All posts by Cedar Hills

Annual Report 2025

Angel Tree Prison Fellowship Ministry

Angel Tree Prison Fellowship

This ministry blessed 19 local children with a lively Christmas party, including food, games, gifts and fellowship. One parent noted,

“I felt love like I’ve never experienced when I walked through your doors last year and the same exact thing happened this year. That can only be God.”

A young teen exclaimed, “I’m so glad I got to come back again. You love me like my Dad cannot.”

Due to the generosity of our congregation, we were also able to bless 8 children within an hour’s drive with gifts delivered to their homes and a warm meal. The spring found us hosting an Angel Tree Fun Night with about 25 kids in attendance, eager to be loved on and hear about the Gospel. 20 Central College students assisted in making the night memorable. The Angel Tree kids always need more hands to help show them Christ’s love.

~ Cathy Poole, Children’s Ministry

MORE of 2026 ANNUAL REPORT:

Annual Report 2025

Cedar Camp

CEDAR CAMP

Returning for the 3rd summer, Cedar Camp continued the vision of fostering relationships to foster faith. 35 mentors faithfully attended 3 nights and poured love into 40 elementary aged mentees.15 adults taught a skill that they enjoy to the mentee groups. New this summer, the Bible curriculum was based on our Bible Recap and incorporated the texts being read in June. Each child had appropriate questions based on what “chair” they were currently in based on the 4 Chairs Discipleship program. Hands-on activities helped support the kids as they worked through interactive workbooks with their mentees. Comments after Cedar Camp were:

  • “Kids saw great role model behaviors!” 
  • “I saw my child’s faith deepen.”
  • “We were able to have a great conversation about the next step in my mentee’s life being that he needs to share his faith with others.”

We are thankful for our entire church family who makes these nights possible!

-Cathy Poole, Children’s Ministry

MORE of 2026 ANNUAL REPORT:

Annual Report 2025

Worship Ministry

Worship Ministries

I love my worship ministry volunteers! On any given weekend, it takes 19-45 volunteers to lead our weekend worship services. Wow! And we have faithful crews in both services to lead music, choir, children’s messages, tech, prayers, welcomes and announcements. We have volunteers to come in and do tech prep, assemble notebooks, and file music. Some of these jobs serve weekly, others every other week, some once a month, and some every six weeks.

They are a mix of seasoned and young, men, women and youth. We have retirees and others juggling multiple jobs and businesses. Some are serving in multiple ministries around the church, some serve the community through boards and volunteerism and some who only have a chance to serve on my teams. We have moms juggling their children on stage, parents running between band competitions and show choir and sporting events, and grandparents coming back and forth from seeing their favorite grandkids do amazing things.

We have families serving together – husbands and wives, mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, and sometimes more! But they all have this one thing in common: We love the Lord, we love this church, and we are devoted to leading this congregation to the best of our time and abilities.

~ Pastor Leah

MORE of 2026 ANNUAL REPORT:

Annual Report 2025

Care Ministry

Care Ministry

God is working! It has been a privilege to serve as the Ambassador of Care and see God leading us to reach out to people in our church family in care centers and others with illnesses and injuries.

God has also led us to reach out to community members outside our church family. November of 2024, I made a visit to a friend who was in hospice care at Harmony Cedar Rapids.

Then, God connected me to others at Harmony, who were eager to meet weekly for a time of worship and Bible study. The worship started with a gentleman who plays the guitar and sings, now he leads us in weekly worship.

The group has grown with more participants, both men and women, who enjoy worship and Bible study together.

We have also provided several Bibles to those who needed one. One resident became well enough to go home, but still continues to join us weekly through FaceTime. Another praise to God is an individual I knew previously, who God placed in my path when I was visiting another friend in hospice care. This individual had been a resident at Harmony for the past two years, and he started coming to our weekly Bible Study.

A few months ago he prayed, asked God for forgiveness of his sins, and accepted God as his Lord and Savior.

God is opening more doors with two new groups here at Cedar Hills. A Support Group led by Gary Sager is for those dealing with Parkinsons and Dementia and those who care for them. A Grief Share Group is also starting with Tony Tonsfeldt and Bridgit Humphreys leading. This group offers support for those dealing with loss of family members or friends. A new Bible Study group is also being planned at REM House in Cedar Rapids.

~Randy Fox

MORE of 2026 ANNUAL REPORT:

Annual Report 2025

2025 Highlight

2025 Highlight

God used our congregation to make a difference. The story of one life touching another could be repeated hundreds of times in the past 12 months. Praise God!  

