Category Archives: News

Consistory, COVID-19, Encouragement, News

Special Update from Consistory

SPECIAL UPDATE FROM CONSISTORY:

The Consistory (our church board) convened a special meeting this week to discern our congregation’s response to the current COVID-19 surge. We are deeply concerned about the health and well-being of our community. In compliance with the latest governor’s proclamation, we added mandatory mask wearing to our mitigation response. Also, please follow these guidelines:

  • Wear a mask for all group gatherings.
  • Maintain distance in all group gatherings.
  • Wash hands frequently.
  • Do not attend if you are sick or have been exposed to sickness.
  • Do not attend if you are vulnerable.

We believe in the value of in-person gatherings for offering hope and encouragement. We will continue to evaluate our ability to meet in-person safely. We will make changes as necessary to help us carry out our mission of sharing the love of God and also protecting staff, volunteers, and attendees. We invite your prayers for our congregation and community in these challenging times.

The Lord be with you,
The Consistory

Family and Children Ministry, Journey, Marriage and Family, Missions Team, News

Lake View Camp Update

Lake View Camp is one of the ministries we support as a church. We send many kids and families to camp each summer. Here is their latest update letter:

Despite cancelling our regular summer camps due to COVID-19, over 200 people (kids, parents, grandparents, and friends) took advantage of our “Spend a Day at Camp'” opportunity this summer. All enjoyed the beauty of God’s creation, learned how they can see 20/20 with God, and made many camp memories! As we look to fall/winter, we are exploring possibilities to safely provide some fun camp activities for those interested.

We are excited to announce that earth moving equipment will be arriving soon to begin site work for Phase 1. We are looking forward to taking this next step in our camping ministry! Striving to live within our means, the board has decided to start work only on the new Lodge (includes dining, kitchen, gathering area) and the necessary infrastructure and to hold off on our large, multi-story cabin units until more funds are received. Instead, we will be building 3 to 4 stand alone cabins with restroom/shower facilities.

These buildings will be built by skilled, volunteer labor (let us know if you can help!). A separate fund has been established for this and if you would like to contribute, please designate “cabin fund” on your contribution. $40,000 has been contributed to this fund so far, primarily from former campers and counselors who remain passionate about the power of camp. If you would
like to make a donation in honor of a camp counselor or Sunday school teacher who made a significant impact on your life (or your child’s life), we would love to hear about it when you send your donation! If you prefer giving to the new Lodge, those donations would be welcome and appreciated as well. Please indicate your desire by writing “capital campaign” on those gifts.

If you would like more information, please feel free to contact Lake View Camp’s director, Diana Brummel, at 641-628-2160, or board members Bob and Dort Kampman (Kesley) at 319-830-8958 or Lance and Lindy Ibeling (Parkersburg) at 319-883-1264. Also, we would love to have you visit Lake View camp this fall to see this beautiful piece of property God has entrusted
to our care. Give us a call or visit lakeviewconference.com!

Communication, Connection, News, Prayer, Volunteers Needed

Volunteering, Prayer and a Midweek Update

PRAYER MEETING TONIGHT

Join us for prayer at the church, 6:30pm.  Stop in for as much or as little as you are able.  Due to the heat, we will meet in the Gathering Space.

VOLUNTEER – CEDAR HILLS WORK GROUP

Saturday, August 29, meet at church at 8am and we will split up into teams and go to two different locations to clean up branches and debris from yards of two locations in need of help. Bring gloves if you have some.

VOLUNTEER – MATTHEW 25 WORK GROUPS

With all of the recent storm damage and urgent needs caused by it, Matthew 25 is refocusing the August 31-September 4 Transform Week to derecho repair projects, targeting low-income homeowners with damage that won’t be covered by insurance as well as clearing of trees and removing debris from homes.  PARTNER WITH MATTHEW 25 next week.

SUNDAY CLASSES RESUME SEPT. 13

Our Fall season of ministry will begin Sunday, September 13. Classes for ages 3 to adult will be open, as well as the nursery.  Help us plan by registering the whole family for this new season of ministry. READ MORE

REGISTER NOW FOR CLASSES

MEDIA UPDATES

THE CEDAR CHIPS

The August Cedar Chips are online.  The Cedar Chips is the monthly newsletter of Cedar Hills Community Church and highlights reflections from each of our ministry staff members. READ NOW

COVID-19, Journey, News

Snack Donations Needed

The youth group is participating in Lead the Cause, a virtual evangelism and discipleship training experience the week of July 27th-31st.  Would you be willing to make snacks for the teens to enjoy as they get fed spiritually?  Cookies, brownies, puppy chow…we love it all!

If you are able to help, simply fill out this form and let us know.

Lead the Cause is a summer teen evangelism training even that helps youth leaders create passionate disciples who are reaching their word with the gospel.

Youth groups spend an intensive week praying, learning and conspiring together to reach their community for Christ. They experience:

  • Deep Prayer – Interceding for their lost friends. Students spend the first day and a half aligning their heart with God’s and His desire for all to come to faith in Him.
  • Faith Sharing – Outreach opportunities to share the gospel. Two entire afternoons are dedicated to hands on outreach, speaking with strangers, starting gospel conversations. Students are also challenged to bring up the gospel with friends and family back home.
  • Vision Planning – Conspiring together to reach their community for Christ. Groups pray and plan ways they can reach their own communities with the gospel, coming away with a strategic plan and specific goals.

More about Lead the Cause

News, Uncategorized

Don’t be kaput. Be better.

GET THE APP

 

Kaput. The word we would use to describe the old Cedar Hills app.

 

Better. The word we would use to describe the new Cedar Hills app update.

 

Don’t be kaput. Be better.
Download the update today.

