The building will look a little different this Sunday! Thanks to a great crew that came in and has been painting the walls and another that ripped out the old carpet. We’re so excited!
Category Archives: Capital Campaign
Painters Needed
PAINTERS NEEDED – Campaign Dollars at Work
Hello Cedar Hills,
The Atmosphere team is looking for people who would be willing to assist with painting as we move to the second phase of our capital campaign refresh. The Gathering Space has been painted and looks fantastic! We’re ready to proceed down the hallway and into the classrooms. We are hoping to have this all complete in the next month And to accomplish this, we need a number of volunteers!
We will do our best to accommodate any form of physical distancing that is preferred. We can set up a classroom in advance of the painters coming with the proper tools and we can hang signage that discourages people from entering the room during the time you and your crew are painting. It would be helpful, but not necessary, for painters to bring their own rollers. However, we will provide the roller pads and all other essential tools. You can paint at your own pace…just let us know when you will begin, approximately when you will be there and IF you want signage up to remind others about physical distancing.
If you and/or your family/friends are willing and able to serve in this way, please contact Mel Dahm or text 641-420-1661, letting us know if you prefer to be contacted via phone, text or email.
We appreciate any assistance you are able to offer!
Blessings,
Your Cedar Hills Atmosphere Team
Special Letter From Our Deacons
| Special Letter from Deacons |
| Cedar Hills Community Church family,
We hope this finds you safe and healthy. And for anyone who is sick or in need, we send our prayers and ask that you let us know so we can provide spiritual, physical, and community support. As a part of the leadership team, and as members of our congregation, caring for each other is our highest priority. A bit of context and history… Why the history lesson? Well, because of that horrific pandemic in 1918, we now know what we should do to avoid the same experience our parents, grandparents, or great grandparents faced back then. We know from over a century of modern medical experience and study that public health measures are the key to beating back epidemic and pandemic disease. It started with clean water to eliminate cholera in the late 1800s and progressed to social distancing in 1918 to push back influenza. Social distancing is difficult because of the social and economic side effects. We’re social beings that are now being asked to self-isolate and we live in a consumer economy that is slowly being closed. Our current response… Additionally, one of the Deacon’s key responsibilities is financial stewardship of Cedar Hills Community Church. We are optimistic that our members will continue to give gifts and offerings to ensure that impact to the church and our mission is minimized so that we can continue to serve our members, our community, and our missionaries. At this time we have committed to:
In other words, the lights will stay on and we, Cedar Hills Community Church, will be there to help those in need! Though we believe the objective above can be met, we also felt it was important to bolster our financial footing by reviewing expenses. For now, our response is very measured. Essentially, we want to “Stop and Listen.” Stop and listen to what God is telling us, stop and listen to see what direction He is taking us, and stop and listen for the needs of our community. At this time we are temporarily:
The goal is to ensure we have enough cash available to pay salaries, bills, and missionaries, and to serve our members and community as long as possible through a difficult time. It is due to this commitment, we encourage those who are able to continue giving to our church regularly via check or our online giving app. We are grateful for what you can still give to maintain our ministries right now. The most important message we want you to take away today is that you ALL are in our thoughts and prayers and as a leadership team we are doing the best we can right now to maintain our outreach. We serve a great and loving God who has this situation under control and who is walking with each of us every step of the way. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to the any of the Church staff or consistory. The Deacons: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” ~ Jeremiah 29:11 |
Grow the Good – February Update
*Special update below from Campaign Leader: John Davidson!
Hello Everyone,
I just wanted to share a quick update for Grow the Good. To date, you have funded $211,033 for Grow the Good! God is great and He is providing!
The Atmosphere Team is off to a great start! In the Youth Room, the walls have been repaired and painted and the floor refinish is in progress, and it will also get the new LED light panels. Thanks to the Atmosphere Team and the Men’s Group for all the hard work! The room is going to look fantastic while providing a space that is resilient to the demands of one of our most active groups. Next will be the Food Pantry room, which will also receive a fresh coat of paint, polished concrete floor, and new LED light panels.
