Category Archives: Life Is

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)

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