T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY Charlotte Stangeland poses with a mannequin of Joseph inside of one of the rooms at the Encounters Exhibit, which is being hosted at the First Friends Church in Marshalltown at 2409 S. 6th St. The exhibit is open to the public Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or by appointment.

The First Friends Church at 2409 S. 6th St. is hosting a new “Encounters” exhibit, which aims to explore the nature of God, and it is open to the public (and free of charge) on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. as well as by appointment by calling (641) 295-0946.

Charlotte Stangeland, an organizer of the exhibit, said the exhibit’s three separate rooms each tackle different aspects of the Holy One: God is good, God is our provider and God is wise. A fourth room is still in the works, and they all include educational materials along with visual aids and Biblical lessons.

“We try to have something special for kids in every room. In this room, they can plant a flower if they want to,” she said. “We also have audiobook stories.”

While they’ve had a few visitors so far, Stangeland is hopeful that traffic will pick up in the coming days and weeks, and as she noted, those who wish to tour the exhibit do not need to be members of the First Friends Church. The exhibit is aimed at all ages, and she invites youth groups, senior groups and homeschool groups to make a visit.

“I think they’ll have a better understanding of God’s character and who God is,” she said.

While the exhibit is free, donations are appreciated, and they can be made by visiting www. encounterexhibits.com or mailing checks to 3255 280th St., Gilman, IA, 50106.

——

Contact Robert Maharry at 641-753-6611 ext. 255 or rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.