The Tech team is very excited that we are able to fund and execute the audio upgrades for the Worship Center so early in the campaign. I can’t wait to hear the difference it makes! For the first few weeks you won’t see any changes in the Worship Center while our contractor finishes up their design work. But soon, volunteers from the congregation will build the new sound booth and run some of the cabling to help keep labor costs to a minimum, then the contractor will come in to install, calibrate, and test the new equipment and provide training for the Tech Team. And before you know it, the new sound system will be ready.
The next project in line will be the paint and carpet for the remainder of the building. We would really like to get that finished prior to Fall Kick-off in August. However, the funding projections we’ve calculated based on pledge cards received shows that we may not have sufficient funding until well into the Fall season. To help keep up the momentum this year, Candi and I will be accelerating our own campaign commitment and submitting contributions earlier in the year than was noted on our pledge card. If others would like to join us in that effort, please let the Grow the Good team know by submitting an updated pledge card or sending a note to the church office. How cool would it be to start the Fall season off with brand new carpet?
That’s everything for now, we will update you again on March 22 during first and second services.
Thank you and see you soon,
John Davidson
Grow the Good
Campaign Team Member
Christmas Tie Challenge!
Wear a Christmas Tie on Sunday, Dec. 22!
An anonymous donor is challenging everyone to wear a Christmas Tie on Sunday, December 22nd. Ten dollars will be donated to the Capital Campaign for every tie worn that day, man, woman or child! Wear a tie with or without your ugly sweater and support your church. This could even become an annual event if there is enough interest this year. Look for a special tally sheet in the Gathering Space to mark that you’ve worn a tie!
Sunday, Dec. 22 is “Joy” Sunday at Cedar Hills. In addition to coming dressed in our favorite holiday attire and ugly sweaters, the children will be singing at the 11am service, choir will be singing at the 8:30am service, and members of the Cedar Rapids Orchestra will be provided music during the continental breakfast.
And also a reminder that another donor is matching one-time gifts to the campaign, up to $5000, through Dec. 31. Learn more about our Grow the Good Capital Campaign.
Breakfast will be served throughout the morning and there are no Sunday Classes that Sunday. The staff will be competing for the “Ugliest Sweater” award! Donations given to vote for your favorite staff sweater will go towards the Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign.
It just keeps getting better! 🙂
Sunday, Nov. 10
Hello Everyone!
This past Sunday, November 3rd, we got to watch another inspiring recording of some of our church members talking about all of the good work that God is doing through Cedar Hills. We were so excited about that video that we posted it to YouTube. Watch it above!
This coming Sunday, November 10th, is Commitment Sunday for our Grow the Good Capital Stewardship Campaign. Below this message you’ll find a preview of the pledge card that will be in your bulletin this Sunday along with some campaign summary information. Just to be thorough, the high-level campaign objectives are listed below again:
- City Assessment for Stoney Pt Rd Improvement
- Audio/Video Upgrade for Worship Center
- Carpet & Rooms Refresh
- Energy Efficient Interior Lighting Upgrade
- Future Heating/Cooling Equipment Replacement
- Future Roof Replacement
- Debt Reduction—Pay down remaining loan
God started a good work here at Cedar Hills nearly 60 years ago! Keep Cedar Hills in your prayers; be confident that God (not us) will complete His good work in us; and have joy that we are partners together in doing God’s work.
Thank you so much for supporting the campaign. See you Sunday!
The Grow the Good Capital Campaign Team
How Generosity Grows Us
I heard someone say this today, “Generosity makes you a better person.” What do you think about this comment? True? If true, how does generosity make us better? I’m conflicted about this comment because I have a very strong aversion to legalism. Following rules for self-improvement has never worked for me.
Generosity doesn’t make us better people just because we follow some moral code. But what if generosity makes us better because it makes us more like God? At the core of God’s character we find generosity. “For God so loved the world that He GAVE…” (See John 3:16)!
God made us in His image, so we are made to be givers. Not takers. Not hoarders. Not pennypinchers. Givers. I don’t know about you, but I want to reflect the image of God. Be more God-like. And so, I want
to be more generous. By God’s grace, I’ve never given less than 10% of my income, and often I give more. And I still want to grow.
