Lent

Lent 2020 – Day 1

Matthew 5:3-15

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
    for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
    for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
    for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Salt and Light

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.

Capital Campaign, Grow the Good, News, Worship

Grow the Good – February Update

*Special update below from Campaign Leader: John Davidson!

Hello Everyone,

I just wanted to share a quick update for Grow the Good. To date, you have funded $211,033 for Grow the Good!  God is great and He is providing!

The Atmosphere Team is off to a great start!  In the Youth Room, the walls have been repaired and painted and the floor refinish is in progress, and it will also get the new LED light panels.  Thanks to the Atmosphere Team and the Men’s Group for all the hard work!  The room is going to look fantastic while providing a space that is resilient to the demands of one of our most active groups.  Next will be the Food Pantry room, which will also receive a fresh coat of paint, polished concrete floor, and new LED light panels.

The Tech team is very excited that we are able to fund and execute the audio upgrades for the Worship Center so early in the campaign.  I can’t wait to hear the difference it makes!  For the first few weeks you won’t see any changes in the Worship Center while our contractor finishes up their design work.  But soon, volunteers from the congregation will build the new sound booth and run some of the cabling to help keep labor costs to a minimum, then the contractor will come in to install, calibrate, and test the new equipment and provide training for the Tech Team.  And before you know it, the new sound system will be ready.

The next project in line will be the paint and carpet for the remainder of the building.  We would really like to get that finished prior to Fall Kick-off in August.  However, the funding projections we’ve calculated based on pledge cards received shows that we may not have sufficient funding until well into the Fall season.  To help keep up the momentum this year, Candi and I will be accelerating our own campaign commitment and submitting contributions earlier in the year than was noted on our pledge card.  If others would like to join us in that effort, please let the Grow the Good team know by submitting an updated pledge card or sending a note to the church office.  How cool would it be to start the Fall season off with brand new carpet?

That’s everything for now, we will update you again on March 22 during first and second services.

Thank you and see you soon,

John Davidson
Grow the Good
Campaign Team Member

Coffee Shop, News, Volunteers Needed

The Coffee Shop Needs Your Help!

Jon & Jennifer Wagaman started the Coffee Shop here at Cedar Hills 10 years ago after a positive experiencing connecting with others through Orchard Hill Church’s Coffee Shop in Cedar Falls. We are praying for this to continue, but other than one shift March 8, we have no volunteers signed up for any shifts. We might have to close the Coffee Shop, but after brainstorming, we thought of having a Coffee Shop Training Sunday!

It’s easy and fun, and will take only about an hour and a half of your time. Pick 1st or 2nd shift (see times below) and come for training!

While serving in the Orchard Hill coffee shop as newlyweds, Jon and Jennifer were able to connect with others in their church and build new relationships that hadn’t had prior to being married.  Now with their hands full with 3-month old daughter, Mira they are praying for more volunteers to be able to keep the Coffee Shop open on Sunday Mornings.

This Sunday – Feb 23 – Stop in to work alongside Coffee Shop volunteers to decide if this is an area for you. Contact Jennifer so we know to expect you.  All attendees will receive a Cedar Hills coffee tumbler.

What does serving look like?

First Shift: 7:30a-8:30a, and 9:30a-9:40a

The first shift is two-fold. 7:30am-8:30am, they prepare the pots of coffee and set-up the cups, donation boxes, and supplies.  They turn on the Cappucino/Hot Chocolate machine so that it is ready to go for after the service. Immediately after first service 9:30aa-9:40am), the first shirt team helps for approx. 10 min the transition to the second shift.

Second Shift: 9:30a-11am

The second shift replenishes the pots of coffee after first service and serves cappuccino and hot chocolate. During the Sunday School hour, there is not as much to do so there is about an hour of down-time. It is still possible to go to Sunday class, leaving just a few minutes early to make sure all the coffee is replenished and ready to go before second service. Then, once the second service starts, the second shift washes all the pots that are empty (leaving approx. 3 or 4 out.)

Who can serve?

Adults of any age! “Older” children are welcome to help; the age to be “old enough to help” is up to the parents. Coffee/Cappucino/Hot Chocolate is VERY HOT.

Family and Children Ministry, News

Children & Family Ministry “Hub”

Children & Family Ministry HubIntroducing the Children and Family Ministry hub — it’s starting off simple but we would love to hear what we can add or include that would best suit your spiritual needs and efforts in family discipleship!

And as an additional reminder, the Parenting Together room (the loft over the Worship Center) also has a great library to check out too!

If you have any recommendations or want to share what resources have helped shape your faith, I’d love to hear about them!

Kyle French
Director Children & Family Ministry

Job, Uncategorized

Job Opening – Ambassador of Care

Cedar Hills Community Church is seeking a part-time Ambassador of Care to join our staff.

