Churches in Downtown Des Moines

Active churches in Downtown Des Moines

218 6th Ave, Suite 200
thegatewaychurch.com
4 sermons · 1 day ago
1800 Grand Ave, Des Moines
dsmcc.org
1 sermon
1001 Pleasant Street, Des Moines
dmfirstchurch.org
1 sermon
600 6th Ave., Des Moines
stjohnsdsm.org
1 sermon
607 High St, Des Moines
saintambrosecathedral.org
1 sermon
814 School Street, Des Moines
corinthianbc.org
1 sermon

Types of churches in Downtown Des Moines

Non-denominational

Modern music, practical teaching, and a relaxed, come-as-you-are atmosphere — popular with young adults and families who want a welcoming community without strong denominational ties.

Mainline & historic

Traditional worship with beautiful sanctuaries, choral music, and liturgical services — congregations that connect faith with history and a long-standing community presence.

Students & young adults

With the University of Colorado nearby, many churches emphasize student ministry — Bible studies, worship nights, and service opportunities built for people in their college and early-career years.

Family-friendly

Strong kids’ programs, youth groups, and safe, supportive environments — with Sunday school, childcare, and age-specific ministries throughout the city.

Sermon clips from Downtown Des Moines churches

59s
#FaithReachesHealing
“She came up behind him and touched the end of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. We see here that this woman was not only brave enough to enter into this space, breaking so many social, cultural expectations. She is one of the first people to recognize Jesus for who he is, the messiah. Not just a good teacher, not just a healer, not just a miracle worker. He is the one that they have been waiting for. Her faith is on full display when she, remembering the words of the prophet Malachi, recognizes that the son of righteousness was right in front of her, the son of God, the messiah. And if she could just get close enough to touch the edge of his cloak, the tip of his wings, her faith would heal her. And it did.”
51s
“one reason why you and I shout right now, that's why I didn't mind when I heard my sister screaming today, is because we got another chance because somebody died in our place. When God moves you from a season of disobedience to a season of another chance, that's a good time right there to praise him. You ain't got the I don't need nobody else. When he covered you and you knew you were guilty, that's a good time to praise him. You you're alive right now when you should've been dead. You need to you you should've started acting up right there. When he kept you, when you act like you didn't wanna be kept, you should've acted up right there. Every now and then, when you wake up in the morning, I don't care if you even you've got your clothes on yet.”
51s
“If recall if you recall in the gospel a few weeks ago, Jesus invited Peter to walk across the water to him and Peter realized that on his own he couldn't do it. It was only because of the presence of the Lord. That had changed Peter. He now knew Jesus in a whole new way, not like the other disciples but he knew from his own experience that Jesus was there to save him. When we wonder about the strength of our faith, we need not be terribly anxious. Peter and the other disciples failed Jesus so many times over and over again in the scriptures. And you know what? Jesus always took them back. He might have been disappointed at times but he never gave up on them.”
57s
“Because we are not up to this task on our own, and it won't be by flesh and blood. Only with God's power will it be possible to lead these people, these disciples, where we need to go. To call us back when we wander off, to push us when we get stuck, and carry us when we can't. But still, Jesus is naming us as an important part of his story. Still, Jesus is calling us to be who we are meant to be as a part of this church and a part of this kingdom even yet now when we are not ready yet.”
51s
“When you think about it, Christianity is based on a very simple and yet profound truth. God wants relationship with us. So God came to Abraham and Sarah, and God came to David and Solomon, and God came to Deborah and Esther and Elijah and Isaiah and Jeremiah among so many others. And then once and for all, came in Jesus so that we might know that God wants real relationships with real people. Let me say that again. God wants real relationships with real people like you and me.”
48s
“It says manage his own household well. But the Greek word is pro istomy. Okay? You don't manage in Greek from the back with no stake in the game. Hey, guys. I laid down the rules. Now you go take care of it. Right? Can you imagine, like, in your own home, you you decided there's some standards that are slipping and you wanna deal with it. And the first thing you do is write a big thing, stick it on the fridge, and then make everybody else do all the work. That's not leadership. Pro istomy is to stand before. That's what the Greek word is if you're very literal about the etymology. It means lead, it means manage, but the implication is from the front. Lead by example.”
59s
#CalledDaughter
“Notice how he responds. Notice the first thing that he does is welcomes her in, claims her as his own. The only time he ever uses that word in the whole scriptures, He gives her worth, dignity. He sees her, acknowledges He calls her daughter. You can't even imagine that people around probably gasped at this. Right? You can't even imagine the social and cultural shock that the people around would have felt hearing this rabbi say these words to her. This outsider, this unclean person, this sinner, this untouchable person. And he calls her daughter. How do you think that felt for her? I imagine she was healed in so many more ways than just physically.”
41s
#UnmatchedGrace
“Because the beauty of the gospel is we can't out sin God's grace and love. No matter what you have done, remember the one who knows us the best knows everything that we've ever done. The one who knows us the best still loves us the most. And the reason I mention that is because so often when we are hurting or we have sinned or we feel unworthy or our initial reaction is is basically to retreat to ourselves. Right? To push others away, to push my church family away, to push my friends and family, and to push God away.”
34s
#TurnToGodWhenYouFail
“But the reason I mentioned this is I think what we see in the Psalm is a beautiful model of what that prayer can look like. When we are struggling, even if we messed up, especially if we messed up. Acknowledge our sin, but also still turn to God. Often the times that I want to turn to God the least are the times that I need to do so the most. We're the ones who got ourselves into this situation. Why would we think we could get ourselves out?”
33s
#PrayBigNotSmall
“God had been reduced to the size of a dinner roll and some butter. The point the author is making is that the greatest enemy of prayer is not asking too much of God, but asking too little. Not in a sort of like genie or cosmic vending machine view of God. What I what I mean is what we believe the God is actually capable of. The size of our prayers often reveal the size we imagine the God we are praying to.”

Why Downtown Des Moines churches are unique

Tradition meets innovation: The spiritual landscape in Downtown Des Moines reflects both heritage and progress, with long-established mainline churches standing alongside newer congregations that emphasize casual gatherings and contemporary worship.
A culture all its own: Many churches mirror the city’s culture of inclusivity and connection to the outdoors, offering spaces where people of all backgrounds can experience faith and community in an authentic, welcoming environment.

Recent sermons from Downtown Des Moines churches