Category Archives: Cedar Chips

The month newsletter of Cedar Hills Community Church.

Cedar Chips, Journey, News

Journey January 2019 Update

“Thank you to those who generously supported the Youth Ministry at the Chili Cook-off! We raised $800!”

Sunday, Dec 9 was our 2nd annual Chili Cook-off, after 2nd service! People from the congregation voted on their favorite chili and favorite bread with cash to support the Youth Group.

There were nine people who entered the contest with chili recipes and five people entered with homemade bread. The winner of the chili contest was Bruce Crowther and Dana Chapman won the bread contest! Again, thank you for your generous support for the Youth Ministry!

Jeremy Van Genderen
Director of Youth and Young Adult

Cedar Chips, News

Theodicy*

Theodicy*

By Pastor Alan Crandall

Weeping Savior,
Bleeding grace,
Reckless love,
God‘s open face.
Light and darkness
make it clear,
Through the pain
Our God comes near.
Suffering
Purifies the soul,
By his stripes,
We‘re all made whole.
Hanging naked
On a tree,
Heaven‘s great
Theodicy.
*An answer to the question of why a loving, omnipotent God permits evil.

Pastor Alan Crandall
Pastor of Care

Cedar Chips, Holiday, Just Love, News, Worship

Post-Christmas Slumps

The glitz and glam is over.
The warm fuzzies have reset
back into a reality of cold winter weather.

There are no more lights.
No more sparkly tinsel decorations.
The days are short.
No holiday music.
And the manger is emptied
and put away for another year.

Your wallet may be slimmer.
And time with family and friends
may have been a little stressful
and not of the Hallmark Channel quality.

What do we do now?
Where do we
go from here?
A King
has been born.
And His parents
have escaped with Him
to Egypt.

They’ll eventually return to their home.
He’ll learn the ways of a carpenter.
Soon, He will stay behind in the temple
And cause His parents to worry.
The leaders will be amazed
At His understanding of the Scriptures.

“Who is this boy?” they will ask.
“Isn’t He just a carpenter’s son?”
He will teach the ways of love.
Love that is so different, so controversial,
They’ll kill him.

They do not want to hear the way of love.
They want to leave things just as they are,
Their religious practices, their hierarchy.

Leah
Director of Worship & Media

Cedar Chips, News, Noah's Ark

Noah’s Ark December 2018 Update

December was a fun and fast month at preschool! We were very busy learning about the very first Christmas. All the classes visited Pastor Kent and he told them about that special night that Jesus was born. Acting out the very first Christmas was a big
highlight for the children and their families. Thank you to everyone who attended.

Thank you to all the families who donated items to help preschool! I cannot believe how generous our families have been. Thank you for the teachers’ gifts, too.

Registration for our 2019-2010 school year is open to everyone. If you know someone who needs information, have them stop by our office or call us at 396-3125 or visit the website: noahsarkcr.org.

In January the 4– and 5-year-olds will begin their kindergarten readiness testing. These tests are designed to be fun and playful and non-stressful. Testing will help the teachers give an accurate report card for parents so they may decide if Kindergarten
or Alternative-Kindergarten is best for their child. It also helps parents identify some areas they may wish to work on with their child.

Thank you for supporting Noah’s Ark Preschool; we feel very blessed to be doing something that we love and sharing God’s Word.

For the Staff,
Leslie, Director of Noah’s Ark Preschool

Cedar Chips, Consistory

January 2019 Consistory Update

Our December meeting celebrated the gift of leadership. We expressed deep gratitude for those who have serviced faithfully in the past year – Deb DeHaan, Jim Flamming, Mike Robinson, Karen Schumacher, and Kate Ulmer. We also welcomed elders and deacons who will begin serving in 2019. We are blessed with wise leaders who love the Lord, love the church and love one
another! We also celebrated bright spots in our ministry over the last few months:

  • The Open Hands Food Pantry served 1,115 people in November. 25+ volunteers shared food and love with over 331 families.
  • Journey Student Ministry held a successful retreat with many answers to prayer including five students making first time commitments to follow Jesus.
  • Explorers Children’s Ministry currently has 22 preschool students on the roll.
  • Open Table has grown as a path to connecting new and old families. This fall they have averaged 60-80 people in their monthly gatherings.
  • The vision of Missional Communities making disciples in the everyday stuff of life keeps expanding as more than 40 participants have now completed the training.

Please pray for our consistory, staff, and key leaders as we follow the calling that God is giving us.

