Category Archives: News

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

Cedar Chips, Consistory, News

Consistory Update – July 2019

News and Notes

Our calling as a church 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.

The Consistory is currently reviewing staff and discerning succession planning as it relates to our calling. If we are really called to make disciples who make disciples in the everyday stuff of life, then how do our staff help accomplish this calling?

Lindsey Ungs, the newest addition to our staff, is taking on as a first priority the development of missional communities. These
communities focus on discipleship in the trenches of the everyday and her work is to identify a clear path for leaders to lead these communities and members to find their way into a community. We are in the process of interviewing candidates for the Youth and Young Adult Ministries. Our priority is to find an individual who is also sold out to the vision of making disciples. We are still hopeful to have this position filled by August. The other staff are reviewing their roles as they relate to our disciple-making calling. We anticipate a bit of shuffling and some more change in the near future as we adjust to Pastor Alan’s retirement which
we anticipate in early 2020.

Thank you for your prayers as we focus on governing the church wisely with extra attention at this time to proper staffing for the future. Pray for us as we together seek God First!

Capital Stewardship Campaign

The Consistory approved moving forward with the development of a Capital Stewardship Campaign in the fall of this year. When we moved to our current location, we did not want the building to stand empty, and it rarely is. Every week we throw the doors open the groups large and small, congregation, and community, young and old. And stuff wears out. We discerned a need for a campaign to fund updates and repairs on the building as  well as pay off the remaining debt. This campaign is in the early stages of development.

Please pray for wisdom as we make plans to refresh our building for future generations of making disciples!

The Cedar Hills Consistory

_________________________
Consistory is our church board. It is a grouping of all the elders, deacons and pastor staff.

Cedar Chips, News, Sabbath, Worship

Sermon Series – July 2019

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” ~ Psalm 46:10

Discovering margin by enjoying Sabbath. A deep dive into Exodus 20:8-11.

 

June 30: Margin for Relationships
“Neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns.“ ~ Exodus 20:10b

July 7: Margin for Justice
“Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.” ~ Deut. 5:15

July 14: Margin for Worship
“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.“ ~ Exodus 20:8

July 21: Margin for Togetherness
“Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day.” ~ Exodus 20:11b

July 28: Margin for Life
“Therefore the Lord made it holy.” ~ Exodus 20:11b

Sunday Worship Services:

8:30 AM and 11:00 AM

Cedar Chips, Dwell in the Word, News

Dwell in the Word

Dwell in the Word – July 2019

Meditate on Exodus 20:8-11.

“Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any
work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in our
towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but He rested on the seventh day.
Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”

Cedar Chips, News, Sabbath

Ahhhhhh

I remember a sermon from years ago that taught about spiritual breathing. I’m not sure why this sermon stuck with me, maybe it was the visual aide of breathing. “Breathe in,” the preacher said. “Hold it…now breathe out.”

“Do it again,” he urged, “in with the good air. Out with the bad air.”

He then shifted to the topic of spiritual breathing.

“Breathe the Spirit in, breathe selfishness out. Breathe God’s goodness in, breathe out worry and stress. Breathe in forgiveness, breathe out sin.”

Our recent reflections on the Sabbath have rekindled my interest in spiritual breathing. I find myself at various times throughout the day, taking a few moments to focus on my breathing. I am not thinking only about breathing air deeply in and
out of my lungs, I am also thinking about breathing in step with God’s Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-26)

Hopefully you have started to take baby steps toward Sabbath:

  • Step #1: Name the truth—24/7 is not sustainable.
  • Step #2: Admit – I need a stop day.
  • Step #3: Identify your Sabbath day.
  • Step #4: Make one change on that day. (Stop something or add something)
  • Step #5: Grow your Sabbath rhythm.

If you have not yet started—start today. It is as important as breathing. Breathe in. Hold it… breathe out. Ahhhh!

The Lord be with you,
Pastor Kent

Bright Spot, Cedar Chips, Chiccs, Days for Girls, News

Bright Spot – Days for Girls Trip

Paula Blessman is preparing for her next Days for Girls outreach in South Africa. Her team will be gone from 7/18 – 7/30. They are hoping to distribute kits to 2,000-2,500 girls/women. The kits have been completed, packed, and transported already. The combined Cedar Rapids and Gold Canyon AZ DfG teams have now completed over 10,200 DfG kits since 2014 thanks in large part to the wonderful volunteers each month at Cedar Hills.

