Category Archives: Cedar Chips

The month newsletter of Cedar Hills Community Church.

Bright Spot, Cedar Chips, Fall Kick-Off, Music, News, Worship

Worship Ministries – Jump In!

Worship Ministries—Jump in!

If you have ever been interested in joining a worship ministry music team, this is the time of year to jump in.

Sanctuary Choir: This group sings about every three weeks in the 8:30 AM service. Choir is open to anyone high school aged and above who can read music (primarily SATB). Choir rehearses on Wednesdays, 6:40 PM in room 132A and will begin rehearsals August 21. All current choir members and any interested in choir are invited to sing at the Fall Kick-Off worship services August 18. The choir will sing along with the hymns at 8:30 AM service. Practice is just prior to the service at 8 AM that day. Choir is directed by Stuart Geiger.

1st Service Worship Teams: These SATB groups rotate and sing/play one week a month. Teams rehearse on Wednesday nights at 6 PM, prior to the Sunday they sing. Singers must be able to read music, as we sing parts on the hymns. We currently have openings for tenors and sopranos, but all are encouraged to apply, including pianists and organists!

2nd Service Worship Teams: These teams are a mix of singers and instruments (guitars, piano, keys, bass, drums, and occasional string instruments). Music at this service is led from chord charts, so some ‘playing-by-ear’ is required, and great for those who don’t read music. To participate in 2nd Service teams, the first step is to join a Worship Jam. (see below)

Worship Jams: Jams are open to all musicians and are held quarterly throughout the year. We pack all our voices and instruments on stage at the 2nd service and lead as an entire team! The next Jam is Wednesday, August 14 at 6:30 PM and will lead the 2nd service worship on Kick-Off Sun, Aug 18. To express interest in worship ministries or for more info, contact Leah.

Leah
Director of Worship & Media

Cedar Chips, News, Noah's Ark

Noah’s Ark – August 2019 Update

Summer School was amazing!

We had 18 kiddos who did everything from pretending to be a pirate to being in the stomach of a whale, which was kind of stinky by the way!!

Enrolling all Three-year-olds

We are now ready to focus on our 50th year of Noah’s Ark Preschool! We have openings for Tuesday and Thursday 3-year-olds for the 2019-2020 school year. If you know anyone ready to start school, send them our way. You can register online or call the office to have a packet mailed.

Orientation is August 22, 5:30-6:45 PM

All students and parents are invited to attend our Orientation Night! We’ll let the kids play in their new rooms with their teachers and the parents will attend a “Get to Know Noah’s Ark” Presentation. It is best if you have your paperwork ready to be submitted this evening, along with your first month’s tuition. Call the office if you need a packet. Contact the office for information: 319-396-3125 or email.

In God’s Grace,
Kris Crowther
Director of Noah’s Ark Preschool

60th Anniversary, Cedar Chips, Consistory, News, Noah's Ark

Building Refresh Campaign

Coming this Fall

This fall we will celebrate 60 years as a congregation bound together in faith and outreach. Also, we’ll celebrate our 14th year in our current facility. In these years, we’ve served numerous families through Cross Training, Sunday worship, and Children and Youth Ministries.

We’ve hosted countless church and community events as well as funerals and weddings. We watched hundreds of preschoolers learn about their colors, numbers, and that God loves them through the ministry of Noah’s Ark. We launched a food pantry that meets food needs for our neighborhood and housed recover workers and displaced residents during disasters. Our space has been even more successful in reaching our community than we might have imagined.

With all the success, comes wear and tear. After 13 years of service, it’s time to refresh several components of our building, both physical and mechanical. Also, we want to continue to reduce our building debt.

Volunteers are looking at items that need fixing, replacing and updating, including heating and cooling units, the roof, the sanctuary sound and video system, carpet and more. All of these items are at or will be reaching the end of their useful life now or in the coming years. The campaign, and donations made in response, will allow us to make these important repairs and upgrades when they are needed. This fall will kick-off the
campaign to refresh the facility and further reduce our debt. Prayerfully consider what role you could play in the campaign and what God might put on your heart to give to support this effort.

Cedar Chips, Fall Kick-Off, Family and Children Ministry, Journey, Life Is, Marriage and Family

Fall Cross Training Courses

Fall Kick-Off 2019

Join us Sunday, August 18 at 9:45am for the Fall Kick-Off Open House (preschool—adults) to meet your teacher, visit your classroom, and have brunch.

Sunday, August 25 all classes begin at 9:45am.

