Funeral, News, Uncategorized

Irene Valenta Funeral Details

Irene Valenta
November 7, 1921 – September 20, 2018

Please pray for the family and friends of Irene Valenta who went home to be with our Lord September 20, 2018. The visitation will be this Friday, September 28 at 9:30am, followed by the funeral service at 11am.

Obituary

from Teahen Funeral Home: Irene Marie Valenta, 96 of Cedar Rapids, died Thursday, September 20, 2018 at the Dennis and Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy, following a brief illness.

Services: 11 a.m. Friday at Cedar Hills Community Church by Rev. Kent Landhuis. Burial: National Cemetery, Vining. Friends may visit with the family at the church after 9:30 a.m. on Friday.

Irene is survived by her son, Gary (Susan) of Elberon; daughter in law, Karen (Kyle) Reynolds of Cedar Rapids; grandchildren, Warren (Staci) Valenta, Brian (Leslee) Valenta and Kim (Paul) Reynolds; great-grandchildren, Matthew, Jared, Justin, Zoey, Wyatt, Taylor and Tate; sisters, Paula Schutt, Patsy (Lawrence) Clough, Joann Ferrel, Doris Lohf and Shirley O’Connor.She was preceded in death by her husband, Willard in 1979, son Gene, brothers Arthur and Robert and sister Lillian James.

Irene was born on November 7, 1921 in Clutier the daughter of Louie and Emma Zeman Yuska. She married Willard Valenta on April 21, 1941 in Clutier, and as a farm-wife she drove the tractor. Later, she worked at Rockwell Collins for 21 years. Irene was a member of Cedar Hills Community Church and vice-president of the Iowa Women’s Bowling Association.

Irene loved baking kolaches, playing cards, dancing, gardening, quilting, needlework, making crafts, and was involved in craft shows. She was an excellent bowler, and won many ribbons. Irene volunteered often and was known to take care of her friends and family. She will be missed by all who knew and loved her.

Memorials may be directed to the Cedar Hills Community Church.

Family and Children Ministry, Marriage and Family, News

Weekend to Remember Marriage Getaway

A Weekend to Remember

A Weekend to Remember Marriage getaway is coming to Cedar Rapids November 2-4, 2018. The conference is held at the Marriot on Collins Rd..  As Cedar Hills members, we get a group discount. If you register before September 24, the price is half of the regular $149 registration ($74.99/person). Use our special group code: CedarHillsCommunity and register today.

About the Weekend to Remember ®

Remember how captivating it was when you first fell in love with your spouse? Every moment was special. As real life takes over, that memory can grow less vivid, and you might not feel like the center of their world as often. That’s where the Weekend to Remember® marriage retreat from FamilyLife comes in.

The two-and-a-half day romantic weekend getaway is a time to be together as a couple to invest in and strengthen the foundation of your marriage, no matter how firm or fragile it is. By getting away from the distractions of life, you can fortify your most important relationship and work toward building wonderful memories together, for decades to come.

The Weekend to Remember marriage retreat is not a large group counseling session or small group discussion. You won’t be asked to share intimate details of your relationship with anyone.

You will listen to engaging talks from marriage experts , then take private time alone with your spouse to work on the concepts you studied. When you leave, you will have an assortment of powerful, Christ-centered communication tools to use for years to come.

Learn how to:

  • Address issues as they arise, rather than letting resentments fester
  • Express feelings positively, so your partner remains engaged in the discussion
  • Resolve conflict in healthy, biblical ways
  • Maintain a vital sexual connection with one another
  • Forgive one another freely and completely
  • Increase your commitment to your marriage, resulting in deeper intimacy

We want you to leave your marriage retreat with encouragement, hope, and practical tools to build and grow your relationship. That’s why we call this a Weekend to Remember. Register today and use our group code: CedarHillsCommunity

Event Schedule:

Friday 7pm – 9:35pm
Friday evening is an introduction to the weekend. You will meet the weekend’s speakers who will show you exactly how to pursue a marriage that really works through stories of their own breakthroughs and blunders.
Sessions: Why Marriages Fail, Can We Talk?

