Many have asked this question and there are just as many responses online if you google it. What is worship? What qualifies and what doesn’t? What does transformational worship look like? Is there a right way and a wrong way? Who has it figured
out?
In all my years of classes and schools and degrees and traveling around North America, I think you can make a great case for this explanation:
God reveals Himself, and we respond.
Leah
Director of Worship & Media
We are excited that school has finally started! We currently have 48 students enrolled in our program. We do have some openings. If you know of anyone, who is interested, please have them call our office, 396-3125.
It’s been fun getting to know the little ones and learning their names. There are less and less tears as the children are getting use to us and finding out that we have a lot of fun at preschool.
All the children learned about a man named Noah and his great big boat and that he listened to God. We talked about friends and families and how not all families look the same and that is just fine.
Soon everyone will be looking for signs of fall.
Thank you to everyone who has brought snacks, supplies, and paid all their fees on time! I just want to remind parents to label your child’s jacket/coat and their backpack.
We are off to a great start on our 49th year at Noah’s Ark Preschool. Thanks for trusting us to care for and to teach your precious little ones!
In Christ,
Leslie Clauson
Noah’s Ark Preschool Director
Since J.R.’s resignation as Pastor of Spiritual Formation, the Consistory has been evaluating staff needs and possibilities. A special task force was charged with exploring short and long-term gaps and opportunities. This task force engaged a process
of discernment that included prayer, discussion, and feedback from the staff and congregation.
The task force made two recommendations to the Consistory in September:
The Consistory affirms the value of the long-term recommendation and will be convening this retreat soon. We also will continue discernment of the short-term recommendation by developing a job description and exploring the budget implications for the 2019 budget. We welcome your prayers for this process of discernment. Also, please pass your feedback or questions to any staff or Consistory member.
Our dream is that we will be disciples who make disciples in the everyday stuff of life so that every man, woman, and child in our community will have a daily encounter with Jesus in Word and deed. As this happens, God will grow us to be agents of Gospel transformation and we learn the vocabulary of Gospel transformation.
Sunday Morning Services: 8:30 AM and 11:00 AM
Meditate on John 3:1-21. Below are verses 14-20.
14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,
15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.
20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.
At our most recent classis meeting, one of the speakers asked the question, “What are you dreaming about?” The question grabbed my attention because I was just starting to slip into a daydream. Was he reading my mind? Was I busted? What are you dreaming about?
The question was really asking about passion and calling. What is the dream that excites you, engages your imagination, and energizes you to take action? Do you dream about strengthening your marriage? Becoming a better parent? Getting healthy? Making more money? Learning a new skill? Climbing the ladder of success?
Do you dream about helping others? Visiting the lonely? Caring for the sick? Helping those who lack resources? Reaching out to those who do not know Jesus? Loving our neighbors? Transforming our community?
Do you dream about solving a problem? Conquering addictions? Solving poverty? Ending abuse and injustice? Stopping slavery and human trafficking? Resolving conflict and violence? Overcoming corruption and exploitation? Do you dream about growing love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control?
What do you dream about? Do you have a personal dream that excites you or a bigger dream—a global dream—that energizes you? The speaker at classis said, “Everyone needs a dream.”
As a congregation we are developing a dream. You might say that we are dreaming again about making a difference in our homes, our neighborhoods, and the entire corridor. We are dreaming about transformation. This is a passion and a calling. That excites me. Does it excite you?
The Lord be with you,
Pastor Kent
Last Sunday, we welcomed Beth Larsen who is currently serving as a missionary to Brno, Czech Republic. Beth shared about her role in Brno, both the blessings and struggles of ministry. Please continue to pray for God to use Beth in a mighty way as she spreads the Gospel to the people of Brno.
Calling all ladies! The next meeting of Women’s Revival is Thursday, October 4, 2018 from 6-8pm. At this gathering, the ladies will be doing a service project with Days For Girls, a mission that creates hygiene kits for girls in other countries who don’t have access to supplies for ‘those days’. By creating the kits, the girls can continue to attend school verses missing school and eventually dropping out.
Bring a snack to share! Invite your moms, aunts, friends and neighbors to come along.
Looking for a great resource for Christian colleges in Iowa? Here are couple of links that you may find useful in your pursuit of where God might be calling you after graduation — including online degrees:
Christian Colleges in Iowa: https://www.christiancolleges.com/online-degrees/iowa/
Online Christian Degrees: https://www.christiancolleges.com/online-degrees/
A few topics covered at ChristianColleges.com:
Many of the RCA schools we support also offer scholarships for those holding active memberships in the Reformed Church in America.
Irene ValentaPlease 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.
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.