From the 2019 Consistory:
Deacons: Alan Brockette (Chair), Bruce Boldt, Melissa Dahm, John Davidson, Allison Johnson, Nancy Josifek, Josh Oberembt
Elders: Lois Deerberg (Vice-president), Pastor Alan Crandall, Bruce Crowther, Robin Joens, Pastor Kent Landhuis, Gary Mills,  Diane Potter, Crissie Rozendaal, Jeremy Van Genderen, Ken Viggers

Cedar Chips, Just Love, News

Love One Another

Last year, I gave Mary a book of love poems for Christmas. This was one of my favorites:

Roses are red,
Bacon is too
Poetry is hard,
I love bacon and you.

It was a hit, but a lot of work. This year I gave her gift cards.

Our goal as a congregation in 2019 is that we would just love. Love our families, love our neighbors, love our co-workers, love our teachers and classmates. Just love one another. Love requires attention to grow and to keep growing.

Roses are red,
Violets are blue.
Sunflowers are yellow,
Daffodils are, too.

You were expecting something romantic, but instead I give you gardening facts to remind us that love is nurtured like a garden. Love flourishes and grows with devotion. What specific investment will we make in the new year to grow love? Will we invest time with one another? Encouraging words? A listening ear? Care and support?

Roses are red,
SpongeBob is square.
We are called,
To love everyone, everywhere.

To love is risky business and so I guess our goal for 2019 calls us to risk. I pray that God’s spirit will empower us to take
the leap so that we love one another really well!

The Lord be with you,
Pastor Kent

 

 

P.S. To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. “To love is to be vulnerable” ~ C. S. Lewis, The Four Loves.

Cedar Chips, Family and Children Ministry, Financial Peace University, Marriage and Family, News, Transform the Corridor

Financial Peace University coming in 2019

Image result for financial peace universityDave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University is coming! Our church wants financial peace for you.  Join us for a free class preview on Sunday, January 6 at 9:45am or 11am.

Ready to jump in? Register today.  Classes will be held on Sundays at 9:45 beginning Jan. 13.  Kits can be purchased at time of registering or from your FPU teachers.

Cedar Chips, Consistory, Saturate, Transform the Corridor

Core Discipleship Priority: Disciples Making Disciplies

Annual Report – Special Edition

Core Discipleship Priority: Disciples Making Disciples

A disciple is someone who follows Jesus. “As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fisherman. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him” (Matthew 4:18-20).

  • “Come, follow me” Disciples follow Jesus.¨
  • “and I will make you” Disciples are changed by Jesus.
  • “fishers of men.” Disciples take up the mission of Jesus.

Discipleship is based on our identity in Jesus.

  • In Jesus we are Family
  • In Jesus we are Servants
  • In Jesus we are Missionaries

As disciples we live out our identity in the everyday stuff of life, learning to follow Jesus 168 hours a week! Disciples who make disciples submit increasingly all of life to the lordship and empowering presence of Jesus.

  • Life on Life: We connect with others one-on-one.
  • Life in Community: We need the input, encouragement, and gifting of a whole group of people to grow in Jesus.
  • Life on Mission: We reach out with the love of Jesus in Word and deed to friends and neighbors.

Disciples practice six rhythms common to all people – these six activities make up much of the everyday stuff of life.

  • Story-Formed: Our stories intersect with God’s Story. Story-formed people grow in understanding our neighbor’s stories and we share God’s Story.
  • Listen: We set aside regular times to listen to God by dwelling in the word and prayer. We take time to slow down and listen to others. We ask questions!
  • Celebrate: We gather together to celebrate God’s goodness and God’s extravagant blessings. We invite others into this celebration regularly and engage the celebrations of those around us.
  • Bless Others: We intentionally bless others through words, gifts, or actions because God desires for all people to be blessed through Jesus.
  • Eat Together: We regularly eat meals with others to invite them into the community. We see our dining table as the best tool for reaching out. We invite friends, neighbors, and the poor over for dinner.
  • ReCreate: We take time to rest, play, create, and restore beauty in ways that reflect God to others. Part of our recreation includes Sabbath rest and worship.

Cedar Chips, Consistory, News

Proposed 2019 Budget

Annual Report – Special Edition

(We will be voting on the budget at the Annual Celebration Sunday, Nov. 4 at 12:05pm, immediately following the 2nd worship service.  Come for a cinnamon and enjoy a time of community with the whole church.  The meeting should last around 25 minutes.)

Thank You for your gifts!

Our ministry is funded by the generous donations of the congregation. Every gift matters and we appreciate it.

Additional giving will be used to fund additional missions.

We give thanks to  those who are able to make extra year-end gifts. These funds allow us to begin the new year on solid financial ground.