Cedar Chips, Communication, Connection, Missional Communities, News

Being Anonymous or Being Known

The idea that the pastor of the church should intimately know everyone, might scare some people and might be an expectation of others. Either way, if the local church only had ten people in it, that would be appropriate. But we have hundreds at Cedar Hills. So how can one be truly known or feel a sense of belonging?

Remaining anonymous by blending in to the hundreds of brothers and sisters on Sunday, is a choice. If you choose to go to Sunday service and never get to know anyone beyond a surface level, you will not be known or feel belonging, especially during times of crisis.

In churches all across America people are showing up on Sunday and remaining anonymous so they never have to be vulnerable. So no one knows if they don’t show up or are struggling with a difficulty.

Being known, finding belonging, becoming discipled (also known as becoming more Christlike) requires vulnerability. Missional Communities are made up of people willing to be known, to be discipled, and to be vulnerable. Consequently, they are your support system when the next crisis occurs.

Lindsey Ungs
Connection and Communication Architect

Cedar Chips, News, Uncategorized

I Want to Be A Runner – Pt. 1

I’ve been pondering a lot lately about identity and how one comes to identify with a group or a title. What got me started on thinking about this was a desire to begin training for a half marathon this Fall.

Though I may not look like someone who might frequently run, this will be my 6th half marathon. That’s part of my problem. I want to be runner but am somewhat convinced that because I don’t look like one, I am not. So I began listing the things I’m trying to do in order to become a “runner” (beyond the obvious thing of ‘running’).

  • I own a large attire of running clothes.
  • I have special running shoes.
  • I have a special running app for logging all my runs and stats.
  • I have a running playlist on Spotify that matches my running cadence.
  • I study running cadences.
  • I have special hair bands for running.
  • Running is a part of my weekly schedule. Short runs on Tuesday/Thursday/Fridays, and long runs on Saturdays.
  • I read running blogs and research strides, warmups, and recovery activities.
  • I make homemade electrolyte solutions for post-run recovery.

So I am a runner, right??? Why can’t my brain accept this list and identify with a runner’s identify?

Because I’m slow. And I look wimpy and kind of sloppy when I run. And I’m chunky. And I’ve only been in active training for seven weeks.

So what is the turning point of identity? When does one’s brain go from not identifying with something to embracing the identity? This is my question! There are soooo many parallels to our spiritual walks I don’t even know where to start! But I will keep pondering this and come back with more next month.

(see part. 2 here)

Leah
Director of Worship & Media

News

Discovery Weekend

September 8 is Discovery Weekend! On Sunday, September 8th, ministry groups and teams will be set up in the Gathering Space for us to walk around and learn about the different ministries and volunteer things happening at the church.  Coffee shop, Family Promise, Music Teams, Emergency Response Team, and many more!

Come at 9:45am to spend some time browsing the different booths available.  And if one peaks your interest, sign up for more information.

Journey, News

Journey Kick-Off (It’s gonna get messy)

Celebrate a new school year in style.  The Journey Youth kick-off is Sunday, Sept 8 from 5pm-8pm.  Cedar Hills Youth ages 6th grade to 12th grade and their friends are welcome.   Come prepared to make a mess! (Wear clothes you don’t mind messing up… and bring extra clothes and a towel.)

We’ll be at Cedar Hills Community Church (at the corner of E Avenue and Stoney Point Rd NW).

Because God loves you and we do, too!

News

Road Opening August 17!

Could it be true? Will it really open?

Word has it that the roundabout construction will be complete this weekend and that the corner will reopen THIS SATURDAY, August 17.  So maybe you won’t need that extra 5-10-15 minutes to get to church as of this Sunday!

If you make it through the intersection, please report back in and let us all know!

On the cedar-rapids.org website, it lists and open house for the roundabout Saturday at 10:30am:

ROUNDABOUT OPEN HOUSE

“CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – August 9, 2019 – The City of Cedar Rapids will host a “Mobile Open House” at the parking lot of Cedar Hills Community Church (6455 E Ave NW) on Saturday, August 17, from 10:30 a.m. – noon. The open house will give residents and community members the opportunity to learn more about the newly constructed single-lane roundabout installed at Stoney Point Road and E Avenue NW.

Residents are encouraged to stop by anytime and have the opportunity to talk with City staff regarding the roundabout, learn more about safety and efficiency features, see a simulation video of how the roundabout works, and even drive the roundabout with a City engineer. The open house is part of a public awareness campaign aimed at helping residents feel more comfortable with navigating roundabouts and learning more about their safety benefits. This is the third mobile open house hosted by the City.

