Category Archives: News

Cedar Chips, COVID-19, July 2020 Chips, News, Noah's Ark

Noah’s Ark July Update

JULY 2020

Welcome Hannah!

Welcome to Hannah Pelling, our newest staff member at Noah’s Ark!

Hannah comes to us with her BA in Elementary Education from Moody Bible Institute in Chicago IL. She recently did her student teaching at Isaac Newton Christian Academy in Cedar Rapids. She will help us with July summer school and lead our four-year-old class this fall. We love her positivity and can’t wait to share her with our students and families.

Noah’s Ark is now in search of an assistant to work with Hannah in our four-year-olds’ classroom this fall on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings. Send inquiries to www.noahsarkcr.org.

We have many COVID-19 requirements to complete in order to open school in July.  Many of the cleaning guidelines are in use at Noah’s Ark already, but we are having a difficult time purchasing a specific cleaner recommended by DHS for use in preschools. If you are out shopping and discover any spray bottles of Clorox (Anywhere Hard Surface Spray) please purchase them and Noah’s Ark will reimburse you!  It must be only this cleaner.

Kris Crowther
Director of Noah’s Ark Preschool

 

 

 

 

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    Cedar Chips, Connection, July 2020 Chips, News

    Authenticity Killer

    JULY 2020

    AUTHENTICITY  KILLER

    I started crying in my car as I drove past the NewBo area of town. I saw dozens of people enjoying each other’s company in the sunshine and it made my heart hurt. Gathering with friends is exactly what my heart needs to be healthy. Several of my friends are on the cautious side of getting together; which means they are not ready to make many social plans yet. As a fun-loving extrovert, this has been soul-crushing. Hospitality and authenticity are key elements to relationship-building and it turns out that Zoom (a platform to hold meetings online) makes these elements hard to access.

    I’ve recently come to the realization that Zoom is an authenticity killer. In fact, in all the busyness of trying to move everything over to Zoom, learning how to use the platform, and then helping others do the same, I’m only now realizing that authenticity takes far more energy when using Zoom. Most of our communication with others is non-verbal. All the body language, tone of voice, direction of eye gaze, guttural sounds, hand motions, posture, and movement away from or towards the speaker offers us far more information about what the person is saying than their actual words. Part of me thought that Zoom would work because of the camera focused on the face, allowing for some of the non-verbal clues to be captured by the listener. However, so much is still missing or left to interpretation. This lack of clues about the speaker(s) makes it hard to share authentically.

    The Marco Polo app (a platform that lets you leave video messages) allows for different results than Zoom. I think one of the main differences is that people can share when they are ready, any time of day they choose. That means if I’m thinking things over in the grocery store I might be ready to leave a thoughtful or heartfelt response from my car in the parking lot. Zoom demands that you produce thoughtful responses at the moment everyone else is in the meeting. Marco Polo has allowed my small group the ability to share what is on our hearts, from a distance. Admittedly Marco Polo and Zoom are different platforms with different functions, but one has allowed deep connections to continue and the other allows for business as usual (as usual as it can be in a pandemic).

    The moral of the story for me is that connection is essential and complex. We all need time with our friends and family in order to stay healthy. Doing life together with hospitality, authenticity, forgiveness, and restoration is the answer to my heartache.

    Lindsey Ungs
    Connection & Communication Architect

     

     

     

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      Missions Team, News

      Blueberry Blitz Fundraiser

      We have a unique opportunity to support one of our missions – Lake View Camp – with a blueberry fundraiser! Print ORDER FORM now. (Make checks out to Lake View Camp)

      Lake View will be selling FRESH Michigan blueberries! A friend of Lake View Camp has offered to provide us with as many fresh Michigan blueberries as we can sell, delivered straight from his family’s 4th generation farm. Over the past decade, blueberries have been called the miracle fruit for their outstanding source of vitamin C, dietary fiber, manganese, and antioxidant properties—the things that fight against the development of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer’s.

      We here at Lake View Camp know a thing or two about miracles (though of a different sort of course!) and see this partnership between the miracle fruit and a camp where God’s miracles happen every day as a special opportunity to raise some much needed funds. So, join in our BLUEBERRY BLITZ! and help our ministry stay as healthy for our campers as these miracle berries will keep your body and mind.

      *Berries will be delivered to Cedar Rapids on Saturday, July 18 and be available to pickup at Steve and Cathy Poole’s house.  Make checks out to Lake View Camp.

