Runnells Christian Church has stood on Brown Street in Runnells, Iowa since 1907, more than a century as a gathering place for the town and the small neighborhoods around it. Located on Highway 316, the building with its north-side sanctuary entrance, parking on three sides, and an elevator to the lower level has been the steady rhythm of Sunday worship in this Polk County community for generations. Members describe themselves as "a church for the community," and that phrase shapes how everything from outreach to fellowship is organized.
Sunday Worship at 9:30
Worship services begin at 9:30 a.m. each Sunday with hymn singing, a lesson designed for children, prayers, scripture readings, and a sermon. The central act of the morning is the celebration of communion, which is open to all who believe in Jesus Christ. The service is offered both in person and online; the livestream is available on the church's Facebook page and YouTube channel. Visitors are welcome in any style of dress, and the congregation includes choir members as well as people who simply make a joyful noise.
Music at Runnells Christian Church is intentionally varied. The adult choir rehearses on Tuesday evenings at 7 p.m. and sings in worship once each month. A bell choir plays several times throughout the year and is open to newcomers, including those who have never rung before. Soloists and ensembles provide special music throughout the year, and the range runs from old hymns to contemporary praise songs and from gospel singers to bell choirs.
A Place for Children
Children are welcome in the sanctuary rather than separated into other rooms. A special area called "The PRAYground" has been set up in the sanctuary for the youngest worshippers, and activity bags are available for older children. Each service includes a children's time, a moment set aside just for kids, and every week the children collect the Noisy Offering, which supports a different RCC mission project each month.
In the summer, the church hosts a community-wide Vacation Bible School at which pre-K and elementary students learn Bible stories through music, art, science, and games. Sunday School classes for students in 6th through 12th grade meet at 9:30 a.m. September through May on the lower level of the church, and youth events for the same age group are held throughout the year. As part of the Christian Church in the Upper Midwest, Runnells Christian also sends children and youth of all ages to summer camp at the Christian Camp and Conference Center in Newton, Iowa.
Reverend Katie Russell Hainline
The pastor is Rev. Katie Russell Hainline, who came to Runnells Christian Church in August of 2017. Before moving to Iowa she served churches in Council Bluffs and in Falls Church, Virginia. She is a graduate of Drake University and Vanderbilt Divinity School and was ordained in 2013. Pastor Katie is known for her preaching and her leadership of worship. Each summer she counsels high school camp at the Christian Camp and Conference Center. One of the things that drew her to Runnells was the church's commitment to the town and its people. Off duty, she is often at a coffee shop, spending time with her family, or watching the Tennessee Titans and Washington Nationals.
The congregation is self-governed, and Pastor Katie works alongside elected lay leaders. The Council, the church's governing body, sets policy, manages church assets, and plans ministry projects. The Elders are elected as spiritual leaders; each week they offer prayers in worship, and they help the pastor visit the sick and homebound. The Diaconate collects the offering and serves communion each week.
Outreach in East Polk County
Service to the wider community is at the heart of the church's identity. Runnells Christian Church is a member of Caring Hands Outreach Center, a partnership of Christian churches and community organizations that operates a food pantry and clothing closet and offers utility and rent assistance to neighbors in east Polk County.
On months with five Sundays, the church holds Fifth Sunday Service Projects that bring mission and service directly into worship. Past projects have included assembling diaper packs for mothers in need, packing hygiene kits for Church World Service to send to refugee camps and disaster areas around the world, and making care bags for hospice patients and volunteers. The annual Christmas Market raises funds that are then available throughout the year for emergency assistance to neighbors in need. Other mission efforts have supported overseas mission trips and missionaries, provided school supplies and lunch money for students in Southeast Polk Schools, and helped send children to church camp. Mission and service work is also woven into Vacation Bible School and youth group each year.
Fellowship Around the Table
The church's fellowship life is built around shared meals and seasonal traditions. In the fall, the congregation plans an outing to Pumpkinville, a nearby pumpkin patch where members roast hot dogs, play games, and send the youth through the corn maze. The church hosts community meals throughout the year: a roast beef Harvest Supper in the fall, a warm soup supper in winter, and a fish fry when the weather turns warm. Potlucks after worship, group outings to a ballgame, and movie nights are also part of the rhythm. Separate fellowship groups meet for men and women, with details posted on the church calendar.
A Monthly Book Group
For readers, the RCC Book Group meets on the last Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. to discuss a piece of popular literature chosen by the group. The schedule for 2026 includes works by Lisa Wingate, Louise Erdrich, Natalie Jenner, Barbara Kingsolver, Shelby Van Pelt, John Kenney, Nikki Erlick, Taylor Jenkins Reid, and Liane Moriarty, with the list maintained and updated by the group itself.
A Disciples Identity
Runnells Christian Church is a member congregation of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), a denomination that does not profess creeds or require adherence to strict doctrine. Membership is open to anyone who affirms that Jesus is the Christ and Son of the Living God. Five characteristics shape the congregation's life together: open communion, celebrated every Sunday and open to all who believe in Jesus Christ; freedom of belief, grounded in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and guided by the Bible, the Holy Spirit, study, and prayer; baptism by immersion for those old enough to choose it for themselves, with baptisms from other traditions recognized and honored; belief in the oneness of the church and a long history of working for Christian unity; and the ministry of all believers, with both ordained and lay persons leading the church in worship, service, and spiritual growth.
Visiting Runnells Christian Church
The church is located at 309 Brown Street, also known as Highway 316, in Runnells. The main entrance to the sanctuary is on the north side of the building, with parking lots on the north, east, and south sides. The building is handicap accessible; the sanctuary, offices, and nursery are all on the main floor and can be reached through the north doors, and an elevator provides access to the Fellowship Hall and classrooms on the lower level. The church office is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Worship is at 9:30 a.m. on Sundays, in person and online, with communion shared around the table every week.