Last Sunday, we welcomed Beth Larsen who is currently serving as a missionary to Brno, Czech Republic. Beth shared about her role in Brno, both the blessings and struggles of ministry. Please continue to pray for God to use Beth in a mighty way as she spreads the Gospel to the people of Brno.
“Our first week as a host for Family Promise has been going great with over 40 volunteers from our congregation participating. Each evening has included great food, fellowship, and fun. Along with getting to know the family we hosted, volunteers made meals, stayed overnight, and helped set-up and tear-down the hosting area.”
~ Bruce Boldt, leader
In case you missed it, Lake View Camps came and shared this past Sunday as our monthly missions update. As one of our mission partners, we love supporting Lake View and are excited to help send you and your family to Lake View Camps this summer. If you’d like to attend, the church will pay 1/2 the cost of your camp registration fees. To go about the process:
There are camps all summer long and tons of options to choose from – even grandparent/grandchild camp! Be sure to check them out. There are some deadlines to get the best deal on registration fees, so don’t delay!
What is Baby Bottle Boomerang?
Baby Bottle Boomerang is an opportunity for us to come together to support the mission and ministry of Bridgehaven. Through a Baby Bottle Boomerang campaign, we share in the work Bridgehaven is doing in the community. Here’s how it works:
On Sunday, Jan. 14 a table will be set up in the Gathering Space topped with baby bottles. The bottles serve two purposes:
They should be returned on Sunday, February 4 with any change, bills or checks to financially support the ministry. Please remember to pray for Bridgehaven when you see the baby bottle in your home. Cover the ministry in prayer as it reaches out and ministers to women and men before, during and after pregnancy, particularly unintended pregnancies. You can also support the ministry by donating to and shopping at Treasures Quality Resale Shoppe. You can learn more about Treasures at www.treasurescr.com
God is doing a new thing! The Missions Team is excited to keep the missions fire burning and feels called by God to turn up the heat! ‘Missions’ means reaching people outside the church. Anyone anywhere in the world who is not a believer needs to be reached and we want to reach them. We know that we have a long way to go, but we are ready to take next steps by inspiring the congregation with the goal of reaching out.
We are praying that we will all be less self-serving and more committed to reaching the world and we are praying for God to work in us toward that end. We are also asking people, “What is God telling you personally about your call to reach the world?” We know that God is working and that there is a lot of work for us to do.
As we follow God and trust the Holy Spirit we trust that God will lead us. God wants to reach the world even more than we do so we will follow God one step at a time! Join us in giving praise for what God is doing— and will do—to reach the world!
If you want to be part of what God is doing to grow Cedar Hills to reach the world, contact Pastor Kent.
Our mission is to fulfill the Acts 1:8 calling that we will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on us so that we will be witnesses here and around the world! This verse gives us our purpose. Our strategy is to love Cedar Rapids and the world.
We carry out our strategy by praying and asking God to grow a love for people in Cedar Rapids and around the world. We do this by inspiring awareness of God’s work locally and globally, by sending people out in response to God’s call to reach out, and by supporting missions here and around the world.
In 2017 we have seen students reached on the campuses of Coe College and Kirkwood. Katie Smith reached out to students at the University of Iowa. We reached Chinese students studying in Michigan through the work of Linda DeBoer. We started a partnership with Matthew 25 and refugee farmers to grow food to feed families. We fed hundreds of people through the Open Hands Food Pantry. We reached around the globe into Niger (Jeremy and Susan Beabout), Papua New Guinea (Gary and Denise Abbas), The Czech Republic (Beth Larson), and Turkey (John and Becky Leverington).
These are some of the ways we are the hands and feet of Jesus fulfilling the Great Commission of Matthew 28 to go and make disciples of all nations!
~ Pastor Kent & Missions Team
Earlier this year there was a horrific school bus crash in Tanzania. There was a group of medical missionaries from Iowa following that bus, who were able to rescue three children. Tragically, 32 souls perished in that accident. One of the missionaries, Dr. Steven Meyer from Sioux City had arranged to treat the three survivors at his hospital in Sioux City, but had no way to get them to Iowa.
Congressman Steve King called Franklin Graham and immediately Samaritan’s Purse dispatched a DC-8 to transport the children, their mothers, and the medical attendants. They even got a waiver from the FAA to carry
two flight crews so they only had to stop for fuel. These children had multiple injuries, but Dr. Meyer is confident they will recover fully.
He stated that many Tanzanians, including Muslims, are amazed that American Christians would step in to care for these
children.
–Cedar Hills Missions Team
In Alaska it isn’t always easy to drive your child to camp, many times they need to be flown. RCA missionary Brian Bruxvoort saw the need and as a pilot decided he could do something about it. He loads up his airplane with children and teenagers and flies them from the home villages to camp. Last summer, he flew 356 teenagers from 36 villages to 4 camps across Alaska. Of those 356, many of them professed faith in Christ. Through Brian’s ministry the lives of children and teenagers were changed.
Praise God!
–Cedar Hills Missions Team