A Presbyterian Presence on Douglas Avenue
Douglas Avenue Presbyterian Church sits at 4601 Douglas Avenue on the northwest side of Des Moines, where it has served as a neighborhood congregation for generations. The church's motto - "To live our Faith with Hope and Love" - captures both its Reformed heritage and the welcoming tone it extends to newcomers. Across decades of Sundays, the congregation has kept a steady rhythm: scripture read, hymns sung, prayers offered, and the Word of God proclaimed from the sanctuary pulpit.
The church is Presbyterian in name and worship, drawing on the Christian tradition of ordered, scripture-centered worship that has marked the denomination since its Reformation roots. Members come from the surrounding Douglas Avenue neighborhood and from across the wider Des Moines area, gathering on Sunday mornings for a service that has remained essentially unchanged in shape for years.
Sunday Morning at 9:30
Worship is held in the sanctuary every Sunday at 9:30 AM. The service lasts about an hour and follows what the congregation describes as the rich Christian tradition: reading scripture, singing hymns, hearing special music, joining in prayer, and listening to the Word of God read and proclaimed. Hymns are accompanied by piano - the consistent musical foundation of the morning. After the service, fellowship time is held in the fellowship hall, giving members and visitors a chance to talk over coffee and refreshments.
The worship is described as traditional in style. Visitors can expect a service in which the elements of classic Reformed worship are present: a call to worship, scripture readings, prayer, music, sermon, and benediction, conducted in a quiet, focused atmosphere.
One Service, Two Styles
While most Sundays follow the traditional pattern, the church makes one regular change to the rhythm: on the third Sunday of every month, a contemporary service is held in place of the traditional service. This monthly contemporary service gives the congregation a different musical and liturgical texture without disrupting the overall schedule. The result is a blended rhythm across the month - traditional worship on the first, second, fourth, and fifth Sundays, with contemporary worship on the third.
Visitors who prefer one style over another can plan accordingly, or simply experience both across a couple of visits. The congregation uses the same 9:30 AM start time for both forms of worship.
The Preaching Team
The pulpit at Douglas Avenue Presbyterian Church is filled primarily by two people. The Rev. Pat Summers serves as the congregation's pastor and preaches on most Sundays. Val Smith, a Commissioned Lay Pastor (CLP), shares preaching duties on a regular rotation, typically every other Sunday. Together, the two have carried the bulk of Sunday preaching for several years, with Elder Schoelerman filling the pulpit occasionally for special services such as Christmas Eve.
The two-preacher rotation is visible across the years of recorded services. A Sunday-by-Sunday record stretching back to at least 2020 shows Rev. Summers and CLP Smith alternating, with occasional guest preachers for holidays and special services. This consistent pulpit supply is a notable feature of the congregation - members know that, week to week, they will hear a sermon grounded in scripture from one of these two voices.
Following the Lectionary
Each Sunday's service uses the lectionary - the three-year schedule of scripture readings that walks congregations through the Bible in a structured way. The church publishes its lectionary readings for the coming weeks in advance, so members can prepare for worship and follow the same texts used by Presbyterian, Methodist, Episcopal, and Lutheran congregations around the world.
For example, the readings listed for one month begin with the Second Sunday of Christmas (Jeremiah 31:7-14, Psalm 147, Ephesians 1, John 1), continue through the Baptism of the Lord (Isaiah 42, Psalm 29, Acts 10, Matthew 3), and move into the weeks leading up to Lent and Easter, including the Transfiguration of the Lord and the First Sunday in Lent. Members can expect the same texts read across many Protestant churches on any given Sunday - a feature that connects Douglas Avenue Presbyterian to the wider Christian community beyond Des Moines.
Preaching on these texts allows the church to work through the major stories of the Bible systematically: the prophecies of Isaiah, the teachings of Jesus in Matthew's Gospel, the Epistles of Paul, and the Psalms.
Fellowship in the Hall
One of the clearest markers of the church's communal life is the fellowship time held immediately after every Sunday service. Members and visitors gather in the fellowship hall for conversation and refreshments, providing a relaxed setting in which to meet longtime members and other newcomers.
For visitors, the fellowship time is a natural entry point into the congregation. Many of the church's longstanding relationships are formed and renewed in these minutes after the service, when the sanctuary gives way to the more informal atmosphere of the hall. The fellowship hall also serves as the gathering place for church events throughout the week.
Scout Troop 93
Beyond its Sunday worship and fellowship life, Douglas Avenue Presbyterian Church serves as the chartered home of Boy Scout Troop 93. The troop has been linked to the church for years, meeting on a regular schedule and participating in the church's community life.
The troop maintains a Facebook presence and is listed as a ministry of the congregation. Scouting families find in Troop 93 a connection to the church building and its calendar, and the church extends its hospitality to the troop's meetings, fundraisers, and recognition events.
Recordings for Those Far Away
For those who cannot attend in person - whether traveling, ill, homebound, or living at a distance - the church records each Sunday service and makes it available in two formats. A video of the service is posted to the church's YouTube channel, and an audio version is also available through the listening and downloads archive.
The recordings stretch back years, providing an unusually thorough record of the church's worship life. Anyone can follow along week by week, listening to sermons from Rev. Pat Summers and CLP Val Smith going back through 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and into 2026. This depth of recording is itself a feature of the congregation: it preserves the preaching and music of every Sunday for members and for the wider community.
The YouTube channel allows viewers to watch services at any time, while the audio archive provides a listen-only option for those on the go. Together these resources mean that even people who cannot step into the sanctuary can remain connected to the worship life of the church.
What the Church Believes
Douglas Avenue Presbyterian Church frames its life in distinctly Christian and Reformed language. The congregation aims "to live our Faith with Hope and Love," seeks to grow "in spirit and understanding as disciples of Jesus Christ," and strives "to pattern our daily lives after the example of Jesus Christ and to lead all members of the body toward this goal." These statements reflect a commitment to following Jesus in daily life, grounded in scripture and carried out in community.
The worship service itself expresses these convictions: scripture is read and the Word is proclaimed, prayers are offered, hymns are sung, and members gather to be strengthened as disciples. The lectionary approach to preaching ensures that over a three-year cycle, members hear a substantial portion of the Bible proclaimed and taught.
The church is Presbyterian in polity, organized around elders and pastor-led governance typical of the Reformed tradition. The presence of a Commissioned Lay Pastor on the preaching team reflects a common Presbyterian practice of training and recognizing lay leaders for ministry alongside ordained clergy.
Visiting Douglas Avenue Presbyterian
Anyone interested in visiting can find the church at 4601 Douglas Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50310, on the northwest side of the city. Worship begins at 9:30 AM each Sunday, with fellowship to follow in the fellowship hall. The phone line to the church office is (515) 276-4289.
The service is traditional on the first, second, fourth, and fifth Sundays of the month, with a contemporary service on the third Sunday. Hymns are accompanied by piano, and the service lasts about an hour. Visitors are welcomed warmly, and the post-service fellowship offers an easy way to meet members of the congregation.
The building is the church's longtime home on Douglas Avenue, and the congregation continues to gather there for Sunday worship, mid-week activities, Scout meetings, and community life. A full calendar of events is maintained, and services can be viewed on YouTube or listened to through the online archive for those unable to attend in person.
Through its preaching, its monthly change of musical style, its fellowship time, its Scout troop, and its careful preservation of each week's service in audio and video, Douglas Avenue Presbyterian Church maintains a steady presence on Douglas Avenue - a congregation rooted in the Reformed tradition and committed to its neighborhood.