Bonus – look through the new app content and find the secret form. Fill it out, and enter to win 1 of 10 gift cards. Contest ends Sunday, July 19.

Click here, search “Cedar Hills Community Church” in your app store or click below.

 

 

News, Sermon

Do Justice. Sunday, July 5, 2020

Do Justice

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” ~ Micah 6:8

Christians have every reason to seek justice for everyone in every situation.

1. Lament injustice.

  • Beware of bandwagon bias.
  • Beware of selective proof-testing.
  • Beware of over-simplification.
  • “Now let the fear of the Lord be on you. Judge carefully, for with the Lord our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery.” ~ 2 Chronicles 19:7

2. Celebrate justice.

  • “When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers.” ~ Proverbs 21:15
  • “Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.” ~ Matthew 12:18

3. Do justice.

  • Isaiah 1:17-27, 10:1-3
  • Luke 4:14-21
  • 2 Corinthians 5:11-21

Next Step:

What will you do?

Cedar Chips, July 2020 Chips, News

Making Levitical Law Fun – Seriously!

JULY 2020

MAKING LEVITICAL LAW FUN–SERIOUSLY

On January 1 of this year, I started a year-long Bible reading program with the goal of reading through the entire Bible in one year. I’ve never done one before! And to be honest, didn’t know if I had the stick-to-it-ive-ness to keep up with the reading.  And the idea of reading certain portions of the Old Testament sounded… well, let’s be honest: Boring. Mundane. Humdrum.

The cool thing about this program is that it is accompanied by a 5-9 min podcast daily that you listen to after completing the reading. These little podcasts have made the journey through the Bible enlightening. I’ve learned more in these short audio lessons that have made the Bible exciting, intriguing, and actually a huge highlight of the day.  I LONG for my time in the Word and the understanding that comes along with it. Never in my life did I think I would enjoy reading Levitical law and the messy history of the 1 & 2 Kings.  But I love it!

Yesterday, the plan had us reading Obadiah. I didn’t even know where Obadiah was or had any hint of knowledge what is covered in this short 21-verse book of the Bible.  It shadows a current day justice of the Old Testament covenant and a coming day justice of the New Testament through the use of a stern warning to Israel’s closest relatives and neighbors, the Edomites.  “Don’t mess with my people.”

Have I got you intrigued?

I don’t know what your summer has looked like, but if finding a new normal has been tough, the routine of starting my day with Word and prayer has helped me personally remain rooted in the chaos.  I often don’t know what the rest of my day will hold, but it starts with God and that has made all the difference!  Finding just the right thing to keep me in the Word has made a huge difference.  For those who have similar Bible-reading routines, I’m curious what methods have worked for you? Group study? Personal study? Book studies? Let me know below!

Want to check out the program that’s got me so hooked? It’s The Bible Recap and can be found in the Bible App with an accompanying podcast by the same name on iTunes.

 

Leah Carolan
Director of Worship & Media

 

 

 

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    Cedar Chips, July 2020 Chips, News

    In a Perfect World

    JULY 2020

    IN A PERFECT WORLD

    I have one goal every summer – nurture the perfect pot of flowers. The perfect pot contains the perfect flowers, sits in the perfect spot on the patio, and grows in perfect symmetry. Flower paradise.

    Of course, the forces of evil align against the perfect pot. Weeds, pests, heat, wind, squirrels – these enemies of perfection collaborate to defeat me. Because of these wicked rivals, it is too much to hope for a perfect garden, I settle for just one pot of beauty, harmony, and excellence. My little backyard utopia.

    My pursuit of horticultural magnificence brings job security. There is always one more task. Weeding. Watering. Fertilizing. Pruning. More weeding. The work never ends and sometimes I grow weary, but I never give up hope that one day it will be just as it is supposed to be.

    I want a perfect world: perfect relationships, perfect health, and perfect justice. I grieve over the brokenness. I pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on EARTH as it is in HEAVEN!” I endeavor to do what is right. I battle spiritual forces of evil aligned against excellence. I work to make the world better and sometimes I grow weary, but I never lose hope that one day it will be just as it is supposed to be.

    One verse in particular inspires me to press on. Philippians 1:6 – “I am confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion!” God finishes what God starts. Perfection is coming. Until then, keep weeding the garden.

    Kent Landhuis
    Pastor of Teaching & Leadership

     

     

     

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      Cedar Chips, Connection, July 2020 Chips, News

      Turmoil as a Time of Blessing

      JULY 2020

      TURMOIL As A TIME OF BLESSING

      “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.  For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Galatians 5:13-14).

      2020 seems to be slipping into deeper and deeper turmoil, and we as Christians are right in the middle of it, whether we like it or not.  Here’s the thing, this time of turmoil is really a time of blessing for we who belong to Christ. Right about now, there are some reading what I just said, who are ready to toss me out on my ear. But wasn’t it Jesus who told us to love our neighbors as ourselves in the verse above? Isn’t it Jesus, the Creator of the entire universe, who said, “Whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:27-28).

      It seems to me that loving our neighbor looks a lot like serving our neighbor. Jesus said it like this:

      “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’  Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?  And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?  And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’  And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’“ (Matthew 25: 34-40).

      We, who are Christ’s hands and feet on this Earth, need to be moving toward the turmoil and chaos of our day. We are called to actively love. We have been set free from curse of sin, which looks inward to our fears, but we are called to now turn outward in love. Love always looks outward to God and our neighbor, and here’s the great part about it, as we love we actually help heal the world around us. 1 John 4: 16-19 says, “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.  By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgement, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us.”

      There you have it! We drive out fear by acting in love. Our loving action actually replaces fear. That is a pretty good thing. I am going to go out on a limb again and say it is even a blessing.

      Gary Sager
      Ambassador of Care

       

       

       

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