Category Archives: Worship

Cedar Chips, Holiday, Just Love, News, Worship

Post-Christmas Slumps

The glitz and glam is over.
The warm fuzzies have reset
back into a reality of cold winter weather.

There are no more lights.
No more sparkly tinsel decorations.
The days are short.
No holiday music.
And the manger is emptied
and put away for another year.

Your wallet may be slimmer.
And time with family and friends
may have been a little stressful
and not of the Hallmark Channel quality.

What do we do now?
Where do we
go from here?
A King
has been born.
And His parents
have escaped with Him
to Egypt.

They’ll eventually return to their home.
He’ll learn the ways of a carpenter.
Soon, He will stay behind in the temple
And cause His parents to worry.
The leaders will be amazed
At His understanding of the Scriptures.

“Who is this boy?” they will ask.
“Isn’t He just a carpenter’s son?”
He will teach the ways of love.
Love that is so different, so controversial,
They’ll kill him.

They do not want to hear the way of love.
They want to leave things just as they are,
Their religious practices, their hierarchy.

Leah
Director of Worship & Media

Bright Spot, Consistory, News, Worship

Huge New Members Class!

This Sunday we will welcome the largest class of new members in Cedar Hills history (at least that we are aware of!).  Congrats to all of our new members – and welcome to the Cedar Hills family.  This group has communicated a clear faith in Christ after meeting with our elders, and is ready to stand before the congregation and announce their faith.

New Members joining 1st Service (8:30am): Jim & Kelly Beavers; (Patty) Patricia Ann Bray; Melanie & Shaun Boots (daughter: Saydee); Ryan Dohlman; Kyle & Alisse French (daughter: Hadley); Bruce and Virginia Petrzelka (son: Adam); Richard and Marilyn Beauregard

New Members joining 2nd Service (11am):  Harriet & Gwyn Aarhus; Ryan Aarhus; Ron Alexander; Mario & Tameka Armon (Children: Cynthia Platt, Kiara and Malachi); Matthew & Shannon Constant (Children: Easton, Michael, Olivia); Debbie Erenberger; Shannon Davison & Carol Mangrich; Chad & Kylene Dunham (Daughter: Ashleigh); Trudy Greaser; Carolyn Harvey; Martha Krejci (daughter: Norah); Prince Nabuyoli & Aline Burubwa (children: Samuel & Eli & daughters Franklin and May); Franklin Nabuyoli; May Nabuyoli; Dave & Karen Roberts; Gary & Sue Sager; Travis & Tiffany Schmidt (daughter: Soraya); Hilaire Tschombe; Karl & Lindsey Ungs (children: Hansel and Nina)

Family and Children Ministry, Holiday, News, Worship

Thanksgiving Eve Service

Join us for Thanksgiving Eve worship, Wednesday, Nov. 21 at 6:30pm.  This service is lighthearted and family friendly! It takes place in the Gathering Space – lots of room for the little ones to move and make noise. 🙂

We’ll be creating a thankfulness craft, worshipping, celebrating the Lord’s Supper and sharing a fruit salad. Bring a piece of fruit (precut, please) or berries to share in the salad.

The nursery will be available for families to use but not staffed. An audio feed of the service will be playing in the nursery.

This is one of our favorite services of the year.  In this season of thanks, come and give thanks to the One who created all things and holds all things together.

Bright Spot, Cedar Chips, News, Worship

Recounting God’s Goodness: Worship 2018

Annual Report – Special Edition

Where does one start to recount the goodness of God?

I can start with our musical volunteer base! We have always had a plethora of volunteers within the worship ministry. Between musicians and singers, our worship teams in both services are fully staffed and then some. And even on weeks when regular musicians are out of town, we have a great ‘standby’ list of those who are ready to jump in and fill in the ranks.  God is good!

I can boast about our tech team and their dedication to helping us worship with flawless sound, computer and light execution. I can boast how they make us all look good on stage and inspire us with beautiful lighting and staging. I can recount their thoroughness of getting sermon recordings created, posted online each week, and CDs distributed. I can praise God for how they fill in for the many events that happen outside of a Sunday morning—children’s events, weddings, funerals, rentals, women’s events and meetings. God is good!

I can give thanks for other worship leaders who spend great time in lessons and preparation, working with me one-on-one to develop their craft and lead us on Sunday mornings in my absence, taking careful skill to get their parts ‘just right’.