Saturday 8am – 4:40pm
Saturday is a day to delve into God’s Word and learn time-tested tools to help strengthen your marriage. Beyond the great content you’ll also have various one-on-one applications and “Date night” for you and your spouse.
Sessions: Unlocking the Mystery of Marriage, From How to Wow, What Every Marriage Needs, We Fight Too & Marriage After Dark

Sunday 9am – 12:15pm
Sunday morning, we speak to men and women separately and reconvene to discuss your legacy; then close out the weekend.
Sessions: Woman to Woman / Man to Man & Leaving a Legacy.  Register today and use our group code: CedarHillsCommunity

Hotel Information

FamilyLife recommends that you enhance your getaway experience by staying overnight at the getaway hotel. If you call the hotel to make a reservation, mention you are attending FamilyLife’s Weekend to Remember to get the special getaway hotel room rate and other discounts.

Cedar Rapids Marriott
1200 Collins Rd NE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52402-2008
Hotel phone: 319-393-6600
Special getaway hotel room rate: $109.00/ night available until 10/19/2018 (subject to availability) book room for getaway
Parking or other fees: Check with the hotel about additional fees. *Hotel, meals, parking, and other fees not included in the registration price.
Bright Spot, Cedar Chips, Family Promise, News

Bright Spot – Family Promise

“Thanks so much to the 40 volunteers from Cedar Hills who helped host a family at our church through Family Promise. This week was a huge success! It was incredible to see such an awesome team effort! The family was very appreciative to all of you for your kindness and hospitality! They told me over and over how blessed they were to meet all of you and to have the chance to stay at our church. The kindness you showed the family is a key part of what makes Family Promise a successful program.” ~ Bruce Boldt, leader

Cedar Chips, Chiccs, News

October Women’s Retreat

Saturday, Oct 13 at Cedar Hills Community Church.

Join us for a time of rest and relaxation as we explore the truth of Jesus’ unending love.

Doors open at 8:30 AM; program begins at 9 AM-3 PM (lunch provided).
Fee of $20 is due at registration. Register in the church Gathering Space Sept 16, 23 or 30.

For more information, contact Joyce Firzlaff, 310-4552.

Cedar Chips, News, Open Hands Food Pantry

Donating Items

We are blessed to be a part of a very giving congregation. At Cedar Hills, we invite non-perishable food or hygiene donations for the Open Hands Food
Pantry. The pantry doesn’t have space to be a donation site for other types of items. Please take other items directly to:

Medical Items?
Donate to: Grace Episcopal Medical Lending Closet.
Contact: 362-1929

Clothing, jewelry, purses, baby equipment, and some furniture?
Donate to: Treasures.
Contact: 364-1988
(*larger items to Salvation Army)

Building Materials?
Donate to: Habitat for Humanity ReStore.
Contact: 319-294-1500

Thank you for delivering directly to an organization, who is better equipped to distribute these types of items. If you have other ideas,
contact Jennifer to share: 396-6608.

Cedar Chips, News, Transform the Corridor

Only One Life

from http://followingthecalm.blogspot.com/

One of our “senior saints” shared this rhyme with me recently. It’s a motto that has determined his priorities through many busy years. He’s retired now, and not strong physically any more, but he’s still living his life, every day, for Christ. When our care team takes communion to his home, we recite the rhyme together like a creed.

And it’s made me think a lot about my own life. Each of us has the same twenty-four hours each day, seven days a week. I’ve been given just one life to live. And God made me for the purpose of centering that one life around Him. If I try to build my life around me at the center, that is no life at all, at least no life of significance.

Jesus said, “If you try to keep your life for yourself you will lose it, but if you give up your life for me, you will find true life.” Living our lives as the family of God, in loving service to others, is the life we were made for. That is truly life. In fact, it’s the beginning of eternal life.

“Only one life . . . .” Take a moment right now to say the little creed out loud. “Only what’s done for Christ . . . .” Keep it in your heart today, and Christ will transform all your hours, days, weeks and years to be a stream of love that will last forever.

God bless you!
Alan Crandall
Pastor of Care


Uncategorized

Let Justice Roll

Every now and then I encounter an unknown song that just rocks my world. Usually it’s a song that’s not popular, not on the radio, not really being done anywhere but I find in a music database called CCLI.

