Category Archives: Cedar Chips

The month newsletter of Cedar Hills Community Church.

Cedar Chips, Family and Children Ministry, Holiday, News, Noah's Ark

Noah’s Ark Dec. 2019 Update

Oh, how Children love Christmas.  They are so new to this holiday (it might be the first one they remember), that we enjoy being able to start them off right by telling them about the true meaning of Christmas though books, songs, acting the story out and we also get a little help from Pastor Kent.  Come and watch our Christmas Programs on December 19 and 20 at 9:15am; everyone is welcome!

The State Licenser came to our school for a surprise visit in October (on pictured day, no less) and has granted Noah’s Ark a full License for another year without any changes or recommendations.  We are truly blessed with an amazingly organized and loving staff.

We are pleased to announce that Darlene DeVries has accepted the position of Assistant Teacher for our 3 year olds on MWF.  The students love her already.  We are very fortunate to have found someone who loves children as she does

We’ve started a Guest Reader Program.  We are looking for volunteers from the church who can come and read to our classes on Thursday or Friday mornings from 10:55-11:10.  If you are interested in volunteering, please contact me.

If you’d like to assist us by staying within our budget this year, please consider donating supplies.  We’ve provided a box in the Gathering Space under the mission table with pictures of supplies (we are a little picky due to allergies and licensing requirements) we need in our classrooms.  We thank you in advance.

Kris Crowther
Director of Noah’s Ark Preschool

Cedar Chips, Funeral, News

The Symphony of Me

THE SYMPHONY OF ME

Written by Selma Phillips-Williams

The Symphony of me!
Me, with my wide range of depth and height.
Low tones from the bass to the high of 
the flute and violin.
Some times I sink into the mire of the
tuba and other times I dance like the
strings. Oh yes, I am a symphony and you,
oh Lord, are my conductor.
So simple and yet so complex am I.
Created of many rhythms and tones.
I listen. I groan. And he comes.
Again I move to the stirring within.

Selma Phillips-Williams, Oct 11, 1943—Sept 11, 2019

Capital Campaign, Cedar Chips, Grow the Good, News

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

Annual Report, Cedar Chips, Missions Team, News

Missions Team – Annual Report

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

We are the kind of people who reach out. We live in the middle of a large and growing mission field in Eastern Iowa known as the corridor. Every one of us has a call to bring transformation to the corridor by sharing the gospel in word and deed.

We also reach out through partnerships with local and regional ministries like Open Hands Food Pantry, Matthew 25, Safe Families for Children, Family Promise of Linn County, Bridgehaven, Mission of Hope, Salvation Army, Power of Women and Children, Geneva Ministries, Cru (Katie Smith), Lakeview Camps, and the Gideons.

We reach out globally through partnerships with individuals and organizations that spread the gospel to the ends of the earth. We support Linda Deboer and Chinese Family Fellowship (International Student Ministry), Beth Larson reaching the Czech Republic (church planting), John and Becky Leverington in Turkey (Olive Tree Counseling), Jeremy and Susan Beebout in Niger, Africa (RCA missionaries ), Andy Smothers in Bahrain (RCA missionary), Words of Hope (Radio Broadcast), Blessman Ministries in South Africa (Days For Girls).

Thank you for your support and participation in 2019. Your giving allows us to continue our mission of outreach locally and globally.

Pastor Kent & Missions Team

Annual Report, Cedar Chips, Communication, Connection, News, Staff

Connection & Communication Annual Report

As I write this I’ve been on staff for 6 months. We have a few new missional communities and are spending a great deal of time on the foundation for communication, before we get to more obvious steps like altering our website. There is something more pressing I want to tell you about.

My primary focus has been on relationships with my colleagues. Please allow me to share some tidbits with you. I’ve never met someone who has such ability to use both sides of their brain as Leah does. She is gifted at moving from the artistic right side to the logical left and we all benefit from this, every day.

Jennifer upholds the welcoming reputation for our entire church with how she responds to the constant needs of our church family and those not yet in our church body. Her methodical habits keep us all on track.

Kyle is adept at using his eye for design in creations for visual appeal both in print and digitally. His creations are often sought out by other leaders.

I had the privilege of living with the Poole family and have quickly become familiar with Steve. I can say
that he and Cathy are wired for drawing in youth with their hospitality and wisdom. Any teen would be blessed by a friendship with the Pooles.

Alan has a gift of having Biblical words of wisdom at the ready. Many a time, I’ve seen Alan turn a difficult situation into loving encouragement in a few short sentences. Most people I talk to point to Alan and Jan’s ministry as being central to their feeling of being drawn to the church.

Kent is the best leader I’ve ever worked with. The new staff get to be the beneficiary of years of Kent growing in leadership ability. He is not doing this job for the status or esteem. Kent is clearly in this role
because of his love for God’s people. Kent offers insight and encouragement at just the right times, so that we can all carry out our vision for our ministries with autonomy and hope.

Lindsey Ungs
Connection & Communication Architect

Annual Report, Cedar Chips, Family Adventure, Family and Children Ministry, News

Children & Family Annual Report

With such a blessing of flexibility and grace from our families, the children’s ministry has undergone
quite a few changes. But we think, with the help of our families, we have found the “special sauce,” and are re-establishing our focus around the necessity of Family Discipleship. Before we move-on, let me explain what we mean by the term Family Discipleship:

In simplest terms, being a “disciple” of something means that you are buying into and embodying all that a specific leader is instructing. The addition of the “-ship,” is suggesting that you are a “disciple” for a given amount of time. In Christianity, that leader is Jesus Christ and the amount of time he requests, is for the rest of your life.

