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New Classes Beginning Jan. 6

Jump into a new Cross Training class!

Sunday, Jan 6, 9:45 AM Cross Training Classes resume for ages preschool through adults. Nursery is available for children ages 0-2yrs during the Sunday school hour.

  • Growing in Christ Together—dig deeper into the gospel, focusing on the DNA of discipleship.
    Teacher: Pastor Kent.
  • Grace Through the Eyes of Jesus—study the example of Jesus in Luke’s Gospel, opportunity to share your experiences of God’s grace in our own lives.
    Teachers: Pastor Alan Crandall and Joanne Lodge.
  • Parenting Together—The goal for our group is to build relationships by learning from and with each other in how we can raise our kids and grow as parents in a Godly way.
    Teachers: Karl and Lindsey Ungs and guest mentors.
  • Financial Peace University–This class will teach you the steps you need to get our debt and change your family’s financial future. Our class will be held on Sunday mornings during the Cross Training Hour, starting at 9:30 AM. To register for the class, http://www.fpu.com/1077698. We will have class materials available for purchase, or you can purchase a kit online.
    Teachers: Dana and Kyle Chapman, Larry and Shelly Pottebaum
News, Open Table

Open Table

Come, join others for fellowship, conversation and good food.  Open Table is for anyone, young and old alike. We particularly wish to encourage anyone new to Cedar Hills to join us and meet some others along the same journey!

Open Table is in between services at 9:45 in the Gathering Space (church lobby area). There is no cost to attend.

Cedar Chips, News

Active Shooter Readiness Training

The Linn County Sheriff’s office will provide active shooter readiness training for our congregation on Sunday, Jan 13 from 3-5:30 PM. This training is open to anyone and will involve training to enhance your safety in any situation. The training will also assist us in helping others in our community should we ever face any incidents involving a violent attack. This training is open to others in our community who may benefit—invite them to come with you!

Cedar Chips, Family Adventure, Family and Children Ministry, News

Family Adventure Update 2019

Family Adventure is an opportunity for families to be equipped for and to experience living out a gospel-centered life together. We meet each month during the school year, on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month (unless otherwise noted).

During our program meeting, we will meet together for dinner and family discipleship from 5:30-7 PM, Nursery will also be provided after dinner for children under 3 years old. We hope you‘ll be able to join us!

 

Kyle French
Director of Family and Children’s Ministry

(with Alisse and Hadley)

Cedar Chips, Journey, News

Journey January 2019 Update

“Thank you to those who generously supported the Youth Ministry at the Chili Cook-off! We raised $800!”

Sunday, Dec 9 was our 2nd annual Chili Cook-off, after 2nd service! People from the congregation voted on their favorite chili and favorite bread with cash to support the Youth Group.

There were nine people who entered the contest with chili recipes and five people entered with homemade bread. The winner of the chili contest was Bruce Crowther and Dana Chapman won the bread contest! Again, thank you for your generous support for the Youth Ministry!

Jeremy Van Genderen
Director of Youth and Young Adult

Cedar Chips, News

Theodicy*

Theodicy*

By Pastor Alan Crandall

Weeping Savior,
Bleeding grace,
Reckless love,
God‘s open face.
Light and darkness
make it clear,
Through the pain
Our God comes near.
Suffering
Purifies the soul,
By his stripes,
We‘re all made whole.
Hanging naked
On a tree,
Heaven‘s great
Theodicy.
*An answer to the question of why a loving, omnipotent God permits evil.

Pastor Alan Crandall
Pastor of Care

Cedar Chips, Holiday, Just Love, News, Worship

Post-Christmas Slumps

The glitz and glam is over.
The warm fuzzies have reset
back into a reality of cold winter weather.

There are no more lights.
No more sparkly tinsel decorations.
The days are short.
No holiday music.
And the manger is emptied
and put away for another year.

Your wallet may be slimmer.
And time with family and friends
may have been a little stressful
and not of the Hallmark Channel quality.

What do we do now?
Where do we
go from here?
A King
has been born.
And His parents
have escaped with Him
to Egypt.

They’ll eventually return to their home.
He’ll learn the ways of a carpenter.
Soon, He will stay behind in the temple
And cause His parents to worry.
The leaders will be amazed
At His understanding of the Scriptures.