General Job Summary:

The Ambassador of Care will oversee the care ministries of Cedar Hills as they relate to individuals in our congregation and community who need support and encouragement. This role will focus on welcoming new faces and pastoral care for special needs. This position reports to the Pastor of Preaching and Leadership.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Recruit and train a team of ambassadors to help individuals find their way into the life of Cedar Hills Community Church.
  • Recruit a team of caregivers to provide support for individuals facing illness, hospitalization, death or other life crisis.
  • Work with Elders and others to provide care and Communion for shut-ins.
  • Track members and friends of the congregation who have been absent or disconnected.
  • Champion missional communities as the preferred path for both welcome and care.

Performance Expectations:

  • Exhibit a passion for God and a Christ-like spirit.
  • Demonstrate skill in applying Biblical principles.
  • Encourage spiritual growth.
  • Team building.
  • Self-starter.
  • Creativity, flexibility, and responsiveness.
  • Represent the church in a positive manner.

Qualifications:

  • Experience in pastoral care.
  • Ability to respond effectively to sensitive inquiries or complaints.
  • Ability to deal effectively with a wide range of interpersonal situations.
  • Ability to define problems, collect data, and draw valid conclusions.
  • Ability to communicate effectively.

This is a half time position (20hrs/week).  Ordination is not required.

To apply:

  • Send a cover letter that includes a personal statement of your faith journey.
  • a resume with references.
  • by e-mail: Pastor Kent Landhuis

This is intended to give a general overview of the position of Ambassador of Care and is not meant to be a complete list of duties. February 13, 2020 – LC

Cedar Chips, Family Promise, News

Family Promise Update – February 2020

Family Promise Update
Cedar Chips – February 2020

Life presents us with many things to worry about. For me, fortunately, this doesn’t include wondering where I will be living next week and where I will get food for my family. Far too often I take that blessing for granted. Many families today don’t have this stability. They feel like they are facing the world alone. They don’t have a solid support system. They are either unemployed or under employed and can’t cover the basic living expenses of food and housing for their family.

These are the homeless families that Family Promise strives to help. Family Promise is a mission that our church partners with along with 10-15 other area faith communities to provide overnight hosting four weeks per year (once a quarter). Family Promise’s goal is to help families get to a stable and sustainable living situation while keeping their family together. Over the past 18 months more than 100 people from our congregation have assisted in hosting five different families. Each of these families now has an employed parent and is in their own housing. Each of these families have unique complex situations, but we were a part of providing crucial first steps for them to develop a stable sustainable living situation.

As we host each new family, we share our faith with them through our love, fellowship, and actions. As we begin 2020, we continually focus on how we can provide a more positive impact to these families in the months and years ahead. If you have an interest in our mission, we openly welcome your involvement. If so, feel free to contact me by email or (319) 270-3547; or by catching me at church to talk about it.

BruceBruce Boldt
Family Promise Leader

Communication, Connection, Marriage and Family, Missional Communities, News

I’m a mess and so are you

I’m a Mess and so are you
Cedar Chips – February 2020

We all have a public life, a private life, and a secret life. Authentic faith and sanctification, becoming more Christ-like, is about integrating all three of these lives. Many of us, myself included, have been in a place where all three lives are at odds with one another. Years ago, the thought of allowing someone to move in with me would have caused great distress. A roommate would have seen clearly that my private life was not consistent with my public life.

As I have been drawn towards Christ, my three lives have become more aligned. This leaves more room for gratitude and less scrambling to cover up the messiness that exists. This allows me to invite people into my home as needed, for a dinner, or for a month’s stay. This year we’ve hosted two families (each having two or three kids) into our home, for a month or more.

This is not a result of some great “cleaning up” of my messiness. Perhaps the opposite, it’s that I’m more willing to expose my messiness (my sin struggles) in my public life. Because of this, I’ve allowed brothers and sisters in Christ to speak the healing Gospel into my mess. Hopefully, the families that have lived with us (and have seen my private life in my home) are less than
shocked that I’m a mess.

Lindsey Ungs
Connection and Communication Architect

Cedar Chips, Family and Children Ministry, News, Noah's Ark

Noah’s Ark Update – February 2020

Noah’s Ark Preschool
Cedar Chips – February 2020

We are now enrolling students for the 2020-2021 school year. We have a few spots left in our 4-year-old classes, which you can choose three, four, or five days of school. Our 3-year-old classes are offered on Mon/Wed/Fri or Tue/Thurs. The application can be downloaded from our webpage and the $50 registration fee paid online to hold your spot for next year. Contact us with
questions at 396-3125, by email, or visit the website: www.noahsarkcr.org.

We will have a Valentine card exchange, pajama day, and a visit from our favorite Dental Health Professional this month.
We will be hosting another Blood Drive on March 3 – register online! The stipend we receive after collecting 20 blood donations helps us purchase supplies. You can always donate supplies for the preschool. There is a box under the mission table in the Gathering Space.

Kris Crowther,
Director of Noah’s Ark Preschool

Love. Belong. Serve.