Therefore, Family Discipleship means that together as a family, whatever that looks like, we have committed to being lifelong followers of the Lord, Jesus Christ. We see family discipleship in a three-fold approach: 1) Gospel, 2) Community and 3) Mission. Practically speaking, this means, that discipleship, as a family and as an individual, we must desire to be more gospel-fluent, as well as experiencing and serving in community as much as possible.

White it’s a joyous task to walk with Jesus, and follow him wherever he may lead us, it can feel incredibly difficult and can actually be quite scary.

Unfortunately, we can’t say that Jesus won’t make you uncomfortable, but we believe that the church is meant to be the extended family that comes alongside you in this journey! Here’s a brief look at how we think that the church can come together with your family on this adventure:

Gospel: Sunday Classes, Providing Resources, Explorers Children’s Worship
Community: Parenting Together, Missional Communities, Monthly Events
Mission: Family Discipleship, Monthly Events, Monthly Supply Drives

Kyle French
Director of Family and Children’s Ministry

Annual Report, Cedar Chips, Music, News, Worship

Worship & Media Annual Report

When I think about the last year, I think about the spiritual journey we’ve been on in worship. Do any
of these topics ring a bell? King. Just Love. First Love. Transformation Vocabulary. Just Love Transforms. Margin. Life is. Grow the Good.

This year, we learned vocab to help us in our quest to transform the Corridor, intentionally becoming
disciples who make disciples in the everyday stuff of life, in those places we already exist!

And then we shifted our focus to the baby in the manger… a King, but not in the sense of glitz and
glamor and pomp and circumstance, but in hay and animal smells in a tiny village.

We learned what Biblical love is, the role of love in our spiritual growth and how to extend love to our
neighbors. We were challenged to fall in love again with our Lord, returning to that ’first love’, and then
letting the power of love transform us!

We learned white space is good, that we are prone to fill our lives with so much stuff and that we need
to dial back and get back to God as first place in our time and priorities. We learned of the abundant
life promised to us in John 10:10. What is life? Life is… Jesus! And now… Grow the Good. There is so
much happening at Cedar Hills. We’re asking:

“How can our building and our ministries continue to be a blessing to our neighborhood and our cities
for another 60 years?”

And then the songs! O the songs! Together we learned “Let Justice Roll”, “Boldly I Approach Your
Throne”, “Build My Life”, “New Life”, and “Here For You”; and our kids wowed us again and again
with “Wherever You Lead Me”.

2019 has been quite the journey for us! The joys, the sadness, the victories, the defeats… and yet we
can declare with confidence, “GOD IS GOOD!”

Leah
Director of Worship & Media

Annual Report, Cedar Chips, Family and Children Ministry, Journey, News

Journey Annual Report

2019 was a year of transition for Journey Student Ministry.

Jeremy Van Genderen wrapped up Spring Ministry at Cedar Hills in May, and headed off to Allison, IA to
assume the lead pastor role at Trinity Reformed Church. Jeremy set a great foundation for volunteers
to continue Youth Ministry over the summer, including Lead the Cause evangelism and discipleship training in Chicago. The search for a new Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry culminated in August with the hiring of Steve Poole!

Mission Statement:
Students transformed by a growing relationship with Jesus.

Key Elements:
1. Gospel-minded
2. Discipleship-based
3. Intergenerational relationships 5:1

What can you do?
Teenagers today need to know they belong to a community that is passionate about loving people.
Join the leadership team, mentor a teenager in their faith, attend some of their events to cheer them on,
or invite youth to work beside you in your ministry.

Steve Poole
Director of Youth & Young Adults

Cedar Chips, Journey, News

Journey: October at a Glance

October at a Glance:

Oct 6 – Normal Journey Youth, 5:30-8 PM

Oct 12 – Dare2Share LIVE, 10 AM-7:30 PM
FREE! Students will enjoy world-class Bible teaching and worship. This event is designed for teens to hear the Gospel, be encouraged and equipped to share the Gospel, and get out in Cedar Rapids  neighborhoods to collect canned goods for a local food pantry while also sharing the Gospel.

Oct 13 – Normal Journey Youth, 5:30-8 PM
Oct 19-20 – Middle School Fall Retreat at Lake View Camp in Pella, IA
Oct 20 – Journey Youth, just High School, 5:30-8 PM
Oct 27 – Normal Journey Youth, 5:30-8 PM

Steve Poole
Director of Youth and Young Adults

Cedar Chips, Family and Children Ministry, Missional Communities, News

Doing Missional Community With Kids

There are numerous ways to meet with your missional community, no matter what the age of your
kids. The following schedule is just one way to make it work for couples with kids. This particular group meets every Thursday. The first Thursday all the wives gather at one of the homes or at a coffee shop, while the husbands watch the kids in their own homes. The next week all the husbands meet, while the wives watch the kids at home.

The third Thursday, all the families get together, with all their kids in tow. This is a free-for-all, with kids eating popsicles in the backyard or watching a movie in the basement while the adults talk.

The last Thursday of the month, families get baby sitters and the couples go out for a date night, all together.

This schedule flexes as needed. There are occasional sick kids, late work meetings, and other variables that might change a specific Thursday.

However, the parents and kids so look forward to being with each other that they often see each other more than once a week. Often, there are group text messages, inside jokes, and weekend getaways together. There are many ways to make a missional community work with your family.

Lindsey Ungs
Connection and Communication Architect