Cedar Chips, News

Turn Around

Saul of Tarsus was a brilliant Jewish rabbi. He knew the way to ensure God’s favor was by avoiding the 365 “Thou Shalt Nots” in the law of Moses. Saul was a Pharisee—he kept away from sinners!

This is what disturbed him about the fake messiah Jesus. Jesus was justly condemned for offering forgiveness to the riffraff who rebelled against God’s law. He was dead and gone, but his fanatical followers were claiming he was alive. And Saul’s mission was to stamp out the Jesus cult.

As Saul went out to imprison the Jesus fanatics a brilliant light flashed about him from heaven. He fell to the ground and heard a voice, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

“Who are you?”

“I am Jesus.”

Saul’s mind was spinning, his world turning.

Conversion is a revolution that makes everything look different, an extraordinary reversal of values, and relationships. It means to turn around.

Saul didn’t want to hear that salvation had to be accomplished for him by Jesus apart from his own efforts. He didn’t want to be utterly dependent on God. But the light from heaven puts everything in a new perspective.

When we meet Jesus it’s like experiencing a sunrise; not only do we see him, but we see everything else in a new light because of him. He opens our eyes to see that we are enemies of God and that we cannot earn God’s love by our goodness, because it is a free gift. Then we are inspired (like Saul, who became the apostle Paul) to share this gift with others.

Alan Crandall
Pastor of Care

Cedar Chips, News, Saturate, Transform the Corridor

Did you know?


“In a city of less than 130,000, such low rates of reading and believing the Bible perplex many observers. It defies the expected connection between religiosity and middle-class values. Cedar Rapids is known as a good place to live and grow up, as evidenced by two national accolades it earned in 2016: the best place to raise children, and one of the best affordable cities… Cedar Rapids looks more like a post-Christian coastal city than the outdated stereotype of Middle America. It has a high percentage of religious “nones”; nearly half (47%) of the adults in Linn County…identified as such in 2010. That’s comparable to Manhattan’s New York County (56% nones), Los Angeles County (47% nones), and Chicago’s Cook County (40% nones).” from “The Curious Case of Cedar Rapids” at www.thegospelcoalition.org

Are you ready to change this? To saturate our city and the corridor with the good news of Jesus until every man, women and child is digging into their Bibles on a daily basis, loving the Word, believing the Word, and choosing to follow Jesus? I believe it is possible and it will start with us. This Fall we are choosing to invest time and love into
those places we already are: work, schools, clubs, programs – until the Gospel of Jesus is known.

~ Leah
Director of Worship & Media

Cedar Chips, Consistory, News

Consistory Term Proposal


We want a strong, healthy Consistory of spiritually mature men and women who are called and gifted to serve. We also want long-term stability and intentional development of future leaders. As part of our practice of regular review, the Consistory is exploring ways to better achieve these goals. We believe that the following proposal
will help increase our ability to serve the congregation and community by developing leaders with a greater ownership and influence.

Our current practice is 3-year terms for Elders and Deacons with the possibility of a second successive 3-year term. This practice usually results in the turnover of one third of the Consistory every year which impairs continuity.
In light of the current needs our congregation and community, we recommend flexible Consistory terms that begin as they do currently with a 3-year commitment but then can be extended one year at a time for up to five more years. This will allow adequate time to discover the roles and responsibilities involved with Consistory leadership
while also giving additional years to grow as leaders. Continued service on the Consistory will be by mutual agreement of the board member and the Consistory with the opportunity to recommit for one year at a time until five additional years have been served.

Flexible terms that create room for longer terms allow gifted, called, and passionate leaders to keep serving. Since new Consistory members face a steep learning curve, it is poor stewardship to expend significant efforts to develop board leadership only to lose the benefit because of term limits. Effectiveness is reduced even more with frequent turnover when the ministry and operations of the congregation grow increasingly complex.

Here are some of the benefits of the continuity that comes with flexible terms:
1. Strengthened Consistory with time for deeper relationships.
2. Strengthened leaders with time to grow as Elders and Deacons.
3. Time off for renewal for those rotated off at the time best for them.
4. Allowance for changes in life circumstances while also making room for new leadership to emerge.

