All posts by Cedar Hills

UMV 2024 – The River of the Kingdom

UPPER MISSISSIPPI
VALLEY NETWORK
Alliance of Reformed Churches

UMV 2024:
The River of the Kingdom
!

Saturday, June 15, 8am to 3pm
Cedar Hills Community Church

RSVP NOW

June 15, 2024 Schedule

8:00am
Continental Breakfast and Fellowship

9:00am
Welcome and Worship

9:45am-10:35am
BREAKOUT Session #1

  • Hiring the Right Pastor: Discover resources to seek the next Pastor for your congregation. (Ron Fischer)
  • Alliance Vision: How the Alliance of Reformed Church works and why it matters. (Tim Vink)
  • Church Vitality: Three Essentials for Healthy Growing Churches. (Ben Ingebretson)

10:45am-11:35am
BREAKOUT  Session #2

  • Leadership Development:  How To Expand Your Leadership Bench. (Ben Ingebretson)
  • Pathways to Ordination: Discover the Alliance pathway to ordination.  (Thomas Cellilli)
  • Ministry in a Hostile World: How we offer Jesus in a polarized, angry world. (Kent Landhuis)

11:45am
Business Meeting

12:15pm
Lunch (no cost)

1:15pm
Keynote Speaker – Colin Thornley

2:15pm
Closing Thoughts and Prayer

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PRESENTERS


Colin Thornley served in ministry with Grace Community Church for over 25 years as in various roles such as: Youth Pastor, College Pastor and Pastor of Discipleship & Equipping. While serving at Grace, he continued to pursue training and ministry opportunities with Serge as a mentor and eventually a Sonship Coach.  He was first introduced to Sonship and Serge mission’s organization in the fall 1993 when he experienced a ‘gosplosion’ as he listened to Jack Miller lecture and Drew Angus pressing the good news into the deepest parts of his heart. The gospel-centric paradigm shift that began there increasingly impacted his life and dependence on Jesus and His finished work. Colin’s passion for mentoring and equipping people who want to mentor others led him to begin assisting Serge in a minimally part-time capacity and finally to join the Serge Renewal Mentoring Team in January of 2020.


Ben Ingebretson
 is a leadership vitality/church planting consultant and has led widely with organizations, churches and denominations including the United Methodist Church, and the Reformed Church in America.


Tim Vink 
is the Director of Spiritual Leadership and Outreach in the Alliance of Reformed Churches. Through 35 years of evangelism, disciple-making, and helping diverse churches plant more reproducing churches, Tim has experienced the power of making Jesus our model for ministry today. Working with a multiplication mindset, embracing the fullness of the gospel of Jesus and New Testament patterns of Kingdom growth, and receiving all the help offered by the same Holy Spirit—the dynamic results have been life-giving for hundreds of new churches and tens of thousands of people.


Ron Fischer
is the Network Leader & President, Board of Directors of the Upper Mississippi Valley Network. Ron serves the Alliance part-time as the Executive Assistant to the Board and as Pastor of Operations at Christ’s Family Church in Davenport, IA.  He has served in churches for the last 20+ years in South Carolina, Florida and now Iowa.

Thomas Cellilli has faithfully served this New Life Community Church as lead pastor since August 2021. Thomas has been married to his wife Shelby since 2017, and together they have two daughters: Nora and Audrey. He enjoys spending time with them running around in their backyard with their dog, Rizzo. In his free time, Thomas enjoys disc golfing at Altmaier Park, going to coffeeshops with a good novel, playing an over-complicated board game, or re-watching his favorite sci-fi/fantasy movies.
Kent Landhuis is Pastor of Preaching and Leadership at Cedar Hills Community Church.  Kent used to think that being human was something sinful that had to be over come. Now he understands that people are made to bear God’s image by becoming human like Jesus. Kent wants to purge the phrase “I’m only human” from our vocabulary because the message of Jesus is that everyone can become more human, as God designed, which allows us all to flourish. Kent’s mission is to introduce others to this good news so they can become all they are meant to be in Jesus!
Leah Carolan has been leading worship for over 20 years and at Cedar Hills for the last 16 years.  She recently went through the Alliance ‘Pathways’ to become ordained last fall as Pastor of Worship and Media.  She is a composer of hundreds of Scripture songs, passionate about helping God’s people hide His Word in their hearts through memorable tunes and melodies, known in the Bible memorization communities for her YouTube channel Memorize Scripture With Song.

HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS

Coming soon! We are still working out the details on a block of rooms in Cedar Rapids.

RSVP NOW

Galentines: Women’s Ministry Event

VIEW EVENT ON FACEBOOK

Join us for a fun, casual girl’s night! Come in your comfortable clothes and enjoy drinks, food, and fun with other gals.
The event will take place in Lindsey Steinkamp’s home in Marion. We’ll be serving a variety of non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, as well as some snacks and appetizer-type foods. Enjoy some conversation and we may have an organized game or activity (details TBD 😉).
All are welcome! Invite a gal pal to join!
Let us know if you’re interested in carpooling with others. Reach out if you have questions.
Address:
2093 49th St
Marion, IA 52302
Cell if you need to reach me (Lindsey): 319-640-9147

Pasta of the Prairie Feb. 18

Noah’s Ark preschool is teaming up with Pasta of the Prairie for a fundraiser!  Pasta of the Prairie will be on site Sunday, Feb. 18 selling their great assortment of pasta, soup and meal kits with 40% of the proceeds going to Noah’s Ark.