“Who is this boy?” they will ask.
“Isn’t He just a carpenter’s son?”
He will teach the ways of love.
Love that is so different, so controversial,
They’ll kill him.

They do not want to hear the way of love.
They want to leave things just as they are,
Their religious practices, their hierarchy.

Leah
Director of Worship & Media

Cedar Chips, News, Noah's Ark

Noah’s Ark December 2018 Update

December was a fun and fast month at preschool! We were very busy learning about the very first Christmas. All the classes visited Pastor Kent and he told them about that special night that Jesus was born. Acting out the very first Christmas was a big
highlight for the children and their families. Thank you to everyone who attended.

Thank you to all the families who donated items to help preschool! I cannot believe how generous our families have been. Thank you for the teachers’ gifts, too.

Registration for our 2019-2010 school year is open to everyone. If you know someone who needs information, have them stop by our office or call us at 396-3125 or visit the website: noahsarkcr.org.

In January the 4– and 5-year-olds will begin their kindergarten readiness testing. These tests are designed to be fun and playful and non-stressful. Testing will help the teachers give an accurate report card for parents so they may decide if Kindergarten
or Alternative-Kindergarten is best for their child. It also helps parents identify some areas they may wish to work on with their child.

Thank you for supporting Noah’s Ark Preschool; we feel very blessed to be doing something that we love and sharing God’s Word.

For the Staff,
Leslie, Director of Noah’s Ark Preschool

Cedar Chips, Consistory

January 2019 Consistory Update

Our December meeting celebrated the gift of leadership. We expressed deep gratitude for those who have serviced faithfully in the past year – Deb DeHaan, Jim Flamming, Mike Robinson, Karen Schumacher, and Kate Ulmer. We also welcomed elders and deacons who will begin serving in 2019. We are blessed with wise leaders who love the Lord, love the church and love one
another! We also celebrated bright spots in our ministry over the last few months:

  • The Open Hands Food Pantry served 1,115 people in November. 25+ volunteers shared food and love with over 331 families.
  • Journey Student Ministry held a successful retreat with many answers to prayer including five students making first time commitments to follow Jesus.
  • Explorers Children’s Ministry currently has 22 preschool students on the roll.
  • Open Table has grown as a path to connecting new and old families. This fall they have averaged 60-80 people in their monthly gatherings.
  • The vision of Missional Communities making disciples in the everyday stuff of life keeps expanding as more than 40 participants have now completed the training.

Please pray for our consistory, staff, and key leaders as we follow the calling that God is giving us.

From the 2019 Consistory:
Deacons: Alan Brockette (Chair), Bruce Boldt, Melissa Dahm, John Davidson, Allison Johnson, Nancy Josifek, Josh Oberembt
Elders: Lois Deerberg (Vice-president), Pastor Alan Crandall, Bruce Crowther, Robin Joens, Pastor Kent Landhuis, Gary Mills,  Diane Potter, Crissie Rozendaal, Jeremy Van Genderen, Ken Viggers

Cedar Chips, Just Love, News

Love One Another

Last year, I gave Mary a book of love poems for Christmas. This was one of my favorites:

Roses are red,
Bacon is too
Poetry is hard,
I love bacon and you.

It was a hit, but a lot of work. This year I gave her gift cards.

Our goal as a congregation in 2019 is that we would just love. Love our families, love our neighbors, love our co-workers, love our teachers and classmates. Just love one another. Love requires attention to grow and to keep growing.

Roses are red,
Violets are blue.
Sunflowers are yellow,
Daffodils are, too.

You were expecting something romantic, but instead I give you gardening facts to remind us that love is nurtured like a garden. Love flourishes and grows with devotion. What specific investment will we make in the new year to grow love? Will we invest time with one another? Encouraging words? A listening ear? Care and support?

Roses are red,
SpongeBob is square.
We are called,
To love everyone, everywhere.

To love is risky business and so I guess our goal for 2019 calls us to risk. I pray that God’s spirit will empower us to take
the leap so that we love one another really well!

The Lord be with you,
Pastor Kent

 

 

P.S. To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. “To love is to be vulnerable” ~ C. S. Lewis, The Four Loves.

Love. Belong. Serve.