Mission & Values

The mission of Cottage Grove Church has everything to do with the desire to see the Gospel spread by word and deed throughout the city of Des Moines. In our local church context, we will be committed to this mission until Christ returns.

Glorify God and Make Disciples of All Nations

Discipleship

To value discipleship is to embrace the mandate Jesus gave to all his followers to make followers. We believe that every disciple of Jesus is called to make disciples of Jesus. Embracing this communal identity is paramount for us to be who God has called us to be as his church. Through building authentic relationships, assessing spiritual growth, and setting transformational goals, our church seeks to empower every believer to be a disciple and make disciples

Matthew 28:18-20

Authenticity

To be authentic is to be honest with God, yourself, and others around you. We believe that because of the forgiveness offered through Jesus, we can be transparent, real, and vulnerable with our sin and remind one other of the grace we’ve received in Jesus.

1 John 1:5-10

Neighboring

To be a neighbor means that we “love our neighbors as ourselves.” We fulfill this call by seeking the welfare of our community and sacrifice our own good for the good of others. We desire to be loving neighbors where we live, work, and play in order to display to the world the love that Christ has poured out on us.

Matthew 22:34-40

Diversity

To value diversity is to embrace the unity in diversity we have as God’s image bearers. Experiencing and celebrating cultural/ethnic, socio-economic, and generational diversity in our individual lives and within our church family will make our community a picture of our heavenly home here on earth. We believe a reconciled community reflecting this robust diversity will magnify the church’s worship, deepen her discipleship, and authenticate her witness.

Revelation 7:9-10

Next Generation

To be a next generation church means that we will intentionally focus ministry efforts on reaching the next generation for Christ. We seek to reach, equip, and empower the next generation, for they will become the future church members, community leaders, and church planters. Our desire is for Cottage Grove to become a multi-generational church where the wisdom and experience of the mature can be combined with the strength and zeal of the young.

1 John 2:12-14

Our Story

In 2016, Cornerstone Church of Ames mobilized a group of people to plant Cottage Grove Church in the Drake Park neighborhood of Des Moines, Iowa. The mission of this church plant was, and still is, to reach both the city and the campus for the glory of God alone.

Before Cottage Grove’s first service, the opportunity presented itself to purchase Cottage Grove Presbyterian Church in the Drake Park neighborhood. This building is located within blocks of the Drake University campus and finds itself right in the middle of the city life and campus life. By God’s grace, Cottage Grove became rightful owners of the building during the summer of 2016 and began to restore this beautiful building with the help of hundreds of volunteers during that summer.