All posts by Cedar Hills Community Church

New Director of Youth & Young Adults

Congrats to Steve Poole, who was selected as the best fit for our ministry! Steve will began at Cedar Hills on August 11.  Please pray for Steve, his wife Cathy and their children Abigail and Christopher as they make plans to relocate to Cedar Rapids.

Our vision as a congregation is to make disciples who make disciples in the everyday stuff of life so that every man, woman and child in our community has a daily encounter with Jesus in word and deed. Our goal as consistory is to work toward alignment of all our staff and programs with this vision.

When Jeremy shared his calling to move to Allison to become the pastor at Trinity Reformed Church, we started our discernment process for seeking a new Director of Youth and Young Adults.

The Search team processed dozens of candidates, interviewed four, and recommended two candidates to meet with our congregation, youth, parents and youth sponsors. After processing feedback from the candidate visits as well as references from the candidates we concluded that we had two excellent candidates.

Both candidates loved the Lord, had a passion for student ministry, had successful experience leading and growing student ministries, have built and led ministry teams, communicated well publicly, and have developed solid biblical/theological foundations for ministry. Both candidates were well qualified!

When we discussed vision alignment, discipleship strategy, and chemistry we agreed – unanimously – that Steve Poole was the best fit for our ministry at this time. Consistory unanimously agreed with this recommendation and offered Steve the position!

We are very excited for the gifts that Steve brings to ministry. Here are a few of the qualities that led to our decision:

  • Steve has a highly relational approach to ministry.
  • Steve’s focus on disciple-making, mentoring, and small groups fits closely with our vision.
  • Steve has a humble, curious, and teachable spirit.
  • Steve is youth culture savvy and also in touch with the latest youth ministry trends.
  • Steve has current and past connections with RCA people, events, and culture. (Rocky, Power Connection, Central College, Adventure Life Reformed Church, Lakeview Camp, etc.)
  • Steve’s camp experience offers unique opportunities and also represents experience working with younger children.

Welcome Steve and Cathy!

Deb LaKose Obituary

Please pray for Dave LaKose and family as the grieve the passing of his wife, Deb.

OBITUARY

(from https://www.thegazette.com/obituaries/debra-lakose-20190723-0000175536-01)

Debra Jean (Grissom) LaKose, 62, of Cedar Rapids, passed away Saturday, July 20, 2019, at home following a battle with lung cancer. A Celebration of Life will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, July 26, at the Fraternal Order of Eagles No. 2272, 1735 11th St. NW, Cedar Rapids.

Deb is survived by her husband, David Dwayne LaKose; two children, Adam (Kirsten) LaKose of Concord, N.C., and Cody LaKose of Cedar Rapids; three grandchildren, Madyson, Kenzie and Greyson LaKose of Concord; and five siblings, David Grissom (special friend Deb Heins) of Robins, Dennis Grissom of Marion, Daniel (Sherry) Grissom of Fairfax, Donald (Emili) Grissom of Robins and DeAnna Grissom of Cedar Rapids.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Harold Wayne Grissom and June Olive (Theel) Grissom; three siblings, Douglas Wyatt, Donna Jane and Denise Joan; two sisters-in-law, Denise Grissom and Stephanie Grissom; as well as other aunts, uncles and cousins.

Deb was born Feb. 5, 1957, in Manchester, Iowa, the daughter of Harold and June (Theel) Grissom. After moving to Robins and various houses in Cedar Rapids, Deb graduated from Cedar Rapids Jefferson in 1975. On March 27, 1982, Deb married David LaKose at Holy Redeemer Lutheran Church in Cedar Rapids. She spent her latter years working for the Cedar Rapids Community School District as a food service worker for various elementary schools, which she truly enjoyed. Nothing gave Deb greater joy than the time she spent with family, especially her children and her grandchildren. She loved to read, spend time outdoors, support her children in their various athletic endeavors, and travel, particularly if the destination resulted in spending time with her grandchildren.

The family would like to extend a special thank-you to the caregivers at Mercy Hospice. In lieu of flowers, please plan on sharing stories and uplifting memories at the aforementioned Celebration of Life.

