BAKING FOR A CAUSE – June 22 in the Gathering Space. Enjoy coffee, tea, sweet treats, and floral arrangements all available by free-will donation with 100% of the proceeds going to support this family on mission. We need YOU to help make a difference! Here’s how you can help: Sign up to bake | Donate flowers | Setup and serving
In gym class, I was always relieved when chosen. (Particularly if not chosen last.)
In Guatemala, we give goodies to the kids who show up at our work sites. A doll, a cap, a granola bar, matchbox cars, candy.
Once word gets out, the number of kids grows rapidly. Some of those kids are very timid. They lurk around the edges, waiting to see if they will be chosen to receive a gift. When we invite them to receive a gift, they smile.
Last week, two little girls, Madelyn and Astrid, from Guatemala chose Mary and me. Madelyn said she picked us because we “seemed kind, friendly, and nice.” She was probably looking at Mary.
The Bible tells us how God chooses people to be his people: “God, your God, chose you out of all the people on Earth for himself as a cherished, personal treasure.
God wasn’t attracted to you and didn’t choose you because you were big and important—the fact is, there was almost nothing to you. He did it out of sheer love, keeping the promise he made to your ancestors.” (Deuteronomy 7:6-8, MSG)
I’m glad to be chosen. Being chosen makes all the difference. Jesus said, “I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. You didn’t choose me. I chose you.” (John 15:15-16, NLT)
We are chosen!
Kent Landhuis
Pastor of Teaching & Leadership
Once upon a time I had a request for a Proverbs 18:10 song, which led me on a bunny trail to writing a whole bunch of Proverbs 18:10 songs in lots of different translations. Is God a tower or fortress? Are we the godly or righteous? Do we run to him or run in him?
The way each translation captures this idea differs just so slightly, and really stirred my curiosity about this verse and broadened my idea of God.
Here’s a short playlist of all my songs on this verse:
Leah Carolan
Pastor of Worship & Media
In the spring, when my garden comes to life, my favorite plants are hostas. Hostas die off in the fall. All winter, the ground where they grew is bare and barren.
No signs of life. And then, there they are, like magic, growing bigger and better than the year before. And I did nothing.
Listen to how Paul describes God’s good work in Romans 8: And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn[n] among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory. (vss. 28-30, NLT)
God is doing good work even when our lives seem barren. I had a mentor who once told me, “When it seems like God is working the least, God is working the most.”
God’s work is not always visible or in the ways we expect or easily understood. But we are the kind of people who believe that God is with us when we don’t see or feel His active involvement. God still does good work even when it is not obvious.
I’m so thankful that God never stops doing good work on my behalf – and on yours!
Kent Landhuis
Pastor of Teaching & Leadership
Our small group recently studied Philippians 2. After much discussion, one of our group said, “Listen to this, it’s the New Living Translation: Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” (vss. 12-13)
The phrase “work hard to show the results of your salvation” grabbed our attention. It baffled us. We know that we do not work to earn salvation, so what is this hard work?
And then, someone said, “Look at the next verse too – it says God is working hard. God gives us the desire to obey, and God gives us the power to obey. God is working hard so work hard. But what hard work is left for us to do?”
What’s left for us is obedience. We obey God with deep reverence and respect. We obey with the desire and power that God gives us! That sounds amazing! And so does this: I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. (Philippians 1:6)
Kent Landhuis
Pastor of Teaching & Leadership
June 1-8 we will be partnering with World Vision for a special Chosen event. As a church, we’ll be signing up to sponsor children in Guatemala, but instead of us choosing a child, the child gets to choose YOU.
To make this event successful, we are in need to volunteers to help out in the Gathering Space. There are multiple opportunities, including the Saturdays before the big events and different times throughout the Sunday mornings of June 1 and June 8.
As a volunteer, you’ll be given an orange t-shirt (to wear during your shift), training, and a specific role for your shift. In addition:
1. All volunteers will be assigned specific roles upon arrival.
2. You’ll still get to attend a worship service.
3. World Vision requires volunteers to sign a waiver HERE prior to arrival (minors must have form completed by a parent).