Children, Ages 0 to 5th Grade

Nursery: Staffed by loving volunteers at the 11am service. (Open for use by parents at the 8:30am service)
3&4 year olds: Robin Joens, Deb DeHaan, and Mary Landhuis (Register)

Kindergarten: Paula Stevens and Diane Potter (Register)

1st Grade: Jana Houghkirk and Tracy Spicer-Ehrman (Register)

2nd & 3rd Grade: Melissa Oberembt and Jill Henry (Register)

4th & 5th Grade: Matt Johnson and Matt Houghkirk (Register)

Youth (6th-12th Grade)

Middle School (6th-8th): Coming soon! (Register)

FaithQuest (for youth desiring Cedar Hills membership): Lois Deerberg (Register)

Senior High (9th-12th): Coming soon! (Register)

Adult Classes (18+)

Class #1 – Exchange

Teachers: Alan & Jan Crandall; Sue & Gary Sager; and Deb Steinbaker.

Exchange your brokenness for Christ‘s wholeness. Everyone has access to the abundant life Christ offers. We will look at the process of how to restore our lives to the image of God through Christ‘s love. (REGISTER)

Class #2 – These are the days of Elijah

Teacher: Joanne Lodge

The time of Israel during the reign of Ahab and Jezebel was a very immoral, treacherous time. How do we stand in such times? We will open the scriptures to study ordinary  people who not only survived the times, but became extraordinary witnesses for God. We will receive hope, encouragement and direction for our own journey. (REGISTER)

Class #3 – Indelible Faith

Teachers: Bruce Boldt and Kyle French.

This is the ultimate definition for how we hope and pray that the Bible will work within us. Wouldn’t you adore a faith that could never be forgotten or removed, even against all evil? (REGISTER)

Class #4 – Parenting Together

Teachers: Matthew & Shannon Constant; Stephen & Amanda Colbert; Karl & Lindsey Ungs.

Parenting is a big job and parents can use a lot of help along the way. The goal for our group is to build relationships by learning from and with each other in how we can raise our kids and grow as parents in a Godly way. (REGISTER)

Bright Spot, Cedar Chips, Consistory, Journey, News, Youth

Consistory August 2019 Update

From the Consistory – News and Notes

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 publically, 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.

Please pray for Steve, Cathy, and their children, Abby and Christopher, as they relocate to Cedar Rapids. Steve will begin his ministry here August 11! Thanks to all who helped in this process and thanks for your prayers!!! God has blessed us!

Cedar Chips, Fall Kick-Off, Life Is, News

Life Is

The top five Google hits for “life is” are:

  1. Life is good.
  2. Life is strange.
  3. Life is a highway.
  4. Life is beautiful.
  5. Life is strange

How do you complete the expression “life is?” Is life a journey, a song, a game, a dream, a sacrifice, a gift? Is life grand, depressing, inspiring, gloomy, joyful, discouraging, hopeful, dull?

As we kick off another season of ministry, we celebrate life—the life we have in Jesus. Jesus said, “I came that you might have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).

This statement comes after Jesus warns about the thief who wants to harm the sheep. The thief steals, slaughters, and destroys. But Jesus, the Good Shepherd, loves the sheep. Jesus offers an abundance of green pastures and refreshing. The Good Shepherd cares for the sheep giving them life to the full.

We are the sheep and Jesus offers us life to the full—abundance. We discover this abundance when we abide with Jesus. Life is full in Jesus!

Of course many of us sheep still feel tension between life as we live it and life as Jesus describes it. We sometimes live lives less full. Jesus invites us to an upside-down life by worldly standards, but really this life is life turned right-side-up.

We celebrate life lived to the fullest. We celebrate hope for life in this world (and the next) as we follow Jesus the Good Shepherd. We celebrate the impact that the abundant life has on our world. We celebrate life.

In this season I hope that we do not forget our lessons learned about finding rest, but that we live these lessons out in the everyday stuff of life. This fall, abide with Jesus and discover what life is.

The Lord be with you,
Pastor Kent

Cedar Chips, Missional Communities, News

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

Cedar Chips, Family and Children Ministry, Marriage, Marriage and Family, News, Youth

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

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

50th Anniversary Year

Noah’s Ark Preschool

“The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad!” ~ Psalm 126:3

We are celebrating our 50th Anniversary this school year. It is amazing! This is a celebration of love between us and our community. Our community has trusted us with their precious children and made a partnership with us to protect, guide, and love their children with God’s love and patience. Spread the Good News!

We’ve enjoyed having 18 students during our June Summer School session. We’ve talked about everything from unicorns and super heros to having a Luau and Western Day.

We are expecting a nice-sized class for our July session also that begins on July 9. We do have a couple of spots open, so call today to take advantage of this great programs.

Kris Crowther
Director of Noah’s Ark Preschool