The Consistory is discerning next steps in implementing this change. We anticipate voting on this proposal at our July meeting and desire your feedback. Please share your thoughts on this proposal with any Consistory member.
Strong, healthy Consistory leadership is vital for the health of our congregation as we carry out the mission to develop leaders who make disciples in the everyday stuff of life. Maintaining the right mix of experience,  competence, and leadership qualifications among a group of spiritually mature men and women will enable
us to continue to impact our community with the gospel. Pray for wisdom as we seek God’s leading!

Respectfully submitted,
The Consistory

Cedar Chips, Worship

A Church on Mission

One of the churches Paul planted on his missionary journeys was the church of Philippi. Later he wrote them a letter to encourage them to stay on mission. The book of Philippians shows how disciples, living in dependence on the Holy Spirit, can be transformed in their purpose.

July 1: Mission on Purpose
July 8: Unified Purpose
July 15: Persevering Purpose
July 22: Joyous Purpose
July 29: Worthy Purpose

Sundays at 8:30am and 11am. More on worship at Cedar Hills

Cedar Chips, News, Saturate, Transform the Corridor

Transform

According to the dictionary, transform means to make a thorough or dramatic change in the form, appearance, or character of something, some place or someone.

If I ask you to think about our world, can you think of anything, place, or person who needs a thorough dramatic change?

What about a dramatic change in your neighborhood?
Dramatic change in your home?

If I can name some things ripe for dramatic change: weeds and gnats. I could stand for a lot fewer of both. And  also, a lot less violence, poverty, abuse, suffering, prejudice, injustice, sickness, and hatred. And don’t get me started on the need to transform access to good education, clean water, affordable housing, adequate nutrition, decent jobs, and quality healthcare.

When you imagine a world thoroughly and dramatically changed, what kind of world do you imagine?

Ever imagine a world covered by the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea? (Habakkuk 2:14) A world where everyone enjoys life abundantly? (John 10:10) A world overflowing with forgiveness and reconciliation?
(2 Corinthians 5:18-19) A world with a multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language united as one? (Revelation 7:9) A world with more joy? (Philippians 4:4) I would love a world with fewer gnats and more joy. That would be great!

Put your thinking caps on. In about one month we are going to launch a year-long conversation about the kinds of transformation that God desires for our neighborhoods. If God decided to thoroughly and dramatically change something or someone in the Cedar Valley Corridor in which we live – what kind of change would God bring?

You think and pray about this and I will ask for your answer next month.

The Lord be with You,
Pastor Kent

Family and Children Ministry, News, Noah's Ark

Donate Blood. Save Lives. Raise Money. :)

On Tuesday, July 10 from 3:30-6:30pm, the Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center will be at Cedar Hills for our bi-annual blood drive.  Did you know if we get enough donors, the blood center gives a grant to Noah’s Ark Preschool? Come, save lives, and help us meet our quota of people needed for the grant.  Every donation stays local and helps 3-4 people!

The blood center writes, “Summer is especially challenging for the blood supply, so if you’d like to make a difference in your community we’d love to team up with you.”  Our drive is also a part of the 100 Days of Summer campaign – “all those who come to donate blood or platelets between July 2, 2018 and August 12, 2018 will receive a voucher to redeem a $5 plastic gift card to Amazon or Subway.”

An hour or so of your time helps ensure that when someone in our community needs a blood transfusion, blood will be “on the shelves” at the hospital. Email Leslie Clauson with the time you’d like to schedule. Together, let’s add saving lives to Noah’s Ark list of accomplishments in 2018!

You can schedule through the blood drive coordinator, Leslie Clauson, or by using their online scheduling system.

Donate blood, save lives, and give a gift to Noah’s Ark Preschool.

Noah’s Ark Preschool is a ministry of Cedar Hills, offering preschool for 3 and 4 year olds, including a 5-day advanced pre-k program for those not quite ready for Kindergarten.

 

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Love. Belong. Serve.