“But you are a chosen race,
a royal priesthood, a holy nation,
God’s special possession,
that you may declare
the praises of him
who called you out of darkness
into His wonderful light.”
~ 1 Peter 2:9

 

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Annual Report 2025

Bible Recap Update

Bible Recap: He is where the Joy is!

One way many of us were impacted this year was in reading through the whole Bible using the Bible Recap Plan.

We are not quite finished but dozens of us will read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation by the end of the year!

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Annual Report 2025

Real People. Need Jesus.

Real People. Need Jesus.

Jesus said, “Go make disciples.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

Real people, forgiven, and restored make disciples of Jesus who love, belong, and serve. In Jesus, God loves us and we love others. We belong and we welcome everyone into belonging. We share God’s goodness by serving others.

Today, real people need Jesus. Maybe now more than ever. Tomorrow, real people need Jesus. God uses His church to reach out with the love of Jesus. God uses our church to love real people. As we carry out this call, the best days of our church are ahead.

This report celebrates the ways God used Cedar Hills in 2025 to impact real people. And we hope that this report stirs our imaginations to see how God will impact real people in 2026 and beyond.

May the Lord be with you,
Pastor Kent

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Uncategorized

Luminary Walk – Faith, Family & Fun Event


LUMINARY WALK AT MORGAN CREEK – Faith, Family & Fun Event – Friday, November 7. Come and go from 5:30-7:30pm – enjoy a campfire and walk the illuminated trail.

A family-friendly self-guided walk takes place along the trail lit with luminaries and lights. Stop by Morgan Creek Shelter to warm up and connect with others. Bring your own marshmallows or s’mores supplies if you’d like.  This event is free.

Uncategorized

Class for Women: Stress Less

Stress Less: Finding Rest in a Busy World
We all feel it at times: angry, irritable, stressed…especially as we head into the busy holiday season. Join our class on Sundays at 9:45am to connect with other women and explore ways to stress less and approach life with ease, joy, and peace.
10/25 – Fellowship & Recipe Share
11/2 – The Case for an Unhurried Life
11/9 – Silence & Solitude
11/16 – Sabbath
11/23 – Simplicity
12/7 – Slowing
12/14 – Fellowship & Christmas Cookies
Funeral

Joan Grave Memorial Service

Joan Marcella Grave Profile PhotoPlease continue to pray for the Grave family as they grieve the passing of Joan.

Visitation – Friday, October 10, 4-7pm
at Murdoch Funeral Home in Marion: 3855 Katz Dr., Marion, IA 52302
Funeral Service – Saturday, October 11, 10am at Cedar Hills Community Church.

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OBITUARY

Joan Marcella Grave, 59, of Marion, Iowa, passed away on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, at Bickford of Marion. In agreement with her wishes, cremation has taken place. Visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., on Friday, October 10, 2025, at Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Marion. Memorial services will begin at 10:00 a.m., on Saturday, October 11, 2025, at Cedar Hills Community Church, located at 6455 E Avenue NW, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Private committal services will take place at a later date.

Joan was born on November 13, 1965, in Dubuque, IA, one of eight children to Herbert and Jane (Derga) Hahn. Joan grew up on their family farm near Dyersville, Iowa. Joan took pride in the hard work she did on the farm and carried it to many aspects of her life.

Joan was united in marriage to Duane Alan Grave on March 12, 1988, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Together, they raised their three children in Marion, Iowa: Kristina Grave (Loesel), Jacob Grave, and Alexi Grave (Culbertson).

Joan was a loving stay-at-home mom, before serving as a paraprofessional for many years. She had a compassionate heart for her students. Joan was an excellent cook and enjoyed spending time in nature with her family doing activities like boating, hiking, and kayaking. She loved her family dogs, “Mitch”, “Masey”, and “Riley”. Joan was known to love Christmas, Hallmark, and giving gifts. She will be remembered as a caring friend and family member.

Joan is survived and lovingly remembered by her husband, Duane Grave; children, Kristina (Mitch) Loesel, Jacob (Gladis) Grave, and Alexi (Justin) Culbertson; grandchildren, Shelsyn Ponce Grave, Fernanda Padilla Grave, and Alex Figueroa Grave; mother-in-law, Donna Grave; seven siblings, Glen (Karen) Hahn, Joyce (Charlie) Harris, Jill (Virgil) Recker, Judi (Ron) Simon, Gary Hahn, Jennifer Hahn, and Jessica Hahn (Scott) Bries; many nieces and nephews; as well as many wonderful friends.

She was preceded in death by her father in 1983 and her mother in 2023, along with her grandparents, father-in-law Marvin Grave, and several aunts and uncles.

In recognition of Joan’s love of flowers, if inclined, floral contributions may be sent to the funeral home.

To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Joan Marcella Grave, please visit our flower store.