Eva Kriegermeier Funeral

Eva Ellen Kriegermeier ObituaryWe are saddened at the passing of Eva Kriegermeier this past weekend.  She was a beloved member of Cedar Hills.  The visitation is Tuesday evening, 4-7pm at Cedar Memorial, and the funeral Wednesday morning at 10:30am at Cedar Memorial Park Chapel of Memories.

Obituary

Eva Ellen Kriegermeier, 88, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, passed away on Saturday, July 13, 2019, at Willow Gardens Care Center in Marion, Iowa. A visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 16, at Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home. Funeral services will take place at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 17, at Cedar Memorial Park Chapel of Memories. Burial will follow in Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery. Eva is survived by her children, Patricia Sorensen and Michael (Debra) Kriegermeier; six grandchildren, Chad (Shane) Kriegermeier, Tara (Lari) Chesmore, Tracy Sorensen, Corey (Andrea) Kriegermeier, Eric (Laura) Kriegermeier and Nathan Kriegermeier; seven great-grandchildren (with one on the way); a sister, Juanita Traxler; and many loving extended family members; and her special dog, Zoey. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Wayne Kriegermeier; a son, Gregory Kriegermeier; and five siblings. Eva Ellen Kriegermeier was born on Aug. 3, 1930, in Albia, Iowa, the daughter of Willie and Eva (Rouse) Daugherty. She was a teacher in a one-room school house before meeting her future husband, Wayne Kriegermeier. They were united in marriage on May 29, 1948, in Albia, Iowa. Eva was employed at Rockwell Collins as a lead operator from 1972, until retiring in 1991. She worked on space shuttle parts. Eva was a member of Cedar Hills Community Church, where she taught adult Bible study. She always will be remembered for being a loving and wonderful mother, wife, sister, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Cedar Hills Community Church or the Alzheimer’s Association. Online condolences may be conveyed at www.cedarmemorial.com.

July 23 Blood Drive – Support Noah’s Ark

Did you know a donation of blood at our mobile blood drives support the ministry of Noah’s Ark Preschool? When we hit our quota of donations, the Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center gives Noah’s Ark a donation to go towards classroom supplies, which offsets the cost of tuition for our little ones!

Schedule an appointment now to donate. July 23, 3:30-6:30.  The blood drive takes place in the Gathering Space (lobby area) of the church.

All presenting donors will receive a voucher for a $10 Gift Card to Amazon.com, Casey’s General Store, Dairy Queen, or Domino’s!

And thank you to the three people who signed up even before we started the promo! You are ROCK STARS!

SCHEDULE NOW

Discipleship Through Missional Communities

As the Connection and Communication Architect at Cedar Hills, my role is to equip leaders to make disciples through missional communities.

My primary role is to share my vision to what the ministry will become and to pour the foundation of this work alongside the leaders.

Once a solid foundation is poured, the leaders will carry out the work of the ministry. My role will transition to equipping those leaders as they move forward in making disciples through missional communities. We had our first ministry team meeting in June.

Next up – August 18 – Fall Kick-off!

Lindsey Ungs
Connection and Communication Architect
Contact Lindsey

Not Too Young

Parenting is really hard. You don’t really know that until you’re in it, and suddenly discover how much a child changes everything. You literally go from living for your own needs to living for another’s needs (and maybe another and another!)

I want to be a better parent and thought maybe gaining some new skills or perspectives would help.

Mid-June, my husband and I had the privilege of attending a Parent and Family Ministry Summit in Kansas City. The summit ran alongside a camp we also plugged our six-year-old into. At certain points throughout the week, the camp and summit converged for joint services. This is where it got super fascinating.

At the camp, the kids were specifically trained in how to walk out their faith in power and the full ministry of the Holy Spirit. One night, after some time in worship and praise, they called the parents to the front while the kids came around us in small groups and prayed a simple but effective healing prayer over us. We became their practice field to try out the new tools they had been learning all week. As parents, we are always pouring out lives into these little ones but here they were, ministering to us.

“Holy Spirit,
make Jesus known in this body.
Heal them in Jesus’ name.”

The next day, the camp held a special healing service for the entire community. Many flocked to the service, as they desired healing from many infirmities, some obvious, some not so obvious! Those ministering? The kids. And you know what? GOD SHOWED UP. I believe now more than ever that our children can and will walk in faith if we equip them with the tools and the simple confidence that they can walk in the power of the Holy
Spirit.

Leah
Director of Worship & Media