You can also order online Feb. 12-18. Online orders can be shipped to your house (for a small shipping fee) or picked up at the preschool the following week.

www.pastaoftheprairie.com

VIEW FLYER

The in-person fundraiser will occur between services on the 18th, but people could also order online anytime from February 12th – 18th. Those orders will be delivered to the preschool for pick-up, or people can choose to pay to ship directly to their home. There will be special deals for the in-person event on the 18th. People can buy 1 for $10, 3 for $25, 5 for $40, or 8 for $60. Forms of payment for the in-person event will be cash, check, credit card, or mobile payments such as Apple pay.

Luminary Walk & S’Mores

LUMINARY WALK & S’MORES – Our January Faith, Family & Fun event is Saturday 5-7pm at Wickiup Hill Learning Center.

Enjoy a campfire, s’mores, and walk the illuminated trail as we celebrate the beauty of winter.

Stop by for the family-friendly self-guided walk along the trail lit with luminaries and lights. Come and go from 5-7 p.m. Free. Registration appreciated for planning s’mores supplies.

(Event is held by Wickiup Learning Center… we are just plugging into it!)

Rise to the Occasion Sourdough Party

January 25 – Rise to the Occasion Sourdough Party

All ladies are invited to Lindsey Ungs’ house on Thursday, Jan. 25 at 6pm for a sourdough party. “Rise to the Occasion”.  Please kindly RSVP on our Facebook event so we have a starter for everyone.

Dive into the world of sourdough with our Beginners’ Sourdough Bread Class – it’s all about the good vibes and great bread!
We will be gathering at Lindsey Ungs’ home where Lindsey & Lauren will spill their secrets, share their laughs and create sourdough magic!
No experience needed – we’ll show you how to create that awesome tangy goodness from scratch. Get your hands messy, learn the tricks of the trade, and discover the joy of baking your own delicious sourdough bread.
Come hungry for fun, leave with the skills to impress your taste buds and your friends.
Everyone will leave with their very own Sourdough Starter so please RSVP to claim yours!  Let’s get baking!

DIRECTIONS to Lindsey’s house

Stay up to date with our women’s ministry by joining the “Women in Fellowship and Faith”  Facebook group.

Super Bowl Subs Fundraiser

 


Orders Due Wednesday, Feb. 7

Order subs for the big game! The Journey youth prepare your sub orders fresh on the day of the game for pickup after either service.

Subs are $7 each and directly fund trips, conferences and activities for our middle school and high school youth.

ORDER ONLINE

Complete your order online and pay using our online payment system, or bring your payment to the church office.

PRINT ORDER FORM

Print your order form and return to the church office by Wednesday, Feb. 7.  Cash or check for payment.

High School Retreat


HIGH SCHOOL RETREAT – January 20-21 at Lake View Camp in Pella.  Youth will join other high school students from around Iowa for worship, games and encountering God.

REGISTER ONLINE or print and complete registration form and return it to the office.  For online registration, use code CH2023 for 1/2 off! (lowers cost down to just $37.50).

Full scholarships are available if you contact Pastor Steve.   We will leave from Cedar Hills at 8am January 20th and return around 4pm January 21st.

New Class: Ephesians

SUNDAY CLASS: Ephesians

Begins Sunday, January 7 at 9:45am

Imagine living in a city of 250,00 people and you are proud to brag that it is the 4th largest city in the known world. Rome is the government that currently rules you, but they have not restricted your freedom to worship in any of the magnificent temples that surround you. Then there came a hiccup in your life. A man name Paul came to visit and stayed for an extended time. He presented a message that changed your way of life. Now as Christian, living in Ephesus, the city has become a hostile environment, to say the least.

After Paul left, our question has become, “How do we live when the voices of those who surround us are no longer accepting and friendly?”

In 2024 there are times when the world is trying to change the course of our life. Paul writes letter giving us a renewed hope and focus. Bring your bibles. Experience truth that reaches out and touches us today.

Abundant Love

In 2024, we are focusing on growing to be a generous people — so confident in our knowledge of God’s love for us that we are freed to give of our time, resources and skills abundantly to our family, church, and community.  Free in such a way we can give without fear, anxiety, or worry that we’ll have enough.

We are declaring it a year of living with open hands.

Do not forget to do good and to share with others. Hebrews 13:16a

Overview: Focus on the spiritual practice of giving.

Generosity involves so much more than simply giving money. All kinds of giving flow from gospel-transformed hearts touched by God’s lavish love. Radical, whole-life generosity flows from a grateful response to God’s generosity toward us.  

Goals: Grow generosity.

  • Grow awareness of our dependence on God.
  • Grow our response of sacrificial generosity.
  • Do good to everyone. (and not grow weary). Gal. 6:9-10

Some key verses:

    • Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17
    • For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:
  • Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 2 Corinthians 9:6
  • They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Acts 2:45

Themes: Whole-life generosity.

  • Generosity and God’s Grace
  • Generosity and Relationships/Forgiveness
  • Generosity and Hospitality 
  • Generosity and Ministry/Spiritual Gifts
  • Generosity and Money/Wealth
  • Generosity and Power/Influence
  • Generosity and Justice