, Shepherding, teaching, and discernment, as well as gifts for invitation and welcome, and an ability to work with different age groups and meet people where they are on their spiritual journey are valuable for members of our Discipleship Squad.

You can be involved in our discipleship squad in a variety of ways including serving as part of our “Squad,” sharing an interest or idea, or leading one of our discipleship offerings.

Discipleship Squad Chair: Jeff Purdy

Finance Committee

Our Finance Committee oversees our annual budget and the financial health of our church. They review and approve the annual financial audit and help develop plans to fund future ministry needs. They facilitate our annual stewardship campaign and encourage spiritual growth through generosity.

Spiritual gifts appropriate for a member of the finance committee include: giving, faith, wisdom, administration, discernment, helping, leadership, encouragement, and teaching. Confidentiality, organization, the ability to keep detailed, accurate records, and an understanding of biblical stewardship are also valuable qualities for a member of the Finance Committee.

The finance committee includes our Financial Secretary, who confidentially receives, records, and deposits all funds received by our church and our Treasurer who disburses funds received by the church in a responsible and organized manner to keep the bills paid and our budget in check.

Finance Chair: Doug McKinstry
Treasurer: Scott Mead
Financial Secretary: Charlotte Loter

Staff Parish Relations Committee (SPRC)

Our Staff Parish Relations Committee, or SPRC, is the administrative unit of our local church. It’s the committee where the interests of the congregation and of the pastor and staff are integrated so that together we can focus on effective mission and ministry.

SPRC advises the Leaders Council on issues of church personnel. They provide feedback and consultation for our Bishop, District Superintendent, and appointive cabinet about the appointment of our pastor each year. SPRC oversees our safe sanctuary policy, personnel policies, and job descriptions.

The SPRC also promotes congregational unity and communicates with the congregation as a liaison between the church and the staff.

The qualities we look for in SPRC members are: engagement in the life of our church, the healthy spiritual life of one who is growing as a disciple of Jesus, and spiritual gifts like leadership, discernment, administration, shepherding, servanthood, and helping. Relational and listening skills are important. Human Resources or legal skills can also be helpful. Because of the sensitive nature of some of the work in SPRC, confidentiality and an ability to be objective are vital qualities in an SPRC member.

SPRC Chair: James Menke

Worship Planning Team

Our Worship Planning Team collaborates with our pastor in planning worship series themes, altar and sanctuary design, and special worship opportunities such as Holy Week services and Christmas Eve worship.

This creative group of disciples helps to foster meaningful sensory-rich worship opportunities that immerse us in the scripture and theme of our series, and connect our heads with our hearts through visuals, music, and the space we create.

Valuable interests and skills for the worship planning team include creativity, a love for design, and a desire to brainstorm out-of-the-box ideas and implement them. This is a team with space for both dreamers and doers, where both artistic expression and practical construction know-how are valued in the creation of meaningful and spiritual worship experiences that inspire!

Worship Chair: Angela Cupp

Care, Connection, & Community Committee

Our Care Connection & Community committee provides care by receiving and praying over the concerns of the congregation, helping organize visits and meals, sending cards, and making calls to those in need of care. This team helps us stay connected with each other through fellowship opportunities like the all-church potluck. They help us connect with people outside of our church by organizing our presence at community events like the Square Lighting and the Four Seasons Fest Parade. They also extend invitations to new Polk City residents through “Community Greetings” and by sending handwritten notes of welcome.

Spiritual gifts like service, compassion, listening, insight, empathy, hospitality, welcome, and invitation are valuable for a member of the CCC committee.

Co-Chairs: Becky Nolte & Charlotte Loter

Missions

Loving God by loving our neighbors is at the heart of all we do at Polk City UMC. We offer many mission opportunities for meaningful ways to get involved. Our Missions Chair serves as a liaison to help coordinate our mission efforts. Children’s Ministry, Youth Group, United Women in Faith, the Comet Cupboard Food Pantry, DMARC, and Men-on-a-Mission leaders work together to plan ways for disciples of all ages to engage in service and mission.

Missions Chair: Heidi Anderson

Children's Ministry

There are a variety of ways to get involved in children’s ministry at Polk City UMC: volunteer as a Sunday School leader on Sunday mornings from 8:45-9:30, help plan our annual Vacation Bible School, volunteer to serve as a VBS leader or helper and share the love of God with children from our congregation and community.

Children’s Ministry leaders: Emily Young & Maria Steckel

Our Youth Group meets on Wednesday evenings from 6:30-8pm. All Youth grades 6-12 are welcome to participate. Through youth group, we connect with God and each other, serve God and neighbor in love, and have a lot of fun together!

Adults can join the fun! Volunteer on Wednesdays, help organize fundraisers, or participate as an adult leader for mission trip. Get involved! Be a positive influence in the lives of our youth and a force for good in the world!

Contact: Pastor Wendy