Growth in giving is not a legalistic desire to earn more from God. This growth is a joyous response to the God who has blessed my life beyond imagination. This growth is a spiritual issue.
I hope to grow more in the next few weeks as I listen for God’s calling to give to our Grow the Good Capital Campaign.
- How about you? Interested in growing spiritually by growing in generosity? Consider a few Bible passages as you prayerfully consider your next steps.
- The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. (1 Timothy 6:10)
- Jesus considered money to be the primary competitor to following God. (Matthew 6:24)
- Money is a thermometer that reveals the spiritual temperature of our hearts and a thermostat that determines the spiritual temperature of our hearts. (Matthew 6:21)
- Generous giving is intentional, voluntary, and cheerful. (2 Corinthians 9:7)
- When we have true riches in Jesus, we are able to give freely because we know what our real treasure is! (2 Corinthians 8:6)
Generosity grows the good in us and all around us. I am excited to see what God grows!
Pastor Kent
Church Trivia
Cedar Hills By the Numbers
Can you match the right numbers with the questions below?
- What year did Cedar Hills purchase the land of our current location?
- Number of classrooms in the building?
- Number of acres purchased for current site?
- Total cost of the land purchase?
- Number of concrete columns throughout the building?
- Number of parking spots in the lot?
- Number of HVAC units used for heating and cooling?
- Number of light fixtures in the building?
Capital Campaign – Grow the Good
Over the next few weeks, you will hear more about our “Grow the Good” Campaign. By funding critical
facility upgrades and significant mortgage reduction, the campaign will position Cedar Hills to reach even
more people with the good news of Jesus Christ than ever before.
We are blessed to have such a flexible and reliable facility. Though it’s still in great condition, with nearly 15 years of heavy use, it’s time to prepare for some major upkeep work with a three-year capital stewardship campaign. In the immediate term, our audio/video system in the worship space is in desperate need of replacement. The system has lasted long past its expected life and is currently maintained using used parts we find on the Internet!
When you enter the Gathering Space, hallways, and classrooms, I’m sure you’ve noticed how worn and stained the carpet is and how banged up some of our walls have gotten over the years. Plans are underway to update these rooms and prepare them for another 15 years of service.We also want to plan for future needs, which include roof replacement and new heating/cooling systems. We’ll also raise funds to reduce our remaining building mortgage and cover the city tax assessment for the street and sidewalk updates in our neighborhood.
For more information, visit the official Capital Campaign table in the Gathering Space on a Sunday morning.
October Will Be Quite the Month!
October is going to be quite a month here at Cedar Hills! Celebrating 60 years as a congregation is an exciting accomplishment! Another huge accomplishment was when our church moved forward in faith
to build the amazing structure our church calls home today. We are blessed to have such a flexible and reliable resource. Though it’s still in great condition, with nearly 15 years of heavy use, it’s time to prepare for some major upkeep work with a three-year capital stewardship campaign.
In our upcoming three-year capital campaign, we’ll tackle several projects. In the immediate term, our audio/video system in the worship space is in desperate need of replacement. The system has lasted long past its expected life and is currently maintained using used parts we find on the Internet, usually used on eBay.
When you enter the Gathering Space, hallways, and classrooms, I’m sure you’ve noticed how worn and stained the carpet is and how banged up some of our walls have gotten over the years. Plans are underway to update these rooms and prepare them for another 15 years of service.
We also want to plan for future needs, which include roof replacement and new heating/cooling systems.
We’ll also raise funds to reduce our remaining building mortgage and cover the city tax assessment for the street and sidewalk updates in our neighborhood.
If you would like to participate in the campaign preparations, please contact John Davidson.
Campaign Schedule
- Oct 13: 40-day devotional available
- Oct 15 & 16: Advance Commitment meetings
- Oct 20: Campaign Kickoff!
- 2nd & 4th Thurs in Oct: Prayer Vigil
- Oct 27 – Nov 10: Testimonials and Discernment
- Nov 10: Commitment Sunday
- Nov 17: First Fruits
- Nov 17, 2019 – Nov 17, 2021: Prepare for the future!