The start of a new millennium is right around the corner, but members of several Ames churches are not worried.

Jim Shirbroun, campus minister at Collegiate United Methodist, 2622 Lincoln Way, said the church is more concerned with the technological than the spiritual ramifications of Jan. 1, 2000.

“Beyond making sure our computer system is OK, I don’t think we’ve done anything from a worship standpoint,” he said.

However, Shirbroun said there may be more of a focus on the turn of the millennium when it gets closer.

“Certainly as students have concerns or joys or issues surrounding Y2K, we’ll discuss that, and certainly some of that discussion would be from a faith standpoint,” he said.

He said the campus ministry considered a New Year’s Eve retreat but will probably not have one because most students will be out-of-town in late December.

Pastor John Anderson of Ascension Lutheran Church, 615 Kellogg Ave., said the approach of a new millennium may cause some people to put more of an emphasis on religion in their lives.

“I think there’s going to be a greater interest in [spiritual matters] as we get closer to 2000, but I don’t know if that’ll necessarily increase church attendance,” he said.

Terva Martching, congregation member of Ames Seventh Day Adventist Church, 1303 Grand Ave., said although the church is concerned about the millennium spoken of in the Bible, the year 2000 is not considered important.

“The millennium in Bible prophecy has nothing to do with the year 2000,” she said. “As far as we’re concerned, [2000] is just another year.”

Martching said the biblical millennium could happen at any time.

“The millennium is a time of 1,000 years where God’s people will be investigating the records of everyone who’s ever lived or died,” she said.

Catholics think of 2000 as a year for celebration, not the apocalypse, said Father Ev Hemann of St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 2210 Lincoln Way.

“Christians who are faithful don’t get caught up in that ‘Oh, the world’s ending,’ the coming-of-the-millennium type of thing,” he said. “Instead, for us it’s a time for rejoicing.”

The year 2000 is considered a year of jubilation, as are all years that are multiples of 25, he said.

“What we do at St. Thomas is invite people to make a jubilee pledge, and it’s a pledge to be more active in their prayer life, more committed in their service and to bringing about justice in the world,” he said.

Pastor Charles Alber of Campus Baptist Church, 130 S. Sheldon Ave., said the church is not emphasizing the idea of an apocalypse or second coming in 2000.

“People who do that are cultists,” he said.

He said nothing will happen in 2000, as it will not be the “real millennium,” because Jesus is now thought to have been born 4 B.C.

“If there was supposed to be something spiritual happening, or something psychic, or any of that rubbish, this wouldn’t be the year,” he said.