We’ve been able to send these kits to South Africa, Zambia, Liberia, Mozambique, Haiti, Uganda, Congo, Kenya, and beyond. We also recently committed to provide 500 kits to be part of a DfG International 11,000- kit distribution in a refugee camp this
fall.

Days for Girls is “Turning Periods Into Pathways” — “When we mobilize girls and women, their communities and our world grow stronger. We are changing the status quo through quality menstrual care solutions, health education, and income-generating opportunities that give back days of opportunity and health.” Visit DaysForGirls.org

Cedar Chips, News

2019 Graduates

Congratulations to all of our graduates!

High School Graduates:

Madalyn Baughan, Cedar Valley Christian High School, will be attending Kirkwood starting with nursing with plans to become a midwife. Madalyn’s parents are Nathan and Michele.

Jon Flamming, Cedar Valley Christian High School, will be attending Kirkwood for one year and then plans to transfer to  Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI to major in digital communications and graphic design. Jon is the son of Jim and Heidi.

Shelby Hoeppner, Benton Community High School, will be attending Mt. Mercy to pursue a degree in Nursing. Shelby’s parents are Brad and Jenni.

Alexander Penk, Prairie High School, will be attending Kirkwood. Alexander is the son of Kristie Stientjes and Michael Penk.

Taylor Potter, Kennedy High School, will be attending Kirkwood and starting schooling for engineering. Taylor is the daughter of Diane and Larry.

Logan Renner, Prairie High School, will be attending University of Northern Iowa to study business management. Logan’s parents are Brock and Lori Renner.

Tyler Schnell, Center Point-Urbana High School, will be attending Kirkwood for computer aided design. Tyler’s parents are  Nathan and Jennifer.

Tory Slagenweit, Prairie High School, will be attending UNI in the fall and would like to be a high school English teacher. Tory’s mother is Luanna Geissler.

College Graduates:

Jessica Ohrnstein graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in Psychology. Jessica’s mom is Tammy Ohrnstein and her grandma is Dianne Martens.

Alaina Schulte graduated from University of Northern Iowa with degrees in Economics and Supply Chain Management. She has accepted a  position with Keyot and will be moving to West Des Moines. Alain is the daughter of Kurt and Marie.

Caleb Scott graduated from University of Iowa with BA in Environmental Science. He will be working full-time at Menards until he finds a job in his field. Caleb’s parents are John and Deb Scott.

Cynthia Platt graduated from Kirkwood Community College. Cynthia is the daughter of Mario and Tameka Armon.

Graduate School Graduates:

Carter Chapman graduated from Drake University, magna cum laude with a doctorate in pharmacy. Dr. Chapman has accepted an executive fellowship with the Pharmacy Quality Association in Alexandria, Virginia. Carter’s parents are Kyle and Dana Chapman.

Kyle French graduated (December 2018) from Moody Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity. His future plans include continuing to pursue bringing glory to the Kingdom of God and academically will likely be pursuing a Ph. D or D.
Min.

Janessa Montgomery graduated from University of IA with her doctorate. Dr. Janessa Montgomery plans to be a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. Janessa’s parents are John and Julie Freeman.

Cedar Chips, News

Time for What Matters Most

Do you have time for what matters most?

This question may be more difficult to answer than we realize. Step one: a person must identify what matters most. Step two: a person must evaluate his/her schedule to discover how time is spent. Step three: make time for step one and two.

Or, maybe go with your gut. Do you feel that important stuff gets squeezed out of your life? Do you run from one activity to another with no break in between? Do you feel like there are never enough hours in the day? Are you tired much of the time? Does the stuff of your life feel out of balance? If you answer ‘yes’ to any of these questions, you may be losing time for what matters most.

Years ago someone gave me a booklet entitled, Tyranny of the Urgent. The main point of this booklet points out that there is a regular tension between things that are urgent and things that are important. Far too often, the urgent wins,
even though these things matter less. To address this tension, we need to know what is most important and make time for that.

I want to invite you to consider making a goal for this summer: will you fight the tyranny of the urgent and make time for what matters most?

One way to achieve this goal is with a renewed appreciation of the Sabbath. God invites us to make time for what matters most when God says to us, “Remember the Sabbath.”

A Sabbath mindset will restore margin to our lives to that we conquer the time squeeze that threatens the quality of our lives. A Sabbath lifestyle will restore balance and vitality to our lives. A Sabbath investment will answer the
question: Do you have time for what matters most?

Make time to discover margin and discover what matters most!

Kent Landhuis
Pastor of Leadership & Teaching