      ORDER FORM
      Payment due upon ordering. Return order form and payment to the church office by July 13.

      Cedar Chips, COVID-19, Journey, June 2020 Chips, News, Uncategorized, Youth

      Cedar Hills Graduates

      JUNE 2020

      Cedar Hills Graduates

      What a strange and bizarre year it has been for the graduating class of 2020.  We are incredibly proud of all our graduating students would like to recognize them for their well-earned achievements. Enjoy this short video. Be sure to browse all of their honors and achievements below.

      HIGH SCHOOL

      Mikayla Bosch

      • Prairie High School
      • Next – Attend the University of Iowa to major in Human Physiology to someday pursue a career in the medical field.
      • “Always be yourself and make the most of every situation.”

      Amanda Diers

      • Central Baptist Christian Academy
      • Next – Messiah College in Pennsylvania.

      Madelyn Funk

      • Solon High School
      • Next – Kirkwood Community Collage
      • “Always choose kindness! Do what makes you happy and what you know is right!”

      Zac Goodall

      • Jefferson High School
      • Next – Going to UNI and studying Music Education.
      • “Get involved in school activities.”

      Kira Hegg

      • Senior High School – Billings, MT
      • National Honor Society, Presidents Education Award

      Alexis Henderson

      • Jefferson High School
        Honors include 2020 Governor’s Scholar Honoree, 2020 Best of the Class, Valedictorian, AP Scholar with Honors, Academic Honors with Distinction, Presidential Education Award, National Honors Society, Volunteer Service Award, J-Hawk Credit Club, Science Department Award, Science Four Year Award, Project Lead the Way Four Year Award, Social Studies Four Year Award, Mathematics Four Year Award, and World Language Four Year Award.
      • Next – I am planning on studying biomedical engineering at the University of Arizona.
      • “Don’t take anything you have during this time of your life for granted because you never know when everything around you will change.”

      Brody Joens

      • Prairie High School
      • Next – Dordt University, studying civil engineering/architecture, playing football
      • “Don’t take it for granted.”

      UNDERGRAD

      Justin Brown

      • Kirkwood Community College – Associate of Arts
      • Next – I am currently a student at the University of Iowa working towards earn a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in general psychology and a minor in human relations while becoming a member of Alpha Phi omega national service fraternity.

      Austin Mills

      • Coe College – Biology Major, Chemistry and Spanish Minor
        Graduated cum laude
        Member Phi Beta Kappa
      • Next – Position with Biomimicry Design Alliance
      • “Don’t be afraid to take a winding path to find the college and career path that is the right fit for you. God has a plan and nothing can change that!”

      Katlyn Stevens

      • Iowa State University – Bachelor of Liberal Studies
      • Next – Working at US Bank and looking for new opportunities
      • “College goes by fast. Make the most of it.”

      Frankline Tshombe

      • Mount Mercy University – BA in Social Work
      • Next – Work as a Child Welfare Social Worker
      • “Maximize your time in college and cherish every moment.”

      Hilaire Tshombe

      • Mount Mercy University – BA in Social Work
        Phi Alpha Honor Society
        National Society of Leadership and Success
        Sisters of Mercy Award
      • Next – For now I am a member of RefugeeRise working at Catherine McAuley Center working with diverse population.
      • “The word I have for those entering college is that they must not give up–that nothing comes easy in life. They must not lose hope; they must keep on pushing and one day they will say that this is far they have come. For me to be where I am today, it is hard work.”

      GRADUATE SCHOOL

      Alexi Grave

      • University of Northern Iowa – Master of Accounting
      • Next – I’m starting my career as an Audit Associate at KPMG in Des Moines.
      • “Don’t strive for a perfect 4.0 GPA. Do your best, and make time for yourself.”

      Jeremy Van Genderen

      • Western Theological Seminary – Masters of Divinity
      • Next – Ordination and installation as Senior Pastor at Trinity Reformed Church in Allison, IA
      • “Always be open to the plan that God has for you.”

       

      COVID-19, Explorers, Family and Children Ministry, News

      Ideas for Kids This Sunday

      The Worship Center is setup for social distancing as we gather again for services this Sunday, June 7.  Because are currently not offering any children’s ministries on Sunday mornings, parents may encounter some new hurdles to worship as a family.  If you have young children, Cathy Poole has some great ideas for you to consider!