CCLI is the go-to place for music for worship and music leaders world-wide. We pay a fee to CCLI every year to legally use all the music we do on Sunday mornings and then we report back to them what songs we use so they can pay the artists. It’s actually a really nifty system to make sure artists get paid by churches that are using their music. And in doing so, I have access to giant database of 1000s of songs. Maybe millions. Lets just say lots and lots and lots.

I can get into the database and see current trends, new up-and-coming songs, search for songs by lyrics and find original versions of music. Let’s just say I spend a good amount of my week in CCLI, either looking up music, studying scores, brainstorming theme ideas or playing with the search features. “Let Justice Roll” has become the theme song of our new “Transform the Corridor” focus. This little song is unknown, but the words are impactful:

You see the world as daughters and sons
in an ocean of your love.
You want your church to reach for the lost
more than thousands of our songs.
Let justice roll.
We see the waters rising!
Heavens flood is coming!
To cover the earth with healing:
let it pour down.
We’ll see the darkness scatter
when your people gather.
Hell cannot stop your power:
Let it pour down.

Let Justice Roll by Josh Lavender | Taylor Wilding; © 2017 Awaken Worship Collective (Admin. by Josh Lavender LLC); Josh Lavender Publishing (Admin. by Josh Lavender LLC) CCLI #648382

In my spirit I say, “Yes, Lord!” Let it pour down! The Corridor WILL BE transformed.

Leah
Director of Worship & Media

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

Noah’s Ark September ’18 Update

We have been very busy gearing up for the new school year. The classrooms are clean, toys sorted, crafts are prepped, and lesson plans are pre-pared. We had our orientation night on Aug 23. Orientation allows the children an opportunity to meet their teachers, see their classroom, and meet their classmates. While the children are busy playing, I meet with the parents to go over our Parent Handbook and any other questions they may have. Our goal is to have a smooth transition for everyone when school begins.

God has blessed us with 51 students enrolled for fall! There are a few openings in our program. If you know anyone interested, have them contact us at 396-3125. We are excited for classes to start Sept 4, the day after Labor Day. We have lots of new ideas that we are excited to see in action.

Jan Fick, Lori Larson, Kris Crowther, Lorri Anderson, and I will all be returning to teach this year. These people are a pleasure to work with every-day and make my job a lot easier. I feel blessed to work with fellow Christians who are passionate about teaching young children.

Please pray for all of us as we begin this new school year. Thank you!

In Christ,
Leslie Clauson
Noah’s Ark Preschool Director

Cedar Chips, Consistory, News

From the Consistory – Sept 2018

News and Notes
This month we reviewed our nominations process and discovered that we need to keep communicating about the value of the congregation’s nominations of Elders and Deacons. In the past several years we have de-emphasized the “election” part of the process and elevated the “nominations” process. Some in the congregation feel like they have lost their voice in that the election is now simply an affirmation of the full slate of nominees.

As the congregation has grown, it became more difficult for the congregation to know which candidates are gifted and called to leadership. We now have a nominations team of individuals who invest hours into the process so that they can pre-sent the best single slate of nominees possible. The best way to influence this process is to give the nominations team the names of individuals you know who may be gifted and called. Participation in this part of the process is the most helpful in getting the outcome of great men and women called to serve our congregation as Elders and Deacons.

We are looking for individuals who can help us accomplish the mission of disciples making disciples in the everyday stuff of life.

Contact Pastor Kent or Jack Ulmer if you would like to place a name into nomination.

Cedar Chips, News, Transform the Corridor

September Sermon Topics

A Vocabulary of Transformation

We pray that God will use us to transform the corridor. As God grows us to be agents of trans-formation we will develop the gospel in the eve-ryday stuff of life. Come explore the vocabulary of our faith so that every man, women, and child in the corridor has a daily encounter with Jesus in word and deed!
Sept 2: Gospel Community
Sept 9: Gospel Fluency
Sept 16: Gospel Transformation
Sept 23: Gospel Glory
Sept 30: Gospel Identity
Sunday Morning Services: 8:30 AM and 11:00 AM

Love. Belong. Serve.