4. Watch the Training videos:
Consider volunteering today and making this event a wonderful one!
Salvation Army Open House
Spring is a season of renewal and hope—something we see reflected every day in the lives touched by your generosity. It’s the perfect time to come together and celebrate the positive change your support is making in the Cedar Rapids community!I’m excited to invite you to join us for The Salvation Army Cedar Rapids Open House.The Salvation Army Open HouseDate: Wednesday, May 14, 2025Time: 3:00 PM to 7:00 PMLocation: 1000 C Avenue NW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52405Come take a tour, meet our team, and see firsthand how your contribution is making an impact. Whether you stay for a few minutes or the full event, we’d love to have you there!There is no need to RSVP.
MONDAY MEN’S CONNECTION – All men are invited Mondays at 6pm to for drinks and trivia. The group rotates between different area bars and pubs. Check the weekly bulletin for the most updated location! Contact Gary Sager for details.
Join the choir! Rehearsals are on Wednesdays, 6:45pm in the Lime Room (right hallway, all the way to the end). Choir is open to high school age and up. If you know your voice part (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass) that is helpful! But we can also help you find your voice part by range.
Practice Recordings on YouTube
SUMMER CHOIR
You are able to watch the main session live:
We are excited again to host the annual gathering of the Upper Mississippi Valley network. Our gathering will be June 13-14 at Cedar Hills Community Church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
(Hotel accommodations and special pricing reserved through May 14 – see below)
If you ever wanted to explore ways to “think outside the box,” join us on Friday, June 13th to hear from Verlon Fosner. Verlon is the Founder and Director of the Dinner Church Collective (dinnerchurch.com) and is bringing the gospel to the people of Seattle and beyond with new approaches to reach small, medium and large communities. You won’t want to miss this. The first session will focus on the role of pastors and church staff, we’ll have dinner then the next session will focus on pastors, lay leaders and members and how they can make a difference in outreach.
Child care available! Please indicate need on your registration form.
Ben Ingebretson is the Director of Church Multiplication and Vitality at CORAM DEO. He is husband to Karen, father to three adult kids and their families, and lives in Grand Rapids, MI. Since college and seminary days in Minnesota and Scotland (Bethel St. Paul and then University of Aberdeen) he has been a bi-vo church planter, pastor of a multiplying church and served as new church development director with two denominations: the Reformed Church in America and the United Methodist church).
Over those years he has taken part in the development of over 200 new churches in rural, urban, suburban and multi-ethnic contexts. Ben has published several books: Parent Church Landmines, Multiplication Moves, and most recently Plant Like Jesus, the church planters devotional. In his down time he loves to tandem bike with his wife, hang out with his growing family and sail the Great Lakes!
Verlon Fosner is the Director of Dinner Church Collective. Verlon and Melodee Fosner have been in church leadership for 44 years in Seattle, Washington. After several years in their tenure as lead pastors the church went into decline and they faced a decision: move to the suburbs or become an urban church. After much prayer, the leadership felt called to not only stay, but to dive further into the urban neighborhoods of Seattle.
What began as a single urban church plant quickly grew into a multi-site Dinner Church, and then expanded into a national Dinner Church Network. Then in 2016, Verlon and Melodee joined the Fresh Expressions team to lead the Dinner Church Collective.
Greg Alderman serves as the Executive Director for the Alliance of Reformed Churches. Greg was born and raised in Southern California and is a lifelong Dodgers fan. He received his BA from UCLA and M. Div from Fuller Theological Seminary. Prior to joining the staff at the Alliance, Greg served for 8.5 years as Lead Pastor at Centerpoint Church in Sioux Center, IA and 15.5 years as Senior Pastor at Christ Community in Carmichael, CA. After his time serving at Christ Community, Greg founded a non-profit, One Voice Board, in July 2022 to help churches and other non-profits in board governance at no cost.
Since 2022, Greg has served as an interim pastor at Fair Oaks Presbyterian Church and then at First Reformed Church in Orange City, IA. Greg lives in Denton, TX with his wife Veronica. Together, they have four adult children and four grandchildren.