Roundabouts help slow traffic speeds and reduce the severity of crashes, eliminating head-on and right-angle crashes with their slow, counterclockwise movement. They are more efficient than traffic signals, where signalized intersections are often not needed during the majority of the day outside peak morning and evening commutes.

Cedar Rapids installed its first roundabout in 2017 on Kirkwood Blvd SW, just south of 76th Avenue, which relieved chronic daily congestion for the College Community School District. A roundabout was also recently installed at Johnson Avenue NW and Wiley Blvd in 2018, and a roundabout is currently underway on Johnson Avenue NW and Jacolyn Drive.

To learn more about roundabouts or to download material or educational videos, please visit www.cityofcr.com/roundabouts.”

Bright Spot, GLS, News, Uncategorized, Worship

Aug 7 Worship Service

Global Leadership Summit Worship Service

Join us for a pre-Summit worship gathering Wednesday, August 7 at 7pm.  The worship service is part of the Global Leadership Summit kick-off, and is free and open to the public. You do not need to be registered for the Summit to attend.

The worship will be streaming live out of Willow Creek church in Chicago, IL.  Cedar Hills is blessed and excited to be a host site for this year’s Global Leadership Summit – August 8-9.

If you’d like to attend the Summit at Cedar Hills, you can register online.  Cedar Hills attendees are encouraged to contact the office for a special promo code.

Cedar Chips, Family and Children Ministry, Marriage and Family, Missional Communities, News

Discipleship through Missional Communities

We started a missional community (MC) four years ago with friends. We got the idea from our pastor that we should consider meeting regularly with others for the purpose of being discipled.

We were friends with the other couple, but not best friends. We had been getting together infrequently, prior to starting the MC. The following is what our evening looks like, when we meet every other Thursday.

We take turns coming to each other’s homes. The host cooks a meal for all of us and we join up around 5:30 pm to eat dinner together. After dinner, the gals sit and talk or go for a walk. The guys do the same around the pool table or in the backyard. The kids roam and play. After a while, we put the kids to bed. Sometimes we put a kid
in the basement bed or the laundry room (in a pack-n-play). We make the space as needed.

Then the four of us head to the living room to have some dessert and coffee. We take time to go over the chapter we are reading or the video we are watching. We share prayer requests, which is an essential way to share in each other’s lives. We’ve been through many ups and downs together including starting new businesses, miscarriages, work promotions, and deaths of family and friends.

This MC has been a core reason that I have moved forward in spiritual maturity. Becoming more Christ-like (than we once were) is the goal for our MC and the MC has been one of the best ways to see this come to fruition.

Lindsey Ungs
Connection and Communication Architect

Bright Spot, Cedar Chips, Fall Kick-Off, Music, News, Worship

Worship Ministries – Jump In!

Worship Ministries—Jump in!

If you have ever been interested in joining a worship ministry music team, this is the time of year to jump in.

Sanctuary Choir: This group sings about every three weeks in the 8:30 AM service. Choir is open to anyone high school aged and above who can read music (primarily SATB). Choir rehearses on Wednesdays, 6:40 PM in room 132A and will begin rehearsals August 21. All current choir members and any interested in choir are invited to sing at the Fall Kick-Off worship services August 18. The choir will sing along with the hymns at 8:30 AM service. Practice is just prior to the service at 8 AM that day. Choir is directed by Stuart Geiger.

1st Service Worship Teams: These SATB groups rotate and sing/play one week a month. Teams rehearse on Wednesday nights at 6 PM, prior to the Sunday they sing. Singers must be able to read music, as we sing parts on the hymns. We currently have openings for tenors and sopranos, but all are encouraged to apply, including pianists and organists!

2nd Service Worship Teams: These teams are a mix of singers and instruments (guitars, piano, keys, bass, drums, and occasional string instruments). Music at this service is led from chord charts, so some ‘playing-by-ear’ is required, and great for those who don’t read music. To participate in 2nd Service teams, the first step is to join a Worship Jam. (see below)

Worship Jams: Jams are open to all musicians and are held quarterly throughout the year. We pack all our voices and instruments on stage at the 2nd service and lead as an entire team! The next Jam is Wednesday, August 14 at 6:30 PM and will lead the 2nd service worship on Kick-Off Sun, Aug 18. To express interest in worship ministries or for more info, contact Leah.

Leah
Director of Worship & Media

Love. Belong. Serve.