Category Archives: Holiday

Advent, Bright Spot, Family and Children Ministry, Holiday, News, Worship

The Giving Manger

For the season of Advent, we are including the “Giving Manger” – a daily calendar of things we can do to shine the light of Christ in our community.  Each Sunday in both services, the children will be invited forward to help light the Advent candles.  Next they’ll walk over to the manger.  If they were able to complete one of the Giving Manger tasks, they will get to add some straw to the manger to help prepare it for Jesus’ birth.  We’ll get to watch the manger fill up during the season of Advent.

If you weren’t here Sunday (or lost yours! 🙂 ) here is the Giving Manger calendar.  We’ll have some extra copies at the Welcome Center as well:

Advent By Candlelight, Bright Spot, Holiday, News

Advent By Candlelight

Advent By Candlelight is a treasured women’s event at Cedar Hills that revolves around elaborately decorated tables, candles, dessert and a short program to set hearts and minds on Christ before the rush of the holiday season.    Each table has a host who plans out the decorations and dessert and then cares for her table during the event.

It is a visually stunning event, and spiritually moving! Women of all ages are encouraged to attend.  This event is free, but you do need to pre-register to ensure a spot at a table.

The final day to register for the 2019 event is Sunday, November 24.  Visit the Advent By Candlelight table in the Gathering Space.  This year’s theme is “The Sounds of Christmas” and will be Sunday, Dec. 8 at 4pm.  Attendees are encouraged to arrive starting at 3:30pm to visit each table and enjoy the decorations.

Holiday, News

Thanksgiving Eve Worship

Join us for Thanksgiving Eve worship, Wednesday, Nov. 27 at 6:30pm.  This service is lighthearted and family friendly! It takes place in the Gathering Space – lots of room for the little ones to move and make noise. 🙂  The nursery will be available for ages 0-3yrs.

We’ll be creating a thankfulness craft, worshipping, celebrating the Lord’s Supper and sharing a fruit salad. Bring a piece of fruit (precut, please) or berries to share in the salad.

This is one of our favorite services of the year.  In this season of thanks, come and give thanks to the One who created all things and holds all things together.

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

Family Adventure, Family and Children Ministry, Holiday, News, Transform the Corridor

Family Adventure Potluck & Game Night

Image may contain: people eating, pizza and foodDo you love food? Do you love to laugh and play some games? Well, we think you can enjoy the best of both worlds at the Family Adventure Potluck and Game Night.

Come out and join us on November 20th, from 5:30pm-7:30pm for food and fun! All we ask is if you can bring a dish or dessert to share, we’ll prepare plenty of ham and beverages for everyone! We wouldn’t want anyone to miss out, so PLEASE, PLEASE invite someone who you know might be feeling a little down during the holiday season so they can share in all the fun!

Fundraiser, Holiday, Journey, News

3rd Annual Chili Cook-off

Sun, Nov. 17, will be our 3rd annual Chili Cook-off, after 2nd service! The cook-off supports the Journey youth.  Bring cash to vote for your favorite chili and favorite bread.  Dollars, quarters, spare change, whatever you’d like. After voting (and enjoying samples of each chili and bread) you’ll be able to enjoy a full bowl (or 2 or 3) of your favorite recipes.

Do you have an awesome chili or bread you’d like enter into the contest?  Sign up below (on the web version there is a signup form…)  Contestants are asked to prepare a double batch of chili or 2-3 loaves of bread for the contest.  Food should be at the church by 11:30am. We will have an assigned table for your chili and bread submissions, as well as name cards for your recipe names.   Bring copies of the recipe to share! (You’ll get lots of requests!).  This also helps those with food sensitivities.  We can help make photo copies in the office if needed.

No Fields Found.
Family Adventure, Family and Children Ministry, Holiday, Marriage and Family, News, Noah's Ark

Bloomsbury Farms

Come on out to Bloomsbury Farms out in Atkins, on October 19th at 9am, for just $5 per person! They’ve got a bouncy bubble (you’ll get it when you see it), a massive farm inspired playground, fun little rides and a GIANT corn maze! Hope you can make it out. Starts at 9am, but feel free to stay as long as you’d like! Can’t make it till later, no problem! Let Kyle French know and we can arrange to meet up front to get you your tickets! Please RSVP by Thursday October 17th! Hope you can make it out!”

Holiday, News, Worship

Ash Wednesday 2019

Join us for Ash Wednesday at Cedar Hills –Wednesday, March 6th. A meal will be served prior to the service 5:15-6:15pm, with a short reflective worship service at 6:30pm.

The beauty of Ash Wednesday is receiving the ashes on the forehead and acknowledging that we were made by our Creator out of the dust, and to the dust we will return.  Come prepared to receive ashes at this worship service.  For adults and children alike!

We continue to meet midweek on Wednesday nights for the season of Lent until Maundy Thursday when we will gather on Thursday instead (April 18).  It helps us prepare if you can kindly RSVP to the meal by letting the office know how many to expect. More about Midweek Services

These services are for everyone, whether you call Cedar Hills your church home or not.

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