I praise God for the creative-artsy types who meet to dream up the next staging concept.  Who help us to see God through the arts and colors and stage designs.  I am thankful for their behind-the-scenes leadership and the projects they maintain and develop. (Wait till you see what’s in store for Advent!)

I can give thanks for new musical ministries popping and the possibilities for more to find a home within worship ministries.  And I am thankful for the relationships we hold as brothers and sisters in Christ, working together to help His people worship.

Leah
Director of Worship & Media

 

News, Worship

Sunday Nov. 4 Celebration

This Sunday, Nov. 4, 2018 will be a unique Sunday and one you’ll not want to miss.  We’ll have regular services at 8:30am and 11am, but the sermon will be the “State of the Church” report – a celebration of what God is doing and vision-casting of where we think He is calling us in the next year.

Immediately following the 2nd service (around 12:05pm), all are invited to the Worship Center for cinnamon rolls, to vote on the 2019 budget and elect elders and deacons (what we call ‘consistory’ or ‘the board’).

This short gathering should only take 20 minutes, but is very important in the life of our church!

Whether you are new to Cedar Hills or have been around awhile, this Sunday is sure to inspire you and give you a greater feel for the life and vitality of what makes Cedar Hills unique.

Cedar Chips, News, Worship

God Reveals. We Respond.

Many have asked this question and there are just as many responses online if you google it. What is worship? What qualifies and what doesn’t? What does transformational worship look like? Is there a right way and a wrong way? Who has it figured
out?

In all my years of classes and schools and degrees and traveling around North America, I think you can make a great case for this explanation:

God reveals Himself, and we respond. 

Leah
Director of Worship & Media

Missions Team, News, Worship

Missions in Brno

Beth sharing about her mission in Brno
Praying for Beth

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.

Cedar Chips, Fall Kick-Off, Music, News, Transform the Corridor, Worship

Kick-Off Worship Jam

All musicians and singers are invited to take place in the Fall Kick-Off worship service Sunday, August 19. The first service choir will gather at 8 AM to sing at the 8:30am service. All singers and instruments are invited to the kick-off worship jam team that will lead the music at the 11 AM service. Practice for the jam is Wednesday, August 15 at 6:30 PM. Please pre-register for the Jam.

Cedar Chips, Fall Kick-Off, News, Transform the Corridor, Worship

No Fear—You Are Empowered

I love the theme and vision we have for the coming year of ministry: Transform the Corridor.

When our cities are transformed, everyone benefits! (Jer. 29:7). And what we often fail to realize is the great transformation taking place inside of us through the power of the Holy Spirit is a transformation that spills into our every day lives. We are literally little walking balls of transformational light and we carry this power wherever we go.

This is no fear needed. The power of the Holy Spirit inside us gives us everything we need for this calling. As a church, we believe God has uniquely called each one of us to some place specific this year where our empowerment by the Holy Spirit will be super evident. In this specific place He calls you, you are an agent of transformation.

You have the great potential to get to know people, to listen to their stories, to jump to their aid when they need you, to build relationships beyond a ‘hello’, and to share the Gospel. And to share it in unique and awesome ways that are already built into your specific personality and wiring.

Again I say, there is no fear needed in this journey. You are empowered! You are called! And you have all the right tools built within you. The simple beauty of this task is that it is not another thing to do, but instead, a change of focus from just being present to being intentional—to not just being a person present, but being an empowered follower of Christ.

Ask yourself — where can I live out the Gospel this year? How will that change my daily interactions there? What little steps can turn into big transformation? If you don’t know the answers to these questions, that’s okay! We’ll be teaching on this transformation with specific steps on how to put this all into action. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, we will Transform the Corridor.

Leah Carolan
Director of Worship & Media

Cedar Chips, Worship

A Church on Mission

One of the churches Paul planted on his missionary journeys was the church of Philippi. Later he wrote them a letter to encourage them to stay on mission. The book of Philippians shows how disciples, living in dependence on the Holy Spirit, can be transformed in their purpose.

July 1: Mission on Purpose
July 8: Unified Purpose
July 15: Persevering Purpose
July 22: Joyous Purpose
July 29: Worthy Purpose

Sundays at 8:30am and 11am. More on worship at Cedar Hills